By Mary Barrett 

Daily Planet Correspondent 

The Rev. D. Mark Wilson, pastor of McGee Avenue Baptist Church, at the corner of Stuart Street and McGee Avenue in south Berkeley, is celebrating two milestones on Sunday: the eighth anniversary of his ministry at McGee Avenue Baptist and the completion of his doctorate in sociology from the University of Michigan. 

Just 40 years old, Pastor Wilson’s call to God’s work began in his childhood church in Oakland. When the choir director waved her arms to lead the singing, he, a small child in the front pew, imitated her. Church music and the drama of the ceremonies were transforming. By 14, Rev. Wilson had started preaching at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in west Oakland. His mother Bittie Cheeks-Austin, who raised six children alone, would have been a minister herself had there been any women allowed into the ministry then. It was she who kept her son focused on the idea that “with God you can accomplish any dream.” 

Music and drama were central to the Rev. Wilson’s life throughout his years at Skyline High School; he played cello, piano, and started a gospel choir that continues there today.  

He also was among the first African American class presidents. A white classmate had told him he could never win, but the Rev. Wilson knew he had positive relationships with all the different cliques from the “rah rahs” to the “thugs” to the “stoners” to the “nerds.” He knew the power of coalitions and he was easily elected. 

Always a serious student, Rev. Wilson graduated from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, from Harvard University with a master’s in divinity, and from the University of Michigan with a doctorate in Sociology. 

There is nothing like an anniversary to force one to take a long hard look at oneself and see how things measure up. Pastor Wilson asks himself, “Is my life productive?” By any standard, the answer would be a resounding “Yes!” 

Parishioner Geneva Sumrall calls the Pastor “innovative and dynamic, a real people person.”  

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington enumerates Mark Wilson’s accomplishments.  

“He has been an activist on housing and homelessness. He strongly encourages African American businesses. He is very egalitarian and has urged women to be ordained and to preach. He has increased his efforts in bringing HIV information to African American churches all over Alameda County. Rev. Wilson has been involved with mental health agencies in fighting addictions and the church has expanded its meals program.” 

Nonetheless, last Sunday’s 8 a.m. sermon did not come easily to Pastor Mark. Two hours before the service, the sermon had still not be written. “It may seem strange,” the Pastor told the congregation, “It seems I have so much going for me. Even so, things can feel weak and weary. I feel like a shrub out in the wilderness – dry, parched. All the work I’m doing, does it amount to anything?” 

Then he reassures the congregation as he reassures himself. “God says ‘Don’t worry when I’m already pleased with you.” He begins a metaphor prompted by Jeremiah. “God doesn’t want us to be shrubs. Check out your roots. God wants us to be trees seeking water. Trees draw on their resources. Trees seek to shade the fearful. A tree whose leaves are green fulfills God’s call.” 

Pastor Mark is urging the congregation. “Tell your neighbor ‘I ain’t gonna be no shrub.’” Some of the parishioners raise timid fingers and shake them at each other: “I ain’t gonna be no shrub,” they say. 

“Check out your roots,” he said, “We’re trees who give fruit in season.” In repeating lines and rolling cadences, Rev. Wilson preaches to his congregation, giving his energy and hope generously to those attending. 

Kriss Worthington describes the reverend’s preaching as stunning. “Rev. Wilson has a driving passion and intensity that you expect and it’s combined with a lyrical elegance and intellectual depth and breadth.”  

Congregates say he is engaging at the same time he is instructive. His voice is like a well nuanced instrument. Joy seems to fill the church after his sermon. 

Rev. Wilson has boyish humor also. Before the service is over, he removes his minister’s robes and shows the congregation his T-shirt, a shirt he’s had for many years, of a Black Bart Simpson. “Here’s an angry boy,” he says. “He’s mad. No one watered his roots. No one taught him.” He laughs with the congregation. “Next week I’m going to wear the pants I wore years ago, my mother thought she’d thrown them out. I’m going to show you my ‘old time religion’ clothes.” 

The stole around Rev. Wilson’s neck is a multi-colored quilt that his parishioners pieced together for him. Everyone contributed small cloth squares. He wears the stole with pride. This congregation has been through a lot. Just a few years ago, Rev. Wilson’s privacy was shattered when the Oakland Tribune announced that he was gay. Rev. Wilson says, in turn, the newspaper did him a favor because he was challenged to take a stand. McGee Avenue Baptist was a progressive church when he came; they already had women deacons. It is also, Pastor Mark states, a very loving community. Through a series of meetings and discussions, a decision was made and the congregation voted 2-1 to keep Rev. Wilson as their minister. One person told the pastor, “I don’t agree with it but God has told me not to attack you or to leave this congregation.” Rev. Wilson says that because he was given the chance to stand and say what he needed to say, others were helped to stand and say what they needed to as well. 

Pastor Mark is an adjunct professor at the Pacific School of Religion and is motivated to share his knowledge with others. Yet he feels the most important part of his ministry is restoring relationships between people and God. “There’s a lot of hurt there for people who’ve been told they are not what they’re supposed to be, my work is to help those who are struggling to love themselves.” He himself struggled to accept the fact that he’d never be the “heterosexual pastor everyone wanted.” Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Wilson says, “...any religion that concerns itself with saving the soul without changing the social structures that scar the soul, that religion is moribund.”  

It’s the unexpected things, the surprises that he experiences in the ministry that keep him nurtured. He is excited to see members of the congregation find “their gifts.” There is a joy he receives in knowing he can help people come through struggle to places of peace. Once when he wondered what an older parishioner thought of him, her statement, “You sure are a good person” delighted him. 

Pastor Mark quotes Jeremiah, Chapter 20 as a summation of his call to the ministry. “If I say I will not mention him (God) or speak anymore in his name then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I grow weary with holding it in, and I can not.”  

The Berkeley community is richer from the presence of Pastor Wilson in its midst. 

A celebration service honoring Rev. Mark D. Wilson will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday at McGee Avenue Baptist Church, 1640 Stuart. 

Saturday, Feb. 17

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

Oakland  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dinner Dance  

Benefit Gala 

4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita)  

Dance to the music of Toru Saitu & his band. Benefits BFUU.  

$10 donation  

Call 849-9508 

Free Puppet Show  

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave., Lower Level  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning puppet troupe that includes puppets of diverse cultures and puppets with medical conditions such as leukemia and spina bifida. Free 

Call 549-1564  

P.U.R.R.S. Pet Adoption Day 

Noon - 5 p.m. 

Pet Food Express  

1942 MLK Jr. Way  

Cats, kittens, rabbits, dogs and other pets in need of homes will be available for adoption.  

Call 444-3204 

Sunday, Feb. 18

Ruth Acty Oral History  

Reception 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

In 1943 Miss Ruth Acty became the first African American teacher to be hired by the Berkeley Unified School District. She taught thousands of students until her retirement in 1985. Oral History Coordinator Therese Pipe interviewed Acty in 1993-94 for the Berkeley Historical Society. Free  

Waterfalls of Berkeley  

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART  

Sacramento at Delaware  

On this urban waterfall hike, discover three waterfalls along rushing creeks hidden in Berkeley neighborhoods. A free hike sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Kaleidoscope Performances  

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts  

2640 College Ave. (at Derby)  

Yassir Chadley, traditional Moroccan musician and Sufi storyteller.  

$5 - $10  

Call 925-798-1300 

Healthful Building Materials 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Learn about healthful materials in this seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35 Call 525-7610 

Empowering Your Soul Through Meditation 

4 p.m. 

St. John’s Church  

2727 College Ave.  

635-2290 

Monday, Feb. 19

Affordable Housing Advocacy Project Open Forum 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Strawberry Creek Lodge  

1320 Addison St.  

This months topic will be vouchers - what is happening to the section eight program and what you need to know about it. AHAP is a project of Housing Rights, in partnership with Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, the national Housing Law Project and the City of Berkeley. Call 1-800-773-2110 

Healing Power of the Mind 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists  

1606 Bonita St.  

Tulku Thondup will teach from his new book, “Boundless Healing”, which offers simple meditation techniques based on Buddhist principles. Tickets are available at Shambhala Booksellers and at Walden Pond Books.  

$10 Call 433-9928 

Tuesday, Feb. 20

“Great Decisions” - China  

& Taiwan 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. $5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Intelligent  

Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is different cultural, ethnic and religious values. Call 527-9772  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m., 7 p.m. 

South Branch Berkeley Library  

1901 Russel St.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Blood Pressure for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

With Alice Meyers. Free 

Call 644-6107 

The “Real Deal” 

12:45 p.m.  

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave.  

Mudd Building, Room 103 

Daniel Ellsberg changed history by leaking the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. Join him for a discussion about what it means to act ethically and how one person’s actions can make a difference. Free 

849-8257  

Wednesday, Feb. 21

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Call 444-4755 or  

visit www.stagebridge.org 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Control Hypertension 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus 

Summit South Cafeteria Conference Room  

3100 Summit St.  

Oakland 

Bessanderson McNeil, MPH, and the Ethnic Health Institute, will help attendees take control of their lives. Free 

Call 204-3443 

Sacred Cinema  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave., Chapel Six 

Ken Peer has sought to explore sacred themes and to draw attention to the spiritual lives of individuals from the world’s great wisdom traditions. See three of his short films at this free screening.  

Call 649-2523 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

Claremont Library  

2940 Benvenue  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Alzheimer’s Support Group  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

For families and caregivers. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Farm Fresh Choice  

7 - 9 p.m.  

Center for Ecoliteracy  

2522 San Pablo Ave.  

Topic of discussion will be the new “Farm Fresh Choice” project linking local farms with Berkeley residents, National Nutritional Month activities and developing a visual graphic of Berkeley’s ideal food system.  

665-6812 or visit www.berkeleyfood.org 

Thursday, Feb. 22

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Charles Ellick and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

Rivers of the World  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Pamela Michael, writer, educator and river conservationist, will highlight her new anthology “The Gift of Rivers: True Stories of Life on the Water,” showing slides of nearly 100 of the world’s great rivers. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Growl & Howl of Man & Woman 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Bring your favorite gender assumptions and put them to the test.  

$10  

Agaves & Yuccas 

7 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

Mary and Gary Irish, experts on these plants will show you where to find these dry garden plants and how to makes them grow happily.  

$15 

Call 643-1924 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m.  

West Branch Berkeley Library  

1125 University Ave.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Meditation Seminar 

6:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church  

2727 College Ave.  

A free talk followed by practical instruction in meditation on inner light and sound. Sponsored by Know Thyself as Soul Foundation, a nonprofit corporation.  

Call 845-9648 

Concluding Your Speech  

12:10 - 1:10 p.m.  

California Department of Health Services  

2151 Berkeley Way, Room 804  

State Health Toastmasters invites you to take the terror out of talking. 

649-7750  

Friday, Feb. 23

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Cosi Fan Tutte 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

An opera presented for free.  

Call 644-6107 

Impediments to Housing Expansion  

Noon  

Goldman School of Public Policy  

2607 Hearst Ave.  

Lawrence Gotlieb, vice president for Government and Public Affairs for KB Home in L.A. will discuss “The Housing Affordability Crisis: The Builder’s Perspective.”  

Call 665-6812 

Saturday, Feb. 24

Tibetan New Year’s Celebration 

6 - 9 p.m. 

Britta Hauenschild gives a flute concert followed by a festive dinner and New Year’s celebration. Proceeds support Nyingma Institute sacred art and education programs.  

$30 suggested donation  

Call 843-6812 

Celebrate Samuel H. Day, Jr.  

2 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1924 Cedar St. (at Bonita)  

Longtime anti-nuclear activist and journalists, Day was the coordinator of the U.S. campaign to free Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu. Day died suddenly at his home in Madison, Wisconsin on Jan. 26.  

Call 548-3048 or visit www.nukewatch.org 

A Little Taste of Africa  

2 - 4 p.m. 

City of Franklin School  

1150 Virginia St.  

The City of Franklin PTA hosts this fundraiser for Black History Month. There will be performances by a West African Dance Troupe, music, poetry, authentic African dishes, a marketplace, and much more.  

$5  

Call 644-6260 

Love of Self, Family & Community 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

MLK Youth Services Center  

1730 Oregon St.  

Celebrating the many talents of African-Americans, join the City of Berkeley’s Young Adult Project at its annual Black History Month Celebration for a day of music, dance, arts & crafts displays. Free dinner for all who attend.  

Call 644-6226 

Meditation Seminar 

1:30 p.m. 

Grace North Church  

2138 Cedar St.  

A free talk followed by practical instruction in meditation on inner light and sound. Sponsored by Know Thyself as Soul Foundation, a nonprofit corporation.  

Call 845-9648 

Sunday, Feb. 25

“Imperial San Francisco: 

Urban Power, Earthly Ruin” 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley History Center 

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

Gary Brechin speaks on the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful San Francisco families. Free 

Call 848-0181 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Authors in the Library: Lois Silverstein 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Writer and performer, Silverstein, will read selections from “Oh My Darling Daughter,” “Behind the Stove,” and a work-in-progress, “Family Matters.” Discussion and book signing will follow. Free.  

Call 848-0237 x127 

Planetary Temples 

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Employee Don Frew will show slides of teh ruined city of Harran. Free 

Call 848-8443 

Art Meets Science in Time  

2 - 3:30 p.m. 

Bancroft Hotel  

2680 Bancroft Way  

Professor Andrew Stewart of UC Berkeley and Gail M. Wright, a digital artist and lecturer at Mills College explore this subject through slide-illustrated discussions. In conjunction with the 0. Museum’s current exhibition “Telling Time.”  

Call 549-6950 

Harran: City of the Moon God 

8 - 10 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Donald Frew will present s, past and present, and will show slides from a recent visit. He will also discuss the likely treasure trove of texts from the ancient world that await discovery there. Free  

Call 848-8443 

High Blood Pressure Screenings 

9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Church by the Side of the Road  

2108 Russell St.  

Free blood pressure screenings, follow-up advice and other nutritional counseling. Sponsored by Alta Bates Medical Center.  

869-6763 

New UC Berkeley project dwarfs all the others  

By Jim Sharp 

With Memorial Stadium lights back on the drawing board and the ink barely dry on their Final EIRs for the Underhill Area Projects, the Oxford Tract SRB1 “surge” building, and the Goldman School of Public Policy Expansion, UC Berkeley’s Capital Projects team is launching a colossal encore – the Northeast Quadrant Science and Safety Projects.  

They will officially unveil this initiative in a “public scoping session” slated for Monday, February 26th, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.. The venue is Sibley Auditorium in the Bechtel Engineering Center in the northeast quadrant of the central campus (the third building due south of the Hearst & LeRoy intersection or, alternatively, the first building due north of “computer punchcard” Evans Hall).  

In all probability, the public will receive just one more opportunity – at a future Draft EIR hearing – to speak directly to UCB planners about the NEQSS Projects. 

Judging from the Initial Study, NEQSS will dwarf last year's spate of planned construction projects. If you live anywhere around the campus perimeter – especially near Hearst Avenue or Gayley Road – it's safe to say that you will be affected by this bundle of projects. Construction, which UCB hopes to begin in 2002, is expected to take three years.  

Specifically, the Initial Study tells us that...  

• The size of Stanley Hall (just across Gayley from the Greek Theater) will more than quadruple to 285,000 gross square feet (in the form of seven above-ground stories plus a two-story penthouse), 

• Old Davis Hall (just across Hearst from Soda Hall) will increase nearly 400 percent to 145,000 square feet. 

• Academic uses will be intensified at Cory and Soda Halls. Soda will be joined by a 33,000 square-foot Soda II expansion to the north (presumably replacing the existing sand volleyball court along Ridge Road at LeRoy).  

• The capacity of the Lower Hearst Parking Structure (Hearst between Euclid and Scenic) may be increased by 180 vehicles, necessitating removal of the tennis courts and skateboard facility atop the structure. 

• The historic Naval Architecture Building may be moved temporarily to accommodate construction at adjacent Davis Hall.  

To make way for the addition of 327,000 gross square feet of developed area on campus, UCB will be asking the Regents to amend its 1990 Long Range Development Plan. (By contrast, the block-wide, 48-foot-high SRB1 “surge” structure planned for the Oxford Tract will contain only 79,000 gross square feet.)  

Unfortunately, according to page iii of the Initial Study, this LRDP Amendment will not address planned enrollment increases per se, but only enrollment “at only a potential cumulative level”. Enrollment growth is being examined separately, we are informed, in a pending LRDP Update and LRDP Update EIR. 

Regardless of how UCB now enriches your life (or vice versa) – as donor, alum, employee, neighbor, student, sports fan, or whatever – the NEQSS Projects are likely to impact you in the years to come.  

So please consider attending and speaking at the scoping session if you can, or write something, or both – and please spread the word to others who'd be interested.  

Copies are available at UCB's Physical and Environmental Planning Office, 1936 University Avenue, Suite 300, or from Avi Rosenzweig at 643-0313,  

Jim Sharp is a Berkeley resident and University watchdog 

Media promotes bad information on race 

By Wray Buntine 

Modern Medicine started with Greek science, phonetic writing was invented by the Semites, and Egyptians were light skinned. All are misconceptions actively promoted by our modern media. 

The ancient Egyptians were primarily African for the earlier part of their history, as artifacts show. Yet Dreamworks’ “Prince of Egypt”, a typical child’s introduction to Egypt, portrays Egyptians as light skinned. 

The Egyptians used a phonetic alphabet called Hieratic for business, administration, science, and popular stories that is a clear ancestor of the Phoenician and in turn our Latin alphabet. Yet the New York Times Nov. 13 1999, discussing new archaeological finds, praises the enumerable benefits of the early Semitic “discovery” of a phonetic alphabet. They could have said the same about the African Egyptian’s discovery of a full thousand years earlier which the Semites themselves apparently borrowed. 

Moreover, these Egyptians wrote the first medical texts (at least in the Western Hemisphere) in their Hieratic script. 

Medical historians have reported that the Greeks set up their medical schools on Egyptian technology in Egypt, and that early Indo-European courts like the Persians boasted an Egyptian physician. Yet if you believe our children’s’ history books the Greeks are the sole founders of modern medicine. 

European scholars earlier this century first reported the African versions I discuss above, and it was only subsequently that people got to work to “cleanse” history of African influence, producing the three misconceptions I opened with. Your recent opinion piece last week on Black History Month is to be commended. History ghettos haven’t succeeded in repairing our society’s racist view of early western civilization and our media still promotes this racism. 

Wray Buntine is a Berkeley resident. 

Mingus Amungus, one of the Bay Area’s premier jazz bands, will headline a benefit concert March 4 in support of an educational trip to Cuba for 65 Berkeley High students.  

The trip is sponsored by Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS), a small school program within Berkeley High that emphasizes social justice, social responsibility and social change.  

Opening the concert will be an all-star jam featuring such renowned musicians, Dave Rokeach on drums and George Brooks on sax.  

Using the inspiration of Charles Mingus' music as a foundation, Mingus Amungus creates original compositions with hard-hitting be-bop, funk, and classical influences. The 7-piece BAMMIE award-winning band then sprinkles San Francisco's native hip-hop jazz flavor into the mix with a variety of lyricists, thereby bringing Mingus' work into a contemporary age. Mingus Amungus also incorporates Haitian, jazz improvisation, and West African dance into its repertoire, providing audiences with a powerful visual and musical experience.  

The band was founded in 1993 by Miles Perkins, a classically- trained bassist who has appeared with such artists as Peter Apelfbaum, Chico Freeman, Charles McPherson, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves and Carlos Santana. The charismatic bandleader is a graduate of Berkeley High and an alumnus of the world renowned Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble. 

Perkins and Mingus Amungus keyboardist Muziki Roberson will also join in the opening all-star jam. Roberson was formerly the keyboard player, music director and collective member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, with whom he toured Europe, Canada, Central America, and the United States.  

Aside from his expertise on the keyboard, Muziki is a talented composer in the jazz idiom. Drummer Dave Rokeach spent two years touring with Ray Charles, playing in both his big band and his smaller ensemble. Recently he has been appearing a great deal with Aretha Franklin. Rokeach is now a much sought after studio musician working primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

George Brooks, noted sax player in the popular Bay Area band “The Fundamentals,” has also played sax for Etta James, Larry Coryell, Albert Collins, Robben Ford and Zakir Hussain for a number of years.  

His solo efforts have taken him throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. 

The Cuba trip, organized by Global Exchange, will be a chance to study in-depth the way that Cuba has organized its education and health care systems, and to document findings through video and a Web site. The 12-day trip offers CAS students the opportunity to extend their studies to a neighboring country that organizes its government and society very differently from our own.  

They can apply their knowledge of social systems in the U.S. to make comparisons and to evaluate the different paths these two societies have taken.  

CAS students will meet Cuban students and organizations and together do community service projects.  

What: Mingus Amungus in a benefit concert w/ Allstar Jazz Jam opener.  

When: Sunday, March 4 from 7-10 p.m.  

Where: Florence Schwimley Little Theater,1930 Allston Way, Berkeley  

For tickets: Call (510) 587-3201; Tickets also available at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley and at Walden Pond Bookstore,3316 Grand Ave., Oakland. price: $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $10 students 

On the net: http://www.geocities.com/cascubatrip/

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership 

Feb. 17: Lack of Interest, The Neighbors, Black Hands, Capitalist Casualties, Iron Lung; Feb. 18, 5 p.m.: Good Riddance, Missing 23rd, Fire Sermon, Lugosi, Anti Domestix; Feb. 23: Subincision, 30 Second Fury, AKA Nothing, No Common Sense, Stalin’s War; Feb. 24: Slow Gherkin, Plus Ones, 78 RPMS, Merrick, Enemy You 525-9926  

Albatross Pub All music at 9 p.m. unless noted Feb. 20: pickPocket esemble; Feb. 21: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 24: Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 27: Larry Stefl Jazz Trio; March 1: Keni “El Lebrijano” 1822 San Pablo 843-2473 

Ashkenaz Feb. 17, 9:30 p.m.: Nectar w/Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; Feb. 18, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Youth Dance; Feb. 18, 8 p.m.: Gregory Joe Bledsoe and Source of Light; Feb. 20, 9 p.m.: Dan, Tom & Mary with traditional Balkan music, dance lesson at 8 p.m.; Feb. 21, 9 p.m.: Brenda Boykin & Home Cookin’, dance lesson at 8 p.m.; Feb. 22, 10 p.m.: Grateful Dead DJ Nite w/Digital Dave; Feb. 23, 9:30 p.m.: Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, dance lesson at 8 p.m.; March 24, 2 p.m. - 2 a.m.: Ashkenaz fourth annual dance-a-thon featuring Lavay Smith, African, Caribbean, reggae, Balkan, North African and cajun bands for 12 hours of nonstop dance music. 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Eli’s Mile High Club Feb. 17: Ron Thompson; Feb. 23: Carlos Zialcita; Feb. 24: R.J. Mischo 3629 MLK Jr. Way Oakland  

Crowden School Sundays, 4 p.m.: Chamber music series sponsored by the school; Feb. 24, 8 p.m.: Cynthia & the Swing Set and the American Jubilee Dance Theatre. Free swing dance lesson, 7 p.m. New Orleans cajun and creole dinner to be served before dance lesson. $10 - $40 Benefits the Crowden School 1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 559-6910 

Tuva Space All shows at 7:45 p.m. Feb. 18: Saadet Turkoz seeks to evoke pictures and atmosphere by means of voice and music which transcend cultural boundaries. Saxophonist Eric Barber defies categorization; Feb. 19: Trio of Fred Frith, guitar, Pierre Tanguay, percussion, and Jean Derome, alto and bariton saxophones. $8 donation 3192 Adeline (at MLK Jr. Way) 649-8744  

Jazzschool/La Note All music at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 18: Sheldon Brown Group; Feb. 25: Lauri Antonioli; March 4: Ray Obiedo; March 11: Stephanie Bruce Trio; March 18: Wayne Wallace Septet $6 - $12 2377 Shattuck Ave.  

Live Oak Concert Series All music at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18: Jupiter String Quartet perform music of Purcell, Britten, and Schubert; March 4: Marie Carbone, harpsichord, plays music of Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Froberger, and Weckmann; March 11: Stephen Bell, guitar, plays music of Bach, Villa-Lobos, Ponse, and Albeniz Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Cal Performances Feb. 17, 8 p.m.: Balinese Orchestra Gamelan Sekar Jaya present “Kawit Legong: Prince Karna’s Dream,” $18 - $30.; Feb. 20, 21, 23 & 24: In two separate programs the Netherlands Dans Theater I presents the work of former artistic director, Jiri Kylian $34 - $52 Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley. 642-9988 or www.calperfs.berkeley.edu Feb. 11, 3 p.m.: Horacio Gutierrez $24 - $42; Feb. 25, 3 p.m.: Prazack Quartet $32; Feb. 28, 8 p.m.: Clerks’ Group performs music from the Burgundian Courts; March 4, 3 p.m.: Baritone Nathan Gunn sings Brahms, Wolf, and a selection of American songs $36; March 11, 3 & 7 p.m.: Burhan Ocal & The Istanbul Oriental Ensemble perform traditional Turkish music $24 Hertz Hall UC Berkeley 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra April 3, and June 21, 2001. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

Percussions Du Guinee Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Internationally respected Guinean percussionists craft a performance simultaneously inspired by traditional music, yet modern in presentation. $20 - $25 925-798-1300 

Will Bernard & Motherbug and Ten Ton Chicken CD Release Party and Live Web Cast Feb. 17, 9 p.m. IMUSICAST Studios 5429 Telegraph Ave. (at 54th) Oakland $10  

Adam Cooper Memorial Torah Readers Fund Benefit Concert Feb. 25, 7 p.m. Frank London, composer and trumpet player with The Klezmatics and Adrienne Cooper will headline. $25 - $50 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 925-944-0931 

“Dido and Aeneas” March 2, 8 p.m.; March 4, 2 p.m. A tale of English Baroque opera that follows the tale of Dido, queen of Corinth, as she is courted and won by Aeneas, conqueror and future founder of Rome. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300 

“Aywah!” March 2, 8 p.m. An evening of music and dance from Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Balkan Roma. $13 - $15 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org 

Mozart Requiem Singalong March 3, 8 p.m. Bella Musica Chorus and Orchestra in their third annual presentation. Bring your own score or buy/borrow one of theirs. $10 suggested donation St. Joseph the Worker Church 1640 West Addison (at McGee) Call 526-5393 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra March 3, 8 p.m. David Ramadanoff conducts the orchestra in a program featuring Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and a suite from Piston’s ballet “The Incredible Flutist” $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300  

“In Song and Struggle” March 4, 4 - 10 p.m. Copwatch presents the second annual event bringing together some of the best women artists from around the Bay Area and beyond in commemoration of International Women’s Day. Artists include Shelley Doty, Rebecca Riots, Rachel Garlin, and many others. $8 - $15 Ashkenaz 1317 San Pablo Ave. Call Copwatch, 548-0425  

Mingus Amungus & Allstar Jazz Jam March 4, 7 - 10 p.m. A benefit concert for 65 Cuba-bound Berkeley High students. $10 - $15 Florence Schwimley Little Theater 1930 Allston Way 587-3201  

“The Magic Flute” March 3 & 4, 8 p.m. Mozart’s most famous opera adapted by International House resident Kalinka Cichon and presented by a multicultural cast. $5 International House Auditorium 2299 Piedmont Ave. (at Bancroft) e-mail for tix: kalinka@cichon.com  

Young Emerging Artists March 6, 7 - 8 p.m. John McCarthy will direct students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Prepatory Division through a performance of works by Sov, Barber and others. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. (at Derby) 925-798-1300 

Canto Para Una Semilla March 9, 8 p.m. La Pena Community Chorus present an homage to Violeta Parra. This is a benefit for Berkeley High School’s CAS program. $10 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Country Joe McDonald March 9 & 10, 8 - 10 p.m. McDonald will play a solo acoustic set of old & new songs and a tribute to Woody Guthrie. $20 Live Oak Theater 1301 Shattuck Ave. (at Berryman) www.countryjoe.com  

“Mystic Journey” March 10, 8 p.m. Suzanne Teng and Mystic Journey are a unique contemporary world music ensemble, based in Los Angeles, making their Bay Area debut. $15 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300 

Maria Marquez in Concert March 10, 8:30 p.m. A special evening of Marquez’s songs from her latest CD, “Eleven Love Stories.” $15 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Theater 

“Fall” by Bridget Carpenter Through March 11. $15.99 - $51. Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949, www. berkeleyrep.org 

“The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard Through Feb. 24, Friday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 8 p.m. $10 Live Oak Theatre 1301 Shattuck 528-5620 

“Nightingale” presented by Central Works Theater Through March 4, Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24 & Saturday, March 3, 5 p.m. $8 - $14 LaVal’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-1381 

“Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank MacGuinness Through March 17, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 p.m. The story of three men - an Irishman, an Englishman and an American held in a prison in Lebanon. $10 - $15 8th St. Studio Theatre 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 655-0813 

“A New Brain” by William Finn March 2 - 18, Fridays & Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Watch as Gordon Schwinn, in the face of a life-threatening brain tumor, composes a farewell concert in which all the important figures in his life make show-stopping appearances. Presented by BareStage Productions $8 - $12 Choral Rehearsal Hall, Lower Level of Caesar Chavez Student Center UC Berkeley 642-3880  

“Glory Box” by Tim Miller March 9, 8 p.m. In this one-time performance, Miller explores the themes of same-sex marriage and binational gay/lesbian immigration rights. $15 Zellerbach Playhouse UC Berkeley 601-8932 or www.ticketweb.com  

Films 

“Magnetic North” Six programs of experimental Canadian video from the past 30 years that range from documentary to conceptual art. In all, 40 tapes from 46 artists will be shown on six Wednesday evenings. Through Feb. 28. $7. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412  

“Sherlock Jr.” With musical accompaniment by The Dactyles of Phrygia, performing on traditional and homemade instruments. Feb. 18, 3 & 7 p.m. $4 - $7 Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“Toto Recall” A 15-film retrospective honoring Italy’s comic genius. Through Feb. 24 Weekend days only, Friday - Sunday. $7 for one film, $8.50 for double bills. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“A.K.A. Dominga” A video documentary film following the personal journey of one woman uncovering her history 18 years after surviving the Rio Negro Massacre in Guatemala. March 1, 7:30 p.m. La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 x15 

“Tragos” Antero Alli’s vision of a future where the desire to escape from the government and media thought-control drives people underground. March 8, 7 & 9:30 p.m. $7 Live Oak Theatre 1301 Shattuck Ave. 464-4640 

Exhibits 

Berkeley Historical Society “Berkeley’s Ethnic Heritage.” An overview of the rich cultural diversity of the city and the contribution of individuals and minority groups to it’s history and development. Thursday through Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Free. 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

“Consecrations: Spirits in the Time of AIDS,” Through Feb. 24. An exhibit seeking to expand the understanding of HIV and AIDS and the people affected by them. Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts Gallery 461 Ninth St., Oakland. 763-9425  

“Race & Femininity” Acrylic Paintings of Corinne Innis Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings. Through Feb. 26; Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1 - 7 p.m. and by appointment. Women’s Cancer Resource Center 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 x307  

“Trees With Frosting” Stevie Famulari decorates landscapes with sugar and frosting, making her artwork edible and changeable by viewers. This particular display will remain for two months. Through February Skapades Hair Salon 1971 Shattuck Ave. 251-8080 or steviesart@hotmail.com 

“Dorchester Days,” the photographs of Eugene Richards is a collection of pictures portraying the poverty, racial tension, crime and violence prevalent in Richards’ hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts in the 1970s. Through April 6. UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism 121 North Gate Hall #5860 642-3383 

“Still Life & Landscapes” The work of Pamela Markmann Through March 24, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Red Oak Gallery 1891 Solano Ave. 527-3387 

“Kick Back,” the Department of Art Practice of UC Berkeley spring faculty show Through March 2 Worth Ryder Gallery Kroeber Hall UC Berkeley Call 642-2582 

“Unequal Funding: Photographs of Children in Schools that Get Less” An exhibit of black & white photographs by documentary photographer Chris Pilaro. Through March 16, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery 2235 Fifth St. 644-1400 

“Contemporary Photogravure” Printing from hand-inked plates etched from a film positive, a unique exhibition of photographs with luxurious tones. Through March 30, Tuesday - Friday, Noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 

“Musee des Hommages,” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Boticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

“Evolution,” No problem quilters exhibit their soft-cloth sculptures. New Pieces is the only gallery that exclusively exhibits quilts in the Bay Area. Through March 1, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave. 527-6779 

Amanda Haas, New Paintings and Olivia Kuser, Recent Landscapes Through March 24, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Opening reception Feb. 14, 6 - 8 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 

“Water From Your Spring” Artistic residency with composer Ann Millikan and painter Selena Engelhart Through Feb. 17, Wednesday - Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m. Free; Performance of Millikan’s music featuring the California E.A.R. Unit, plus guests: Feb. 17 & 18, 8 p.m. $15 - $20 Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park  

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 23: Becky Thompson reads “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage” 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington 559-9184. www.boadeciasbooks.com 

Cody’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 20: Becky Thompson discusses “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage”; Feb. 21: Poetry of Gillian Conoley & Kathleen Fraser; Feb. 22: Alison Gopnik describes “The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind”; Feb. 23: Carol Field reads “Mangoes and Quince”; Feb. 25: Poetry of Martha Rhodes, Linda Dyer & Joy Manesiotis; Feb. 26: Terry McMillan reads from “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”; Feb. 28: Poetry of Sandra Gilbert & Wendy Barker 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore All events at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27: Barbara Wagner, co-founder of Lost Frontiers, gives a slide presentation and talk about “Pakistan & the Lost Tribes of teh Hindu Kush”; Feb. 28: Travel writer Christopher Baker will read and talk about his 7000 miles motorcycle odyssey through Cuba as chronicled in his book “Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro’s Cuba” 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533  

“Strong Women - Writers & Heroes of Literature” Fridays Through June, 2001, 1 - 3 p.m. Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program. North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 549-2970  

Duomo Reading Series and Open Mic. Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Feb. 22: Charles Ellick; March 1: Eliza Shefler; March 8: Judy Wells; March 15: Elanor Watson-Gove; March 22: Anna Mae Stanley; March 29: Georgia Popoff; April 5: Barbara Minton; April 12: Alice Rogoff; April 19: Garrett Murphy; April 26: Ray Skjelbred. Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Lunch Poems First Thursday of each month, 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. March 1: Aleida Rodrigues; April 5: Galway Kinnell; May 3: Student Reading Morrison Room, Doe Library UC Berkeley 642-0137 

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse March 2, 7:30 p.m. Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba. $5 - $10 Little Theater Berkeley High School 2246 Milvia St.  

Bamboo Ridge Writers Reading March 4, 4 p.m. Five authors published in the book, “Intersecting Circles: The Voices of Hapa Women in Poetry & Prose.” Bamboo Ridge publishes literature which nurtures the voices of Hawaii and celebrates its literary tradition. Eastwind Books of Berkeley 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Anita Barrows March 4, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Barrows will read from her poem “A Record” inspired by an exhibit done in Theresienstadt and her translation of Rosa Luxenburg’s letters. Free Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237 

Women’s Word March 14, 7:30 p.m. An evening of women’s word honoring International Women’s month and featuring Avotcja, Straight Out Scribes, Tureeda & Kira Allen. Hosted by Joyce Young. Open mic will follow. $4 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 848-7800  

The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2  

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. 486-0623  

Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting.  

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/  

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. 

Lectures 

Berkeley Historical Society Slide Lecture & Booksigning Series Sundays, 3 - 5 p.m. $10 donation requested Feb. 25: “Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin,” Gray Brechin will discuss the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful early families; March 11: Director of Berkeley’s International House, Joe Lurie, will show a video and dicuss the history and struggle to open the I-House 70 years ago; March 18: “Topaz Moon,” Kimi Kodani Hill will discuss artist Chiura Obata’s family and the WWII Japanese relocation camps. Berkeley Historical Center Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Research Seminars Noon seminars are brown bag Feb. 22, 4 p.m.: Sam Kernell of UC San Diego, will present a seminar on “State Electoral Institutions and the Impact of Presidental Elections on Party Control of Congress, 1840 - 1940.” March 7, 4 p.m.: Akhil Reed Amar will discuss his book “The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction.” March 12, Noon: Catherine Hafer of Ohio State will discuss “The Political Economy of Emerging Property Rights.” April 23, 4 p.m.: Mary Dudziach of USC will discuss “Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy.” Feb. 30, Noon: Daniel Diermeier of Northwestern University will discuss “Mass Political Action.” 119 Moses Hall UC Berkeley 642-4608  

“Great Decisions” Foreign Policy Association Lectures Series Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, Through April 3; An annual program featuring specialists in the field of national foreign policy, many from University of California. Goal is to inform the public on major policy issues and receive feedback from the public. $5 per session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple. Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 526-2925 

Ruth Acty Oral History Feb. 18, 3 - 6 p.m. In honor of Black History Month, Therese Pipe will present the history of Acty, who became the first African American teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District in 1943. Berkeley Historical Society Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. Admission free 848-0181 

As always, the joint will be rockin’. As always, both teams will be fired up. But Saturday’s showdown between the Cal and Stanford men’s basketball teams at Haas Pavilion marks the return of national significance to a rivalry that has been all too one-sided for quite a while. 

For the first time in several years, the Bears will go into game against No. 2 Stanford with more on the line than pride. They are currently in fourth place in the Pac-10, with the hated Cardinal looming at the top of the standings. The Bears could cement a spot in the NCAA Tournament with a victory on Saturday, which would provide the one thing missing from their resume: a win over a top-10 opponent. 

The Bears’ biggest victory so far this season is the 29-point whipping they gave UCLA at Haas three weeks ago. That win has started to look increasingly impressive, as the Bruins have gone on to beat the then-No. 1 Cardinal and No. 8 Arizona. But Steve Lavin’s bunch have been wildly inconsistent, so beating them badly looks less important.  

Cal’s other “quality wins” have come against Georgia, South Florida and the bottom feeders of the Pac-10. For the Bears to lock up a spot in the tournament, they need at least one more big win, over Stanford, Arizona or either of the SoCal schools, and avoid any upsets from the bottom of the conference. 

The Bears head into Saturday’s matchup on a roll, having won six of their last seven games. Of course, the Cardinal have only lost one game all season. So who has the edge coming into the game? Cal head coach Ben Braun won’t say. 

“We had won some games heading into our last game (with Stanford, an 84-58 loss), and people said it’s a good time to be playing them,” Braun said. “I really think it’s about what you bring into the game and how you adjust during the game. I don’t think it matters what you did before.” 

The Bears will be playing in the friendly confines of Haas Pavilion, where they are 11-1 this season. If the crowd can duplicate the frenetic energy they displayed in the UCLA game, it could sway the momentum to the Bears.  

Then again, the Cardinal have played through pressure all year, pulling out close wins over Duke and USC. Point guard Michael McDonald has a stellar 2.6-1 assist-turnover ratio, and his calm demeanor has helped his team through several close games. Unless the Bears can pressure him into turnovers, it could be a long game for the Bears.

As an anticipated downturn in the economy looms, the City Council has put on the budget brakes until it can determine what city programs should have funding priority. 

The City Council Tuesday unanimously approved $679,500 for pending projects but agreed not to approve any new items until it set its priorities at budget workshops scheduled for March 3 and March 20. 

With the approval of the $679,500 in expenditures, the city is budgeted for about $1 million over the approved budget for fiscal your 2000-2001. The total budget for the year is expected to be $107.8 million. The city is expected to have enough surplus from fiscal year 2001 revenue to cover the $1 million overage. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said a slowdown in the economy means less spending. With fewer people buying homes, staying at hotels and eating at restaurants, city coffers will be harder to fill. 

“We’re OK,” Dean said. “We just have to be careful because things very well may be slowing down this year.”  

While the council agreed not to approve new budget items until it can set priorities, it did vote to fund new programs and projects that had been reviewed by the City Manager’s Office. 

The approved projects include $300,000 for Council Chambers upgrades, $22,000 for the Berkeley Guides who help with public safety downtown and $45,000 for the redesign of the Harrison Street Skate Park.  

Associate Management Analyst Rama Murty said in addition to the expected slowdown, the city was caught by the early retirement of an unknown number of fire department employees under the recently negotiated early retirement benefit. 

According to the mid-year financial summary, the early retirement will cost the city $690,600 over the original fire department budget of $1.8 million. The city is required by union agreement to pay departing officers uncollected vacation and sick pay, according to Murty. 

The fire department did not return phone calls to the Daily Planet before press time and it is unclear how many fire department employees are retiring or how much each retiree will collect from the city for vacation and sick pay. 

The mid-year financial summary estimates the city will collect an unexpected windfall revenue of $625,000 as an unintentional benefit from taxing increased utility costs. However those funds have already been set aside for an as yet undetermined energy-related program. “That money could go for mass purchases of energy efficient lighting or possibly to conservation education,” Dean said. 

Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz cautioned that the city has been spending money faster than it has been taking it in and now the City Council has to pay close attention to future program funding. “A lot of projects look good by themselves but now each one will have to be looked at next to all the other projects,” he said.  

Johnson scores 34, Corley 22 as Bears break 15-game skid 

STANFORD — Courtney Johnson scored 34 points and Kenya Corley had 22 as California snapped a 15-game losing streak against Stanford with an 82-73 victory over the Cardinal on Friday night. 

The Golden Bears (11-11 overall, 6-6 Pac-10) beat their archrivals for the first time since Feb. 12, 1993. The loss ended the Cardinal’s seven-game winning streak and knocked Stanford (14-8, 8-4) out of a first-place tie in the Pac-10. 

Cal won its fifth straight and stayed in strong contention for a postseason tournament under first-year coach Caren Horstmeyer. The Bears won at Maples Pavilion for the first time since 1986. 

Lindsey Yamasaki had 21 points and Sarah Dimson added 14 for the Cardinal, who missed 11 of their 14 3-point attempts and were outrebounded 44-34.

The Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter announced this week that the Berkeley Daily Planet is among 12 organizations and individuals to be honored next month with the James Madison Freedom of Information Awards.  

The annual awards honor those who have promoted and defended free speech and public access to government information. 

“Since its founding (almost) two years ago, the Berkeley Daily Planet has given continuous priority to coverage of violations and other abuses of state open-meeting and public-records laws in Berkeley city government,” says a SPJ press statement. 

“I’m extremely proud that our newspaper is receiving this honor,” said Daily Planet Publisher Arnold Lee. “It recognizes what the community has already told us: that our approach to high-quality community journalism is a valuable asset to our city.” 

Among the open government issues reported by the Daily Planet are: city councilmembers voting on issues just placed before them; the gagging by the former city manager of city staff, prohibiting them from talking to the press; the naming of an interim city manager behind closed doors; the prohibition of city councilmembers from joining on-line discussions; the prohibition of disabled commissioners from “attending” meetings via phone when they have last-minute problems prohibiting them from getting to the meetings.  

The James Madison Freedom of Information Awards, named for the creative force behind the First Amendment, honor local organizations and individuals who have fought for public access to government meetings and records, or have promoted the public’s right to know, publish, broadcast, and speak freely about issues of public concern. 

Winners include: 

• Prof. C. James Schmidt, San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Science. Schmidt was named winner of the Norwin S. Yoffie Career Achievement Award. A long-time advocate for freedom of information in libraries, Schmidt formerly headed the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and Freedom to Read Foundation. Last year he served on the Child Online Protection Act Commission, which advised Congress on regulating the availability of “harmful to minors” content on public library computer terminals. 

• ACLU of Northern California. The SPG will honor the organization as “a leading defender of free speech and freedom of information, taking on major legal battles, public information campaigns, and legislative efforts to ensure the public’s basic rights under the First Amendment.” 

• Tanya Smith, of The Argus (Fremont). As a staff reporter at The Argus, Smith served as a watchdog of the Ohlone College Board of Trustees, reporting frequently on illegal closed sessions and other violations of California’s Ralph M. Brown Open Meeting Act. 

• Fredric Tulsky, San Jose Mercury News. Using documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Tulsky spent two years conducting the first-ever nationwide analysis of asylum decisions by federal immigration judges, revealing, in a series of special reports, widespread unfairness and inconsistency in their decision-making. 

• Stockton Record. In December, the Record published the results of an extensive survey of 

local government agencies it undertook to monitor compliance with the California Public Records Act. 

• Sonoma Index-Tribune. Throughout much of last year, the I-T fought Public Records Act denials and made innovative use of public records it did obtain in an ongoing investigation that exposed official secrecy and incompetence in the investigation of client-abuse incidents at the Sonoma Developmental Center. 

• Freedom Forum Pacific Coast Center, Félix Gutiérrez (Executive Director), Beverly Kees (Program Director). The Pacific Coast Center closed its doors in December after many years of serving as a meeting place and educational resource for the local First Amendment community, offering a variety of workshops, discussion forums, film screenings, and other programs to journalists, attorneys, and advocates of free expression. 

Winners will be honored at the Sixth Annual James Madison Freedom of Information Awards dinner on Tuesday, March 27 at the Fort Mason Officers Club in San Francisco. For ticket information call 415-487-2589. 

Cal piles up 18 hits before game called due to darkness 

LOS ANGELES – Led by the strong pitching of junior Trevor Hutchinson and an 18-hit attack, Cal defeated host Loyola Marymount, 14-6, Friday in Los Angeles. The Bears improve to 6-2 on the season, while the Lions fall to 7-4.  

Hutchinson (2-1) was outstanding, pitching six innings with seven hits, three earned runs, only one walk and a career-high 12 strikeouts. He now has 27 strikeouts and only two walks in 21 innings this season. The losing pitcher for LMU was starter C.J. Wilson, who gave up seven runs on nine hits, lasting just four innings. 

At the plate, Cal was led by junior second baseman Carson White, who went 4-for-5 with a triple and three RBI. Freshman Chris Grossman, freshman Conor Jackson , senior Clint Hoover , senior Rob Meyer and freshman Noah Jackson each had two hits and all drove in at least one run.  

The Bears kick-started their offense early, scoring four runs in the first inning and a run in the second inning. Cal went on to score five runs in the fifth inning, three runs in the seventh inning and a run in the eighth inning off of four Loyola pitchers. The game was called because of darkness with one out and a runner on first in the bottom of the eighth.  

Cal will next face Loyola Marymount in the second game of the three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m.

To celebrate the inauguration of its new president, a panel came together at the Graduate Theological Union Thursday to discuss the interplay of modern economic forces and religion. 

Four theology professors, hailing from different universities and religious backgrounds, comprised the panel. The title of the discussion, “Religion, Power and New Economy,” gave the professors plenty of room to cover a range of topics, including corporatization, globalization, racism, and George W. Bush. 

The panel found that agreeing on a hard-and-fast definition of “new economy” was a tricky prospect. But whatever the new economy is, it does not bode favorably in the eyes of the professors, whose comments were well received by the crowd. 

“The new economy is anchored by technology and consumer conglomerates,” said Mary Elizabeth Hunt of Harvard Divinity School.  

These conglomerates are so large, she said, that they rival actual nations. Microsoft, for example, is economically the size of Spain, while Hewlett-Packard “rivals Greece.”  

On globalization, she said: “As my Latin American friends put it, globalization is really gobble-ization.” 

Nancy Martin of Chapman University said the new economy was more like “a form of global feudalism.”  

James Noel of the San Francisco Theological Seminary focused on the links among race relations, religion and the economy, tracing America's economic culture from its earliest slave-running days. 

