Poetry slammer Nico Cary, a Berkeley High sophomore, kicked off a discussion on school reform Wednesday with a poem that explores the connection between economic inequality and racial inequality. 

“Sometimes the way to knowledge be too high,” Cary said, in a lyrical, rapid fire performance that elicited laughter and more than a few spontaneous bursts of affirmation from the crowd gathered at south Berkeley’s La Peña Cafe .  

“My nigger’s lost on the information highway.” 

The poem was an appropriate beginning to the night, where some 50 Berkeley High students, teachers and parents wrestled with the question of how Berkeley High can be reformed to serve its African-American and Latino students as well as it serves its white and Asian-American students. 

Although many students of color excel at Berkeley High, statistics suggest that students of color are much more likely to fail or skip classes (the two are usually related) or face suspension for disciplinary reasons. Berkeley High’s students of color also historically underperform their white and Asian American peers on standardized tests. 

The Diversity Project, a multi-year study that attempted to pinpoint the reasons for the so-called “racial achievement gap” at Berkeley High, found that African-American students accounted for 68 percent of suspensions during the 1997-1998 school year, although they represented only 36 percent of the total student body at that time. 

“We cannot dismiss the high number of suspensions as due to a handful of struggling students bumping their heads up against the school rules,” the Diversity Project concluded in its May 2000 Discipline Report. “Instead, we must take seriously that a large number of students (primarily African American students) are struggling in the system as it exists.” 

Nicole Heyman, a Berkeley High senior, organized Wednesday’s forum as part a senior project for Berkeley High’s Communication Arts and Sciences program (CAS).  

She said she planned the forum so the adults who are pushing education reform for Berkeley High could hear more of what students have to say. 

“If we’re going to design these (small learning communities), then students need to be as much of a part of it as adults are,” Heyman said. 

The specific reform plan under consideration these days, with the help of a $50,000 federal planning grant, calls for Berkeley High to follow the lead of some other large high schools in the country and divide its 3,200 students into a number of “small learning communities.”  

Such communities allow teachers to give students more personalized attention, supporters says, so those with special needs don’t “fall through the cracks.” 

Heyman said she supports the idea of small schools. 

Before joining the CAS program – in itself a small learning community within Berkeley High, focused on instilling a sense of social justice in students through their studies of core topics like history and English – Heyman said she was just kind of coasting through high school waiting for it to end. 

“I was just another high school student who didn’t know where to put my efforts or what to do,” Heyman said. 

“My whole world changed” after entering the CAS program, Heyman said. “The sense of community, the kind of closeness I got with teachers...It got me interested in what we were learning.” 

After reviewing some of the Diversity Report’s most salient findings, Heyman opened up the floor to discussion Wednesday. Most students voiced support for the idea of small learning communities, but some in the audience expressed concerns. 

One parent said she had children in one of the small learning communities already in place at Berkeley High (there are three up and running) who still “are not succeeding at Berkeley High.” 

Berkeley High teacher Marcela Taylor said giving teachers more opportunity to work one on one with students will not necessarily impact the achievement gap at Berkeley High. 

“Most African American and Latino students are failing ninth grade,” Taylor said. “And even a teacher of color like me, who supposedly ‘understands them,’ quote unquote, can’t help them.” 

Reform needs to involve outreach to the families of failing children, Taylor said. 

A different group of students – those hanging out in Civic Center Park across from the high school Thursday afternoon – registered mixed feelings about the potential of small learning communities to cure Berkeley High’s ills. 

“Our school is too big,” conceded graduating senior Carrie Hoskins. But she said the students who struggle at Berkeley High do so in large measure because they arrive on the campus woefully unprepared. 

As for the problem of chronic class cutting (Hoskins said she spent three full months of her sophomore year hanging out in the park, skipping class), Hoskins and other students in the park said too many teachers at the school fail to make class meaningful.  

Some were skeptical that small communities alone would address this problem. 

“It’s not the subject, it’s how it’s taught,” Hoskins said. 

Others couldn’t wait to sign up. 

“I’m doing Common Ground next year ’cause I can’t deal with the regular Berkeley High any more,” said sophomore Michael Cochrane, referring to one of the small learning communities already in place at the school. Cochrane said he was looking forward to “more interaction with the teachers as a whole, and less just barking at you from a book.”

Friday, May 25  

Free Writing, Cashiering  

& Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate  

and Chalk Art Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27  

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institut 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Monday, May 28 

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29 

People’s State of the City Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

Wednesday, May 30  

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person 525-7610  

Thursday, May 31  

Backpacking  

in Northern California  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free 527-4140 

Attic Conversions  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 per person 525-7610  

League of Women  

Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Promises, no action 

Editor:  

It's déjà vu all over again! And again, and again!  

The Parks Department promises to coat the wooden play structures in Cedar Rose and other Berkeley parks to prevent transference of arsenic onto children's hands and the Corporation Yard promises to clean up its gravel pits. (“Groups challenge arsenic in play structures” 5/24/01 and “Corporation Yard cited for second time” 5/23/01. )  

I was one of the founders of Parents United for Health who marched on Berkeley City Hall and held press conferences in Cedar Rose Park in June 1983 to protest the use of pesticides in city parks and to ask for a solution to the arsenic problem.  

As a neighbor of the Corporation Yard, I have also heard the city's many promises regarding environmental problems there.  

The rapid turnover of city staff, especially in management positions, means each department head can honestly say, “It didn't happen while I was in charge,” and blame past managers. Meanwhile, citizens suffer the consequences.  

The Corporation Yard's current promise to cover the rock, sand, gravel, and dirt bunkers with canopies and to put filters in the storm sewers is not an acceptable solution for the neighborhood.  

Neighbors have complained about the noise and air pollution from this operation for a long time, and have heard many promises, such as covering the bunkers with tarpaulins. Such clean-up efforts by the Corporation Yard rarely last more than a week or two.  

The sand, crushed granite, etc. are brought into this residential neighborhood in tandem trailers, dumped into the bunkers – creating great clouds of airborne particulate – and much noise.  

Employees then use a front-end loader to transfer the material into city dump trucks, each time creating clouds of dust, and making noise just 10 feet from the tennis and volleyball courts at Strawberry Creek Park and 40 feet from the kitchen and bedroom windows of Section 8 housing. The scooping and loading involves much backing up – can you hear the beeping? – crunching, thumping, scraping, and whooshing.  

Imagine trying to play tennis through that? Imagine living next to that? Do we need a study of airborne particulate in the Corporation Yard?  

It's time to end stopgap measures and move the gravel pits operation elsewhere!  

The city should replace the park play structures on an emergency basis! The 1980's study found that one wipe with a moist cloth (or sweaty hand) picked up dangerous levels of arsenic. Let's not endanger our children any longer!  

Acta non verba!  

Toni Horodysky  

Berkeley

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Caribbean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rhythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Peña Cultural Center May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 27, 8 p.m. John Kendall Bailey conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florence Schwimly Little  

Theater 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts 

/performing/jazz 

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rhythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Pacific Film Archive May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“An Evening of Handmade Films” May 25, 8 p.m. This documentary chronicles the lives of three disabled East African women who designed and built wheelchairs for use on unpaved roads. $5 suggested donation. Fantasy Studios, 2600 10th St. at Parker, 549-2977. 

Nomad Videofilm Festival 2001 June 1 10:40p.m. featuring world premieres from four S.F. Bay Area mediamakers: “Roadkill” by Antero Alli, “Forest” by Farhad J. Parsa “Visit” by Jesse Miller, B, “Fell Apart” by Doan La Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/nomad.html 

“TRAGOS: A Cyber-Noir Witch Hunt” an Antero Alli film June 2, 10:40pm Fine Arts Cinema, 2541 Shattuck Ave. $7 (510) 848-1143/464-4640, pix & details: http://www.verticalpool.com/tragos.html 

Exhibits 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse. Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts and Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910” chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkeley in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 24: Katie Hafner decries “The Well: A Story of Love, Death and Real Life in the Seminal Online Community”; May 25: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about “In the Heart of the Sea”; May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

BTV schedule 

Friday, May 25 

Midnight: Frank Moore Unlimited Possibilities 

8 a.m. Leela Foundation: Are You Willing? 

9 a.m. Intrepid Berkeley Explorer: Passes Through India and Nepal #4 

10 a.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #45 

10:30 a.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: Duncan James & Lyrique 

11 a.m. Paranormal Connection, Express Studio Replay from THURSDAY 

6:30pm 

11:30 a.m. Fast Forward Replay Studio A 7:00  

Noon: All There Is To Do Intern Show Replay 

12:30 p.m. Quantifying the Quality of Life 

1 p.m. Video Feedback Hula: Halau Oka UA Lililihu 

1:30 p.m. It's Healing TIme 

2 p.m. On The Move: #131 Parents Helping Parents with Disabled 

Children 

2:30 p.m. Sound Gallery:!Tang 

3 p.m. The Sea Within; Deep Colors Deep Hunters 

3:30 p.m. Duck Duck Goose: Gardening 

4 p.m. NASA TV: Education File 

5 p.m. Free Speech TV #2 

7 p.m. Who's In My Kitchen? #2 Fruit Salad and Punchcicles 

7:30 p.m. Wee Poets: Don't Smoke, Washington Elementary School  

8 p.m. Boredom Theater 

8:30 p.m. Back Stage Pass: Uncle Filthy  

9 p.m. Alexander Haig's World Business Review A 

9:30 p.m. Alexander Haig's World Business Review B 

10 p.m. The Blue Lew Show: Marty's Party 

10:30 p.m. The Dr. Susan Block Show: The New Horny Housewife A 

11 p.m. Thrush TV: The All the Young Dudes Show 

11:30 p.m. IVTV Episode 3 

Saturday, May 26 

Midnight: Reality Check: #204 No Fear  

12:30 a.m. Analog Rhythms 

8 a.m. Berkeley Baha'I Community: Baha'u'llah - The Prisoner of Akka 

9 a.m. Bible Reading 

9:30 a.m. Wee Poets: Don't Smoke, Washington Elementary School 

10 a.m. Duck Duck Goose: Gardening 

10:30 a.m. NASA TV: Education File 

11:30 a.m. Boredom Theater 

Noon: Great Pets, Replay from last week 

12:30 p.m. The BHS Video Bomb Squad: The CAS Poetry Slam Benefit 

2:30 p.m. The Cutting Edge: Video Magazine 

3 p.m. Paranormal Connection, Replay from Express Studio  

3:30 p.m. Chat Room 

4 p.m. Star Alliance, Replay from Express Studio WEDNESDAY  

5 p.m. Broadcast Violation, Replay from Express Studio WEDNESDAY  

5:30 p.m. Who's In My Kitchen?: #2 Fruit Salad and Punchcicles 

6 p.m. Video Feedback Hula: Halau Oka UA Lililihu 

6:30 p.m. The Sea Within; Deep Colors Deep Hunters 

7 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #219 

7:30 p.m. Fast Forward, replay from Studio A THURSDAY 

8 p.m. Analog Rhythms 

9 p.m. Lannan Literary Series: Victor Hernandez Cruz 

10 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: And the Beat Goes On 

11 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #119 

11:30 p.m. Reality Check: #204 No Fear 

Sunday, May 27 

Midnight: The Dr. Susan Block Show: The New Horny Housewife A 

12:30 a.m. Thrush TV: All the Young Dudes Show 

1 a.m. NASA TV LIVE: Earth views  

8 a.m. Bible Reading  

8:30 a.m. Berkeley City Council Meeting, Replay from TUESDAY 

2 p.m. The BHS Video Bomb Squad: The CAS Poetry Slam Benefit  

4 p.m. The Word Featuring Ephesian Church 

5 p.m. Film Time: Miss Congeniality and Traffic Reviews and Tim Roth 

Segment 

5:30 p.m. Welcome To Northern Light School 

6 p.m. Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting, Replay from MONDAY 

9 p.m. Berkeley Baha'I Community: Baha'u'llah - The Prisoner of Akka 

10 p.m. Sound Gallery: !Tang 

10:30 p.m. All There Is To Do, BCM Intern Show Replay from 5/19 

11 p.m. Free Speech TV, Tape #2 

Monday, May 28 

1 a.m. NASA TV LIVE: Earth Views 

3 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. First Amendment Center 

9 a.m. NASA TV: NTV Video File & Television Gallery 

11 a.m. On the Move: Changing Images of C.P. 

11:30 a.m. BHS Bomb Squad: The CAS Poetry Slam Benefit 3/2/01 

1:30 p.m. Wee Poets 

2 p.m. NASA TV: Education File 

3 p.m. Duck Duck Goose 

3:30 p.m. Bible Reading 

4 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Nonstop Music 

5 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #118 

5:30 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: S.F. Mallet Band 

6 p.m. The Wall That Heals  

7 p.m. And Yet We Lived 

7:30 p.m. Vietnam Experience 

8 p.m. Lannan Literary Series:  

9 p.m. Video Heads 

9:30 p.m. Video Culture 

10 p.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #46 

10:30 p.m. Berkeley Baha'I Community 

11 p.m. All There Is to do, BCM Intern Show Replay 

11:30 p.m. Thrush TV:The Grim Reaper Show 

Tuesday, May 29 

Midnight: The Dr. Susan Block Show: spanking for adults A 

12:30 a.m. Frank Moore's Unlimited Possibilities #2 

3 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. Power to the People; Town Hall Meeting  

10 a.m. Lannan Literary Series 

11 a.m. Video Culture 

11:30 a.m. And Yet We Lived 

Noon: Vietnam Experience 

12:30 p.m. People's Video Network 

1 p.m. One on One 

1:30 p.m. Video Heads  

2 p.m. A Boy and His Dog: Nonstop Music 

3 p.m. Live with Rick Sylvain #118 

3:30 p.m. Berkeley High School Homework Hotline, Studio A LIVE 

4:30 p.m. Back Stage Pass 

5 p.m. San Francisco Classical Guitar Society #46 

5:30 p.m. Poetry Festival #4 

6 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #220 

6:30 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: S.F. Mallet Band 

7 p.m. People's State of the City Address 

11 p.m. The Wall That Heals  

Wednesday, May 30 

Midnight: NASA TV: NTV Video File & Television Gallery 

2 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. People's State of the City Address 

Noon: The Wall That Heals  

1 p.m. Vietnam Experience 

1:30 p.m. Poetry Festival 2000 

2 p.m. Who's In My Kitchen? Green Goo's 

2:30 p.m. Universe of Yahweh #220 

3 p.m. Bay Area Musicians Showcase: S.F. Mallet Band 

3:30 p.m. Free Speech TV #1 

5:30 p.m. Great Pets, Express Studio LIVE 

6 p.m. It's Healing Time 

6:30 p.m. Fast Forward, Replay of Last Week 

7 p.m. CNS News Magazine Show: Faces In The Crowd  

8 p.m. Food: A CNS News Special Report 

8:30 p.m. Sheila  

9 p.m. The Word Featuring Ephesian Church, Replay from last week  

10 p.m. People's Video Network 

10:30 p.m. Film Time  

11 p.m. NASA TV NTV Video File & Television Gallery 

Thursday, May 31 

1 a.m. Analog Rhythms #29 

2 a.m. Community Bulletin Board 

8 a.m. NASA TV: NTV Video File 

9 a.m. Sheila  

9:30 a.m. Film Time  

10 a.m. The Word Featuring Ephesian Church, Replay of last week 

11 a.m. CNS News Magazine Show: Faces In The Crowd  

Noon: Free Speech TV Wk Tape #1 

2 p.m. Great Pets, Express Studio Replay  

2:30 p.m. It's Healing Time 

3 p.m. On the Move: Changing Images of C.P. 

3:30 p.m. Berkeley High School Homework Hotline, Studio A LIVE 

4:30 p.m. Intrepid Berkeley Explorer: Dances w/ National Parks  

5:30 p.m. Boredom Theater 

6 p.m. Alexander Haig's World Business Review B 

6:30 p.m. Power to the People; Town Hall Meeting  

9 p.m. Watch This, Replay from 5/14/01 

9:30 p.m. Back Stage Pass 

10 p.m. Sound Gallery 

10:30 p.m. Reality Check 

11 p.m. IVTV, Episode 4 

11:30 p.m. The Blue Lew Show:  

Carnival '96

For the first time since opening its new Roda Theater in March, the Berkeley Rep has two plays running simultaneously in its two performance spaces. 

Charles Mee’s feminist murder comedy “Big Love” continues on the Thrust Stage through mid-June, and the company opened on Wednesday night in the Roda the West Coast premiere of a fascinating and powerful new stage documentary “The Laramie Project.” 

“The Laramie Project” is based on the 1998 torture killing in Laramie, Wyo., of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay 21-year-old university student. The show was conceived, researched, written and staged by New York’s Tectonic Theater Project, under the direction of Moises Kaufman. 

Tectonic and Kaufman are best known for their 1997 “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” a play that ran off-Broadway for 18 months, and in San Francisco for six. 

“The Laramie Project” is a complex panoramic story, sort of a contemporary oral history by dozens of local Laramie people about the circumstances leading up to and following the murder of Shepard.  

One night, two men in a Laramie bar offered Shepard a ride home, and subsequently tied him to a fence for 18 hours and tortured him, before Shepard finally died in a hospital ICU unit five days later. 

A month after the murder, which attracted worldwide media attention, Tectonic Project members traveled to Laramie, a town of 27,000, for the first of six visits during which they recorded extensive interviews with 200 people. 

The play then evolved over the next 18 months, constructed from those oral history interviews, and trial and news testimonies. The final scrip – a long, detailed and ambitious story, credited to five writers and seven dramaturgs – opened at Denver Center Theater Company (a two-hour drive from Laramie) in February 2000. 

In telling the story of Shepard and the people of Laramie, the play struggles to find a connection between the tragedy that occurred, and a town that often prides itself on a live-and-let-live attitude. 

The play begins with a cultural history of Laramie, and moves to the set-up in the bar the night before the assault.  

It tracks the torture and beatings, arrest, arraignment, medical testimony by appalled hospital emergency room staff, the ensuing international media frenzy, community response, funeral, trials and judgment. 

This is total immersion in the story and events, told through the personalities of various witnesses.  

Their accounts range from funny to tragic. 

The stories of the individual people are fascinating, from the investigating police officer who fears HIV infection, to the local Catholic priest’s profound spiritual take on the situation, to the testimony of a few local gays. 

The play’s wide range of characters includes two salty old female social workers, the town’s cowboy limo driver, university people, church leaders and members, friends and family of the killers, the college student who found Matthew, and two members of the sheriff’s department. 

Tectonic’s staging is terrific. Each actor plays many roles, creating multiple distinctive characters, and the performances are sharp.  

The characters are touching, funny, real, and generally thoughtful. 

Director Kaufman’s bare staging exposes behind-the-scenes theater rigging. It uses a small number of slide and video projections – the latter simulating live video feeds of television reporters during the media frenzy – and one impressive prairie rainstorm. 

This is a long evening in the theater, running three hours with two intermissions.  

Each act builds strong emotional energy, and then spills the audience out into the hallways for a break to absorb it, then starts it up again. 

Some in the audience opening night felt the show was too long, but I disagree. If you go prepared for what it is – a lengthy and intelligent documentary of a profound, fascinating and moving story – you won’t be disappointed. 

On Monday, June 25, 7 p.m., the Rep hosts a free discussion open to the public on the creation of “The Laramie Project,” with members of Tectonic and Cal journalism professor Douglas Foster.  

For information, call 647-2900. 

Some of the show’s actors will rotate out of the cast in the middle of June – replaced by understudies – when they leave to work on the HBO movie of “The Laramie Project” currently in production. 

Planet theater reviewer John Angell Grant has written for “American Theatre,” “Backstage West,” “Callboard,” and many other publications. E-mail him at jagplays@yahoo.com

Everyone loves an underdog, right? Sorry, Cal fans, not this weekend. 

The Cal baseball team is in the postseason for the first time in seven years after finishing in third place in the Pac-10. Their reward for their unexpected success is a date with a legend, on his own turf. The Bears are the third seed in a four-team sub-regional in Baton Rouge, home of the Lousiana State Tigers and head coach Skip Bertman, who built the program into what it is today. The Tigers (40-19-1) are the top seed in the sub-regional. 

If that isn’t enough, Bertman is retiring at the end of the season, so college baseball fans everywhere are rooting for him to go out with a bang. If the Bears, or any other team for that matter, were to knock Louisiana State out of the tournament, they would be the heavies in the feel-good story of the college baseball season. 

Bertman started at LSU in 1983, and the program wasn’t exactly a power in the Southeastern Conference. But Bertman has built a national power, with five national championship, including last year’s. He has also won five national coach of the year awards. 

The coach will become an administrator after this season, moving into the athletic director position at LSU. 

The highest praise for Bertman comes from his rivals, head coaches at other national powerhouses. 

“LSU is as close to a dynasty as anyone can come with today’s scholarship limits and parity. It’s just unbelievable, and it’s all come from Skip Bertman,” Stanford head coach Mark Marquess said. 

“It’s two words: Skip Bertman,” Florida State’s Mike Martin said of LSU’s success. “There’s no other way to explain it. Probably nobody could have done what Skip has done in such a short time but Skip himself.” 

With that kind of praise, there’s no doubt most fans are rooting for LSU to reach a final College World Series under Bertman. 

Luckily for the Bears, they aren’t leading off against the Tigers. That honor goes to No. 4 seed Minnesota. But only one team can make it through the sub-regional, and the road to the CWS probably will go through Bertman’s squad.

Public interest in the Draft General Plan waned to a steadfast few at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

Only one Berkeley resident took advantage of the 30 minutes allotted for public comment. 

But those in the room who know Martha Nicoloff, a former member of the Planning Commission, straightened to attention when she stood to speak. 

This week the commission met to amend and approve the land-use portion of the Draft General Plan, the last section of the city’s nine-part guide for planning over the next 20 years. Nicoloff came to share her views on Berkeley building heights. 

Nicoloff read off several reasons why building heights shouldn’t be increased, and after the meeting, she confirmed that the initiative she and other Berkeley residents attempted to put through last year, a Berkeley height limit ordinance, will be brought out again this year. 

“We have the right, according to the secretary of state, to set height limits ourselves,” Nicoloff said. 

“Last year the city attorney turned us down because she said we would need a charter amendment, which meant in a very short time we would have needed to get something like 7,000 signatures. So this year we’re going to go by initiative, which requires only 5 percent of the requires only 5 percent of the vote in the last mayoral election.” 

The people writing the amendment are from all over the city, Nicoloff said. 

“We’re proposing height limits in feet for every district,” Nicoloff said. “Some districts will remain the same, but there are some districts that are (currently) excessive.” 

“We want to get (the initiative) perfected as far as we can, maybe within the next week or so, and then send it to the larger community.” 

Nicoloff noted that the initiative has been a powerful tool for Berkeley citizens to act upon their concerns and hopes for the city.  

“We’ve done other initiatives in the past,” Nicoloff said. “I was co-author of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance, which passed with a very healthy majority in 1973.  

“We did a measure for parks that said if the city wanted to reduce any parks for recreation, they would need to put it on the ballot. We did a plan to install a street-diverter system. And they all went through.” 

Nicoloff feels strongly that lower height limits are essential to the character of the city. 

“I think people come to Berkeley because they enjoy the small town atmosphere, and because it makes a more pleasant environment for students to study here,” Nicoloff said. “So I think it’s in the interests of the community to keep the heights down.” 

The question of building heights, however, is not isolated from other questions, such as how to provide enough affordable housing. 

“People want all the parking, they want affordable housing, and they don’t want to raise building heights,” said city planner Andrew Thomas. 

It’s hard to figure out a way to have all three. Developers say that lower building heights will mean higher rents for those who live in the buildings, otherwise, they argue, building is not profitable enough.  

“Everybody agrees we want affordable housing,” Thomas said, “but the question is how do we do it.”  

The Planning Commission has settled upon a set of bonuses that will reward developers who provide additional affordable housing. There will also be arts bonuses for projects that include certain amounts of facility space for fine and performing arts in the Draft General Plan. 

“On the avenues we’re going to stick with the existing height limit,” Thomas said.  

“The downtown is becoming the test area for how we will administer the density bonus.” 

Becky O’Malley said she can see the value in what the affordable housing bonuses will do.  

“The important thing is that you encourage affordable housing by knocking the maximum height down by a story,” O’Malley said, “so that there is an incentive for these developers to build additional affordable housing.” 

When it is submitted for community approval by Nicoloff and others, the height limit initiative will “definitely” address the problem of how to have affordable housing and still keep heights down, Nicoloff said in a telephone interview Thursday morning. 

And just as Nicoloff considers lower heights essential to the character of the city, O’Malley thinks Berkeley might be a different place if affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce. 

“What people may not realize is that there will be a limit to the amount of space available in the future, and if you don’t specifically reserve some space for people who are not rich, we’ll have only expensive housing, And that will make for a very dull city,” O’Malley said. “That’s not why we moved to Berkeley.” 

The Planning Commission will look at the final draft of the completed Draft General Plan beginning June 13, before submitting it to the City Council for approval.

Time for a real third party 

Editor: 

Perhaps the hoopla over Senator Jeffords’ realignment to the Democratic Party was timed to try to obscure the fact that twelve Democratic Senators voted along with all the Republicans for Bush’s tax reduction for rich people. At a time when more money is needed for the Women-Infants-Children and Headstart programs, when Medicare and Social Security need to be financially reinforced, when the Reagan-Bush national debt needs to be paid off, twelve Democrats chose to give nearly half of the $1.35 trillion to the richest one percent. 

In doing so, those Senators have clearly demonstrated that the Democratic Party is not an opposing force to the self-serving Republicans. They are merely “Republicans-Lite.” I believe that ordinary Americans, most of whom won’t vote for either type of Republican, are now ready to support a real opposition party, if leaders would step forward. 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont

Many people call them “retarded.” In Russia, developmentally disabled people are “invalids.”  

In a small farming community called Svetlana (about 90 miles east of St. Petersburg) they are called “villagers.” 

They work the field, harvest potatoes, take them to market, and even build the buildings that make their village. They are part of a community organized by a few staff members and a trickling stream of volunteers in the rural Russian outback, where everyone learns from everyone else. 

A video portraying this life, “Svetlana: the Camphill Experience in Russia,” will have its premiere screening on Saturday. Director Gunnar Madsen, and his brother and Svetlana resident Peter will be in attendance. 