“Both religion and the economy concern themselves with some form of power,” he said, adding that “through their religion, (black slaves) discovered another source of power and another locus” of human value. 

At the end of his talk, Noel concluded: “We have to ask, can a white supremacist state really allow blacks to have real power?”  

A hundred or so rapt listeners packed the semi-modern Pacific School of Religion Chapel, located on “Holy Hill” just north of the University of California at Berkeley campus.  

After the discussion ended, members of the Graduate Theological Union and others took shuttle buses to another Berkeley church to hear the GTU's new president, James Donahue, give his inauguration speech. 

The GTU consists of nine member schools or seminaries, of which the Pacific School of Religion is one. About 1,400 students, mostly Catholic and Protestant, study through the GTU, which since the early 1960s has “sponsored events designed to encourage interfaith and  

interdisciplinary dialogue.”  

A computer science professor of the University of California at Berkeley has created a computer program that takes the geometric wood sculptures of Missouri artist Brent Collins a step further. 

Carlos Sequin says he was inspired to develop the program, which uses the mathematics found in the curves of soap bubbles, after discovering Collins' sculptures, composed of intertwined arches and saddles, in the art journal Leonardo in 1992. 

Although Collins did not create his sculptures using mathematics, Sequin thought the figures could have been developed using the principles of the saddle-shaped surfaces that soap films form inside of wire hoops. 

Mathematicians study these shapes because the soap film naturally stretches itself to the smallest area it could occupy given the constraint of its borders. 

Sequin contacted Collins and told him that using this “minimal surface” principle, a computer program could be developed to envision more complex versions of the sculptor's art in less time than it took Collins to build the wire mesh and beeswax prototypes that guided his original sculptures. 

Sequin and his students created a computer software program that allows the user to experiment with the shapes. The program can then create blueprints of the shapes, and Collins can use those blueprints to from a new sculpture. 

The program has allowed Collins to expand his art into shapes that he could not have created using his traditional method. Sequin uses the program in his classes, and he has developed a machine that can be used to create small models in a couple of days. 

Collins and Sequin will appear at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco later today. Collins will talk about his art, while Sequin will demonstrate how the computer program works. 

LOS ANGELES — Studies of HIV-infected people in Los Angeles show disturbing trends in behavior that could lead to the rapid spread of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers said. 

The sexual behavior alarmed scientists and outreach workers who gathered Friday at an annual conference on statewide AIDS research. 

Researchers hope the studies will help explain January reports of rising HIV infection rates in San Francisco as well as in Sydney, Australia and Vancouver, Canada. 

One of the most disturbing studies involved 113 HIV-positive bisexual men in Los Angeles.  

It found that 54.5 percent failed to disclose their infection status to sex partners. Thirty-one percent reported having unprotected sex, according to the study of 113 men in Los Angeles. 

“The importance is that a number of sexual partners may not know they are at risk,” said Matt Mutchler, a researcher with AIDS Project Los Angeles. 

In another study of 53 men in Los Angeles County, 50 percent reported having had sex with an average of 28 partners in a public place during the previous six months. And 41 percent said they had unprotected sex in a public place. 

A 1997-98 study of 305 black men with HIV or AIDS found that 31 percent identified themselves as heterosexual even though they reported previously having sex with men. 

In another control group of 305 black men who were not HIV-infected, 16 percent said they were not homosexual but reported having had sex with men. 

The findings suggest that HIV prevention strategies should be widened to include that segment of black men who have complex sexual behaviors, said Amy Wohl, an HIV epidemiologist with the county Department of Health Services. 

Dr. George Lemp, director of the Universitywide AIDS Research Program, said the Los Angeles sex behavior studies show that prevention programs are not reaching HIV-infected people. 

“Prevention is either not being delivered or it’s not in high quality,” Lemp said. “They are getting the medication, but no one is helping them with the psycho-social and relationship issues. 

“There are people in care who have a lot of issues other than HIV. If you can address those issues, you may help them deal with the risk behavior.” 

Researchers said that some of the factors effecting the sexual behavior of HIV-positive people include alcohol and drug abuse, childhood sexual abuse, and the abandonment of caution in certain environments, such as bathhouses and all-night dance clubs.

SAN FRANCISCO — The city that symbolizes liberalism and sexual openness is about to extend its health insurance to cover sex-change operations for municipal employees. 

The Board of Supervisors and Mayor Willie Brown are expected to sign the measure within the next couple of weeks. It will extend up to $50,000 in benefits to city workers who want to switch their gender. 

San Francisco apparently would be the only governmental body in the nation to make sex-change benefits available. The state of Minnesota offered such benefits, but the program was phased out in 1998. The issue was discussed in Oregon, but a commission decided against it in 1999. 

The benefits would be available starting July 1, but employees would have to work for the city for at least one year before they would be eligible. In addition, the coverage would be capped at $50,000. The city’s Health Service System board approved the benefit earlier this month.  

The benefit would cover male-to-female surgery, which costs about $37,000, as well as female-to-male surgery, which runs about $77,000.  

It also would cover hormones and other procedures. 

In order to have any procedures performed, employees first must go through an extensive medical review process that takes up to six months, said Nathan Purkiss, legislative aide to Supervisor Mark Leno, a leading supporter of the measure and founder of the Transgender Civil Rights Implementation Task Force. 

“You can’t just choose to do this,” Purkiss said. 

City employee Cecilia Chung said the surgery is necessary for her. 

Chung flew to Bangkok in 1998 and paid $6,000 to become a woman. It was much cheaper than having the procedure performed in the United States, but there also was an increased risk. 

“Unfortunately, I had medical complications since then,” said Chung, 35, who works for the Department of Public Health. “I’ve been trying to get the problem corrected, but it’s not covered from my regular health insurance.” 

Chung said she will be first in line to take advantage of the new insurance. She’s also thrilled to be part of a community that’s finally accepted openly. 

But transgender advocates said the measure’s symbolism is more valuable than the benefits. 

“I think it’s really politically important to do that,” said Susan Stryker, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society of Northern California. “Transgender rights are often considered as a joke: ‘What are those wacky San Franciscans going to do next?”’ 

Stryker, who had male-to-female surgery 10 years ago, said San Francisco’s transgender community numbers about 15,000. 

“Now, over the last five years the movement has grown and we have made more allies,” Stryker said. “We’re not looked down at as freaks.” 

The term transgender covers a broad range of categories including cross-dressers, transvestites, transsexuals and those born with characteristics of both sexes. 

People wanting sex-change surgery would have to pay 15 percent out of pocket if they use a doctor in the city’s health network. If an out-of-network doctor is used, that goes up to 50 percent. 

Ammiano said the city has at least a dozen transgender employees. All 37,000 city employees’ health costs would increase about $1.70 a month under proposed plan changes that would include the sex-change benefit as well as items such as hearing aids and acupuncture. 

Claire Skiffington, chairwoman of the task force’s health committee, has had all of her sex-change procedures completed — and has been fighting for 4 1/2 years to give others coverage for such surgery. 

“They thought California was going to dip into the ocean because everyone on the East Coast is going to move out here to get transgender benefits,” she said. “I do not foresee any increase of additional transgender hires.” 

Conservation groups say Gov. Gray Davis has taken the first step toward protecting thousands of acres of utility-owned wildlands from possible sale to developers or timber companies. 

One element of Davis’ plan to rescue two cash-strapped utilities from their $13 billion debt prevents Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison Co. from selling land near their hydroelectric plants to help recoup their debts. 

“We’re concerned that if the lands remain in the ownership of the utilities they’ll be sold off or logged or otherwise destroyed to improve the utility’s situation,” said Steve Evans, conservation director with Sacramento-based Friends of the River. 

PG&E claims it owns around 160,000 acres and SoCal Edison owns at least 20,000 acres. Much of that land is in the Sierra Nevada and other environmentally sensitive areas, featuring streams, ancient forests and rivers. 

Davis on Friday announced a multibillion-dollar plan to help both utilities climb out of debt.  

The proposal calls for the state acquisition of the utilities’ transmission lines along with those of fellow investor-owned utility San Diego Gas & Electric. Davis says the plan can be financed without a rate increase for the utilities’ customers. 

Davis said the state would also obtain “conservation easements,” – which would ban logging or developing on watershed and other lands near hydroelectric facilities, though the utilities would continue to own the land. 

Once the state determined which tracts on which to purchase easements, a market value would be established for the development rights.  

Steve Maviglio, Davis’ spokesman, said the easements are just another bargaining chip to get value for backing up the utilities. 

The state would then own the development rights on those lands and, depending on the area, could establish wilderness areas or parks.  

Easements typically last forever, Maviglio said. He declined to disclose further details, such as how many acres would be protected or how much the easements would cost. 

PG&E and SoCal Edison declined to comment on the easement proposal. 

“Easements can be instrumental in ruling out some of the most worrisome scenarios,” said Nancy Ryan, an economist with Environmental Defense. 

Ryan said conservation groups still advocate state ownership of the lands.  

That would ensure that the public could still use the lands for recreation, and that state resources would play a larger role in the land’s upkeep, Ryan said. 

However, the properties bring in property tax money for many counties, including $1 million annually for Shasta County, home to two-thirds of the watershed lands. 

“If the state were to take over these facilities and these lands as has been discussed, that revenue stream would go away,” said Patrick Minturn, assistant public works director for Shasta County. 

Minturn said the utilities allow grazing and recreation on the land, which means jobs and tourism money flowing into rural communities.  

He said easements are unnecessary because of a recent bill passed by the Legislature requiring utilities to request permission from state power regulators before they sell any more land. 

High demand, high wholesale energy costs, transmission bottlenecks and a tight supply have all contributed to California’s power woes.  

Under the state’s 1996 deregulation law, PG&E and SoCal Edison cannot pass on their high costs to their customers, plunging them into debt.  

The utilities were also ordered to sell off their power plants to create more competition throughout the state. 

Conservation groups have pushed for protections for the past year or so and say they want the state to pitch in money to replace those lost tax dollars for those rural areas if the state owned the property. 

Some lawmakers had said they want PG&E and SoCal Edison to donate those lands to the state as part of whatever aid package the state produces to help them climb out from under their debt.  

No formal valuation of the land has been undertaken. 

PG&E has sold about 15,000 acres of land in 1996-97, showing that there is indeed a market for the utility lands. 

“Just the timber alone (was worth) half a billion dollars,” on PG&E’s land, said Nancy Ryan, an economist with Environmental Defense in Oakland.

SAN DIEGO — The 400,000-member American Bar Association is likely to back several changes in immigration law that advocates say would treat women, children and even accused terrorists more fairly. 

The leadership of the lawyers’ organization will vote Monday on recommendations that in granting asylum, the government consider whether a woman may face persecution in her home country because of her sex. 

The Justice Department has already proposed rule changes making it easier for women to make that claim, but advocates at the ABA want a change to the overarching Immigration and Nationality Act. 

The ABA is expected to vote Monday to recommend changes to a 1996 law that made it far easier for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to use secret evidence against noncitizens. The INS has typically done so in cases of suspected terrorism, citing the potential damage to national security if the evidence became public. 

Another recommendation would have the ABA support government-funded lawyers for unaccompanied children during immigration proceedings and a Justice Department office to handle the special needs of children at all stages of the immigration process. 

The ABA recommendations would have no direct legal effect, but the organization would likely back them up with lobbying efforts and friend-of-the-court briefs in relevant court cases. 

The Justice Department’s proposed rule change would allow victims of domestic violence to be considered members of a “social group,” one of five categories in U.S. immigration law along with religion, race, nationality and political beliefs. 

Lawyers advising the ABA on the matter say that may not go far enough, because agency rules do not carry the same weight as laws passed by Congress. 

They also want the “social group” to include women who fear genital mutilation, sexual slavery, forced marriage, forced abortion and other abuses. 

A Palestinian academic jailed for three years without trial is the latest example of what some lawyers call abuse of the government’s power to use secret evidence against noncitizens. 

Mazen Al-Najjar was released in December without ever seeing the evidence behind the government’s allegation that he was a front for Islamic terrorists. 

Secret evidence has long been used in terrorism, espionage and other sensitive cases. But in 1996, Congress passed an anti-terrorism law that made it far easier for the INS to use secret evidence to deport noncitizens. 

The courts, Congress and the executive branch all recognize the need to use classified information in immigration matters and to keep the evidence secret, said INS spokeswoman Karen Kraushaar. 

The policy before the ABA would oppose secret evidence in most immigration cases. An exception would allow the government to supply unclassified summaries in “extraordinary cases where there are legitimate national security concerns.” 

Legislation introduced in both houses during the last congressional session would have repealed portions of the 1996 law. The measures did not pass before the session ended. 

A spokeswoman for Rep. David Bonior, D-Mich., said he will reintroduce his measure, which was cosponsored by another Democrat and two Republicans, when Congress reconvenes later this month. 

There may be greater bipartisan support this time out. 

During his second campaign debate with Democratic candidate Al Gore, President Bush seemed to oppose the use of secret evidence as racially biased.

FOLSOM — An angry horde is demanding answers from state authorities about why eight beavers in Sacramento County have died. 

And the fifth-graders at Oak Chan Elementary School are getting some attention. 

State animal and water officials have agreed to test the water at a pond where the beavers lived and do autopsies on the animals. 

The students say they used to watch the beavers build their homes, but one day noticed that one of the animals had died. Students searching for survivors found seven more dead beavers. 

Students wrote to the state to ask for help in uncovering the reason behind the deaths. 

“I am 10 years old and I want the beaver and all the other animals to live. If you can come test the water quality to see what is killing the beaver, I would really appreciate it,” Julia Cross wrote. 

Researchers from the state Water Resources Control board were at the beavers’ pond Thursday to collect water samples, but Fish and Game experts say they suspect the beavers died from a virus. 

“They are a communal animal. If an infection is viral enough to kill one of them, it could very well have been passed on to all of them,” said Fish and Game spokesman Patrick Foy. 

But at least one student said he suspected foul play by people who didn’t like the beavers chewing trees. 

“I think we kind of cut in on them. People are complaining that they’re cutting down trees. But they were here first,” said Katie Burnett, 11.

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors of a former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive offered a new theory Friday about the origins of the 1970s revolutionary group, claiming it was formed to bomb police cars. 

They also said newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst will be depicted as “an accomplice witness” and an SLA member when she testifies against Sara Jane Olson. 

The statements came in a legal brief designed to bolster a request to use evidence of uncharged crimes against Olson. 

Los Angeles County prosecutors Michael Latin and Eleanor Hunter said the entire history of SLA activities – even those that took place before Olson was involved – is relevant to her prosecution. 

Olson, who was a fugitive for 25 years, is accused of attempting to murder police officers by placing pipe bombs under two Los Angeles police cars in 1975. The bombs didn’t explode. 

A pretrial hearing is scheduled in Superior Court on Feb. 23 and trial is scheduled for April 30. 

Olson has denied she belonged to the SLA, although she knew some of the members who were killed in a fiery shootout with Los Angeles police in 1974. 

In papers filed Friday, prosecutors reiterated their previous claims that the SLA’s history is relevant to the case, but they added a new twist. 

“Evidence of the SLA’s previous activities indicates that bombing police cars was a goal of the organization, perhaps one of the very reasons for its existence,” said their brief. “It appears that banks were robbed in order to finance the bombing of police cars.” 

Such attempts were made in San Francisco, Marin and Los Angeles, the prosecutors said. 

No such claims were made during Hearst’s 1975 bank robbery trial nor in other related trials of SLA defendants. 

“It seems they are rewriting history to try to justify their position,” said Olson lawyer Shawn Chapman. “There is nothing to support this. In 20,000 pages of discovery there is no reference to anything like that. Their saying these facts exist doesn’t make it so.” 

The prosecutors also said that Hearst, who was recently pardoned by President Clinton for her role in an SLA bank robbery, will be “an accomplice witness” whose testimony will need corroboration. 

New regulations give the U.S. Forest Service too much freedom to decide how to manage the nation’s forests, environmental groups say. 

The regulations, released by the Clinton administration in November, made forest health the top priority for governing more than 190 million acres of federal lands.  

They gave Forest Service officials the ability to limit logging, skiing, hiking and other activities if they determined the activities could permanently harm the ecosystem. 

The Western Environmental Law Center, which planned to file suit Friday on behalf of a dozen conservation groups, says the regulations are ambiguous and it worries the Forest Service will misuse them. 

“Our basic problem is that they give way too much discretion to the Forest Service, and we do not feel the Forest Service has earned any trust over the last 20 years,” said Marc Fink, a lawyer with the law center. “More discretion to us means more logging.” 

A Forest Service official declined to comment. 

When the regulations were announced, the Forest Service cheered them as a much-need commitment to forest health, as well as other uses for the forest, including logging. 

“We cannot do things that could put resources at risk,” said Agriculture Department Undersecretary Jim Lyons, who oversees the Forest Service.  

“Ecological sustainability is the foundation upon which future management decisions will be made.” 

The overhaul of the regulations had been in the works since the first Bush administration.  

It was the first time in almost two decades the Forest Service changed the rules implementing the National Forest Management Act of 1976, a law that governs activities in federal forests. 

Earlier this month, William Banzhaf, executive vice president of the Society of American Foresters, wrote Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, who has oversight of the Forest Service, recommending the department re-examine the new regulations. 

“If these regulations are not changed, protection of native plant, animal and fish species could become the dominant, if not the exclusive, purpose for the 191 million acres of the National Forest System,” Banzhaf wrote, arguing the new regulations break the law. 

The environmental groups planed to file suit in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California. 

Among the groups were the Idaho Sporting Congress, Cascadia Wildlife Project and Citizens for Better Forestry.

OBERLIN, Ohio — The Oberlin College student walked into her first art history class of the spring semester and did a quick head count: two men and 20 women. 

Too bad, thought Meg Spearman, a senior from Philadelphia. “The classes with more guys are more verbal,” she said. 

The dearth of men gets noticed outside class, too – there aren’t many guys around to date, she said. 

“That’s the joke on campus,” agreed Victoria Der, another senior at Oberlin. 

Oberlin, a historically liberal institution that pioneered coeducation with its founding in 1833, now finds itself discussing how to keep men interested in the school. 

Fifty-nine percent of Oberlin’s 2,905 students are women at a time when many colleges believe a close male-female ratio can create a livelier intellectual atmosphere and make a school more attractive socially to high school students who are thinking of applying. 

Harry Dawe, associate director of admissions at Oberlin, fueled the discussion last fall when he organized a national forum called “Are Our Boys at Risk?” 

In an era when recruiting of racial minorities and women is commonplace, Dawe calls the idea of affirmative action for men “the issue that dare not speak its name.” 

The growing percentage of women at the nation’s colleges and universities isn’t a recent phenomenon: Women have outnumbered men on U.S. campuses since 1978. Women now make up 55 percent of college enrollment – about 6.8 million women to 5.5 million men. 

How did men become such a minority? One theory is that teen-age boys are eager to join the working world. 

“Boys like to strut and make claims and tell everyone they are going to do something and then they don’t do it,” said Clifford Adelman, senior research analyst with the U.S. Education Department. 

The gender gap is more pronounced at liberal arts colleges, where women make up 61 percent of the enrollment, according to the American Council on Education. That may be because some liberal arts colleges lack the engineering and business programs that tend to attract men. 

The gender gap may be more apparent at small-town schools like Oberlin than at a sprawling state university with tens of thousands of students. 

Admissions director Paul Marthers said that Oberlin has a goal of keeping women’s enrollment at no more than 60 percent but that no unqualified male is accepted. Over the past three years, the male share of Oberlin acceptances has increased from 38 percent to 43 percent, in part because men have sometimes received a second look. 

Dawe said teen-age boys often develop more slowly than girls and may lack the high grades and SAT scores that catch the eye of admissions officers. Instead, Dawe said, he might look for an applicant’s passionate interest in some area, on the chance that the person might thrive in a college environment less structured than high school. 

“We’re looking for students who haven’t become intellectuals” yet, Dawe said. “If that means looking at boys differently, we’re going to do it.” 

The risks of letting the gender gap widen and female enrollment increase are clear. A school with too many women might become perceived as a women’s school and become less attractive to both men and women. 

“What if it goes to 65 percent? Sixty-five is OK,” Spearman said. “But if it was 80-20 – I wouldn’t want to come here.” 

The idea of recruiting men gets into some dangerous political territory. 

Nancy C. Dowling, a guidance counselor at Aurora High School in suburban Cleveland, said schools wouldn’t dare hang out the “Men Wanted” sign at college night activities. “I think there would be a lot of backlash from women’s groups,” she said. 

While Oberlin stops short of directly recruiting men, it tries to make sure its promotional materials do not turn guys off. When a science brochure was revised several years ago, its floral design was dropped because it seemed too feminine, Dawe said. 

At 2,000-student Dickinson College near Harrisburg, Pa., admissions counselors have gone further to bump up male enrollment, now only 39 percent. Gender has been a factor in deciding borderline applications in favor of men, said Robert Massa, a Dickinson vice president. 

“If all other things were equal, we admitted them,” Massa said. He estimated that such close calls amount to 5 percent of admission decisions. 

He said that if the gender gap became too big, “the college would become less desirable for good students of both genders,” Massa said. 

People “might say it’s preposterous for me to say white males add diversity,” he said, but the bottom line is trying to create a rich academic life for students. 

On the Net: 

Oberlin College: http://www.oberlin.edu 

Dickinson College: http://www.dickinson.edu 

American Council on Education: http://www.acenet.edu 

National Center for Education Statistics: http://www.nces.ed.gov 

SAN FRANCISCO — Napster proved that giving away music over the Internet is a breeze. But major record labels still aren’t willing to sell their top hits online, and dot-coms hoping to cash in on music downloads have business models fraught with uncertainty. 

Napster’s loss in appellate court this week means the end is near for its free-music giveaways, which rose to nearly 3 billion songs in January alone, according to Webnoize, a research firm that tracked the downloads. 

The decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals “represents a clear victory for the creative content community and the legitimate online marketplace,” said Hilary Rosen, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America. 

But delivering songs over the Internet won’t be a sure moneymaker until major record labels reach a consensus on new ways to sell distribution rights for popular music.  

without Napster keeping a pitchfork at their backside, they’re probably less motivated than before,” said Phil Leigh, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates. 

One of every 10 U.S. home computer users have tried out Napster for themselves, tapping into seemingly limitless directories of popular music available for free, according to Jupiter Media Metrix. 

Closing down this free-for-all won’t immediately turn all those Napster users into paying customers for EMusic.com, which bills itself as “the premier source for legitimate MP3s,” and pays artists a cut of the 99 cents it charges for each song download. 

One reason is that the major record labels – BMG, Warner, EMI, Sony and Universal – have refused to sell song rights to EMusic, so less than 10 percent of popular music can be found on the site. 

“The Big Five have the keys to the gate and to the kingdom. They control all of this,” said P.J. McNealy, who follows online music for the Gartner Group. 

Napster has shown the value in aggregating content from all major labels.  

What is needed is the online equivalent of a vast record store, where all sorts of music can be found, said McNealy. 

“Consumers don’t know music by label,” McNealy said. “If you want the new Britney Spears song do you go to Sony dot-com or EMI music dot-com?” 

Instead, Leigh and other analysts think the future lies in a universal licensing scheme that would allow online music aggregators to keep offering downloads while somehow compensating copyright holders. 

One prominent Napster user is U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, himself a musician who posts his own gospel tunes on the service. Hatch plans Senate hearings on this issue. 

Hatch warned that the appellate ruling, which favored an injunction ordering Napster to remove all copyright material, “may prove to be pyrrhic or short-sighted from a policy perspective,” since millions of MP3 fans will find other free sources for their music. 

Mitch Glazier, the RIAA’s top lobbyist in Washington, urged patience before the government intervenes. 

“Now that the market is cleared for legitimate music, we have to aggressively occupy the space. Music companies are dependent on secure technology, but there’s no dearth of commitment, both financial and otherwise,” Glazier said. 

Napster, meanwhile, hopes its alliance with German media giant Bertelsmann AG, which owns the BMG label, will help it turn loyal Napster users into paying subscribers later this year. 

The Redwood City.-based company announced Friday that a Bertelsmann subsidiary had developed the technological framework – but no working prototype yet – for a system that would prevent Napster users from pirating music by copying shared MP3 files onto CDs. 

“The real questions about Napster’s future are economic, not technical or legal,” Napster CEO Hank Barry said in a statement lauding the development. He called the move “further evidence of the seriousness of our effort to reach an agreement with the record companies that will keep Napster running, reliable and enjoyable.” 

Other players also are pursuing licensing deals with record labels. After spending between $150 million and $200 million – the exact amount has never been disclosed – settling copyright infringement suits, MP3.com now has permission to run MyMP3.com, which allows subscribers to keep digital copies of CDs they already own, and listen to them over any Web-enabled device. 

“I think people said ‘It’s the end of free music’ and that’s not the case at all,” Michael Robertson, chief executive of MP3.com, said in an interview this week.  

“It’s the end of all music for free. I believe that’s true.” 

Record labels claim they’ve lost hundreds of millions of dollars in profits since computer programmer Shawn Fanning unleashed the Napster software in May 1999 and they’re ill-disposed to make deals with dot-coms, Leigh said. 

On the Net: 

http://www.napster.com 

http://www.mp3.com

NEW YORK — Wall Street plunged back into pessimism Friday, sending stocks sharply lower after Nortel Networks, Dell Computer and Hewlett-Packard warned that business will slow further this year. A spike in inflation and military action in the Middle East increased the market’s woes. 

“The market just doesn’t like today at all,” said Dan Ascani, president and research director at Global Market Strategists in Gainesville, Ga. 

The market’s losses on Friday came largely from the technology sector after several big companies issued disappointing outlooks for the year. 

Nortel plunged $9.75, to finish at $20. After the market closed Thursday, the fiber optics maker cut its profit outlook and raised the number of its planned job cuts to 10,000.  

A bleak outlook also hurt Dell, which fell $1.50 to $23.50. Dell announced late Thursday it missed earnings expectations by 1 cent and that it will cut 1,700 jobs. 

— The Associated Press 

Although layoffs reduce costs, typically causing a stock price to pick back up, analysts said this round of job cuts made investors fearful about how much the economy is hurting. 

“When you have companies like Dell laying people off for the first time in 16 years, that marks a change in the trend of the economy,” Global Market’s Ascani said. 

The Dow’s tech losses were led by Hewlett-Packard, down $3.22 at $33.13. H-P also warned of challenging business conditions late Thursday. The computer maker’s losses spread to other Dow tech stocks, including Microsoft, down $1.63 at $57.19. 

“There’s a combustible combination of bad news out there,” said Alan Ackerman, executive vice president at Fahnestock & Co. 

The bad news brought back “a lot of caution and exhaustion for traders who are trying to figure out where to go in the market, especially before a long, holiday weekend,” Ackerman said. The market is closed Monday in observance of Washington’s Birthday. 

Friday’s losses were a dramatic retreat from the more optimistic approach investors had taken toward high-tech stocks in recent weeks. While Wall Street had tolerated individual companies’ reduced business forecasts, the news of three dismal outlooks at once rattled the market. 

But investors’ skittishness extended beyond tech as they also bid down some stocks in less risky, so-called defensive sectors like pharmaceutical and consumer product issues. 

Merck fell 81 cents to $77.29, but Procter & Gamble rose 98 cents to $74.84. 

Investors also bid stocks lower on a Labor Department report that wholesale inflation rose 1.1 percent in January, the biggest jump in a decade. The spike could diminish the chances that the Federal Reserve Board will lower interest rates at its meeting next month. 

“It gave everyone the fear that the Fed will have to worry about inflation and won’t be able to ease rates as much,” Ascani said. 

The two cuts the Fed made in January are expected to help improve the sluggish economy and anemic corporate earnings in the second half of the year. But investors have been hoping for more reductions, although they were disappointed earlier this week when Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan indicated that future cuts will be less aggressive than the market had wanted. 

Word in the afternoon of a U.S. and British air attack over Iraq added to the selloff. The government said American and British planes struck Iraqi air defense sites in a mission to destroy threatening radar systems. 

Declining issues outnumbered advancers nearly 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was 1.48 billion shares, ahead of 1.39 billion Thursday. 

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller company stocks, fell 9.57 to 499.28. It ended the week up 0.4 percent. 

Overseas markets also were lower. Japan’s Nikkei index fell 1.1 percent, Britain’s FT-SE 100 index lost 1.8 percent, Germany’s DAX index declined 2.3 percent and France’s CAC-40 index fell 1.9 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 

Right now, Tami Pivnik is working as a temp in a San Francisco office, just one of many recent college graduates killing time until they find their true calling. But unlike most of the others, Pivnik won’t be spending much more time in an office anytime soon. She will soon be in the training camp of the Bay Area CyberRays, one of the teams in the fledgling Women’s United Soccer Association. 

Pivnik graduated from Cal in December with a degree in American studies after playing five seasons for the women’s soccer team. A midfielder as a freshman, Pivnik suffered an ankle injury that wiped out most of her 1997 season. Upon her return, head coach Kevin Boyd made her a defender. She started every game for the Bears at sweeper in both 1999 and 2000, helping the Bears to a 17-3-1 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament in her final season. 

Pivnik has garnered several post-season honors, including being named third-team All-American by Soccer Buzz and second-team All-Pac-10. She was also named to All-Pac-10 academic teams in her final two seasons. 

Pivnik was selected by the CyberRays, who will play in San Jose’s Spartan Stadium, with the 31st pick of the supplemental collegiate draft two weeks ago. She heads off to the first training camp on March 1. 

Daily Planet: So how does it feel to be a professional athlete? 

Tami Pivnik: It’s kind of weird. I don’t feel any different yet, but I think once I go down there and play with the foreign players and the big-timers, I think I might feel a little different about it. But it feels great to get to do what you love to do for a living. 

DP: Will you find it intimidating to be playing with and against the best players in the world? 

TP: Honestly, not that much. I’ve played with a lot of the American players before. I think the foreign players will be a little strange at first, just breaking down the language and cultural barriers. I’m really excited to be on a team with two Brazilians (national team members Katia and Sissi). I know the women aren’t where the men are, but I’ve been a Brazil fan since I was a little girl, so I’m really excited about that. Obviously it’s a new level, so a lot of it will be confidence going in. But I think I can handle it, and I’m looking forward to it. 

DP: Did you ever picture yourself playing professionally when you came to Cal? 

TP: It really only became a valid opportunity in 1999. For the last two years, we’ve been making good progress, so me having a fifth year, it was perfect timing to go from the end of my career at Cal to go directly into the professional ranks. It worked out really well, but obviously I had no clue this would happen.  

I was asked by a public relations guy for the CyberRays right when I got drafted if this has been my dream, and I said “honestly, no. It’d be nice to say I’m living my dream, but it never really was.” 

Soccer’s always been a dream for me. I’ve had a great time, met some great people, traveled the world. It’s been amazing, and it’s what I love to do. 

DP: What would you be doing if the WUSA didn’t exist? 

TP: I don’t know; probably figuring out my life. I mean, I’m not sure, I’ve got such diverse interests. I could have gone straight into the Peace Corps, I could have done Teach for America (a government-sponsored inner-city teaching program). It would have probably been something like that right off the bat. But I didn’t really prepare for things like that because I knew this was coming. 

DP: Are you glad you were drafted by the local team? 

TP: I originally hoped to go to the east coast. But just the number of calls and e-mails that have come in about people being so excited about being able to see me play in the Bay Area, I can’t complain about having that kind of support. 

DP: Do you expect there to be a big Cal presence at some home games? 

TP: (Laughs) They better come out! I’m sure some of them will come to some games. 

DP: After your injury, did you ever consider giving up on playing? 

TP: I was talked to very seriously two summers ago about re-evaluating my goals physically. I was working with a physical therapist, and when he did a complete evaluation, they didn’t like so much how little cartilage I had in my knee. So he was just kind of giving me the big picture instead of short-term, which you concentrate on when you have a serious injury. You set certain goals for yourself to see if you can get through them, and he wanted to give me a broader view to let me know where I was at. And I thought about it for about an evening (laughs). But I woke up in the morning and said, “Yeah, I’m gonna play. If you won’t help me, I’ll find someone who will.” So he worked with me, and I got back on the field the next year. 

DP: What would you have done if you hadn’t been drafted? 

TP: Trying to figure out who I had to call the next day and where I was going to go try out this weekend. I was getting a little bit worried, because Maite (Zabala, former Cal goalie, picked No. 9 by the Atlanta Beat) and I were sitting there and I was a little surprised by some of the picks that went before me. We were sitting there like ‘I don’t know…’ But then Tony (DiCicco, the league’s acting commissioner) got up there and started talking about Cal Berkeley, and we looked at each other and knew I was the only one left, so I knew I was getting picked then. 

DP: Okay, the WUSA championship comes down to you vs. Maite on a penalty kick. Who wins? 

TP: Oh, me of course! (Laughs) I mean, hands down. I haven’t missed a penalty kick in years. Me! What am I supposed to say?

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm.”An 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 more. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. 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. Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Judah L. Magnes Museum “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. “Second Annual Richard Nagler Competition for Excellence in Jewish Photography” Through Feb., 2001. Featuring the work of Claudia Nierman, Jason Francisco, Fleming Lunsford, and others. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “The Mule Train: A Journey of Hope Remembered” through March 26. An exhibit of black and white photographs that capture the fears and faith of those who traveled from Marks, Mississippi to Washington, D.C. ,with mule-drawn wagons to attend the Poor People's Campaign in December, 1967; “Joe Brainard: A Retrospective,” Through May 27. The selections include 150 collages, assemblages, paintings, drawings, and book covers. Brainard’s art is characterized by its humor and exhuberant color, and by its combinations of media and subject matter; Muntadas - On Translation: The Audience, Through April 29. This conceptual artist and pioneer of video, installation, and Internet art presents three installations. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 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 through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. 642-0808. 

The Asian Galleries “Art of the Sung: Court and Monastery” A display of early Chinese works from the permanent collection. “Chinese Ceramics and Bronzes: The First 3,000 Years,” open-ended. “Works on Extended Loan from Warren King,” open-ended. “Three Towers of Han,” open-ended. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 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 through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 642-0808 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 by 40-foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. 

“Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology “Approaching a Century of Anthropology: The Phoebe Hearst Museum,” open-ended. This new permanent installation will introduce visitors to major topics in the museum’s history.“Ishi and the Invention of Yahi Culture,” ongoing.This exhibit documents the culture of the Yahi Indians of California as described and demonstrated from 1911 to 1916 by Ishi, the last surviving member of the tribe. $2 general; $1 seniors; $.50 children age 17 and under; free on Thursdays. Wednesday, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way and College Ave. 643-7648  

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership 

Feb. 16: The Bananas, Pitch Black, Shotwell, Pirx the Pilot, Rock & Roll Adventure Kids; Feb. 17: Lack of Interest, The Neighbors, Black Hands, Capitalist Casualties, Iron Lung; Feb. 18, 5 p.m.: Good Riddance, Missing 23rd, Fire Sermon, Lugosi, Anti Domestix; Feb. 23: Subincision, 30 Second Fury, AKA Nothing, No Common Sense, Stalin’s War; Feb. 24: Slow Gherkin, Plus Ones, 78 RPMS, Merrick, Enemy You 525-9926  

Albatross Pub All music at 9 p.m. unless noted Feb. 20: pickPocket esemble; Feb. 21: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano”1822 San Pablo 843-2473 

Ashkenaz Feb. 16, 9:30 p.m.: Jeff Narell & the Bongo Beach Band, Pankind; Feb. 17, 9:30 p.m.: Nectar w/Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; Feb. 18, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Youth Dance; Feb. 18, 8 p.m.: Gregory Joe Bledsoe and Source of Light; March 24, 2 p.m. - 2 a.m.: Ashkenaz fourth annual dance-a-thon featuring Lavay Smith, African, Caribbean, reggae, Balkan, North African and cajun bands for 12 hours of nonstop dance music. 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Eli’s Mile High Club Feb. 16: Little Johnny & the Giants; Feb. 17: Ron Thompson 3629 MLK Jr. Way Oakland  

Crowden School Sundays, 4 p.m.: Chamber music series sponsored by the school; Feb. 24, 8 p.m.: Cynthia & the Swing Set and the American Jubilee Dance Theatre. Free swing dance lesson, 7 p.m. New Orleans cajun and creole dinner to be served before dance lesson. $10 - $40 Benefits the Crowden School 1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 559-6910 

Tuva Space All shows at 7:45 p.m. Feb. 18: Saadet Turkoz seeks to evoke pictures and atmosphere by means of voice and music which transcend cultural boundaries. Saxophonist Eric Barber defies categorization; Feb. 19: Trio of Fred Frith, guitar, Pierre Tanguay, percussion, and Jean Derome, alto and bariton saxophones. $8 donation 3192 Adeline (at MLK Jr. Way) 649-8744  

Jazzschool/La Note All music at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 18: Sheldon Brown Group; Feb. 25: Lauri Antonioli; March 4: Ray Obiedo; March 11: Stephanie Bruce Trio; March 18: Wayne Wallace Septet $6 - $12 2377 Shattuck Ave.  

Live Oak Concert Series All music at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18: Jupiter String Quartet perform music of Purcell, Britten, and Schubert; March 4: Marie Carbone, harpsichord, plays music of Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Froberger, and Weckmann; March 11: Stephen Bell, guitar, plays music of Bach, Villa-Lobos, Ponse, and Albeniz Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Cal Performances Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m.: Balinese Orchestra Gamelan Sekar Jaya present “Kawit Legong: Prince Karna’s Dream,” $18 - $30.; Feb. 20, 21, 23 & 24: In two separate programs the Netherlands Dans Theater I presents the work of former artistic director, Jiri Kylian $34 - $52 Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley. 642-9988 or www.calperfs.berkeley.edu Feb. 11, 3 p.m.: Horacio Gutierrez $24 - $42; Feb. 25, 3 p.m.: Prazack Quartet $32; Feb. 28, 8 p.m.: Clerks’ Group performs music from the Burgundian Courts; March 4, 3 p.m.: Baritone Nathan Gunn sings Brahms, Wolf, and a selection of American songs $36; March 11, 3 & 7 p.m.: Burhan Ocal & The Istanbul Oriental Ensemble perform traditional Turkish music $24 Hertz Hall UC Berkeley 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra April 3, and June 21, 2001. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

Percussions Du Guinee Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Internationally respected Guinean percussionists craft a performance simultaneously inspired by traditional music, yet modern in presentation. $20 - $25 925-798-1300 

Will Bernard & Motherbug and Ten Ton Chicken CD Release Party and Live Web Cast Feb. 17, 9 p.m. IMUSICAST Studios 5429 Telegraph Ave. (at 54th) Oakland $10  

Adam Cooper Memorial Torah Readers Fund Benefit Concert Feb. 25, 7 p.m. Frank London, composer and trumpet player with The Klezmatics and Adrienne Cooper will headline. $25 - $50 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 925-944-0931 

“Dido and Aeneas” March 2, 8 p.m.; March 4, 2 p.m. A tale of English Baroque opera that follows the tale of Dido, queen of Corinth, as she is courted and won by Aeneas, conqueror and future founder of Rome. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300 

“Aywah!” March 2, 8 p.m. An evening of music and dance from Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Balkan Roma. Featuring Aywah! Dance Company. Guest singer Eva Primack. $13 - $15 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org 

Mozart Requiem Singalong March 3, 8 p.m. Bella Musica Chorus and Orchestra in their third annual presentation. Bring your own score or buy/borrow one of theirs. $10 suggested donation St. Joseph the Worker Church 1640 West Addison (at McGee) Call 526-5393 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra March 3, 8 p.m. David Ramadanoff conducts the orchestra in a program featuring Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and a suite from Piston’s ballet “The Incredible Flutist” $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300  

“In Song and Struggle” March 4, 4 - 10 p.m. Copwatch presents the second annual event bringing together some of the best women artists from around the Bay Area and beyond in commemoration of International Women’s Day. Artists include Shelley Doty, Rebecca Riots, Rachel Garlin, and many others. Call Copwatch, 548-0425  

Young Emerging Artists March 6, 7 - 8 p.m. John McCarthy will direct students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Prepatory Division through a performance of works by Sov, Barber and others. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. (at Derby) 925-798-1300 

Canto Para Una Semilla March 9, 8 p.m. La Pena Community Chorus present an homage to Violeta Parra. This is a benefit for Berkeley High School’s CAS program. $10 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

“Mystic Journey” March 10, 8 p.m. Suzanne Teng and Mystic Journey are a unique contemporary world music ensemble, based in Los Angeles, making their Bay Area debut. $15 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300 

Maria Marquez in Concert March 10, 8:30 p.m. A special evening of Marquez’s songs from her latest CD, “Eleven Love Stories.” $15 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Theater 

“Fall” by Bridget Carpenter Through March 11. $15.99 - $51. Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949, www. berkeleyrep.org 

“The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard Through Feb. 24, Friday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 8 p.m. $10 Live Oak Theatre 1301 Shattuck 528-5620 

“Nightingale” presented by Central Works Theater Through March 4, Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24 & Saturday, March 3, 5 p.m. $8 - $14 LaVal’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-1381 

“Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank MacGuinness Through March 17, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 p.m. The story of three men - an Irishman, an Englishman and an American held in a prison in Lebanon. $10 - $15 8th St. Studio Theatre 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 655-0813 

“A New Brain” by William Finn March 2 - 18, Fridays & Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Watch as Gordon Schwinn, in the face of a life-threatening brain tumor, composes a farewell concert in which all the important figures in his life make show-stopping appearances. Presented by BareStage Productions $8 - $12 Choral Rehearsal Hall, Lower Level of Caesar Chavez Student Center UC Berkeley 642-3880  

Films 

“Magnetic North” Six programs of experimental Canadian video from the past 30 years that range from documentary to conceptual art. In all, 40 tapes from 46 artists will be shown on six Wednesday evenings. Through Feb. 28. $7. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412  

“Sherlock Jr.” With musical accompaniment by The Dactyles of Phrygia, performing on traditional and homemade instruments. Feb. 18, 3 & 7 p.m. $4 - $7 Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“Toto Recall” A 15-film retrospective honoring Italy’s comic genius. Through Feb. 24 Weekend days only, Friday - Sunday. $7 for one film, $8.50 for double bills. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“A.K.A. Dominga” A video documentary film following the personal journey of one woman uncovering her history 18 years after surviving the Rio Negro Massacre in Guatemala. March 1, 7:30 p.m. La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 x15 

Exhibits 

Berkeley Historical Society “Berkeley’s Ethnic Heritage.” An overview of the rich cultural diversity of the city and the contribution of individuals and minority groups to it’s history and development. Thursday through Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Free. 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

“Consecrations: Spirits in the Time of AIDS,” Through Feb. 24. An exhibit seeking to expand the understanding of HIV and AIDS and the people affected by them. Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts Gallery 461 Ninth St., Oakland. 763-9425  

“Race & Femininity” Acrylic Paintings of Corinne Innis Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings. Through Feb. 26; Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1 - 7 p.m. and by appointment. Women’s Cancer Resource Center 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 x307  

“Trees With Frosting” Stevie Famulari decorates landscapes with sugar and frosting, making her artwork edible and changeable by viewers. This particular display will remain for two months. Through February Skapades Hair Salon 1971 Shattuck Ave. 251-8080 or steviesart@hotmail.com 

“Dorchester Days,” the photographs of Eugene Richards is a collection of pictures portraying the poverty, racial tension, crime and violence prevalent in Richards’ hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts in the 1970s. Through April 6. UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism 121 North Gate Hall #5860 642-3383 

“Still Life & Landscapes” The work of Pamela Markmann Through March 24, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Red Oak Gallery 1891 Solano Ave. 527-3387 

“Kick Back,” the Department of Art Practice of UC Berkeley spring faculty show Through March 2 Worth Ryder Gallery Kroeber Hall UC Berkeley Call 642-2582 

“Unequal Funding: Photographs of Children in Schools that Get Less” An exhibit of black & white photographs by documentary photographer Chris Pilaro. Through March 16, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery 2235 Fifth St. 644-1400 

“Contemporary Photogravure” Printing from hand-inked plates etched from a film positive, a unique exhibition of photographs with luxurious tones. Through March 30, Tuesday - Friday, Noon - 5 p.m. or by appointment Kala Art Institute 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 

“Musee des Hommages,” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Boticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

“Evolution,” No problem quilters exhibit their soft-cloth sculptures. New Pieces is the only gallery that exclusively exhibits quilts in the Bay Area. Through March 1, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. 1597 Solano Ave. 527-6779 

Amanda Haas, New Paintings and Olivia Kuser, Recent Landscapes Through March 24, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Opening reception Feb. 14, 6 - 8 p.m. Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 

“Water From Your Spring” Artistic residency with composer Ann Millikan and painter Selena Engelhart Through Feb. 17, Wednesday - Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m. Free; Performance of Millikan’s music featuring the California E.A.R. Unit, plus guests: Feb. 17 & 18, 8 p.m. $15 - $20 Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park  

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 23: Becky Thompson reads “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage” 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington 559-9184. www.boadeciasbooks.com 

Cody’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 20: Becky Thompson discusses “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage”; Feb. 21: Poetry of Gillian Conoley & Kathleen Fraser; Feb. 22: Alison Gopnik describes “The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind”; Feb. 23: Carol Field reads “Mangoes and Quince”; Feb. 25: Poetry of Martha Rhodes, Linda Dyer & Joy Manesiotis; Feb. 26: Terry McMillan reads from “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”; Feb. 28: Poetry of Sandra Gilbert & Wendy Barker 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore All events at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27: Barbara Wagner, co-founder of Lost Frontiers, gives a slide presentation and talk about “Pakistan & the Lost Tribes of teh Hindu Kush”; Feb. 28: Travel writer Christopher Baker will read and talk about his 7000 miles motorcycle odyssey through Cuba as chronicled in his book “Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro’s Cuba” 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533  

“Strong Women - Writers & Heroes of Literature” Fridays Through June, 2001, 1 - 3 p.m. Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program. North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 549-2970  

Duomo Reading Series and Open Mic. Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Feb. 22: Charles Ellick; March 1: Eliza Shefler; March 8: Judy Wells; March 15: Elanor Watson-Gove; March 22: Anna Mae Stanley; March 29: Georgia Popoff; April 5: Barbara Minton; April 12: Alice Rogoff; April 19: Garrett Murphy; April 26: Ray Skjelbred. Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Lunch Poems First Thursday of each month, 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. March 1: Aleida Rodrigues; April 5: Galway Kinnell; May 3: Student Reading Morrison Room, Doe Library UC Berkeley 642-0137 

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse March 2, 7:30 p.m. Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba. $5 - $10 Little Theater Berkeley High School 2246 Milvia St.  

Bamboo Ridge Writers Reading March 4, 4 p.m. Five authors published in the book, “Intersecting Circles: The Voices of Hapa Women in Poetry & Prose.” Bamboo Ridge publishes literature which nurtures the voices of Hawaii and celebrates its literary tradition. Eastwind Books of Berkeley 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Anita Barrows March 4, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Barrows will read from her poem “A Record” inspired by an exhibit done in Theresienstadt and her translation of Rosa Luxenburg’s letters. Free Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237 

Women’s Word March 14, 7:30 p.m. An evening of women’s word honoring International Women’s month and featuring Avotcja, Straight Out Scribes, Tureeda & Kira Allen. Hosted by Joyce Young. Open mic will follow. $4 La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 848-7800  

The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2  

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. 486-0623  

Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting.  

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/  

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. 