Last Saturday Peter Madsen sat sitting in his brother’s kitchen in west Berkeley. After eight years running the farming village in Svetlana, the Palo Alto native has picked up a slight Russian lilt in his voice. It’s an accent that didn’t come easily. 

“When I did finally learn to speak Russian, I was amazed that they couldn’t conceptualize someone who would come from so far just to help,” Madsen said of his neighbors. “They laughed.” 

Developmentally disabled people in Russia are often ostracized, erroneously thought of as the result of an alcoholic pregnancy. Peter came to Svetlana because he had heard of the village that takes these children and adults and puts them to work. He discovered these “villagers” are vital for the community’s long-term growth. 

Gunnar said he had always wanted to visit his brother in his Russian home, but was not too thrilled about traveling halfway around the world to go to an impoverished Russian potato farm populated by disabled people.  

Then he got a call from his mother. The farm needed funds, and Gunnar, a singer and founding member of the a cappella group The Bobs, had some experience making videos. Gunnar’s trepidation turned to excitement. “If I could go and help my brother with a movie, then it was a grand adventure and I couldn’t wait to buy the ticket. I’m going to Russia, to meet these amazing people. Yahoo! As soon as I had a task that would lead me to it, then it was fine.” 

Gunnar admitted that he was still afraid of meeting the community of mentally handicapped people, with visions of spooky insane asylums in his head. Upon arrival all his fears melted away.  

“Half these people are disabled, but aside from a few Down syndrome people, you couldn’t tell who is or who isn’t. The lines are not that clearly drawn. Then it starts to sink in: Of course the lines are not clearly drawn, we’re all people, and we all have our disabilities. And this happened after 10 minutes of being there.” 

The “Camphill Experience” in the title of the video is a reference to an education and community model begun by an Austrian pediatrician and educator named Dr. Karl Koenig who, in 1939, fled from the Nazis to Scotland. There, on an estate called Camphill, he began a community for developmentally disabled children. His educational system focused on the villagers’ abilities, rather than their weaknesses. Mixing staff and volunteers with the villagers in all the communal work allows them to teach and learn from each other.  

The original Camphill serves as a rough model for a network of Camphill communities throughout the world. There are almost 100 schools, villages, farms and institutions bearing the Camphill name in 20 countries.  

Peter Madsen said mixing the more intelligent and efficient people with the “villagers” is critical to the success of the community. Social activities are recognized as of equal importance as daily chores, and the villagers input is regarded with the same gravity as that of village organizers. 

“I thought it would be all the intellectually capable people that drive the thing forward,” said Gunnar. “Like, ‘Let them bake the bread while we figure out the finances for next year.’ But they’re included in the meetings. If you just had intellectual people in there, we start to get lost in ourselves.” 

“When are we going to have another picnic?” is one of the vehement interruptions you might hear from a villager in a meeting. “And that becomes the main topic of discussion,” Peter said. “Which one of us would have put our foot down and said, ‘It’s time for our picnic’? It becomes an imperative. And they’re right.” 

Just as the film is a portrait of the Svetlana community, it is also pushing the hard sell. The Russian village is looking toward America for funds because charity in Russia, still in the wake of socialism, is almost unheard of. American industry is quickly descending on the newly opened Russian market, but philanthropic moneys for charity organizations are not forthcoming. 

Peter says he is beginning to seek grants. However, grant money is only given to organizations that have proven nonprofit status, which is difficult to do from Russia because the government has no official standards for non-profit organizations. 

There is a Camphill community in Northern California – just outside Santa Cruz – which might seem more hospitable than a Russian potato farm. But Peter Madsen says their challenges are much different. “Theirs is with schmoozing with municipal health departments and proving themselves the better of the many good options for handicapped people,” said Peter. “And that’s maybe why it’s so exciting to see what is happening in Camphill in Russia right now because it is so pioneering.” 

Peter Crimmins is the producer of “Film Close-Ups” on KALX radio in Berkeley.

The eighth-seeded Cal softball team lost the opening game of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday, falling 3-2 to top-seeded Arizona in Oklahoma City, Okla. 

The game was a classic pitcher’s duel for the first five and a half innings, as Cal’s Jocelyn Forest matched zeroes with Arizona ace Jennie Finch. In fact, Forest didn’t give up a hit until the bottom of the sixth. 

But in the bottom of the sixth, Arizona’s Erika Hanson and Nicole Giordano reached on singles, and Toni Mascarenas homered to left field to give her team a 3-0 lead. 

The Bears got right back in it in the top of the seventh, as Candace Harper started the inning with a single to center. That brought up Cal slugger Veronica Nelson, possibly the nation’s most feared hitter. Nelson came through with a bomb over the left field fence to cut the Arizona lead to 3-2.  

Courtney Scott followed with a walk, putting the tying run on base. But Eryn Manahan and Amber Phillips both hit into fielder’s choices, and Mikella Pedretti struck out swinging to end the game. 

The Bears must now win three straight games to reach the double-elimination tournament’s championship game. They will face No. 4 Michigan, which lost 2-0 to Oklahoma in the first round, on Saturday at 11 a.m.

To the applause of a contingent of seniors, the City Council adopted a new and improved taxi subsidy program Tuesday that guarantees cab drivers full and timely payment for transporting seniors and the disabled. 

The council approved the modified service, called the Paratransit Taxiscrip Program, unanimously. The new program raises the fare value of the scrip coupons, increases the frequency of coupon redemption for cash and sets a minimum fare of $5 for drivers who pick up scrip riders. 

The program subsidizes taxi transportation for Berkeley  

residents who are disabled or residents who are disabled or over 70 years old.  

The city provides scrip riders with a certain amount of free coupons each quarter, after which they pay 25 to 45 percent of the face value of the coupon, depending on their economic status. Currently the program serves about 700 Berkeley residents. 

The new plan, which begins July 2, will be expanded to include all cab companies that operate in Berkeley instead of the previous practice of contracting scrip service from just three or four companies. 

“I think the city manager and the City Council did a good job in putting together this new program,” said Margot Smith a co-convener of the Berkeley Gray Panthers.  

“Hopefully, with better and more frequent pay, the service will be better also.” 

The Housing Department, which manages the program, made the modifications in response to reports from the Commission on Aging and the Commission on Disability that claimed cab drivers were increasingly refusing to pick up senior and disabled scrip fares.  

The reports claimed drivers were disgruntled with the program because they could only redeem coupons for 90 cents on the dollar and there were often delays in receiving payment, because the city was accepting the coupons only once a month. 

In addition cab company owners were displeased because they were required by the city to carry broader insurance coverage and therefore pay higher premiums to participate in the program. 

Drivers also complained that seniors and disabled fares often traveled only short distances and that they required extra service such as carrying shopping bags and loading and unloading wheel chairs and walkers. 

The result was that drivers were showing up late or not at all for scrip riders.  

In April the council heard from several seniors who told horror stories about being stranded for hours at supermarkets and missing long-awaited doctors’ appointments because of the bad service.  

Under the new plan all drivers and owners will be able to go to the city’s Finance Service Center at 2020 Center St. and turn in their scrip coupons for full value of the fare.  

“Starting July 2, we’re going to start redeeming the coupons two days a week, and work toward five days a week,” said Interim Housing Director Stephen Barton. “We’re starting slowly, one step at a time.” 

The new program also sets the minimum scrip fare at $5. Barton said the city will pay the difference for fares less than that amount.  

He estimated that the guaranteed minimum will cost the city about $1,000 a year. 

According to a Housing Department staff report, the cost of the modifications will add approximately $20,000 to the program’s budget, which was $175,000 for this fiscal year. The report says there may be additional charges for administration of the redemption program. 

According to Roy Phelps, senior field representative for the Finance Department, the initial response from cab companies has been positive.  

“It remains to be seen how the new program will work because we haven’t implemented anything yet,” he said. “But I expect service will get better.” 

Many seniors were distressed in November when Bay Area Luxor Cab Company wanted to pull out of the program because it was losing money.  

The small six-cab company run by Nemat Modarresi and his wife Mahin Rajabi was considered by many to offer the best service.  

“They are the best company in Berkeley,” said COD Commissioner Karen Rose. 

“They show up when they say they will and they screen their drivers so they’re always friendly.” 

Rajabi said the modified scrip program sounds good, but said she is waiting for her husband to return from a trip out of the country before deciding to participate again. 

COD Commissioner Karen Craig said she was glad to hear about the changes in the program, but has concerns. She said the redemption system has to be run efficiently, otherwise drivers will waste too much time standing in line at the Finance Department, which will be discouraging. 

She also said she would like to see mandatory sensitivity training for cab drivers “because they can often be inconsiderate and rude to scrip riders, who have few defenses.” 

A Berkeley cab driver, who asked not to be identified, said he agreed with the idea of training. “There should be training for cab drivers,” he said. “The elderly and the disabled can be very aggressive and unpleasant and training would help us with dealing with them.”

Editor: 

The definitive book on urban layout and its relationship to transit, bicycling, pedestrian environments and health and availability of nearby natural environments is “Sustainability and Cities - Overcoming Automobile Dependence” by Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy. 

If we are interested in solving our energy problems, take a close look at page 101. Two graphs there show the results of studies of 45 cities around the world. The most important variable in relation to energy consumption - and the graphs illustrate this dramatically - is the degree of sprawl of cities.  

Low density urban development means massive flows of energy, not just for cars, but for climate modification in buildings (heating and cooling) and manufacturing of all the sprawl related material stuff society generates. The very structure of flat city requires cars and enormous energy consumption for any meaningful participation in city life. Low-density development means more metals and concrete in longer pipelines and more wires, as well as more streets and roads, more energy required to pump water and fuels, more line losses in electricity distribution. Even lighting energy figures in that our cities light up millions of acres of the country every night so that cars drivers can feel comfortable wandering the surface of dear Mother Earth burning fuel. We loose the very stars above to sprawl and the glare of street lighting on air pollution from burning transport fuels and firing up power plants. 

Back to the graphs. We see American cities average the lowest density and highest energy consumption. Australian and Canadian cities are a little more dense and use less energy. European cities: more dense and using less energy yet. And finally Asian cities: most dense and most energy conserving of all the 45 cities studied by Kenworthy and Newman. 

The proportions knock your socks off. European cities are about 3.5 times more energy efficient than American Cities. Asian cities range from about 6 to 20 times more energy efficient! This I think is amazing information that should be taken very seriously. It is even more impressive when we see that many European cities are wealthier than American cities and when we realize that even the least automobile dependent of European and Asian cities are still nonetheless ringed with significant sprawl development preventing the efficiency ratios from being even more dramatic. 

When we begin to see how fundamental city structure is in relation to energy consumption we begin to see just how far off base some of the best, most conscientious students of energy alternatives can be.  

The “energy efficient car,” for example: it helps create the energy squandering sprawl that grows as people drive farther for less money per mile - and feel good about doing something for the environment! Thus the energy efficient car creates the energy inefficient city. Paradox? No, we just are not paying attention to the structure of cities, the largest of all human creations. 

Big oversight! Some of us are trying to wake people up to this reality. In Berkeley Ecocity Builders, the organization of which I am President, has gathered more than 50 local non-profits and businesses that feel the time has come to begin rethinking how we shape or own city. We call our package of four policies for the General Plan the “Ecocity Amendment.” Citizens concerned about energy should be considering such changes that allow us to reshape our land uses and actually begin removing buildings in automobile-dependent, low density areas, especially where conflicting with agriculture and natural environment restoration.  

Development should be transferred instead, and steadily into the future, toward gradually increasingly dense and diverse pedestrian and transit centers. We need to “infill” in centers and “unfill” in low density areas. If that happens we will be building a foundation for a sane and healthy energy policy - at last!  

Richard Register  

Berkeley

By Judith Scherr 

Daily Planet staff 

Two buildings at Berkeley High School were evacuated at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday after a drilling rig working on a high school construction project hit a high-pressure gas pipe at Milvia and Kittredge streets, fire officials said. 

PG&E had “squeezed off” the 4-inch pipe’s gas flow by 4:30 p.m. and gas service was expected to be restored to the six affected customers by about 7:30 p.m., said PG&E spokesperson Jennifer Ramp. 

Berkeley Police closed off nearby streets and advised people near the site of the escaping gas to remain indoors. Gas could be smelled as far away as three blocks from the rupture, at Shattuck Avenue and Allston Way. 

The exact cause of the accident is unclear at this point. Project manager Bob Arntz of Arntz Brothers, working on a BHS project near the ruptured pipe, was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.  

Normally, when a project is undertaken, the construction company will procure utility maps from Underground Service Alert (USA), Ramp said. 

“We were definitely marked,” said Ramp, who had obtained that information from PG&E personnel at the site of the accident. Ramp explained that utility pipes are marked above ground with paint, with the depth clearly indicated. 

PG&E’s Health, Safety and Claims Department investigates such incidents and determines responsibility, which can lead to a legal process, said PG&E spokesperson Jonathan Franks.

Daily Planet Staff 

Today at 12:30 p.m. UC Berkeley will be conducting a test of its emergency public siren system. 

The university plans to use the system to warn the campus community of imminent power outages, in case it becomes subject to them. 

Three different sounds will be heard within a 1-2 mile range of the university: first the sound of a fire engine, then the alternating high/low siren sound, then there will be a third sound. There will be pauses between the warning sounds and announcements will follow via a loud-speaker system. The university decided to make sure its warning system is in working condition, even though it has asked Pacific Gas & Electric for an exemption from the rotating outages. “We appealed in December,” said UC Berkeley spokesperson Glenda Rubin. “We believe certain research and other campus functions could be severely affected.” 

There has been no response to the appeal, Rubin said. 

If the university becomes subject to the outages, PG&E has promised to give some advance warning so that the university can activate its emergency sirens, alerting persons not to use elevators and to take other precautions. The power outages at the university are expected to affect only the university and not the surrounding areas, although the sirens will be heard in other parts of the community.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco vehicle exhaust may soon smell like french fries with the opening of the first public pumping station for biodiesel, a vegetable oil-based fuel, in a major city. 

The alternative fuel station opened Wednesday, a day after a similar station opened in Sparks, Nev. 

The fuel, made from either soybean oil or recycled vegetable oil from restaurants, avoids the release of carbon monoxide and the small particles released by burning traditional diesel. It doesn’t cut down on smog-causing nitrogen oxide, however. 

Diesel engines can use the fuel without any modification, and it contributes to the life of the engine by increasing lubrication so moving parts won’t break down as easily, said Robert Skinner, a spokesman for World Energy Alternatives, the company providing biodiesel to the San Francisco station. And, yes, it does make the exhaust smell like french fries. 

The station offers 100 percent biodiesel fuel, but a fuel made with 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent petroleum diesel, is available at other facilities. 

Biodiesel has some drawbacks. It’s more expensive than regular diesel, selling for about $3.15 a gallon in San Francisco and about $1.62 a gallon in Sparks. It also causes a slight drop in fuel economy. 

The fuel is used primarily by fleets of vehicles such as school buses, Skinner said. “We’ve got about 60 large-scale fleets using biodiesel, from the U.S. Air Force to the New Jersey transit system,” he said. 

Biodiesel can help federal fleets meet a regulation requiring them to reduce their annual petroleum consumption 20 percent by 2005. 

The federal government estimates sales of the fuel reached 6.7 million gallons in 2000 and could reach 20 million gallons this year. 

Prices have come down, in part because of a subsidy for soybean biodiesel producers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Biodiesel dates back more than 100 years, and peanut oil was the first type of fuel used by Rudolf Diesel to power his first engine in 1895. 

“As we move into a time when petroleum is not so readily available, we’re turning back the clock,” Skinner said. “It’s the most effective greenhouse gas reduction technology for existing engines.” 

On the Net: 

California Transportation Program: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/ctips.htm 

Bluewater Network: www.earthisland.org/bw/bwnhome.shtml 

National Biodiesel Board: http://www.biodiesel.org/

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s deaf and disabled telephone customers will continue to receive their specialized phone service through MCI Worldcom until October 2002, state regulators announced after a 3-2 vote Thursday. 

The decision came despite appeals from dozens of deaf and disabled phone users who told the Public Utilities Commission they would prefer Sprint as their primary provider. 

“The feeling is that the deaf community is voiceless,” customer Julie Rems-Smario said through an interpreter after the vote.  

“Not one deaf person spoke in support of MCI.” 

MCI has been the primary provider of relay phone service – which uses an operator to translate a conversation into type or speech – to roughly 250,000 users statewide.  

The second extension of MCI’s contract will end in October, offering competitors a chance to win the contract. 

Had MCI lost its contract, the city of Riverbank would forfeit 500 jobs, Assemblyman Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, told the PUC.  

The Central Valley city of 16,000 already faces high unemployment rates, he said. 

The PUC needed to assign a one-year contract because a proposal for a new long-term deal from the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program could take at least a year to be completed. The lack of overlap would have left customers with no service. 

The Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program is funded with a surcharge on California telephone bills and provides special equipment to help deaf and disabled customers use the phone. 

PUC President Loretta Lynch said at the end of bidding, MCI’s bid appeared slightly cheaper than Sprint’s. 

Phone calls to Sprint and MCI were not immediately returned. 

Lynch said the company had improved its service since assuming the contract nearly five years ago. 

Customers were not so impressed.  

They said Sprint has gone out of its way to work with them by adding relay service in Spanish and providing a separate phone number to access the service. 

“Imagine yourself if any of you became deaf? How would you communicate using the telephone?” customer Ken Arcia asked the PUC. “Sprint is the only relay service with a dedicated number (for deaf and disabled users), so that I don’t have to tell an operator each time. That makes it a faster call.” 

Those kinds of arguments swayed some commissioners. 

“I’m fully aware of the potential for job loss,” said Commissioner Richard Bilas, who voted against the decision noting he’d received many phone calls and e-mails in favor of Sprint.  

“My main priority is to all California users of this service. 

Commissioner Henry Duque, who voted for the decision, pointed out that consumers could still use a different company if they wished. 

“I truly believe the current state of service has improved chiefly because of the presence of choice,” Duque said. 

On the Net: 

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov 

http://www.deafvoice.com 

SAN FRANCISCO — Rolling blackouts could hit some California businesses and residents more frequently this summer as the number of customers exempted from the outages continues to grow. 

The pool of ratepayers available for rolling blackouts has shrunk as hospitals, public transportation systems and even some cities have won the right to keep their electricity flowing when energy supplies falter. 

Nursing homes, water-filtration systems and organ-donor labs are among the thousands of businesses lobbying the state Public Utilities Commission for similar “public safety” exemptions – as are amusement parks and baseball stadiums. 

The more exemptions, the more blackouts for businesses and residents not fortunate enough to live next to a hospital or otherwise share a circuit with an exempt customer. 

“Every ’essential customer’ we have will thrust more blackouts on others,” PUC Commissioner Richard Bilas said Thursday. 

When rolling blackouts sweep across California, utilities must steer clear of institutions the PUC deems “essential services,” a list that includes hospitals, prisons, military bases and electric trains. 

Half of the electricity used at times of highest demand this summer is now off-limits to rolling blackouts, said Jonathan Lakritz, an aide to PUC Commissioner Carl Wood. 

Of the other half, the Independent System Operator wants the emergency outages it declares to be spread among at least 40 percent, so that no single customer bears too much of the burden. Blackouts are declared when the ISO, keeper of the state’s power grid, fails to find enough energy supplies to meet demand. 

“Forty percent is the magic number,” Lakritz said. “You wouldn’t want to be in a situation where the same person is blacked out day after day and all day long.” 

That leaves room for about 10 percent more of the state’s power users on the PUC’s coveted list of exempted “essential services.” And all sorts of customers are clamoring for relief. 

A bill heard this week in the Senate Energy Committee would exempt millions of additional residential users who live in climates that routinely reach 105 degrees. 

“They are just very afraid,” the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, told the Senate Energy Committee. “It’s just damn hot and they’re afraid it will overwhelm them.” 

Southern California Edison Co. said 35 percent of its customers would bear the brunt of rolling blackouts if all areas that reached 105 degrees within the utility’s territory were exempt. 

Customers of public utilities are increasingly off limits as well. Palo Alto, Alameda and other cities which generate or buy their own electricity have developed conservation plans to avoid triggering blackouts for their customers by sharply reducing power use when supplies are tight, and are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an official exemption. 

The city of Lodi has spent millions on long-term power contracts that were expensive at the time, but now seem cheap. It therefore has abundant electricity for its customers, and refuses to participate in statewide rolling blackouts. 

“A utility that planned properly shouldn’t be part of this, ’let’s share the pain thing,”’ said Alan Vallow, Lodi’s electrical utility director. 

Faced with growing demand for exemptions, the PUC has asked all California businesses to file requests by June 1. By early August – after two full months of hot summer weather, critics point out – it plans to exempt those that demonstrate the greatest value to public health and safety. 

The PUC hopes having open applications will alert them to potential hazards they might not have considered. Without constant power, factories that produce vital vaccines or medicines could fall behind production, or chemical storage plants could rupture, commissioners said. 

The delay frustrates groups such as the California Association of Health Facilities, which since April has asked the PUC for an exemption for the 1,300 nursing homes and convalescent centers it represents statewide that are not covered under the hospital exemption. 

“We’ve got ventilators, we’ve got oxygen, we’ve got feeding tubes,” said Betsy Hite, spokeswoman for the group. Their equipment “is so closely mirroring a hospital it’s just ridiculous.” 

Kathy Zeitcheck, director of nursing at St. Francis Extended Care in Hayward, said losing the air conditioning would endanger frail patients with high blood pressure and respiratory ailments. 

“They don’t have any fat on their arms and legs and body; they don’t have the natural insulation that you and I do,” Zeitcheck said. “So of course they’re not going to be able to cool off as you or I would.” 

Water agencies are also in line for an exemption, saying they can’t provide water to hospitals and emergency workers without electricity to power the pumps – demonstrating the challenge regulators face as they determine which pieces of the puzzle are vital for public safety. 

“Maybe an outage is only for an hour. But potentially, water systems could be down for two days while we go through all the checks and balances,” said Jennifer Persike-Becker, spokeswoman for the Association of California Water Agencies.

SACRAMENTO — Sen. James Jeffords’ defection from the Republican party could boost California’s clout in Washington and help the state’s quest for price caps on wholesale electricity. 

With Jeffords as an Independent, Democrats will control the Senate for the first time since 1994 – a boon for this largely Democratic state where leaders have complained of being ignored by the Republican White House. 

“All in all, it’s a big win for California because it seemed as if we were sort of being written off,” said Nancy Snow, a political scientist at the University of California at Los Angeles. 

Now, California’s two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, likely will take over the chairmanships of key subcommittees and enjoy the clout that comes with the majority party. 

Other Democrats also will take leadership posts in most Senate committees, including the energy and appropriations panels that are pivotal to the nation’s most populous state. 

“On most resource issues, whether it’s water, forestry or air, this is a big plus for California because we are on the same wavelength with most of the Democratic leadership,” said Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat. 

On energy, Feinstein would gain an ally at the helm of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which had been chaired by Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, who declined to take up issues at the heart of the state’s energy crisis. 

Now, the committee will be led by Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., a supporter of Feinstein and Davis’ request for federal price controls on wholesale electricity. 

Feinstein said that with Bingaman’s help, the price caps bill she cosponsored could win Senate approval – a slim possibility under Republican control. 

“I’m optimistic that this change will bode well for California,” said Feinstein. 

Feinstein is the ranking Democrat on the military construction subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. If she becomes chairwoman, she could influence the spending of federal money on defense contracts and help prevent the closure of military bases in California. 

She also is in line for the same position on the technology, terrorism and government information subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. 

Meanwhile, Boxer is the senior Democrat on the Superfund, waste control and risk assessment subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the international operations and terrorism subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

California also could gain an edge in securing more funding for programs including housing criminal illegal immigrants and a joint federal-state pact to resolve the state’s water wars. 

“The chances of just getting California’s fair share of our tax dollars that go to Washington increase dramatically,” Maviglio said. 

Plus, the shift could infuse new life into the Democratic party and force Republican leaders in Washington to consider its proposals. 

“Nobody was really interested in talking to the Democrats because there was no majority there,” Snow said. “Now it’s like they’ve got a heartbeat now, whereas we were looking for signs of life just a couple of days ago.” 

SAN RAFAEL — The first release of a sexually violent predator in California was delayed Thursday when a judge said he didn’t know enough to be sure the serial rapist wouldn’t commit more crimes. 

Marin County Superior Court Judge John S. Graham blasted Atascadero State Hospital, the state Department of Mental Health and the state’s Conditional Release Program for failing to adequately prepare for Patrick Ghilotti’s impending release. 

“I can’t point to anything that he’s done or hasn’t done that could be blamed,” Graham said after Ghilotti’s psychiatrists testified in a four-day hearing that with a strict monitoring program, he could be set free. 

The judge had sharp questions for the state bureaucrats at the hearing, who said they aren’t ready to provide the kind of monitoring needed to ensure Ghilotti isn’t a danger to society. 

Just because Ghilotti “looks like a sufficiently dangerous ogre in the abstract and should never be released ... isn’t the reason for not following the law,” Graham said. 

Ghilotti, 45, claimed he successfully completed California’s sexual predator treatment program and deserves to be released. The judge agreed that “he has done extremely well,” but he criticized Atascadero for not providing hard evidence that his treatment has been successful. 

“Their opinions ... that Mr. Ghilotti is currently releasable to the community are not ... supported by careful work and evaluation,” he said. 

Ghilotti would be the state’s first sexual predator released since a tougher law went into effect in 1996 required the most dangerous sex offenders to get at least two years of treatment after leaving prison. To date, all of these offenders have been recommitted every two years. 

“There may be some people who are so nervous about someone with Mr. Ghilotti’s history to be out in the community,” but keeping him locked up for the rest of his life may not be an option, Graham said. 

Ghilotti was convicted in 1978 of raping three San Rafael women. After his release from prison in 1986, he raped a Ross woman. By his own admission, he’s raped at least six other women. 

“I knew I needed treatment,” Ghilotti told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I knew I needed something. I knew my thinking wasn’t right.” 

He first received sex offender treatment at Atascadero State Hospital from 1979 to 1982. 

“His response to treatment at the time was at best lukewarm, and at times laced with denial,” according to Dr. Gabrielle Paladino, the hospital staff psychiatrist in charge of the sexually violent predator treatment program. 