Lectures 

Berkeley Historical Society Slide Lecture & Booksigning Series Sundays, 3 - 5 p.m. $10 donation requested Feb. 25: “Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin,” Gray Brechin will discuss the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful early families; March 11: Director of Berkeley’s International House, Joe Lurie, will show a video and dicuss the history and struggle to open the I-House 70 years ago; March 18: “Topaz Moon,” Kimi Kodani Hill will discuss artist Chiura Obata’s family and the WWII Japanese relocation camps. Berkeley Historical Center Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Research Seminars Noon seminars are brown bag Feb. 22, 4 p.m.: Sam Kernell of UC San Diego, will present a seminar on “State Electoral Institutions and the Impact of Presidental Elections on Party Control of Congress, 1840 - 1940.” March 7, 4 p.m.: Akhil Reed Amar will discuss his book “The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction.” March 12, Noon: Catherine Hafer of Ohio State will discuss “The Political Economy of Emerging Property Rights.” April 23, 4 p.m.: Mary Dudziach of USC will discuss “Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy.” Feb. 30, Noon: Daniel Diermeier of Northwestern University will discuss “Mass Political Action.” 119 Moses Hall UC Berkeley 642-4608  

“Great Decisions” Foreign Policy Association Lectures Series Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, Through April 3; An annual program featuring specialists in the field of national foreign policy, many from University of California. Goal is to inform the public on major policy issues and receive feedback from the public. $5 per session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple. Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 526-2925 

Ruth Acty Oral History Feb. 18, 3 - 6 p.m. In honor of Black History Month, Therese Pipe will present the history of Acty, who became the first African American teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District in 1943. Berkeley Historical Society Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. Admission free 848-0181 

When talking about housing, consider transportation 

Editor:  

The SF Chronicle’s article (14 Feb) on the extremely limited vacancy rate for office space in Berkeley was a constructive piece that contributes to nurturing an informed debate on the future development of a Bay Area city, but I thought it missed touching on an important part of the subject: an effective and efficient transportation grid.  

Downtown Berkeley is attractive to offices, in part, because of BART, which can help get workers to work without facing the nightmares of driving.  

But the subjects of the story wanted to be within walking distance of the UC Berkeley campus – presumably because they did not perceive (or did not believe that others perceived) there to be a transportation system sufficient to serve their office were it located farther away.  

And not just elsewhere in Berkeley.  

Inevitably, a key element of desirability is access, and while the private transportation system (automobiles) is increasingly jammed, the public transportation system is groaning at limited capacity or with inefficient timetables and delays.  

Were those aspects to receive more conscientious local and regional address, a wider variety of options for office (and other) space might become accessible, feasible, and economically viable in those parts of Bay Area cities now poorly served and or with difficult access or parking. There is more to the story, and it is worth exploring. 

Howie Muir Berkeley

Friday, Feb. 16

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Feb. 17

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

Oakland  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dinner Dance  

Benefit Gala 

4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita)  

Dance to the music of Toru Saitu & his band. Benefits BFUU.  

$10 donation  

Call 849-9508 

Free Puppet Show  

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave., Lower Level  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning puppet troupe that includes puppets of diverse cultures and puppets with medical conditions such as leukemia and spina bifida. Free 

Call 549-1564  

P.U.R.R.S. Pet Adoption Day 

Noon - 5 p.m. 

Pet Food Express  

1942 MLK Jr. Way  

Cats, kittens, rabbits, dogs and other pets in need of homes will be available for adoption.  

Call 444-3204 

Sunday, Feb. 18

Ruth Acty Oral History  

Reception 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

In 1943 Miss Ruth Acty became the first African American teacher to be hired by the Berkeley Unified School District. She taught thousands of students until her retirement in 1985. Oral History Coordinator Therese Pipe interviewed Acty in 1993-94 for the Berkeley Historical Society. Free  

Waterfalls of Berkeley  

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART  

Sacramento at Delaware  

On this urban waterfall hike, discover three waterfalls along rushing creeks hidden in Berkeley neighborhoods. A free hike sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Kaleidoscope Performances  

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts  

2640 College Ave. (at Derby)  

Yassir Chadley, traditional Moroccan musician and Sufi storyteller.  

$5 - $10  

Call 925-798-1300 

Healthful Building Materials 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Learn about healthful materials in this seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

Empowering Your Soul Through Meditation 

4 p.m. 

St. John’s Church  

2727 College Ave.  

Speakers will include Wm. Scotti, PhD and Linda Scotti RN, educators and diplomats from Washington DC. Free 635-2290 

Monday, Feb. 19

Affordable Housing Advocacy Project Open Forum 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Strawberry Creek Lodge  

1320 Addison St.  

This months topic will be vouchers - what is happening to the section eight program and what you need to know about it. AHAP is a project of Housing Rights, in partnership with Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, the national Housing Law Project and the City of Berkeley.  

Call 1-800-773-2110 

Tuesday, Feb. 20

“Great Decisions” – China & Taiwan 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy. $5 single session 526-2925 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is different cultural, ethnic and religious values.  

Call 527-9772  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

South Branch Berkeley Library  

1901 Russel St.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

7 p.m. 

North Branch Berkeley Library  

1170 The Alameda 

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Blood Pressure for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

With Alice Meyers. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Wednesday, Feb. 21

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Control Hypertension 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus 

Summit South Cafeteria Conference Room  

3100 Summit St.  

Oakland 

Bessanderson McNeil, MPH, and the Ethnic Health Institute, will help attendees take control of their lives. Free 

Call 204-3443 

Sacred Cinema  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave., Chapel Six 

Ken Peer has sought to explore sacred themes and to draw attention to the spiritual lives of individuals from the world’s great wisdom traditions. See three of his short films at this free screening.  

Call 649-2523 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

Claremont Library  

2940 Benvenue  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Alzheimer’s Support Group  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

For families and caregivers. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Thursday, Feb. 22

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Charles Ellick and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

Rivers of the World  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Pamela Michael, writer, educator and river conservationist, will highlight her new anthology “The Gift of Rivers: True Stories of Life on the Water,” showing slides of nearly 100 of the world’s great rivers. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Growl & Howl of Man & Woman 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Bring your favorite gender assumptions and put them to the test.  

$10  

Agaves & Yuccas 

7 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

Mary and Gary Irish, experts on these plants will show you where to find these dry garden plants and how to makes them grow happily.  

$15 

Call 643-1924 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m.  

West Branch Berkeley Library  

1125 University Ave.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Meditation Seminar 

6:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church  

2727 College Ave.  

A free talk followed by practical instruction in meditation on inner light and sound. Sponsored by Know Thyself as Soul Foundation, a nonprofit corporation.  

Call 845-9648 

Friday, Feb. 23

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Cosi Fan Tutte 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

An opera presented for free.  

Call 644-6107 

Saturday, Feb. 24

Tibetan New Year’s Celebration 

6 - 9 p.m. 

Britta Hauenschild gives a flute concert followed by a festive dinner and New Year’s celebration. Proceeds support Nyingma Institute sacred art and education programs.  

$30 suggested donation  

Call 843-6812 

Celebrate Samuel H. Day, Jr.  

2 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1924 Cedar St. (at Bonita)  

Longtime anti-nuclear activist and journalists, Day was the coordinator of the U.S. campaign to free Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu. Day died suddenly at his home in Madison, Wisconsin on Jan. 26.  

Call 548-3048 or visit www.nukewatch.org 

A Little Taste of Africa  

2 - 4 p.m. 

City of Franklin School  

1150 Virginia St.  

The City of Franklin PTA hosts this fundraiser for Black History Month. There will be performances by a West African Dance Troupe, music, poetry, authentic African dishes, a marketplace, and much more.  

$5  

Call 644-6260 

Love of Self, Family & Community 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

MLK Youth Services Center  

1730 Oregon St.  

Celebrating the many talents of African-Americans, join the City of Berkeley’s Young Adult Project at its annual Black History Month Celebration for a day of music, dance, arts & crafts displays. Free dinner for all who attend.  

Call 644-6226 

Meditation Seminar 

1:30 p.m. 

Grace North Church  

2138 Cedar St.  

A free talk followed by practical instruction in meditation on inner light and sound. Sponsored by Know Thyself as Soul Foundation, a nonprofit corporation.  

Call 845-9648 

Sunday, Feb. 25

“Imperial San Francisco: 

Urban Power, Earthly Ruin” 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley History Center 

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

Gary Brechin speaks on the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful San Francisco families. Free 

Call 848-0181 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Authors in the Library: Lois Silverstein 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Writer and performer, Silverstein, will read selections from “Oh My Darling Daughter,” “Behind the Stove,” and a work-in-progress, “Family Matters.” Discussion and book signing will follow. Free.  

Call 848-0237 x127 

Planetary Temples 

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Employee Don Frew will show slides of teh ruined city of Harran. Free 

Call 848-8443 

Art Meets Science in Time  

2 - 3:30 p.m. 

Bancroft Hotel  

2680 Bancroft Way  

Professor Andrew Stewart of UC Berkeley and Gail M. Wright, a digital artist and lecturer at Mills College explore this subject through slide-illustrated discussions. In conjunction with the 0. Museum’s current exhibition “Telling Time.”  

Call 549-6950 

Harran: City of the Moon God 

8 - 10 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Donald Frew will present s, past and present, and will show slides from a recent visit. He will also discuss the likely treasure trove of texts from the ancient world that await discovery there. Free  

Call 848-8443 

High Blood Pressure Screenings 

9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Church by the Side of the Road  

2108 Russell St.  

Free blood pressure screenings, follow-up advice and other nutritional counseling. Sponsored by Alta Bates Medical Center.  

869-6763 

Monday, Feb. 26 

“Passages Into Aging” 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Miriam Chaya Fields, co-producer and director, of Timbrels & Torahs, will lead in a discussion about celebrating the wisdom and inspiration of the elder years.  

$5 donation  

Call 549-9447 x110 

Black History Dance Celebration  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The Imhotet Dancers will perform. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Tuesday, Feb. 27 

“Great Decisions” - Missile Defense  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

City Council Meeting 

8 p.m. 

Sheryl Walton of CAT will provide an overview of the CAT and its model to the City Council and Berkeley viewers.  

Farmers’ Market Fat Tuesday 

Mardi Gras Celebration  

1 p.m. - Dusk 

Derby St. at MLK Jr. Way 

With live performances by The Sons & Daughters of Orpheus and Wild Buds: West Coast Mardi Gras Band. Free and always wheelchair accessible.  

BHS Jazz Band  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

A Black History celebration performance. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Wednesday, Feb. 28  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Conversations in Commedia 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince) 

Mime Troupe founder Ron Davis and icon clown Wavy Gravy give dialogues on satire.  

$6 - $8  

Call 849-2568 

Women in Interfaith Relationships  

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Led by Dawn Kepler, this workshop will explore interfaith relationships on many levels, in relation to culture, religion, and gender. People of all backgrounds and orientations are invited to attend.  

$10 

848-0237 x127 

Planning Commission Public Hearing  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The commission is holding public hearings on the Planning Commission Draft General Plan. The commission requests that all written comments on the plan be submitted by March 1. 

Guide Dogs for the Blind 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

T. Duncan, a low vision speaker, will talk about guide dogs. Free  

Call 644-6107 

Thursday, March 1  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Eliza Shefler and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month.  

Call 869-2547 

Cancer Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Summit Medical Center 

Markstein Cancer Education & Prevention Center 

450 30th St., Second Floor  

Oakland  

Free support group for families, friends, and patients diagnosed with cancer.  

869-8833 to register  

Cycling Journey  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Leo Tenenblat and Jean Philippe Boubli set off on their mountain bikes from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal. They will share slides and stories of their 52-day adventure. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Friday, March 2  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse 

7:30 p.m. 

Little Theater 

Berkeley High School  

2246 Milvia St.  

Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba.  

$5 - $10  

Colombia In Context  

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Bancroft Hotel  

2680 Bancroft Way  

UC Berkeley  

A conference bringing together leading experts from both Latin America and the U.S. to discuss both the roots of the current Colombian crisis, and the future effects of U.S. strategy on the region. There will be a break between Noon and 2 p.m. 

Visit www.clas.berkeley.edu/clas 

Saturday, March 3 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Berkeley Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Mary Miche, leader of Song Trek Music, will lead a sing-along that will send everyone home humming.  

Call 649-3913 

Sunday, March 4  

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Salsa Lesson and Dance Party  

6 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Professional instructors Mati Mizrachi and Ron Louie will lead you through the steps. Irsraeli food will be provided by Holy Land Restaurant.  

$10 

RSVP 237-9874 

Monday, March 5  

Your Legal Rights with HMOs 

6 - 7:30 p.m. 

YWCA Oakland  

1515 Webster St., Second Floor  

Oakland  

Presented by the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, UCSF Cancer Resource Center and the San Francisco Bar Volunteer Legal Services, this free workshop covers what your legal rights are and how to guard them.  

Call 415-885-3693 

Beginning Bicyclist Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

YMCA  

2001 Allston Way  

Community Room 1, Main Floor  

Jason Meggs and Zed Lopez will teach you how to keep yourself and your bike safe and even how to use your bike for shopping. Free  

Call Jason Meggs, 549-RIDE 

Tuesday, March 6  

“Great Decisions” - U.S. & Iraq 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is health, nutrition and science; bioengineering.  

Call 527-5332  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 7  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Women in Interfaith Relationships  

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Led by Dawn Kepler, this workshop will explore interfaith relationships on many levels, in relation to culture, religion, and gender. People of all backgrounds and orientations are invited to attend.  

$10 

848-0237 x127 

Thursday, March 8 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Judy Wells and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

Trekking Northern India  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional wilderness guide Randy Pomeroy will take you on a journey from Ladakh to Rajasthan. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Friday, March 9  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Berkeley PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

2020 Milvia St., Room 303 

E-Mail: meldancing@aol.com 

Europe on a Shoestring  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Scott Mcneely, co-author of the Lonely Planet book will share slides and information on some of his favorite adventures off the beaten path. Come learn about smart budget travel.  

Call 527-4140 

Saturday, March 10  

The Secrets of Sacred Cinema 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave., Mudd 103 

Kevin Peer, a documentary film maker for the past 25 years, gives a two-day intensive for people interested in exploring documentary filmmaking. No equipment or prior experience required.  

$200 per person and registration is required 

Call 486-1480 

Narratives of Public Sector Reform: A Colloquium  

10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

223 Moses Hall  

UC Berkeley  

Mark Bevir of the department of Political Science of UC Berkeley, will present his paper on “Decentered Theory of Governance” and Rod Rhodes of the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne will present his paper, “Entering British Governance.” There will also be a session to discuss the broader issues their works raise.  

Greece Adventure 

1 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Linda Pearson of REI Adventures will introduce you to Greece in slides and discussion.  

Call 527-4140 

Sunday, March 11 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Myths & Realities of the International House  

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

1931 Center St.  

Director Joe Lurie will show a video and talk about the history and the struggle to open the International House.  

$10 donation  

Call 848-0181 

Walk on the Moon  

2 & 7 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

A mother and daughter explore their identities as they summer in the Catskills in 1969 amidst the news of Woodstock and the first lunar landing. Peer led discussion to follow film.  

$2 suggested donation  

Tuesday, March 13  

Berkeley Rep. Proscenium Opening 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Repertory Theater 

2015 Addison St.  

Featuring the premiere performance of “The Oresteia” by Aeschylus. Opening gala dinner held prior to performance. Performance will be at 8 p.m. 

Call 647-2949 

“Great Decisions” - International Health Crisis 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 14 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, March 15  

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicty,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Work less, consume less, rush less, and build community with friends and family.  

Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Elanor Watson-Gove and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month.  

Call 869-2547 

Cancer Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m. 

Summit Medical Center 

Markstein Cancer Education & Prevention Center 

450 30th St., Second Floor  

Oakland  

Free support group for families, friends, and patients diagnosed with cancer.  

869-8833 to register  

Myanmar: The Golden Kingdom  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Philip Hassrick of Lost Frontiers will introduce you to Myanmar’s unique history and culture.  

Call 527-4140 

Friday, March 16  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Saturday, March 17  

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Sunday, March 18 

East Bay Men’s Chorus Rehearsal  

6:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Calling for gay and bisexual men and their allies and friends to join this choral ensemble directed by J.R. Foust. There is no obligation to join the chorus after the first rehearsal.  

Call to RSVP 664-0260 or e-mail eastbaymenschorus@yahoo.com 

“Parenting in the Second Half of Life” 

10:30 a.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Author Roberta Maisel will discuss ways parents and their grown children can get on a positive and guilt-free path.  

848-0237  

Tuesday, March 20 

“Great Decisions” - Mexico Reexamined  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is death and dying in celebration of the Ides of March.  

Call 527-9772  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 21  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, March 22  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Anna Mae Stanley and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

Trekking in Bhutan  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Ruth Ann Kocour and Elizabeth Rassiga will share slides of their 25-day journey along the Snow Leopard Trek to the sacred mountain Chomolhari and beyond. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Friday, March 23 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Saturday, March 24 

Ashkenaz Dance-A-Thon 

2 p.m. - 2 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1370 San Pablo Ave.  

Join Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers along with African, Cajun, North African, Balkan, reggae, and Caribbean bands in this twelve hour dance music-fest. This is Ashkenaz big fundraiser for making improvements, including a new dance floor and ventilation system.  

$20 donation  

525-5054 or visit www.ashkenaz.com  

Sunday, March 25 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Tuesday, March 27 

“Great Decisions” - European Integration  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community

Frank Davis, president of the Black Property Owners Association, back left, and former City Councilmember James Sweeny, back right, presented Chief Dash Butler, middle, with a plaque for 30 years of distinguished and  

exemplary service on the Berkeley police force Thursday. Butler thanked  

the association for assisting the police department over the years to  

significantly reduce crime, especially violence, by making the police aware of criminal activity in the communities in which they own property.

As the March 1 deadline for public comment on the Planning Commission’s Draft General Plan draws near, some Berkeley residents are still criticizing the plan for not doing enough to reduce traffic congestion and control growth. 

“We don’t want to improve traffic flow on Ashby Avenue. We want to reduce traffic flow on Ashby Avenue,” said Ashby resident Becky O’Malley, criticizing the draft plan at a Planning Commission public hearing Wednesday night.  

A statement of community priorities intended to guide public decision making, the General Plan would replace the Berkeley Master Plan of 1977. The Planning Commission has taken public comment on the various iterations of the plan for the last year-and-a-half and hopes to submit its Draft General Plan to the City Council for consideration and adoption by May. 

The city released a Draft Environmental Impact Report detailing the potential environmental consequences of the Draft General Plan Wednesday. According to the report, prepared by LSA Associates, Inc., the traffic volume along Ashby Avenue during peak evening hours is among the highest in the city, with an average of more than 4,000 cars flowing past the Ashby and San Pablo avenues intersection in just one hour.  

The EIR predicts that, under the Draft General Plan, traffic at this intersection could increase by as much as 20 percent over the next 20 years. Many other intersections along Ashby could see increases in the 5-10 percent range during the  

same period.  

O’Malley said she and her neighbors already live with intolerable levels of noise and air pollution due to the street’s high traffic volume.  

According to the EIR, many other Berkeley streets that are already congested today would see traffic flows continue to grow under the Draft General Plan, including sections of Adeline Street, Alcatraz Avenue, Bancroft Way, Cedar Street, Dwight Way, Gilman Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Oxford Street. 

The city can mitigate this congestion with signal operation improvements, signal coordination, increased roadway capacity and programs that aim to reduce automobile travel in general, but the overall increase in traffic volume is all but inevitable, the report concludes. 

“This dismal EIR suggests that things are not going to get better and may very well get worse,” said Berkeley resident Gail Todd at the Wednesday night meeting.  

Andrew Thomas, a senior planner for the city, acknowledged at the outset of the hearing that Berkeley’s traffic situation “is going to get much, much worse” in the next 20 years. But Thomas said much of the increase would occur “whether you adopt this plan or not.” 

“A lot of it is regional traffic and there is not a lot you can do about it,” Thomas said after the meeting. Many commuters from neighboring cities use Berkeley streets to bypass congestion on the highways, Thomas explained. 

But O’Malley said this misses the point. The General Plan may not be responsible for increased traffic volume, she said, but it could do more to combat it. 

Todd said the Planning Commission should recommend removing some of the barriers installed in the seventies to divert traffic away from “residential” streets. Many of the larger streets the traffic is diverted onto are actually residential streets themselves, Todd said. 

“[The barriers] are creating little yuppie enclaves and the rest of us on these larger streets are supposed to deal with their garbage and pollution,” Todd said. 

Thomas said that elements of the Draft General Plan are aimed at reducing traffic congestion. The plan calls for increasing housing in the downtown area, for example, which Thomas said would allow more residents to walk to work, and more UC Berkeley students to walk to and from classes. 

“More and more people are driving to jobs or school because they can’t find housing, so traffic is getting worse,” Thomas said.  

But Berkeley resident and former Planning Commission member Clifford Fred said the draft plan calls for much of the new housing to be constructed by the university, thus seeming to endorse the its plan for enrollment expansion. Fred asked the Planning Commission to resist growth by the university. 

“Block after block, over the years, gets taken over (by the University),” Fred said. “What is needed is for the city to convince the university that it can’t keep growing in the city of Berkeley.” 

The Planning Commission will hold one more public hearing on both the Draft General Plan and the Environmental Impact Report at 7 p.m., Feb. 28, at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. The Draft General Plan can be viewed on the city’s web site at www.ci.berkeley.ca.us, and the EIR should be posted on the site soon. A limited number of hard copies of both plans are available for review at the Berkeley Planning and Development Office, 2120 Milvia Street, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94704. 

Written comments on the plans can be submitted to the Planning and Development Office, or electronically to athomas@ci.berkeley.ca.us. With general questions, call Karen Haney-Owens at 510-705-8137. 

The commission will review all public comment and draft amendments to the plans before submitting them to the City Council in May. 

“It’s going to be a big job over the next three months to wrap this up,” Thomas said. 

The City Council has taken a step toward creating 35 units of affordable housing by setting aside nearly $2 million for three developments. 

The council voted unanimously Tuesday to reserve money from the city’s Housing Trust Fund for the three projects. The approval of funds brings the city a significant step closer to providing more affordable housing in a environment of dwindling supply and skyrocketing rents. 

The Housing Trust Fund was established in 1992 to promote the development of affordable housing. 

It receives money from a variety of federal, state and local sources including the Federal Community Block Grant Program, city housing mitigation funds and the city’s general funds. 

According to Janet Kennedy, a senior coordinator for the housing department, developing affordable housing is extremely complicated because of its multitude of funding sources. “We call it the ‘Dagwood Sandwich’ approach to financing because of all the layers of funding that have to be approved,” she said. 

Kennedy said the council’s approval of funds for the projects was a critical step in a long process to construct the housing. 

The three developments are the University Neighborhood Apartments at 1725 University Ave., Hope Homes at 2418 Eighth St. and the Picante House at 711 Harrison St. 

The proposed housing at 1725 University Ave., which will be developed by Affordable Housing Associates, is the largest development with 29 units, all of which are dedicated to low-income housing. The council approved $1.4 million for the project. The city previously allocated $453,000, which helped the developer purchase the site. The total estimated cost of the project is $9.3 million.  

Kennedy said because the units will be entirely dedicated to affordable housing, the project will be eligible for state and federal tax breaks.  

All of the units will be available to tenants who earn below 60 percent of the Area Median Income or less. There will be 13 units designated for tenants at the 60 percent level, which is $32,460 annually for a family of two. A single unit will be for tenants at the 50 percent AMI level or $27,050 for a family of two. Another single unit will be designated for a tenants who earn 30 percent of the AMI or $16,230 for a family of two. 

The remaining 14 units are designated for tenants who qualify for Section 8 vouchers. Eleven of the units will be designated for disabled tenants. 

The University Avenue project had been controversial originally. There was a group of neighbors concerned the apartments were too large and would cause parking and traffic problems. A few worried the affordable housing would attract drug users. 

But Rob Browning and Jim Webber, who are neighbors of the proposed development and were originally against the project, told the City Council on Tuesday that they had changed their minds and now support affordable housing in the neighborhood.  

Housing Director Stephen Barton said the turnaround was largely due to the developer working with neighbors to address their concerns about the design of the buildings. 

Hope Homes at 2418 Eighth St. was granted $245,000 from HTF funds. The four-unit project is being developed by Jubilee Restoration. Three of the units will be adaptable for disabled accessibility and one will be completely handicapped accessible. 

The project will make two units available for tenants at the 60 percent AMI level, one for 30 percent AMI and the last for a Section 8-qualified tenant. 

The council approved $296,000 for the Picante House at 711 Harrison St., which will provide six bedrooms of transitional housing for homeless families. The project is being developed by BOSS, Inc. and will also include job training and children activity facilities. 

The city previously approved $304,000 for the project and with Tuesday’s approval Picante House will receive a total of $600,000. 

All three projects are still making their way through the city’s planning and approval process and, according to Kennedy, it is still too early to predict completion dates. 

“The approval of HTF funds is just one step in a long process.” Kennedy said. 

ALBANY — It’s Roundup time again on the old Gill Tract and Albany parents are riding herd on UC Berkeley. 

Tuesday morning, with 24-hours notice to the community, the university sprayed the herbicide Roundup (otherwise known by its chemical name, glyphosate) on the Gill Tract, the 15 acres or so on which UC Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources grows experimental crops. The tract is at Buchanan and Jackson streets in southwest Albany. Just across Jackson is Oceanview Elementary School. Albany Village, family housing for university students, is nearby. 

“They sprayed when the children were on the playground,” said Dorothea Dorenz, mother of a child who attends the K-5 grade school. 

Parents, who banned together under the name Albany Coalition for Environmental Health, have tried for two years to get the university to stop spraying. They have even offered to hand weed. 

Dorenz points out that “Albany schools and parks do not use Roundup.” And the city of Berkeley and its schools have a similar policy. 

Experts appear to disagree on the toxicity of the product, which is sold in local hardware stores. 

“Although glyphosate is not in the highest toxicity category for acute poisoning, it is a toxic formulation containing a mixture of other ingredients that can increase its potential toxicity,” said Dr. Marion Moses. director of the San Francisco-based Pesticide Education Center wrote last year. 

“Since children are more susceptible to toxic exposures than adults because of their larger skin surface for their size, a more rapid respiratory rate, and less mature immune and detoxification systems, we know they require greater protections,” she added. 

Quoting from the fall, 1998 Journal of Pesticide Reform, Albany Coalition for Environmental Health member Ellen Toomey wrote the university: “ Roundup is the third largest cause of pesticide-related illness in California, the most common cause of illness among landscape workers, and adds to air, soil and water pollution.” 

University experts sharply disagree, said Irene Hegarty, UC Berkeley director of community relations. “It’s not an extremely harmful substance. It dissipates in the soil,” she said. The College of Natural Resources believes that there is no danger to the children, she said. 

“Studies by the Extension Toxicology Network, a coalition of universities in five states that conducts independent research on pesticides and herbicides have found that Roundup has few if any toxic effects unless exceedingly large quantities are consumed,” says a statement from Hegarty’s office. 

Hegarty said the reason that the cities and schools don’t use Roundup resulted, not from scientific study, but from public concern.  

She agreed with the parents in a couple of areas, however: “We need to tighten up our noticing procedures,” she said. Parents had been promised a 48-hour notice of spraying. Hegarty noted that she had not received notice of the spraying. “The college is going to be in communication with the school district and the site,” she said. 

Also, Hegarty said she plans to talk to the university about spraying early in the morning or late in the day when children are not at school. 

That won’t be enough to satisfy Dorenz and other members of her organization. They point to a petition sent to the university last year signed by 350 people: “We demand that the University of California at Berkeley discontinue use immediately and refrain from using pesticides and herbicides from now on...” the petition said in part. 

The university has responded by minimizing its use of the chemical and spraying it close to the ground on windless days. It uses black plastic and other means to reduce the growth of weeds, Hegarty said.  

Still, despite condemnation of the spraying by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Albany PTA Council, the Sierra Club, Pesticide Education Center, Californians for Pesticide Reform, Pesticide Watch, and Architects Designers Planners for Social Responsibility, the university continues its spray program. 

The first steps in an action plan to improve fire safety for University of California, Berkeley, students living in rental houses were taken last week by UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl and officials from Berkeley and Oakland.  

"A significant portion of Berkeley students live in private rental housing. We need to work together to find ways to educate our students about fire safety and intensify inspections and monitoring of these rentals," said Berdahl.  

Berdahl called the special meeting on Feb. 9 following last month's Oakland house fire that claimed the life of Bradley Evans, 23. The Jan. 28 fire was the second fire of the school year in which a UC Berkeley student died. Both fires occurred in single-family homes rented by students. "Safety is the number one concern in all of our cities. We need cooperation between property owners and tenants," said Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean. "One of the most effective ways we can act is through a strong program of education - knowing what to look for and contacting us when something is wrong."  

Others attending the meeting were Berkeley City Manager Weldon Rucker, Berkeley Fire Chief Reginald Garcia, Oakland Fire Marshal Leroy Griffin, UC Berkeley Fire Marshal Dennis Mueting and campus housing and student affairs officials.  

Among the actions agreed upon Friday were:  

• The campus, working with its housing office and student groups, will undertake a comprehensive fire safety education campaign aimed at ensuring that no student moves into a house that does not have a working smoke detector and working windows or other ways to easily exit in the event of a fire.  

• Students will be educated on where to place smoke detectors and which kinds are most effective. For example, those that have a 10-year battery that can not be raided for other uses are preferable, said the fire officials.  

• Students will be directed on how to contact local fire departments to seek inspections if they do not believe their rentals meet fire safety requirements.  

• City and campus fire officials also agreed to explore forming a joint effort with other nearby cities akin to the multi-agency fire safety committee formed after the Oakland Hills fire. It would be one way, they said, to keep fire safety in rental homes in the forefront of public attention.  

Also in attendance at the meeting was Jonas Jusay, a student at UC Irvine. He has been working to improve fire safety for students since August when a fire in a rented Berkeley house claimed the lives of his sister, Azalea, who was a Berkeley student, and his parents, Francisco and Florita Jusay, who were helping her move in. “When I learned of the latest fire, everything came back. I did not want to have that happen to anyone again,” he said.  

“There is a simple solution. The first thing I do now when I walk into a house is look for a smoke detector and an exit, a way to get out,” said Jusay.  

Fire officials said that in multi-family units, such as apartments and rooming houses, smoke detectors are required in every sleeping room and in the hallways, and that regular inspections are required. Single-family homes also require smoke detectors, but fire officials are not free to enter homes to inspect them unless requested to or when there is a complaint, they said.  

“We need to work more closely with the student population and the public to get out information on how to get assistance. If you call our office, we will come out and inspect for you,” said Garcia, the Berkeley fire chief.  

Smoke detectors were present in the recent Oakland fire, said officials, but investigators could not find them in the Berkeley house where some of the windows could not be opened, trapping the Jusay family inside. 

LONG BEACH — Two small planes from a flying club collided near the Long Beach harbor entrance Thursday, killing one person and leaving three missing in the Pacific Ocean. 

The body of a man age 40 to 50 was recovered from the 55-degree water, said Fire Department spokesman Bob Caldon. 

Two people were aboard each airplane, fire Capt. Mike Garcia said from aboard a boat participating in the search a half-mile outside the harbor. 

The planes were from the Long Beach Flying Club near Long Beach Airport, where employees and others began gathering after receiving word of the collision. 

“Everyone is devastated right now,” said Joe Gallegos, a flight instructor who spoke on behalf of the club, which has more than 20 aircraft. “We don’t know what happened. We are just grieving for the people who died tonight.” 

Gallegos said he knew the instructors on the planes but he did not identify them. 

He said the collision occurred in airspace frequently used for flight training. 

“A lot of flight schools use that area, not because it’s cleared airspace but it’s just convenient for a lot of the schools,” he said. 

Ed Twining, 44, a Huntington Beach pilot who has been receiving instrument training there for several months, said the planes were a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 152. 

The Coast Guard reported finding a piece of a tail from a Cessna 172 and the manuals from two Cessnas. 

Boat crews scanned the surface in an area about a mile in circumference just outside the harbor entrance and divers working in poor visibility marked an underwater debris field with buoys before the search was suspended because of darkness, Garcia said. Divers were to return there on Friday. 

Vincent Gaitan, 32, of East Los Angeles was fishing when heard a loud noise, thought it was a boat hitting the rocks, but then turned toward the ocean and saw smoke on the horizon. 

“I grabbed my binoculars and saw a trail of smoke about a mile out,” he said. “The smoke looked white but then it turned to black.” 

The collision was reported at 3:44 p.m. by the pilot of an Island Express helicopter, about a quarter-mile south of Queen’s Gate, the ship entrance to the harbor. 

Boats and helicopters from numerous agencies converged on the area, initially inside the breakwater and then focusing on an area outside the harbor. 

The planes may have been flying at an altitude of 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet, Caldon said. 

“On a day like this, where it’s clear and sunny, there’s a lot of air traffic,” he said.

SACRAMENTO — Jim Jay and his wife drove 90 minutes to the state Capitol where she joined about 150 other nursing home employees in a protest to demand higher pay.  

They hardly even saw any legislators. 

Most were behind closed doors, concentrating on the issue that has all but taken over the Legislature – California’s power crisis. 

“I was walking around the halls and I heard lots about power, but I have heard nothing about hospital workers and health care,” Jay said. 

California’s Legislature is facing several challenges this year – among them, health care, including a shortage of nurses and a lack of health care coverage for about 7 million residents, and insurance reforms in the wake of a scandal involving the former insurance commissioner. 

But “electricity has drowned out every other issue,” said Sara Nichols of the California Nurses Association.  

The power crisis hasn’t actually done much to delay the passage of any legislation in the nation’s most populous state, since the Legislature usually enacts the bulk of its bills in a burst of activity near the end of its year, in mid-September. 

But the effort to keep the lights on and prevent California’s two biggest utilities from sliding into ruin has interfered with the usual committee meetings, the drafting and introduction of bills, and the lobbying of legislators. 

Moreover, there is fear that solving the power crisis will leave little money for other projects. 

Nichols’ group, for example, wants money for hospital trauma care centers and emergency rooms, which are flooded with uninsured patients.  

The deadline for introducing bills for this legislative year, at least in a preliminary form, is Feb. 23.  

Bills can be introduced with the bare minimum of information, with the rest to be worked out later. 

But far fewer bills have been drafted at this point than in previous sessions. In 1999, 389 bills were introduced in the Senate a week before the deadline, compared with 209 this year.  

In the Assembly, 225 regular bills and 46 bills in the special session have been introduced. In 1999, 496 had been introduced by this time. 

“This has trumped all other issues in terms of attention, but members are proceeding apace on their legislation,” said Assemblyman Fred Keeley, a Democrat. “We have a bill introduction deadline in a few days. Members will do all of these things, but they will do it in an environment where their attention is on energy issues.” 

Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison have lost $12.7 billion and are on the verge of bankruptcy because of high wholesale prices for electricity and a deregulation law that prevents them from passing those costs on to customers.  

The state has so far committed itself to spending $2 billion to ease the crisis and could end up paying far more.  

Jan Emerson of the California Healthcare Association said her group hopes to get the Legislature to help offset the estimated $24 billion cost of retrofitting hospitals to withstand earthquakes. 

Harvey Rosenfield, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said he thought insurance would be the top issue in January after a scandal involving Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush’s handling of earthquake claims and his creation of nonprofit funds financed by insurance companies. Quackenbush resigned last year. 

“We wanted to promote some insurance legislation in the aftermath of the Quackenbush scandal. That’s been completely ignored,” he said. 

The Sierra Club said some of its environmental concerns are on the back burner as well. 

“There are serious forestry problems in this state,” regional director Carl Zichella said.  

“Rivers in Northern California are getting shallower, hotter and more polluted by sediment. The ability to support fish and water life is being seriously undermined by atrocious logging plans.”  

Ron Roach, spokesman for the California Taxpayers Association, said Gov. Gray Davis proposed a sales tax holiday last month, but Roach has heard next to nothing about it since.  

Roach said the as-yet-unseen cost of solving the power crisis could undermine plans for tax relief. 

“This crisis has sucked up the entire state’s attention and quite a bit of the state’s surplus,” Rosenfield agreed. “If this continues, there won’t be any money left for anything else.” 

On the Net: 

California Legislature: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov

WASHINGTON — Republicans brushed aside Democratic suggestions that President Bush’s efforts to build a more inclusive GOP would suffer if his administration failed to adjust the 2000 census to protect against an undercount of minorities. 

Preliminary estimates from a survey following the 2000 census showed it missed a smaller percentage of Americans in 2000 than in 1990.  

Republicans were especially heartened that estimates showed smaller percentages of uncounted blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and children – groups traditionally missed in a census. 

House Democrats, though, maintained Thursday that about 3 million people still could be left out.  

They want Bush to allow the Census Bureau’s acting director, William Barron, to make the final decision over whether the raw count should be statistically adjusted using “sampling.” 

It was unclear if Bush would block a decision by Barron over the Clinton-era sampling plan. Rep. Martin Frost of Texas, the third-ranking House Democrat said Thursday the decision will be a test the president’s effort to make the Republican Party more moderate and more inclusive. 

The stakes are high: The sampled numbers, if approved, could be used to remap political districts and redistribute over $185 billion in federal funds across the country. 

“I don’t think the Bush administration can have it both ways,” Frost said.  

“They can’t claim to be compassionate ... and then not have an adjustment.” 

Republicans dismissed Frost’s comment as political rhetoric. 

“This has nothing to do with the direction of the party in terms of making it more inclusive,” said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.  

“Our view is there’s no need for a sampling scheme at all because it’s the most accurate census in history.” 

Republicans, in general, contend that using sampling could create “virtual people” and would introduce more error into the improved census count. 

The net undercount for all Americans declined from 1.6 percent in 1990, to between 0.96 percent and 1.4 percent in 2000, according to the preliminary estimates based on a separate survey – which used sampling methods – conducted after the actual census. 

Those estimates also showed declines in the undercount percentages for minorities, though the undercounts for blacks and Hispanics were still higher than for whites. 

“Our system of democracy works at its best when all of our nation’s people are counted and accounted for,” said Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau.  

He supports using sampling for redistricting. 

But Chip Walker, spokesman for Rep. Dan Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Government Reform Committee’s census panel, sees sampling differently. 

Democrats have “always viewed the census as an opportunity for a political power-grab by creating millions of virtual people with their risky sampling scheme,” Walker said. 

Bush has said an actual “head count” yields the most accurate census.  

The White House has not announced a timetable for a decision, but some Republicans say Bush has told House GOP leaders he would block sampled data from being used for redistricting. All sides acknowledge the issue will eventually be decided in court.On the Net: 

The Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/

Countertop appliances will operate more efficiently and last longer with care and maintenance. Here are several common appliances and the care they need to give you better service. 

Toaster Oven 

Toaster ovens are heavily used appliances that are often inadequately maintained. Unplug the appliance, open its crumb tray and use a new, clean1/2-inch-wide paint brush to sweep crumbs and debris out of it. Next, check its plug, especially if the appliance is several years old, or older. To do this, run it through a toast cycle (empty) three times and check the plug and cord to see if they are hot. If they are, have the cord and plug replaced. 

Can Opener-Knife Sharpener 

Combination can opener-knife sharpeners give good service with a little maintenance. Inspect the can opener blade for food particles after using it, and clean it if necessary. Oil the blade shaft with one drop of Three-In-One Oil (the type in the red and white can). Examine the opener’s drive gear and clean it if you find bits of paper or food on it. Debris on the gear’s teeth causes the can to slip while it is being cut, and this results in a partially cut lid. Vacuum the slots in the knife sharpener with an upright vacuum crevice tool attachment, or a shop vacuum and crevice tool. You can also blow metal particles out of the slots using compressed air. 

Pressure Cooker 

A pressure cooker is a simple appliance, with few parts, but it still requires careful use and inspection to ensure that it works well and safely. Don’t cook foods in it that foam (such as pastas) because foam residue can plug the air vent. Similarly, check that the air vent tube is clear before using the appliance. Run a pipe cleaner through it to remove obstructions. The sealing ring and pressure plug should be washed regularly, to ensure they are free of residue, and the sealing ring groove should be gently scrubbed clean with a small brush. 

Coffee Maker 

A drip coffee maker, especially those used in hard-water areas, should be cleaned regularly using a coffee maker cleaner. Also, remove and wash the grounds basket immediately after each use to prevent coffee residue from leaving a film that hardens over time. This is especially important for drip coffee makers with an automatic shut-off assembly below the basket. With these machines, it’s important to rinse off the stopper or stopper-lever assembly, and operate it by hand to be sure it’s clean and free of residue that could cause it to stick. 

Blender 

The most common mistake that people make with blenders is that they run them on a recently washed counter that has puddles on it. These appliances have motor vents underneath the base. If you set them over a puddle they’ll pull in water along with the air stream, and this will ruin the motor. Otherwise, maintenance on these machines is simple. Keep the jar assembly and cap clean. If you wash the assembly by hand, assemble the appliance after it is washed and run it for a couple of minutes to spin water off the cutter. Finally, these machines are frequently used to make crushed ice. Check your owners manual for the correct procedure. Many manufacturers recommend adding a cup of water to the ice, and then adding ice in small batches until you have chopped all that you need. Crushing the full load of ice at one time is liable to damage the cutter and the motor. 

LONG BEACH — Two small planes from a flying club collided near the Long Beach harbor entrance Thursday, killing one person and leaving three missing in the Pacific Ocean. 

The body of a man age 40 to 50 was recovered from the 55-degree water, said Fire Department spokesman Bob Caldon. 

Two people were aboard each airplane, fire Capt. Mike Garcia said from aboard a boat participating in the search a half-mile outside the harbor. 

The planes were from the Long Beach Flying Club near Long Beach Airport, where employees and others began gathering after receiving word of the collision. 

“Everyone is devastated right now,” said Joe Gallegos, a flight instructor who spoke on behalf of the club, which has more than 20 aircraft. “We don’t know what happened. We are just grieving for the people who died tonight.” 

Gallegos said he knew the instructors on the planes but he did not identify them. 

He said the collision occurred in airspace frequently used for flight training. 

“A lot of flight schools use that area, not because it’s cleared airspace but it’s just convenient for a lot of the schools,” he said. 

Ed Twining, 44, a Huntington Beach pilot who has been receiving instrument training there for several months, said the planes were a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 152. 

The Coast Guard reported finding a piece of a tail from a Cessna 172 and the manuals from two Cessnas. 

Boat crews scanned the surface in an area about a mile in circumference just outside the harbor entrance and divers working in poor visibility marked an underwater debris field with buoys before the search was suspended because of darkness, Garcia said. Divers were to return there on Friday. 

Vincent Gaitan, 32, of East Los Angeles was fishing when heard a loud noise, thought it was a boat hitting the rocks, but then turned toward the ocean and saw smoke on the horizon. 

“I grabbed my binoculars and saw a trail of smoke about a mile out,” he said. “The smoke looked white but then it turned to black.” 

The collision was reported at 3:44 p.m. by the pilot of an Island Express helicopter, about a quarter-mile south of Queen’s Gate, the ship entrance to the harbor. 

Boats and helicopters from numerous agencies converged on the area, initially inside the breakwater and then focusing on an area outside the harbor. 

The planes may have been flying at an altitude of 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet, Caldon said. 

“On a day like this, where it’s clear and sunny, there’s a lot of air traffic,” he said.

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — Garden catalogs now brightening our mailboxes bring hopes and dreams of spring and summer to the wintry scene. They also mirror the changing needs and styles of the American gardener. 

As the pages unfold with tempting displays of flowers and veggies, trends soon appear indicating, among other things, a continued swing toward smaller gardens and the popularity of short-cuts in cultivating them. Catalogs and Web sites affect more than 15 million households, whose occupants are expected to spend an average of $140 per household on mail order gardening products this year, industry sources estimate. 

Much attention is paid to container and patio growing and compact plants to fit those needs. And perhaps most noticeable is that more and more people want to cut time. Starting things from seeds is fulfilling, but the hard-pressed gardener is willing to skip that pleasure in favor of ordering ready-to-go plants. 

Naturally, you can order both plants and seeds and the catalogs are rich with seed offerings, both innovations and a lengthening list of heirlooms. As Shepherd’s Garden Seeds catalog puts it, “With each passing year, the pace of life just seems to ratchet up another notch. Whether it’s keeping up with the kids’ sports and other activities, longer days at the office or other demands on our time, all of us are having to do more in less time. As a result many of our customers have recently requested vegetable and herb plants to help them get their growing season started.” 

Accordingly, catalogs are featuring plants to be shipped at the proper time for planting in the customer’s growing area. Typical are offerings by Shepherd’s, 30 Irene St., Torrington, Conn., 06790; Tel. 860-482-3638; www.shepherdseeds.com. For $18.95 per package, you can get one each of six varieties of tomatoes; for $10.95, one each of three varieties of sweet peppers; same price for one each of three varieties of chilies or three basils or three eggplants. A collection of all these vegetables will cost $49.45. You also can get a small watermelon called “Tiger Baby” – three plants for $10.95. 

You’re paying a lot more than for seeds, which are in the range of $1.50-$2.50 per packet. If time is important to you, think how much of it you save. In my climate in southern New York, tomatoes are started from seeds indoors in mid-March, then usually transplanted to a larger pot, carefully nurtured all the while, and finally put in the garden in late May. Ordering plants would free us of work until they arrived at the end of May. 

I tried this out in my garden last year, ordering tomatoes, eggplants and peppers ready to go from Harris Seeds, 355 Paul Road, P.O. Box 24966, Rochester, N.Y., 14624; Tel. 800-514-4441; www.harrisseeds.com. The plants were small when they arrived, but they quickly took hold and my harvest was fine. I also had good results with a dwarf broccoli called “Small Miracle” shipped bareroot at planting time by the Piedmont Plant Company, 807 N. Washington St., Albany, Ga., 31702, Tel. 800-541-5185; www.piedmontplants.com. A bundle of 12 plants cost $7.95. Piedmont features a wide array of vegetables shipped bareroot.

About this time of year, you might demand more of your houseplants than just being green. Perhaps you would like some flowers and aroma – from a jasmine plant, for example. 

Gardenia is a familiar houseplant that has been called jasmine, although it’s unrelated to the jasmine genus. It can be a troublesome houseplant because of its tendency to drop flower buds before they open and because the plant’s leaves turn yellow if soil conditions are not just right. Scale insects are also very fond of this plant. 

A few true jasmines grow as shrubs in warm climates, but they do not look very happy or very pretty in pots indoors in winter. And not all bloom in winter, when their fragrance would be so welcome. 

A true jasmine commonly sold for winter flowering is poet’s jasmine, sometimes called winter jasmine. Poet’s jasmine makes a nice hanging basket plant, becoming a ball of fragrant, white blooms dense enough to almost hide the delicate leaves.  

Jasmines like moist soils, so add an extra dose of peat moss to their potting mix. Part shade is sufficient in summer, and a sunny window is best in winter. Poet’s jasmine is a particularly vigorous grower in summer, so it needs its trailing vines tucked into each other or a trellis or clipped back periodically. Don’t cut anything after midsummer, or you also will be removing potential flower buds.

NEW YORK — Terrified voices have been heard shouting “recession” in the already jittery economy – it doesn’t really matter who they are – and soon they had crowds running for the exits. 

The guilty list, if that’s what it is, might include Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve, the publishers of confidence surveys, and the purchasing managers who do the buying for industrial companies. 

It really doesn’t matter very much who shouted first – now everyone has recession on the brain. People are looking for gloomy omens of trouble rather than bright signs of success. 