Ghilotti was sent back to Atascadero in 1997, under the tougher sexually violent predator law, which enables the State Mental Health Department to recommit offenders every two years until they’re no longer deemed a threat. 

Ghilotti petitioned the court for conditional release near the end of his second commitment. If Judge Graham refuses to grant his request, Ghilotti will be up for recommitment again in December. 

Ghilotti’s victims are terrified about his possible release. 

The woman who still lives in Ross, who asked not to be identified, is now in her 60s and said that her life was permanently changed after Ghilotti broke into her home and sexually assaulted her in 1985. 

“He’s an angry, angry man, and he hates women, and he takes out his anger on women by raping them,” she said in an interview. “I don’t believe that attitude can change at all.” 

The woman said she still keeps a cell phone under her pillow and practices dialing 911 in the dark; her doors and windows are locked, and she keeps a light on all night. 

Another Ghilotti victim threatened suicide after receiving a phone message from a reporter. She may leave California if he’s released. 

But Paladino and other state psychiatrists believe he’s now safe, as long as he’s taking Lupron, a drug that reduces testosterone. 

“He’s a different animal on anti-androgens,” said Dr. Jay Seastrunk. “They think differently. They’re not plotting around to figure out how to have sex.” 

Ghilotti would continue getting Lupron injections every three months, and be subject to random drug tests and monitoring to make sure he doesn’t take steroids to counteract the effects, the psychiatrists said. 

Prosecutor Alan Charmatz argued that no community-based program has a clear plan to supervise Ghilotti. He also will need a job, housing, polygraph tests, individual and group counseling, and no one yet seems quite sure how to provide that, Charmatz said. 

Judge Graham urged all agencies involved to provide more details and report substantial progress at the next hearing, on August 1. 

As recently as February, hospital officials recommended that Ghilotti remain at Atascadero until such plans are solidified. 

But Dr. Douglas Korpi, the former director of the San Francisco-based Conditional Release Program, which would be responsible for monitoring Ghilotti, testified that the conditional release program would not be ready until they were forced to be, possibly with the judge’s order. 

“This is the first one who everyone agreed jumped through the hoops,” he said in court. “I’m a suspicious guy, and I tell you this guy is ready.” 

PASADENA — Nearly 25 years after an orbiting spacecraft caught the Red Planet “mugging” for the camera, NASA released the highest-resolution image yet of the so-called “Face on Mars.” 

The new picture, taken by the camera aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft on April 8 and released Thursday, shows the area in far sharper detail, but reduces any resemblance to a humanlike extraterrestrial. 

Since the Viking 1 orbiter first photographed the hill on Mars in July 1976, its facelike features have stirred the imagination of those who believe it was carved by an alien civilization.  

The face even played a minor role in the movie “Mission to Mars.” 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists say the interplay of light and shadow gave the hill the brooding anthropomorphic features that stood out in the Viking pictures. 

Michael Malin, principal investigator of the Global Surveyor camera, said the new images show the area to be nothing more than a hill. 

“I have no desire to discuss it with the true believers. They can’t be convinced, they don’t want to be convinced,” Malin said. 

NASA’s Global Surveyor last turned to photograph the face in April 1998. The spacecraft arrived in orbit around Mars in 1997 and began its extended mission in February. 

———  

On the Net: 

http://www.msss.com/mars—images/moc/extended—may2001/face/index.html 

LOS ANGELES — About seven of every 10 California voters believe the government allows pollution to disproportionately affect poor people and minorities, according to a poll released Thursday by an environmental group. 

The question was posed two different ways to 800 likely California voters. Seventy percent said agencies are more likely to allow polluting companies in low-income, minority neighborhoods; 64 percent said government officials were more likely to enforce environmental laws in high-income, mostly white neighborhoods. 

Environmental issues are “a new frontier for civil rights struggles,” said Joe Lyou, director of programs for the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, which released the survey. “There’s not a lot of awareness of the concept of environmental justice, but when you describe to them what it means, then they show concern about the issue.” 

Environmental and neighborhood groups are increasingly taking up the issue of pollution in low-income and minority neighborhoods – particularly in light of California’s power crunch. 

Some of the dozens of proposals for new power plants in the state have elicited charges of “environmental racism.” In the predominantly Latino city of South Gate, southeast of Los Angeles, an energy company withdrew its plan to build a power plant after voters rejected it in a nonbinding referendum in March. 

Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said that natural gas plant could have been the cleanest in the country, but “some community members felt the community already was suffering its fair share of air pollution.” 

Wallerstein, whose agency covers the Los Angeles air basin, said the district has stepped up efforts to respond to the “real and significant problem” of low-income neighborhoods with high pollution levels. 

The district is focusing clean-air improvements on disadvantaged areas, and recently approved rules aim to reduce diesel pollution from tractor trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles, which often drive through low-income areas. 

The survey, which covered a wide range of environmental issues, also found Latinos to be more environmentally minded than voters overall. For instance, 87 percent of Latinos and 71 percent of voters overall agreed that the Legislature needs to pass tougher environmental laws. 

The poll, conducted April 25-29, found that 88 percent of voters were at least somewhat concerned about the environment, and just over half were either extremely concerned or very concerned. 

Air pollution and fallout from the state’s power crisis were considered to be the most important problems. About a third of respondents said the government should relax pollution restrictions in light of the need for electricity, but 47 percent said current standards should be maintained even if it increases the possibility of rolling blackouts. 

The poll was conducted by the firm of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percent. 

On the Net: 

www.clcveducationfund.org

SACRAMENTO — Californians are tossing more beer bottles and soda cans into the trash than they did a decade ago, instead of recycling them, according to a new state study. 

And most of those trendy water, sports drink, coffee and iced-tea bottles that were just added to the state’s recycling law are being discarded rather than recycled, the study found. 

To try to reverse the downward trend and convince Californians again that recycling is cool, the state’s recycling agency is launching a $10 million campaign that includes television ads showing a lowly plastic water bottle reborn as an orange buoy for a curvaceous female lifeguard. 

“We wanted to do something that was edgy, something that would get people to pay attention and at the same time something that was creative and just a bit funny,” said Mark Oldfield, spokesman for the state Department of Conservation. 

The department is releasing new recycling figures Thursday that are lower than expected, even considering the addition of a whole new group of glass and plastic bottles to the state’s 14-year-old recycling program. 

The overall recycling rate dropped from 74 percent in 1999 to 61 percent in 2000, which meant that Californians recycled 10.2 billion beverage containers and threw away six billion. Those unrecycled cans and bottles would circle the world nearly seven times, if put end-to-end, the department said. 

That 2000 rate was well below the law’s goal of 80 percent and below figures that rose as high as 82 percent in 1992. 

The department anticipated a drop in rates with the expansion of the recycling program last year to include 3.4 billion more bottles that people weren’t used to collecting and turning in. The law expanding the program therefore included the $10 million for an advertising and education program. 

However, officials did not expect such a large decrease. 

“We’re Californians. We’re supposed to know more about recycling,” says department Director Darryl Young. 

Even recycling-popular aluminum cans, which hit a high of 85 percent in 1991 and 1992, dropped to 76 percent. 

State officials say they don’t really know why recycling is down. They suspect the economy plays a part; recycling rates were highest during the recession of the early 1990s and dropped as good times returned. 

They also suspect Californian’s mobile lifestyle is a major factor. People who constantly carry around water or iced-tea drinks don’t always look for or find a recycling bin when the bottle or can is empty. 

The television and radio ads, in English and Spanish, aimed at reversing the trend start Monday in major cities around the state. 

Other TV ads show an aluminum can being kicked around, but then being transformed into a homer-hitting baseball bat and a bottle left under a couch at a party reincarnated as the glitter on a disco ball. 

The energy crisis is also providing new incentive to recycle. Making a can from recycled aluminum uses 95 percent less energy than making a new one. 

One recycled aluminum can could save enough energy to power a television for almost three hours, said Oldfield. 

He noted that 2.5 billion aluminum cans were discarded rather than recycled last year “and that’s a lot of TVs, toasters and microwaves.” 

On the Net: 

To learn about the state’s recycling program, go to: 

http://www.bottlesandcans 

.com

WASHINGTON — On a day of upheaval beneath the Capitol dome, Democrats snared control of the Senate on the strength of a party defection Thursday and pledged to temper President Bush’s agenda while advancing their own. “I can no longer” remain a Republican, said Vermont Sen. James Jeffords in a personal declaration of independence. 

“We intend to govern” in a spirit of fairness, said Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, the majority-leader-in-waiting and the nation’s highest-ranking Democrat. “We can’t dictate to them, nor can they dictate to us,” he said of the GOP. 

Daschle quickly signaled a shift in priorities, though, telling his rank and file that after the Senate completes the president’s bipartisan education legislation, the first Democratic piece of legislation will be a patients’ bill of rights measure, long stalled in the GOP Senate. 

“We will be acting and they will be reacting instead of the opposite,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the Republicans. 

Bush, suddenly confronted with a Democratic-controlled Senate, said he respected Jeffords, but “couldn’t disagree more,” with his charge that the administration was too conservative. 

While ducking blame for Jeffords’ defection, White House advisers acknowledged that the political landscape will change dramatically. Bush will now work harder than ever to court Democrats in the short term and help elect Republicans to Congress in 2002, they said. 

The Republican leader, Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, said he expected no change in his party’s leadership. But behind closed doors, a painful process of reckoning began for a party that held 55 seats as recently as last July, but now can claim only 49. Several GOP sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine, John McCain of Arizona and Pete Domenici of New Mexico all stressed a need for the party of conservatives to tolerate differing views. 

“We’ve just been through an earthquake here,” said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. “What we’re doing here is helping the survivors and pulling the wounded” to safety. 

His days as majority leader dwindling, Lott, R-Miss., began hustling several of Bush’s nominations to confirmation, including the controversial choice of Ted Olson to become solicitor general. 

But power already was flowing to the soft-spoken Daschle, 53 and six years the Democratic leader. Democratic aides said he wanted to let Olson come to a vote now rather than have a partisan floor fight in his party’s early days in the majority. 

Within hours of Jeffords’ announcement, Daschle also telephoned Bush, with whom relations have been frosty. The president angered the senator earlier in the year when he went to South Dakota to campaign for his tax cut without notifying the senator first. 

Eagerly anticipating a return to power, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts told reporters he hoped to move a minimum wage increase quickly; Maryland’s Sen. Paul Sarbanes scheduled a news conference to preview a Democratic agenda for the banking committee. 

Not all chairmanships were set. For example, it wasn’t clear whether Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware would choose to head the Foreign Relations Committee or Judiciary Committee. 

But one shift was certain: Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, 83, becomes president pro tem, third in line of succession to the presidency, replacing 98-year-old Republican Strom Thurmond. 

Jeffords’ announcement sent a wave of jubilation through the ranks of Democrats, consigned to the minority since 1994. 

“How does it feel to be in the majority?” former GOP Sen. Dan Coats asked Sen. Paul Wellstone when the two men crossed paths just off the Senate floor. “I can’t remember,” Wellstone, D-Minn., replied with a hearty laugh. 

Jeffords, 67, an amiable but determined moderate in a party grown ever more conservative, seemed an unlikely politician to be at the center of an unprecedented event. A supporter of abortion rights, the environment and education, he clashed with the administration over budget priorities earlier in the year. 

At a news conference in Burlington, Vt., he dismissed talk that he had been snubbed as a result, but he said, “Given the changing nature of the national party, it has become a struggle for our leaders to deal with me and for me to deal with them.” 

Jeffords said he would become an independent but side with the Democrats for organizational purposes, the critical distinction that hands them control. He said the switch would become effective as soon as Congress sends Bush his income tax cut, expected by week’s end. 

For all the high-minded rhetoric, the defection was the culmination of political dealmaking on all sides and moments of human emotion unusual in the Senate. 

Democrats agreed in advance to give Jeffords the chairmanship of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, a move that will require Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the party whip, to step aside. Kennedy, four decades a senator, said he, too, had signaled a willingness to give up his chairmanship of the education committee if Jeffords wanted to claim it. 

Republicans made a quick run at Georgia Democrat Zell Miller in hopes he would switch parties and throw the Senate back into a 50-50 tie, but he declined. 

They also mounted a last-ditch attempt to entice Jeffords back into the fold, including his meeting with longtime colleagues who stood to lose their committee chairmanships. Some lawmakers wept, according to participants in the session. 

“It was the most emotional time that I have ever had in my life, with my closest friends urging me not to do what I was going to do because it affected their lives very substantially,” Jeffords told his news conference. “I know, for instance, the chairman of the Finance Committee (Charles Grassley of Iowa) has dreamed all his life of being chairman. 

“He’s chairman a couple of weeks, and now he will be no longer the chairman.” 

WASHINGTON — As many as nine middle school students were strip-searched at a city jail during a visit arranged by a teacher and a school aide as a warning to misbehaving children, school officials said Thursday. 

The teacher, aide and three jail employees were placed on paid leave during investigations by the school district, city corrections officials and the FBI. None of the employees was identified. 

The pupils were visiting the jail as part of an in-school suspension because of misconduct. A school official said it wasn’t immediately clear if their behavior at the jail prompted teachers to request the search. 

“There’s nothing a child could do that could warrant that response – nothing,” said Steven Seleznow, who is leading the investigation for the school district. 

Joseph Bennett, 14, one of the boys from Evans who took the tour, said the students were taken to a processing area where guards told him and four others to go to another room and strip. 

“The officers said, ‘We’re going to make you take your clothes off like real prisoners,”’ Joseph, a seventh-grader, told The Washington Post. 

He said he removed his two T-shirts, jeans and shoes in front of his schoolmates, at least three corrections officers and one of the teachers. He said an officer removed the rest of his clothes. 

D.C. Superintendent Paul Vance said he was “horrified by the chain of events” surrounding the searches. “It nullifies, in effect, all of the great things I’ve been seeing in the school system over the past three years,” he said. 

Both Vance and Department of Corrections Director Odie Washington said they would support prosecution of the employees if investigations show they committed crimes. 

The jail workers showed “extremely poor judgment, perhaps an abuse of their authority,” in conducting the searches, he said. 

It was unclear whether the students were touched by guards or were stripped naked, Washington said.  

While Seleznow said nine of the 12 students may have been strip-searched, Washington said a preliminary investigation at the jail showed that only three students were told to remove their street clothes and don standard-issue jail jumpsuits. 

Washington said the students were not subjected to cavity searches, customary for prisoners being processed. 

Washington said school groups and professional organizations have toured the jail at a rate of three times per week since 1989. He said the program has been suspended.

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — Some hydrangeas beguile us with color changes that keep us guessing. Others awe us by climbing 60 feet and more to consort with squirrels and orioles in the trees. 

There are more than 100 species, so a gardener can experiment to his or her heart’s content with different kinds. Everybody knows the beautiful big globes of pink, blue or white, but a few are veritable kaleidoscopes in a single season. 

Hydrangeas come as small trees, too. 

Not the least of their talents, particularly the climbers, is their tolerance of at least some shade. But at the seaside, hydrangeas thrive in full sun. You see them everywhere in beach gardens. 

Hydrangeas do best in southern and central zones and are chancy farther north than Zone 5. In very cold areas, they’re grown in containers and sheltered in the winter. 

Beyond the familiar blue and the pink, some hydrangeas achieve their glory in full white. Much loved of these is oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia), displaying pure white blooms as long as 15 inches in midsummer.  

These gradually turn pink, and later burgundy. This shrub has been hailed as possibly America’s finest. 

For a long time, people puzzled over what caused color changing in the big leaf variety (Hydrangea macrophylla), often called House hydrangea or French hydrangea. It looked like some kind of magic until scientists traced the phenomenon to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, known as the pH factor. 

In hydrangea culture, blue likes acidity while pink goes for alkalinity. To get blue you can treat the soil with aluminum sulfate, available at nurseries. Treatment with lime will favor pink. 

The grapefruit size of the globes and their brilliant colors account, of course, for their popularity.  

The climbers, on the other hand, have small flowers called “lacecaps” from their looks and are rivaled only by ivy for growing in deep shade. They thus make excellent coverings in difficult places like the shady side of a wall. 

In my country setting with many shade-casting trees, both bush and climbing hydrangeas have prospered. In this part of the Northeast, 50 miles north of New York City (between Zones 5 and 6), my plants have rarely suffered winter kill, and so I have not cut them way back or hilled or mulched them for protection. 

Deer, however, have regularly nipped in wintertime at limbs of a gorgeous oakleaf that we treasure, but not enough to harm it seriously. 

I’m particularly fond of two climbers of the Hydrangea petiolaris variety. One, planted many years ago, has climbed 50 feet up the bark of a towering Siberian elm.  

There are flowers at eye-level and lower, but my kick comes from using field glasses to spot the highest-dwelling lacecaps. 

I placed the second plant in a patio along a partly shady wall of my house about 10 years ago. It has become a magnificent vine, needing yearly pruning to keep it within bounds.  

Two years ago I bought a third H. petiolaris and planted it at the side of a shed where there is bright sunshine in the morning and deep shade in the afternoon. It has taken hold, but it will be a while longer before I see whether it climbs up the shed. Climbers take time to establish themselves. 

In our time-pressed era, the fastest way to have hydrangeas is to buy young plants from nurseries, but, once established, the plants can be propagated. One way is to dig up a mature clump in early spring, split it up with a shovel, and replant the divisions. Another is by layering. You scrape off a ring of bark from a low-lying limb and bury the exposed part. This will produce a new plant. 

NEW YORK — Stocks ended an uneven session with moderate gains Thursday as investors vacillated between optimism and fear about the economy. The market also was trying to determine the likely impact of the change in leadership in the Senate. 

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 16.91 at 11,122.42, after falling 60 points earlier in the session. 

Wall Street’s broader indicators followed the Dow’s path, advancing late in the session. The Nasdaq composite index rose 38.54 to 2,282.02, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index moved up 4.12 to 1,293.17. 

Thursday’s trading was choppy from the start when Vermont Sen. James Jeffords announced, as expected, that he is leaving the Republican party to become an independent, ending GOP control of the Senate. 

“Everyone is sort of going through their own analysis of what the effect the change in the legislature is going to have for various sectors in the market,” said Charles White, portfolio manager for Avatar Associates. 

But analysts said that the market’s fluctuation mostly came amid unease over the health of the economy. Investors were trading cautiously ahead of a speech Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was scheduled to deliver Thursday night before the Economic Club of New York. 

“The next quarter or two are going to be weak. We already know that. What we want to hear from the Fed chairman tonight is that the fourth quarter is going to bring recovery,” White said. “The reason we have been rallying (recently) is on the hopes and dreams of the fourth quarter.” 

Adding to investors’ nervousness about the economy was weak housing and employment news. The Commerce Department reported that new home sales posted their largest decline in four years in April as rising layoffs made Americans feel less secure about making big-ticket purchases. 

And the Labor Department said that new claims for state unemployment insurance rose more sharply last week than analysts expected. 

It was more difficult to gauge precisely how Jeffords’ move was affecting Wall Street, where some profit-taking had been expected following the market’s big runup since early last month. Stocks have advanced primarily because of the five interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. 

The Dow has jumped 1,732.94, an 18.5 percent increase, from its March low of 9,389.48. The Nasdaq has gained 461.18, or 25 percent, from its March low of 1,820.57. 

The market also can’t be expected to sustain such upward momentum as long as investors have reason to worry about the economy, said Alan Ackerman, executive vice president of Fahnestock & Co. 

“The averages moved too far too fast without any real strong earnings development,” Ackerman said. “The market has overreacted to the cumulative Fed rate cuts.” 

The economy and politics aside, stocks still managed to post widespread gains. Microsoft rose $2.02 to $71.72, and General Motors advanced $1.41 to $56.59. Home Depot moved up 83 cents to $53.45, and Intel rose 41 cents to $29.21. 

However, analysts said politics pulled down pharmaceutical and energy shares, sectors that typically benefit from a Republican Congress. Merck dropped $1.50 to $72.50, while Enron fell $1.19 to $54.16. 

The slowing economy hurt makers of semiconductor equipment, which reported late Tuesday that customer orders for April dropped 41 percent from March. Triquint Semiconductor plunged $4.22 to $20.59. 

Advancing issues traded nearly evenly with decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume was 1.31 billion shares, compared with 1.37 billion on Wednesday. 

The Russell 2000 index, which measures the performance of smaller companies stocks, rose 3.04 to 510.40. 

Overseas markets were mixed Thursday. Japan’s Nikkei stock average finished the day down 1.2 percent. In Europe, Germany’s DAX index rose 1.0 percent, Britain’s FT-SE 100 advanced 0.3 percent, and France’s CAC-40 gained 0.5 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

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

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

SANTA CLARA — Three years before co-founding Intel Corp. in 1968, Gordon Moore predicted the number of transistors on a silicon chip would double every 18 months. 

More than 35 years later, “Moore’s Law” still describes growth in the high-tech industry, as more transistors lead to more processing punch, new products and greater demand for computer power. 

On Thursday, the Silicon Valley legend retired from the board of directors of Intel. He will continue serving as chairman emeritus and director emeritus but will no longer hold any voting power. 

After the company’s annual meeting – during which former Federal Communications Commission Reed Hundt was elected to the company’s board – Moore said he has no regrets about instituting a mandatory retirement age for directors. 

And Moore said he intends to remain at least as active in the company as he has been since giving up the chairmanship title in 1997. 

“I would miss it if I really backed away. This business is really exciting. It changes so fast,” he said. “If the alternative is staying home and taking out the garbage, I want to stay close to the industry.” 

Asked about his thoughts on the future, Moore pointed to the demands for greater processing power by scientists developing new drugs and consumers looking for better voice recognition software. 

Truth be told, he added, his opinions aren’t so important now. 

“I don’t have to worry so much about what’s going to happen anymore,” he said, seated next to Intel Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett and Chairman Andy Grove. “The 85,000 people at Intel can worry about that.” 

Moore said the current economic downturn that has hammered Intel and other high-tech companies won’t last forever. But, he added, no two downturns are alike. 

“You’ve got to be careful that you’re not like the generals who plan to fight the last war,” he said. “You’ve got to look at what the characteristics are. I don’t know how this one will play out.” 

Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel on July 18, 1968, shortly after leaving Fairchild Semiconductor. Noyce died of a heart attack in 1990. 

Experts expect Moore’s Law to hold true at least through the next decade. Moore himself said Thursday that it will ultimately be limited by engineers’ ability to make things smaller. 

“No exponential every goes on forever without some kind of disaster happening at the end. Sure it has a limit,” he said. “Materials are made of atoms, and we’re not too far from where that starts to bite us.” 

Moore originally published his prediction as a way to show that integrated circuits would become less costly and more powerful over time. 

That original idea has taken on a life of its own, he said. 

“Since then, sort of anything that changes exponentially in relation to the industry is called ’Moore’s Law,”’ he said. “And I’m perfectly happy to take credit for all of it.” 

On the Net: 

Intel Corp.: http://www.intel.com

The Berkeley High baseball team lost its last four regular season games, dropping from a tie for first place in the ACCAL to a tie for third. They barely scraped into the North Coast Section 3A East Bay playoffs, getting the 16th and last seed. And on Tuesday, they paid dearly for that slide. 

Facing No.1 seed Deer Valley, the ’Jackets knew they were in for a tough game. But they probably didn’t expect to be shut out for just the second time this season. That’s just what happened, as Wolverine ace Daniel Denham dominated them with 14 strikeouts while giving up just four hits in guiding his team to a 4-0 win at Diablo Valley College. 

Denham’s opposite number was Berkeley’s Moses Kopmar, who had been out for two weeks with a groin injury. Kopmar looked good early, but struggled with his control, walking six and hitting two batters before being lifted in the fifth inning. In fact, the Wolverines’ first two runs came without a hit. In the first inning, Kopmar hit Eric King with two outs. King stole second, then came all the way around to score when Berkeley catcher Paco Flores couldn’t track down a wild pitch. 

In the fourth, Kopmar loaded the bases on two walks and a single, and Tommy Wolf scored on another wild pitch. Although he hit the next batter, Kopmar managed to pitch out of the jam. 

Berkeley head coach Tim Moellering said Kopmar earned the start with his hard work throughout the year. 

“He really wanted to pitch today,” Moellering said. “He was really up for it, and he was well-rested.” 

The wheels came off in the fifth, as Kopmar loaded the bases on three straight walks. Third baseman Eirik Kingston came through with a two-run single to break the game open, and that was more than Denham would need. 

The Berkeley hitters spent most of the day flailing wildly at Denham’s deliveries, as the senior mixed up his fastball with precision breaking balls. Only second baseman Lee Franklin managed more than one hit, and the ’Jackets didn’t get a single extra-base hit. In fact, no Berkeley runner made it to third base for the entire game. 

“He probably threw 80 percent fastballs today,” Deer Valley head coach Dennis Luquet said, noting that Denham is expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball amateur draft. “When he can move it inside and outside, he’s awful tough to hit, and then he can go to the curve and slider.” 

Luquet decided to throw his ace to open the playoffs because last year, he sat Denham in anticipation of a showdown with powerful Bishop O’Dowd. When the Wolverines lost in the opener, Luquet was criticized in the media. 

“I wasn’t going to read my name in the paper for seven straight days like last year,” he said. 

Berkeley’s best chance came in the fifth inning. Down just two runs, Bennie Goldenberg hit a one-out single. After Denham struck out pinch hitter Jeremy LeBeau, Frankin bounced a single over the infield. But Denham dug deep and struck out DeAndre Miller, and the ’Jackets wouldn’t threaten again. 

“We had our chances, but we needed to capitalize and we didn’t quite do it,” Moellering said. “We obviously weren’t going to score a whole bunch, but we could have gotten a couple.” 

Moellering praised his players for a good effort after falling so far in the final games of the regular season. They made just one error on Tuesday, and several players made heads-up plays in the field. It was a far cry from their struggles of the past two weeks, but they just went up against a pitcher they couldn’t hit. 

“If we have to lose a game to end the season, as most teams do, this was a much better way to go out than last Friday was,” he said.