Last week, the big topic was recession; everyone, so to speak, was talking about it. And the danger, Greenspan suggested, was that consumers would be drained not just of buying power, but of buying confidence, too. 

Subtle differences of interpretation can have great consequences. 

Yes, the surveys of consumer and business confidence showed declines, sharply in some instances, but it seemed to matter little that confidence levels remained historically high. And if might still surprise some people to realize that consumption spending actually climbed in December. 

The same phenomenon can be observed in homebuying, the very largest investment most families ever make. December new-home sales were at an annual rate of 975,000 units, very little changed from the best of times. 

An impression exists that technology, a hefty supporter of the economic boom, has now sunk into the doldrums. But according to Dataquest, which compiles industry statistics, December sales of powerful computer servers, as used in the Internet, soared 21 percent over the December 1999 pace. 

None of this proves that overall economic growth isn’t slowing, or that many companies aren’t laying off workers in massive numbers, especially in manufacturing, and that others aren’t distressed and fearful. Neither does it prove that the economy can’t fall into recession. 

It does mean that the bottom hasn’t fallen out, that the worst-case scenarios can’t yet produce the evidence, that recession isn’t a certainty, and that recessions, if they come, need not be deep and long. 

A slowdown, in fact, can be a remedy for an economy that is stressed and strained after an exhausting marathon run. 

The power shortages, for example, are perhaps an example of poor management, but they are also a consequence of a surge of economic growth that caught planners off guard. Who could have foreseen the boom in Silicon Valley? And during a slowdown, defenses can be raised. 

The Federal Reserve has all but promised immediate relief via lower short-term interest rates. Technological progress has kept inflation at bay. The Bush administration seems likely to obtain tax reductions. Good reasons to calm the excitement. 

John Cunniff is a business  

analyst for The Associated Press

PALO ALTO — First-quarter net earnings plunged 59 percent at Hewlett-Packard Co., but the high-tech bellwether still met Wall Street’s lowered expectations Thursday. 

“Clearly, this was a tough quarter and our results reflect that,” said Carly Fiorina, HP’s president, chief executive and chairwoman. The company also is at the mercy of worsening economic conditions, she said. 

In the three months ending Jan. 31, HP had net profits of $328 million, or 17 cents per share, down from $794 million, or 38 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose just 2 percent, to $11.9 billion. 

Excluding all extraordinary items, the computer and printer giant earned $727 million, or 37 cents per share, down 33 percent from $825 million, or 40 cents per share, a year ago. 

Analysts surveyed by First Call/Thomson Financial were expecting earnings of 37 cents per share this quarter – a figure that had been 5 cents per share higher until HP warned last month that the worldwide economic slowdown was hurting business more than expected. 

North American revenues dropped 6 percent, a trend Fiorina blamed on “continued deterioration in the U.S. economy and related weakness in consumer and business (information-technology) spending.” 

Specifically, demand was weak for HP’s desktop computers and printers, a trend felt throughout the industry. HP’s computing systems business, which includes PCs and servers, lost $19 million after earning $110 million in the first quarter of 2000. 

“I think of the big four (PC makers), they seem to have fared the worst,” said industry analyst Steve Kleynhans, a vice president at the Meta Group in Stamford, Conn. Part of that, he noted, is that the competition – Dell Computer Corp., IBM Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp. – were struggling at the beginning of 2000 and “spent the last year probably trying a little harder.” 

Shares of Hewlett-Packard, which is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rose $1.96 to $36.35 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange, a gain of nearly 6 percent. After the earnings announcement, HP shares dropped to $34.50 in after-hours trading. 

While the “ongoing economic uncertainty” is most visible in this country, Fiorina said the company also could be hurt in markets that rely heavily on exports to the United States, such as Mexico.  

With that in mind, she said the company was not expecting a return to double-digit revenue growth this year. 

HP did not offer specific profit forecasts, though Chief Financial Officer Bob Wayman indicated that analysts should consider lowering their expectations. 

“Certainly, we are not comfortable with the guidance that is out there at this time,” he said. 

This was the first earnings report since HP fell a hefty dime per share short of Wall Street expectations for the fourth quarter. That disappointing result led to tough questions about Fiorina’s strategy at the proud Silicon Valley institution. 

“They’ve had a lot of issues over the last six months,” Kleynhans said.  

“They don’t appear to have a really solid direction or brand as a company of exactly what they want to do, where they want to go. They seem to be a little shellshocked from the challenges they faced in the fourth quarter.” 

Other lingering challenges were apparent in the company’s first-quarter results. 

The company took a charge of $365 million, or 15 cents per share, because of losing investments in companies in emerging markets. HP also took a charge of $102 million, or 3 cents per share, when it cut 1,700 marketing jobs — a rare instance of layoffs in the company’s history. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.hp.com 

Two weeks ago, Berkeley girls’ basketball head coach Gene Nakamura pointed to Tuesday’s game against Alameda as a possible roadblock to an undefeated ACCAL season for his Lady Yellowjackets. He didn’t need to worry. 

The Lady ’Jackets took advantage of Alameda’s up-tempo offense, setting a season high for points with their 105-57 win. It was the first time Berkeley broke triple digits on the scoreboard this season. The closest they had come was their first meeting with the Lady Hornets, a 98-40 victory. 

Senior forward Robin Roberson led the ’Jackets with 27 points, one of four Berkeley players to break double digits. Roberson was on fire, making an assortment of layups and jumperson her way to shooting 13-of-16 from the floor.  

“Robin can fill the basket in so many different ways,” Nakamura said. “She was really going to the ball well tonight, and she posted up well too.” 

Teammate Angelita Hutton shook off a cold first half (3-of-12 shooting) to score 15 points, and center Sabrina Keys pitched in 10 points and eight boards. 

The surprise of the night was forward Kalyca Seabrook, who scored 12 points, her season high. The junior missed just one shot while pulling down five rebounds. 

“We weren’t really expecting to win the game, because Berkeley’s just a machine,” Alameda head coach Brad Thomas said. “But we shouldn’t give up 105 points to anyone.” 

Alameda’s only answer to the Berkeley fireworks was point guard Lucia Galindo, who scored 20 points despite fouling out of the game with three minutes left. The speedy sophomore, who didn’t play in the first meeting, penetrated at will against the Berkeley defense, getting several easy layups and drawing 10 fouls in the game. 

“(Galindo) did a good job, but we really weren’t D-ing her up consistently,” Nakamura said. 

The Hornets were looking to run right from the start, and the Berkeley players were more than willing to play an up-tempo game. After turnovers on their first three possessions, the ’Jackets quickly took control of the game. Roberson and point guard Danielle Milburn hit back-to-back three-pointers to put them up 8-5, and they never looked back. Roberson scored 11 points in the opening quarter, then made four more buckets in the first four minutes of the second period to give her team a 40-22 lead. Nakamura sat his starters for long stretches of the second quarter, but the ’Jackets still managed to climb to a 51-26 halftime lead. 

“They shouldn’t have tried to run on us, that’s just playing our kind of game,” Nakamura said. “If they want to run, we’ll run with them.” 

Hutton got going early in the second half, turning two steals into breakaway layups. When Galindo picked up her fourth foul on a Seabrook jumper late in the third quarter, she headed to the bench for a long stretch, taking the Alameda offense with her. But the ’Jackets had just 71 points going into the fourth quarter, and it seemed unlikely they would break 100 points. 

Galindo returned and hit two layups to pull her team within 40 points, but fouled out soon after. Berkeley freshman Joy White got hot late in the quarter, scoring nine points in less than four minutes, and forward Rebekah Payne made a layup with less than a minute left, making the score 100-57 and setting off a celebration by the Berkeley bench and fans. Forward Natasha Bailey hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to set the final score. 

“We played our normal offense, and we didn’t press in the second half,” Nakamura said. “It’s not like we were trying to run up the score.” 

“We’re not big enough, so we have to play run-and-gun,” Thomas said. “It was our bad defense more than how we played on offense.”

Thursday, Feb. 15

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” 549-3509 or visit  

www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Basics of PCs 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley 

A class for adults that will cover file management, loading software, software management, downloading pages from the Web, and more. $30 - $35, registration required Call 642-5134  

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Natural Conversations 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Focus on conversations in nature and explore what they are meant to convey. $10  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Kathleen Lynch and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Climbing Mt. Shasta 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Tim Keating of Sierra Wilderness Seminars will give a slide presentation on climbing and skiing this North California peak. 527-7377  

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. Call 869-2547 

“Religion, Power & the New Economy”  

1:30 - 3 p.m. 

Chapel of the Great Commission  

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave.  

A panel discussion featuring distinguished GTU alumni/ae, in celebration of Dr. James A. Donahue’s inauguration as President of the GTU.  

Call 649-2400 

West CAT Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church  

997 University Ave.  

Review the racial and health disparities issues and see the model of the community capacity building.  

Rent Stabilization Board  

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way  

Council Chambers, Second Floor  

First reading of the proposal to amend Regulation 1206 to increase the statute of limitations for former tenants to file petitions with the Board from one year to three years.  

Take the Terror Out of Talking  

12:10 - 1:10 p.m. 

California Department of Health Services  

2151 Berkeley Way, Room 804  

Presented by the State Health Toastmasters, session two covers “successful conclusions.”  

Call 649-7750 

Searching for a  

Superintendent 

6:45 - 9 p.m. 

Longfellow Arts & Technology Magnet Middle School Theater 

1500 Derby (at Sacramento) 

An open community forum for all interested parents, staff, students and community members to provide input on the new superintendent search.  

That’s Not Fair! 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave.  

This workshop for teachers and parents of preschool through third grade children will cover activism for young children. Teach kids to stand up for themselves and for others in the face of bias and unfairness. Call 653-7882 

Friday, Feb. 16

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Saturday, Feb. 17

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

Oakland  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dinner Dance Benefit Gala 

4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita)  

Dance to the music of Toru Saitu & his band. Benefits BFUU.  

$10 donation  

Call 849-9508 

Free Puppet Show  

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave., Lower Level  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning puppet troupe that includes puppets of diverse cultures and puppets with medical conditions such as leukemia and spina bifida. Free 

Call 549-1564  

P.U.R.R.S. Pet Adoption Day 

Noon - 5 p.m. 

Pet Food Express  

1942 MLK Jr. Way  

Cats, kittens, rabbits, dogs and other pets in need of homes will be available for adoption.  

Call 444-3204 

Sunday, Feb. 18

Ruth Acty Oral History Reception 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

In 1943 Miss Ruth Acty became the first African American teacher to be hired by the Berkeley Unified School District. She taught thousands of students until her retirement in 1985. Oral History Coordinator Therese Pipe interviewed Acty in 1993-94 for the Berkeley Historical Society. Free  

Waterfalls of Berkeley  

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART  

Sacramento at Delaware  

On this urban waterfall hike, discover three waterfalls along rushing creeks hidden in Berkeley neighborhoods. A free hike sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Kaleidoscope Performances  

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts  

2640 College Ave. (at Derby)  

Yassir Chadley, traditional Moroccan musician and Sufi storyteller.  

$5 - $10  

Call 925-798-1300 

Healthful Building Materials 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Learn about healthful materials in this seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

Tuesday, Feb. 20

“Great Decisions” - China & Taiwan 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is different cultural, ethnic and religious values.  

Call 527-9772  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

South Branch Berkeley Library  

1901 Russel St.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

7 p.m. 

North Branch Berkeley Library  

1170 The Alameda 

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Blood Pressure for Seniors 

9:30 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

With Alice Meyers. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Wednesday, Feb. 21

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Control Hypertension 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus 

Summit South Cafeteria Conference Room  

3100 Summit St.  

Oakland 

Bessanderson McNeil, MPH, and the Ethnic Health Institute, will help attendees take control of their lives. Free 

Call 204-3443 

Sacred Cinema  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave., Chapel Six 

Ken Peer has sought to explore sacred themes and to draw attention to the spiritual lives of individuals from the world’s great wisdom traditions. See three of his short films at this free screening.  

Call 649-2523 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m. 

Claremont Library  

2940 Benvenue  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Alzheimer’s Support Group  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

For families and caregivers. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Thursday, Feb. 22

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Charles Ellick and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

Rivers of the World  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Pamela Michael, writer, educator and river conservationist, will highlight her new anthology “The Gift of Rivers: True Stories of Life on the Water,” showing slides of nearly 100 of the world’s great rivers. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Growl & Howl of Man & Woman 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Bring your favorite gender assumptions and put them to the test.  

$10  

Agaves & Yuccas 

7 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

Mary and Gary Irish, experts on these plants will show you where to find these dry garden plants and how to makes them grow happily.  

$15 

Call 643-1924 

John Henry, Steel-Driving Puppet 

3:30 p.m.  

West Branch Berkeley Library  

1125 University Ave.  

Loren and Dean Linnard, using a variety of rod and hand puppets, elaborate sets, and original songs and music, will tell the story of this legendary railroad man.  

Call 649-3943 

Friday, Feb. 23

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Cosi Fan Tutte 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

An opera presented for free.  

Call 644-6107 

Saturday, Feb. 24

Tibetan New Year’s Celebration 

6 - 9 p.m. 

Britta Hauenschild gives a flute concert followed by a festive dinner and New Year’s celebration. Proceeds support Nyingma Institute sacred art and education programs.  

$30 suggested donation  

Call 843-6812 

Celebrate Samuel H. Day, Jr.  

2 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1924 Cedar St. (at Bonita)  

Longtime anti-nuclear activist and journalists, Day was the coordinator of the U.S. campaign to free Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu. Day died suddenly at his home in Madison, Wisconsin on Jan. 26.  

Call 548-3048 or visit www.nukewatch.org 

A Little Taste of Africa  

2 - 4 p.m. 

City of Franklin School  

1150 Virginia St.  

The City of Franklin PTA hosts this fundraiser for Black History Month. There will be performances by a West African Dance Troupe, music, poetry, authentic African dishes, a marketplace, and much more.  

$5  

Call 644-6260 

Sunday, Feb. 25  

“Imperial San Francisco: 

Urban Power, Earthly Ruin” 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley History Center 

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

Gary Brechin speaks on the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful San Francisco families. Free 

Call 848-0181 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Authors in the Library: Lois Silverstein 

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Writer and performer, Silverstein, will read selections from “Oh My Darling Daughter,” “Behind the Stove,” and a work-in-progress, “Family Matters.” Discussion and book signing will follow. Free.  

Call 848-0237 x127 

Planetary Temples 

8 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Employee Don Frew will show slides of teh ruined city of Harran. Free 

Call 848-8443 

Art Meets Science in Time  

2 - 3:30 p.m. 

Bancroft Hotel  

2680 Bancroft Way  

Professor Andrew Stewart of UC Berkeley and Gail M. Wright, a digital artist and lecturer at Mills College explore this subject through slide-illustrated discussions. In conjunction with the 0. Museum’s current exhibition “Telling Time.”  

Call 549-6950 

Harran: City of the Moon God 

8 - 10 p.m. 

Shambhala Booksellers  

2482 Telegraph Ave.  

Donald Frew will present s, past and present, and will show slides from a recent visit. He will also discuss the likely treasure trove of texts from the ancient world that await discovery there. Free  

Call 848-8443 

Monday, Feb. 26 

“Passages Into Aging” 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Miriam Chaya Fields, co-producer and director, of Timbrels & Torahs, will lead in a discussion about celebrating the wisdom and inspiration of the elder years.  

$5 donation  

Call 549-9447 x110 

Black History Dance Celebration  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The Imhotet Dancers will perform. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Tuesday, Feb. 27 

“Great Decisions” - Missile Defense  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

City Council Meeting 

8 p.m. 

Sheryl Walton of CAT will provide an overview of the CAT and its model to the City Council and Berkeley viewers.  

Farmers’ Market Fat Tuesday 

Mardi Gras Celebration  

1 p.m. - Dusk 

Derby St. at MLK Jr. Way 

With live performances by The Sons & Daughters of Orpheus and Wild Buds: West Coast Mardi Gras Band. Free and always wheelchair accessible.  

BHS Jazz Band  

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

A Black History celebration performance. Free 

Call 644-6107 

Wednesday, Feb. 28  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Conversations in Commedia 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince) 

Mime Troupe founder Ron Davis and icon clown Wavy Gravy give dialogues on satire.  

$6 - $8  

Call 849-2568 

Women in Interfaith Relationships  

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Led by Dawn Kepler, this workshop will explore interfaith relationships on many levels, in relation to culture, religion, and gender. People of all backgrounds and orientations are invited to attend.  

$10 

848-0237 x127 

Planning Commission Public Hearing  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The commission is holding public hearings on the Planning Commission Draft General Plan. The commission requests that all written comments on the plan be submitted by March 1. 

Guide Dogs for the Blind 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

T. Duncan, a low vision speaker, will talk about guide dogs. Free  

Call 644-6107 

Thursday, March 1  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Eliza Shefler and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month.  

Call 869-2547 

Friday, March 2  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse 

7:30 p.m. 

Little Theater 

Berkeley High School  

2246 Milvia St.  

Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba.  

$5 - $10  

Saturday, March 3 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Central Berkeley Library  

2121 Allston Way  

Mary Miche, leader of Song Trek Music, will lead a sing-along that will send everyone home humming.  

Call 649-3913 

Sunday, March 4  

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served bases on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least five years old and must be accompanies by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Monday, March 5  

Your Legal Rights with HMOs 

6 - 7:30 p.m. 

YWCA Oakland  

1515 Webster St., Second Floor  

Oakland  

Presented by the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, UCSF Cancer Resource Center and the San Francisco Bar Volunteer Legal Services, this free workshop covers what your legal rights are and how to guard them.  

Call 415-885-3693 

Beginning Bicyclist Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

YMCA  

2001 Allston Way  

Community Room 1, Main Floor  

Jason Meggs and Zed Lopez will teach you how to keep yourself and your bike safe and even how to use your bike for shopping. Free  

Call Jason Meggs, 549-RIDE 

Tuesday, March 6  

“Great Decisions” - U.S. & Iraq 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is health, nutrition and science; bioengineering.  

Call 527-5332  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 7  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Women in Interfaith Relationships  

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Led by Dawn Kepler, this workshop will explore interfaith relationships on many levels, in relation to culture, religion, and gender. People of all backgrounds and orientations are invited to attend.  

$10 

848-0237 x127 

Thursday, March 8 

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Judy Wells and host Dale Jensen.  

644-0155 

Friday, March 9  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Berkeley PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

2020 Milvia St., Room 303 

E-Mail: meldancing@aol.com 

Saturday, March 10  

The Secrets of Sacred Cinema 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave., Mudd 103 

Kevin Peer, a documentary film maker for the past 25 years, gives a two-day intensive for people interested in exploring documentary filmmaking. No equipment or prior experience required.  

$200 per person and registration is required 

Call 486-1480 

Narratives of Public Sector Reform: A Colloquium  

10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

223 Moses Hall  

UC Berkeley  

Mark Bevir of the department of Political Science of UC Berkeley, will present his paper on “Decentered Theory of Governance” and Rod Rhodes of the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne will present his paper, “Entering British Governance.” There will also be a session to discuss the broader issues their works raise.  

Sunday, March 11 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Myths & Realities of the International House  

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

1931 Center St.  

Director Joe Lurie will show a video and talk about the history and the struggle to open the International House.  

$10 donation  

Call 848-0181 

Walk on the Moon  

2 & 7 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

A mother and daughter explore their identities as they summer in the Catskills in 1969 amidst the news of Woodstock and the first lunar landing. Peer led discussion to follow film.  

$2 suggested donation  

Tuesday, March 13  

Berkeley Rep. Proscenium Opening 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Repertory Theater 

2015 Addison St.  

Featuring the premiere performance of “The Oresteia” by Aeschylus. Opening gala dinner held prior to performance. Performance will be at 8 p.m. 

Call 647-2949 

“Great Decisions” - International Health Crisis 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 14 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, March 15  

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Work less, consume less, rush less, and build community with friends and family.  

Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Elanor Watson-Gove and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month.  

Call 869-2547 

Friday, March 16  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Saturday, March 17  

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Sunday, March 18 

East Bay Men’s Chorus Rehearsal  

6:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Calling for gay and bisexual men and their allies and friends to join this choral ensemble directed by J.R. Foust. There is no obligation to join the chorus after the first rehearsal.  

Call to RSVP 664-0260 or e-mail eastbaymenschorus@yahoo.com 

Tuesday, March 20 

“Great Decisions” - Mexico Reexamined  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Intelligent Conversation  

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.  

Jewish Community Center  

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose)  

With no religious affiliation, this twice-monthly group, led informally by former UC Berkeley extension lecturer Robert Berent, seeks to bring people together to have interesting discussions on contemporary topics. This evenings discussion topic is death and dying in celebration of the Ides of March.  

Call 527-9772  

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 21  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Thursday, March 22  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Anna Mae Stanley and host Louis Cuneo.  

644-0155 

Friday, March 23 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Saturday, March 24 

Ashkenaz Dance-A-Thon 

2 p.m. - 2 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1370 San Pablo Ave.  

Join Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers along with African, Cajun, North African, Balkan, reggae, and Caribbean bands in this twelve hour dance music-fest. This is Ashkenaz big fundraiser for making improvements, including a new dance floor and ventilation system.  

$20 donation  

525-5054 or visit www.ashkenaz.com  

Sunday, March 25 

Reimagining Pacific Cities  

6 - 8:30 p.m. 

New Pacific Studio  

1523 Hearst Ave.  

“How are Pacific cities reshaping their cultural and environmental institutions to better serve the needs and enhance the present and future quality of life of all segments of their societies?” A series of ten seminars linking the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and other pacific cities.  

$10 per meeting  

Call 849-0217 

Tuesday, March 27 

“Great Decisions” - European Integration  

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session 

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade, 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, March 28 

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Conversations in Commedia 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince) 

Mime Troupe/Reinhabitory Theatre legends Judy Goldhaft, Jane Lapiner and Peter Berg 

$6 - $8  

Call 849-2568 

Thursday, March 29  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Georgia Popoff and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Friday, March 30 

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Litera

The City Council heard a range of energy crisis solutions Tuesday including bill boycotts, utility assets seizure and creating a city-owned power company. One solution was a clear favorite – conservation. 

After hearing presentations from the city’s energy office and the Berkeley Energy Commission the City Council unanimously voted to refer all of the energy items on its agenda – 10 recommendations with 56 subcategories – to the city manager. But the message was clear: It’s time to conserve energy. 

City Energy Officer Neil De Snoo underscored the best way the city could get control over its energy is through conservation. “There are built-in financial incentives,” he said. “It’s the most responsible environmentally and we can do it right now.” 

Other solutions, such as a city-owned power company and a cooperative which would purchase energy on the behalf of residents, were discussed but put on a back burner because of the amount of time they would take to establish and uncertainty about benefits. 

De Snoo and BEC chair, Jeffrey Siegel, said municipalization of the city electrical system would depend on PG&E giving the city a good price for the poles and wires and the city’s ability to run the system in a more efficient manner than PG&E.  

In addition, the establishment of a city-owned utility could take years. De Snoo said Sacramento took 18 years to establish its municipal power company. 

Berkeley is luckier than most California cities because it has been on the conservation band wagon for two years. The city adopted the Resource Conservation and Global Warming Abatement Plan in January 1998. Councilmember Linda Maio said the plan was adopted to reduce pressure on natural resources. 

“We didn’t start this plan five years ago because we anticipated an energy crisis,” Maio said. “We started it because we wanted to be good citizens.” 

One example of the Abatement Plan is the city’s 126 intersections that are governed by traffic signals. De Snoo said in 1998 all of the red incandescent bulbs were changed to Low Emission Diodes, which require much less energy. LED green lights were recently made affordable by new technology and are now in the process of being installed throughout the city. The green lights should be changed over to LED lighting by early next year. The city has no plans to change the yellow lights because of insignificant burning time. 

De Snoo said the city is saving $70,000 a year just on the new LED red lights. The initial investment was $238,000, of which nearly half will be recuperated through a PG&E rebate program. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said that city government uses 12.3 million kilowatts hours per year. She said the city has been successful in reducing the annual cost of energy by 21 percent or $252,000 by implementing energy-conscious policies under the Abatement Plan. The city currently pays an average of $1.2 million a year for energy. 

Dean and Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek have recommended a 20 percent reduction across the board for government, business and households. 

“Conservation can be done,” she said, “I think the 20 percent reduction is an obtainable goal.” 

Dean added that the city can still do more to save energy. The library and the newly remodeled Civic Center are not yet benefiting from the city’s energy savings program through the Association of Bay Area Governments. The City of Berkeley receives a 40 percent discount through the program. 

Maio said the city’s immediate task is to get city businesses and residents to change their energy habits. “Fundamentally our challenge is to change behavior,” she said. “In a way the power industry is helping by providing us with a financial incentive.” 

De Snoo said one obstacle to household conservation is education and awareness. Maio asked the Energy Commission to quickly put together a comprehensive education plan. The plan will include a variety of energy saving methods ranging from home insulation to replacing old appliances, such as refrigerators and stoves with newly designed energy efficient models. 

Energy Commissioner Dave Williamson said the commission will develop a conservation program for city residents and possibly work with other agencies to distribute the information to individual households and community groups. 

“One thing we’ve spoken about is a joint project with the Community Energy Services Corporation and Ecohouse to distribute brochures and a mailer to educate residents about conservation,” he said. 

De Snoo said education and awareness is only part of the equation. He said that people living paycheck to paycheck will have will have to have a change of heart when it comes to weatherizing their homes and purchasing energy efficient appliances. 

“They have to understand that they’ll be paying more money up front but they’ll make money in the long term,” he said. 

Senior forward Louis Riordan scored a game high 20 points Tuesday night, including five 3-pointers, as Berkeley High defeated Alameda 66-50. 

The win pushed the Yellowjackets to a perfect 10-0 in the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League and 19-5 overall, clinching the league title. The visiting Hornets dropped to 5-4 in the league and 12-11 overall. 

But for a team that has dominated the ACCAL this year, the ’Jackets found themselves outrebounded and outhustled for most of the game by a more intense Hornets team. Berkeley clung to a narrow lead throughout the first three quarters before stepping up its own intensity and outscoring Alameda 20-11 in the final period of play. 

“We were fortunate to have a scare like this and still be able to win the game,” said Berkeley Coach Mike Gragnani after the ’Jackets notched their 12th straight victory. “It didn’t cost us a loss to teach us something at this point in the season.” 

After jumping to an early 13-2 lead, Berkeley went cold from the field and missed several outside shots. Alameda capitalized on the long rebounds and cut the ’Jackets lead to eight points at the end of the first quarter. 

The Hornets maintained momentum early in the second period, scoring the first six points of the quarter and eventually grabbing their first lead since the game’s opening minute on a three-pointer by Quincy Scurry with 2:11 left in the half. Scurry scored seven of his 11 points in the quarter and Brian Brooks added another five. Two players scored all of Berkeley’s second quarter points: Riordan with eight and guard Ryan Davis adding four. 

“We came out really flat,” Riordan said of the team’s first half performance. “They were just beating us down the court and we had no intensity on defense.” 

Gragnani added that the ‘Jackets have played several games this season where they’ve built big leads before letting the other team back in the game. 

“We’ve been jumping on teams and then resting,” he said. “It’s just a sign of an inexperienced team.” 

In fact, only Riordan and senior guard Ramone Reed had any varsity experience prior to this season.  

“We’re in uncharted waters,” Gragnani added. “Most of our team’s never been in a situation like this before. They’ve got to respond to it and if we don’t, it’s going to cost us big down the stretch.” 

Sparking the ‘Jackets in the fourth quarter with eight points was guard Byron St. Jules. His key steal and layup with 6:32 remaining stretched the Berkeley lead to 50-41. Then the offense kicked in as the ‘Jackets scored 16 points in the final five minutes of the game. 

“We get the lead and then we don’t maintain the same intensity,” St. Jules said. “We should be playing fourth quarter ball all game.” 

Behind Riordan’s 20, Berkeley’s St. Jules finished with 14 points, Davis added 13 and post men Reed and Jahi Milton each tossed in six. 

Nine Berkeley High seniors were recognized prior to playing in their next to last regular season game as a ‘Jacket. Berkeley travels to Encinal on Feb. 20 before finishing its league play against El Cerrito at home on Feb. 23. 

The City Council adopted guidelines Tuesday to develop affordable housing on the Ashby BART parking lot and recommended that the housing be made available to city workers and teachers. 

The unanimous council approved a recommendation to consider whether building affordable housing on the west side of the parking lot would be feasible. Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek submitted the recommendation that cites Berkeley’s high housing costs, which creates a situation where most teachers and city workers can’t afford to live near their jobs. 

The parking lot is currently the site of the weekend Berkeley Fleamarket, which would have to be moved. 

Shirek said the median price of a home in Berkeley is $436,000, a purchase price that only 10 percent of the population can afford.  

“Most teachers and government workers are priced out of Berkeley’s housing market, leaving the people who provide vital services to our city locked out of living in and being part of our community,” according to the recommendation. 

Director of Housing Stephen Barton said the idea of building on the site is completely new. Staff will now be assigned to study the idea and meetings will be scheduled with BART officials to discuss the possibility. 

President of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers Barry Fike, told the council that he considers himself very lucky to own his grandmother’s former home in Berkeley, which he was able to purchase from his family at a reasonable price. “To be able to ride my bike to work every day all these years has been an incredible advantage,” he said. “I feel lucky to be able to contribute economically and emotionally to Berkeley.” 

Fike said that starting pay for teachers is $36,000 a year, which makes it impossible for them to purchase a home anywhere in the city. 

Shirek’s recommendation also said that affordable housing for Berkeley school and government workers would have added environmental benefits. “(Commuting) also exacerbates negative environmental and quality of life situations,” the recommendation says. “More cars are needed to reach work places. Traffic and parking have become nightmares for both residents and commuters.” 

Laura Schott, a sophomore forward who was the Cal womens’ soccer team’s leading scorer last season, has been invited to the U.S. Under-21 national team camp, to be held Feb. 18-25 in Chula Vista. 

Schott previously spent time with the Under-18 national team, but this will be her first chance to impress the U-21 coaches. 

U.S. women’s national team head coach April Heinrichs and Under-21 head coach Jillian Ellis intend to use this camp to choose the majority of the full U.S. women’s national team roster for a European tour that includes a friendly match against Italy in Rieti outside of Rome on March 7 and the 2001 Algarve Cup in Portugal, one of the world’s most competitive annual women’s international tournaments.  

Following the 2000 season, Schott became the first Golden Bear to be named an NSCAA first team All-American since U.S. national team member Joy (Biefeld) Fawcett was selected in 1989. She also was named a first team All-American by Soccer Buzz, an MVP by Soccer America and a first team All-Pac-10 selection after leading Cal to a 17-3-1 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Schott finished the 2000 season as the Pac-10 leader for points (47), goals (23) and game-winning goals (9).

Some 20 Berkeley High Students weighed in Wednesday on one of the most critical questions facing the Berkeley Unified School District – what qualities should the new superintendent possess? 

The teens, most of whom who were from the Youth Commission and Youth Together, met after school in the Learning Center with the consultant leading the superintendent search, Jake Abbott from Leadership Alliance.  

The consensus appeared to be: we want someone very different from former Superintendent Jack McLaughlin. 

Diversity was high on the list of desired qualifications. McLughlin is Caucasian. 

Abbot, who lives in Walnut Creek, said he understood the students’ concern. “Look at California. It’s majority minority,” he said, noting that only a few school districts, such as Piedmont, have majority Caucasian students. 

He underscored that his consulting firm has access to minority applicants. 

The ability and desire to interact with  

students was also important to the students sitting around the table with the consultant. “I don’t know if McLaughlin did a good job of keeping openness between students and himself,” said one young man. “I don’t think he reached out,” said another.  

That means not only meeting with students, but attending events such as poetry slams and theater productions, they said. 

Several students said they felt the former superintendent was good at planning new buildings, but, said one: “I wouldn’t want a superintendent who is short-sighted on communication and good on construction.” 

The students also said the new superintendent should not only be in touch with the school, but also with the community. 

And the new superintendent needs to focus more on the high school, students said. 

“Jack McLaughlin did a good job on literacy and dual language immersion” in the elementary schools, said Niles Xi’an Lichtenstein, student representative to the school board. But the high school was not served as well as it ought to be, he said. 

In particular, the new superintendent should be familiar with running small schools within the larger school, which is the direction in which BHS is moving, he said. 

Abbott said he had met with 50 people during the day and for them, as well, a focus on Berkeley High is important. “The achievement gap is a big issue,” he said. 

The search will be concluded by the end of May and a new superintendent will be on board July 1, the consultant said. 

Abbott declined an interview with the Daily Planet. School Board President Terry Doran said, in the agreement with Leadership Associates, the board president would act as the spokesperson for the superintendent search team. The consultants are concerned with the process, Doran said. “They don’t want incorrect information to be put out (by having) diverse spokespoeple to talk to the press.” 

Doran said the search team met with a variety of groups Wednesday, including the District Advisory Committee, the head of the NAACP, former assemblymember Tom Bates and former mayor Loni Hancock, and the District Diversity Committee. Today he will be meeting with others, Doran said.  

Leadership Associates is holding a public meeting to get input on the superintendent search tonight at 6:45 p.m. at Longfellow Arts & Technology Magnet Middle School Theater, 1500 Derby St. Groups which want to meet separately with the consultants should call Queen Graham, 644-6147. 

LOS ANGELES — Authorities said Wednesday that they will reinvestigate a deadly 1975 bank robbery for links to the Symbionese Liberation Army, even as a former member is tried here for attempted murder. 

Efforts to revisit the long-dormant Northern California case were sparked by Los Angeles authorities, who are prosecuting Sara Jane Olson on charges of planting pipe bombs under Los Angeles police cars 25 years ago. 

The bombs didn’t go off. 

A Sacramento County sheriff’s spokesman said the key witness in both cases would be newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, convicted of armed bank robbery but recently pardoned by President Clinton. 

Hearst has identified Olson, who changed her name from Kathleen Soliah, as one of the robbers from the defunct revolutionary group who invaded a Carmichael bank. 

“My client, Sara Jane Olson, had nothing to do with the Carmichael bank robbery and murder,” said Shawn Chapman, Olson’s Los Angeles lawyer. “Patty Hearst is not a credible witness and will not be a credible witness in the Los Angeles or Carmichael prosecutions.” 

Myrna Opsahl, a 42-year-old mother of four, was killed while depositing her church collection money at the Crocker National Bank on April 21, 1975. 

Only one person – Olson’s brother, Steven Soliah – was ever charged in the case, and he was acquitted in a federal trial. 

Sacramento County prosecutors said last month that they wouldn’t charge anyone else in the case. But a Sheriff’s Department press statement implied that decision isn’t firm. 

Olson’s Los Angeles trial, scheduled for April 30, “will serve as a barometer to determine the quality of Patricia Hearst’s testimony, which is critical to the Sacramento prosecution efforts,” sheriff’s Sgt. James E. Lewis said. 

Olson’s lawyer said she is confident that her client will be proved innocent in both cases. 

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI will investigate the bank robbery. Lewis said investigators hope that new scientific testing procedures “will add new life to the investigation and make prosecution possible.” 

Among other things, shotgun pellets taken from Opsahl’s body will be tested to see if they are linked to ammunition seized from an SLA safehouse in San Francisco. 

Los Angeles prosecutors have said their research on the Los Angeles case uncovered unspecified new information about the bank robbery. 

“Prosecutors felt it was their duty to tell Sacramento about the new evidence,” said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney. 

However, she objected to a statement in the press statement that said there was an agreement between authorities in the two cities to have the Los Angeles case precede any attempts at prosecuting Olson in Sacramento. 

“That’s just not true and we’re personally aggrieved that this misinformation has been put out,” Gibbons said. 

Local prosecutors would be glad to assist in the Sacramento probe if they are asked, she added. 

NEW YORK — Investors regaining some of their confidence in high-tech stocks bid the sector higher Wednesday while lessening their reliance on safer blue chips. The result was a mixed session on Wall Street. 

Analysts said investors were still unsettled by congressional testimony Tuesday from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who indicated interest rate cuts will be less aggressive than the market wanted. But one potentially positive sign in Wednesday’s dealings was the fact that blue chips slipped while tech stocks advanced. 

Wednesday’s movement could indicate that investors are more comfortable committing to riskier high-tech issues, believing that the economy will improve sooner rather than later. 

“The Nasdaq is trying to make a bottom,” said Peter Canelo, U.S. investment strategist at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. 

However, it’s also possible investors won’t continue for long to favor tech over safer, so-called defensive sectors like drug and consumer stocks. The market has been alternating between riskier and safer stocks since late last year. 

“You are seeing this continuous interplay between the defensive and aggressive sectors,” Canelo said. 

Investors are weaving in and out of the Dow and Nasdaq for two key reasons, said Gregory Nie, technical analyst at First Union Securities.  

First, Wall Street isn’t ready to push the Dow past the psychologically significant 11,000 mark. Second, investors also aren’t sure when the economy will show enough improvement to justify riskier purchases in the tech sector. But because recent selloffs haven’t been major in either sector, Nie sees reason to hope the market will rally in a few weeks. 

“The market seems to be working on a higher lower than in January. And, if we are able to maintain that, that could be an important factor in a spring rally,” Nie said. 

The tech sector, which so far has suffered the weakest earnings in the slowing economy, was mostly higher Wednesday.  

— The Associated Press 

The tech advance could be seen among the Dow’s tech components – IBM rose $1.35 to $115.10 and Intel climbed $1.69 to $34.13. 

Among blue chips, Johnson & Johnson fell $1.25 to $95.65, and Procter & Gamble slipped 86 cents to $73.69. Both are Dow components. 

The retailing sector was mixed despite a government report Tuesday that consumer spending rose more strongly than expected in January. Home Depot ended down 59 cents at $45.72, but Federated Department Stores advanced 59 cents to finish at $44.81. 

Advancing issues matched decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 1.36 billion shares, up from 1.27 billion on Tuesday. 

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller company stocks, inched up 0.92 to 503.49. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 

OAKLAND – An innovative, former restaurant owner and an evolutionary biologist have joined forces to consult with businesses, schools and governments on earth-friendly energy-saving techniques. 

Former restaurateur Walter Harmon and biologist David Seaborg called a news conference Tuesday to announce their newly-formed consulting firm, which is so new that it doesn’t yet have a name. The company will assist large energy consumers to drastically cut energy costs and at the same time reduce environmental excesses that contribute to global warming.  

“The only energy source we have is conservationism,” Harmon said. “It’s the only one that makes sense globally, environmentally and economically.” 

Harmon, who had been retired for 10 years, brings practical experience to the partnership. He was the owner of Merritt Restaurant and Bakery in Oakland during the energy crisis in the early 1970s. The news conference was actually a tour of the energy-saving equipment installed at the restaurant. 

Interested in cutting his energy costs in the 18,000-square-foot restaurant-bakery, Harmon first improved the lighting scheme. “Incandescent light is about 5 percent illumination and 95 percent heat,” Harmon said as he pointed overhead to circular florescent tubes. “We switched to circle lights which are 85 percent illumination and 15 percent heat.” 

Harmon also reduced the number of florescent tubes in the lighting fixtures in the kitchen and storage areas. “We were able to reduce our energy use for lighting by 74 percent and still maintain the same illumination,” he said. 

After upgrading the lighting system he turned to refrigeration and heating. Harmon had a system of 39 compressors supporting a fleet of regular refrigerators, 10 walk-ins, and a variety of counter coolers and cooled display cases. 

He made use of the heat the compressors generated by re-routing it to a series of 100 gallon heat-recovery units on the roof thereby cutting out the energy needed to heat the hundreds of gallons of hot water the restaurant uses every day. 

Harmon began saving money immediately and was able to recover his investment in four years. 

“New technology has made the equipment smaller and the cost lower,” Harmon said. “With the higher cost of energy, businesses can recoup investments twice as fast.” 

Seaborg, the son of Glenn Seaborg, the developer of plutonium who was an Associate Director of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, said the consulting company will advise restaurants on solid waste and the reuse of water. 

“We can help restaurants with cutting carbon dioxide use, cutting solid waste and cutting water use,” Seaborg said. 

Seaborg, who lives in Walnut Creek, is the founder of the World Rain Forest Fund and says he is motivated by his desire to halt global warming. “Global warming is real. The last decade was the hottest ever recorded,” he said. “The Golden Toad of Costa Rican rain forest is the first species that is extinct because of global warming.” 

Any profit he makes from the consulting business will be put into the World Rain Forest Fund, Seaborg said. 

The first company he and Harmon plan to work with is the world-renowned Chez Panisse. The restaurant has given the consultants a verbal agreement, Seaborg said. The Daily Planet was unable to reach restaurant management for confirmation. 

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling Classes for  

Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Faye Carol Sings Lady Day 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St.  

A tribute to Billie Holiday including Lady Day’s most popular songs, including “Strange Fruit,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “God Bless the Child” and “You Let Me Down.” Benefit for KPFA Radio and La Pena Cultural Center.  

$15Call 848-6767 x609 or visit www.kpfa.org 

Planning Commission Public  

Hearing  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The commission is holding public hearings on the Planning Commission Draft General Plan. The commission requests that all written comments on the plan be submitted by March 1.  

Thursday, Feb. 15

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Work less, consume less, rush less, and build community with friends and family.  

Call 549-3509 or visit  

www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Basics of PCs 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley 

A class for adults that will cover file management, loading software, software management, downloading pages from the Web, and more. 

$30 - $35, registration required  

Call 642-5134  

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Natural Conversations 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Focus on conversations in nature and explore what they are meant to convey.  

$10  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Kathleen Lynch and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Climbing Mt. Shasta 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Tim Keating of Sierra Wilderness Seminars will give a slide presentation on climbing and skiing this North California peak. 527-7377  

Berkeley Metaphysical  

Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. Call 869-2547 

“Religion, Power & the New Economy”  

1:30 - 3 p.m. 

Chapel of the Great Commission  

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave.  

A panel discussion featuring distinguished GTU alumni/ae, in celebration of Dr. James A. Donahue’s inauguration as President of the GTU.  

Call 649-2400 

West CAT Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church  

997 University Ave.  

Review the racial and health disparities issues and see the model of the community capacity building.  

Rent Stabilization Board  

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way  

Council Chambers, Second Floor  

First reading of the proposal to amend Regulation 1206 to increase the statute of limitations for former tenants to file petitions with the Board from one year to three years. You can hear the meeting on KPFB, 89.3 FM or on Cable Channel 25.  

Friday, Feb. 16

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program. 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or  

visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Feb. 17

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

Oakland  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dinner Dance  

Benefit Gala 

4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita)  

Dance to the music of Toru Saitu & his band. Benefits BFUU.  

$10 donation  

Call 849-9508 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Free Puppet Show  

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave., Lower Level  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning puppet troupe that includes puppets of diverse cultures and puppets with medical conditions such as leukemia and spina bifida. Free 

Call 549-1564  

P.U.R.R.S. Pet Adoption Day 

Noon - 5 p.m. 

Pet Food Express  

1942 MLK Jr. Way  

Cats, kittens, rabbits, dogs and other pets in need of homes will be available for adoption.  

Call 444-3204 

Secretary should not fight others’ opposition to arms escalation 

Editor:  

Any believer in God should know we don’t belong up in the heavens - more “cold-bloodedly” referred to today as space - with our military might, nor does any other nation. You could say that that is what the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missiles’ Treaty symbolizes.  

Nevertheless, our Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, is reported to have been trying this past Saturday, in Munich, Germany of all places (the 1930’s headquarters of Hitler and his then Nazi gangsters), “to defuse opposition to the Bush administration’s anti-missile plans by offering to help European nations and other allies to deploy missile defenses.”  

So when Donald Rumsfeld, who should be called (as his position was historically referred to when the United States was still viewing the world and its problems realistically) the Secretary of War, tries to defuse opposition to escalation of the international arms race, he is acting as a world-class promoter of what the United Nations General Assembly voted opposition to on a number of significant occasions within the past several years with just two dissenters: Israel and the U.S.  

And with Senator Joseph Lieberman supporting Rumsfeld in Munich it’s obvious we wouldn’t have had a different approach to achieving world peace had he and Gore been elected to provide leadership truly committed to world peace along the lines enunciated by Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We need rational citizens of the United States of America; and thank God there are a lot of us who are willing to work, democratically, along those lines in the interest of global freedom from poverty, disease, ignorance and injustice - not to mention nationalistic, racial and religious prejudice, and none of it in the interest of war and the means of waging it in criminal violation of the principles and the spirit of the United Nations Charter, and the U.S. Constitution, as well as the U.S. Declaration of Independence.  

Al Williams 

Oakland 

Wealthy are source of our problems; don’t need tax break 

Editor:  

Two decades have passed since the United States’ top income brackets were taxed at a rate of more than 70 percent. Consequently, only older citizens are conditioned to consider the current rate below 40 percent to be low, while “President” Bush and others believe it would be wise to diminish further the tax on six figure and up incomes.  

Yet the recipients of current gigantic incomes (and inheritances) are the very cause of our major national problem: The increasing gap between the poor and the super-rich. e.g.: The huge profits from the power shell game in California, with the consequent and inevitable rise in the cost of living, go not into governmental pockets, but ultimately into private ones.  

The way to get back these ill-gotten gains and return them to the populace at large is to greatly increase the personal income tax rate. Thus, the government will secure the wherewithal to invest in projects of public benefit such as: publicly owned power plants and transmission systems, highway and bridge repair, nationwide equalized support of public schools (rather than local support through real estate taxes, which inevitably deprive children of the poor), national health services, public rental housing, etc.  

With much higher income taxation of the rich should be added removal of the income ceiling on social security contributions and a cost of living exemption so that all workers may have social security coverage. But contributions will not commence, as is now, to be taken from the first dollar earned, but would leave contribution-free a decent amount on which first to live.  

Judith Segard Hunt 

Berkeley 

Gas shortage  

is shell game 

Editor: 

Concerning that expensive Shell game, the supposed energy and gas shortage in California (and elsewhere?):  

The Democratic governor of California wants to use surplus tax funds to buy gas from utility companies; this is then to be sold to citizens, who will pay twice for the same product - first from the tax funds to which they contributed and then again to the gas companies. 

This scam started when Republican Governor Pete Wilson was in office, but one could hardly tell the difference. The refusal of President Bush to cap oil profits will handsomely reward his friends in the oil business. Moreover, his planned tax cut will transfer the expected government tax surplus to tax payers; low and middle-class citizens, however, will need that refunded money to pay for uncontrolled gas prices.  

All that new wealth of the government will thereby be transferred to the energy companies.  

Max Alfert 

Albany  

Spirituality should count  

The Daily Planet received this letter to Robert Kehlmann, commissioner on the Landmarks Preservation Commission:  

Today’s Berkeley Daily Planet carries a lead article, “Shellmound’s Intangible Value is Spirituality.” In it is your recommendation that environmental studies add a new consideration - spirituality.  

I have for some time been a supporter of the preservation of our Berkeley Shellmound, and I think now that I’ve read your recommendation I can say that it has been for the spirituality of the Shellmounds that I have been so supportive. I have, as Stephanie Manning knows, written any number of poems about the Shellmound, moved on a deep level by what I can name as something “spiritual.” I have sent letters to various commissioners and other involved parties. These, too, have come from the same place, and I’m glad to have it named - publicly.  

I encourage you to have this recommendation discussed on our city boards and commissions that deal with environmental studies. Hopefully, more ways will be found for inviting the public to participate. Many sensitive Berkeley residents, I’m sure, would have strong reactions to “in Stephanie’s words) “driving piles 70 feet into the ground, right through the burial grounds.”  

Thanks for the creative idea.  

William Noel 

Berkeley 

Ode 

Ode To Berkeley (sung to Sing A song Of Sixpence) 

I'd sing a song of Berkeley 

except I'm ready to explode. 

You forgot to pick up garbage 

and my dumpster overflowed. 

It happens at least once a month. 

I'm really getting mad. 

I pay lots of money – on time, in full –  

for service that is bad. 

This is not about police or fire departments 

or city schools. 

Nor is about the Zoning Board 

or Rent Stabilization Board (the fools!) 

It's just about a simple thing  

like keeping Berkeley clean. 

If you'd collect my garbage– on time, in full– 

I wouldn't sound so mean. 

So Mayor Dean and Council Members 

will you kindly do your stuff? 

Direct the refuse commissar  

to please get off his duff. 

I'll close by saying simply: 

I'm not a “k'vetch” from Hell: 

just an ordinary Berkeley homie  

who wants this city to run well. 

Ljuba Davis 

Berkeley 

A Witness's Account of Reclaim the Streets 2/9/00 

On Friday an emergency demonstration was held to support the people's effort to halt the suicidal steamroller of globalization. Specifically we wanted to demonstrate in solidarity with indigenous people who are rising up against the International Monetary Fund’s imposition of “structural adjustments” in Ecuador.  

The situation there is dire. As of Feb. 6, at least three people have been killed by police, many more injured. Six thousand have marched on the capital. Masses of people have occupied schools, television stations, blocked roads of bridges, and more. The emergency demonstration called by “Reclaim the Streets” was an effort show our support for their struggle and to highlight the destructive practices of the IMF.  

It was also called by Berkeley Critical Mass, so the demonstration served a secondary purpose to promote awareness for the need of more bicycle and people friendly streets. It is America's dependence on oil that precipitates human rights abuses in “3rd” world countries. The big corporations, backed by the IMF and World Bank, decimate indigenous people and their lands in search of oil and other natural resources that end up in other countries. 

The demonstration was a peaceful reclamation of the streets as a way to get the message out. However the police response was as if there was some kind of riot taking place. The only thing that was taking place was a street party/demonstration. There was a sound system, free food, speakers, banners, bicyclists, a couch, and speaking truth to power. We had no guns, 

we had no weapons. There wasn't any violence at all until the police showed up. The police immediately needed to “take control” of the situation. They captured our sound system and started jabbing people with their clubs. I saw several people get jabbed and violently shoved 

for merely dancing in the streets. Our right to peaceably assemble meant nothing to the Berkeley P.D. Our right to freedom of speech also meant nothing illustrated when a police officer jumped into the crowd that was on the sidewalk and stole the banner that read “indigenous freedom”. Two 

people were arrested, for what I do not know. I watched them get arrested and it looked like they were singled out of the crowd. Probably because they were the ones most vocal about the injustices that were taking place before their eyes. 

The polices' response and behavior that night not only represent a threat 

to human rights and free speech, but a major threat to public safety. When 

the two people who were arrested were being driven off in a Police van, the 

driver of that van drove very reckless and erratic. He was not only 

endangering the lives of the citizens who were in the path of this out of 

control police vehicle, but he was also endangering the two unwilling 

passengers in that van. Since most of Brancroft was still blocked off the 

driver of the van could not go down Bancroft. I guess he was too impatient 

to wait for the crowd to disperse so he drove over the curb on Bancroft 

near Telegraph and launched down the stairs between Eshelman and the Bear's 

Lair. Thet’s right, the driver of the van took his vehicle down the stairs. 

It was going so fast. I was shocked and afraid. Shocked because I 

wouldn't even take a four wheel drive SUV down those stairs. Afraid 

because of the speed of the van. Big vans like that can't stop on a dime, 

especially if they are cruising down a flight of stairs. There could have 

been people at the bottom of those steps. I'm certain that the officer 

couldn't see or know if his path was clear. His reckless behavior could 

have resulted in death for some unsuspecting person walking near those 

steps. 

The vehicle made a loud thump as it hit the ground and stairs. The impact 

was so great that it tore off several bricks. If you think I am 

exaggerating, go to the stairs that I am talking about and you will see the 

damage the police vehicle did to them. Besides the threat to innocent 

bystanders near those stairs was the threat to the captives in the back of 

that police van. I watched them get loaded into that van and they weren't 

buckled up or anything. These two captives could have sustained serious 

injuries as they bounced around in the back of the van as it plowed down 

those stairs. 

This incident captures how the Berkeley P.D. deals with nonviolent 

protesters: they over react by bringing out an armed goon squad of 100+ 

officers, make unnecessary arrests and threaten overall public safety with 

reckless and irresponsible behavior. Don't get me wrong, I would rather 

deal with the Berkeley P.D., then the armed forces in Ecuador who kill 

protesters. But don't let that preference down play the seriousness of the 

situation that took place Friday night. Berkeley Police Department 

policies concerning how they deal with nonviolent protesters needs to be 

looked at. The officer of that out of control van also needs to answer for 

his apparent lack of concern for public safety and lack of concern for 

those who are forced to be his passengers. 

Nicholas Sobb 

Berkeley 

510-841-4156 

Dear Editor,  

So the ever ineffective Berkeley Police Review Commission can't find a policy that is violated by an on duty police officer tearing down posters expressing political speech. Might I suggest THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. Police officers, on duty, are not private citizens but an organ of the government. There is no policy statement necessary for superiors insist that government employees not intentionally violate the Constitution they have sworn to uphold. I am not foolish enough to believe any action will be taken. I've lived in this town too long.  

Robert Nichols  

2018 Channing  

Berkeley,CA 94704  

(510)848-4233 

Dear Editor: 

The demand for more parking will never cease until we find a way to live without having to drive everywhere. Cars and culture cannot somehow mix to make healthy and vibrant communities. Until we stop fighting about parking and start building a better city for pedestrians, we will forever be at the mercy of the car and its needs. Maybe some of you would agree that a vibrant new Arts District in the downtown would be much nicer without maximum parking and yet another glut of cars circling the downtown. Even if we built a giant coliseum of parking, we 'd still experience the increase in cars in the streets as they wind in and out of town. The goal isn't building community in this scenario, it is selling culture and services to people who live outside the community.  

But isn't Berkeley big enough to support its own theaters, supplemented by BART riders from San Francisco and Walnut Creek? Apparently not, because we don't have enough people living here in to fill the seats. We didn't think ahead. Instead, we kept building to live by and for the car, fueling a mass exodus to the sprawling suburbs and creating the commuter lifestyle. As a result, we now have a lot more jobs and things to buy and dothan we have places to live for the people who would work at those jobs and buy things here. We are living out of balance and still trying to fulfill our commercial and arts district expectations by bringing in more cars, throwing the entire situation yet further out of whack.  

One solution currently being discussed is to build more housing in the downtown. And better yet, some are suggesting to make lots of it car-free housing. What better way to ensure a captive audience of theater and movie goers who aren't going to hop into cars and go driving away? If Berkeley additionally created a beautiful pedestrian oriented public plaza with natural and cultural amenities supported partly by this new breed of car-free urban culture lovers, the other residents of Berkeley and public transit takers from around the Bay Area, everyone would benefit, (except General Motors). Ecocity Builders and our network of supporters thinks that the time has come for us to start planning for the city of walkable centers, connected by public transportation, in natural and agricultural landscapes, connected by natural habitat corridors. It will take years and it will not be easy. But working towards the ecolgocially balanced city will benefit us all, now and into the future. In our minds, there is no other direction. We owe it to our children and their children to set in motion a sequence of events that will work to heal and harmonize rather than continue to pave the way, literally, for mass destruction of the biosphere.  

Ecocities benefit people of all backgrounds, incomes, ages and life-styles. People who don't drive won't buy gas or need lots of parking, but they will still buy food, clothes and tickets to the theater. In fact, without having to spend all that money on their cars, they might even be able to spend more on CDs and books and other cultural amenities Berkeley offers.  

But there still are those folks who are suspicious about these mysterious "car free" people. "Who are they?" they wonder. They can't imagine that a regular sort of person could really live without a car. There seems to be an stereotype labeling anyone who will want to be living without a car in Berkeley as either a student or a "bike radical." That is an incorrect assumption, although there is nothing wrong with either of those kinds of people. Car free people may work at a restaurant, or a school, or a high powered law firm. 

Some of them may ride bikes and some may take classes at the University. Others will be different. Diversity and variety in people is much more interesting than models of cars. But if we don't start focusing on creating a city for people, all we will ever get is more arguments about parking and yet more cars. 

Kirstin Miller 

Ecocity Builders 

510-524-4919 

1474 7th St. 

Berkeley 

I'm sure you have been informed of an extremely cruel website called www.bonsaikitten.com. 

We feel it is important to inform the public that, while this is probably no more than a cruel hoax, it promotes an idea that will torture and kill small animals and, if actually done, would constitute felony animal cruelty under California law.  

This website is already being monitored by the ASPCA and they have a statement about it on their website.  

It is sad that any person or group would devalue companion animals in this way. If you would like to talk to me about this, please call 845-7735, extension 22. 

Nancy Frensley 

Berkeley East Bay Humane Society 

Berkeley, CA 

Title: Racist History in the Media 

Modern Medicine started with Greek science, phonetic writing was invented by 

the Semites, and Egyptians were light skinned. All are misconceptions actively promoted by our modern media. 

The ancient Egyptians were primarily African for the earlier part of their history, as artifacts show. Yet Dreamworks' “Prince of Egypt”, a typical child's introduction to Egypt, portrays Egyptians as light skinned. 

The Egyptians used a phonetic alphabet called Hieratic for business, administration, science, and popular stories that is a clear ancestor of the Phoenician and in turn our Latin alphabet. Yet the New York Times in November 13 1999, discussing new archaeological finds, praises the enumerable benefits of the early Semitic “discovery” of a phonetic alphabet. They could have said the same about the African Egyptian's discovery of a full thousand years earlier which the Semites themselves apparently borrowed. 

Moreover, these Egyptians wrote the first medical texts (at least in the western hemisphere) in their Hieratic script. 

Medical historians have reported that the Greeks set up their medical schools on Egyptian technology in Egypt, and that early Indo-European 

courts like the Persians boasted an Egyptian physician. Yet if you believe our children’s' history books the Greeks are the sole founders of modern medicine. 

European scholars earlier this century first reported the African versions I discuss above, and it was only subsequently that people got to work to “cleanse” history of African influence, producing the three misconceptions I opened with. Your recent opinion piece last week on Black History Month is to be commended. History ghettos haven't succeeded in repairing our society's racist view of early western civilization and our media still promotes this racism. 

Wray Buntine 

Berkeley

Valentine’s Day has been canceled 

This is not a test  

“We’re all so intensely conditioned, preyed upon by capitalism around our romantic and sexual desires,” said Aya De Leon, who has hosted alternative Valentine’s Day celebrations at La Peña Culture Center every year since 1996.  

“We’re seduced away from being concerned about the world, by this idea that we can feel better if we just fall in love. Falling in love is great, but there should be an environment where people can celebrate love of self, love of spirit, love of community,” she said. 

Having grown up in Berkeley, Aya, 33, says she has been “extremely opinionated” all her life. Her mother, Anna De Leon, is a long time community activist and former civil rights lawyer. “I grew up hearing stories of police brutality around the dinner table,” she said.  

As a family, they participated in the anti-nuclear movement; Aya was a teen organizer and nonviolence trainer, while her mom worked with the protesters’ legal team. Aya was also a teenage feminist.  

“There was this wonderful satirical group in Berkeley, called LAW, Ladies Against Women. We started a spin-off group in our high school, TAUNT, Teenagers Against Unmoral Naughty Things,” she said. “My dream was to found a traveling guerrilla theater and travel the world doing street theater.” 

Aya set aside those aspirations to study political science at Harvard, where she wound up switching majors seven times before graduating with a degree in history.  

It was a shockingly unpleasant experience, coming from Berkeley to “an incredibly racially stratified, conservative environment.”  

Aya, who is African American and Puerto Rican, got involved with Free My People, “a youth-run, youth-led ultra-left African American collective in Roxbury, Mass. They gave me a deep sense of what it meant to be intimately involved in a community.” 

Aya returned to Berkeley to work on a novel about a group of young black women who form a sisterhood to help each other through college.  

But “writing a novel is very isolating and I’m a very extroverted person, so I found myself going to open mics just to read snippets of my work and feel more connected to people.”  

She never considered herself a poet, however, until she went back to school for a master’s degree in fine arts.  

“Folks would write poems and I’d say, ‘Gee, what’s that poem about?’ and they’d say ‘It doesn’t have to have meaning.’ And I just thought, ‘What? Then what’s the point?’ I’d always thought writing was predicated on having something to say. So I figured, if these people can write poems that don’t mean anything and call themselves poets, then I could certainly be a poet.” 

Aya’s first poem, Loyalty, was about a young black girl in an alcohol and drug prevention program that Aya ran in Alameda. “She misbehaved constantly and she wore me out, but I was determined to stay connected to her.” 

Since then, Aya has stunned audiences throughout the Bay Area and the country with her powerful performance poems. She’s won poetry slams from San Francisco to New York City - she was on the winning SF slam team that made the nationals last year. She’s performed at benefits for the Prison Activist Resource Center, Speak Out and KPFA and has published an essay in Essence and short stories in anthologies. 

Her topics cover the gamut from “fat liberation,” to the plight of gay youths who sell their “priceless ass” on the streets of San Francisco, to the wounded souls of African American men, to prayers for Mumia Abu Jamal, to poems like Icon which are about “corporate control of everything:”  

I can just imagine what advertisers would do with King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail... 

... let’s say the NBA buys his speech at the March on Washington talking about “I have a team . . .”  

Or perhaps it would be bought by developers talking about “I have a scheme . . .” 

De Leon says: “My work has a political message, and an emotional message about people healing themselves. Hopefully it’s funny, or the metaphors are interesting, and it’s entertaining too.  

“I want people to feel it, hopefully agree with it, and take whatever’s useful for them and integrate it into their lives.” 

Contact Aya De Leon at micdmicd@yahoo.com 

Marc Polonsky is the author of “The Poetry Reader’s Toolkit.” He can be contacted at marcwordsmith@sfo.com.

Twenty-four satellites in outer space send messages to earth. It only takes three of them to tell an AC Transit bus where it’s at. 

This month, after four years of plans, some of the buses will roll out of their main Emeryville station equipped with new technology to receive satellite communication. Although these first buses – about ten – may not startle patrons with their graceful techno-wizardry, it will be “totally unnoticeable to the public” said Jim Gleich, deputy general manager for AC Transit. Administrators say that by the end of the year all AC Transit buses will be receiving satellite messages from outer space, informing the central office of their exact location, and preventing the bus patterns that frustrate riders. 

Electronic messages will make any problems obvious, instantaneously. 

“Now they’ll be able to see on screens where all the buses are. They’ll be able to determine whether buses are running late, or early, if they’re all bunched up they’ll be able to see it,” Gleich said. “Everyday there are endless problems on the streets with detours that are either caused by some kind of utility construction or a fire.” These emergencies result in spur-of-the moment schedule changes or delays, that the central dispatch office in Emeryville may not know about.  

Currently, problems are spotted several ways. Ten supervisors split up the 400 square miles AC Transit serves and go out on the streets to monitor the bus lines, some of the 600 bus drivers may radio in difficulties, or riders may call in complaints. Satellite monitoring of buses will obviate the more clumsy forms of communication, said John Rudniski, operations technology administrator. 

“It’s analogous to an airport controller,” said Rudniski. “A controller can see every plane around the airport. A dispatcher would sit in front of a computer with a map of the Bay Area,” he said, and see icons of the buses moving in real time. “Everything’s verbal right now, if I want to know where someone is driving her bus, I have to call her.”  

Senior Transportation Supervisor Jim Cater said with the new technology, a signal will warn drivers when they are outside of the “service window,” with a minute leeway on either side, in which a bus is scheduled to arrive at a particular point. “The new system will help everybody be more attentive,” said Cater. In addition, the system will track each of the buses and their drivers and issue a 24 hour report that indicates all the buses that were operating outside their service windows.  

AC Transit administrators believe that new information translates into fast changes: bus drivers can slow down if they are ahead of schedule, the central office can dispatch buses to fill in, if buses are behind schedule, and the schedules themselves can be fixed to reflect the new information administrators receive about the way the bus schedule actually works on the ground. 

In addition to the question of timing and accuracy, administrators tout an improved emergency response time. Currently the bus driver may send an emergency signal to the central office. But when a report comes in, the central office must find the bus by communicating with the bus. If the driver can’t communicate, the central office must guess the bus’ location. “Right now in an emergency situation the operator has an alarm and we have to go by timetables to see where the bus is supposed to be,” said Cater. 

Under the new system, bus drivers can radio for help silently by pressing a button to signal the main control center. Because the satellites map the bus locations, help can be sent out immediately to the correct location.  

The new technology will be placed in buses gradually, after any glitches with the first test buses have been fixed. 

In order for the satellite mapping to function, all the components must be in order. Satellites send messages out to buses, telling them how far away they are from that particular satellite. The bus then combines that information with the distances from other satellites to find its exact location. 

The system works through a process called triangulation, a mathematical term that Rudniski simplified to the basics. “If you can picture the satellites like balls of twine up in the air, the distance from each ball of twine to the bus is represented by a length,” he said. “Those three lengths can only meet at the top of the bus, where the antennae is.” A computer server then polls each bus for its location – polling 625 buses takes two minutes – and repeats the cycle constantly re-mapping the buses. 

Luckily, dispatchers will not be required to learn the mathematical basis for receiving the communications in order to understand the positions of the buses, simple computer skills are enough to bring the AC Transit dispatchers into the satellite age. “You point and click, even to set up a radio communication,” said Rudniski. “It’s like Yahoo! Maps.” 

The federal government provided most of the cost for the buses in a $14 million grant for capital improvements. But Gleich spent Tuesday lobbying for more money from Congress. In addition to the funds for new buses, Gleich hopes to receive $2 million to promote the inclusion of real-time bus schedules along the bus routes, letting riders know how long they’ll have to wait for the next bus. The first shelters of this model will be along San Pablo, but with time they maybe expanded throughout the AC Transit line.

The AC Transit Board is looking for a few good bus riders. 

Applications are being accepted for bus riders interested in serving on one of two advisory committees: the Accessibility Advisory Committee and the Bus Riders Advisory Committee. Directors appoint two members from each of their wards to serve on the advisory committees and give the rider’s perspective.  

Joe Wallace served as president of the Rider Advisory Committee prior to being elected AC Transit director in November. He is the natural liaison between committees and the board of directors, and said that the Advisory Committees are a necessary part of the administrative system.  

“Basically the role that they play is to give the community’s view on how the service is, or what complaints they may have about non-existing services,” he said. “They are our ears and eyes out there every single day, they’re up and down on the buses.”  

More importantly, he said, the committees represent the space for public participation in any bureaucracy. “I think the community should always have a word in whatever public agency they’re dealing with.” 

Bruce DeBenedictis has served on the Rider Advisory Committee since its inception in 1996. He lists work on Measure B, the transportation bond passed in November, as the most important activity undertaken by the committee. In addition to helping garner funds for more and better transit, in the past year the committee has examined the complaint system, discussed public information materials, and inevitably, discussed service problems such as missed runs. “The major issues are always there, late buses, buses that don’t show, badly trained drivers,” said Charlie Betcher, another long-term member of that committee. 

DeBenedictis said in the coming year, the committee will be able to give feedback on service changes paid for with Measure B. “The rider should have a say about what services we do get for our money,” he said. 

The Accessibility Advisory Committee ensures AC Transit remains accessible to elderly and disabled bus riders, by making sure that equipment is in working order and that signs and signals convey the necessary information to riders.  

The directors are looking for a diverse group of riders to serve on the committees to provide a varied perspective. DeBenedictis said that it’s hard to realize the details that affect disabled riders until someone tells you that he has to distinguish buses by the different sounds that they make.  

The most important qualification to serve on the advisory committees is to have lived with AC Transit. “I think anybody who’s a dedicated bus rider and wants to improve the service would do us all a service by applying,” said Betcher. 

DeBenedictis said mastering the AC Transit kvetch is not enough, committee members must be “exceptional riders,” willing to listen hard to community members and think about what is best for the community as a whole. 

Wallace, whose ward encompasses north and west parts of Berkeley, will be appointing at least one person this year. “What I would be looking for is a person that uses public transportation,” he said. “A person that will not only serve on those committees but will get back to their communities about what goes on with AC Transit and with the issues that both committees represent.” 

Greg Harper, whose AC Transit district includes parts of south Berkeley as well as parts of Oakland and Emeryville, was not available to interview. 

Applications for the Advisory Committees are available from the AC Transit District Secretary at 1600 Franklin, Oakland 94612. They are due Feb. 23. 

For more information about serving on the advisory committees call 891-4851

Some best-selling authors may rush into electronic publishing with their latest thrillers, but academic institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, are cautiously investigating the world of e-books.  

UC Berkeley's library began a modest experiment with electronic books almost a year ago, spending about $50,000 to pick 835 titles mainly from the social sciences and to make them available online to any UC Berkeley student or faculty or staff member with a library card and a personal computer.  

The online collection, chosen from about 15,000 titles available through a company called NetLibrary, is meager compared to the 9 million volumes UC Berkeley keeps on its library shelves. But the electronic project is viewed as a necessary and important step in keeping current with information as well as with the modes of its delivery.  

“The faculty has learned a lot about e-books, and (the librarians) learned about reader behavior, such as that they are intrigued, but not ready to give up print,” said project leader Milton Ternberg, a librarian at the Thomas J. Long Business Library at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. 

He called the program "very successful."  

So far, the "bestsellers" in UC Berkeley's experiment are titles in economics, business and the Internet. Economics and business together scored 777 "hits" between April 2000 and late January of this year, according to tallies for the campus's special electronic titles. The books are accessible online day or night to UC Berkeley users who connect to the campus network from work, labs, libraries, laptops, home offices, dorm rooms, apartments or fraternities and sororities.  

Next in popularity are sociology books with 623 hits, then political science with 334 and anthropology with 276.  

The title recording the most visits - 63 - so far is "Inventing the Internet," followed by "Borders in Cyberspace" and "Game Theory." Rounding out the top five: "Pop Internationalism" and "101 More Best Resumes."  

Ternberg said all the books might be more popular if more people knew about them. Despite efforts to publicize the program on library Web sites and e-mailings to targeted campus audiences, Ternberg and others said many people still are learning about e-books.  

The Teaching Library on campus offers a drop-in course, "Finding Books," that includes instruction about the NetLibrary "self-service" collection.  

"Students seem very interested to learn that we have electronic books 

as part of the library's collection," said Aija Kanbergs, an assistant at UC 

Berkeley's Teaching Library. "I think some students use it, especially 

when our own paper copies of the book are checked out."  

"For example, one anthropology graduate student doing fieldwork in 

Cuba and missing the UC Berkeley library was enthusiastic about the 

possibility of having the library with her in the field," said Suzanne 

Calpestri, librarian for the George and Mary Foster Anthropology Library. 

"Other students were enthusiastic about being able to search across the 

full text of many titles and looked forward to having more online."  

Many scholars see benefits for the electronic monograph with their 

research, although they don't see it as a permanent replacement for the 

traditional paper library, said Calpestri, a member of the group evaluating 

the project.  

Also among the advantages is the speed of locating citations in books, 

having the information immediately accessible on a desktop computer, 

and easily printed. Users have credited an online review of an electronic 

book with helping them decide whether to walk or drive to the library 

later to pick up the hard copy.  

Some negatives about the project: only one person can check out, or 

view, an e-book at a time, some users find it annoying that usage is 

tracked, and the software for reading a text online doesn't make for a 

very comfortable experience. Books also can be kept for just one day.  

One of the biggest drawbacks is price. The NetLibrary e-book costs the 

same as a hardback version, plus a sliding fee to make it available for 

viewing or checkout. The electronic book costs 15 percent of the 

purchase cost for the first year. After that, the cost declines all the way 

to 3 percent in the sixth year. Or, an institution can pay the purchase 

price - plus 50 percent of that price tag - to have the book available 

online forever.  

Beth Sibley, a political science and sociology librarian who is working with 

Ternberg to analyze UC Berkeley's e-book experiment, said changes in 

this field are immense and constant.  

Alan Ritch, UC Berkeley associate university library and director of 

collections, said in a recent report that digital transformation of printed 

resources so far is uneven and is "being embraced unequally by scholars, 

of varying experience and proclivities, within the disciplines."  

As UC Berkeley and other institutions - UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa 

Barbara, San Francisco Public Library and Oakland Public Library - 

experiment with the e-book, none plans to stop buying paper versions, 

thus escalating budget demands and at least somewhat constricting the 

variety of materials ultimately available.  

"Eventually, the delivery of information resources (texts, images, sound, 

video) to libraries and users may save staff time and architectural 

space," Ritch said in his report. "However, during this transitional period 

... library operational costs are actually higher than they have ever 

been."  

Electronic book boosters include those in the technology field, Ternberg 

said, many of them anxious to have more computer manuals online 

because paper versions wear out so fast.  

At the National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering at UC 

Berkeley, some 10 electronic books have been published and posted at 

the Earthquake Engineering Library. They include works of several UC 

Berkeley professors of structural engineering, and an electronic book 

dictionary of earthquake engineering is due soon.  

Ternberg said e-books should benefit from the passage of time.  

"There's a whole generation coming up that is so tuned in to reading and 

doing everything by computer," he said, predicting it will be less fond of 

the paper book than are many current researchers and readers. And 

others less enamored with the digital age simply will become more 

comfortable with the e-book as they use it more, he said. The software 

available to read electronic books also is steadily improving, he said.  

Ternberg said the program likely will continue for at least the next couple 

of years, but the collections committee has agreed not to add any new 

titles for now.  

Other universities around the country, including the University of Texas 

and Vanderbilt, have purchased between 15,000 and 20,000 e-book 

titles, finding economy and buying power through a consortium of 

university libraries all testing the electronic field.  

"We (UC Berkeley) didn't want to do that, but we might want to in the 

future," Ternberg said.  

Scholarly journals online, meanwhile, are becoming so popular they are 

"off the charts," said Sibley. UC Berkeley professors Robert Cooter, 

Aaron Edlin and Benjamin Hermalin worked with computer programmer 

David Sharnoff to start in 1999 an e-journal operation called 

bepress.com. It offers online journals featuring cutting-edge research in 

the fields of macroeconomics and theoretical economics. The electronic 

publication caught the attention of scholars and publishers with a 

promise of peer-reviewed publication in as little as eight weeks, rather 

than the typical two-year wait. Sibley said electronic books may be 

slower in gaining popularity and use, but she expects that to gradually 

change.  

Ternberg also is a member of a task force studying e-books for the 

California Digital Library. The group is scheduled to make 

recommendations on March 14 about what the nine-campus UC system 

should do with e-books in terms of acquisition of titles, sharing titles, 

principles for licensing and other issues.  

SAN FRANCISCO — An attorney testified at City Hall that his mastiff-Canary Island dog was not involved in the fatal mauling of a woman last month, despite frightening accounts from the public about run-ins with the animal. 

Robert Noel, and his wife Marjorie Knoller, testified at a public hearing that their dog Hera played no role in the death of St. Mary’s lacrosse coach Dianne Whipple, who died at her doorstep after a bloody attack Jan. 26. 

Bane, the dog said to have inflicted the fatal wounds, was put down that night. 

But the couple has refused to surrender custody of their other dog, Hera, who remains at a city animal welfare facility. 

The police sergeant who heard the testimony will make the final decision on Hera’s fate within two weeks. 

The couple said neither dog had a history of aggression since arriving in San Francisco from rural Hayfork, where the animals were raised. 

“Hera and Bane were not the least bit aggressive,” Noel said at a “vicious dog” hearing Tuesday. 

He disputed the claims of people who came forward to relate harrowing experiences with his dogs, but offered no explanation for the fatal attack. 

“The behavior was totally out of character for either one of them,” Noel told Sgt. William Herndon. 

One man testified that Hera bit him on the rear when he exited an elevator in their apartment building. 

David Moser said the couple seemed dismissive of the incident at the time. 

“I recall being kind of shocked at their reaction,” Moser said. “They didn’t seem to discipline the dog.” 

Noel rebutted Moser’s testimony, saying the man bumped into his wife and “assaulted” her without apologizing.  

Noel said the man bumped his leg on the elevator door, causing a mark. 

Noel also attacked the testimony of a letter carrier who said he had use his mail cart to fend off the dogs in front of the couple’s apartment. 

“Hera started running for the mail cart. Her eyesight is not the best,” Noel said in explaining the incident. 

Police officers and animal control workers called to the scene the night of Whipple’s mauling recalled finding her lying on the floor, covered in blood with her clothes shredded around her. 

Animal control officer Andrea Runge said she was not prepared for what she saw. 

“It was shredded bits of cloth, clumps of hair and blood,” Runge testified. 

She and the other animal control officers said Hera growled and banged against a closed glass door until they subdued her. Runge described Hera’s behavior as “crazed.” 

Knoller started to cry as she recounted the fatal mauling, saying she was tried to restrain Bane and protect Whipple by covering her with her own body. 

Bane, she said, inflicted all of Whipple’s wounds while Hera merely tugged at her pant leg. Knoller pleaded for Hera’s return. 

Herndon asked Knoller if she felt it would be safe for the public if the dog was returned to a domestic environment. 

“She’s a wonderful pet and I do believe she would be just fine,” Knoller said. 

As Knoller returned to her seat, players from the lacrosse team Whipple coached hissed and said loud enough to be heard “psycho, psycho.” 

Other St. Mary’s students held back tears as they discussed the dogs’ owners. 

“It’s clearly obvious that these people have a sick and twisted view of what a gentle, loving dog is,” said Melissa Boyle, a St. Mary’s lacrosse team member. 

Sheriff’s deputies escorted Noel and Knoller from the hearing before it ended. 

Meanwhile, city prosecutors are trying to determine if Noel and Knoller knew the dogs were vicious — a prerequisite to deciding if charges should be filed against the couple. 

EMERYVILLE — Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante used a racial slur during a speech to a labor group celebrating Black History Month, a move he calls a mortifying mistake. 

Bustamante, was has focused on improving race relations during his political career, said he meant to use the word “Negro” but slipped and said another n-word during his speech about the black union movement. 

Bustamante, a Democrat, was speaking at the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists’ annual awards dinner and scholarship fund-raiser Friday. 

Bustamante said Tuesday that he was reading a prepared speech when he heard himself say something that sounded like an offensive slur. 

“I finished my speech and people were clapping but I said, ‘I can’t leave the podium. I can’t leave the podium because I don’t know if you heard what I think I heard, but if you did, that is not me, that’s not how I was raised, and that’s not how I teach my children,”’ Bustamante said. 

Antonio Christian, president of the Northern California chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, said he did not hear the slur, nor did his wife, but that if Bustamante did use the word, he forgives him. 

“This man has a great record that has been good to minorities and labor and now we are going to crucify him for a mistake?” Christian asked. 

Some coalition members have asked that Bustamante come back to the organization and apologize again, but Christian said he would survey members to find out if that was necessary. 

SAN DIEGO — University of California researchers hope to treat Alzheimer’s patients by using genetically altered cells to rebuild neurons in the brain. 

A study to begin next month will take skin cells from a patient, alter them genetically so that they produce a chemical called nerve growth factor, and then implant them in the same patient’s brain. 

A test of the procedure was found to reverse neuron deterioration in aging rhesus monkeys afflicted with a condition similar to Alzheimer’s, according to neurologists at the UC San Diego Medical Center. 

“This is the start of something that, if it is successful, could literally prevent or at least slow down the progression of the disease,” Dr. Mark Tuszynski, a neurologist heading the research, told The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Alzheimer’s disease disrupts the way the brain works, affecting the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Neither the cause nor the cure has been found. Currently, one in 10 people over the age of 65 and as many as half those over 85 have Alzheimer’s. 

The benefits of restoring nerve fibers remains to be seen since Alzheimer’s disease also involves other types of brain cell damage and deposits of amyloid plaques. 

“We don’t know enough to say how useful rescuing these neurons will be,” said Dr. Michael Selzer, a University of Pennsylvania neurologist studying nervous system regeneration. “It’s a worthwhile thing to try. It’s possible you would still develop dementia but maybe the memory problem would not be as severe.” 

In a report in Monday’s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Tuszynski and neuroscientist James Conner found the procedure regenerated connection fibers, called axons, in the brains of five elderly monkeys. 

The improvement lasted at least a year after the altered cells were injected. Tuszynski said he couldn’t predict how long it might last in people. 

Human testing of the technique won federal approval a year ago. But the researchers have found only two appropriate patients after evaluating 500 applicants. They are looking for six more patients for the first phase of the testing. 

To be eligible, Alzheimer’s patients must be in early enough stages of the disease to be able to understand the risks of experimental treatment and must have no other medical problems. 

Tuszynski is a shareholder in a San Diego company, Ceregene, that has a financial interest in any gene therapy technology to emerge from the studies. 

On the Net: 

http://www.pnas.org/ 

LOS ANGELES — Union members, in the minds of many, are older, white, male blue-collar workers. It’s a stereotype the AFL-CIO is trying to change — in fact believes it must change to survive. 

For the nation’s labor leaders gathering here this week at the AFL-CIO’s winter meeting, the challenge is how to expand membership and organization in a changed economy. 

Last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the percentage of American workers belonging to unions fell last year to 13.5 percent – or 13 million – the lowest in six decades. Unions blame a decline in heavily unionized industries, accompanied by job growth in nonunion parts of the economy. 

“That’s very bad news for the American labor movement and in our view, very bad news for the economy and for those important programs and values that we fight for,” said Mark Splain, AFL-CIO organizing director.  

“There’s nothing more important to us than building a larger and stronger labor movement.” 

Last year, 400,000 new members joined unions, and the AFL-CIO wants to double that this year, Splain said. 

It will be a tough road, said Richard Hurd, director of labor studies at Cornell University.  

For starters, unions must do a better job of showing how they are relevant to the lives of all workers and their families. Immigrants and minorities represent a large opportunity, Hurd said. He cited an AFL-CIO town hall meeting Monday in Los Angeles that included a large Hispanic audience. 

“If they could project this – the culture that’s here – and spread it, it would help people see the diversity of unions,” he said. 

The AFL-CIO has started pressing for immigrant workers’ rights and has held forums across the country calling for laws that criminalize employer exploitation and amnesty for undocumented workers in the United States. 

Also, unions must tap into the growing white collar sector by changing the blue-collar, laborer image and making themselves relevant to those workers, Hurd said. Progress is being made in such areas as medicine. 

“Health care workers are having a feeling of losing control of what they do on the job,” he said.  

“They see their control dwindling and it creates a need to join a union.” 

A poll conducted for the AFL-CIO by Peter D. Hart Research Associates found that Americans view unions more positively than in the past. Sixty percent approved of labor unions in general, up from 55 percent in 1981.  

The segment who disapprove of labor unions was 25 percent, down from 35 percent in August 1981, according to the survey of 1,005 respondents, 116 of whom were union members. 

The poll was conducted Jan. 22-25 and had an error margin of 4 percentage points. 

“In order to make the most of these opportunities, we have to continue to shift resources to organizing, target strategically, train more organizers and build support for workers from entire communities,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. 

Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, the second largest union under the umbrella of the AFL-CIO, said unions should work together instead of competing for those new members. 

The SEIU also is aggressively focused on health care issues and is pursuing “health care only” legislation in states like California and Maryland. The proposal would prevent health care funding from being used to break or fight unions by corporations and require it be spent on health care, Stern said. 

“We have to change where we are because of what our members want — a 21st century partnership with their employers,” Stern said. 

The SEIU has spent about $100 million on organizing efforts — about $1,000 per person. It has increased new membership to 70,000 to 80,000 a year, up from 20,000 to 40,000 new members. Stern said the goal is 150,000 a year. 

Unions also see a new generation of activists on campuses across the country, where students are concerned about workers rights and graduate students have formed their own unions. 

“There’s more and more community, political and religious support around these organizing campaigns, which is really where the battle is waged,” Splain said. “It’s less a focus on Washington.” 

Linda Cushing, a part-time professor at North Orange County Community College, helped her co-workers form a union with the American Federation of Teachers. Cushing said the effort was conducted largely through an e-mail campaign and over the Internet. 

Two-thirds of all community college faculty are part-time, with the same credentials as full-time professors, Cushing said. But she said they are paid only about one-third to one-half of what regular faculty members make for teaching the same classes, and they don’t receive medical benefits, retirement or seniority rights. 

“When we get seriously ill or injured, we go on welfare,” Cushing said. “It’s shameful.” 

——— 

On the Net: http://www.aflcio.org 

SACRAMENTO — A power-sapping cold snap put California at a renewed risk of blackouts Tuesday as lawmakers considered expanding the state’s role in the electricity business to help two huge utilities out of debt. 

Frosty weather and the shutdown of power plants for repairs raised the risk of blackouts during peak demand Tuesday evening, but enough power was found to fend them off, said Stephanie McCorkle, spokeswoman for the Independent System Operator, which oversees the state power grid. 

The Legislature, meanwhile, worked on proposals to help restore Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to financial health. A plan that would have the state buy the utilities’ power lines won Senate energy committee approval Tuesday afternoon. 

Gov. Gray Davis said he hopes the state will be ready to propose a relief plan to the utilities later this week. He moved to dispel criticism from some consumer advocates that the plan will amount to a ratepayer- and possibly taxpayer-financed bailout. 

“What I will propose, hopefully this Friday, will not be a bailout. It will be a buyout,” Davis said at a Los Angeles news conference. 

Davis did not put a dollar figure on the state’s contribution but said California was looking at a range of options, including taking stock or warrants in the utilities, assuming ownership of the transmission lines or other assets such hydroelectric dams. 

“We will insist on receiving commensurate, equivalent value for any value we will confer on the utilities,” Davis said. 

The state is in its fifth straight week under a Stage 3 power alert, with electricity reserves threatening to fall to just 1.5 percent. 

California has scrambled for power for weeks, driven by high demand and a tight supply due in part to scarce hydroelectric power in the Pacific Northwest. 

The power crisis inflicted rolling blackouts on the northern two-thirds of the state twice last month. 

On Tuesday, plants that would have produced 10,000 megawatts were down for repairs, McCorkle said. That’s enough power for about 10 million households. 

In addition to the tight supply, wholesale electricity prices have soared since last summer, pushing Edison and PG&E close to bankruptcy. 

California’s two largest utilities say they’ve lost nearly $13 billion due to high wholesale power prices, which the state’s 1996 utility deregulation law blocks them from recouping from customers. 

Edison faced another financial deadline Tuesday, the expiration of a 30-day extension granted by 23 banks owed about $200 million. The company asked for another extension. 

The state has been spending roughly $45 million a day since mid-January to buy power for customers of PG&E and Edison, both denied credit by electricity wholesalers. 

It is now negotiating contracts for cheaper long-term power that would be financed with an estimated $10 billion in state revenue bonds the utilities’ customers would pay off over a decade. 

——— 

On the Net: 

California ISO: www.caiso.com 

SAN DIEGO — California must better manage its thirst for electricity to accommodate the spikes in demand that could make the state’s already miserable power situation worse when temperatures soar this summer, officials said. 

While California races to add power plants and boost its supply of electricity, more can be done to influence how – and when – consumers use that power, industry and government officials said. 

A few days each summer, demand for electricity spikes in California, with residential and commercial air conditioning drawing 30 percent of the power consumed in the state. 

With few – if any – energy companies willing to build power plants only to meet those rare spikes of 15,000 or more megawatts, more must be done to manipulate demand, officials said Monday during a “Power Crisis in the West” conference sponsored by Xenergy and Infocast. 

“We have to manage the load – and not just service it as we have in the past,” said Gary Swofford, vice president and chief operating officer of Puget Sound Energy in Bellevue, Wash. 

A major problem, said one utility executive, is that the state’s 1996 deregulation law isolates the consumer from the realities of the marketplace. 

While wholesale prices have soared, California’s utilities have price caps on what they can charge consumers.  

That means without any incentive to reduce use, consumers have kept demand at largely static levels this winter, even as power supplies dwindled, said Stephen Baum, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy, which owns San Diego Gas & Electric and the Southern California Gas Co. 

“The retail price caps have killed any response to the situation,” Baum said. 

Curt Hebert, the newly appointed chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said price caps do both short- and long-term damage by hindering the responsiveness of a supposedly free market. 

“I have never wanted to see prices rise and I certainly don’t want to see that now, but what’s important now is we keep the lights on,” Hebert said. 

William Keese, chairman of the California Energy Commission, said demand can be more responsive to price – even without hiking the price consumers pay. 

Keese said the 15,000 megawatts that go to keeping the state’s homes and workplaces cool during periods of peak demand represent “a massive opportunity for efficiency.” The amount of power is normally enough to light 15 million average California homes. 

Link together, say, hundreds of large commercial buildings in the state with a computerized system that automatically reduces power use during periods of peak demand and the state could be nimble enough to reduce the size of the spike in demand – all without bringing more power plants on line, Keese said. 

“You can ratchet that power up and down faster than you can turn on a power plant,” Keese said. At times of peak demand, when power is at a premium, even a 2.5 percent reduction in consumption can mean $700 million in savings for the state. 

Swofford said Puget Sound Energy has begun experimenting in Washington with showing its 800,000 customers how the price of electricity can vary. For now, the Web-based program is only informational, but the utility hopes it will lead one day to real-time pricing, where the rates a consumer pays for electricity can fluctuate, depending on everything from the season to time of day. 

“We’ve got to get to the point where customers can see price signals,” Swofford said. ”(And) they have got to be in the position where they can respond to what they see.” 

Meanwhile, the state was under a Stage 3 power emergency Tuesday as power reserves threatened to fall below 1.5 percent. Blackouts were not expected. The power alert has been in effect for a record five weeks. 

Y2K worriers took some ribbing when the computer bug they spent thousands preparing for turned out to be all buzz and no bite. 

But they’ve got something to smile about now, as the preparations they took to ward off computer chaos give them the edge on dealing with rolling blackouts from the Year 2001 energy crisis. 

“A wood stove’s a nice thing to have around,” said graphics designer Bill Grey. “We’re probably saving $100 a month at least.” 

The Year 2000 problem was that computer programs designed to recognize only the last two digits of a year to save space would read the year ”00” as 1900. Government and corporations spent millions to fix the problem, but some worried they wouldn’t be able to get done in time and began taking precautions. 

Among them was Grey, who put in the stove, bought long-lasting rechargeable marine batteries for a backup electrical system and purchased solar panels. As it turned out, the Year 2000 arrived without incident. 

But using the stove this winter has halved his utility bills. Meanwhile, the batteries kept his business Web site up during routine blackouts last summer and he expects to use it a lot more this summer, when the power crisis is expected to get worse as air conditioners in the hot Central Valley click on. 

“It really gives you a sense of self-containment and sufficiency,” he says. 

A few miles away in the country town of Sebastopol, organic grower Shepherd Bliss prepared for Y2K by tracking the sun’s movements to figure out the best way to line-dry his clothes and filling 55-gallon drums with water. 

After the Y2K flap flopped he thought about tipping out the water, but decided to hang on to it. Now it serves as backup if a blackout cuts power to the electric well pump he needs to water his livestock. 

Bliss hasn’t lost his discontent with the high-tech, high-convenience bent civilization is taking, calling the energy crisis “a wake up call to self-reliance, to basic American pioneer values, frontier values, what made the west what it is.” 

Some got into generating their own power without the prod of Y2K fears. 

“I would like to be independent of the grid, but it’s not from fear. It just feels good to be independent,” says Chris Beekhuis, vice president of engineering at efinance.com. 

Beekhuis installed solar panels on the roof of his San Jose home about two years ago because he wanted environmentally friendly energy. He expected the system, which cost $13,000 after rebates, would pay for itself in 25 years. 

With utility rates rocketing, the investment’s looking smarter than ever. 

His electric bill is less than $5 a month and sometimes the 2.2-kilowatt system provides more power than needed, which means Beekhuis gets to see his electricity meter turning backward. 

“It’s a wonderful feeling. In some ways, it feels like you’re winning,” he says. 

In Santa Rosa, Grey, the Y2K preparer, never got around to installing his solar panels, not really convinced the power grid was going to collapse. 

He’s planning to rectify that omission. 

“I really would like to be independent of these characters,” he says. 

LOS ANGELES — Downpours flooded roads and snow buried mountain passes Tuesday as Southern California’s most powerful storm of the season peaked. 

The storm plastered the region’s mountains with staggering accumulations of snowfall since its weekend arrival: 5 to 7 feet on Mount Baldy and 3 feet on Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel range northeast of Los Angeles. 

Winds gusting to 75 mph pushed so hard on boats tied up at a marina in Los Angeles harbor that two docks were ripped apart early Tuesday. About 20 people who live aboard boats were evacuated in the early morning hours. 

No one was hurt but a few of the nearly 40 boats that became adrift were heavily damaged, Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said. 

“Thank God nobody was hurt in this whole thing,” said Renee Carbajal, office manager at Cabrillo Way Marina. “It was a miracle.” 

Snow and rainfall were greater than normal primarily because the storm stalled as it reached the region, said Ray Tanabe, a National Weather Service meteorologist. 

“It’s a very slow moving storm so we’re affected by it a lot longer,” Tanabe said. “It’s a strong storm, but not unusually strong.” 

Rainfall totals since the storm arrived included 3.47 inches at Los Angeles International Airport, 3.34 inches in downtown Los Angeles, 4.47 inches in Beverly Hills and 7.32 inches at Live Oak Dam in eastern Los Angeles County. 

Gov. Gray Davis said the storm may have provided a silver lining for the state’s power crisis. 

“I’ve been in touch with the Department of Water Resources and they have informed me the storm has had a beneficial impact on our electricity situation,” Davis said.  

“It’s increased the capacity of our hydroelectric power. So while it is inconveniencing people, it does help us provide more electrons by producing more hydropower.” 

Snow shut Interstate 5 over 4,144-foot Tejon Pass through the Tehachapi Mountains northwest of Los Angeles. The California Department of Transportation estimated that the Grapevine section of I-5, which handles about 30,000 vehicles a day, may reopen sometime Wednesday. More than 100 trucks became stuck in snow Tuesday along the major route for north-south travel, said California Highway Patrol Officer Ruben Soliz. 

Two buses filled with children, including one returning to the San Joaquin Valley from Disneyland, had to be rescued on Interstate 5 by the CHP and Kern County sheriff’s deputies, officials said. 

Traffic on Highway 14 between the high desert Antelope Valley and the Los Angeles basin also moved under Highway Patrol escort. 

Antelope Valley Union High School District and Rim of the World district schools were closed because of snow. 

Traffic accidents plagued streets and freeways throughout the region. 

Three trucks crashed in the afternoon on the westbound Riverside Freeway near Corona, blocking four of five lanes, said CHP Officer Curtis Higgins. Several people were injured and up to 30 vehicles may have been involved in chain-reaction accidents, he said. 

The storm system arrived in Southern California on Sunday and may have played a role in five traffic deaths Monday, Lynch said. 

Authorities warned that saturated areas, especially areas denuded by fire on Palomar Mountain and in Alpine in San Diego County, as well as a burn area north of Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino County mountains, were vulnerable to slides. 