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins. $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. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) 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. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “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 exuberant color, and by its combinations of media and subject matter. “Ricky Swallow/Matrix 191,” Including new sculptures and drawings through May 27; “Five Star: the 31st Annual University of California at Berkeley Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition: Through May 27. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 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  

Lawrence Hall of Science “Math Rules!” A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge. “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “T. Rex on Trial,” Through May 28. Where was T. Rex at the time of the crime? Learn how paleontologists decipher clues to dinosaur behavior. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Computer Lab, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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 year membership. All ages. May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 24: Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Caribbean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 24: Nickel Creek; May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 24: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rhythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Peña Cultural Center May 24: Tato Enriquez, plus a video and photo exhibit from earthquake-devastated El Salvador; May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Peña Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 27, 8 p.m. John Kendall Bailey conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florance Schwimley Little Theatre 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts/performing/jazz 

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rhythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Benefit for Dolores Huerta June 9, 7 p.m. Come support this legendary local activist while enjoying an eclectic variety of performances. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. La Pena, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568. 

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

“Procession of the Sun and Moon” with Selected Solo Pieces by Maria Lexa May 27, 2 p.m. Full length drama with giant puppets and masked characters accompanied by live music. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Featuring music by Pharaoh’s Daughter and Mozaik and the musical and ritual theater group The Puppet Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“Conversations In Commedia” May 30, 7:30 p.m. Series continues with Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden and veteran clown/actor/director/playwright Jeff Raz. $6 - $8. La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave 849-2568 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members traveled to Laramie, Wyo., after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepherd. The play is about the community and the impact Shaper’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive May 24: 7:00 Sampo; May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“An Evening of Handmade Films” May 25, 8 p.m. This documentary chronicles the lives of three disabled East African women who designed and built wheelchairs for use on unpaved roads. $5 suggested donation. Fantasy Studios, 2600 10th St. at Parker, 549-2977. 

“Svetlana Village” May 26, 4 p.m. Subtitled “The Camphill Experience in Russia,” details community of organic farmers, nearly half of whom are developmentally disabled. World premiere benefit screening, Q & A with director and a Svetlana resident afterwards. $7-$15 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck Ave 

“The Producers” June 10. Revisit this outrageous comedy classic, starring Zero Mostel and written by Mel Brooks. $2 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts and Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910” chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkeley in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 24: Katie Hafner decries “The Well: A Story of Love, Death and Real Life in the Seminal Online Community”; May 25: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about “In the Heart of the Sea”; May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

Editor to readers 

Dear Readers: 

Thank-you for your many passionate letters. We print as many as we can and generally in the order in which we receive them. Shorter ones are more likely to run. Those over 650 words will not run. Long letters are likely to be cut. We attempt to verify facts, especially statements on local issues, and try not to print false statements, though we cannot fact check letters as we might our articles. 

Above all, we will not print racist or bigoted statements, or generalities about peoples of one or another belief, religion, nationality or origin. We also ask you to refrain from attacking and belittling the letter-writer whose opinion you are opposing, but attack the opinion itself. 

We reserve the right to edit letters. 

Judith Scherr, editor 

Others declared war on Israel 

Editor: 

In his letter, Will Youmans (“Israel has hurt hope for peace”, May 21) made some claims that seem to have been fabricated. Israel did not want war in 1948. Israel declared a state and five Arab countries declared war. Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon and Iraq attacked Israel while Azzam Pasha, the Secretary-General of the Arab League declared that “this will be a war of extermination.” Youmans does not recall the similar number of Jewish refugees that were expelled from their homes in Arab states circa 1948. An Egyptian minister called “all Jews Zionists and enemies of the state”.  

These Jews were resettled in Israel, while the Arab states failed to absorb their own brethren who chose to leave Israel after its independence. Arabs were asked to stay, but they opted to leave. On April 22 1948, the mufti-dominated Arab leaders urged “all Arabs to leave the city.” 

The British police reported on April 26, 1948, that “every effort is being made by the Jews to persuade the Arab populace to stay.” While Israel absorbed many refugees, the Arab states failed to do so, despite their vast land and wealth. 

I didn’t understand how Youmans jumped from the number of 750,000 to 5 million refugees. The majority of refugees have settled in different countries, and refuge isn’t hereditary. Do I consider myself a Hungarian refugee? 

Youmans claims that Daryl Kutzstein “surely did not witness” the anti-Semitic incidents during the Students for Justice in Palestine rally at Wheeler hall, therefore they didn’t happen. Well Mr. Youmans, I was there, and I saw it all. Many people saw and heard the hate. 

Youmans claims that Israel is compromising U.N. resolution 242. In fact, the resolution states that Israel should withdraw from territories, and not ‘the’ territories. The omission of the word ‘the’ enables Israel to withdraw from the territory she sees fit for negotiating peace. In return, the neighboring states must end their belligerency, and acknowledge Israel, who will be able to live “within secure boundaries free from threats.” This has not happened. Israel was willing to withdraw from 95 percent of the territories (while annexing an additional 5 percent of Israel proper) in return for peace. In return, the Palestinians chose to resort to violence. It is no surprise that Israel is not willing to return to the negotiating table while being attacked. 

Devora M Liss 

Berkeley 

Arab states declared war first 

Editor: 

I would like to correct a few details Mr. Youmans seems to have ‘forgotten.’ (Israel has hurt hopes for peace, May 21st). In 1948 Israel declared a state and immediately extended its hand in peace to its neighbors.  

The Arab states were the ones to initiate the attack on the new-born state. 

Mr. Youmans is wrong, when referring to Mr. Kutzstien’s statement “We must move from asking who did what and when.” This is a grown-up world. We live in the present. We have to see what can be done today and tomorrow, not yesterday. 

Mr. Youmans finds it hard to negotiate with a government which supposedly “will not even acknowledge its actions,” while holding Israel responsible for the plight of the refugees, who were created by the “catastrophe” of Israel’s establishment. How can Israel be expected to make peace with someone who doesn’t even recognize its existence? 

Mr. Youmans might want to take a good look at UN resolution 242. As it states that Israel should give back parts of the territories as she sees fit, it also requires her neighbors to come to terms with her existence, halt terror and stop their belligerency. 

Mr. Youmans is telling a partial story. The Israeli government wanted peace, offered Mr. Arafat a viable state that the Palestinians rejected, turning to violence instead of dialogue. 

Sura Rahman 

Berkeley 

Beth El good, project bad 

Editor: 

It seems like you can’t open a local newspaper these days without reading about what a great organization Beth El is: they do volunteer work, they feed the homeless, they educate their children, and so on.  

The point of these letters is that Beth El should be able to build their controversial new synagogue/school/social center at 1301 Oxford Street in the face of opposition from many neighbors, many others individuals in Berkeley and beyond, and the local chapters of the Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and a host of other environmental organizations.  

What is missing from these letters is the connection between the assertion “Beth El does a lot of good things” and the conclusion “therefore they should be able to build their project.” I’m not sure what that connection is supposed to be, but I’ve thought of a few possibilities: 

Perhaps the point is that Beth El is an asset to the community, but will have to leave if not allowed to build their current project. But that doesn’t make sense: when a some project opponents suggested that a few alternative sites might be more suitable for Beth El’s planned expansion, Beth El leaders called them “offensive” for trying to “kick 

Beth El out of the neighborhood.” Beth El doesn’t just want to stay in the neighborhood, they won’t even consider a move. If Beth El’s plans are denied, they will continue to be a community asset, just as they are now.  

Or maybe the point is that Beth El is such a good organization that anything they do must be good, so the opponents of the current plan must be misguided and there’s not really anything wrong with the plan. But that’s wrong too. Opponents understand exactly what the current plan calls for and Beth El gave presentations to environmental organizations which nevertheless oppose the plan. Organizations that oppose the current plan include the Sierra Club (San Francisco Bay Chapter), Alameda Creeks Alliance, Friends of Five Creeks, Urban Creeks Council, Center for Biological Diversity, International Rivers Network, Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative, Eco-City Builders, Berkeley Eco-House, California Oak Foundation, and the Golden Gate Chapter of the Audubon Society. 

So maybe the point is that Beth El members are good, while opponents of the project are bad; Beth El should be rewarded by being allowed to build its project, while opponents should be punished by having the project forced on them. I hope that’s not the argument either.  

Opponents of the project are not evil. Like Beth El, we educate our children, donate money and time to help others, and so on. The list of organizations in the previous paragraph should speak for itself.  

So perhaps the argument is that Beth El has done a lot of good things, so even if they do something bad, they’re still ahead on points.  

Phillip Price 

Berkeley

Thursday, May 24

Paddling Adventures  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dan Crandell, member of the U.S. National Kayak Surf Team and owner of Current Adventures Kayak School, will introduce attendees to all aspects of kayaking. Free 527-4140 

City of Berkeley Meeting 

2 - 4 p.m. 

2120 Milvia St. 

Second Floor Conference Rm. 

Bancroft-Durant Two-Way Street Proposal Meeting. Call Bike For a Better City 597-1235. 

West Berkeley Project Area  

Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

Among other topics, correspondence regarding Commissioner Training, Eastshore State Park planning meetings and proposal for commissioner advocate. 

705-8105 

Community Health  

Commission Meeting 

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Among other topics, a vote on a letter of apology to the mayor. 

644-6109 

Friday, May 25

Free Writing, Cashiering  

& Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate and Chalk Art  

Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize.Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net 

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Monday, May 28

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29 

People’s State  

of the City Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283  

www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person 525-7610  

Thursday, May 31

Backpacking in  

Northern California  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free  

527-4140 

— compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

Attic Conversions  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

League of Women Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Thursday, May 24

Paddling Adventures  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dan Crandell, member of the U.S. National Kayak Surf Team and owner of Current Adventures Kayak School, will introduce attendees to all aspects of kayaking. Free 527-4140 

City of Berkeley Meeting 

2 - 4 p.m. 

2120 Milvia St. 

Second Floor Conference Rm. 

Bancroft-Durant Two-Way Street Proposal Meeting. Call Bike For a Better City 597-1235. 

West Berkeley Project Area  

Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

Among other topics, correspondence regarding Commissioner Training, Eastshore State Park planning meetings and proposal for commissioner advocate. 

705-8105 

Community Health  

Commission Meeting 

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Among other topics, a vote on a letter of apology to the mayor. 

644-6109 

Friday, May 25

Free Writing, Cashiering  

& Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop  

by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate and Chalk Art  

Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize.Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net 

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Monday, May 28 

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29

People’s State  

of the City Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283  

www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person 525-7610  

Thursday, May 31  

Backpacking in  

Northern California  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free  

527-4140 

— compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

Attic Conversions  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

League of Women Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Climbing structures are great for kids’ motor coordination, but wood structures preserved with arsenic may present a hidden danger. 

“It’s a dirty secret in the wood-products industry,” said Bill Walker, of the Washington, D.C.,-based Environmental Working Group, speaking Wednesday at a press conference, held beside an arsenic-treated play structure at Cedar-Rose Park in north Berkeley.  

“Arsenic is a serious threat to health,” especially for children who put their hands into their mouths frequently and do not excrete toxins as readily as adults might, Walker said. 

Walker joined representatives from the Healthy Building Network and the Center for Environmental Health to expose the problem, talk about a lawsuit they hope will lead to its resolution and to herald a study co-authored by the EWG and the Healthy Building Network: “Poisoned Playgrounds, Arsenic in ‘Pressure-Treated’ Wood.”  

The study says wood used outdoors in play equipment is injected with chromated copper arsenate, a mixture of chromium, copper and arsenic, to protect it from insect attacks and fungal decay. The report says the substance poses both an acute poisoning hazard and long-term risks such as lung, bladder and skin cancer.  

While the thrust of the message was that this is a nationwide problem, Walker used the play structure at the north Berkeley park as an example. He said that in 1978, the state Department of Health Services tested the play structure at Cedar-Rose Park and found elevated levels of the toxin. 

Consequently, a law was passed requiring all state, city and county play structures to be coated every two years with a nontoxic sealer. 

The city of Berkeley and numerous others may have failed to do so, Walker said. 

Parks Department Director Lisa Caronna was quick to react. In an initial phone conversation, she said she was unaware of the danger and of the law. After making calls to previous parks directors – Caronna came in as director in 1995 – she found that, in fact, the city had coated the structures in the early 1980s. However, at some point, the biannual coating stopped. 

“It’s not a good thing,” Caronna said. “Quite honestly, it’s quite upsetting.”  

By Friday, Caronna said the four older wood structures – the one at Cedar and Rose Park, two at King Middle School Park, and one at Codornices Park – will be coated with two layers of sealant. She added that these structures are slated for replacement over the next five years, but she will try to get them replaced in two. 

Following a hazard assessment, 26 play structures have been replaced since 1995, she said. 

Walker said that was a good start, but the sealant does not completely protect the children and, if the structures are not to be removed, they should at least have warning signs. 

“Arsenic shouldn’t be in the wood in the first place,” said Walker, noting that there are non-treated woods, such as (sustainably-grown) redwood and metal or plastic that can be used in playgrounds. 

Many of the companies that make arsenic-treated wood already make safer products intended for European markets, Walker said. 

The Center for Environmental Health is taking the issue to the courts. It filed legal notice earlier this month of its intent to sue 11 manufacturers of arsenic-treated wooden playground equipment, under California’s Proposition 65, unless Attorney General Bill Lockyer intervenes within 60 days. 

A successful lawsuit would force manufacturers to stop using arsenic in wood intended for playground structures or, minimally, to warn the public of its risks. 

On the national level, the EWG has asked the Consumer Product Safely Commission to ban the use of arsenic-treated wood in playground equipment.  

Sen. Barbara Boxer held hearings on the question last week and issued a statement Wednesday: “The science shows that when ingested arsenic can lead to cancer, nerve damage, reproductive damage and sometimes even death,” Boxer wrote. “Parents should feel safe when they turn on the tap and when they send their kids outside to play. We need action now.” 

Jo Anne Skinner of EWG spoke as a mother of two children under the age of five. “As a parent, we do everything we can to make sure our children are safe. We buy safety locks for our cupboards,” she said. “It’s a tragedy there’s parks that are poisoning our kids.” 

The Daily Planet was unable to reach the children’s playground structure manufacturers targeted in the lawsuit for comment before deadline. 

Panthers beat up on Swett 

Anthony Miyawaki wasn’t going to lose this game. No sir. 

“I had to make sure I got one NCS win under my belt before I left,” Miyawaki said after throwing a 12-6, complete game win against John Swett in the first round of the North Coast Section 2A East Bay playoffs on Wednesday. Miyawaki started first-round NCS games the past two years, and the Panthers lost both of them. In fact, Wednesday’s win was the first NCS victory for any of the St. Mary’s players, as the team’s last regional win was the year before this season’s seniors arrived. 

The funny thing is, none of the Panthers even expected to make the playoffs. After slumping badly to end the BSAL regular season, the Panthers lost in the first round of league playoffs. Head coach Andy Shimabukuro was so sure his team would be staying home, he collected the uniforms and put them away for next season. 

“We turned in our uniforms last week, but I talked to the other coaches in the division, and they said we would get in,” Shimabukuro said. “But the teams are all pretty even, so I think if we can get by the next game (against top-seeded Moreau) we’ve got a good shot at going all the way.” 

The Panthers took care of Wednesday’s game at the plate, smacking 12 hits and putting up at least two runs in four different innings. They were helped by four errors by Swett third baseman Mike Detomasi, including two straight with two outs in the fourth that led to three unearned runs in the inning. 

But the real damage was done the inning before, as Swett started Steven Dellacruz loaded the bases with two singles and a hit batsman with no outs. St. Mary’s cleanup hitter Chris Alfert slammed a double over the centerfielder’s head, scoring two runs. After designated hitter Joe Storno walked to re-load the bases, Miyawaki and Chase Moore hit RBI singles. Greg Marshall, who hit a two-run single in the second to open his team’s scoring, hit into a double play, scoring Storno for a 7-4 Panther lead. 

“We lost our last two games because we scored one run in the last 11 innings,” Shimabukuro said. “But we worked on our situational hitting this week, and it came through for us today.” 

The Panthers weren’t much better in the field than their opponents, committing five errors of their own, and four of Swett’s runs were unearned. But while Miyawaki didn’t have the prettiest pitching line, he got out of several jams with minimal damage. The senior said he is much more relaxed on the mound this year, which has helped him be more focused. 

“In the last couple of years, I would complain when guys made errors behind me,” he said. “Now I just let it go and concentrate on getting the next guy.” 

Miyawaki threw more than 120 pitches in the game, many of them curveballs, a pitch he hasn’t used much this season. 

“The other coaches told the pitching coach I wasn’t using my curve enough,” he said. “I’ve been using my changeup more this year, but we switched back to the curve today, and I guess it worked.” 

Miyawaki made another last-minute change going into Wednesday’s game. He was fooling around with some teammates, imitating their swings, and he decided to use a more closed stance with a pronounced leg kick at the plate. It worked, as he went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. When he was asked what his coaches thought of his chameleon act just as the playoffs are starting, he laughed. 

“It was all just for fun,” he said. “The coaches trust the leaders of this team.”

The City Council took an unusual action Tuesday by voting immediately after a public hearing to reverse a Zoning Adjustments Board decision to allow development in an “over-cozy neighborhood.” 

After listening to a series of neighbors complain about parking problems, property neglect and privacy concerns, the council closed the public hearing and decided to vote on the issue. Normally the council takes action on public hearing issues at future meetings so councilmembers have time to go over material and ponder testimony. 

“This is one of clearest cases I’ve ever seen,” Mayor Shirley Dean said, and without much discussion, the council voted 8-0 to uphold the neighbors’ appeal and ended the property owner’s plans to build a second home on his property at 1825 Berkeley Way. 

The council took the additional step of adopting a motion by another 8-0 vote to have the Housing Department inspect the existing structure on the same property because of ongoing complaints of faulty plumbing and drainage. 

“It was a long process but eventually we did get heard,” said next-door neighbor Steve Wollmer, the day after the council decision. 

Councilmember Linda Maio did not vote on the issue on the advice of the city attorney because she lives near the subject property. 

The council vote reverses a Nov. 27 decision by the ZAB to allow property owner, Himmat Katari to build a one-story, two-bedroom, 818-square-foot residence at the Berkeley Way site near Grant Street. The project was going to be built behind an existing structure on the same property. The ZAB approved the use permit by a 5-1 vote with two boardmembers abstaining. 

Neighbors complained the additional residential property would negatively impact neighborhood parking because the proposed project did not provide enough on-site spaces. According to a Planning and Development Department report, Katari leases the existing residential building to five university students, though neighbors claim there are as many as seven tenants and each owns a car. Neighbors said if Katari built the new building, he would lease it to as many as four additional students. The project’s design only allowed one space for each building, the minimum allowed by zoning regulations.  

In a letter to the council, Wollmer said: “We in the immediate neighborhood know the rental history of this property and resent that the desire of one non-resident owner for additional income will make our daily lives much more difficult because (his) project meets minimum requirements.” 

Dean said she was greatly disturbed by the neighbors’ accounts of plumbing problems on the property. One letter to council, written by Steve Harrison, described a broken shower drain on the second story that spilled out onto the property’s back stairs and an ongoing hazard created by a sump pump that discharges water 10 feet down a driveway and across a public sidewalk. 

“I have no doubt that this mentality will carry on to any new projects the owner undertakes,” Harrison wrote. “He has shown no interest in his tenants or the neighborhood.” 

Wollmer said he was frustrated by what he called “shoddy” work the Planning and Development staff did on the project. He said the surrounding properties were mis-characterized by a planner who investigated the site. “He described an office space behind the property at 1824 Hearst St. as a garage and said there were no windows on the side of the house next door when there are two picture windows that would have been affected by shadows,” he said, alleging the staff who worked on the project were “incompetent...or prejudiced.” 

Planning and Development Interim Deputy Director Vivian Kahn said if mistakes were made in the project reports, they were likely corrected by letters from the neighbors so that the ZAB was aware of all the correct facts at the time it approved the use permit.  

Dean said she was confounded that the project made it past the ZAB. “I don’t understand staff’s and the ZAB’s strong support of this project ,” she said on Wednesday. “I don’t know what they were thinking on this one.” 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong agreed. “We have to stop shoving more and more people into our established neighborhoods and build more on major thoroughfares where people have access to alternate means of transportation, not in communities like this already over-cozy neighborhood,” she said. 

Katari said he may want to take legal action against the council’s decision and did not want to comment on the outcome until he speaks to his attorney.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Two California Golden Bears were named to the 2001 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)/Louisville Slugger All-American team that was announced Wednesday at the annual Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City, Okla. Sophomore first baseman Veronica Nelson was awarded first-team at-large (first base) honors while junior pitcher Jocelyn Forest was named to the second team.  

Nelson, who was also awarded first-team All-Pac-10 and second-team All-Pacific Region, leads the Bears in many offensive categories - batting average (.352), RBI (50), home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.772). In addition to her offensive prowess, Nelson also broke her own NCAA single-season walk record last Sunday versus the Florida StateSeminoles in the regional championship, when she drew a walk for the 88th time, breaking her old record of 87 in 2000. Nelson is the first Cal player since Gillian Boxx (1992-1995) and Michele Granger (1989-1993) earned first-team honors in 1993.  

Forest, who was also named to the first-team All-Pac-10 and second-team All-Pacific Region, led the Cal pitching staff with a 27-8 record, 0.72 ERA and a conference-best 350 strikeouts. Her ERA is the lowest of any Bear pitcher since Granger recorded a 0.50 ERA in 1993.  

Cal, the eighth seed in the WCWS, begins play today at 8 a.m., when it takes on the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

A class action lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court Wednesday alleges that more than 800 UC Berkeley students may have been exposed to harmful levels of airborne mold in their university housing units. 

At issue are the University Village Apartments in Albany, about 1,000 units reserved for UC Berkeley students who are married and/or have children. Of these units, 400 were built in the early 1960s, and 150 date back to the 1940s, said Robert Jacobs, director of housing facilities for UC Berkeley. 

The lawsuit, filed by the Concord law firm Kasdan, Simonds, Epstein & Martin, alleges that the university failed to provide effective waterproofing and weather protection for some of the older units, leading to high levels of mold and fungi.  

“We believe that the university and the Regents have an undeniable responsibility to ensure that the housing they rent to students, or anyone else, is clean and healthy,” Kenneth Kasdan, a partner in the Kasdan, Simonds firm, said in a press release Wednesday. “As far as we are concerned, they grossly ignored their responsibility.” 

A University of California spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit Wednesday. 

The suit was filed Wednesday morning on behalf of UC Berkeley student David Garcia and his 18-month-old son, Elias Garcia, both of who have been treated for cough, congestion, eye irritation, fevers and breathing problems over the last six months, allegedly caused by the high level of mold in their rental unit. 

The list of plaintiffs in the suit had grown to include three children and three adults by the end of the day Wednesday, Kasdan said in an interview, adding that he expected more to join the suit soon. 

“We believe as all the health data comes out that it’s going to be shocking,” Kasdan said. 

Along with compensation for plaintiffs’ medical costs, the suit demands a university-sponsored cleanup of the mold and medical monitoring to determine if other residents have been affected. 

“We want these houses remediated so that they are safe to live in,” Kasdan said. 

The mold problem was originally identified by the university itself, after it hired outside consultants to go over the units last summer in preparation for a restoration project. 

The university had slated the older units for demolition, according to Jacobs, but it opted to restore the units instead in response to a student group’s concern that the loss of old units would mean the loss of affordable units. 

While the older units rent for around $700 a month, newer units cost around $1,100 a month, Jacobs said. 

In studying what it would take to restore the old buildings, the Pleasant Hill-based MECA Consulting company surveyed the levels of air-born mold in 52 randomly chosen units, Jacobs said. Most of the units showed elevated levels of air-born mold compared to the outside air. In two units the levels were so high that the university told the inhabitants they must move out. 

The mold is a result of “systematic problems” such as leaking walls and windows, Jacobs said. 

The university convened meetings with University Village Apartments’ residents and health experts earlier this month to go over the potential health risks cause by mold and to tell residents what they could do to reduce the level of mold in their units, Jacobs said.  

According to a handout distributed to residents of the Albany apartments by UC Berkeley’s University Health Services, most people have no reaction when exposed to molds, but too much exposure can “cause or worsen” asthma, hay fewer and other allergic reactions. 

Jacobs said it is difficult to know how to respond to the situation because there are no state or federal guidelines as to what constitutes a dangerous level of airborne mold. 

“If you live in an old house, you’re going to have mold,” he said. “We’re really tried to be as proactive as we can.” 

Prior to Wednesday’s lawsuit, Jacobs said the university had received complaints from students in only four units about health problems attributed to the mold. In these cases the residents were offered the opportunity to move into newer units, Jacobs said, but only if they were willing and able to pay the higher rents for these units. 

Jacobs said the university will convene a panel of experts in June to determine the next step in dealing with the mold problem. 

Kasdan said the university has had six months since it publicly announced the mold problem and in all that time it has taken no actions to reduce the levels of airborne mold. 

“What makes this case even more egregious is that the housing where Mr. Garcia and the other Berkeley students have lived caters to families with young children,” Kasdan said. “These children can become extremely ill from continuously living and playing in a mold infested environment.”

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – No. 26 California is in a tie for 14th place (610) with Michigan State after the second round Wednesday of the NCAA Championship at the par 72, 6106 El Campeon Golf Course. After carding a 302 Tuesday, the Golden Bears followed that up with a 308 Wednesday to fall slightly from a tie for 11th after the opening round.  

The Bears are making their first appearance in school history at the NCAA Championship.  

Top-ranked Duke, which was tied for seventh after the opening round, shot a 293 in round two to move into a first-place tie with first-day leader Oklahoma State (592). Georgia is one stroke back at 593, while Auburn and UCLA are tied for fourth at 594 in the 24-team tournament.  

UCLA’s Laura Moffat maintained her first-day lead in the individual race by shooting another round of 69 for a six-under-par 138. Auburn’s Celeste Troche is in second with a four-under-par 140 after tallying a tournament-low round of 68 Wednesday.  

Sophomore Vikki Laing is Cal’s top performer so far, as she is tied for 20th after firing back-to-back rounds of 74 for a two-day score of 148. She finished Wednesday’s round strong, carding a one-under-par over the final five holes.  

Cal senior Cheryl Lala struggled after shooting a 72 in the first round, dropping to a tie for 40th after posting a 79 in the second round. She has the second-best two-day score for the Bears.  

The third of four rounds tees off Thursday beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET.

There is a lot of pride and a lot of history involved in the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble. 

“So many good musicians come out of Berkeley High. I like being a part of the Berkeley jazz band, having such a well-known name,” says trumpet player Mark Michel-Ruddy. “People respect us and feel like we know what we’re doing. Being from Berkeley, I feel proud of saying that’s where I’m from.” 

Vibraphone player Sam Ferguson expands on this theme: “Berkeley High is a unique environment. It breeds creativity.” 

Of course the parents of these musicians are proud of their kids. And it is easy to tell that band leader and teacher, Charles Hamilton, is proud as well. 

Members of the ensemble say the program has profoundly enriched their lives. It has served as a kind of beacon for many budding musicians who have practiced their instruments with dedication for many years in order to pass the audition and play in the highly esteemed band.  

There is a long list of successful professional musicians who learned much of their craft at Berkeley High. 

“So many great players have come through Berkeley High. It’s a great feeling to be a part of this legacy,” said saxophonist Liam Reilly.  

Part of the legacy is the players’ continued dedication and development. Many seniors graduate from the jazz ensemble with a clear sense of direction, a goal of learning more and constantly improving their musicianship. 

In the fall, trumpet player Justin James will begin the next phase of his education at San Jose State University, continuing his music studies. “When I first saw the group, I was inspired. When I first heard the trumpet section, I couldn’t believe that I’d ever be able to play like that.”  

James credits Hamilton, whom students affectionately call “Ham,” for helping him develop his technique and expressiveness. “I love Ham. He might not know it, but I love him.”  

The students appreciate Hamilton’s dedication. They say they love the music and the man who teaches it to them. Through the study of jazz, James said he has learned the value of self-discipline, and offers advice for young musicians. “It might be tedious or boring to practice, but just stick with it.” 

Hamilton knows how to motivate. He challenges the students with difficult music. “When it’s a challenge, they’re into it. You have to find music that sparks their interest.” 

Hamilton recognizes that attitudes have changed through the years. “When I was in high school, educators were still debating whether jazz was worth being taught. Now everybody’s on fire about these guys like Monk and Mingus. People have come to realize that it is good stuff. The acceptance of jazz has evolved.”  

Saxophonist Hitomi Oba said he has been influenced by the school district’s music program, having begun to learn his instrument in the fourth grade. “All through middle school, it was my big goal to get into the jazz ensemble,” he said. “A lot of younger kids tell me how much they want to get in, and how much they’re going to practice.” 

Many of these students have been exposed to jazz for many years.  

“It’s a real big deal to me,” says drummer Justin Brown. “I remember seeing the Berkeley High jazz band when I was in the fifth grade.”  

The band’s influence has not been limited to music. The jazz program caused Brown to perform better academically as well.“Freshman year I got pulled out of the band. I was doing bad with my grades, so my dad pulled me out. My grades have been back up, so I got back in the band.” 

A Friday concert, the last of the year, will include a set from the Lab band, a sort of junior varsity squad that already displays some serious talent. A pair of small combos made up of members of the Ensemble will each play a short set, perhaps featuring some original compositions. 

Last year was a great year for the band, which earned a flood of rave reviews and won several competitions. When nine seniors graduated, some folks worried that the quality of playing might decline. Brown reflected on the turnover. “We were pretty nervous this year, because so many good players left. But it worked out really good: I’ve been surprised. I think the band is better this year. We’re tighter. We play dynamics better.” 

In July, the Ensemble will spend two weeks in Europe, playing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy. 

Oba says he is excited about the upcoming tour. “We might have something to share with European audiences that they might not have heard. There definitely is a ‘Berkeley sound,’ a lot of energy.” 

Bass player Tom Altura sees the tour as a chance to learn: “I’m looking forward to seeing the great players. We’ll get to see so much great jazz in one place.” 

Saxophonist Brenden Millstein said the tour will broaden his horizons. “It’s a great way to meet lots of people and learn lots of things. We get to experience other cultures. When we went to Japan, we stayed with Japanese families. That was fascinating, a great cultural experience.” 

Hamilton is also looking forward to the tour. “We’re putting the kids on a world stage for an audience that’s enthusiastic about the music. You put an audience like that with players like this, and it adds up to one thing: total excitement.” 

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge said Wednesday the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision barring medical marijuana prompted him to order that an ounce of cannabis seized from a California man be forfeited. 

It is believed to be among the first such forfeiture since the nation’s highest court ruled last week that sick and dying patients cannot claim a medical necessity defense to marijuana possession in a case testing California and eight other states’ medical marijuana laws. 

At the government’s request, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Legge ordered forfeited one ounce of marijuana seized two years ago from a Humboldt County man who was arrested during a traffic stop. Under California law, Christopher Giauque had a doctor’s recommendation to smoke marijuana to relieve chronic back pain. 

County prosecutors seized the marijuana but did not charge Giauque for any drug-related offense. A county judge ordered Sheriff Dennis Lewis to return the marijuana. Lewis refused, citing federal law that prohibits him from dispensing marijuana. 

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson ordered the sheriff held in contempt of court and the sheriff sued the federal government, asking it to intervene on his behalf. 

Mark T. Quinlivan, the Justice Department’s main lawyer in the case before the Supreme Court, flew from Washington to California to argue for the seizure of Giauque’s marijuana. He declined to say whether the government’s position on Giauque’s case or his appearance here was an indication of whether the Bush administration is going to begin cracking down on medical marijuana use. 

Even so, he said the judge’s decision was correct in light of the high court’s ruling. 

“You presume a U.S. district judge is aware of the current state of the law,” he said after the brief hearing. 

The high court said there is no exception in a federal anti-drug law for the medical use of marijuana. Some patients say the drug eases their pain from cancer, AIDS and other illnesses or pains. 

The court ruled that clubs formed to distribute the drug to approved patients cannot claim “medical necessity” as a reason to break a 1970 law regulating the drug as a controlled substance, and said patients cannot claim that as a defense. 

Giauque’s attorney, J. Bryce Kenny, said he would ask the judge to reconsider his decision. He added that the high court’s ruling hurt his case. 

“Let’s put it this way, the U.S. Supreme Court certainly hasn’t helped our position,” Kenny said. 

Voters in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have approved ballot initiatives allowing the use of medical marijuana. In Hawaii, the Legislature passed a similar law and the governor signed it last year. 

The case decided Tuesday is Humboldt County v. Giauque, C01-1279 CAL. 

A surprising 59 percent of Californians now support building more nuclear plants, according to a poll released Wednesday. 

The pollsters said the findings suggest how deeply the power crisis has affected people in the state, which has been hit by rolling blackouts and soaring electric bills over the past few months. 

The last time the organization polled Californians about nuclear energy was 1984 – five years after the accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania – and it found 61 percent opposed to nuclear power. 

“In my interpretation, the current energy crisis has some bearing on the public’s changed attitudes on nuclear power,” said Mark DiCamillo, spokesman for the Field Institute, a nonpartisan polling organization. “The public is searching for clean ways to add to the capacity. I think the poll is saying that nuclear should be included in that consideration.” 

The Field poll comes as the Bush administration pushes for a renewed look at nuclear power. 

Vice President Dick Cheney, who heads the president’s energy task force, has promoted nuclear power as essential to America’s energy needs and said that at least some of the 65 power plants that need to be built annually to meet future electricity demand ought to be nuclear. 

No utilities have ordered any new nuclear power plants in the United States since 1978. 

The poll of 1,015 California adults was taken May 11-20. It showed that 59 percent of Californians favor nuclear power and 36 percent are opposed. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. 

Carl Zichella, the Sierra Club’s regional staff director for California, Nevada and Hawaii, said Californians have not thought about nuclear energy for about 20 years and do not have as much information as they did around Three Mile Island. 

“I think this number really reflects a lack of knowledge on the part of the public about the problems that drove nuclear power underground,” he said. “The more people know about nuclear power, the less they’re going to like it.” 

Getting a new nuclear plant built faces two major problems: financing and siting, said Rich Ferguson, research director for the Sacramento-based Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technology. 

“We have just not seen any interest in the financial community to invest the billions of dollars,” he said. “That’s one problem the nuclear industry has is it’s very capital intensive.” 

Finding places to put natural gas burning power plants is already a difficult task with neighbors to proposed sites often voicing strong opposition. 

“As far as the public goes, this is a pretty theoretical thing,” Ferguson said. “I don’t think it means very much until somebody tries to build a power plant and people find out it’s in their backyard.” 

California has two nuclear power plants currently producing energy — the 2,254-megawatt San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Clemente owned by San Diego Gas and Electric Co., and the Diablo Canyon power plant near San Luis Obispo, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 

On the Net: 

http://www.sierraclub.org 

http://www.ceert.org 

WASHINGTON — Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont stepped to the brink of a historic party switch Wednesday, triggering an intense effort by Republicans to keep him in the GOP fold and preserve their ability to advance President Bush’s legislative agenda. 

Jeffords informed associates and aides during the day he would become an independent, according to officials familiar with the conversations, and the veteran moderate lawmaker flew to Vermont Wednesday evening for a planned morning announcement about his political future. 

Before leaving, he met twice in the Capitol with Republican lawmakers who beseeched him not to move ahead and make the change that would break the 50-50 tie in the Senate and end their majority. 

“It’s very possible he’ll look at this for a few days,” said one senator in attendance, Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana. 

Senate Republicans said Jeffords had been offered a seat at their leadership table, more money for favored education programs and a waiver of term limits to let him remain chairman of the Education Committee beyond the end of next year as enticements to remain a Republican. 

On the other hand, Senate aides also said Jeffords had approved staff meetings with Democrats to discuss preparations for taking over the chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee, the post Democrats were offering if he would bolt the GOP. 

A switch would elevate Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota to the powerful post of majority leader, with control over the flow of legislation and nominations – Supreme Court appointments among them – to the Senate floor. 

An unprecedented power sharing agreement in effect since the 50-50 Senate was sworn in last winter would automatically dissolve, and Democrats would displace Republicans as committee chairmen. 

“This isn’t about a single Senate seat. It’s about controlling the legislative agenda ...and it’s about the federal judiciary,” said Sen. Bob Torricelli, D-N.J. “This is an enormous shift of influence in the federal government.” 

Party switches are rare in Senate history, and a change that terminates one party’s majority is unprecedented. 

“I like being chairman,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who presides over the Commerce Committee. He also said Jeffords’ decision should serve as a warning to establishment Republicans: “If you’re going to threaten retaliation, revenge and punishment to people because they don’t vote exactly how you want them to, you’re going to pay a price.” 

Already there were signs of tension in the GOP ranks. Party sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said top White House adviser Karen Hughes conducted a conference call with congressional GOP aides, telling them the White House wouldn’t be pointing fingers of blame, and she hoped they wouldn’t either. 

Jeffords’ relations with the White House have been strained for weeks, the fallout of a clash over budget priorities. He supported reductions in Bush’s $1.6 trillion tax cut in favor of increasing federal support for education. A victory for Jeffords’ hopes on the Senate floor was negated in a House-Senate compromise, though, and none of the additional money was preserved. 

Jeffords also let it be known he was unhappy not to be invited a few days later to a teacher of the year ceremony at the White House. The recipient was from Vermont, and he is chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. 

Jeffords is a durable figure in Vermont politics. He has held public office since 1967, except for a two-year hiatus. He won his Senate seat in 1988, replacing fellow Republican moderate Bob Stafford. He was pushed hard to win a second term six years later, but breezed to re-election last year. 

A lifelong Republican, he has held fast to his New England moderate roots over the years while his party has drifted rightward. He was the only Republican in the Senate to support former President Clinton’s health care plan in 1994, and he defied his leaders when he voted to acquit Clinton on both articles of impeachment in 1999. 

A supporter of abortion rights, he also votes for environmental legislation that many Republicans oppose, and is a longtime supporter of expanded federal aid to education. 

In a private meeting with Bush in the Oval Office on Tuesday, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting, the senator said he no longer felt comfortable being a Republican. 

Stunned Republicans contacted Jeffords’ contributors and backers in hopes they could prevent his defection. They also reached out to Democratic Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia, hoping he might abandon his party and offset Jeffords’ anticipated move. Miller slammed the door shut with a statement that said, “I will not switch to the Republican party and have no need to proclaim myself an independent.” 

Jeffords met privately during the day with a small group of moderate and mainstream Republicans with less ideological voting records than some in the party. 

“One concern expressed was that moderates aren’t getting enough attention,” said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. He said the group talked of creating a moderates’ position in the leadership, and mentioned Jeffords as a candidate. 

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said afterward, “There may be a sliver of hope” to change Jeffords’ mind. 

Democrats awaited a public announcement. They said privately they had told Jeffords he could become chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and keep the post for the duration of his term, which ends in 2006. He also would retain his seat on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, these officials added. 

Under Republican rules, Jeffords’ tenure as education committee chairman is subject to term limits and will end at the end of next year, although Lott and other party leaders could decide to make an exception as part of the effort to keep Jeffords in their party. 

WASHINGTON — In a boost to President Bush’s domestic agenda, the House approved sweeping education legislation Wednesday that for the first time would tie federal aid to improvements in students’ test scores. 

The 384-45 House vote, gave Bush victories on his two biggest campaign promises even as his Republican Party faced the prospect of losing control of the Senate. 

Omitted from the education package was Bush’s plan for the government to provide vouchers for students to attend private schools.  

The White House abandoned the idea in order to strike a deal with Democrats on a bill that otherwise tracks Bush’s blueprint for improving schools. 

Efforts by conservatives to restore vouchers failed twice Wednesday. 

Despite that defeat, Bush said the House vote was a “giant step toward improving America’s public schools.” 

“The education reforms adopted today build on the principles of accountability, flexibility, local control and greater choices for parents,” Bush said in a statement. 

The bill reauthorizes the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides most of the funds for K-12 education. The House version would provide about $24 billion for schools – about $5.4 billion more than 2001. 

The legislation would require states to develop and give tests in reading and math to every child in grades three through eight. 

Schools unable to sufficiently improve test scores after one year would qualify for extra federal aid, but could be forced to replace some staff.  

Also, poor students in schools receiving federal Title I funds would have the choice of transferring to another public school. 

At schools failing to show enough progress in scores after three consecutive years, disadvantaged students could use their portion of Title I funds for tutoring, summer school or transportation to another public school. Tutoring services could be provided by parochial schools. 

The bill also consolidates several federal programs and requires schools to let students transfer to another public school if they are the victim of a violent crime at school. 

Under the plan, school districts could use up to half of their federal funds without oversight from state or federal government.  

Title I funds still would have to be spent for programs to help poor children. 

In a pilot program, 100 school districts – two per state – could enter into an agreement that would free schools from virtually all restrictions on spending. 

Like the Senate version, the House bill would give schools nearly $1 billion per year for next five years to improve reading, with a goal of making sure every youngster can read by the third grade. 

It would also give more money for developing charter schools and require all schools to develop new report cards that show a student’s progress compared to other students locally and statewide. 

The bill would require that students with limited English skills be taught in English after they had attended school for three years in a row. 

The House rejected two voucher amendments by wide margins after a lengthy and at times prickly debate. On the first amendment, which would have created a voucher program similar to the one Bush proposed, the vote was 273-155. Only two Democrats and one independent joined Republicans in support of the amendment. 

The second measure, which failed on a similar, party-line vote, would have authorized $50 million for voucher demonstration programs in five school districts. 

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., invoked the civil rights battles of the 1960s, saying “defenders of the status quo stood in the schoolhouse door and said, ’You may not come in.’ Now the defenders of the status quo stand in the door and say to the grandchildren of many of those Americans, ’You may not come out.”’ 

Opponents said vouchers would take away money from struggling schools without giving families enough money to pay for private-school tuition. 

Rep. Lynn Rivers, D-Mich., compared vouchers to the practice of bleeding patients with leeches to cure illness. 

“This procedure was done with all the best intentions, but unfortunately a lot of patients died,” she said. 

The Senate may not get to its version of a voucher amendment until early June. 

Slowing down the bill in the Senate, said one Democratic staff member, was Sen. James Jeffords’ plan to travel Thursday to Vermont where he was expected to announce that he would leave the Republican Party and become an independent. 

Jeffords, R-Vt., is chairman of the Senate education committee and has been managing the bill on the Senate floor. 

WASHINGTON — With a dozen Democrats joining in, the Senate passed an 11-year, $1.35 trillion tax relief package Wednesday that represents the largest tax cut in two decades and matches the priorities President Bush has been pushing since his campaign for the White House. 

House and Senate negotiators immediately began meeting to work out a final compromise, which Republican leaders are scrambling to get on the president’s desk by the end of the week. 

“Now, we go to the final stage,” said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. 

The Senate voted 62-38 to pass the bill – the biggest tax cut since President Reagan’s in 1981 – during a tumultuous day on Capitol Hill as Republicans and Democrats tried to calculate the political fallout of the decision by Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vt., to become an independent. 

All 50 Senate Republicans and 12 Democrats voted in favor of the tax cut. 

Bush said at the White House that those 62 senators “deserve our country’s thanks and praise,” and urged Congress to reach a rapid final accord. “Our economy cannot afford any further delays,” the president said. 

Senators of both parties agreed that the Jeffords switch, which will change the balance of power in an evenly divided Senate now run by Republicans, will have little bearing on the outcome of the tax debate. Sponsors intend to get the bill to Bush before the change takes effect. 

The bill includes the core components of Bush’s original 10-year, $1.6 trillion plan: across-the-board income tax cuts, eventual repeal of the estate tax, relief from the marriage penalty paid by millions of two-income couples and doubling of the $500 child credit. The House passed individual bills closely tracking Bush’s plan. 

The Senate also added one item Bush wanted for corporate America: permanent extension of the research and development tax credit, which would otherwise expire in 2004. 

Under pressure from Democratic and Republican moderates, including Jeffords, the Senate bill differs markedly from the Bush and House plans, mainly in ways that shift more of the benefits to low- and middle-income people. The Senate bill would reduce the top income tax rate to 36 percent, instead of 33 percent, and gradually phase in all the income tax cuts by 2007. 

The Senate bill also would permit millions of low-income people to claim a portion of the child credit, boost contribution limits for 401(k) plans and IRAs, give education breaks such as a $5,000 college tuition deduction and create a new, retroactive 10 percent income tax rate for the first portion of every taxpayer’s income. 

Fifteen Senate moderates, led by Democrat John Breaux of Louisiana and Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine, circulated a letter urging that the House-Senate conference committee adhere closely to the Senate bill. 

Many conservatives, led by House Republicans, want the tax relief to occur more quickly than under the Senate bill — the marriage penalty relief, for instance, wouldn’t begin until 2005 — and return the top income tax rate to Bush’s level of 33 percent. But major changes could eliminate provisions needed to get a Senate majority. 

“We believe the conference report must closely reflect the delicate compromise that was reached in the Senate,” the letter said. 

The final vote came after the Senate waded through 54 amendments over three days, often in back-to-back votes that kept senators stuck in the Capitol late into the night. 

Most were offered by Democratic critics who say the bill remains too tilted toward the wealthy and limits other uses for the massive $5.6 trillion, 10-year surplus, such as debt reduction, defense, education and a Medicare prescription drug benefit. 

“Across the board, this legislation crowds out and in some cases eliminates America’s ability to balance priorities in a meaningful way,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. “We can do better than that.” 

With support from moderate Democrats, Senate Republicans defeated virtually every amendment and moved Congress one step closer to providing Bush what would amount to the biggest legislative victory of his term so far. 

“We had a lot of obstacles in front of us, and we prevailed,” said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. 

A young woman in her mid-20s looking for sex and love in all the wrong places is the central character in Seattle playwright Bret Fetzer’s 1997 play “Planet Janet,” which Berkeley’s Impact Theater is currently running in an engaging production Fridays and Saturdays at LaVal’s Subterranean on the Northside. 

Janet (Eleanor Mason) wakes up in bed one morning next to a man she doesn’t know, and can’t remember what happened the night before. She is relieved – sort of – to find that she is wearing her diaphragm.For her friends, this is just Janet being Janet. 

She calls her guy pal Stan to hurry over and rescue her, but by the time Stan arrives Janet has changed her mind, and is making out once again with the guy from last night. 

“Planet Janet” is the story of a woman who is trying, without much success, to understand the connection between love and sex in her life – and why her easy sexual encounters always evolve into relationships from hell. 

The play is a little bit like a dormitory bull session on sex and romance, told in a series of short dramatic scenes that alternate with short monologues in which the show’s seven characters talk directly to the audience. It’s a good premise for a play. Lots of people can relate to dilemmas around sex and romance. 

The script’s main weakness is the blank spot in the character of Janet. Although some of the play’s lesser characters are fleshed out more successfully, there is something missing in the desires of Janet. 

Her actions don’t come out of a distinct center or history that tell us who she is as a person. At times, she seems more like a collection of experiences than a character. 

The same vagueness exists in the character of guy pal Stan. Stan is always there for Janet, but he won’t sleep with her. 

What makes the gaps in these two characters so noticeable is the rich, distinctive character of Janet’s artist friend Del, a struggling, divorced, cynical, wisecracking, ex-smoker portrayed by Alyssa Bostwick in the evening’s strongest performance. 

Del protects herself from life with a withering onslaught of ridicule, and Bostwick’s performance is terrific. She really listens to the other actors, and reacts in connected and considered ways. 

Impact’s production employs a youthful crew of actors generally at the start of their careers. Mason, for example, often seems to play against Janet’s subtext, which is unsettling at first, although she manages to make the part her own. 

Michael Brusasco, as stranger-in-bed Roger, also does good work, angered by how quickly Janet turns on him. 

Director Sarah O’Connell’s black box, bare staging is a more traditional production than many of Impact’s recent shows, and a more serious play – although, written by a man, it feels at times like there are moments of judgmentalness about female sexuality – what is referred to once as Janet’s “mating urge.” 

Lurking also in the background of this story is a theme of addiction – addiction to sex, to alcohol, to cigarettes and to compulsive thoughts of violence. 

But if you are in your mid-20s and happen to be interested in any of those topics – sex, alcohol, cigarettes, compulsive thoughts of violence – you will likely enjoy this play. 

Planet theater reviewer John Angell Grant has written for “American Theatre,” “Backstage West,” “Callboard,” and many other publications. E-mail him at jagplays@yahoo.com.

There are few American businesses more aggressive than the credit-card industry, though you might think they wouldn’t have to seek out customers for what they’re selling, which is money. 

This year is likely to set still another record for solicitations to potential customers, more than 4 billion of them, which means on average something more than three a month for every household in America. 

Few products have ever met with such acceptance, including cars, radios, TVs and computers.  

There are probably well over a billion cards already in the hands of users, and providers intend to put more there. 

In his book, “Credit Card Nation,” Robert D. Manning puts the figure at 1.5 billion cards held by nearly 157 million cardholders – retail, bank, phone, gasoline, travel, entertainment, corporate, etc. 

Credit cards make up nearly half the direct mail solicitations you’re likely to receive this year, according to Mintel International’s “comperemedia,” a service that tracks such things. 

Comperemedia estimates that Americans in 2001 will receive 8.3 billion direct mail solicitations in eight categories: credit cards, insurance, telecommunications, mortgages-loans, travel-leisure, investments, banking and technology. Of that total, credit cards will account for 4.3 million. 

Given such saturation, you might think the siege would be lifted, but that seems not to be in the cards.  

Those who a decade ago might have been rejected are now prime candidates. Almost no one is too poor to have one. 

Still, with possibilities for finding new customers shrinking, the solicitation efforts grow, although now they’re aimed at differentiating one card from another and getting existing owners to raise their usage. 

The credit-card business simply doesn’t accept “no” for an answer. Solicitation response rates have fallen. Users are worried about an economic downturn. Defaults are rising. But so are solicitations. 

As the solicitations rise, so also is the availability of money from other sources.  

With home ownership and prices climbing, more and more Americans have equity in their homes. And that equity can be used. 

The old notion of paying down the mortgage to zero is now viewed by many families as a misuse of wealth.  

They renegotiate the mortgage to a lower rate, withdraw some of the equity and use it to spend now. 

Others simply negotiate an equity loan atop their first mortgage and use it as a credit card. The interest rate may be a fraction of that on the credit card, and Uncle Sam allows them to deduct it from income taxes. 

The use of home equity to maintain lifestyles has become tremendous competition.  

Many credit-card owners, for example, now use home equity to pay down balances to zero, depriving issuers of profitable business. 

No matter, the card issuers keep trying, apparently with some success.  

The seams of wallets and pocketbooks are strained with cards rather than dollar bills, and consumer credit continues to rise. 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for The Associated Press

The city toxics division issued the city Corporation Yard its second notice in two years for stormwater violations and Department of Public Works officials say they are taking steps to permanently correct the errors. 

“It’s been a problem,” said Deputy Director of the Department of Public Works Patrick Keilch. “But this is something the whole city faces, which is how to keep sediment and particulates out of the storm drains.” 

The Toxics Management Division issued the notice to the Corporation Yard, located at 1326 Allston Way on May 7 for a lack of runoff protection near a storm drain on the southwest corner of the yard. Responding to a complaint, a TMD inspector noticed that sediment from stored materials such as asphalt, concrete and broken sewer pipes was being collected by rainwater and flowing into the storm drain, according to a TMD Notice of Violation. 

The notice said the material in the runoff was a violation of the Berkeley Municipal Code, the State Porter-Cologone Act and the federal Clean Water Act. 

The Corporation Yard, which is used for the storage of DPW equipment, vehicles and materials, received similar notices from the TMD in 1995 and another in 1999.  

“These violations aren’t heinous but this has been an issue with the Corporation Yard for some time,” said Geoffery Fiedler, the hazardous waste specialist who issued the notice, “and not a lot has been done to correct the problem.” 

Fielder agreed that the problem of particulate matter getting into storm drains is a citywide problem. “According to the Berkeley Municipal Code, only clear water and leaves are allowed in the storm drains,” he said. “And there are violations of the code at most construction sites as well as many other businesses and even most residences.” 

Keilch said DPW has taken measures in the past to correct the problem but they have apparently not been successful. He said Corporation Yard staff had already scheduled meetings with the TMD to correct some of the problems at the time they received the notice.  

The TMD issued the notice of violation to the Corporation Yard after receiving complaints from Community Environmental Advisory Commissioner  

LA Wood.  

“The city is asking businesses to be more conscious of what they put into storm drains. It didn’t seem right for the city to look the other way while the Corporation Yard violated the Federal Clean Water Act,” he said. 