Trees and branches blown onto power lines caused scattered power outages for about 19,500 Southern California Edison Co. customers, said Tom Boyd, a company spokesman. Outages were reported in Monrovia, Compton, Long Beach, Huntington Beach and other areas. 

The storm also raised bacteria levels in the ocean off San Diego County, forcing authorities to close beaches from Coronado south to the border with Mexico. Urban runoff typically leads to an increase in bacteria levels at some beaches, which can remain high for at least 72 hours. 

LOS ANGELES — Police were searching Tuesday for a masked gunman who fired on an armored car guard outside a grocery store and fled with a bag of money. 

The robbery Monday was the latest in a string of attacks on armored cars in Southern California.  

Three guards have been killed and six people wounded in six months. 

The armored car guard was walking out of Jetro Wholesale Groceries in the Crenshaw area when the robber fired several shots, Officer Jason Lee said. 

No one was hit, he said, but the guard dropped a cash bag as he ran back into the store.  

The gunman took the bag and fled in a van with two other people. The stolen van was abandoned a few blocks away. 

In the past six months: 

• An armored car guard was killed and a second was wounded Feb. 5 in a holdup outside a North Hollywood supermarket. 

• A store guard was grazed by a bullet on Dec. 12 outside a South Central supermarket, and an armored car courier was shot in the back but escaped injury because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. 

• An armored car guard was found shot to death Dec. 7 in the vehicle after it was hijacked outside a West Hollywood bank. 

• Robbers shot an armored car guard to death Oct. 30 outside a bank in Ontario. 

• A bystander was killed and four people were wounded when robbers exchanged gunfire with an armored car guard outside a San Fernando Valley store on Aug. 13.

SAN FRANCISCO — Pushing forward with its aggressive plan to be all things to all people in the high-tech world, Hewlett-Packard Co. showed off a new portfolio of Internet software for businesses Tuesday. 

Executives displayed 25 new software products with key ingredients companies need to conduct business online, such as usage-based billing – rather than by monthly fee – and management of data storage space. HP has signed on such large customers as Samsung and Delphi Automotive Systems. 

The launch was aimed at “the new center of gravity” in business computing, a “move from the do-it-yourself model to ‘Do it for me,”’ Carly Fiorina, HP’s chief executive, president and chairwoman, said in a videotaped address played in a darkened hotel ballroom. 

HP is rolling out its software initiative as key competitors such as IBM Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also are increasing their Web-based services. 

HP claims its main advantage is flexibility: Users can buy individual pieces of the software, which is designed to work with programs created by other companies. In fact, executives repeatedly described HP’s open-source software as a bridge between Sun’s Java-based applications and those created for Microsoft’s .Net strategy. 

The move will be a key test of how well Fiorina has reshaped HP since taking the helm in 1999.  

HP missed the boat on the beginning of the Internet explosion, and Fiorina has streamlined and “reinvented” the $48 billion mammoth in hopes of making it a nimble and indispensable New Economy player. 

Software accounts for more than $2 billion of HP’s annual revenue, but that still is less than 5 percent of the overall business, which is dominated by computer and printer sales. In comparison, 18 percent of all information-technology spending worldwide goes for software, said Salomon Smith Barney analyst John B. Jones Jr. 

“Other than their network monitoring software, they have a reasonably low profile in the software industry,” Jones said.  

“They’ve been trying to increase their software content, but as a percentage of the business it remains quite small.” 

Because of its global presence, HP believes its software business can grow as much as 30 percent to 35 percent per year, said Eric Buatois, general manager for marketing and strategy in the software division. 

The new software lineup includes updates on some existing products and new offerings made available by the company’s $450 million acquisition of Bluestone Software Inc. of Philadelphia last fall.  

Bluestone specializes in the software infrastructure, or “middleware,” necessary for business applications on the Internet. 

HP shares rose 60 cents Tuesday to $33.20 on the New York Stock Exchange. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.hp.com 

NEW YORK — The New York Times Co.’s digital unit said Tuesday that it has agreed to provide content to Yahoo! News to broaden its readership. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

New York Times Digital said in a statement it will provide select articles from the national, politics, business, international, technology and arts sections ofNYTimes.com, newyorktoday.com and Boston.com. 

“We are committed to making the best content available to consumers and this agreement enables our readers to access articles from one of the world’s most well-respected news organizations,” said Matt Rightmire, vice president and general manager of Yahoo Media. 

Yahoo, based in Santa Clara, had 2000 revenue of $1.11 billion. New York Times had 2000 revenue of $3.49 billion. 

“We look forward to expanding our reach through this additional distribution channel and to providing Yahoo users with a new entrypoint to our sites and our high-quality content,” said Catherine Levene, vice president of strategy and business development for New York Times Digital. 

The New York Times Co. announced last month it was slashing 17 percent of the digital unit’s work force in the hopes of meeting its financial goals by the end of 2002. 

On the Web: 

http://www.nytco.com 

http://www.yahoo.com 

NEW YORK — Disgruntled investors sold stocks lower Tuesday, suffering a letdown after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan suggested interest rates will fall by a smaller amount than Wall Street wants. 

Greenspan’s remarks before a Senate committee overshadowed a retail sales report that indicated the economy isn’t quite as weak as the market has feared. Investors are worried that smaller rate cuts will take longer to reinvigorate the economy. 

“That’s sort of disappointing the markets,” said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer for First Albany Corp. 

The market saw Greenspan’s testimony as a sign to sell and lock in recent profits. Investors had been expecting the Fed, which in January twice dropped rates a half point, to lower rates by another half point in March. But analysts said the market is now concerned that the Fed might implement only a quarter-point adjustment, giving the economy less stimulus. 

“Investors are just a little less convinced that we are going to get the (economic) recovery that he is forecasting,” Johnson said. 

While Greenspan, who testified before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said he believes the economy will improve in the second half of the year, investors are less sure, Johnson said. 

“If the markets saw a recovery in the economy and earnings coming, we would have strong markets today,” Johnson said. 

A positive sign for the economy came earlier from the Commerce Department’s report that retail sales rose 0.7 percent during January, slightly ahead of analysts expectations and the biggest jump in four months. Consumers spent on a wide variety of goods, from cars to clothes to building supplies. 

The retail report “was an important piece of evidence to show the economy is not spiraling down into a recession,” said Charles H. Blood Jr., senior financial markets analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 

— The Associated Press 

Other blue chips fell as the retail spending news couldn’t compensate for investors’ disappointment over Greenspan’s testimony and their fears about the anemic economy. Citigroup slipped 86 cents to $54.59, and Coca-Cola lost 86 cents to close at $59.96. 

Most market analysts have been expecting lower borrowing costs to boost economic growth in the second half of the year, especially in the long-battered tech sector. 

Still, tech stocks, which have mostly suffered the weakest earnings in the slowing economy, trended lower on Tuesday. Intel lost $2.13 to close at $32.44, and Microsoft fell 56 cents to $58.19. But Hewlett-Packard rose 60 cents to $33.20. 

Advancing issues narrowly outnumbered decliners 16 to 15 on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume was 1.27 billion shares, compared with 1.23 billion at the same point Monday. 

The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller company stocks, finished down 2.78 at 502.57. 

Stocks closed lower in overseas trading. Japan’s Nikkei index fell 1.1 percent, Britain’s FT-SE 100 index slipped 0.2 percent, Germany’s lost 0.1 percent and France’s CAC-40 index declined 0.4 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 

WASHINGTON — Nearly two in three people who were pushed off welfare because they failed to follow the rules were not working after losing benefits, a three-city study finds.  

For those who left welfare on their own, it was the opposite: two out of three were at work. 

The study, released Tuesday by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, highlights the important role that sanctions, or punishments, have played in newly aggressive welfare programs.  

Sanctions got little attention during the national debate over welfare in 1995 and 1996, but they have been responsible for driving large numbers of people off state caseloads – in some states, they account for up to half of all those who have left. 

In this study, about 17 percent of those who lost benefits were being punished for failing to follow the rules.  

In most cases, participants failed to adhere to procedural requirements – missing a meeting with a caseworker or failing to file the right paperwork, the study found. Few were punished for refusing to work. 

Of those who were sanctioned, 35 percent reported getting a job. Among those who left welfare for some other reason, 67 percent were working. 

“Families that have had their benefits reduced or ended for not following the rules are among the most vulnerable in our study,” said Andrew Cherlin of Johns Hopkins, the lead researcher. In 1999, researchers interviewed about 2,500 families with children in low-income neighborhoods in Boston, Chicago and San Antonio, Texas.  

Of them, about 1,300 caregivers were receiving or had received cash welfare over the past two years. 

The study found that sanctions tended to affect families that were more vulnerable than other welfare families.  

They were poorer, more likely to say they were hungry, less likely to have a telephone or a car, more likely to use drugs and alcohol and more likely to live in a dangerous neighborhood. 

These findings are consistent with other studies, said LaDonna Pavetti, an authority on welfare sanctions at Mathematica Policy Research. 

She said people who are sanctioned are more likely to have a host of challenges that make it harder for them to work, including low literacy, mental health problems and drug or alcohol addictions. 

“These issues create a story of people who appear not able to comply or don’t understand what they are being asked to do,” she said.  

“We need to think of them as a vulnerable group more than as a group who says, ‘I’m not doing this’ and actively choosing not to comply (with welfare rules).”

WASHINGTON — The most vulnerable patients in the nation’s operating rooms, intensive care units and newborn wards won’t have enough able caregivers in 20 years because of a shrinking pool of registered nurses, health experts warned Congress on Tuesday. 

“When you visit your father after a coronary bypass or your mother in an Alzheimer’s unit, you expect a competent nurse to be there,” Linda Hodges, a nursing college dean from Arkansas, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions subcommittee on aging issues. 

“The current nursing and nurse educator shortages pose a major threat to ... society’s most vulnerable populations,” she said 

The hearing on how much the federal government should pay for recruiting or keeping nurses came as the Health and Human Services Department prepared to release new figures Wednesday on the nursing work force. 

Preliminary data provided by the Senate on Tuesday shows out of 2.7 million licensed registered nurses, 2.2 million were employed as nurses in 2000. That is compared with the 2.5 million licensed to practice, and 2.1 million employed in the 1996 government survey, conducted by the department’s Bureau of Health Professions. 

From 1996 to 2000, the average age of registered nurses has risen from 44.3 to 45.2, the Health Department figures show. 

Federal officials and nursing groups agree the nation will experience an acute shortage of registered nurses starting in 2010, when today’s nurses start to retire. 

But age isn’t the only factor. Experts said at the Senate hearing: Mid-career departures are cutting into the talent pool. Fewer young people are taking up the profession. And the 94 percent of women in nursing are increasingly finding doors opening in business, law and other male-dominated careers. 

“Nurses tell me they feel undervalued, overworked, and underpaid,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate panel. 

Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark., who chairs the subcommittee, said senators would introduce a plan in the next few weeks that would include grants for nursing scholarships and training programs. 

In the meantime, witnesses said, the need for specialized care is already eating into local and state budgets. For example: 

— Last November, nursing shortages forced Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to leave 10 percent of its surgical beds unfilled, delaying or canceling some surgeries. 

— In Arkansas 53 hospitals, most of them rural, reported 750 openings for registered nurses. 

— Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, more than doubled salaries to attract nurses to the weekend shifts. 

Health care needs are too unpredictable for hospitals not to be prepared with enough staff, said Brandon Melton, who oversees hiring for the Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives system of 120 not-for-profit health centers. 

“We have no control over flu outbreaks, highway accidents, or the scores of other emergencies that erupt on a daily basis,” he said. 

Witnesses called for an increased federal role. 

“Just as the nation has made finding, training and retaining police officers and teachers a national priority, we strongly urge President Bush and Congress to elevate nursing staff to a similar status,” said Dr. Charles H. Roadman, president of the American Health Care Association. 

The nonprofit network of 12,000 nursing care centers released its own study saying nursing homes would need to spend as much as $15 billion next year to fill their shortages. 

—— 

On the Net: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee: http://www.senate.gov/ 7/8labor/107Hearings/107hearings.htm 

In an attempt to shield consumers from an unstable energy market, the City Council will consider two long-term measures to take control of the city’s energy supply. 

The two priority proposals on tonight’s council agenda could immunize Berkeley from future energy shortages. One is forming a city-owned utility and the other is creating a cooperative in which Berkeley would purchase wholesale power on behalf of residents.  

Both proposals would require extensive evaluation and will not likely provide any financial relief to ratepayers during the present statewide energy crisis, now in its fifth week of Stage 3 power alerts. Since the crisis began electricity rates have gone up 9 percent and natural gas prices have spiked 200 percent.  

One possibility the city will look into is Community Aggregation in which city residents would form a cooperative to purchase power on the wholesale market. The power would then be delivered by PG&E via the existing infrastructure. PG&E would continue to bill residents and maintain the poles and wires that deliver energy to Berkeley homes. 

Under this option, to be viable, the cooperative would have to negotiate a considerably cheaper wholesale price from energy suppliers than PG&E does.  

According to a staff report prepared by the city’s Energy Department and the Budget and Fiscal Management Office, Berkeley could gain negotiating leverage by isolating its energy use according to regional climate.  

For example, Berkeley doesn’t use as much energy for air conditioning during the summer as Walnut Creek does, but Berkeley pays an average rate that partially subsidizes communities that use more electricity during hot weather. 

“By subdividing rate classes into smaller, more homogeneous groups, the charges can be closer to the actual cost of service,” according to the report. 

Berkeley would also have to keep its overhead lower than PG&E and greatly reduce profit margin, according to the staff report. 

The other option is the city running its own utility company. In this case Berkeley would purchase the city’s power infrastructure from PG&E. The city utility would be similar to Alameda’s which has run its own utility successfully for years. 

Berkeley would purchase and deliver energy as well as maintain the power lines and poles. It would also be responsible for administration of the system, including billing. 

Again, according to the staff report, Berkeley would have to be able to negotiate better wholesale energy prices than PG&E and in addition keep the operating overhead and system maintenance down to make this a viable option. Berkeley’s electricity delivery system is very old and would be expensive to maintain. Currently Berkeley’s system maintenance costs are averaged out with newer communities such as Hercules. 

There are substantial financial and legal issues that will have to be explored before the city could commit to either of these options. 

“A substantial investment of staff and financial resources will have to be committed to study these options,” the report says. 

The City Council will consider several other energy-related recommendations tonight including the city’s expected utility tax windfall.  

According to a staff report, the Budget and Fiscal Management Office estimates that Berkeley will receive $650,000 in increased taxes as a result of high utility costs.  

The council approved a Budget Review Commission recommendation that the city not profit from the energy crisis. It now collects a 7.5 percent tax on utilities. Councilmembers had hoped the city could ask the utility not to tax the rate hike, but PG&E, which collects the tax, has indicated that it would be too difficult to administer the tax break.  

Berkeley households would save approximately $5 per year, but city staff has determined that it would be too expensive for the city to mail out rebates.  

The staff report suggests the easiest thing to do would be route the money into an existing unspecified programs for low-income residents that “can be increased to provide this direct assistance quickly without much additional administrative burden.” 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong said there are a lot of creative minds in Berkeley and that she is looking forward to hearing the ideas of people who have been motivated by the current crisis. 

“I think people haven’t been challenged in a long time,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to hearing about possible solutions.” 

Tuesday, Feb. 13

“Great Decisions” - U.S. Trade Policy 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy. $5 single session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple  

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Stagebridge Free Acting  

& Storytelling Classes for  

Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Faye Carol Sings Lady Day 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St.  

A tribute to Billie Holiday including Lady Day’s most popular songs, including “Strange Fruit,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “God Bless the Child” and “You Let Me Down.” $15 848-6767 x609 or visit www.kpfa.org 

Planning Commission Public  

Hearing  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The commission is holding public hearings on the Planning Commission Draft General Plan. The commission requests that all written comments on the plan be submitted by March 1.  

Thursday, Feb. 15

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Basics of PCs 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley 

A class for adults that will cover file management, loading software, software management, downloading pages from the Web, and more. 

$30 - $35, registration required  

Call 642-5134  

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Natural Conversations 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” $10  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Kathleen Lynch and host Mark States. 644-0155 

Climbing Mt. Shasta 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Tim Keating of Sierra Wilderness Seminars will give a slide presentation on climbing and skiing this North California peak. 527-7377  

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. Call 869-2547 

“Religion, Power & the New Economy”  

1:30 - 3 p.m. 

Chapel of the Great Commission  

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave.  

A panel discussion featuring distinguished GTU alumni/ae, in celebration of Dr. James A. Donahue’s inauguration as President of the GTU. Call 649-2400 

West CAT Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church  

997 University Ave.  

Review the racial and health disparities issues and see the model of the community capacity building.  

Friday, Feb. 16

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting & Storytelling 

Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Feb. 17

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

—compiled by  

Chaosn Wainright 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail: berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dinner Dance Benefit Gala 

4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian Universalists hall  

1924 Cedar (at Bonita)  

Dance to the music of Toru Saitu & his band. Benefits BFUU.  

$10 donation  

Call 849-9508 

Free Puppet Show  

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health  

2230 Shattuck Ave., Lower Level  

The Kids on the Block, an award-winning puppet troupe that includes puppets of diverse cultures and puppets with medical conditions such as leukemia and spina bifida. Free 

Call 549-1564  

Sunday, Feb. 18

Ruth Acty Oral History Reception 

3 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society  

Veterans Memorial Building 

1931 Center St.  

In 1943 Miss Ruth Acty became the first African American teacher to be hired by the Berkeley Unified School District. She taught thousands of students until her retirement in 1985. Oral History Coordinator Therese Pipe interviewed Acty in 1993-94 for the Berkeley Historical Society. Free  

Waterfalls of Berkeley  

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART  

Sacramento at Delaware  

On this urban waterfall hike, discover three waterfalls along rushing creeks hidden in Berkeley neighborhoods. A free hike sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Kaleidoscope Performances  

2 p.m. 

Julia Morgan Center for the Arts  

2640 College Ave. (at Derby)  

Yassir Chadley, traditional Moroccan musician and Sufi storyteller.  

$5 - $10  

Call 925-798-1300 

Healthful Building Materials 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Learn about healthful materials in this seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

Tritium danger debated 

Can’t trust lab to evaluate hazards 

Editor: 

The report by IFEU, Berkeley’s independent science consultant hired to evaluate radiation related hazards from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab clearly shows that the lab is not to be trusted with determining risks to the public from its operations.  

IFEU has calculated that that a full release of the Tritium Facility’s inventory during an earthquake or fire would expose nearby people, the children and workers of the Lawrence Hall of Science museum and other downwind residents, to 3,700 times more radiation than LBNL admits. The report also concludes that overall the data on the past 20 years of tritium dumping and storage is so shoddy that we will never be certain whether huge amounts of unaccounted tritium inventory got dumped along with the declared releases and who may have been exposed. LBNL, desperate for any silver lining in this damning document, holds up their irresponsible and inadequate monitoring practices as evidence that there are no records of anyone receiving a dose of this penetrating radioactive carcinogen which is also linked to infertility and other genetic defects.  

And now LBNL , through their own Sampling Task Force, says that we can trust them to test their facility (which has been virtually shut down for almost four years).  

The only purpose of this farce is to get the Tritium Facility off the Superfund-eligible list and return to business as usual. The locale around the Tritiun site was nominated for Superfund status when random sampling showed the area to be highly contaminated.  

The air inside the LHS was found to be too radioactive for adults, nevermind children who are much more sensitive. How radioactive is this site? Early on, members of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste sent a random sample from the museum site to an independent lab in Ohio for analysis.  

One has to look far and wide to find technicians untainted by Dept. of Energy contracts or other affiliations. Not used to receiving samples with such high levels of radioactivity, that lab complained that their whole operation became contaminated and alarmedly wanted to know where the sample had originated from. And this is where we allow tens of thousands of children annually to visit. The Alameda County Board of  

Education still stands by their advisory that parents and teachers investigate and decide for themselves before traveling to the LHS, despite intense pressure from LBNL. The Berkeley  

City Council has repeatedly demanded closure and clean-up of the Tritium Facility.  

Where does LBNL get all the money it spends on its phony Task Force and other public relations scams? One way is to underpay their own firefighters who are understaffed with a high turnover rate.  

Facing some of the worst hazards that require special technical expertise, these workers can’t afford to live here and leave for better jobs. Those who remain live 2-3 hours away and are not available for emergency call-in. The firefighters are having an informational picket March 1. Heaven help us if the Tritium Facility should catch fire.  

Mark McDonald  

Berkeley 

Tritium is all around us: look at exit signs 

Editor: 

I have read with interest your article entitled “Lab poses health risk in fire, report says” (Feb. 7) where you trumpet the possible health risk associated with a hypothetical tritium release from a major fire at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Although such a major fire is very improbable and tritium at LBNL is stored in a chemically inert form as uranium tritide, one can always imagine a worst case scenario. 

Doubtlessly, you believe that such an exotic substance as tritium would only be found in secure research laboratories. What most people do not realize is that tritium is quite common and regularly encountered in every day life. Since tritium is one of the least dangerous radioactive substances, it is used widely in EXIT signs, luminous watches, luminous instrument dials, and airplanes. In fact, one distributor of tritium-filled EXIT signs, claims that his company sells 100,000 curies annually in the Bay Area. Since tritium has a twelve-year half life, the total inventory of tritium in the Bay Area probably exceeds one million curies. An informal survey indicates that tens of thousands of curies of tritium are being used in EXIT signs in Berkeley alone, a use that is sanctioned ironically under the State fire code. This tritium is stored in fragile glass tubes susceptible to breakage in a major fire or earthquake. 

Since Dr. Franke (author of the IFEU article) has postulated a worst case scenarios for the tritium stored at LBNL, I would like to postulate the same scenario for the EXIT signs. 

In this case the chemical form of the tritium is predominantly hydrogen which burns readily and can even react explosively with air. Since tritium-filled EXIT signs are widely used in buildings throughout Berkeley, large numbers of the public would be exposed in a major disaster. 

Since you may not be familiar with the tritium hotspots in downtown Berkeley, let me give you a few examples. One of my favorites is the bright red EXIT sign containing about 10 Curies of tritium that hangs over one of the exquisitely carved wooden doors of the downtown Berkeley Post Office. Suite 100 of the US Postal Service is one of the best places to view green tritium-filled EXIT signs up close, located throughout this building. If you look carefully, you can see the tiny yellow sticker with the radioactive warning label on the bottom right. With a magnifying glass, you can read the date when the ten or twenty year warranty on the sign expires on the bottom left. On the back side of each sign is a label stating that since the sign contains tritium, it should be returned to the manufacturer for proper disposal as radioactive waste when its warranty expires. Unfortunately, over 90 percent of the signs end up in the local dump. 

If you want to experience tritium at a basketball game, I recommend the UCB Haas Pavilion. If you would like to combine banking with with tritium, I recommend Citibank on Shattuck Ave. If browsing through a bookstore is more your style, try Barnes & Noble on Shattuck. If shopping is your pleasure, you may want to visit Ross Movie theaters are also a good place to experience tritium. If you want to see children at play next to tritium visit the Hall of Health or Habitot. Finally, one can even encounter tritium at newspaper offices, e.g the Berkeley Daily Planet office. 

In summary, tritium is not an exotic substance only used at LNBL, but rather common in our fair city. If downtown Berkeley were to be destroyed in an earthquake or in major fire, this tritium would be released and a large segment of the public would be exposed. For my part, I worry about the 90 percent of those tritium-filled EXIT signs that get thrown in the local dump. 

Gordon Wozniak, “acting chair” City of Berkeley's Community Environmental Advisory Commission, Scientist, LBNL. 

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership Feb. 16: The Bananas, Pitch Black, Shotwell, Pirx the Pilot, Rock & Roll Adventure Kids; Feb. 17: Lack of Interest, The Neighbors, Black Hands, Capitalist Casualties, Iron Lung; Feb. 18, 5 p.m.: Good Riddance, Missing 23rd, Fire Sermon, Lugosi 525-9926  

Albatross Pub All music at 9 p.m. unless noted Feb. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Feb. 14: Carlos Oliveira Brazilian Jazz Duo; Feb. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 20: pickPocket esemble; Feb. 21: Whiskey Brothers 1822 San Pablo 843-2473 

Ashkenaz Feb. 13, 9 p.m.: Danny Poullard & Friends, dance lesson at 8 p.m.; Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m.: Carlos Zialcita plays R&B, swing, and soul for lovers; March 24, 2 p.m. - 2 a.m.: Ashkenaz fourth annual dance-a-thon featuring Lavay Smith, African, Caribbean, reggae, Balkan, North African and cajun bands for 12 hours of nonstop dance music. 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Eli’s Mile High Club Feb. 9: Red Archibald; Feb. 10: Kenny Blue Ray; Feb. 16: Little Johnny & the Giants; Feb. 17: Ron Thompson; Feb. 23: Carlos Zialcita; Feb. 24: R.J. Mischo 3629 MLK Jr. Way Oakland  

Freight & Salvage All shows begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 8 & 9: Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys; Feb. 10: Baguette Quartette with Odile Lavault; Feb.11: Bob Franke 1111 Addison St. 548-1761  

Crowden School Sundays, 4 p.m.: Chamber music series sponsored by the school; Feb. 24, 8 p.m.: Cynthia & the Swing Set and the American Jubilee Dance Theatre. Free swing dance lesson, 7 p.m. New Orleans cajun and creole dinner to be served before dance lesson. $10 - $40 Benefits the Crowden School 1475 Rose St. (at Sacramento) 559-6910 

Tuva Space All shows at 7:48 p.m. Feb. 18: Saadet Turkoz seeks to evoke pictures and atmosphere by means of voice and music which transcend cultural boundaries. Saxophonist Eric Barber defies categorization; Feb. 19: Trio of Fred Frith, guitar, Pierre Tanguay, percussion, and Jean Derome, alto and bariton saxophones. $8 donation 3192 Adeline (at MLK Jr. Way) 649-8744  

Jazzschool/La Note All music at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 18: Sheldon Brown Group; Feb. 25: Lauri Antonioli; March 4: Ray Obiedo; March 11: Stephanie Bruce Trio; March 18: Wayne Wallace Septet $6 - $12 2377 Shattuck Ave.  

Cal Performances Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m.: Balinese Orchestra Gamelan Sekar Jaya present “Kawit Legong: Prince Karna’s Dream,” $18 - $30.; Feb. 20, 21, 23 & 24: In two separate programs the Netherlands Dans Theater I presents the work of former artistic director, Jiri Kylian $34 - $52 Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley. 642-9988 or www.calperfs.berkeley.edu Feb. 11, 3 p.m.: Horacio Gutierrez $24 - $42; Feb. 25, 3 p.m.: Prazack Quartet $32; Feb. 28, 8 p.m.: Clerks’ Group performs music from the Burgundian Courts; March 4, 3 p.m.: Baritone Nathan Gunn sings Brahms, Wolf, and a selection of American songs $36 Hertz Hall UC Berkeley 

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra April 3, and June 21, 2001. All performances begin at 8 p.m. Single $19 - $35, Series $52 - $96. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley 841-2800  

Percussions Du Guinee Feb. 16 & 17, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Internationally respected Guinean percussionists craft a performance simultaneously inspired by traditional music, yet modern in presentation. $20 - $25 925-798-1300 

Will Bernard & Motherbug and Ten Ton Chicken CD Release Party and Live Web Cast Feb. 17, 9 p.m. IMUSICAST Studios 5429 Telegraph Ave. (at 54th) Oakland $10  

“Dido and Aeneas” March 2, 8 p.m.; March 4, 2 p.m. A tale of English Baroque opera that follows the tale of Dido, queen of Corinth, as she is courted and won by Aeneas, conqueror and future founder of Rome. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra March 3, 8 p.m. David Ramadanoff conducts the orchestra in a program featuring Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and a suite from Piston’s ballet “The Incredible Flutist” $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300  

“In Song and Struggle” March 4, 4 - 10 p.m. Copwatch presents the second annual event bringing together some of the best women artists from around the Bay Area and beyond in commemoration of International Women’s Day. Artists include Shelley Doty, Rebecca Riots, Rachel Garlin, and many others. Call Copwatch, 548-0425  

“Mystic Journey” March 10, 8 p.m. Suzanne Teng and Mystic Journey are a unique contemporary world music ensemble, based in Los Angeles, making their Bay Area debut. $15 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. Call 925-798-1300 

“The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard Through Feb. 24, Friday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 8 p.m. $10 Live Oak Theatre 1301 Shattuck 528-5620 

“Nightingale” presented by Central Works Theater. Saturday, Feb. 24 & Saturday, March 3, 5 p.m.; Free preview Feb. 8, 8 p.m. $8 - $14 LaVal’s Subterranean 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-1381 

“Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank MacGuinness Feb. 15 - March 17, Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 p.m. The story of three men - an Irishman, an Englishman and an American held in a prison in Lebanon. $10 - $15 8th St. Studio Theatre 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 655-0813 

“New Territory” Presented by Terrain along wih the Choreographer’s Performance Alliance. An eclectic evening of dance and performance with a variety of choreographic styles and themes. $10 Western Sky Studio 2525 Eighth St. (at Dwight) 845-8604 

“Magnetic North” Six programs of experimental Canadian video from the past 30 years that range from documentary to conceptual art. In all, 40 tapes from 46 artists will be shown on six Wednesday evenings. Through Feb. 28. $7. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft (at Bowditch) 642-1412  

“Durruti and the Spanish Revolution” The LaborFest U.S. premiere screening and dicussion of this documentary which tells the story of the Confederation National del Trabajo during the Spanish Civil War. Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. $7 donation requested. La Pena Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. 415-642-8066 

“Toto Recall” A 15-film retrospective honoring Italy’s comic genius. Through Feb. 24 Weekend days only, Friday - Sunday. $7 for one film, $8.50 for double bills. Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

Berkeley Historical Society “Berkeley’s Ethnic Heritage.” An overview of the rich cultural diversity of the city and the contribution of individuals and minority groups to it’s history and development. Thursday through Saturday, 1 – 4 p.m. Free. 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

“Consecrations: Spirits in the Time of AIDS,” Through Feb. 24. An exhibit seeking to expand the understanding of HIV and AIDS and the people affected by them. Wednesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pro Arts Gallery 461 Ninth St., Oakland. 763-9425  

“Race & Femininity” Acrylic Paintings of Corinne Innis Paying homage to her subconscious, Innis uses rich colors in her acrylic paintings. Through Feb. 26; Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1 - 7 p.m. and by appointment. Women’s Cancer Resource Center 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 x307  

“Trees With Frosting” Stevie Famulari decorates landscapes with sugar and frosting, making her artwork edible and changeable by viewers. This particular display will remain for two months. Through February Skapades Hair Salon 1971 Shattuck Ave. 251-8080 or steviesart@hotmail.com 

“Dorchester Days,” the photographs of Eugene Richards is a collection of pictures portraying the poverty, racial tension, crime and violence prevalent in Richards’ hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts in the 1970s. Through April 6. UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism 121 North Gate Hall #5860 642-3383 

Boadecia’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 23: Becky Thompson reads “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage” 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington 559-9184. www.boadeciasbooks.com 

Cody’s Books All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted Feb. 13: Christie Kiefr talks about ‘Health Work for the Poor: A Practical Guide”; Feb. 15: Jason Lutes, cartoonist, will discuss his graphic presentation “Berlin: City of Stones”; Feb. 20: Becky Thompson discusses “Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother’s Love, Black Son’s Courage”; Feb. 21: Poetry of Gillian Conoley & Kathleen Fraser; Feb. 22: Alison Gopnik describes “The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind”; Feb. 23: Carol Field reads “Mangoes and Quince”; Feb. 25: Poetry of Martha Rhodes, Linda Dyer & Joy Manesiotis; Feb. 26: Terry McMillan reads from “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore All events at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27: Barbara Wagner, co-founder of Lost Frontiers, gives a slide presentation and talk about “Pakistan & the Lost Tribes of teh Hindu Kush”; Feb. 28: Travel writer Christopher Baker will read and talk about his 7000 miles motorcycle odyssey through Cuba as chronicled in his book “Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro’s Cuba” 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533  

“Strong Women - Writers & Heroes of Literature” Fridays Through June, 2001, 1 - 3 p.m. Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program. North Berkeley Senior Center 1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 549-2970  

Duomo Reading Series and Open Mic. Thursdays, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Feb. 8: Tom Odegard; Feb 15: Kathleen Lynch; Feb. 22: Charles Ellick; March 1: Eliza Shefler; March 8: Judy Wells; March 15: Elanor Watson-Gove; March 22: Anna Mae Stanley; March 29: Georgia Popoff; April 5: Barbara Minton; April 12: Alice Rogoff; April 19: Garrett Murphy; April 26: Ray Skjelbred. Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Holloway Poetry Reading Series Feb. 8, 8 p.m.: Carl Dennis and Jen Scappettone will read. Sponsored by the Department of English UC Berkeley Maude Fife Room (Room 315) Wheeler Hall UC Berkeley 653-2439  

Lunch Poems First Thursday of each month, 12:10 - 12:50 p.m. March 1: Aleida Rodrigues; April 5: Galway Kinnell; May 3: Student Reading Morrison Room, Doe Library UC Berkeley 642-0137 

Class Dismissed Poetry Posse March 2, 7:30 p.m. Afro-Haitian dancers, Dance Production dancers, the BHS poetry slammers, an opening a capella number and a few surprises. A benefit for a Berkeley High school student trip to Cuba. $5 - $10 Little Theater Berkeley High School 2246 Milvia St.  

“Escape from Villingen” Feb. 10, 10:30 a.m. Dwight Messimer will be reviewing his new book dealing with POW escapees Great War Society 640 Arlington Ave. 527-7118 

Mick LaSalle Feb. 11, 6 p.m. S.F. Chronicle film critic, LaSalle will read from his book “Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood.” After the reading two Pre-Code films will be screened, “Design for Living” and “A Free Soul.” $7 Pacific Film Archive 2575 Bancroft Way 642-1412 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. 848-7800  

The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2  

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. 486-0623  

Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting.  

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Centennial Drive, behind Memorial Stadium, a mile below the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley. 643-2755 or www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/  

The gardens have displays of exotic and native plants. Tours, Saturday and Sunday, 1:30 p.m. $3 general; $2 seniors; $1 children; free on Thursday. Daily, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. 

Lectures 

Berkeley Historical Society Slide Lecture & Booksigning Series Sundays, 3 - 5 p.m. $10 donation requested Feb. 25: “Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin,” Gray Brechin will discuss the impact and legacy of the Hearsts and other powerful early families; March 11: Director of Berkeley’s International House, Joe Lurie, will show a video and dicuss the history and struggle to open the I-House 70 years ago; March 18: “Topaz Moon,” Kimi Kodani Hill will discuss artist Chiura Obata’s family and the WWII Japanese relocation camps. Berkeley Historical Center Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. 848-0181 

“Great Decisions” Foreign Policy Association Lectures Series Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon, Feb. 13 - April 3; An annual program featuring specialists in the field of national foreign policy, many from University of California. Goal is to inform the public on major policy issues and receive feedback from the public. $5 per session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple. Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 526-2925 

Ruth Acty Oral History Feb. 18, 3 - 6 p.m. In honor of Black History Month, Therese Pipe will present the history of Acty, who became the first African American teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District in 1943. Berkeley Historical Society Veterans Memorial Building 1931 Center St. Admission free 848-0181 

Glendale Path, as seen from Fairlawn Drive, runs three blocks west to the La Loma-Glandale Park. It is not passable in its entirety. Path  

aficionados from the Berkeley Path  

Wanderers’  

Association say it should be. They want the path easily  

negotiable not only for folks out for a stroll and those  

walking to town, but for emergency  

situations. They point out that there is a need for east-west escape routes from the hills in case of fire.  

Glendale Path was put on a list of  

priority paths for upgrades after the 1991 hills fire, but has not been maintained. Upgrades to the Glandale Path are on tonight’s council agenda.

In a landmark case, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Berkeley telefundraiser Marketing Services Group, Inc. Direct to negotiate a contract with its employees. 

The effort to unionize goes back two years, said telemarketer and artist Chandra Garsson, who has worked for New York-based MSGI and its predecessor for five years. 

Garsson said she feels good about her work, raising money for nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood and the Portland Art Museum.  

But, she says she needs a decent hourly wage, health care, sick days off and a comfortable chair in which to work.  

“It’s very expensive to live in the Bay Area,” she said. 

Two years ago Garsson and some of her co-workers decided they would form a union in order to get what they wanted. So they went to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which agreed to help. The workers attempted to form a union by “card check,” with most the about 70 workers signing authorization cards.  

When a majority of a company’s workers sign authorization cards, a union is formed – as long as the employer agrees. 

But manager Norris Mottley rejected the union, Garsson said. 

Mottley told the Daily Planet he had “no comment” on this story. 

After Mottley turned down the card check, workers then went on to hold a National Labor Relations Board-sanctioned vote in June 1999. They lost the election. Garsson claims the loss was due to flagrant labor law violations on the part of MSGI management. 

She said management held meetings the employees had to attend to address issues related to the union. These kinds of meetings are not permitted under the labor code. 

In particular, Garsson said management threatened to take away the workers’ flexible hours, something Garsson said they cherished. The flexible work hours allow Garsson to practice her art and to earn a living by telefundraising. When she has a grant or has sold a piece of art, she works fewer hours, but other times, she works more. 

She also accused management of “packing the unit,” hiring more workers than were needed to dilute the pool of pro-union workers. 

At the same time, the company tried to buy off the workers. “They gave us all across the board raises and bought new ergonomic chairs,” she said.  

Arthur Krantz of Leonard, Carder, Nathan, Zuckerman, Ross, Chin and Remar agreed that the workers were being treated unfairly and took the case to a National Labor Relations Board hearing, which was held before an administrative law judge. That process began about nine months ago and may drag on for months into the future, he said. 

Hoping that the workers could get relief more quickly, Krantz went to Federal District Court to try to get a judge to force management to the bargaining table. The judge wrote a “cease and desist” order, telling management not to violate labor laws, but did not order the company to accept a negotiated contract, Krantz said. So the attorney took the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and won. 

“The company is obligated to bargain with the union,” Krantz said, noting that it is the first time the Ninth Circuit Court has issued this type of order. “This is truly a landmark ruling.”  

The workers will be forming a bargaining committee in the next few weeks and negotiations on a contract should start soon thereafter. 

“It’s been a very long journey,” Garsson said. “It feels well worth it.”

At tonight’s meeting the City Council will likely authorize the city manager to enter a contract for an $135,000 Environmental Impact Report for the long-awaited new fire station in the Berkeley Hills.  

In November 1992 voters approved Measure G, a general obligation bond that provided $55 million over 20 years to seismically upgrade all of the city’s fire stations and build a new, jointly funded and operated, fire station in the Berkeley Hills with Oakland. 

Oakland later bailed out of the plan and Berkeley is now on track to build and run its own new fire station near Shasta and Park Gate roads about seven blocks from Station No. 7, in the north hills area. 

In December the city hired an architect to seek community input and begin schematic drawings. Now the city has chosen Oakland consultants Lamphier Associates to carry out the EIR. Lamphier was the only consulting firm to make a bid on the project. 

Organic food program may expand 

Mayor Shirley Dean has recommended the City Council adopt a program similar to the Food and Nutrition Policy for the Berkeley Unified School District for all city programs involving the regular preparation of food. 

Currently the school district has a policy that emphasizes organic food preparation for all meals and snacks. Dean would like to see that program extended to include youth centers, summer camps and senior centers. 

The goals of the school district program include assurance there are hungry students, to promote better eating habits and to ensure served foods be as organic as possible. 

Dean is asking the city manager to determine costs and report back to the City Council. 

Five-year lease for library’s friends 

The city manager has recommended the City Council extend the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library’s lease on a 1,000 square-foot retail space in the Sather Gate Mall. 

In 1998 the city leased the space to Friends of the Library, which sells city memorabilia and used books in the space, for one year with a option for another year for the nominal rent of $1 per month.  

Since that time, the non-profit has raised $113,000 for the Berkeley Public Library. The new lease will be for five years at the same monthly rate. 

Affordable housing proposed for parking lot 

Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek has recommended the City Council adopt a policy that the Ashby BART Station parking lot be developed with affordable housing and made available for public sector workers. 

According to the recommendation the relocation of the parking lot and Berkeley Fleamarket, which has occurred on the parking lot every Saturday for many years, should be considered if necessary. 

The recommendation says that public workers are unable to purchase homes in the current real estate market and providing housing for them in Berkeley would ease parking and traffic problems because they would be more likely to walk or take public transportation to work. 

The City Council Meeting will be held at 2180 Milvia St. in the City Council Chambers at 7 p.m. The meeting will also be broadcast live on KPFB Radio, 89.3 and Cable B-TV (Channel 25).

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court denied Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski’s bid for a trial Monday, saying he failed to present evidence he was coerced into pleading guilty to three fatal mail bombings. 

Kaczynski, who entered his plea in January 1998 in a mail-bombing spree that killed three people and injured 23, had told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals he felt pressured to plead guilty as a way to avoid being portrayed as mentally ill by his defense attorneys. 

But Kaczynski “admits that this is speculative and that no proof for it is possible,” Judge Pamela Ann Rymer wrote in the 2-1 decision. 

Kaczynski had claimed a federal judge violated his rights by allowing his lawyers to use his mental condition as a defense, over his objections, and denying his request to represent himself. He had wanted a trial even if it meant getting the death penalty but was given a life sentence in exchange for his guilty plea. 

Kaczynski pleaded guilty in 1998 to a nearly 20-year bombing spree. Kaczynski, 58, dubbed the Unabomber, led authorities on the nation’s longest and costliest manhunt before his arrest at his remote Montana mountain cabin in 1996. 

In correspondence with The Associated Press, Kaczynski said he was innocent. 

“People sometimes plead guilty without being so simply because that may represent their least undesirable alternative in a given legal situation,” he wrote in one of two letters to The AP. 

The Justice Department initially sought a death sentence for Kaczynski but accepted a life sentence after a court-ordered psychiatric examination, conducted over his objections, concluded he was a paranoid schizophrenic. 

He said in his appeal that it was necessary to plead guilty to avoid a trial at which he would be portrayed as mentally ill by his court-appointed defense attorneys. 

In handwritten court papers, Kaczynski referred to himself in the third person and wrote that the guilty pleas “were induced by the threat of a mental-state defense that Kaczynski would have found unendurable, as well as by deprivation of constitutional rights.” 

The Unabomber wrote that his “counsel’s portrayal of him as a grotesque lunatic would have been broadcast nationwide, and this was a prospect that anyone might have found unendurable. Suicide to avoid public humiliation is by no means unknown.” 

Kaczynski attempted suicide in jail after his lawyers told him of their plans. 

The Unabomber told The AP that if he was granted a new trial, he might argue that the government falsified evidence against him. 

“I may use, for example, a defense that will emphasize, among other things, the dishonesty and incompetence of the FBI,” he wrote to The AP. 

Michael Mello, author of “The United States of America versus Theodore John Kaczynski,” said Kaczynski deserved a trial. 

“Had he been able to hire his own lawyers, he would have been represented in a way if we were paying $300 per hour,” Mello said. “He was too poor to hire Johnnie Cochran and company.” 

In a sole dissent, Judge Stephen Reinhardt agreed with Mello’s conclusion. 

“This case involves the right of a seriously disturbed individual to insist upon representing himself at trial, even when the end result is likely to be his execution,” Reinhardt wrote. 

Kaczynski wrote to the court that he “repeatedly made it clear to his attorneys that if presented with a choice between life imprisonment and a death sentence, he would just as soon have the death sentence.” 

The Harvard-trained mathematician turned Montana recluse is serving a life sentence at a federal maximum-security prison in Florence, Colo., for the string of Unabomber attacks between 1978 and 1995. Two were killed in Sacramento and the other in New Jersey. 

The government labeled him the Unabomber because many of his attacks were directed at university scholars. Kaczynski’s writings have connected the attacks to his campaign against what he considered the tyranny of technology. 

J. Tony Serra, a prominent San Francisco defense attorney who volunteered to represent Kaczynski, said the Unabomber, if granted a new trial, would have needed to put on a so-called “political defense” as his only, albeit slim, chance of avoiding a death sentence. 

Serra said that Kaczynski told him during a prison visit more than a year ago that the Unabomber told him that “he always wanted to go to trial. He wanted to air his principles, his ideology behind his actions. He thinks he was saving the world.” 

Timothy McVeigh offered a similar and unsuccessful political defense, claiming he killed 168 people by blowing up a federal building in Oklahoma City as retribution for the FBI’s attack on the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. 

——— 

On the Net: 

9th Circuit opinions: http://www.ce9.uscourts.gov/ 

The case is United States vs. Kaczynski, 99-16531. 

FRESNO — Mariposa Superior Court officials decided Monday to reverse a policy that required criminal background checks for reporters covering the murder trial of Yosemite killer Cary Stayner. 

The court withdrew the requirement after news organizations and a public interest group said it violated press freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, said Michael Berest, the court’s executive officer. 

Reporters who consented to the background checks can have their file destroyed or can pick it up from the sheriff’s office, Berest said. Courtroom credentials will be issued to reporters who met other requirements for the press pass, including employment verification from their news organizations. 

The news director at KSEE-TV in Fresno said he was relieved the court rescinded the policy. Seven reporters and photographers from the station had submitted their fingerprints. 

“From the beginning it was a concern for us on why they needed that information on our crews,” said news director Chris Long. “We had talked to the folks in Mariposa and they said, ‘That’s the way it’s got to be,’ so we were just complying with it as best we could.” 

The policy went unchallenged until The Associated Press refused to comply last week. That was followed by complaints from newspaper editors, media lawyers and the California First Amendment Coalition, a group concerned with open government, free speech and free press issues. 

In a sharply worded letter to the county’s lawyer Friday, Kent Pollock, the First Amendment Coalition’s executive director, called the policy a “highly intrusive, utterly arbitrary invasion of privacy on professionals whose work is protected from governmentally imposed burdens.” 

Pollock also said the policy likely violated the civil rights of reporters who consented to the review. He said the coalition would provide legal representation for reporters who felt their rights had been violated. 

As of Thursday, 16 reporters had cleared the background checks. About 30 other background checks were pending, said Lt. Brian Muller of the sheriff’s office. Muller couldn’t be reached Monday for more current totals. 

Under the policy, reporters who did not have a press pass to cover Stayner’s case in federal court were required to submit their fingerprints, which were run through a state Department of Justice computer to check whether they had a criminal record. 

Friday was the deadline to submit the fingerprints, but the policy – intended to improve security in the 147-year-old courthouse – was suspended while court officials reconsidered the measure. 

Stayner, 39, is awaiting trial for the murder of three park tourists two years ago. 

Carole Sund, her daughter, Juli, and their friend, Silvina Pelosso, disappeared while staying at the Cedar Lodge, where Stayner worked as a handyman.  

Their bodies were found a month later and Stayner reportedly confessed to the killings. Stayner is already serving a life sentence for murdering a woman who led children on nature tours at the park.  

A preliminary hearing is scheduled March 5, but it will likely be postponed. Stayner’s lawyer asked to continue the case until April 26 because she has another trial at that time. 

On the Net: 

California First Amendment Coalition: http://www.cfac.org

LOS ANGELES — The deaths of a carjacking victim and her alleged attacker, who committed suicide, could have been prevented if a mental hospital and a jail had provided proper care for the man, his mother said Monday. 

Joshua Daniel Lee, 22, committed suicide in his Los Angeles County jail cell Friday, after being released from the jail’s mental health unit to its general population, where he was placed in a single cell. 

Police said he confessed to the fatal Jan. 30 stabbing of Diane Bragg, 66, of Bel Air after trying to take her car in a shopping mall parking lot in suburban Redondo Beach. 

“He should have been getting help and Mrs. Bragg would still be alive,” Lee’s mother Victoria Ainsworth said of her son’s release from a mental hospital after three days of treatment earlier in January. 

He was kept in restraints at the hospital, then “they sent him in a taxi to my father’s house without notifying anyone,” she claimed. 

Jail officials and spokesmen for Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center in Hawthorne did not immediately return telephone calls Monday. 

Lee was being held in a cell that is checked hourly when he was found hanging from a bedsheet at 12:42 a.m. Friday, sheriff’s deputies said. 

“He was placed in a mental health ward and then released to the general jail population after an early diagnosis of schizophrenia,” Mrs. Ainsworth said at a news conference outside the county’s Twin Towers jail. 

“I begged them to watch Joshua,” his mother said. She said jailers gave her little information about her son’s death “except that he killed himself.” 

“I’m here today to ask everyone — to help me in getting answers,” she said. “I want to make sure no one will suffer like the Braggs and our family.” 

“In the very words of what the police department told me, you can’t do anything until they hurt someone or hurt themselves,” she said, describing laws applying to the care of mental patients. 

While he was hospitalized he was given two medications normally used for psychotic patients, she said. 

Family attorney Glen Jonas contends county officials and mental hospital officials have yet to answer questions posed on behalf of the family. 

About the lack of a suicide watch, Jonas asked: “Who made that decision and why did they make that decision? They were aware of his mental health problems and then he was released into the general population.” 

Mrs. Ainsworth said she has been a nurse for 20 years, and she told hospital and jail officials about signs of her son’s mental illness, first exhibited in August. 

“He would have periods of normality. But at times there was apathy, delusions, hallucinations, anti-social withdrawal, agitation and emotional unresponsiveness,” she said. 

Before the mall stabbing, Lee had some “minor brushes” with the law, including “breaking into a car and stealing a beer when he was 18,” his mother said. 

“Josh liked to smoke pot, that’s it,” she said of problems before he confronted Mrs. Bragg — reportedly to obtain her SUV so he could leave town. 

LOS ANGELES — State officials Monday received more time to negotiate a bailout with the state’s nearly bankrupt utilities after a federal judge denied Southern California Edison’s request for an immediate rate increase. 

After the ruling, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said an Edison victory Monday “would have provided a weapon to use against the state” in negotiations with the utilities. 

In a statement, Gov. Gray Davis also praised the ruling. He has said he hopes to have a debt-relief plan ready for consideration by Friday. 

“To the extent that it provides time to work on a comprehensive solution, this is a positive event,” said Assemblyman Fred Keeley, D-Boulder Creek, the lawmaker who wrote the bill allowing the state to enter long-term contracts to buy power. 

Proposals floated in the Legislature have included taking over the utilities’ transmission lines or hydroelectric dams or receiving stock options in the companies in exchange for financial assistance. 

Senate leader John Burton, D-San Francisco, has introduced a bill that would have the state buy the utilities’ transmission lines, which constitute about 60 percent of the state’s electric grid. The bill would also create a public power authority to operate the transmission lines. 

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew Monday refused to grant Edison’s request for a preliminary injunction, which would have forced the California Public Utilities Commission to raise electricity rates within seven days. 

Edison had wanted rates raised by 1 cent per kilowatt hour per year for three years in an attempt to recoup about $2.5 billion in past wholesale electricity costs. 

Edison sued the PUC in November for refusing to lift a rate freeze that has been in effect since the state deregulated its utilities in 1996. The company wants to pass on to ratepayers wholesale electricity costs, which have skyrocketed since last summer. 

Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric say they have lost nearly $13 billion. Both are seeking to raise rates through the federal court. 

The judge’s ruling allows a trial on the underlying merits of the suit to go forward. No trial date was set, but a hearing was scheduled for March 5. 

Consumer groups praised the decision. 

“Edison’s attempts to achieve immediate rate relief were designed to increase the pressure on Sacramento for a legislated bailout,” Nettie Hoge, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, said. 

TURN, along with Los Angeles County, were allowed Monday to intervene in the federal case Monday. Judge Lew said both groups would contribute expertise necessary to unravel the complex issues in the case. 

Wall Street analysts said Monday’s decision alone would not move Edison closer to bankruptcy 

“The creditors are probably frustrated because they did lose leverage,” Linda Byus, an analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, said. “But I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interest to see these companies go bankrupt.” 

A spokesman for Reliant Energy, one of the state’s largest suppliers of electric power, said Reliant would not immediately try to force Edison into involuntary bankruptcy. 

“We have not said that at ’X’ time or if ’X’ happens, we’ll start with proceedings,” Richard Wheatley said. “We continue to stand by the fact this is just another step in a long and arduous process” 

Reliant joined last Friday with Dynegy Inc. and Mirant to form a creditor’s committee “to explore options for receiving payment” from the state’s Independent System Operator and two investor-owned utilities. 

Edison does face a deadline Tuesday, when a group of banks will decide whether to extend a deadline on payments Edison owes. The utility said it would not speculate on what was likely to happen. 

Shares of Edison’s parent company, Edison International, fell 57 cents Monday to close at $12.53. Shares of PG&E fell 50 cents to close at $12.55. 

The central issue in the lawsuit now is whether the power purchases Edison made since wholesale prices began to skyrocket last summer were “reasonable” 

The PUC has claimed Edison could have paid less for power from other sources, making a huge rate hike unnecessary. 

Lew chastised Edison for characterizing a ruling he made Jan. 8 as a victory for the utility. Edison has said Lew’s ruling meant that the federal government, not the state, has authority over wholesale rates. 

Lew said Monday his decision was not as sweeping as Edison described. 

“The plaintiff’s description of the ruling is flatly wrong,” Lew said. 

Lew said his ruling was more narrow in scope and said the merits of the case will hinge on the review of Edison’s power purchases, a comment that drew praise from the PUC. 

“The judge never ruled against us on the merits of the case,” PUC attorney Harvey Morris said outside the courtroom. 

The lawsuit may be combined with a similar suit filed by PG&E. The two utilities serve nearly 9 million residential and business customers throughout California. 

Meanwhile, California entered a fifth consecutive week under a Stage 3 alert on Monday as power reserves threatened to fall below 1.5 percent. 

A statewide cold snap strained already tight resources and several power plants remained down for repairs and maintenance, said Stephanie McCorkle with the Independent System Operator, overseer of the state’s power grid. 

LOS ANGELES — A set of advocacy groups that have their own stake in the state’s power crisis will unveil a 13-point plan Tuesday aimed at preventing rate increases for lower income customers and creating a public power authority for the wholesale market. 

The coalition of environmental groups, consumer advocates and unions that have complained about being left out of negotiations said the state’s three largest utilities should be saved from bankruptcy. 

The groups, which include the Sierra Club and The Utility Reform Network, were brought together by the California Labor Federation. 

The plan’s recommendations were drafted over the last two weeks.  

One of the ideas listed in the plan proposes a three-tiered rate system with a low-cost base rate, a higher tier for consumption above the base, and a third rate for excessive consumption. 

The coalition also recommends the California Public Utilities Commission inspect power plants to ensure they are properly maintained. Many plants currently don’t fall under the PUC’s jurisdiction. 

“Corporate interests seek to capitalize on a crisis mentality to weaken labor and environmental protections,” the groups said. “Workers and the environment should not bear the burden of repairing the damage caused by corporate greed and mismanagement.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Napster Inc.’s free song-swapping experiment was imperiled Monday by a federal appellate court’s decision that the company must halt what millions of Internet users have come to enjoy: the unrestricted sharing of copyright recordings. 

Though Napster vowed to fight the ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the company’s music free-for-all may be doomed. The ruling, affecting some 50 million Napster subscribers, is a landmark in the dawning, uncertain age of digital entertainment distribution. 

“I’m bumming,” said John Nock, 35, of Morgantown, W.Va., who said the ruling could prevent him from mixing more tapes for his June wedding. “I’ve actually coordinated the whole music program off Napster. I got all the fun dance and good-time music. The love portion, I’m going to have to do it the old-fashioned way.” 

A three-judge panel of the appeals court said it was apparent that “Napster has knowledge, both actual and constructive, of direct infringement.” 

And the panel said, in generally upholding a lower court judge’s injunction that would shut down Napster, that the recording industry “would likely prevail” in its suit against the file-swapping service. 

The heavy metal group Metallica, the first band to demand its songs be removed from Napster, said the ruling reaffirmed the right of artists not to have their music exploited. 

“We are delighted that the court has upheld the rights of all artists to protect and control their creative efforts,” the band said in a statement. “Napster was wrong in taking not only Metallica’s music, but other artists who do not want to be a part of the Napster system.” 

Napster CEO Hank Barry said the company would appeal in hopes of getting a larger panel of the Ninth Circuit to review the case. He called on Napster users to lobby Congress and said the company would do everything it could to remain alive. 

Napster can stay in business until U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel retools her injunction, which the appellate court called overbroad. No hearing date has been set. 

Minutes after the panel’s decision, thousands of Napster users were trading more than 1.5 million files on just one of the company’s more than 100 servers. And even if Napster folds, there are plenty of alternatives. 

“We’ll all find a way to get around it,” said Faisal Reza, 20, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “People who want music will always be one step ahead of people trying to stop them.” 

In the 58-page opinion, the three-judge panel told the lower court judge to focus her injunction more narrowly on the copyright material and direct the Redwood City-based company to remove links to users trading copyright songs stored as MP3 files. 

Napster has argued it is not to blame for its subscribers’ use of copyright material, citing the Sony Betamax decision of 1984, in which the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hold VCR manufacturers and videotape retailers liable for people copying movies. 

But the appeals court said no such protection extends to Napster because the company clearly knew its users were swapping copyright songs. 

“It’s time for Napster to stand down and build their business the old-fashioned way. They must get permission first,” said Hilary Rosen, president and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America. “The court of appeals found that the injunction is not only warranted, but required. And it ruled in our favor on every legal issue presented.” 

The appeals panel said Napster may be liable when it fails to patrol its system to preclude access to potentially infringing files. The extent of that liability could be determined at a trial. 

The panel said Patel’s injunction was overbroad because it placed the entire burden on Napster of ensuring that no “copying, downloading, uploading, transmitting or distributing” of works occur. Instead, the court said, the music industry must warn Napster that copyright work is on the site before Napster “has the duty to disable access.” 

Copyright attorney Larry Iser said the order means the industry must provide a detailed accounting of what titles it wants Napster to remove from its search index, a move that is likely to doom Napster. 

Napster attorney David Boies, in an earlier filing with the appeals court, said it was technologically impossible for the Internet site to abide by such an order. 

Major record labels hope Monday’s ruling will force millions of computer users to pay for music the online music swapping service has allowed them to get for free. 

The digital music technology Napster made popular is here to stay either way. The recording industry appears stymied by the notion of funneling music to consumers via the Internet for a price while freely available computer applications allow even the computer novice to do it for free. 

The five largest record labels – Sony, Warner, BMG, EMI and Universal – sued as soon as Redwood City-based Napster took off, saying it could rob them of billions of dollars in profits. 

In May 1999, Napster founder Shawn Fanning released software that made it easy for personal computer users to locate and trade songs they had stored as computer files in the MP3 format, which crunches digital recordings down to manageable lengths without sacrificing quality. 

The concept of “peer-to-peer” song trading quickly proved too popular to contain. As Napster users grew by the millions, other file-sharing programs also popped up, such as Gnutella and Freenet. And the labels themselves are looking to use the same technology, only with paying subscribers and secure digital formats that prevent copying. 

“What this means is that peer-to-peer distribution models may not be the best way to go,” said analyst P.J. McNealy of the Gartner research firm. “The big bullseye has now been turned on Gnutella.” 

After the appellate judges began deliberating in October, Napster made agreements with former business foes like Bertelsmann AG, the parent company of the BMG music unit. The German media giant has promised much-needed capital if Napster switches to a subscription-based service that pays artists’ royalties. 

“Today’s decision is another step in the process of accommodating the legitimate rights of copyright holders and the important interests of Napster users,” Bertelsmann said in a statement. “Bertelsmann is committed to implementing a win-win strategy, one that secures and compensates the rights of artists, copyrights holders and the music industry while also enabling Napster to provide music lovers with a first-class file-sharing system.” 

The other four major labels are holding out for Napster’s demise. 

Phil Leigh, a digital music analyst at Raymond James and Associates, said while the decision will make it hard for Napster to continue operating it also could lead to legislation setting up a licensing scheme in which Web sites pay record companies a fee for the right to offer downloads of their catalogues. 

“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a consumer backlash that would lead Congress to get involved and set up some mandatory licensing for the Internet,” Leigh said. “What we could see here is a replication of what happened in the broadcast radio business in the 1930s. Originally what they had to do was pay egregious license fees. And eventually what resulted was statutory licenses, mandatory licenses.” 

On the Net: 

Napster: http://www.napster.com 

Recording industry: http://www.riaa.com 

EMusic: http://www.emusic.com 

MP3: http://www.mp3.com 

Ninth Circuit: http://www.ce9.uscourts.gov 

NEW YORK — Investors piled back into blue chip stocks Monday, sending the market broadly higher and reversing some of last week’s sharp declines. 

Traders were looking ahead to testimony Tuesday from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who has already eased some of Wall Street’s anxiety about the economy with two interest rate cuts this year. 

Ronald J. Hill, an investment strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York, said investors were hoping Greenspan would offer more hints of further interest rates cuts during his biannual assessment of the state of the economy before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. “My sense is that he’s going to stress that the economy needs more help to reaccelerate, setting the stage for additional rate reductions,” Hill said. “That’s the most important thing investors need to know.” 

The Fed twice lowered interest rates a half a percentage point during January, and further easing is anticipated. Most economists expect the rate reductions to boost economic growth in the second half of the year. 

Meanwhile, there was interest in biotech stocks as scientific magazines published for the first time the complete human genome map and sequence. The journal Nature is publishing the work of a public consortium, and the journal Science is publishing the sequence by Celera Genomics, a Rockville, Md., company. 

Shares of companies that specialize in telecommunications fiber-channel products fell sharply after U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray lowered its investment rating on Emulex to neutral because of lowered first-quarter earnings estimates. 

— The Associated Press 

Emulex plunged $37.13 to $40.38, while shares in QLogic Corp. plummeted $15.56 to $54.81, and shares in Brocade Communications Systems dropped $11.13 to $63. 

Financial and pharmaceutical stocks, which have been popular with buyers in search of stable investments, also were up, and there was some recovery in retail stocks. 

Federated Department Stores was up $2.35 at $43.50, while Kmart rose 32 cents to $8.74. Gap gained $1.01 cents to $28.01, and J.C. Penney rose 39 cents to $14.35. 

The gains marked a distinct reversal from last week, when bad news from a number of tech bellwethers including Lucent Technologies, Cisco Systems and Dell Computer led to a selloff that wiped out much of the Nasdaq’s gains from the month before. 

Advancing issues outnumbered losers by about 3 to 2 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 1.23 billion shares, down from 1.28 billion on Friday. 

The Russell 2000 index rose 8.30 to 505.35. 

Stocks closed higher in overseas trading. Japan’s Nikkei index rose 2.17 percent, while in London, the FT-SE 100 index gained 1.25 percent. Frankfurt’s DAX index was up 1.04 percent and in Paris, the CAC 40 index rose 0.82 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com 

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com 

HONOLULU — The Navy will use a deep-sea robot to investigate the ocean floor where a Japanese fishing vessel sank after it was struck by a U.S. submarine, a Navy spokeswoman said Monday. 

Lt. Col. Christy Samuels, spokeswoman for the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, said no decision about a salvage operation had been made. She did not say when the remote-controlled submersible would be dropped. 

The possibility of a salvage operation –which has been urged by the Japanese – was the subject of a meeting planned Monday between Adm. Dennis Blair, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and Yoshitaka Sakurada, Japan’s parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs. 

The Ehime Maru went down in 1,800 feet of water nine miles from Honolulu on Friday after it was hit by the surfacing USS Greeneville. Twenty-six people were rescued, but nine are missing and feared dead. 

The Navy and Coast Guard have searched more than 5,000 square miles with no signs of the missing, who include four Japanese students, two instructors and three crewman. 

Anguished relatives have urged the Navy to conduct a salvage operation and Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has said rescuers should use “all available means” to raise the vessel. 

The Ehime Maru is 180 feet long and 499 tons. Bringing it nearly one-third of a mile to the surface would be costly and risky, experts said. 

“It’s a salvage operation that I think is unrealistic,” said Charles Vick of the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. “I know it’s hard to say that to people.” 

Others said risks and expense will be weighed against a strong interest in avoiding damage to U.S. relations with Japan. 

“The pressure is on us very, very strongly to do something along this line,” said John Craven, a professor of ocean studies at the University of Hawaii who helped develop the Navy’s deep-submergence program. 

Craven said he could not recall the raising of an entire boat the size of the Ehime Maru from a similar depth. He said the Navy must first determine whether the ocean floor at the site is sandy or muddy and whether the vessel has broken apart. 

If it is relatively intact, Craven said, “lift bags” could be attached and inflated, raising the ship. 

But the depth at the site would pose a huge challenge. 

“Can divers operate freely in the water at 2,000 feet?” Craven asked. “The answer is probably not,” meaning the Navy would have to rely on remotely controlled robots. 

FORT STEWART, Ga. — President Bush, in his first trip with all the trappings of commander in chief, told U.S. soldiers Monday that “America is not serving you well” and promised morale-boosting pay increases, better housing and health care. 

“I’m proud to lead you,” Bush told hundreds of soldiers and their families on a cold, wind-swept marching field. “And I’m committed to serve you.” 

It was a day filled with firsts for the new president: his first major trip as president, his first flight aboard the Boeing 747 Air Force One and the first official playing of “Hail to the Chief.” It was the first of four presidential trips this week designed to promote Bush’s national security policies, including a Friday stay in Mexico. 

Bush reviewed the troops with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld – the president’s steps keeping time with a military hymn, battle flags dipping as he passed each unit.  

Cannons pounded out a 21-gun salute, the first for Bush as president. 

Less formal later, the president visited cramped quarters and ate lunch with the troops. 

“Our nation can never repay our debt to you, but we can give you our full support and my administration will,” Bush said in his brief remarks. 

He announced a $310 billion proposed Pentagon budget for 2002, up $14 billion from the current figure. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said $5.7 billion of the new money will improve the quality of life for troops; the rest will help other projects keep pace with inflation. 

Going to the troops: 

• Pay increases, with $1.4 billion given to the Pentagon to decide how to divide it. The increases would come atop the 4.6 percent across-the-board pay hike in the current budget. 

• Health benefits, with $3.9 billion set aside to eliminate most deductions and fund a mail-in pharmacy. 

• $400 million to improve military housing. 

“While you’re serving us well, America is not serving you well enough. Many in our military have been over-deployed and underpaid. Many live in aging houses and work in aging building,” Bush said, each point punctuated by thunderous applause. 

“This is not the way a great nation should reward courage and idealism,” he said.  

“It’s ungrateful. It’s unwise. It is unacceptable.” 

Some Republican congressmen have expressed surprise that Bush has tabled requests for huge spending increases at the Pentagon until Rumsfeld completes a strategy review. 

Hoping to ease concerns about his commitment, senior administration officials have said they expect Bush to seek additional military funding after Rumsfeld’s review is completed, most likely this summer. Bush’s first three trips this week are also an attempt to show that his interest in the Pentagon isn’t flagging. 

He shook hands with dozens of soldiers, both here and at Hunter Army Airfield, and played to the crowd in a speech laced with familiar references. He shouting “Hooah!” — the traditional Army greeting — and addressed 3rd Infantry soldiers by their beloved nickname, “Dog-faced soldiers.” 

The reception was warm, especially compared to the tepid greeting former President Clinton received on his first military-related trips. Clinton’s highly publicized efforts to avoid the Vietnam War and his early push to end the ban on gays in the military got him off to a rocky start with the Pentagon brass and some troops. 

Bush avoided the Vietnam War by serving in the Texas Air National Guard, a point that wasn’t raised by a dozen soldiers questioned about their new commander in chief. 

“I like the fact that he wants to raise my pay and improve my living conditions,” said Army Pvt. Don Dills of Gulfport, Miss. 

Jostling for a presidential handshake, Army Pvt. Eric Foiles of Cadott, Wis., paused to say, “I’m hoping he might be able to get us out of the places we don’t need to be. I think we’re spread too wide of an area.” 

Bush lined up with soldiers at a mess hall, dining on lasagna, mashed potatoes and strawberry cake after his entry was greeted by a standing ovation.” 

Master Sgt. Karen Stepp, who served Bush lunch, said she hopes the president keeps his word on pay. 

“Morale is soldiers’ food — you have to feed them,” she said. “Hopefully while he’s in, we can continue to see increases. Hopefully it’s not just a one-time shot.” 

Bush seemed to revel in the day. Boarding Air Force One — the same plane his father flew as president — Bush had a quick look around the familiar aircraft and went to its office, where he donned a presidential flight jacket and did some work, Fleischer said. 

He was accompanied by several lawmakers, including two Democrats: Georgia Sens. Sen. Zell Miller and Max Cleland. 

In his only other flight as president, Bush spoke behind closed doors to lawmakers after flying to Pennsylvania on a small military plane. Aides said he had not requested “Hail to the Chief” sooner because he believes it should be reserved for formal occasions. 

At the opening of his remarks, Bush offered a silent prayer for the victims of the Japanese fishing boat that sank after being hit by a U.S. submarine off Hawaii. 

Using a sensitive magnetic field detector, a team of physicists, chemists and biochemists at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has created a very sensitive and fast immunoassay.  

Immunoassays are widely used in medical laboratories and industry to detect small levels of bacteria, drugs and many kinds of proteins or chemicals. The new technique, which relies on a so-called SQUID microscope, overcomes some of the drawbacks of standard immunoassays while speeding up the process. 

“This technique could let you do in an hour or in minutes what now takes a day,” said John Clarke, professor of physics in the College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley and a faculty senior scientist in the Materials Sciences Division at LBNL. “If this really works, we could get information in real time, so that hospitals could diagnose an illness at the bedside, or food processors could find out immediately whether there is any bacterial contamination.”  

Aside from medical uses, a SQUID microscope also could be critical in bioterrorism situations where it is crucial to know the biological or chemical agent as soon as possible.  

The new development was reported in the Dec. 19, 2000, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The microscope relies on a device called a SQUID, or Superconducting Quantum Interference Device.  

Pioneered by Clarke over the past 35 years, the SQUID is the most sensitive detector of changes in magnetic field, and among other applications has been used to measure minuscule magnetic fields from the brain and the heart. 

The SQUID is made from a high-temperature superconducting material - yttrium-barium-copper oxide - that operates at about 196 degrees C below the freezing point of water. 

Though the SQUID is very cold, it can be brought close to living samples to detect small magnetic fields from them.  

Clarke and graduate students Yann R. Chemla and Helene L. Grossman used the SQUID microscope to detect magnetic fields from various nearby sources, in this case nanometer-sized magnetic particles linked by antibodies to biologicaltargets. The research team also included chemist Ray Stevens, a former UC Berkeley faculty member now at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla; Mark Alper, adjunct professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UC Berkeley and deputy head of the Materials Sciences Division at LBNL; and UC Berkeley undergraduate student Yan Poon.  

In their initial experiments they were able to detect as few as 30,000 magnetic particles, which, if each were attached to a single target, means that their limit is about 30,000 cells or proteins. The most sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) can detect no fewer than 100,000 labeled targets.  

However, refinements now underway should improve the sensitivity and allow them to detect as few as 50 to 500 magnetic particles. Since some bacteria have thousands of attachment sites for a particular antibody, theoretically the SQUID microscope could detect a single bacterium.  

"This is fast and simple enough that you could use it in a batch process, matching the versatility of existing immunoassay methods," Clarke said. He said that an array of samples could readily be scanned over the SQUID. 

To obtain high sensitivity, some immunoassay techniques require that cells be cultured overnight or longer in order to obtain a sufficient number to show up in an immunoassay. The sensitivity of the SQUID microscope makes this step unnecessary, thus making it faster.  

Also, some current immunoassays label cells or molecules by attaching fluorescent or radioactive tracers with the help of antibodies designed to adhere selectively to the target. When irradiated with UV light the fluorescently-labeled targets light up, while the radioactively-labeled targets expose a film. 

These techniques require that unattached tracers be flushed away, however. 

The new technique eliminates this step because magnetic tracers attached to the target behave differently than unattached tracers.  

"A big part of the appeal of this technique is that you can easily distinguish between labeled and unlabeled particles," said Chemla. This is possible because the nanoparticles are superparamagnetic, which means that when they encounter a magnetic field they become magnetized, line up along the field lines, and remain that way for a short time after the magnetic field is switched off. The aligned particles produce a net magnetic field that is strong enough to be detected by a SQUID.  

If the nanoparticles are not attached to a target, however, the field generated by the aligned nanoparticles lasts only a short time before the magnets randomize as they jostle around (a process called Brownian rotation) and cancel one another out. If the nanoparticles are attached to a target that is in turn immobilized on a surface, though, the magnets can't reorient themselves Instead, the spins of the individual atoms in the nanoparticle - the source of its magnetic dipole moment - are free to reorient themselves, eventually canceling out the magnetic dipole of the nanoparticle. This process is called N*el relaxation.  

For their technique to work, the physicists chose magnetic particles with complementary properties: when unattached, they randomize by Brownian rotation in less than a thousandth of a second; when attached, however, they require about a second to randomize via N*el relaxation. Thus, when the SQUID microscope measures the decaying signal for a second after the outside field is switched off, the magnetic signal comes solely from the attached particles.  

Because the sample takes only one second to magnetize and one second to demagnetize, detection takes as little as two seconds, Alper said. Even counting preparation time, he is optimistic that the whole process can be reduced to a minute or less.  

"This could be used in a wide variety of applications to detect almost anything you can make antibodies against," he said. In addition, this technique could be used with any "molecular recognition element" - a molecule that can bind specifically to a particular surface feature on another molecule. Thus, the range of detectable targets is very broad and not limited to those against which antibodies can be produced.  

"These are preliminary results from a device that hasn’t yet been optimized," Alper said. "Nevertheless, this is a clear scientific demonstration that you can apply these very, very sensitive magnetometers to the detection of biological substances."  

Clarke, Alper and the students now are working with Paul Alivisatos, professor of chemistry and faculty senior scientist at LBNL, to come up with improved nanoparticles, and with Carolyn Bertozzi, UC Berkeley associate professor of chemistry and a member of LBNL's Materials Sciences and Physical Biosciences Divisions, to improve methods of attaching them to molecular recognition elements. The work was supported by grants through LBNL from the Division of Materials Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy. Clarke and Alper are among several hundred UC Berkeley researchers involved with the campus's Health Sciences Initiative, which draws scientists from a broad range of fields to tackle today's health problems. 

Resident complains after sighting officer removing flyer for political rally 

Stemming from an incident in which a Berkeley police officer was seen taking down flyers promoting a Mumia Abu-Jamal rally, the Police Review Commission is asking the department to develop a poster removal policy. 

The City Council will consider an recommendation from the PRC Tuesday asking the Berkeley Police Department to develop a training bulletin that would outline police policy on the removal of flyers, placards and posters from city-owned utility poles and lampposts. 

The PRC approved the recommendation with a unanimous vote on Nov. 8. Commissioner Bill Taylor was not present. 

The recommendation was the result of a First Amendment complaint filed by Berkeley resident Stephen Rosenbaum last May. In his complaint, Rosenbaum said that on May 12, he was headed to the BART station at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street when he witnessed bicycle patrol officer Mark Bachman taking down two flyers advertising a Mumia Abu-Jamal rally which was to take place the following day. 

In 1982 Abu-Jamal, a former radio journalist and Black Panther party member, was sentenced to death for the killing of Police Officer Daniel Faulkner in Philadelphia after a 1981 traffic stop involving Abu-Jamal’s brother. Abu-Jamal is currently awaiting execution on death row in a Pennsylvania state prison. 

Monday, Feb. 12

African-American “Death of a Salesman” Auditions 

7 p.m. 

Live Oak Theatre  

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman)  

There are roles for eight men and five women, aged 30 - 60. Attendees are asked to present a monologue no longer that three minutes. Roles are non-paying. 

Read Those Plans 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Architect Andus Brandt will instruct how to read architectural plans.  

$35  

Call 525-7610 

Tuesday, Feb. 13

“Great Decisions” - U.S. Trade Policy 

10 a.m. - Noon  

Berkeley City Club  

2315 Durant Ave.  

The first in a series of eight weekly lectures with the goal of informing the public of current major policy issues. Many of the lectures are presented by specialists in their field and are often from the University of California. Feedback received at these lectures is held in high regard by those in the government responsible for national policy.  

$5 single session, $35 entire series for single person, $60 entire series for couple  

Call Berton Wilson, 526-2925 

Berkeley Camera Club  

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church  

941 The Alameda  

Share your slides and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 

Call Wade at 531-8664 

Free! Early Music Group  

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

A small group who sing madrigals and other voice harmonies. Their objective: To enjoy making music and building musical skills.  

Call Ann at 655-8863 or e-mail: ann@integratedarts.org 

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Stagebridge Free Acting &  

Storytelling Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Faye Carol Sings Lady Day 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School  

1781 Rose St.  

A tribute to Billie Holiday including Lady Day’s most popular songs, including “Strange Fruit,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “God Bless the Child” and “You Let Me Down.” Benefit for KPFA Radio and La Pena Cultural Center.  

$15 

Call 848-6767 x609 or visit www.kpfa.org 

Planning Commission Public  

Hearing  

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave.  

The commission is holding public hearings on the Planning Commission Draft General Plan. The commission requests that all written comments on the plan be submitted by March 1.  

Thursday, Feb. 15

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library 

Claremont Branch  

2940 Benveue Ave.  

Facilitated by Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicty,” learn about this movement whose philosophy is “the examined life richly lived.” 

Call 549-3509 or visit www.seedsofsimplicity.org  

Basics of PCs 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science  

UC Berkeley 

A class for adults that will cover file management, loading software, software management, downloading pages from the Web, and more. 

$30 - $35, registration required  

Call 642-5134  

Free “Quit Smoking” Class 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis (at Ashby)  

Cease your smoking with the help of this free class offered to Berkeley residents and employees. 

Call 644-6422 to enroll or e-mail quitnow@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Natural Conversations 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Hillside Community Church  

1422 Navellier St.  

El Cerrito 

A series of Thursday evenings of conversation “engaging people in discovering the pleasures of an excellent discussion.” Focus on conversations in nature and explore what they are meant to convey.  

$10  

Duomo Readings Open Mic.  

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

Cafe Firenze  

2116 Shattuck Ave.  

With featured poet Kathleen Lynch and host Mark States.  

644-0155 

Climbing Mt. Shasta 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Tim Keating of Sierra Wilderness Seminars will give a slide presentation on climbing and skiing this North California peak.  

Call 527-7377  

Berkeley Metaphysical  

Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month.  

Call 869-2547 

“Religion, Power & the New Economy”  

1:30 - 3 p.m. 

Chapel of the Great Commission  

Pacific School of Religion  

1798 Scenic Ave.  

A panel discussion featuring distinguished GTU alumni/ae, in celebration of Dr. James A. Donahue’s inauguration as President of the GTU.  

Call 649-2400 

West CAT Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church  

997 University Ave.  

Review the racial and health disparities issues and see the model of the community capacity building.  

Friday, Feb. 16

Strong Women - Writers & 

Heroes of Literature 

1 - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Taught by Dr. Helen Rippier Wheeler, author of “Women and Aging: A Guide to Literature,” this is a free weekly literature course in the Berkeley Adult School’s Older Adults Program.  

Call 549-2970  

Stagebridge Free Acting &  

Storytelling Classes for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

First Congregational Church  

2501 Harrison St.  

Oakland  

Call 444-4755 or visit www.stagebridge.org 

Saturday, Feb. 17

“Go-Go-Go Greenbelt!” 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Rockridge BART  

Oakland  

A bike tour on this ride into the rolling East Bay hills. A free ride sponsored by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call 415-255-3233 for reservations or visit www.greenbelt.org 

Rockridge Writers 

3:30 - 5:30 p.m. 

Spasso Coffeehouse  

6021 College Ave.  

Poets and writers meet to critique each other’s work. “Members’ work tends to be dark, humorous, surreal, or strange.”  

e-mail:  

berkeleysappho@yahoo.com 

Building a museum at the Shell Mound should solve parking lot controversy 

Editor: 

The Spenger's Parking Lot Shell Mound controversy could have a nice solution which would benefit everyone. Give the developers permission to build, if they agree to help fund an archaeological dig and a museum. This implies not burying all of the shell mound under buildings and parking. 

The museum could actually make money, by attracting tourists. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley  

Lampley leads team with 17 points, 10 rebounds 

EUGENE, Ore. – Sean Lampley had 17 points and 10 rebounds as California recovered from a poor first half to defeat Oregon 65-56 Saturday. 

Cal (17-6, 8-3 Pac-10) closed the game on a 16-7 run to beat Oregon (12-9, 3-8) at McArthur Court for the first time in four years. 

Bryan Bracey had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Ducks, who have lost eight of 10. 

The game matched the conference’s leading scorers in Lampley and Bracey. Lampley is averaging 19.5 points per game; Bracey 18.6. 

Lampley’s jumper with 6:51 remaining gave the Golden Bears their final lead of the game, 51-49. They made six of eight free throws in the final 1:18 to seal it. 

Cal shot just 26 percent in the first half (5-of-19), but trailed only 26-22 because the Ducks shot 36 percent. 

“It certainly wasn’t a pretty game,” Braun said. “But our objective was not to look good. Oregon has a high-powered offense with a great transition game. Our focus was to slow them down. We also did a great job challenging 3s, and that’s not our strength.” 

The lead changed hands 13 times in the second half, and there were seven ties. Cal took its first lead of the game on two free throws by Brian Wethers with 18:18 to go. 

The game stayed close until Cal scored six straight points to make it 57-50. 

Oregon led 11-5 after four minutes as Julius Hicks, starting at forward instead of Bracey, found success inside with six straight points. 

The Ducks pushed the lead to 19-8 on Anthony Norwood’s 3-pointer, but went cold in the final 10 minutes. Cal outscored Oregon 14-7, capped by a 3-pointer from Ryan Forehan-Kelly. 

Joe Shipp added 12 points for Cal. Hicks had 11 for the Ducks. 

A joint study by the University of California at Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found that appliances on “standby” mode have a considerable impact on electricity bills. 

If you need proof, the scientists and students who conducted the study say, just darken your house one evening and look for the glowing red dots and the flashing faces of your digital clock. 

Every second of that residential light show is costing you money. 

According to the study, the average California home pays between $50 and $70 a year for “leaking” electricity. Eliminating it could save you between six and 26 percent on your average monthly electricity bill. 

“We've only recently found out how substantial the energy savings can be,” said Daniel Kammen, Berkeley professor and director of its Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory. “People could save enough power to offset the rise in electricity rates. 

The study, conducted last spring by graduate student J.P. Ross, surveyed 10 Northern California homes which had an average of 19 appliances on standby and were of varying sizes and number of occupants. 

Ross and co-writer Alan Meier found that a 67 watt per household average used to power items on standby. That is more electricity than what would be used to leave a 60-watt bulb on nonstop for a whole year. 

Although the study was small, the authors say it's clear that leaking electricity is costing energy consumers money, and reducing its consumption could be beneficial. 

One thing you can do is to unplug your home appliances when you're not using them, or to group them all on a surge protector so that they can all be turned off at once. 

Computer printers waste a lot of electricity, as do some television sets and video cassette recorders. Cell phone rechargers and cable television boxes also cost Californians money. 

While unplugging your appliances is one solution, the authors noted that a permanent solution lies with the appliance manufacturers. In Europe, for example, some appliances come with two power buttons, one that leaves them ready to be used with a remote and others that actually turn the appliance off. 

Meier and Ross also say the manufacturers could comply with a one-watt energy mode standard that could reduce leaking electricity by 68 percent without compromising functionality.

British Columbia wins game on late try 

After 75 minutes of fast-paced, hard-hitting action, the Cal rugby team led the University of British Columbia 25-22. After losing twice to the Thunderbirds last year, the Bears could taste redemption. 

But BC fullback Stan Manu broke the Cal backline for a big gain, and flipped the ball to streaking winger Nigel Griffin, who touched the ball down for the deciding try and a 27-25 victory in the first leg of the teams’ annual series. The final try seemed to break the Bears’ spirit, and the Thunderbirds spent the remaining minutes threatening the Cal tryline again. 

The game was one of missed opportunities for the Bears, as fullback John Buchholz missed four penalty attempts, as well as having a drop-goal blocked in the final minutes. 

“I thought (Buchholz) struck the ball okay. He got off to a bad start, missing his first one, but I stuck with him,” Cal heaad coach Jack Clark said. “I thought that last kick was real tough for him.” 

The Bears also committed more turnovers than usual, and two BC tries came directly from Cal mistakes. Just before halftime, the Bears lost the ball in a ruck just outside their try zone, and the Thunderbirds punched the ball over easily to to up 12-10. The ensuing kickoff was a disaster for Cal, as Griffin broke three tackles, then off-loaded to Manu for another try in injury time, and the visiting side had a 19-10 lead at the break. 

“We had two minutes of insanity, and it cost us 12 points,” Clark said. “They had a couple of breaks and good support on the ball, and they just finished it.” 

Buchholz missed a penalty attempt early in the second half, but his forwards got the ball right back, and he slotted his next attempt through the uprights to bring his team within six points. And when Cal eight-man Shaun Paga burst through the BC defense and outran Manu to the corner for a try, the Bears had a 20-19 lead following Buchholz’s conversion. But the lead was short-lived, as a Thunderbird penalty kick put the visitors back on top. 

The next 20 minutes was marked by turnovers by both sides, as well as some of the hardest tackles seen at Witter Field this year. Neither team managed to score until Cal flyhalf Matt Sherman broke through the Thunderbird backline and found Buchholz streaking down the right side. The fullback slipped through Manu’s tackle and scored in the corner to give his team their last lead of the game. 

The Bears will head to Canada to face the Thunderbirds on March 28. 

“It’s harder to play in Vancouver because it’s away from home, and they’re defending the shores of British Columbia,” Clark said. “But on the other hand, we’ll have another five or six games under our belts, and five or six more weeks of training. We’ll be a better team.” 

The Bears next challenge will be playing two games in one day in Austin, Tex. on Sunday. They will play Texas at 1 p.m. and Oklahoma at 2:30.

Lamile Perry is like most teenagers. He likes to hang out with friends, shoot hoops, talk to girls and dream about what it will be like to go off to college — not bad for a guy who wasn’t supposed to even breathe on his own. 

“Yeah, I’ve come a long way,” Perry said. 

When he joins the U.S.A. Track and Field team at the 2001 Junior Wheelchair Games in Brisbane, Australia this September, the 17-year-old will celebrate not only athletic success — but personal triumphs. 

As one of 30 team members selected from across the country, this will be Perry’s second time competing in the games. However, it is up to each athlete to pay for their travel expenses — air fare and accommodation — and Perry needs to come up with $3,519 this spring in order to compete. 

Born with Cerebral Palsy, a congenital disease that affects the muscular and nervous system, he was two months premature which required him to be hospitalized and hooked up to a life-saving respirator for the first few months of his life.  

Doctors didn’t expect Perry to come off the respirator. But Perry pulled the tube out by himself, which amazed his doctors and family. 

His mother, Mary Lightfoot, said Perry has never let obstacles get in the way of success.  

“From that day on I knew he’d be a strong kid,” Lightfoot said.  

And she was right. 

Since the age of six, Perry has been involved with Bay Area Cruisers — a wheelchair sport team run by the Bay Area Outreach Recreation Program.  

“At first I didn’t like it,” said Perry. He is able to take small steps, but has to use a wheelchair to get around. “I wasn’t used to being in a wheelchair so much.” 

But not long after, he found that sports were his thing. At 9 years old he began competing in both track and field, and basketball. His motivation and enthusiasm helped him soar, said his coach Tim Orr. 

“He’s come a long way,” said Orr, who has worked with Lamile at BORP since Perry was 7 years old. “When he first came he was real young and just a crazy kid, but he’s really matured and become a leader. He’s made a lot of progress.”  

Orr noted that in addition to track and field, Perry is an outstanding basketball player despite the severe muscle contractions that Cerebral Palsy causes. “For him to have gotten where he is with basketball is amazing. He has made the most of his ability.” 

As a junior at Berkeley High School, Perry spends an hour and a half practicing each day preparing for the USA games.  

“My family and friends really motivate me, they’re very supportive,” Perry said. Lamile has a twin brother Emile and who suffers from a more severe form of Cerebral Palsy than he does. 

Although Perry plans on participating in several events when he arrives in Australia, he said he prefers the 100-meter and the discus throw. He is expected to compete in eight to 10 races while he is at the games.  

“My only goals for the trip are to do as best as I can and make my country proud,” said Perry. 

Orr has been chosen as the national coach for the third time and will accompany Lamile to Australia. Two other area athletes were chosen to attend as well — Marcus Oden of Walnut Creek will be part of the basketball team and Jen Chew of Antioch will compete in several track events.  

“These kids are the cream of the crop,” said Orr. “It’s a lot of fun to travel with the best junior athletes in the country.”  

For more information or to contribute call BORP at 849-4663.

The fans were loud and raucous. The band played with fervor. The atmosphere was electric. When Cal head coach Caren Horstmeyer talked of building a home-court advantage, this must have been her vision.  

Horstmeyer’s Bears, led by the dynamic backcourt duo of Courtney Johnson and Kenya Corley, defeated the Oregon Ducks, 68-57, Saturday night at Haas Pavilion. The win moves the Bears into a fourth-place tie in the Pac-10, and marks the first time they have won four straight conference games since 1992. More importantly, the win snapped a 15-game losing streak to Oregon.  

After the final horn, the crowd of 1,271 ecstatic Cal fans celebrated, the Straw Hat band played, and forwards Ami Forney and Lauren Ashbaugh grabbed a giant blue Cal flag and planted it, symbolically, in the free throw lane on the south side of the court. Soaking in the joy, Horstmeyer even took the microphone to thank the fans for their support.  

“We want to pack Haas Pavilion,” said Horstmeyer after the game. “We’ve had good crowds, and we want to build on that.” 

Johnson led the Bears by filling the stat sheet in every important category. The senior from Antioch scored twenty points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists, blocked two shots, and pilfered six steals while playing all 40 minutes of the contest. Nonetheless, she didn’t seem a bit tired after the game.  

“This victory means the world, said Johnson. “We’ve never beaten Oregon, never swept the Oregon schools.”  

Corley was held scoreless in the first half, but finished with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Another big key for the Bears was Forney, who racked up 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Forney only hit one shot from the floor but was 10 of 14 from the free throw line. 

Oregon, the two-time defending Pac-10 champion, was led by Angelina Wolvert’s 18 points, and forward Brianne Meharry, who contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds. However, Oregon got little offense from their guards, as the Bears held the Ducks’ backcourt to just 11 points on 3-of-26 shooting. Shooting guard Jaime Craighead, in particular, killed the Bears last month in Oregon, hitting five three-pointers, but was held to just 1-of-8 shooting on the night. “It was a very disappointing effort; we just couldn’t score again,” said Oregon head coach Jody Runge. “We got good efforts from Angelina and Brie (Meharry), but our outside scoring was nil.” 

Unlike last month’s encounter in Eugene, the Bears stayed with Oregon from the opening tip. The Bears were able to penetrate Oregon’s defense and used that ability, along with an up-tempo attack, to create lay-ups and free throw opportunities. Forward Genevieve Swedor was able to convert on feeds from Johnson and Amber White for easy layups, keeping the Bears close early.  

The Bears were also fortunate that Jenny Mowe, the Ducks’ star center, was hobbled by a muscle pull. Still, Wolvert scored eight first-half points in the low post, and the Ducks were able to able to use their size to lead them into halftime leading 29-22. 

The Ducks took a 38-27 lead with 15:48 to play in the game when Horstmeyer took a key timeout.  

“I told the team that all we had to do was stay close to them (Oregon),” said Horstmeyer. “If we stayed close, we would win the game.” The Bears turned up the defensive pressure, with a hand contesting every Oregon shot and deflecting seemingly every pass. Meanwhile, Corley started to heat up on offense, beating her defender off the dribble for easy layups seemingly at will. Finally, Johnson finished a 14-2 run with two free throws to put Cal in the lead, 48-47, with 7:07 to play. By that time, crowd, band, and team had all reached a fever pitch. The momentum, and the game, had shifted to Cal. 

Though the Bears were pleased with the victory, the hunger remains for more.  

“Right now, we’re waiting for Stanford,” said Corley. “We’re not satisfied until we get Stanford.”  

The Bears get their chance Friday night at Maples Pavilion, where Cal will try to eliminate another 15-game losing streak. Cal lost to their arch-rivals, 63-56, last month at Haas Pavilion.

Professor Emeritus Edward Robert Francis Ward (“Ted”) Crossman, of the College of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, died Monday, February 5th, 2001.  

Conceding a brief battle with Lymphoma, he died at home. Although he retired in 1987, he maintained an office in Etcheverry Hall until the time of his death, where he continued to meet with graduate students.  

Professor Crossman was a pioneer in the field of human performance and skill, sociotechnical systems, organization, and interactive computer systems, and conducted early research in pilot aircraft dynamics and human factors. After earning his Ph.D. in Engineering Production from Birmingham University in 1956, he went on to teach at both Oxford and Reading Universities in England. He joined the Berkeley faculty in 1964, when he was invited to begin a program in Applied Psychology and Human Factors in Engineering. Emigrating here with his wife and four children, he arrived just in time to witness the Free Speech Movement and blossoming of the Counter Cultural Phenomenon. He served as department chair for one year, 1969-1970, resigning in protest over the administration’s handling of the student demonstrations. He became a naturalized citizen in 1976.  

Born September 25, 1925 in Hambrooke, Bristol, England, Crossman served with the Royal Air Force during World War Two. He was in Hiroshima, Japan immediately after the bombing.  

An early radio and computer aficionado, tinkerer and inventor, Crossman was working on developing a special foam rubber that he felt could be used to build the most comfortable bed.  

Preceded in death by his oldest son, Francis Hedley Danvers Crossman, and his only daughter, Lucia Edna Alice Crossman, he is survived by two sons and four grandchildren.  

A memorial service for Professor Crossman will be held Saturday, February 17th, at 1:00 p.m. at the Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar St. at Walnut, Berkeley.  

Donations may be made in his honor to the Berkeley Free Clinic.

The Berkeley High School freshman baseball team’s season is in danger of being canceled due to California’s current power shortage. 

The Berkeley City Council will decide at Tuesday’s meeting whether Willard Park, where the team practices and plays, will be included in the shutdown of city sports facility lights. 

“If there were no lights at Willard, there would be no freshman season,” Berkeley head baseball coach Tim Moellering said. “All of their practices and home games are at night and at Willard.” 

Last week, the city decided to shut down all lights at city sports facilities during Stage 2 and Stage 3 energy crises, which have become common in the past months. But Moellering contacted city officials, who decided to let the lights at Willard stay on until a permanent decision could be reached. 