Keilch said that since receiving the notice, the Corporation Yard has taken steps to solve the problem once and for all. The storm drain in question has been temporally covered with a metal sheet and asphalt until a “high tech” filter can be installed. 

“We’re planning to install a high tech catch basin filter system like the one at the Civic Center that catches particulates from the parking lot,” Keilch said. “It’s relatively inexpensive and will only have to be cleaned three or four times a year.” 

Keilch estimated the cost would be between $200 and $400 for the system and another $200 a year for cleaning and maintenance. 

Keilch said other measures that will be implemented at the yard include covering five 6-foot-high storage bins near the drain with canopies to prevent rainwater from washing off sediments and particulates from stored materials. 

Keilch said that DPW crews are also no longer temporarily storing work-site refuse materials, such as broken sewer pipes, on the yard. He said throwaway materials are going directly from work sites to a licensed disposal area in Richmond. 

“We want to take responsibility for this problem,” Keilch said. “We are aware of the problem and we’re happy to address it.” 

Wednesday, May 23

Regular meeting of the  

Planning Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

The Planning Commission will review and take action on a recommended set of General Plan Subcommittee Amendments to the Land Use Element. 

Healthful Building Materials  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Regional Transportation Talk 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Rebecca Kaplan of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition will talk about the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 25-year Regional Transportation Plan at the regular meeting of the Berkeley Gray Panthers. Open to the public. 548-9696 

Forum on Small Learning  

Communities 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

Organized by Berkeley High Senior Nicole Heyman, panel of students, teachers and community members will discuss the achievement gap at Berkeley High and possible reform plans. Students encouraged to participate. $3. 

Thursday, May 24

Paddling Adventures  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dan Crandell, member of the U.S. National Kayak Surf Team and owner of Current Adventures Kayak School, will introduce attendees to all aspects of kayaking. Free 527-4140 

City of Berkeley Meeting 

2 - 4 p.m. 

2120 Milvia St. 

Second Floor Conference Rm. 

Bancroft-Durant Two-Way Street Proposal Meeting. Call Bike For a Better City 597-1235. 

West Berkeley Project Area  

Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

Among other topics, correspondence regarding Commissioner Training, Eastshore State Park planning meetings and proposal for commissioner advocate. 

705-8105 

Community Health  

Commission Meeting 

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Among other topics, a vote on Letter of Apology to Mayor. 

644-6109 

Friday, May 25

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave.  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate and  

Chalk Art Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Chocolate Menu available listing various items for various chocolate items for sale from Solano businesses. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects.  

$5 donation 

869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net 

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 

843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person  

525-7610 

Monday, May 28

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Come hear the ten commandments. 540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29

People’s State of the City Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time 548-8283  

www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

—compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

Wednesday, May 30

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Fairy tales we love  

Editor: 

Dr. Michael T. Klare made a very good case for a national program of conservation in order to extricate ourselves from the energy crisis in which we now find ourselves. Unfortunately, he's whistling past the graveyard. 

When a miner on the Comstock Lode in the 19th century claimed “the privilege of American citizens to waste the mineral resources of the public land without hindrance,” he voiced a national archetype. Pundits and politicians are issuing almost identical quotes today to justify supply-side energy production no matter what the environmental and fiscal cost. That should play well even in Berkeley where, on a street populated almost entirely with university-educated professionals, I recently noted that one third of the vehicles were SUVs and minivans. The proportion in the suburbs is higher. 

Politicians of both parties are still haunted by the wimpy public image of Jimmy Carter in a cardigan. When hairy-chested George Deukmejian became governor, he announced that Jerry Brown's “era of limits” was history and abolished Brown's Office of Appropriate Technology. Californians loved him for it. And one of Ronald Reagan's first acts as president was to remove Jimmy Carter's solar panels from the White House roof. Americans adored the fairy tales that kindly uncle told them about American limitlessness, and, like young children, they want to hear them told over and over again before the lights go out. 

In 1972, John Brunner wrote a science fiction novel called “The Sheep Look Up” which describes a global environmental collapse in the near future. In Brunner's story, American consumers were as culpable for the disasters that befell them as the poll-driven “leaders” whom they elected and the greed-driven executives whom they didn't. As I watched the moms driving their SUVs to Andronico's for apples flown in from Chile and thought of the weapons systems we will build to assure they can continue to do so, I knew that Brunner's novel was not fiction but prophecy. 

Gray Brechin 

Berkeley 

Beth El positive force in the community 

The Daily Planet received the following letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: 

This is a letter of unqualified support for Congregation Beth El’s proposed plan for the Oxford Street site in Berkeley. I am not a member of Congregation Beth El, but my family and I have many close friends who are members of Congregation Beth El. We have lived in North Berkeley for twenty-two years, and over that time we have again and again experienced the positive influence and resources Beth El has provided in the North Berkeley community and schools.  

Our daughter attended the JCC early childhood center at Walnut Square with many Beth El kids, and many of our friendships started there. We have attended countless bar mitzvahs for kids at Beth El who were friends of our children. We have always felt completely included and welcome, even though we are not Jewish.  

We know many families who are members of Beth El who are diligent supporters, both in terms of time and money, of the public schools in Berkeley as well as other community activities that enrich life in Berkeley, such as organized league sports for children. We are personally acquainted with many of the children and now young adults who have attended the wonderful religious school program at Beth El. It is our belief that the character and values that are so obvious in virtually all of the dozens of young people we know from Beth El have been instilled by the strength and health of the Congregation that brought them up.  

By their contributions to the enrichment of the North Berkeley community and by their inclusiveness, the members of Beth El have earned and deserve the support of the City Council in their effort to move from their outgrown facility on Arch Street to the new site on Oxford.  

I believe Beth El has provided more than reasonable responses to criticisms of their plan for the new facility. Please approve Congregation Beth El’s proposed plan for the Oxford site as presented. 

Dennis J. White 

Berkeley 

Where have all the sewer funds gone? 

Editor:  

We read with interest your May 20th article titled "Sewer Fund Used Inappropriately."  

The Council of Neighborhood Association's (CNA) newsletter has been publishing articles by Ted Edlin for over two years documenting the misuse of Sewer Fund and other monies by the city. A recent newsletter article documented the following abuses:  

• $300,000 of Sewer Fund money went towards the purchase of a building on Sixth St. for the Health Dept.  

• The city recently leased 1947 Center St. for the Engineering Dept. at a cost of $2.68 million. Half of that money is to come from the Sewer Fund.  

• The city recently payed $200,000 to break its lease at 2201 Dwight Way, space vacated by the Engineering and Housing Departments. $100,000 of that is to come from the Sewer Fund.  

• Seismic retrofit of the Corporation Yard. $750,000. An unspecified amount is to come from the Sewer Fund.  

• Installation of fiber optic line at the corporation yard. Funding to come from the Sewer Fund.  

While your article quotes City Auditor Hogan as finding $120,000 in Sewer Funds misspent paying employees of the First Source Employment Program, we believe she could have found much more inappropriately spent Sewer Fund money since her office receives a complimentary copy of each CNA Newsletter.  

In your article, Hogan states that the misspent $120,000 was probably due to budgetary oversight rather than deliberate misuse of funds.  

After CNA has documented the diversion of sewer funds for two years, it is gratifying to see that the City Council has referred the item to two commissions.  

The inappropriate expenditures should have been no surprise to council members, who also receive complimentary copies of the CNA Newsletter.  

Readers interested in more tales of misspent city funds can send a $15 check for a one year subscription to the CNA Newsletter, P.O. Box 1217, Berkeley, Ca. 94701  

Art Goldberg  

Barry Wofsy  

Berkeley 

Plan council OK’d not same one ZAB rejected 

Editor: 

Mr. Muir's argument against the false assertions of Mr. Kashani could hardly be more eloquent. As he said, the 2700 San Pablo Ave. plan which you approved was not the plan which had gone through a planning process and which was before you on appeal - that one having been rejected by the Zoning Adjustment Board.  

Shame on you City Council members for contributing to the corruption of the planning process in Berkeley.  

Having closed the 2700 San Pablo Ave. hearing April 24 – meaning having closed it to the public and the developer – yet allowing the developer, but not the public to speak at your voting session on the project, was the epitome of unconscionable. 

Peter Teichner 

Berkeley

“Boys will be boys” – an innocuous enough phrase when it comes to pulling cats tails and diving into coffee tables – assumes boys are naturally inclined to be rambunctious and mischievous.  

But the run of school shootings America has seen the past few years brings the question of boys’ cruel inclinations to a critical pitch. A documentary film called “Boys Will Be Men” traces a culture of cruelty inherent to the way boys are raised and offers alternatives. 

Berkeley-based filmmaker Tom Weidlinger got the idea to make this film in the wake of Columbine and subsequent high school campus tragedies. The issue, as he saw it, was not who did what to whom in these crimes, but the psychosocial undercurrent producing them. And, perhaps, that we are all a little complacent in these tragic outbursts of rage.  

“My thought was those extreme manifestations of violence are just the tip of the iceberg of a social problem that’s much more widespread,” said Weidlinger. “When a violent episode happens we tend to focus on the moment of violence and look into the individual pathology of the family or child, and not really address the larger social issues.” 

Following the screenings will be an audience conversation with a panel of experts: Joe Marshall of the Omega Boys Club, Ricardo Carrillo of the National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence, Marin Country school psychologist Allan Gold and the Associate Dean of San Francisco City College Rod Santos. 

The film begins with men seated in support group-circle fashion, all of whom have had a criminal past, confessing they had never had a proper emotional release mechanism. Their crimes, they say, were in some way begotten from their limited communication abilities. 

With this circle and interviews with authors William Pollock (“Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons From the Myths of Manhood”) and Michael Thompson (“Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys”), the film establishes the nearly inescapable precedent boys face growing up in a culture favoring male toughness and aggression. 

How did we get here? “Boys Will Be Men” goes back to the cradle to begin searching for answers. It breezes over proclamations of male infant’s emotive abilities (psychological studies of infants tends to be so vague and inconclusive, they don’t hold much water) and quickly moves into qualifiable accounts of boys in first grade. 

Jamie Carlson, a first grade teacher at Berkeley’s Emerson Elementary School, appears in the film to testify that boys suffer from an academic gap with girls due to restlessness.  

Where girls tend to develop reading and writing skills early on, boys are more prone to physicality and motor skills, which often is inappropriate in a classroom environment. 

“Boys are packed with energy,” said Carlson from her home in Berkeley. She says she has to allow time and space during the day for her boy students to move and sing and play.  

“That kind of chaos is very upsetting for adults and teachers,” said Weidlinger. “Sometimes you have to realize you can’t control it, you just have to let it happen.” 

Without a means to expend their energy, boys often cannot focus as they fidget through lessons. Carlson says it’s not easy to distinguish Attention Deficit Disorder from common 5-year-old jitters. Being an “old music teacher,” though, she finds music goes a long way in calming children. Exercise works well, too: “They love to run laps, to just run it out.” 

The film shifts its focus to older teenagers, and the social pressure to conceal vulnerability and narrow their emotional range into a bottleneck of hostility. Author Michael Thompson describes a “culture of cruelty” in which bullying and taunting are accepted by adults as the natural, inevitable rites of adolescence. 

“They attack in each other anything that appears tender, compassionate, caring,” said Thompson in the film, which then portrays two programs designed to discipline boys’ frustration and violence while acknowledging their needs for physical expression. 

One is a wilderness program in Southern Idaho teaching discipline by survival to troublesome students.  

There are many boot camp-style programs operating, and Weidlinger chose to follow this particular program because “a lot of camp for youth at risk are tough and have punitive quality to them. I don’t like that, and I felt the one in Idaho was much more humane in their approach to boys.” 

While forcing them to march with ill-fitting backpacks and taking their boots away at night to discourage bolting might seem tough, this program, called SUWS, is seen encouraging personal reflection and teamwork. It also puts boys in physical situations – high wire balancing and search-and-rescue missions – where they must rely on each other to succeed. 

The film also looks at a poetry/ storytelling program in Chicago created by Michael Meade (author of “Men and the Water of Life: Initiation and Tempering of Men”) whose drum-beating, pagan-male performance was greeted with looks of embarrassment and derision on the faces of his teenage participants, these boys who have grown up in the Robert Bly “Iron Man” backlash. 

The boys are given the task of writing and performing poetry at the end of the three-day program. Weidlinger captures them going through a familiar cycle: first they are disinterested in something so wimpy as poetry; when they are nervous in anticipation of the performance they get rambunctious, distracted, and playful (tackling each other, playing baseball indoors, tapping out a tune on a piano); then, and only then, do they settle into the task of self-expression. It’s a trick Jamie Carlson uses on her first graders, too. “Get a boy involved in a game, and they do a lot more talking.”

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins. $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. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) 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. 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “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 exuberant color, and by its combinations of media and subject matter. “Ricky Swallow/Matrix 191,” Including new sculptures and drawings through May 27; “Five Star: the 31st Annual University of California at Berkeley Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition: Through May 27. $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 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  

Lawrence Hall of Science “Math Rules!” A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge. “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “T. Rex on Trial,” Through May 28. Where was T. Rex at the time of the crime? Learn how paleontologists decipher clues to dinosaur behavior. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Computer Lab, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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 year membership. All ages. May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 24: Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Caribbean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 23: Willis Alan Ramsey; May 24: Nickel Creek; May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 23: Global Echo; May 24: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rhythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Peña Cultural Center May 24: Tato Enriquez, plus a video and photo exhibit from earthquake-devastated El Salvador; May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 27, 8 p.m. John Kendall Bailey conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florance Schwimley Little Theatre 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts/performing/jazz 

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rhythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Benefit for Dolores Huerta June 9, 7 p.m. Come support this legendary local activist while enjoying an eclectic variety of performances. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. La Pena, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568. 

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

“Procession of the Sun and Moon” with Selected Solo Pieces by Maria Lexa May 27, 2 p.m. Full length drama with giant puppets and masked characters accompanied by live music. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Featuring music by Pharaoh’s Daughter and Mozaik and the musical and ritual theater group The Puppet Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“Conversations In Commedia” May 30, 7:30 p.m. Series continues with Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden and veteran clown/actor/director/playwright Jeff Raz. $6 - $8. La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave 849-2568 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members traveled to Laramie, Wyo., after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepherd. The play is about the community and the impact Shaper’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive May 23: 7:30 Casting Call; May 24: 7:00 Sampo; May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“An Evening of Handmade Films” May 23, 8 p.m. This show features short films created by direct manipulation of the film surface itself; “Mama Wahunzi: Women Blacksmiths” May 25, 8 p.m. This documentary chronicles the lives of three disabled East African women who designed and built wheelchairs for use on unpaved roads. $5 suggested donation. Fantasy Studios, 2600 10th St. at Parker, 549-2977. 

“Svetlana Village” May 26, 4 p.m. Subtitled “The Camphill Experience in Russia,” details community of organic farmers, nearly half of whom are developmentally disabled. World premiere benefit screening, Q & A with director and a Svetlana resident afterwards. $7-$15 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck Ave 

“The Producers” June 10. Revisit this outrageous comedy classic, starring Zero Mostel and written by Mel Brooks. $2 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 24: Katie Hafner decries “The Well: A Story of Love, Death and Real Life in the Seminal Online Community”; May 25: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about “In the Heart of the Sea”; May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour. June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood;  

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

Shirley Richardson-Brower, executive director of the Berkeley YMCA South Branch, had just finished thanking a group of elementary school children for accompanying her to the Berkeley Farmers'’ Market Tuesday when she thought to add one last gentle reminder. 

“Don’t eat them all,” she said. 

The children smiled up at her then, revealing lips and tongues stained with the red juice from fresh strawberries and cherries.  

When Richardson-Brower reminded them they were supposed to take some of the fruit home to their families, a few managed the impressive feat of nodding vigorously while continuing to chew. 

These south Berkeley youth have spent months reading up on the benefits of organic fruits and vegetables as part of the YMCA’s Golden Dream Learning Center after-school program. They’ve done a nutritional comparison of some of their favorite brands of potato chips, learning that not all potato chips are created equal. On Tuesday, Richardson-Brower brought 20 of the program’s 45 participants to the farmers market to experience fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in all their earth-scented, juice-dripping glory. 

Penny Luff, co-manager of the Berkeley Farmers'’ Market, said Tuesday that the sheer pleasure of tasting fresh fruits and veggies offers a powerful nutrition lesson to young children because it will keep them coming back for more. 

The YMCA youth weren’t the only grade-schoolers learning that particular lesson Tuesday. Some 25 students from LeConte elementary school’s 21st Century Learning Center after-school program were perusing stands stocked with peaches, apples, carrots, onions, cabbage, lettuce, asparagus, olive oil, chutney and hot sauce, to name just a few. 

The youth were charged with picking up fresh ingredients for spring rolls they planned to make in a cooking class later this week. With a $1 million grant from the California Nutrition Network, the Berkeley Unified School District has built four new school gardens in the last couple of years and hired cooking and gardening instructors to work at each of its 12 elementary schools.  

“We’re having a good time and tasting lots of stuff,” said LeConte Farm and Gardening Coordinator Ben Goff, known to most LeConte students simply as “Farmer Ben.” 

Goff tends the gardens and farm animals at LeConte elementary school, as part of that school’s effort to teach its students where food comes from and why it matters. 

In an urban setting, “to pull a carrot out of the ground and wash it and eat it (is) something that most kids have never fathomed,” Goff said. 

“I think it’s important for everybody to know where their food comes from,” he added. “If you know where your food comes from, then you pay attention to what kinds of things you’re putting in your body.” 

For LeConte fourth grader Demario Tolliver, at least, the lesson seems to have sunk in. Asked why he prefers organic fruits and vegetables, Tolliver said: “They’re much bigger, and they’re not sprayed with chemicals, so all that chemical stuff is not going into your body.” 

But organic or not (not all the food sold at the market is organic), Tolliver tasted every little thing he could get his hands on Tuesday. He asked the farmers why some cherries were sweeter than others and what gave a particular honey its unusual flavor. 

“You get to see a whole lot of fruit and vegetables that you haven’t seen before, and you get to learn about farmers that have been farming for like 20 years,” Tolliver said between bites Tuesday. 

Or sixty years, if you happen to swing by the cherry and apple stand of John Smit. 

Smit, 71, has been farming 160 acres in San Joaquin County since he emigrated to the United States from the Netherlands as a boy. In the little town of Linden, not much has changed in all that time, Smit said. The first four-way stop went in last year, at the intersection between Highway 126 and Highway 12. 

But Smit, who has been a part of the Berkeley Farmers'’ market since in it began in 1987, said he’s noticed a decline in people’s understanding about what it takes to keep supermarkets stocked with food. 

“A lot of people have no clue,” he said. 

That’s part of the rationale for the elementary school field trips to the farmer market and, in June, to nearby farms, said Melanie Okamoto of the Food System Project, a group that has helped the Berkeley school district design and operate its nutrition and gardening programs. 

“We’ve really been able to link the schools to the local farms so kids can connect what they’re doing in the (school) garden with farmers who are growing the food,” Okamoto said. 

Luff said giving Berkeley residents a taste of the farming way of life is part of what the farmers market is all about. Most of the small farms that contribute to the market are family owned and operated, she said. This helps create an intimate and welcoming atmosphere on market days that’s a far cry from the cart-cluttered supermarket, with its piped-in Muzak and conveyer-belt check-outs. 

“People just walk in and it’s kind of like their shoulders drop and they start smiling,” Luff said of the market. 

Malcolm X elementary school student Shukura Mays, part of the YMCA group visiting the market Tuesday, said she might bring her mother to the farmers market soon. 

“The food is better, and it doesn’t come in a lot of bags,” Mays said. 

The Berkeley Farmers Market is open every Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Derby Street, between Milvia St. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. On Saturday’s the market runs from 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Center Street between Milvia and Martin Luther King.

“Boycott Taco Bell, shut it down/Berkeley is a union town,” Sara Smith called from her bullhorn, as about a dozen UC Berkeley students tried to get the noontime Taco Bell crowd to eat elsewhere on Tuesday.  

At issue, say the boycotters, organized into the Farm Worker Support Committee, UC Berkeley, are the wages tomato-pickers in Florida earn. The workers, whose tomatoes are purchased by Toco Bell, are paid 40 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. That means a worker needs to pick and haul 2 tons of tomatoes to make $50 a day, protesters said. 

“We’re supporting the tomato pickers in Florida, calling for the boycott,” Smith said, explaining the workers had organized themselves into the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. 

The coalition is asking Taco Bell to pay contractors, whom the tomato-pickers work for, 1 cent per pound more than they do now. 

A spoksperson for Taco Bell, however, said the company, famous for its Chihuahua pooch, has no control over worker wages. Workers work for contractors who sell their tomatoes to brokers who, in turn, sell the tomatoes to Taco Bell.  

“I’m not sure why they target Taco Bell,” said Taco Bell spokesperson Laurie Gannon. “We don’t use that many tomatoes.” 

Inside the Shattuck Avenue Taco Bell, one worker said if the boycott helped improve the workers’ wages, it was a good thing. 

A number of people looked at the students and kept walking, instead of going inside. “I was going to go in, but they’re boycotting,” said one woman. 

Another told her child, about 5 or 6 years old, “That’s not very nice. They’re not paying their workers properly.” 

Tom Myers went into the store, despite the boycott signs, but said he supports the boycott movement anyway. “They’re right to do that. I’m glad they’re trying to do something,” he said. 

“While Taco Bell made over $5.2 billion in 1999, the median annual income of farm workers is currently $7,500 (according to the U.S. Department of Labor),” according to literature given out by the boycott group. 

Gannon did not want to speak to the plight of the farm workers. Instead, she argued that the dispute is properly between the workers and the contractors. “It’s a labor dispute. We do not get involved in other (companies’) labor disputes,” she said.

A UC Berkeley student was sexually assaulted by a man she had been walking with on the campus Friday morning between 1:30 and 2 a.m., University of California Police said Tuesday. 

The victim met the suspect earlier that evening at a nearby bar, police said. She walked onto the campus voluntarily with the suspect, but resisted when the suspect made sexual advances. 

The suspect then allegedly battered and sexually assaulted the victim before fleeing the campus. He was described as a white male between 24 and 26 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches and about 230 pounds. 

University of California Police Department Detective Bruce Bauer asks if anyone has information about the suspect to contact him at 642-3658. 

••• 

Berkeley police announced Tuesday that they are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Merlin Antone’s killer. 

Antone, a 42-year-old Native-American man, was found battered and unresponsive on Oct. 22 at the corner of Adeline and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, according to police. He died of his injuries. 

Police said he was last seen alive near the Ashby BART station, reportedly in the company of a teenage boy, described as a dark-complected African American about 5 feet tall, wearing dark color clothes and carrying a portable black stereo “boom box.”  

The young person’s involvement with the crime has not been established, police say. 

The police investigation shows that on Oct. 22, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Antone took the Lake Merritt BART train to the Ashby BART Station, just prior to the assault. 

Lt. Russell Lopes of the Berkeley police said the reward has been offered because the homicide investigation has not been able to locate any suspects.  

Anyone with information is asked to contact Berkeley police at 981-5741. 

•••  

When a man and a woman went to a Berkeley residence near the intersection of Page and Seventh streets to collect some money owed to the woman Saturday the owner of the house and his two young sons attacked the couple, police said. 

Berkeley Police Lt. Russell Lopes said the owner of the house attempted to beat the woman when she asked for the money she was allegedly owed. The man accompanying the woman attempted to intervene, but the owner of the house allegedly struck him in the head with a metal pipe, Lopes said.  

The victim fell to the ground from the force of the blow, at which point the 11- and 12-year-old sons of the owner of the house allegedly joined in the attack, one kicking the victim in the head while the other slashing at him with a large kitchen knife, Lopes said. 

Police arrived on the scene to find the owner of the house had fled, Lopes said.  

The victim received bruises and lacerations as a result of the attack but was not seriously injured. 

Lopes said police are looking for the owner of the house, who could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.  

The two minors allegedly involved in the attack will be referred to Berkeley Police juvenile services, he said.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis’ energy advisers said Monday that the state is meeting its energy goals, despite doubts raised by Controller Kathleen Connell and other critics. 

Connell questioned whether the state can buy enough electricity cheaply enough to avoid borrowing more than the $13.4 billion already approved by state lawmakers. 

Davis’ experts said their estimates are conservative, though they rely heavily on Californians cutting back on their energy use this summer to help drive down prices. 

The estimates assume the state’s consumers and businesses cut total electricity use 7 percent, and the state already is hitting that projection, said chief energy adviser S. David Freeman. 

“That just knocks the stuffing out of the demand,” Freeman said, driving down prices as well. 

A 7 percent reduction in energy use saves the state far more than 7 percent on its power purchases, Freeman explained. That’s because it comes straight out of the state’s purchases on the spot power market, where electricity is far more expensive than power bought under long-term contracts. 

Spot prices have dropped “dramatically” the last two weeks, said Davis financial adviser Joseph Fichera. 

The state has paid well under $100 per megawatt hour during off-peak periods the last two weeks, administration officials said at a news conference. 

Fichera said that should help cut the average price to near the $195 per megawatt hour average Davis’ plan assumes. The officials refused to give specific price information or give the current average price. Davis earlier said the state has paid as much as $1,900 per megawatt hours during times of peak demand. 

In addition, the state on Tuesday will send Connell seven new power generation contracts that will help boost supply this summer, Fichera said. 

The state has in place contracts covering 43 percent of the power the state needs to buy this month, 66 percent of next month’s power needs, 48 percent in July, and 42 percent in August, Fichera said. 

He said Davis’ energy experts also have been accurate in predicting the amount of the state’s power purchases, despite Connell’s doubts. In April they predicted the state would spend $1.78 billion but actually spent $1.8 billion, a 1.4 percent variance, he said. He said this month’s predictions so far are proving accurate as well. 

Connell said that to date, less than 1 percent of the state energy purchases have been through long-term contracts, far short of the 11 percent assumed under Davis’ plan. She also said it seems unlikely that spot market prices will fall as demand increases during the hot summer months. And she questioned whether rate increases approved by the Public Utilities Commission will be enough to cover the state’s power purchases. 

Davis’ experts said she is relying on incomplete or dated information. However, the administration has declined to provide many details of its power purchases, arguing that it would give power generators a competitive advantage and drive up energy prices. 

Connell predicted the state will still need to borrow billions of dollars to keep its treasury afloat while it struggles to repay money it is spending to buy power for three cash-strapped utilities. 

Department of Finance spokesman Sandy Harrison said such short-term borrowing is common when the state experiences financial problems. The state issued $3 billion in revenue anticipation notes during the fiscal years of 1996-97 and 1997-98, though the need dwindled and finally disappeared last year as the state’s economy prospered. 

Connell said the state will need to issue $3 billion to $5 billion in short-term debt this summer or risk running out of money this fall until the long-term bond can be issued to repay the state treasury. 

She also said she will use her post on the state’s Board of Equalization to host a hearing next month on whether generators should be paying more property taxes because the value of their power plants has increased with soaring electricity prices. 

MODESTO — The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department has stepped up its search for a missing woman, Washington, D.C,. intern Chandra Ann Levy, and has sent investigators out of the state to follow up on at least one tip as to her whereabouts. 

Authorities here confirm that they have followed up on an anonymous telephone tip called in to Sacramento television station KOVR that 24-year-old Levy was in a town outside of California. The sheriff’s department dispatched investigators to follow up on that tip. 

“We called the law enforcement agency in the town where she could possibly be to see if the can put some fliers out,” said sheriff’s department spokesman Kelly Huston. “It’s just one of the multitude of tips that we’re trying to eliminate as possible leads.” 

Huston would not say which town or state investigators traveled to in following up on the tip. 

Huston says it’s one of the multitude of calls they’ve gotten on the case, and the department has sent deputies all over the state to follow tips. “We’ve traveled to Sacramento, We’ve traveled to L.A., we’ve traveled to Turlock.” 

As many as 100 tips have been phoned in since the 24-year-old was reported missing from her Washington, D.C., apartment earlier this month, Huston said

SACRAMENTO — Mel Hurok remembers watching his wife Barbara suffer in a nursing home, then suffer more each time she was transferred to a hospital. 

Suffering from diabetes that caused liver and pancreas failure, she was transferred four times between nursing homes and hospitals before she died in January 2000 at age 68. Each time she was moved, she seemed to be put through the same medical tests all over again. 

“I am too weak and too sick with these transports,” Hurok remembers his wife of 35 years telling him. “You’re killing me.” 

Hurok, who lives in Montclair east of Los Angeles, is now pushing lawmakers to approve a bill that would spare others the same pain. The measure, introduced by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Pomona, would require hospitals to provide some patients with detailed information about their condition when they’re released or transferred to other facilities. 

Up for a vote before the full Senate on Thursday, the bill would require hospitals to provide a discharge plan to patients they determine are likely to suffer health problems without one. 

It would also ensure that a summary of their treatment would follow patients when they go to skilled nursing or care facilities, including details about the medication they’ve already taken and follow-up care. 

“All the bill does is provide full disclosure to patients about their health status – some written instructions on the condition,” Soto said. 

Although she believes the bill will be opposed by the hospitals, Soto said, “It’s not right for doctors not to leave orders.” 

A spokesman for the California Association of Health Plans said the group doesn’t have a position on the bill at this time. 

Under the current law, patients have the right to receive information about their condition if they request it, but the bill would require hospitals to inform patients about details of their follow-up care, even if they don’t request it. 

Hurok hopes his wife’s story will help persuade legislators to spare others. Mismanagement of his wife’s case went beyond excessive tests. He remembers catching caregivers giving her the wrong food and putting sugar in her coffee even though she was diabetic. 

“They were constantly having to call 911,” he said.

UKIAH — A judge Monday blocked two disputed logging operations in Jackson State Demonstration Forest, ruling that management practices for the projects needed updating. 

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Richard Henderson’s ruling is a setback for California Department of Forestry. The agency is responsible for monitoring logging on private timberlands and depends on revenue from the 50,000-acre Jackson State forest to pay for reviews of other projects. 

“Even a casual review of the plan reveals that the conditions on which it was developed 18 years ago have changed dramatically,” said Henderson. 

Henderson’s ruling affects only the two disputed logging plans, but representatives for the state agency say the decision could stall further logging in the forest until a new management plan can be reviewed and adopted. 

“It’s unclear how we are going to proceed,” said Helge Eng, a state forestry spokesman. 

Henderson said the state’s claims it would lose revenues with the logging shutdown ignored the harm resulting from current logging operations that could become irreparable. 

Opponents of the state logging operations in Jackson State forest want to restore the parcel to an old-growth redwood forest.

Census shows families becoming more traditional as state grows older 

FRESNO — The state that celebrated free love, embraced alternative lifestyles and beat a path to divorce court may be settling down as it grows older and becomes more diverse. 

The Golden State seems to have moved from trend setter to traditionalist, according to census figures being released Wednesday. 

Married couples with children increased at twice the national average, growing by 12.6 percent while the rest of the nation lagged at 5.5 percent.  

The nuclear family filled an increasing share of households, while that percentage dropped nationally. 

What remains to be seen is how the influx of immigrants – much of the state’s growth in the 1990s was fueled by Mexicans and Asians – is reshaping the typical California family. 

“There might even be two Californias in a way,” said Hans Johnson, a researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California.  

“Immigrants may have what are considered more traditional family living arrangements.” 

California natives may more closely mirror national patterns, but demographers won’t know until more data become available from the 2000 Census. 

“I would say most of the people my age don’t believe in marriage, they are really cynical about it,” said Kirsten Morgan, 24, a nursing student in San Francisco who got married a year and a half ago. 

The latest wave of figures confirmed much of what social scientists already suspected about the state’s burgeoning population. 

Housing, for example, failed to keep pace with the state’s population, which grew by 13.8 percent to 33.9 million, leading to fewer vacancies and more crowded homes. 

People looking for a place to live in the state’s larger cities, where rents and housing prices skyrocketed with a booming economy, have had to endure cutthroat competition for an apartment or bidding on the spot for a house. 

In numbers, housing grew 13 percent nationally while California only expanded by 9 percent, bucking its image as the poster child of sprawl. 

As a consequence, average household size rose from 2.8 people under one roof to 2.9. That figure is more significant when compared to the national figure of 2.6 people, a number that has consistently fallen. 

There are also hints in the data that housing may have been too expensive in the nation’s most populous state, Johnson said. 

Nationally, 20 percent more people were living alone in 2000 than in 1990.  

But in California that number only increased by 11.4 percent. In San Francisco, the number of people with roommates increased 32 percent, while people living alone increased by only 6 percent. 

As a whole, the state is still two years younger than the national median age of 35.3 years.  

Despite having more than a quarter of its population under 18, it aged by nearly two years in the last decade due mostly to the bulge of aging baby boomers. 

In many ways, where California once seemed like an extreme, it is now becoming more mainstream, which is evident in the changing family structure. 

Although the state no longer keeps divorce records, the rate of broken marriages is believed to have fallen over the years.  

Still, more parents, such as San Francisco firefighter Rebecca Atwater, are rearing their children alone. 

“Sometimes it’s easier to do it on your own,” said Atwater, a divorced mother of two. 

Atwater was one of the state’s 834,716 single moms raising their children last year.  

That number was up 23 percent in the last decade, from 6.5 percent to 7.3 percent, only a fraction different from national figures. 

And while the number of unmarried couples rose 38 percent, the growth was far less explosive than cohabitation nationwide.  

Still, only about 2 percent of people in the state and nation are unmarried pairs living together. 

Even in San Francisco, where the change was expected to be greater, the number only grew from 2.7 percent to 3.2 percent. 

“We’ve always been growing much faster than the nation,” said Dowell Myers, a professor of urban demography at the University of Southern California. “It’s nice to have stabilization in some arena.”

SACRAMENTO — In 1996 Theresa Azhocar was sure her daughter, who was convicted of planning to shoot her abusive boyfriend, would finally be released from prison. 

California legislators had just passed a law directing the Board of Prison terms to consider a woman’s history of abuse during sentencing, pardon or parole. 

Five years later, Azhocar is still waiting. So are the relatives of hundreds of women whose crimes are connected with battered women’s syndrome. Just two woman have been paroled under terms of the 1996 law, including one who was released Tuesday. 

Azhocar was among those who testified Tuesday at a hearing by the Board of Prison Terms, which is only now drafting guidelines to carry out the law. 

The law’s passage “gave me hope” said Azhocar, who lives in Chula Vista. “But it just sat in me because nothing has happened. The parole board has the ability to reduce a sentence. I plead with them to have compassion.” 

The hearing was the first step toward setting guidelines for paroling women under the law, said Steve Green, a spokesman for the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency. 

Green acknowledged the process to implement the law “has been slow and should have been done long before this.” He was unable to predict when the guidelines would take effect. 

The bill’s author, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, said the board “has given very minimum lip service” to the law. 

“I was very impatient and disappointed that after a number of years passed following the signing of my bill, virtually nothing was done to carry out the different sections of the bill,” she said outside the hearing. 

Diana Block, a spokeswoman for the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, said she was encouraged by the steps the board has taken and hoped the result would be “more than just paper guidelines.” 

Meanwhile, Azhocar hopes her daughter, Theresa Roxanne Cruz, will soon be paroled after 11 years in prison in Corona. Convicted for conspiracy to commit murder in 1990, she has been denied parole three times. 

Cruz was convicted for her role a shooting that left her former boyfriend with five bullet wounds in his leg. One of the two men accused of carrying out the shooting also was convicted in the case. 

Azhocar said her daughter was so terrified of the ex-boyfriend that she slept with a phone on her chest because he used to beat her and threaten her. 

Cruz’s next parole hearing is set for September 2001. 

Paroled Tuesday was Diann Wade, 56, who had served 21 years at the Central California Women’s Facility at Chowchilla for first-degree murder. 

Wade, a prostitute from Los Angeles, was convicted in the 1980 slaying of her abusive pimp. The man was shot when Wade and two accomplices went to his apartment to beat him up, Green said. 

SACRAMENTO — Record heat and unusually dry winds have prompted fire officials to declare the start of fire season Tuesday throughout California. 

“We’ve got the big three – hot, dry and windy. We’ve had a few grass fires, nothing special, but these are the same conditions that brought you the Oakland fire in October of 1991,” said Karen Terrill, spokeswoman for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.  

“All it takes is a spark in the wrong place. 

“In that case, it was $1.5 billion in property lost and 3,000 housing units destroyed.” 

At the start of fire season, local CDF offices hire seasonal staff to work on a round-the-clock schedule around the state’s forest districts. 

“That’s unheard of as far as I know, to open the fire season in all 21 ranger districts at the same time, but it means that the conditions are suddenly ripe for wildfire and it’s time to be prepared,” Terrill said. 

Unusually warm, dry and windy weather for May prompted concern. In Sacramento, three records have been set this month: 100 degrees, May 8; 98 degrees, May 9; and 99 degrees on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. 

Monday’s high temperature of 101 in Sacramento ties the record set last year on the same date. Tuesday’s benchmark of 103, also set last year, could be a danger as well, said weather service meteorologist Robert Baruffaldi. 

WASHINGTON — Emboldened by comments from the Bush administration, lawmakers who tried last year to launch a nationwide study of racial profiling are now moving for the first time to outlaw the disputed law enforcement practice. 

With state legislatures around the country grappling with the issue, some say Congress should stand back rather than jump in. 

Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s delegate to the House, has proposed withholding some highway funds from states that do not ban racial profiling, the practice of targeting suspects based on race or ethnicity. 

A group of Democrats led by Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Rep. John Conyers of Michigan is preparing legislation that would make criminal justice grants to police departments contingent upon how they monitor and stop racial profiling. 

Federal efforts to combat racial profiling got a boost in February when President Bush declared, “It is wrong, and we must end it.” 

Attorney General John Ashcroft then endorsed legislation, proposed in the last Congress by Feingold and Conyers, requiring state and local law enforcement agencies to collect data on traffic stops. 

David Harris, a law professor who has been working with Feingold and Conyers, said the lawmakers no longer want to settle for studying whether racial profiling happens. 

“There is wide acknowledgment that this is a reality faced every day by people of color,” said Harris, who teaches at the University of Toledo in Ohio. “The question now is, how can we approach it in a concrete way that will make a difference?” 

Convening a hearing on the topic Tuesday, Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, said she hopes “to create the necessary will for this Congress and this administration to immediately end the practice of racial profiling.” 

At least 15 states have taken action to stop or study racial profiling, and 20 others have legislation pending. 

California, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Oregon have banned the practice. Arizona’s attorney general signed a declaration renouncing it. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Maryland have ordered police to adopt policies against racial profiling. 

North Carolina, Missouri and Washington have instructed police to collect statistics on whom they stop, and why. Kansas and Rhode Island have launched studies. 

Susan Parnas Frederick, director of the law and justice committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said Congress should continue to let states address the issue. 

“To have this strong arm of the federal government come and squash all those efforts just doesn’t seem fair,” Frederick said. 

Gene Voegtlin, legislative counsel at The International Association of Chiefs of Police, said his organization supports cracking down on racial profiling but disagrees with threatening to withhold federal funds. 

“As long as (legislation) has sanctions and mandates, I don’t think this association can support it,” said Voegtlin. 

Feingold and Conyers have been fine-tuning their bill along with Democratic Sens. Jon Corzine of New Jersey and Hillary Clinton of New York. 

Police departments that do not sufficiently address racial profiling would lose part of their annual federal funding, which for larger departments can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Departments that lead the way in developing procedures and technologies for monitoring racial profiling would be eligible for “best practices” grants. 

Norton’s bill would give states until Oct. 1, 2003, to adopt and enforce “standards that prohibit the use of racial profiling” and keep public records on motorists stopped by police. 

Failing states would lose 5 percent of their federal highway funds, which in many cases total hundreds of millions of dollars. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton: http://www.house.gov/norton/ 

International Association of Chiefs of Police: http://www.theiacp.org/ 

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney, answering environmentalists and other critics of his energy report, said Tuesday anyone who argues it neglects conservation “simply hasn’t read the report.” 

Cheney, addressing a nuclear power industry conference, said more than half the 105 recommendations and most of the financial incentives in the energy plan involve conservation and renewable energy sources. 

“There’s been a lot of talk from some of our critics that somehow the only focus is on additional supplies. ... That’s simply not true,” declared Cheney. 

“Anybody who says that simply hasn’t read the report,” he continued. 

Cheney said the upcoming debate on energy will involve “a fundamental set of decisions that are going to determine the quality of life for our kids and grandkids for years to come. 

“These are difficult challenges,” he said, but President Bush “didn’t come to town to duck tough issues.” 

Congressional Democrats and a broad cross-section of environmental leaders have sharply criticized the Bush administration’s energy plan as too heavily tilted toward boosting coal, gas, oil and nuclear energy development. 

“The plan is built on the misguided notion that we can dig and drill our way out of the current energy challenges,” said Daniel Reicher, who was assistant energy secretary for renewable and efficiency programs in the Clinton administration. 

Echoing the views of many environmentalists, Reicher, now at the World Resources Institute, said the Bush plan has “no aggressive commitment to energy efficiency and cleaner sources of renewable energy.” 

Cheney maintained that if the recommendations of his energy task force, including 20 involving congressional action, are adopted, “We assure very significant savings from conservation.” 

He added, “the bottom line is we still have inadequate supplies” and will have to develop more coal, gas and nuclear energy to meet future electricity needs. 

Cheney reiterated his support for nuclear power at the conference, sponsored by the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry’s trade group. 

Currently about a fifth of the electricity in the United States comes from nuclear reactors. Cheney said that portion will decline if it isn’t made easier to relicense current reactors and build new ones. 

“We want to encourage investment in nuclear power,” said Cheney. 

WASHINGTON — More than 20 million children will reach high school age in four years, posing daunting challenges for school districts already coping with classroom crowding and teacher shortages. 

Nationally, the number of children age 10-to-14 increased 20 percent the past decade to 20.5 million, according to the 2000 census.  

A 10-year-old in 2000 would be 14 in 2004, the age by which most students start high school. 

The number of children age 4 and under – those who will be able to start elementary school over the next four years – increased 4 percent to 19.2 million in 2000. 

“We are finding even more schools in more places holding classes in hallways, and increasing class sizes in an age when we are talking about the need to reduce it,” said Kathleen Lyons, spokeswoman for the National Education Association. 

Preparing for the expected onslaught of students “really comes down to finances,” she said. 

The 10-to-14 category – mainly children of the large baby boom generation – increased in nearly all states.  

The nation’s fastest-growing states saw surges in the under-5 population as well, as booming economies drew young couples from other states. 

Both age brackets were also affected by a higher-than-projected count of Hispanics, analysts said.  

There may also be more kids ready to start school soon than tallied because children under 5 are typically missed more in a census than other age groups, said demographer Martha Farnsworth Riche, a former head of the Census Bureau. 

Nevada had an 83 percent increase in children age 10-to-14 during the decade, and a 58 percent rise in the number of kids age 4 and under. 

Arizona’s 10-to-14 population grew 46 percent, while its 4-and-under population increased 31 percent during the same span. 

Jennifer Schmidt, the mother of a high school sophomore and a 1-year-old, said things have to improve soon no matter what the reason for the increase. 

“I just found out my daughter doesn’t have a place to sit during lunchtime — she sits in the hallway,” said Schmidt, of Silver Spring, Md.  

The 10-to-14 population in this Washington suburb increased 33 percent during the 1990s. 

“When my 1-year-old gets to that age, we’ve been thinking about moving or putting him through private school,” she said. 

Overcrowding, teacher shortages and inadequate instruction for non-English-speaking students are challenges schools in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles have long encountered. Now those issues are causing headaches in 1990s boom areas like Las Vegas. 

The Clark County, Nev., school district, which includes Las Vegas, forecasts it will adds between 10,000 and 15,000 new students a year.  

Ten new school buildings opened this school year, with 15 new ones scheduled to be completed by the end of next school year. 

Cartwright Elementary School in Las Vegas had 21 portable classrooms in its playground last school year to help educate 1,400 students – over 700 more than capacity. 

Schools that opened nearby helped ease the burden this school year, reducing Cartwright’s enrollment to 880, requiring just six portable classrooms. 

“It’s been very challenging. We try to do as little disruption as possible for the kids,” said Cartwright’s principal, Emily Aguero.  

“But when you come and look at the growth out here, parents know that there isn’t really much choice.” 

Lyons said the federal government can lift part of the burden by stepping in to build new schools. Other solutions that have long been proposed include better pay and benefits to hire and retain new teachers. 

Demographers have attributed much of the population growth in children to a higher-than-expected count of Hispanics in most states.  

The number of Hispanics under age 18 increased 59 percent during the decade, with North Carolina’s 401 percent gain larger than any other state. 

“Many of those unexpected children were Hispanic. They are the children of those families who immigrated” to the United States during the 1990s, Riche said. 

Nevada led the nation with a 43 percent growth in non-Hispanics under 18, but saw also saw a 245 percent increase in the number of Hispanics in the same age bracket.  

Nearly 1 in 3 kids under 18 in Nevada were Hispanic. 

The federal government considers “Hispanic” an ethnicity, not a race; therefore, people of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race. 

More detailed age breakdowns by race and ethnicity will be released later this year. 

On the Net: 

Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov 

National Education Association: http://www.nea.org/

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban said Tuesday they will require Hindus to wear identity labels on their clothing to distinguish them from Muslims, a proposal sharply denounced by India and the United States. 

The Taliban said the measure – which would also require Hindu women to be veiled for the first time – was aimed at keeping non-Muslims from being harassed by religious police enforcing Islamic law. 

Hindus in Afghanistan have not been the target of persecution and have been allowed to practice their religion without interference, even using music, which is otherwise banned. However, over decades of war, the number of Hindus has dwindled from a high of about 50,000 during the 1970s to 500 in the capital and small pockets elsewhere. 

The Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, must still approve the law as he does all edicts. The head of the religious police, Mohammed Wali, told The Associated Press it would be implemented soon. 

The proposal – reminiscent of Nazi policies forcing Jews in Europe to wear a yellow Star of David – brought quick condemnation from Washington. 

A U.S. State Department spokesman called the requirement “the latest in a long list of outrageous oppressions” by the Taliban. 

“We want to make quite clear that forcing social groups to wear distinctive clothing or identifying marks stigmatizes and isolates those groups and can never, never be justified,” spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington. 

Hindu-dominated India also denounced the measures. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raminder Singh Jassal told reporters in New Delhi, “We absolutely deplore such orders which patently discriminate against minorities.” 

Dozens of protesters marched down a busy thoroughfare in the central Indian city of Bhopal carrying an effigy of a bearded Taliban soldier. “Taliban, die!” shouted some of the marchers, members of the Hindu fundamentalist movement Bajrang Dal. 

There are around 500 Sikhs and Hindus living in Kabul, the Afghan capital. There are Hindu populations in other Afghan cities, but no reliable figures on exactly how many. 

Anar, an Afghan Hindu in Kabul who uses one name, said he does not want to wear a label. 

“It will make us vulnerable and degrade our position in society,” he said. 

In March, the Taliban destroyed ancient Buddha statues they said were forbidden by Islam. That also raised international condemnations – on top of longtime criticism of the Taliban for banning education for girls, beating men for trimming their beards and other rules in the name of Islam. 

The Taliban’s Bakhtar news agency said the latest measure was intended “to prevent disturbance to non-Muslim citizens” who might be stopped by the religious police. Unlike Muslim women, Hindu women in Afghanistan have not been forced to wear the head-to-toe covering called a burqa. 

Wali, the religious police minister, said the restrictions were required by Islam. “Religious minorities living in an Islamic state must be identified,” he said. 

However, other Islamic nations – including Iran and Indonesia, which have many minority groups – have not required such a step. 

Most of the Islamic world, including pro-Taliban Pakistan, has differed with the Taliban’s narrow interpretation of Islam and say the militia is tarnishing Islam’s image. 

It has also not yet been decided what sort of identity label Hindus would have to wear, Wali said. 

He said the new order would be meant only for Hindus because there are no Christians or Jews in Afghanistan, and most Sikh men can be easily recognized by their turbans and distinctive beards. However, at least one Jew is known to live in Kabul and there may also be some Christians. 

There is precedent for the Taliban move. Islamic law requires protection for religious minorities and assigns them certain rights and responsibilities. So Islamic rulers have at times in the past tried to distinguish minorities from the Muslim population. The Ottoman Empire required Jews and Christians to wear distinctive clothing. 

The general secretary of Pakistan’s Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami praised the Taliban move. “Providing protection to religious minorities is a must in any Islamic country and this step seems in line with this concept,” said Munawaar Hasan. 

The rules on Hindus are the latest restriction imposed by the Taliban. Some have said the heavier hand is in reaction to U.N. sanctions that bar their leaders from traveling abroad, freeze their foreign assets and keep them from importing weapons to fight their civil war. 

The sanctions were imposed because of the Taliban’s failure to hand over Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden, accused of terrorism by the United States. 

The Taliban has closed four of six U.N. political offices in Afghanistan to protest sanctions. 

Hindus and Sikhs first came from India to Afghanistan in 1747. They numbered some 50,000 in the 1970s, but most left after the Soviets sent troops into Afghanistan in 1979. Fighting in 1992 destroyed five of the seven temples used jointly by Hindus and Sikhs in Kabul.

NEW YORK — While the Federal Reserve is receiving high marks for steering the economy through the shoals, barely averting recession, there is no assurance an obstacle might not stray into its path. 

This is another way of saying, as two economists put it, that “the U.S. economy may escape a recession this year, but will not avoid one forever.” Perfect steering is more than can be delivered. 

Contrary to some assumptions over the past year, especially among those who believe the current slowdown is just a rest before another big economic push, the Fed isn’t omnipotent. It’s not in full control. 

You might better understand this when you consider a worst case scenario constructed by economists Cythia Latta and David A. Wyss of DRI-WEFA’s monthly “U.S. Forecast Summary.” 

They expect the expansion to continue, and declare that viewpoint clearly, but they also realize how events can conspire to wreck a forecast. Their description is a credit-course in economics. 

It begins with a misjudgment of oil supply-demand by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. As the global economy slows, less oil is needed and the price spirals down toward $10 a barrel. 

This sets up a series of Rube Goldberg-like events that, among other things, demonstrates how the world’s economies are linked in a series of pulleys and levers, one event triggering another, nobody in full control. 

While tough on OPEC, the low oil prices give a boost to the global economy, encouraging investors to shift their focus from the United States to other parts of the world. This causes the dollar to slide. 

Because the dollar won’t buy as much, the price of imports rises, which relieves pressure on domestic producers to keep their own prices low and competitive. They too raise prices. 

With the economies of other nations expanding because of the lower oil prices, U.S. exporters find a growing demand abroad for their goods. And because of this added demand, prices of course are likely to rise. 

As you might expect, inflation accelerates. Simultaneously, OPEC seeks to counter the low prices with a drastic cut in production, pushing oil prices back to $35 a barrel. Inflation heads for 4 percent. 

Countering, the Fed tightens up on credit, forcing up the federal funds rate, a basic rate that immediately affects most other rates. By early 2004 it is up to 6.75 percent, compared to just 4 percent now. 

The stock market, already sliding because of the withdrawal of foreign funds and the slowing economy, falls farther. Consumers turn pessimistic as jobs disappear and high interest rates put mortgages out of reach. 

All this causes the housing market to collapse and business investment to decline. The high interest rates slow inflation, but as Latta and Wyss explain, they also bring export growth to a screeching halt. 

By the final months of 2003 the U.S. economy is in recession, and by mid-2004 the jobless rate is 7.7 percent, compared to 4.5 percent now.  

The Fed is forced to quickly reverse course, lowering interest rates. 

The economy recovers, and gross domestic product exceeds 5 percent, about double what it is now, but it must climb up out of the hole it has dug and that takes time. A lot of production and jobs have been lost. 

This grim scenario isn’t likely to come into being. 

No forecast, pleasant or grim, comes with a guarantee. They all come with a caveat. 

John Cunniff is a business analyst for  

The Associated Press

DENVER — A speedier Internet connection could be coming to a neighborhood near you. 

Qwest Communications International says it will make its high-speed digital subscriber line Internet service available to 1.3 million more homes by the end of the year.- 

New technology being installed in 11 western states in its 14-state local phone service territory will let Qwest more than double the distance customers can live from a central office and still receive DSL service. 