The city controls the lights at Willard, unlike the lights at Berkeley High and UC Berkeley, because it paid $153,000 to expand field use by upgrading the lights. The city pays the electric bill even though the lights are on Berkeley Unified School District property. The district pays the electric bill at Berkeley High. 

Moellering said the Willard situation is different than other Berkeley fields, which host recreational activities. 

“I think I could live if I couldn’t play softball at night, but it’s important to these kids to be able to play,” he said. 

Margie Gurdziel, whose child plays on the freshman team, thinks the city is being unfair. 

“I’d hate to see the season disintegrate because the city is making a political statement,” Gurdziel said. “It seems very unfair.” 

The Berkeley City Council meeting is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the City Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, second floor.

Bay Area Clean Water Agencies wants to light a fire under local residents to get them to change their ways. 

The group is asking people to cut down on their use of fireplaces and wood burning stoves during the cold winter months.  

Instead, they offer alternatives such as gas inserts or EPA certified pellet stones. 

“Wood burning is a major source of dioxin — the same pollutant that comes from diesel engines,'' said Phil Bobel, spokesman for Bay Area Clean Water Agencies.  

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District reports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently listed the San Francisco Bay as impaired due to the build-up of dioxins. 

“First, pollutants are released into the air,” Bobel said. “But they ultimately land in the water. It all goes back to the old adage:  

What goes up must come down.” 

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Teresa Lee is urging people not to try to lower their rising utility bills by using their fireplaces.  

“Even with the cold weather we've been having, it's still inefficient to try to heat your home using a fireplace,'' she said.  

“You'll be warmed if you sit within six feet of the fire, but the rest of your house is getting colder as outdoor air leaks in to replace the hot air that's gone up the chimney.” 

Water quality officials report that the National Toxicology Program announced that it is adding dioxin to a federal list of substances “known to be human carcinogens.” 

“It's very simple,” Bobel explains. “We need Bay area residents to consider cleaner burning alternatives so we can reduce pollution in the air and our waters.” 

For those who insist on building fires, the group suggests they use manufactured logs which are up to 50 percent cleaner than regular wood, avoid using soft woods like cedar, pine or redwood and never burn garbage, plastic, glossy or colored paper or scrap wood that has been painted or stained.

Led by the outstanding pitching of senior right-hander Nate Fernley and two-run homers by Michael Wirrick and Michael Davies, Brigham Young shutout the California baseball team, 4-0, Saturday afternoon at Evans Diamond.  

The Bears fall to 4-2 on the season, while the Cougars improve to 6-4 overall. BYU won the first game of the series, 2-1, Thursday, while Cal won game two, 5-3, Friday.  

Fernley improved his record to 4-0 in impressive fashion. He threw a complete game, allowing only three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.  

The Cougars scored their runs on a two-run homer by Davies off of Bear starter Ryan Atkinson in the second inning, and Wirrick’s two-run round-tripper in the sixth inning off of Bears freshman Brian Montalbo.  

Cal did not get a hit off of Fernley until freshman Conor Jackson’s infield single in the fourth inning. The Bears could only muster two other hits, pinch-hitter Spencer Wyman’s single to right field in the eighth inning and Jackson’s double down the left field line in the ninth inning.  

Besides Wirrick and Davies two-run homers, Tim Law also helped BYU, going 3-for-4.  

Cal will next travel to Pacific on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Billy Hebert Field in Stockton.

SAN FRANCISCO — Major record labels are hoping today’s long-awaited appellate court ruling in their case against Napster Inc. will cripple the online music service, forcing millions of computer users to begin paying for the songs Napster allowed them to get for free. 

If Napster wins, the ruling could unleash any number of new ventures waiting for guidance on whether the “personal use” exception to copyright law prohibits trading songs over the Internet. 

Even if Napster loses, the song-swapping technology it unleashed is here to stay, particularly in the music business, which both loathes and loves the idea of getting music to consumers via the Internet, and is developing a range of pay-for-play schemes. 

“Monday’s decision may finally clear the way for the legitimate online marketplace to thrive in an environment that encourages both creativity and a respect for copyright,” said Hilary Rosen, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, in a statement Friday. 

The five largest record labels — Sony, Warner, BMG, EMI and Universal — sued the Redwood City-based startup as soon as the service took off, saying it could rob them of billions of dollars in profits. 

The issue before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is whether to uphold U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel’s July injunction ordering Napster shut down pending a trial over the music industry lawsuit. 

But the three-judge appellate panel also could rule more broadly, describing how copyright law should apply to emerging technologies that make it ever more difficult to control and profit from the distribution of music as well as software, books, movies and other creative content. 

Respect for copyrights and artists royalties has been all but ignored since Napster founder Shawn Fanning released software in May 1999 that made it easy for anyone with a personal computer to search vast directories for the songs they want, and then download and trade them as MP3 files. 

These files can be copied endlessly with no loss in sound quality — a quantum leap from the “personal use” of cassette tapes and other music formats. 

But the concept of “peer-to-peer” song trading proved too popular to contain. As Napster users grew by the millions, other kinds of file-sharing programs also popped up, such as Gnutella and Freenet, ensuring that Internet music giveaways will continue. And the labels themselves are looking to use the same technology, only with paying subscribers and secure digital formats that prevent copying. 

Since the judges began deliberating in October, Napster has made friends with former business foes like Bertelsmann AG, the parent company of the BMG music unit. The German media giant has promised much-needed capital if Napster switches to a subscription-based service that pays artists’ royalties. 

But Bertelsmann’s move did not start an avalanche of similar Napster deals. The other four major labels are holding out for Napster’s demise. And new companies positioning themselves as resellers or aggregators of music content have enjoyed mild success at best. 

One reason is that they’ve been charging consumers for what Napster users can get for free. Another is that Napster has hardly been the only player the recording industry has dragged into court. 

Riffage.com, a music Web site geared toward bringing emerging artists to eager listeners, folded in December. Last month, online music retailer EMusic.com cut more than one-third of its staff and sent three top executives packing. Last week, the ripple effect brought down the Internet Underground Music Archive. The IUMA.com Web site was one of the first resources for unsigned artists before it was acquired last year by then high-flying EMusic. 

Napster fans flocked to Scour Inc. in July when it briefly appeared that the federal injunction against Napster might stick. But Scour’s similar file-sharing application also fell victim to copyright lawsuits and shut down in October. The Michael Ovitz-backed venture allowed users to share music, video, images and software. 

Gnutella, for one, appears to be lawsuit-proof. Instead of dialing in to a server like Napster or Scour services, Gnutella offers a distributed networking system where each online user is in direct contact with all others without an intermediary. 

The freely distributed Gnutella software offers no company to sue, but it is more demanding on personal computers and has yet to enjoy Napster’s popularity.  

That could change as renegade developers make it compatible with new search engines and build more applications around it. 

U.S. copyright law includes a “doctrine of fair use” which allows copies to be made and used without permission if the copying is for a nonprofit purpose, and won’t cause the creative content to lose value in the marketplace. 

Whether Napster is costing the record industry billions — or growing their customer base — is a matter of debate. 

On the eve of Monday’s ruling, University of Southern California constitutional law professor Erwin Chemerinsky wondered whether record companies would have any financial incentive to produce music if it is increasingly copied and given away electronically. 

“Authors and producers need the assurance of a return that free downloading undermines,” Chemerinsky said. “Napster is a real threat to creativity and production.” 

But a recent appellate ruling in another MP3 case sided against the music industry right to clamp down on computer duplications of musical works.

Case is still unsolved, and many questions are still unanswered in child’s death 

VALLEJO – Sometimes Stephanie Kahalekulu wakes up at night, wondering. 

She wonders why the bubbly 7-year-old she helped raise vanished six months after going to live with her birth mother. She wonders how the girl’s remains came to be abandoned on a wooded hillside. 

She wonders what happened in between. 

The search for Xiana Fairchild ended this month with the discovery of a small skull in the green splendor of the Santa Cruz mountains. The search for answers goes on. Chief among the questions: What happened to Xiana? Are the adults who had charge of her telling the truth? And does a jailed cab driver hold a key to the case? 

“I need to know,” says Kahalekulu. “Knowing is hard and it hurts but it’s nothing compared to going through it and she went through it.” 

——— 

Xiana’s story began grimly. She was born when her mother, Antoinette Robinson, was in prison for auto theft. But soon she was living in Hawaii with her great-grandmother and Kahalekulu, a very young great-aunt — 36 — because of the wide age disparity in the family. 

Family pictures show a bright-eyed child with a mass of curly black hair, playing in a laundry basket, standing on a beach, opening presents. Always, there is the brilliant smile, one that had become a gap-toothed grin by her final pictures. 

“She was in her own little giggly world, really,” says Kahalekulu, laughing as she recalled how Xiana, neat even as a small child, used to clean off each step before climbing up a slide. 

In June 1999, Xiana was reclaimed by her mother, who had moved to the former Navy town of Vallejo, about 35 miles north of San Francisco. 

Kahalekulu, who’d moved to Colorado at that point, was against the idea but didn’t have any legal standing. 

She made do with frequent phone calls; the last was on Thanksgiving 1999. “We asked her direct questions as to how she was doing. Her answers didn’t give any indication that anything was wrong.” Toward the end of the conversation, Xiana and Kahalekulu’s young daughter began chatting about Christmas; after hearing the promise, “Mommy will buy you that,” Kahalekulu picked up the phone with a smile. “I said, ’What am I buying you for Christmas? She said, ‘You’re buying me a Gameboy for Christmas.’ I said, ‘Oh well, we’ll see.”’ 

Two weeks later, Xiana was gone. 

——— 

From the beginning, the case was shrouded in ambiguity. 

Xiana was reported missing on Dec. 9, 1999, by her mother. Robinson’s live-in boyfriend, Robert Turnbough, told police he had dropped Xiana off at the school bus stop. 

Turnbough would later say that Xiana left the house by herself. He said he lied because he was afraid he would become a suspect since he had once been convicted for scalding a 9-month-old. A few days later, the gray sweat pants Turnbough had said Xiana was wearing when she disappeared turned up in the laundry. Turnbough said he had assumed that was what the girl was wearing. 

Kahalekulu, who’d flown in to search for Xiana, was horrified. She walked through the neighborhoods Xiana walked on her way to the bus stop, heard neighbors tell how Xiana was sometimes locked out of the apartment in the afternoons, watched as Turnbough’s stories faltered. 

“I would like to know what way it is that you make someone tell the truth,” she lamented. 

Turnbough and Robinson subsequently appeared before a federal grand jury. Vallejo police describe both as being under “a cloud of suspicion,” but no charges have been filed. Both deny having anything to do with Xiana’s disappearance. 

Turnbough called an impromptu news conference to declare his innocence. “I might do drugs and mess up a bit, but I am not a monster,” he said. 

Robinson’s lawyer, Dan Healy, says his client’s been maligned. 

“They’ve treated the mother of a murdered child like dirt,” he said. 

——— 

Xiana’s disappearance sent a tremor through the Bay area, which has been hit with a number of child abductions, including the 1993 kidnap-murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas from Petaluma. 

Within days, a volunteer search center was in place and fliers flapped from telephone poles. 

Then, in the summer of 2000, something extraordinary happened. 

Another girl was kidnapped from the streets of Vallejo — and escaped. Shackled to the front seat of the kidnapper’s car for two days, the girl first tried to pick the lock with a nail file and, when that didn’t work, grabbed a ring of keys when her abductor was out of the car and freed herself, flagging down a passing truck and diving through the open window of his cab. 

Kahalekulu cried when she heard about the kidnapping. “There was the exact same feeling of not knowing what to do and feeling that I needed to find her, find her right this minute because something horrible must be happening right now and then not being able to do anything because you can run as far as you can and you can’t find the child.” 

She was thrilled when the girl escaped — and prayed that shy Xiana would be able to summon up the same temerity. “I was hoping, ’Have it in you. Just once — that’s all you need to get away.”’ 

The man arrested in the 8-year-old’s kidnapping, former Vallejo cab driver Curtis Dean Anderson, 39, turned out to have a long history of abusing women. He also had lived in Vallejo at the time Xiana disappeared and had worked for the same cab company for which Robinson and Turnbough had once worked, although not at the same time. 

From jail, Anderson made a number of rambling statements, including reportedly telling Kahalekulu he kidnapped Xiana and kept her for two weeks and then gave her, alive, to someone else. He also said he once gave Xiana a ride in his cab. 

Kahalekulu continues to visit Anderson in jail, sure that he’s guilty. 

Police, who took Anderson to the spot where Xiana’s skull was found but didn’t pick up any new information out of the trip, say it’s not clear whether Anderson knows something or is just fond of publicity. 

“There’s no evidence that links Mr. Anderson to the Xiana Fairchild case,” said Santa Clara Sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Eastus. 

Anderson’s attorney, Carl Spieckerman, did not return a telephone call to The Associated Press. But he has said that there’s no evidence corroborating Anderson’s reported statements. 

After the skull was found, tests put the time of death six months back, close to the time of the second kidnapping, although officials now say those reports are premature and the death could have taken place much earlier. 

Kahalekulu dearly hopes they’re right. 

“I wake up in the middle of the night,” she said. 

——— 

On a quiet winter’s morning, a sharp wind whistles around the corner of the search center in a donated storefront and ruffles three wilted balloons tied to the front door. The lonely cry of a seagull echoes overhead. 

Someone has left a teddy bear that has fallen on its face; a woman passing by stoops to straighten it. 

Posted in the window, a flier announcing Xiana’s disappearance bears the handwritten addition, “We will always remember you.” 

A dispute with another child advocate over donations earlier this year was a setback, but Kahalekulu plans to keep the center open for now. 

Summing up Xiana’s life for a speech to the volunteers who helped look for her, Kahalekulu focused on how the 7-year-old lived, not how she died. 

“Picture her now running and laughing and giggling her classic Xiana giggle. Be happy for her,” she said. “She is safe in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

SAN DIEGO – Some wanted to support renewable energy sources such as solar power. Others sought cheaper rates. Some just didn’t like the state’s three utility companies. 

Whatever their motives, most of the more than 200,000 Californians who signed with independent electricity companies are being switched back to their old utilities as the state’s experiment with retail power competition comes to a messy end. 

“It has effectively been killed in its youth,” said Michael Shames, executive director of the Utility Consumers’ Action Network in San Diego. 

Meanwhile, California remained at a Stage 3 power alert for the 27th straight day on Sunday. Power reserves remained low but no rolling blackouts were reported. 

Most independent electric companies began halting their California operations in recent weeks, unable to pass the skyrocketing wholesale price of power to consumers. Then Gov. Gray Davis suspended any expansion of retail competition as part of an emergency power law. 

The corporate retreat, which includes at least one company that sold power over the Internet and another that managed to serve 7 percent of the city of Palm Springs, is seen as another element of the state’s failed deregulation effort. 

For years, California consumers could only buy their power from three utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. But in 1998, regulators authorized independent firms to sell energy. 

The experiment unraveled as wholesale energy prices began to skyrocket this summer. The government froze the utilities’ rates but not those of independent firms. 

That turned out to be a hard lesson for Yvonne Gaston, a retired teacher from El Cajon. She signed up with Green Mountain Energy Co. of Austin, Texas, because she liked the company’s use of renewable energy. 

But her last bill climbed to nearly $600 as she paid 26 cents per kilowatt hour while her neighbors with SDG&E service were charged the capped rate of 6.5 cents. 

“They should have told me I was going to get this huge, horrible bill,” said Gaston, 60. “I feel like it was a betrayal.” 

Last month, Gaston dropped her Green Mountain service, just before the company switched most of its customers back to their original utility. 

California’s experiment with independent providers had started out with great expectations. 

The independents had expected 150,000 customers a month would switch from Southern California Edison, said Denise Grant, director of the utility’s division that works with retailers. 

“There was a lot of eagerness and ambition about the potential for the market in California,” she said. 

When the state market opened, some 300 companies signaled interest. But only about three dozen energy service providers, or ESPs, actually went through the cumbersome process to get permits. 

Those who did then had the challenge of persuading consumers to make the switch to an unknown entity. While ESPs were assigned large blocks of customers when Pennsylvania deregulated its market, companies in California had to go out and find them. Green Mountain, for one, set up booths at swap meets and grocery stores. 

In the end, the switch was made by fewer than 225,000 Californians, or less than 2 percent of the state. 

By comparison, Edison, the state’s largest utility, has 4.3 million customers. 

Commonwealth Energy Corp. of Tustin retains about 70,000 accounts because, early on, it purchased long-term wholesale power contracts that assured it some price stability, spokesman Roy Reeves said. 

But most of the other ESPs have dropped out of the market, at least temporarily, including Utility.com, GoGreen.com, and New West Energy. Green Mountain’s customer base has dropped from 60,000 clients to about 8,000 who had long-term service contracts. 

“We’re back to a monopoly,” Green Mountain spokesman Rick Counihan said.

CAMARILLO – Gasoline pump prices remained steady over the past three weeks despite falling crude oil costs and lower winter demand, an industry analyst said Sunday. 

The average price of gas nationwide on Friday was about $1.52 per gallon, down just .07 cents from Jan. 19, according to the Lundberg Survey of 7,500 stations. 

The retail price dipped less than a penny per gallon in much of the country. That was offset by slight increases in the Rocky Mountain and Western coastal states, which had seen prices dip in the previous two-week period, industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said. 

Various regions “do not move in lockstep together,” Lundberg said. 

The steady state followed an average hike of 4 cents per gallon in the previous period. Gas prices still remain nearly 19 cents lower than they were last June, when the average price reached more than $1.71 per gallon. 

Lundberg said prices should remain steady and could dip again “if there are no problems in the system (of) refining or distribution.” 

The national weighted average price of gasoline, including taxes, at self-serve pumps Friday was about $1.49 for regular unleaded, $1.59 for midgrade and $1.68 for premium. At full-service pumps, the average was about $1.86 for regular unleaded, $1.95 for midgrade and $2.03 for premium.

CARMEL – Members of a displaced American Indian tribe say their ancestors deserve recognition for building and maintaining California’s first mission here some 230 years ago, but the Roman Catholic Church says the tribe is simply grasping at a way to win federal tribal status. 

Chief Tony Cerda of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel tribe led a prayer dance Saturday afternoon at the Monterey Presidio, the site where he said his ancestors first greeted Father Junipero Serra in 1770. 

Cerda’s dance included chants in a circle with 20 tribe members in full regalia. The group then marched about a mile through town with a police escort and later drove four miles south to Carmel to deliver a “peace pouch” of tobacco, sage and acorn meal to the Mission San Carlos Borromeo. 

“We want them to recognize us and our ancestors,” Cerda explained. 

But the rainy demonstration met opposition from another tribe that said Cerda has no claim that his forefathers first inhabited the Carmel mission. 

“I don’t respect someone who comes into my territory and does all these demonstrations,” Rudolph Rosales, tribal chair of the Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation in Monterey, told reporters. 

“This is my home,” Rosales said. “I’m not going to sit at home and watch something like this go on when my family did as much as his did.” 

Cerda and his tribe of about 1,500 members are based in Chino, just east of Los Angeles, where they migrated after Mexicans took over the Spanish missions in the 1830s. But he said his ancestors were the first American Indians to come to the Carmel mission after his forebear, Chief Chanjay, persuaded them to go. 

Cerda said he has provided the mission with documents showing that the Rumsen tribe helped build and maintain the facility where Serra lived, worked and was buried in 1784. 

“We welcomed them. We gave them food, we have them deer, we gave them fish,” Cerda said. “If it hadn’t been for our people, they wouldn’t have survived.” 

At the end of the demonstration, Cerda delivered the peach pouch to the Carmel mission. It was intended for Monsignor Declan Murphy, but a receptionist said he was not there and would not accept it for him. Cerda left the pouch at the door. 

In September, a Los Angeles-area public relations firm hired by the tribe sent Murphy a letter asking that the Diocese of Monterey recognize the tribe’s contributions to the mission. 

But an attorney representing the church said the Rumsens have made unreasonable demands in an attempt to gain tribal status with the federal government. 

“It takes the government 20 years to recognize a tribe, and they want to use our name for some other purpose, and that is not appropriate,” said Rick Harray, general counsel to the diocese. “Being a pawn in vying for tribal status is offensive.” 

While Cerda agrees a letter from the church might help the tribe gain formal recognition, he said that’s not the point. 

“All we want is recognition that we were the first,” said Cerda, who is Catholic. “We’re not trying to take over the mission or claim the land.” 

But Harray said that’s not the message he got when Cerda’s tribe sent a letter asking the mission to put the tribe’s name on its stationary, erect a bronze statue of a Rumsen Indian and change the inscription on a cross to include the tribe’s name. 

“They want exclusive recognition as the only group, and they want to tell a Catholic church what to put on their cross,” Harray said. “That’s pretty cheeky.” 

The Catholic Church has recognized the importance of the mission with a minor basilica designation in 1960 and a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1987. 

Problems between California tribes and the church go back hundreds of years. 

“The mission Indians had to work to feed themselves and support the entire military, including the presidio in San Francisco,” said Jack Forbes, Native American Studies professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis. “They were a form of captive.” 

He said Serra, the Franciscan missionary who founded California’s missions, wasn’t as benevolent as some may think. Many indigenous people died from disease, bad diets or poor living conditions during his conversion attempts. 

After the Mexicans took over the Spanish missions, dozens of tribes dispersed to surrounding lands. 

“The Catholic church eventually got titled to the mission building itself,” Forbes said. “The Indians didn’t get any of the land.” 

And Harray said that’s not about to change. While generic reference to American Indians already exist at the mission, he said it wouldn’t be fair to grant one tribe exclusive recognition. 

“Once you throw things like that that look like demands, you have poisoned the atmosphere,” he said. “These are not waters we can fish in.”

Stolen Koalas were beaten, zoo officials say 

SAN FRANCISCO — The two koalas kidnapped in December from the San Francisco Zoo and later recovered were beaten by the two teens who abducted them, officials said Friday. 

Zoo animal keeper Nancy Rumsey told a juvenile court judge that the older koala, 15-year-old Pat, was beaten “to submission” and briefly fled up a tree while attempting to escape her captor. 

Rumsey’s testimony came at a sentencing hearing for two boys, ages 15 and 17, who stole the koalas from the zoo December 27. 

“I noticed right away that (Pat’s) lower jaw was swollen and she had trouble walking,” Rumsey said. “She was really wobbly and continues to be disoriented.” 

Veterinarians who conducted initial examinations said the koalas appeared to be in good condition, and were later told about the maltreatment. 

The koalas were recovered Dec. 28 after an anonymous tip led police to the house where the animals were being kept. 

The teen-agers pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft. Their sentencing has been postponed until April. 

Peninsula city to get new public high school 

EAST PALO ALTO — This fall, high school students here could finally be able to walk to school. 

A long-awaited public high school approved Thursday for East Palo Alto will be the first in the city for 25 years. Students in the city have been bused to schools in other cities since 1976, when Ravenswood High closed. 

The Ravenswood City School District board authorized the college preparatory charter school to open in September with 80 students. 

“The community is happy,” said Superintendent Charlie Mae Knight. “It was like Camelot again in East Palo Alto.” 

A lottery system will decide who will attend the school from the district, which covers East Palo Alto and east Menlo Park. 

The school will be operated by Aspire Public Schools, a nonprofit co-founded by a former superintendent of San Carlos schools. 

Kidnap suspect causes trouble 

VALLEJO — Kidnapping suspect Curtis Dean Anderson allegedly struck a Solano County jail officer Friday. 

Anderson was being transported to a court hearing at about 6:30 a.m. when the incident occurred. 

Solano County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Gary Faulkner said Anderson struck an officer with his open hand and then spit blood on the officers face. 

Anderson is in jail on charges that he kidnapped and sexually assaulted an 8-year-old Vallejo girl last year. 

Anderson has also been questioned in connection with death of Xiana Fairchild. The seven-year-old went missing in 1999 and her skull was recently found in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

No arrests have been made in that case. 

Flasher clown faces ban 

CLAYTON (AP) — Flasher the Clown’s “dog in the pants” act has gotten him in trouble before, and the children’s entertainer may now be banned from a family Fourth of July parade. 

“We have no problem with Mr. Manion,” said Ben Jay, parade chairman. “But it becomes a problem when he flashes his coat - a dog pops out of his pants and he wants kids to pet it.” 

Bob Manion is familiar with criticism of the act he has performed for 30 years — he was also banned him from the Walnut Festival in Walnut Creek. 

The Clayton parade committee has fielded complaints from the public and committee members for the past two years. It renewed deliberations last week to decide whether Flasher will return, and could decide as early as next month. 

Manion was taken aback with the news that he may not be welcome at the parade. 

“It’s ludicrous. I can’t believe this,” he said. 

The 59-year-old father of three has said he is not being rude or insensitive, that he just wants to make kids laugh. Supporters, such as Clayton Councilwoman Julie Pierce, called critics “a little bit hypersensitive.” 

Man arrested for passing out Bibles 

SAN RAMON (AP) — A man has been arrested for passing out Bibles at a middle school and refusing to leave school grounds. 

Jerome Denham, a 65-year-old Walnut Creek resident, told officials he was “doing God’s work” as he gave the books to drivers who were picking up students at Pine Valley Middle School. 

Eight other people who were members of Gideons International were also handing out Bibles on the sidewalk, but they were not on school property and were not arrested. Gideons International distributes Bibles to motels, hospitals and others. 

School officials said that even after repeated requests, Denham would not leave the area where he stood, which slowed the flow of traffic on campus. 

“It has nothing to do with distributing Bibles, which is within their right to do,” said San Ramon Valley school district spokesman Terry Koehne. “The issue was a safety issue,” he said. 

Koehne said the district will not press charges against Denham. 

Bus catches fire 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An electric bus caught fire in the city’s financial district Saturday afternoon. 

The incident happened as the Muni trolley coach was unloading passengers in downtown around the financial district. The driver was able to usher his five passengers off the bus through the front door as the back of the vehicle went up in flames, and no one was injured. 

The blaze blew out the vehicle’s windows and melted the seats. 

Passengers said they have never seen an electric bus catch fire. A Muni spokeswoman said the fire started where the electricity comes through overhead wires to power the bus.

SAN FRANCISCO – Power regulators report that many businesses enjoying lower electricity rates “gamed” the state by not cutting power when asked to help avert rolling blackouts. 

The Public Utilities Commission report, released Thursday, cites “serious problems” of compliance with the so-called interruptible program that regulators have relied on to ease pressure on California’s strained power grid. 

Last year, it said, only 62 percent of Southern California Edison’s interruptible customers cut power when asked. Meanwhile, 90 percent of Pacific Gas & Electric customers did so. 

“Numerous customers, including some schools and hospitals, ’gamed’ Edison’s tariffs,” the report said. “Edison’s low compliance rate has likely been caused by a number of customers who should never have signed up for Edison’s program in the first place.” 

The PUC has estimated customers signing interruptible contracts with SoCal Edison, PG&E and San Diego Gas and Electric have saved $2 billion since 1986. 

Utility officials said the slump in compliance reflected difficult times. 

“It’s a business decision they have to make,” SoCal Edison spokesman Steve Conroy said. “The compliance rate is certainly not what we’d like to see, but it has certainly been to a degree that it has prevented rolling blackouts in the Southern California area.” 

Under the program, businesses earn a roughly 15 percent discount on their power bill in exchange for curtailing use during times of peak demand. 

Until recently, such outages were rare, occurring primarily during hot summer months. But over the past three months, calls for interruptions became an almost daily routine. California’s roughly 1,700 interruptible customers could opt to leave the lights on during the voluntary outages, but had to pay 100 times normal rates for doing so. 

Indeed, last year PG&E customers were assessed $2.2 million in penalties for ignoring conservation calls, while SoCal Edison customers were assessed $92.4 million. 

But some of those fines may go unpaid. 

Companies cried foul after some were asked to kill power for six hour stretches, sometimes three times per day. 

In response, last month the PUC voted to suspend the penalties, reasoning that interruptible customers have borne a disproportionate burden during the state’s power crisis. 

Businesses now face no penalty for refusing to cut their power, but will continue to receive the rate discount for joining the program. 

PG&E spokesman Ron Low said his utility still regularly asks large customers to curtail usage during peak periods. He said responses have been generally good. 

The report also suggested a series of improvements to the program. 

Among these were a review to see which current participants might be removed from the program. 

The report also suggested a new scheme under which participants would agree to 25 hours of interruptions per month. Once they have cut power for 25 hours, they would receive a subsidy for cutting further. Participants could also identify five non interruptible days per month.

SAN FRANCISCO – When Epinions.com raised $33 million in 1999, CEO Nirav Tolia received the red-carpet treatment from adoring venture capitalists making a mint off the dot-com craze. 

A year later, Tolia ran into one cold shoulder after another as he scraped to raise a few million dollars more to keep his company’s product review Web site afloat during a sobering downturn in the Internet industry. 

“I have worn out 10 sets of knee pads begging people for money,” Tolia, 29, said. 

“If venture capitalists hear you are an Internet company dependent on advertising, they tell you they’re not interested. If they hear you are an e-commerce company, they slam the door in your face. If they hear you are a business-to-consumer company, they say they never want to see you again.” 

In a rare vote of confidence for a consumer-focused Web site, Epinions finally managed to secure $12 million in venture capital from BV Capital, Benchmark Capital, August Capital, Goldman Sachs and Allen & Co. The company plans to announce the cash infusion Monday. 

The money will be enough to tide over Epinions.com until the Brisbane-based company begins making money at the end of this year, Tolia said. 

Not all the employees who helped build Epinions’ site will be around for the rest of the journey. Just before the company secured the venture capital, Epinions laid off 24 employees, representing a 27 percent cut in its payroll. 

Venture capitalists didn’t demand cuts, but the layoffs “proved to our investors that we are fiscally responsible,” said Tolia, who cried as he delivered the bad news to employees. “It was just the right thing to do for the business.” 

The gauntlet that Epinions navigated en route to its final round of venture capital is another sign of the daunting times facing Internet companies, particularly those with sites primarily aimed at consumers. 

Venture capitalists are still pouring billions of dollars into the development of the Internet, but just a trickle is going to the whiz kids who promised to revolutionize the world by peddling goods and information over the Web. 

E-commerce companies received $114.6 million, or 1 percent, of the $11 billion of venture capital invested in the Internet during the fourth quarter of 2000, according to data compiled by VentureOne and PricewaterhouseCoopers. A year earlier, e-commerce companies received 1.4 billion, or 11 percent, of the $13.3 billion that venture capitalists invested in the Internet. 

Online content companies fared only a little better with venture capitalists. In the fourth quarter of 2000, venture capitalists invested $357 million in online content companies, a 49 percent decline from the same 1999 period. 

The falloff reflects the dismal track record of the pioneering commerce and content sites that squandered a torrent of venture capital over the past year. 

Since last February, 77 e-commerce and online content companies have failed, according to a “Dot-Com Flop Tracker” run by the Industry Standard, a San Francisco-based magazine devoted to the Internet economy. Virtually all of these unprofitable companies failed because venture capitalists refused to invest additional money. 

If anything, the outlook for this sector is turning even bleaker as advertisers curtail their spending and formidable retailers set up their own Web sites to complement their brick-and-mortar chains. 

“Venture capitalists are looking for a reason not to invest in (commerce and content) companies now,” said Bill Gurley, a partner at Benchmark Capital. “They are pulling into their shells, like a tortoise.” 

The hot investment spot on the Internet now appears to be “infrastructure” — a catchall used to describe start-ups building tools that make it easier to surf the Internet. 

Internet infrastructure companies received $3.4 billion in venture capital during the fourth quarter, doubling the $1.7 billion that flowed to the sector in the prior year, according to VentureOne. 

“If you are building a business around fiber optics equipment, you are going to attract a lot of interest. If you are a guy trying to develop a content or commerce site, it’s extremely tough right now,” said John Gabbert, VentureOne’s director of research. “Venture capitalists are questioning business plans more stringently than they had been.” 

Unlike the past few years, venture capitalists no longer are focusing on many people visit a Web site. 

In Epinions’ case, it didn’t matter that the site has emerged as powerful magnet among shoppers, with 2.3 million unique visitors in January, according to PC Data Online. It didn’t matter that Epinions is the second most popular “ask and advise” site behind Keen.com and the 348th most trafficked site on the Web or that its traffic has doubled in the past six months. 

In a series of meetings spread over several months, Tolia had to show how Epinions would make money and convince them that the breakthrough would occur in a matter of months, rather than years. 

Going through the grinder gave Tolia extra incentive to make sure Epinions becomes profitable. 

“I never want to have to raise money again,” he said.

BERKELEY — In a development that could affect the way high school students in California and across the nation prepare for college, University of California President Richard C. Atkinson is recommending dropping the SAT I as an admission requirement. 

Atkinson planned to announce his recommendation in a speech to the American Council on Education Sunday. 

“Anyone involved in education should be concerned about how overemphasis on the SAT is distorting educational priorities and practices, how the test is perceived by many as unfair, and how it can have a devastating impact on the self esteem and aspirations of young students,” Atkinson said in a draft copy of the speech. 

Atkinson has already asked UC’s Academic Senate, which sets admission standards, to consider dropping the SAT I, along with taking a more comprehensive look at applicants. Dropping the SAT I would require approval by the UC Board of Regents and could not take effect before fall 2003. 

Atkinson joins a growing chorus of dissatisfaction with the SAT I, taken by more than a million graduating seniors last year, and his suggestion drew strong reaction. 

“To drop the SAT would be like deciding you’re going to drop grades,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the nonprofit College Board which owns the SAT. 

“It’s an important step in the right direction,” said Robert Schaeffer of FairTest, a Cambridge, Mass., group that advocates less emphasis on standardized tests and argues that a high SAT score may have more to do with money spent on pretest coaching than ability. “There will be strong pressure on other state college systems to follow California’s lead.” 

SAT critics say high school grades are better predictors of how students will do in college than their SAT scores. But others say the SAT is crucial to providing a national yardstick – all A’s, for instance, are not created equal. 

UC now uses the SAT I and SAT II, a three-part test more closely tied to subjects studied in high school. Atkinson is not suggesting eliminating the SAT II. 

UC officials have discussed dropping the SAT I before, although there’s been no formal push to do so. In December, a draft report originating from a conference on admissions recommended reforming or eliminating the SAT I or making it optional. 

“Whether or not this can be actually changed depends a lot on what the faculty says to the regents and how the regents themselves perceive it as affecting quality,” S. Sue Johnson, regents’ chairman, said Friday. 

One of the criticisms leveled against the SAT is that it is culturally biased and unfair to disadvantaged students. Diversity in admissions has been an issue at UC since 1995, when regents voted to drop affirmative action. Numbers of black and Hispanic students have fallen at top campuses since then. 

Caperton defended the SAT as “extremely fair. What is not fair is the education system in America which gives children unequal opportunities.” 

But Atkinson said an overemphasis on SAT I scores has created the “educational equivalent of a nuclear arms race,” that hurts all involved but poses a risk to any institution that opts out. 

Some colleges have already dropped the SAT as a requirement, including Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, which is in the first year of a five-year study of what happens when the SAT becomes optional. 

Even before the change, SAT scores hadn’t greatly influenced admissions, but dropping the requirement helped dispel “the growing perception that your life is determined by these scores that you get on a Saturday morning,” said Jane Brown, vice president for enrollment and college relations. 

Caperton speculated that some would interpret eliminating the SAT I as “dropping standards for an institution that’s recognized for its excellence.” 

But Jeff Rubenstein, assistant vice president of the Princeton Review and author of several books about test preparation, said Atkinson’s announcement may prove a rallying point. 

“People are finally beginning to realize the incredibly narrow scope of what this test measures which is completely out of proportion with the importance given to it by most people,” he said. 

On the Net: University of California, http://www.ucop.edu 

FairTest: http://www.fairtest.org 

College Board: http://collegeboard.org/ 

http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/commserv/sat 

FRESNO— The number of pesticide poisonings in California increased by 20 percent in 1999, according to a state report released Thursday. 

The most frequent cause of pesticide illnesses in 1999 were chemicals that drifted from fields or industrial areas. 

There were 1,201 “suspected or confirmed” reports of poisonings in 1999, up from 998 the year before, according to data compiled by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. 

Despite the rise from 1998, the 1999 totals were still low relative to past years. 

“Other than 1998, this is the lowest number of injuries since 1986 (when there were 1,030),” said department spokesman Glenn Brank. 

State officials aren’t sure why the number of poisonings has dropped in recent years, but speculate that a 11.7 million pound decline in pesticide use in 1998 and 1999 may be a factor. 

“In the context of more than 1 million pesticide applications in California every year, the number of injuries does not appear to be out of line,” Brank said. 

The single largest poisoning in 1999 was in the Tulare County farm town of Earlimart, when the toxic pesticide metam-sodium drifted from a neighboring potato field and forced 180 residents to evacuate. Dozens sought medical treatment. 

Wilbur-Ellis Co. agreed to pay $150,000 to settle the case. Half the money was paid as civil penalties and half for medical care of those sickened. 

More than 800 of the reported poisonings happened to people at work. Of those, 555 were agricultural workers. 

Environmentalists said the report covers a mere fraction of the total poisonings. 

“There is a pattern where poisoning seem to be part of business as usual,” said Monica Moore, co-founder of Pesticide Action Network. 

Moore added that state and county officials aren’t eager to fine the agricultural companies responsible for violations. 

The state gathers its information either from two sources: reports that doctors must file with county health or agricultural officials each time they treat pesticide poisoning victims, and worker compensation forms that stricken workers file with the state.

SAN JOSE — An Internet service provider whose customers lost high-speed access last week when Covad Communications Inc. cut the connection fired back Wednesday by suing Covad. 

Covad mainly sells high-speed digital subscriber lines to Internet service providers, which in turn sell them to businesses and residential users.  

Last week, Covad unplugged two service providers, DSLnetworks and Internet Express, for not paying millions of dollars of bills. 

The move left thousands of customers nationwide without DSL access. 

In its lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, DSLnetworks contends Covad has been calling, faxing and e-mailing many of its 3,500 affected customers and asking them to sign up for DSL service directly with Covad.  

In some cases, top Covad executives personally have been making the calls, said Dan Melmed, director of marketing at San Francisco-based DSLnetworks. 

That violates nondisclosure clauses in the customers’ service agreements, and also is “indicative of what Covad’s intentions were, which is to really take our customers away from us and take them directly,” Melmed said. 

The lawsuit asks that Covad be ordered to stop contacting DSLnetworks’ customers. 

Covad spokeswoman Suluh Lukoskie said the Santa Clara-based company had not been served with the lawsuit and would not comment. 

Covad also has been reaching out to customers of Internet Express, but that is allowed under an agreement the companies signed last year, said Barry Diamond, chief Executive of Internet Express.  

Still, he expects to join in a class-action lawsuit with other ISPs against Covad. 

Both Internet Express and DSLnetworks pointed out that they had set up payment plans with Covad when the service was cut off, and that their deals with other DSL providers still are going strong. 

DSL technology vastly increases the data capacity of ordinary copper telephone wires.  

But Covad and competing DSL companies have been stung by their complicated partnerships with Internet service providers, service disruptions and installation delays in many areas. 

On the Net: 

http://www.covad.com 

http://www.dslnetworks.com 

http://www.internetexpress.com

SAN FRANCISCO — If Napster Inc. wants to parlay Monday’s legal defeat into financial victory, the song-swap sensation of the Internet has its work cut out. 

Napster has said it plans to start charging subscription fees by summer, but major record labels haven’t yet been persuaded to work side-by-side with the Redwood City-based company and, as a result, will not willingly part with titles from their coveted artists. 

And it’s not clear whether the one label that does support Napster, Bertelsmann AG, will continue to finance the Internet upstart in the face of a losing legal battle. 

“This is neither the beginning nor the end of Napster,” said Andreas Schmidt, head of Bertelsmann AG’s eCommerce group. “Now it’s really important to move to the future with a membership-based service.” On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel to rewrite her injunction against Napster and focus specifically on getting the company to stop enabling copyright infringement. 

Bertelsmann insists it will continue to support Napster financially. But the German media giant must realize that even legitimate online music retailers have failed to win over the number of rabid fans that Napster has with free MP3s. 

Napster estimates its free music model has attracted more than 50 million registered users. MP3.com, for all its dealmaking prowess with major record labels, refuses to say how many people have signed up for the its subscription-based streaming song service called My.Mp3.com. 

MP3.com only relaunched the service after reportedly paying millions to the Big Five record labels – Sony, Universal, BMG, EMI and Warner – to settle a copyright infringement suit of its own. 

EMusic.com tried a similar route, allowing computer users to buy songs at 99 cents each, or subscribe for music downloads for as low as $9.99 a month. EMusic’s business hasn’t dried up completely, but the company has reported more bad news than good and recently laid off 36 percent of its staff. 

EMusic’s current number-one selling album is “Long Tall Weekend” by the quirky band They Might Be Giants. That band is nowhere to be found among Billboard’s top 100 albums, much less its top 10. Labels managing Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys aren’t yet ready to part with their premium artists online. 

Nonetheless, EMusic CEO Gene Hoffman lauded the ruling against Napster. 

“We are pleased that the district court will be issuing a new injunction against Napster that will effectively block the unauthorized distribution of music files,” Hoffman said. 

The true test of Napster’s oft-mentioned “next generation” application is whether it can will offer any reason to exist other than free MP3s. Chat rooms? Been there — as have countless other Web sites. Unsigned artists? Others have done that too, and failed. 

Riffage.com went bust after little more than a year of promoting unknowns and webcasting concerts. The Internet Underground Music Archive, a pioneering online haven for garage bands, was acquired by EMusic and promptly closed its service to new artists after the funding floundered. 

Is Napster confident it can improve on these efforts while protecting its users’ rights to “personal use” sharing as allowed by federal law? 

“We’re fighting for this principle and we believe that the actions that the users are engaged in is not copyright infringement,” said Napster CEO Hank Barry. “While we believe this is legal, respecting the court decision otherwise, it is clearly not industry supported.” 

Though Napster vows to fight the appeals court ruling, and any subsequent new injunction, the company’s music free-for-all may be doomed. 

“I’m bumming,” said John Nock, 35, of Morgantown, W.Va., who said the ruling could prevent him from mixing more tapes for his June wedding. 

“We’ll all find a way to get around it,” said Faisal Reza, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “People who want music will always be one step ahead of people trying to stop them.” 

Napster’s service is still up and running and the appeals court did not mention any liability of users who choose to continue downloading the application. But the MP3 trading appears threatened. 

A three-judge panel of the appeals court said it was apparent that “Napster has knowledge, both actual and constructive, of direct infringement.” 

In upholding a lower court judge’s injunction that would shut down Napster, the panel said the recording industry “would likely prevail” in its suit against the file-swapping service. 

The heavy metal group Metallica, the first band to demand its songs be removed from Napster, saw the ruling as vindication. 

“We are delighted that the court has upheld the rights of all artists to protect and control their creative efforts,” the band said in a statement. “Napster was wrong in taking not only Metallica’s music, but other artists who do not want to be a part of the Napster system.” 

The Recording Industry Association of America concurred. 

“It’s time for Napster to stand down and build their business the old-fashioned way. They must get permission first,” said RIAA President Hilary Rosen. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Napster: http://www.napster.com 

Recording industry: http://www.riaa.com 

EMusic: http://www.emusic.com 

MP3: http://www.mp3.com 

Ninth Circuit: http://www.ce9.uscourts.gov 

SAN JOSE — An 18-year-old college student was killed in south San Jose in an explosion at his home Saturday afternoon. 

Patrick Wentsu Hsu, a freshman from University of California, Santa Barbara who was at home for the weekend, died in the blast at 4:30 p.m. No one else was in the house. 

San Jose police are investigating the explosion as a possible homicide, but have no suspects and no apparent motive. 

The front window was blown out and the bedroom where the explosion took place was damaged. His parents speculate that a bomb was sent to Hsu in a package addressed to him that arrived during the second week of January. Hsu’s parents gave the package to him when he arrived home, and it contained a robotic toy dog. 

Investigators would not say whether a mail bomb was responsible for the explosion, which they believe is an isolated incident. San Jose police spokesman Rubens Dalaison said the explosion was not related to the arrest of Al DeGuzman, the 19-year-old student who was arrested Jan. 30 for allegedly planning to plant bombs at his De Anza College campus in Cupertino. 

Berkeley’s Central Works Theater Ensemble opened its 11th season Friday at LaVal’s with the world premiere of an intriguing new play "Nightingale." This production is a homecoming of sorts, since the company performed its first two seasons at LaVal’s in 1990-1992. 

Set in Los Angeles, “Nightingale” is a modern-day retelling of a grisly Greek myth about rape and murder within a family, and justice and revenge. Ovid retells the story in his “Metamorphoses,” and Sophocles apparently wrote an earlier play about the myth which has not survived. 

In the myth, King Tereus rapes his wife’s younger sister Philomela. When she threatens to tell about the rape, Tereus cuts her tongue out and imprisons her. 

Philomela then weaves her story into a tapestry and smuggles it out to her sister. The two women take revenge by killing the king’s son and feeding his body to him in a stew. 

After the king pursues the two women in a rage, the gods turn them all into birds, and Philomela becomes a nightingale. 

Central Works has altered elements of this myth in their modern-day Los Angeles retelling that was written by Gary Graves, but developed collaboratively by company members during a workshop process. 

“Nightingale’s” opening moments are strong. A silent tableau of horrified and traumatized rape victim Melody Weaver (Rica Anderson), with bloody mouth, is juxtaposed against a low budget local television commercial featuring her rapist — “carpet king” Terry King (Louis Parnell) — giving a hard television sales pitch for the best carpet deals in the San Fernando Valley.  

Cut from that to Terry’s pregnant real estate lawyer wife Renee (Jan Zvaifler) as she sorrowfully prepares a dinner in their upscale Valley dining room, while husband Terry, disoriented, drinks a cocktail and looks in the neighborhood for the missing family dog. 

When Renee’s missing younger sister Melody suddenly shows up and invites herself back into the family after running away unexpectedly ten years earlier at age 15, things get tense. 

Wild Melody has been a doper and prostitute on the run, sort of a female version of the Sam Shepard desert rat. And the missing pet dog may, in fact, be the beef bourguignon being served for dinner. 

In updating to present day Los Angeles a mythological Greek story of kings, queens, gods, and magical birds, Central Works has created elliptical incongruities in the story, but these are more often thought-provoking and poetical than misplaced. 

Moments in the production that may at first seem like continuity confusions, such as wife Renee’s apparent ambivalence about the rape, usually right themselves as the story progresses. 

The script’s main weakness, as it passes through its tough confrontation, climax and resolution of sorts, is that it loses the feel of specific, individual Los Angeles people. As the story progresses, the three characters fade, rather, into symbolic types. 

The unexpected sexual kiss between the two sisters at the play’s end also sends the story careening in new direction that isn’t much explored. 

In this play, which runs about 85 minutes without an intermission, director Graves and the actors take their time with the silences between this lines. Generally, this is effective. 

The rape and denial set-up at the top give a powerful subtext to the innocuous amenities and politeness that are later spoken among the three. 

Gregory Scharpen’s sound design adds many nice touches, from the 1950s Johnny Mathis love songs that open and close the play, to the sounds of birds, the low-level rumbling of the earth opening and ghostly expressionist musical tracks that put the story at times in a world bigger than the Los Angeles moment. 

Those Greeks knew how to write a drawing room tragedy. 

“Nightingale,” presented by Central Works at LaVal’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley, Friday through Sunday, through March 4. Call (510) 558-1381 or go to www.centralworks.org.