Only customers within about three miles of a neighborhood central office could access Qwest DSL before, said Augie Cruciotti, executive vice president of Qwest local markets. 

The expansion will be phased in over two years in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The company said more than 6 million customers should be able to receive its DSL service by the end of 2002. 

The phone company had 306,000 DSL customers in the first quarter and hopes to have 500,000 by the end of the year. 

Competitors offer high-speed connections through cable, satellite and wireless technology. 

“They definitely need to do this to compete with cable,” said Cary Robinson, senior research analyst for U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. “A lot of customers can’t get DSL that want it. They need to continue to expand their offering, not just in their 14-state region, but nationwide.” 

Demand for fast Internet connections has risen as people do everything from birthday shopping to playing cards online, said Murray Smith, Qwest vice president for DSL. 

“We’re trying to get as much DSL out there as quickly as we can,” Murray said. 

Qwest has been able to provide DSL over copper phone lines to some customers through its central offices, the hubs where individual phone lines come together. 

But DSL could be offered only over shorter distances because the signal quality deteriorates over distance. 

The new technology lets Qwest place remote equipment in neighborhoods to provide a little boost, allowing information to go farther on DSL. 

The new program was aimed at expanding offerings in major metropolitan areas, some smaller communities and areas that never had Qwest DSL service, the company said. 

Expanded DSL offerings would help Qwest in its strategy to offer bundled services, such as phone and Internet service together. The strategy should help Qwest increase revenue while lowering costs per customer, and keep customers loyal to Qwest, said Simon Reeves, senior analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. 

“Churn is not a particularly enormous problem right now, but as the market gets increasingly competitive, say in the next two to five years, churn could go up,” Reeves said. “The more services you have bundled together, the stickier customers tend to be.”

NEW YORK — Investors gravitated toward technology stocks again Tuesday, sending the Nasdaq composite index higher – albeit modestly – for a sixth straight session, its longest winning streak since February 2000. 

Blue chips faltered, however, on a mix of company-specific news, profit-taking and an expected pullback from the big advance that sent the Dow Jones industrials up 464.95, or 4.3 percent, over the previous four sessions. 

“I think the investment public is really falling back in love with technology and telecom and it’s been a long, long time since that’s been the case,” said Arthur Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co. “It’s not surprising though. If this economy is going to turn around – and it’s showing signs that it is – the companies that are going to do the best, the fastest are going to be in the technology sector. It’s a market leader.” 

Gainers included Microsoft, up $1.52 at $70.31, and Cisco Systems, up 61 cents at $23.48. Some other high-profile tech stocks fell, including Oracle, down 55 cents at $17.55. 

Many stocks on Tuesday made moves based on individual companies’ announcements rather than investors’ overall worries about the economy or weak earnings reports, which have controlled trading activity in recent weeks. 

AOL Time Warner rose 64 cents to $57.24 on news its America Online unit was increasing the monthly price of its unlimited use plan by about 9 percent to $23.90. 

Analysts have been expecting investors, who still have concerns about when corporate profits will improve, to pull back and take profits from the market. 

After all, Wall Street has been rallying since early April, primarily in response to the five interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. Money that was has been on the sidelines for months while the economy struggled has been coming back into the market, and some retreat was inevitable as investors took profits and adjusted their portfolios. 

— The Associated Press 

This week, Wall Street has been concentrating on technology issues — a contrast with last week when blue chips were the focus. 

“People are buying the market because they believe the Fed has done enough to block the economic slowdown and restart and reaccelerate growth,” said Ronald J. Hill, investment strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman. “The next few months we may see some seesawing because there’s going to be plenty of negative news in second-quarter preannouncements. 

“But in the end, I think most people will be convinced that with all the Fed easing we’ve had and the possibility of another cut in the June, the worst is over.” 

The Russell 2000 index rose 1.32, or 0.3 percent, to 517.23. It has risen 30.59 points or 6.3 percent in the last six sessions. 

Declining issues led advancers 15 to 14 on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 1.52 billion shares, compared with the 1.46 billion Monday. 

Overseas markets were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei stock average dropped 0.6 percent. But stocks traded higher in Europe where Germany’s DAX index rose 0.3 percent, Britain’s FT-SE 100 gained 0.6 percent, and France’s CAC-40 advanced 0.7 percent. 

——— 

On the Net: 

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

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

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. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins, and become little “dump” workers. $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. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) 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 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “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 exuberant color, and by its combinations of media and subject matter. “Ricky Swallow/Matrix 191,” Including new sculptures and drawings through May 27; “Five Star: the 31st Annual University of California at Berkeley Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition: Through May 27 $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 642-0808 

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2: El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 22: Nigerian Brothers, Zulu Exiles, Umlilo; May 23: Paul Pena and Friends; May 24: Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Carribean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 23: Willis Alan Ramsey; May 24: Nickel Creek; May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 22: Willy N’ Mo; May 23: Global Echo; May 24: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rhythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

Berkeley Chamber Performances May 22, 8 p.m. Presenting “Baguette Quartette” for an evening of Parisian Cafe music. $12 - $15 Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 525-5211 www.berkeleychamberperform.org 

La Pena Cultural Center May 24: Tato Enriquez, plus a video and photo exhibit from earthquake-devastated El Salvador; May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 25, 8 p.m. John Kendall Baily conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Back, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 Collage Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florance Schwimley Little Theatre 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts/performing/jazz 

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

Benefit for Dolores Huerta June 9, 7 p.m. Come support this legendary local activist while enjoying an eclectic variety of performances. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. La Pena, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568. 

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

“Sister, My Sister” May 20, 5 p.m. Poetry, photography and dramatic readings which give voice to women and children caught in homelessness. Admission is free, donations welcome. Live Oak Park Theatre1301 Shattuck Ave. 528-8198 

“Procession of the Sun and Moon” with Selected Solo Pieces by Maria Lexa May 27, 2 p.m. Full length drama with giant puppets and masked characters accompanied by live music. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Featuring music by Pharoah’s Daughter and Mozaik and the musical and ritual theater group The Puppet Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“Conversations In Commedia” May 30, 7:30 p.m. Series continues with Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden and veteran clown/actor/director/playwright Jeff Raz. $6 - $8. La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave 849-2568 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members travelled to Laramie, Wyoming after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepard. The play is about the community and the impact Shepard’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive May 22: 7:30 Can Dialectics Break Bricks; May 23: 7:30 Casting Call; May 24: 7:00 Sampo; May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“An Evening of Handmade Films” May 23, 8 p.m. This show features short films created by direct manipulation of the film surface itself; “Mama Wahunzi: Women Blacksmiths” May 25, 8 p.m. This documentary chronicles the lives of three disabled East African women who designed and built wheelchairs for use on unpaved roads. $5 suggested donation. Fantasy Studios, 2600 10th St. at Parker, 549-2977. 

“Svetlana Village” May 26, 4 p.m. Subtitled “The Camphill Experience in Russia,” details community of organic farmers, nearly half of whom are developmentally disabled. World premiere benefit screening, Q & A with director and a Svetlana resident afterwards. $7-$15 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck Ave 

“The Producers” June 10. Revisit this outrageous comedy classic, starring Zero Mostel and written by Mel Brooks. $2 Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

“Musee des Hommages,” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the past, 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 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286  

ext 307 

“Queens of Ethipoia: Intuitive Inspirations,” the exceptional art of Esete-Miriam A. Menkir. June 2 through July 11. Reception with the artist on June 2, 1 - 3 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

“The Decade of Change: 1900 - 1910” chronicles the transformation of the city of Berkely in this 10 year period. Thursday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m. Berkely History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Wheelchair accessible. 848-0181. Free.  

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 22: Daniel Schacter talks about “The Seven Signs of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers”; May 24: Katie Hafner decribes “The Well: A Story of Love, Death and Real Life in the Seminal Online Community”; May 25: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about “In the Heart of the Sea”; May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 23: Jon Bowermaster discusses his book “Birthplace of the Winds: Adventuring in Alaska’s Islands of Fire and Ice”; May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Adan David Miller and JoJo Doig May 20, 7 p.m. Poetry and spoken word. Ecology Center 2530 San Pablo 548-3333 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour May 19: John Stansfield & Allen Stross will lead a tour of the School for the Deaf and Blind; June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 20: Miep Cooymans and Dan Jones on “Working with Awareness, Concentration, and Energy”; May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

All the Bush administration proposals for meeting the nation’s rising energy needs have just one thought in mind – to increase the amount of oil, gas, and electricity available to the public. 

Many people in California and other energy-deficient states may applaud this approach, but all Americans will suffer if U.S. leaders put all their efforts into expanding supply, rather than curbing demand. 

Every year, the United States consumes more energy than it did the year before. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, total energy consumption will grow by one-third between 2000 and 2020. 

Much of it will go for automobile and truck use; another large portion will power the Internet and other computer-driven systems. During the 1990s, when energy was relatively cheap, Americans got used to bigger, less fuel-efficient vehicles, and filling their homes with electronic devices. 

Now the administration is telling us that we can continue to increase consumption. “Leave the rest to us,” they say, “we’ll make sure that adequate supplies will be available when you need them.” 

Americans should be deeply suspicious of such talk. We would like more cheap energy, but we also know when to resist the claims of snake-oil peddlers. 

Even with a massive effort–on the level of the national mobilization during World War II–it is doubtful that we could do what the administration proposes: construct 1,900 new electrical power plants over the next 20 years, along with dozens (hundreds?) of new oil refineries and 38,000 miles of natural gas pipelines. 

Not only will this cost trillions of dollars –from sources yet to be identified – but it will also require overturning land-use restrictions in thousands of towns, cities, counties, and other jurisdictions. 

But this is not just a matter of practical impediments – many such obstacles can be removed. We must also calculate the harmful aspects of the administration’s plan. 

These include: 

• Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 

Despite President Bush’s reassurances, there is considerable evidence that this would do irremediable harm to a pristine wilderness and threaten endangered species. 

• Increased use of coal. 

True, coal is relatively cheap and abundant, but it releases far more carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels when burned, thus accelerating the buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. 

The technology to filter out these gases exists, but remains costly. And coal is not a practical fuel for trucks and automobiles – although we could go back to using it to power locomotives. 

• New nuclear reactors. 

Nuclear reactors release no carbon dioxide, but they do produce highly-toxic radioactive wastes that must be stored safely and there are still unanswered questions about the adequacy of existing storage procedures. 

• Additional natural gas pipelines. 

Although considered relatively safe, natural gas pipelines do pose enough risk of explosion to make many communities reluctant to allow them to traverse their territory. One possible solution is to locate them on the seabed (as with a proposed Texas-to-Florida system), but this is costly and entails environmental risks of its own. 

Obviously, the administration’s approach is dangerously misleading. 

We can, of course, increase the supply of energy. But we cannot achieve all of the increases contemplated by the White House without experiencing considerable harm. 

Our energy policy must, therefore, emphasize reducing demand as much as expanding supply. Fortunately, there are practical ways to limit demand. 

Most important, we must raise the fuel efficiency of automobiles and trucks – especially the SUVs that now constitute such a large share of the nation’s automobile fleet. This must be an urgent national priority. 

We can also mandate further increases in the energy efficiency of computers, appliances, light fixtures, and other electrical devices. 

Increased investment is also needed in solar, wind, and biomass energy systems. 

We have two choices. 

We can endorse the administration’s approach, and view demand for energy as an insatiable monster that must be satisfied at any cost, or we can choose an alternative strategy, aimed at taming the beast. 

The former has its undeniable attractions, but we will be doing ourselves a terrible injustice if we fail to choose the latter. 

Michael T. Klare, professor of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College, is author of Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict.

Tuesday, May 22

“No Quiero Taco Bell” protest 

12:00 p.m. 

Taco Bell  

2222 Shattuck Ave.  

Join the UC Berkeley Farm Workers Support Committee and the Students Organizing for Justice in the Americas in their rally supporting the fair treatment of farm workers who grow the produce used by fast-food companies. 

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 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Strawberry tasting 

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

548-3333 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time 548-8283  

www.pacificcenter.org 

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Solving Residential Drainage  

Problems 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

Second day of two day seminar led by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt. Continued from Thursday May 17. $70 for both days. 

525-7610 

Wednesday, May 23

Regular meeting of the  

Planning Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

The Planning Commission will review and take action on a recommended set of General Plan Subcommittee Ammendments to the Land Use Element. 

Healthful Building Materials  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35 per person 525-7610 

Regional Tranportation Talk 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Rebecca Kaplan of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition will talk about the Metropolitan Transportation Commision’s 25-year Regional Transportation Plan at the regular meeting of the Berkeley Gray Panthers. Open to the public. 

548-9696 

Forum on Small Learning  

Communities 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

Organized by Berkeley High Senior Nicole Heyman, panel of students, teachers and community members will discuss the achievement gap at Berkeley High and possible reform plans. Students encouraged to participate. $3. 

Thursday, May 24

Paddling Adventures  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dan Crandell, member of the U.S. National Kayak Surf Team and owner of Current Adventures Kayak School, will introduce attendees to all aspects of kayaking. Free  

527-4140 

City of Berkeley Meeting 

2 - 4 p.m. 

2120 Milvia St. 

Second Floor Conference Rm. 

Bancroft-Durant Two-Way Street Proposal Meeting. Call Bike For a Better City 597-1235. 

West Berkeley Project Area  

Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

Among other topics, correspondance regarding Commissioner Training, Eastshore State Park planning meetings and proposal for commissioner advocate. 

705-8105 

Community Health  

Commission Meeting 

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Among other topics, a vote on Letter of Apology to Mayor. 

644-6109 

Friday, May 25

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  

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects.  

$5 donation 869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate and Chalk Art  

Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Chocolate Menu available listing various items for various chocolate items for sale from Solano businesses. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 527-5358 

Sunday, May 27

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 www.himalayanfair.net 

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 843-6812  

— compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person  

525-7610 

Monday, May 28 

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Coeme hear the ten commandments. 

540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29 

People’s State of the City Address 

7:00 p.m. 

City Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 

This community meeting will focus on housing, jobs, education, and disability and senior issues in the city of Berkeley. Food will be provided. Free. 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

Wednesday, May 30  

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Thursday, May 31  

Backpacking in Northern CA.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free  

527-4140 

Attic Conversions  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

League of Women Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

On Sunday – three days after Israel used U.S.-supplied, F-16 fighter jets to attack Palestinians in the West Bank (the deadliest day of violence in the conflict so far this year) – well over 100 people, most of whom were Jews and Palestinians, gathered at Cedar Rose Park in north Berkeley, calling for an end to Israeli oppression in Palestine. 

The gathering, led by an East Bay organization called Jews for Justice in Israel and Palestine, joined in a symbolic gesture of peace by planting an olive tree in the park. 

Jews for Justice was formed by Bay Area Jews who were angered by what they said was the injustice of Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestine. The organization demands an immediate end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and advocates a shared Jerusalem and full equality for Israeli Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel. 

The olive tree is a universal symbol of conciliation and good will, and it resonates as an important symbol of peace within the Jewish faith. But the significance of the symbol runs still deeper for those who attended the tree planting. The olive tree has very real and concrete implications within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The ceremony was part of Jews for Justice’s larger Trees of Hope campaign, which seeks both to raise awareness of what they call the Israeli occupation (Israelis refer to Jewish enclaves in Palestine as settlements) and to raise money to replace the more than 1,500 olive trees which have been uprooted by Jewish settlers and Israeli military in the Palestinian village of Hares. 

Rabbi Burt Jacobson, founding rabbi of Kehilla Community Synagogue in north Berkeley, contended that neither Jewish scripture nor rabbinical commentaries could ever abide by such acts. 

“To destroy the trees is an act of insanity,” Jacobson said. “It’s an act of extreme cynicism. It’s an act that says there is no hope.” 

The levels of symbolism that the olive tree represents take place, therefore, on several levels. The olive tree is first, a traditional, Jewish symbol of peace; second, a symbol for the other trees Jews for Justice intends to replace in Hares; and finally, a symbol for the desperate need for healing between the Israelis and the Palestinians in the Middle East right now. 

The ceremony functioned as a rally, seeking to create the kind of support and activism that will begin to move toward such healing. 

One of the ceremony’s speakers and organizers, Ilan Vitemberg, spoke candidly about the need for Jews to challenge Israel and denounce its treatment of Palestinians. 

“It is okay to be a Jew who criticizes Israel,” Vitemberg said. “You can support Israel and still criticize its actions. Let’s not kid ourselves.” 

Attendee and Berkeley community-member E. Arnon concurred with the critical thrust of Vitemberg’s words and those of others who spoke.  

“I think it’s important for the Jewish voice to be vocally and visibly showing opposition to the policies of the present government of Israel, which violate not only international law, but Israeli law as well,” Arnon said. 

“It’s a war they’ve declared on the Palestinian people,” Arnon said, “and it’s got to end.” 

Dan Spitzer, a travel writer who spent five years in Asia, Africa and Latin America, contends, however, that Palestinian leadership has appeared intent on prolonging the conflict and provoking Israeli retaliation. 

“Former Prime Minister Barak offered better than 90 percent of Gaza and the West Bank as a Palestinian state, along with a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem,” Spitzer said in a phone interview Monday, “but that was unacceptable to Arafat who responded with violence. 

“For Arafat, only the reintegration of 5 million Palestinians into Israel, which of course would make it no longer Israel, will bring peace to the Middle East,” Spitzer said. 

Hanan Rasheed, national executive director for the Palestinian-American Congress, spoke at the ceremony, and she spoke little of Palestinian leadership. She spoke of the sufferings of the Palestinian people and of the land she was born in before coming to the United States. 

Rasheed urged American citizens to challenge not only Israel’s actions, but the U.S. government’s present role in enabling these actions, supplying weapons such as the F-16 jets Israel bombed the West Bank with on Friday. 

“Israel is America’s only strong ally in the Middle East, and the American government sends over $3 billion in American-taxpayer money to Israel in weapons only,” Rasheed said. “We are helping Israel kill innocent children.”  

Rasheed was a welcome Palestinian voice at the ceremony, well-received by the crowd, but this wasn’t because she spoke guardedly about what is happening in the Middle East. She posed some earnest questions which audience-members, in their applause and cries of agreement, showed they seek answers to as well.  

“How are the Israelis going to face their God?” Rasheed asked. “How are they going to face their children at night after killing a Palestinian child?  

“If you are an Israeli, ask your country: Why are they changing the system of nature and adopting the laws of the jungle?” 

Who’s country? 

Editor: 

I wonder if the correspondent who called attention to the "pre-existing" land rights of Israelis (granted, no doubt, by the benevolent but biased God of Real Estate) is at this very moment packing so that the Native Americans, who without a doubt have pre-existing rights to the Americas, can move in. She will no doubt apologize for trespassing and send postcards from the land of her ancestors. 

Ruth Bird 

Berkeley 

Higher means more abodes 

Editor: 

I’m glad that Patrick Kennedy is willing to put up with the obstacle course of Berkeley zoning and give us some of our best new buildings. Even if he’s not doing a lot for affordable housing directly, at least his new projects will house some more of the well-off, and take price pressure off the older housing. 

Regarding the controversy about how many stories we can have in a building, I say Berkeley is not a small town; it’s a city; cities are where we build tall buildings. If people must have an unobstructed view out over the land, then let them buy one of those houses up in the hills. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley 

It’s a question of quality  

Editor:  

One word in John Geluardi’s May 19-20 article on Berkeley’s Sewer Fund made a big difference – quality. I do not question the quality of the sewer system improvement work. Rather, I am concerned that the quantity be adequate to meet an agreement the city has with the Water Quality Control Board. The review program proposed by the Public Works Commission is to evaluate progress to date and develop a plan for the next 15 years that will ensure that we meet the terms of that agreement.  

From what I’ve seen, Public Works Department Staff has done a commendable job in moving a vital program which, unfortunately, is not the top listing of most Berkeley Citizens’ hot-button topics.  

John P. Piercy  

Chair, Public Works Commission  

Berkeley 

Beth El is good for the whole community 

The daily planet received the following letter addressed to the mayor and council: 

This is a letter of unqualified support for Congregation Beth El’s proposed plan for the Oxford Street site in Berkeley. I am not a member of Congregation Beth El, but my family and I have many close friends who are members of Congregation Beth El. We have lived in North Berkeley for twenty-two years, and over that time we have again and again experienced the positive influence and resources Beth El has provided in the North Berkeley community and schools.  

Our daughter attended the JCC early childhood center at Walnut Square with many Beth El kids, and many of our friendships started there. We have attended countless bar mitzvahs for kids at Beth El who were friends of our children. We have always felt completely included and welcome, even though we are not Jewish.  

We know many families who are members of Beth El who are diligent supporters, both in terms of time and money, of the public schools in Berkeley as well as other community activities that enrich life in Berkeley, such as organized league sports for children.  

We are personally acquainted with many of the children and now young adults who have attended the wonderful religious school program at Beth El. It is our belief that the character and values that are so obvious in virtually all of the dozens of young people we know from Beth El have been instilled by the strength and health of the Congregation that brought them up.  

By their contributions to the enrichment of the North Berkeley community and by their inclusiveness, the members of Beth El have earned and deserve the support of the City Council in their effort to move from their outgrown facility on Arch Street to the new site on Oxford.  

I believe Beth El has provided more than reasonable responses to criticisms of their plan for the new facility. Please approve Congregation Beth El’s proposed plan for the Oxford site as presented. 

Dennis J. White 

Berkeley

After months of bad news and gloomy predictions, the Berkeley Housing Authority received some good news – the Section 8 program didn’t hemorrhage units in April. 

Section 8, which provides low-cost housing to low-income people, lost only three units last month, according to a report to the BHA Board.  

In contrast, from the beginning of the year to the end of March, during one of the worst housing crushes in the city’s history, the program lost an average of 12 units a month.  

The loss of units from the Section 8 program has made it especially difficult for low-income families to find housing in Berkeley. 

One reason for the exodus of landlords from the Section 8 program was a lack of support from the BHA, said Frank Davis Jr., president of the Black Property Owners Association. Landlords had a hard time getting information from BHA staff and there was no assistance in filling out forms for property improvements, rental increases and help with problem tenants, Davis said. 

The BHA hired a new manager, Sheila Maxwel, in October to help reorganize the agency. Maxwell was given the task of streamlining the Section 8 application process and reaching out to the city’s landlords.  

But the new manager resigned in April, just six months after she was hired, dealing another blow to the agency. Maxwell was the fourth manager since 1991. 

Landlords were also enticed out of the program and into the open rental market by skyrocketing rents, due to a combination of a Bay Area economic boom and the shortage of housing. 

In April, the program enrolled 12 first-time Section 8  

voucher-holders and lost 15 due to tenant withdrawal from the program, landlord opt-outs and the death of Section 8 tenants. The result was the loss of three units, compared to the loss of 10 units in March. 

The Housing Authority, which is funded by the federal Housing and Urban Development Department according to the number of units successfully leased to Section 8 tenants, has been losing money for the last several years.  

Last year the BHA lost $255,000. This year Housing Director Stephen Barton estimates that the agency will lose $250,000 to $300,000. 

April’s loss of three units puts the number of leased Section 8 units at 1,236. HUD has approved up to 1,840 vouchers for Berkeley. 

“Staff is cautiously encouraged by the decrease in net unit loss since the beginning of the year,” the BHA report says. 

Even with the first sign of a turnaround, the report still does not suggest the housing authority is out of trouble. “Even with the most optimistic of projections, the trend does not suggest that the agency can achieve self-sufficiency any time in the near future,” the report says. 

Davis pointed out that BHA has recently raised Section 8 rents to a level more consistent with market rates. He said he believes that is the reason fewer landlords are opting out of the program. 

The budget battle raging between Alameda County Office of Education Superintendent Sheila Jordan and members of her board hasn’t exactly spilled over into the streets of East Bay cities. 

Few people are aware of the office or understand what it does. 

As Jordan put it in a recent interview: “It’s like nobody’s top priority.” 

But if Jordan and the seven member board don’t agree to pass their $30 million budget by the July 1 deadline, the office may well lose its funding. (Last year the board refused to approve Jordan’s budget until July 12, and this year it is threatening to submit its own budget without Jordan’s consent). 

“The financial consequences of not adopting and filing your budget as the law specifies are too great to disregard,” State Superintendent of Education Delaine Eastin wrote, in a letter addressed to Jordan and the board earlier this month.  

“I urge you to work out your differences. If you do not, I assure you I will cut off the flow of funds for the Alameda County Office of Education.” 

Why does it matter? 

The county office operates some small, specialized schools that serve about 600 of the most “at risk” students in the county, ranging from high school dropouts to youth incarcerated in Juvenile Hall. But perhaps the most widely publicized duty of the office, ironically enough, is to supervise the budgets of the county’s 18 local school districts, making sure they are submitted on time and in the proper format. 

“They provide us with advice and support when we have critical problems, and they have been very helpful in that regard,” said Berkeley School Board President Terry Doran. 

When the Emeryville Unified School District came up $650,000 short last year, it was the county office of education that stepped in to bail them out, said Emeryville Interim Superintendent Laura Alvarenga.  

“My hope, and I think the hope of everyone, is that the board and superintendent find a way to work out whatever issues they have at hand so they can continue to operate,” Alvarenga said. 

The battle between Jordan and her board members heated up last week when the board majority announced they were hiring their own financial advisor, allegedly because Jordan and her staff were not providing them with the information they needed to make sound budget decisions. 

“We don’t feel that we’ve been getting accurate or complete information since she took over as superintendent,” said board President Ernest Avellar Monday. 

Avellar said the board will proceed with plans to introduce a competing budget unless it is given better information from Jordan, and more input into Jordan’s budget. 

He said the board’s requests for more information often illicit no response. For example, Jordan and her staff have not explained how they will come up with the money for a proposed 10 percent raise in county teachers’ salaries despite repeated requests for that information, Avellar said. 

Avellar and other board members said they won’t tolerate cuts in county school programs to provide the money for a pay raise. 

Jordan said the board members opposing her are simply engaged in a “hostile political move” aimed at driving her or her staff out of office. This would allow it to appoint her replacement, she said. 

“It really has become this demoralizing slap in the face,” Jordan said. 

Jordan said she has made improving the quality of budget information available to the board a top priority since she came into office in 1998. She has broken down expenditures and revenue to the level of each individual school site, she said, so the board could pinpoint exactly why expenditures were exceeding revenues. 

The budget information available to the board today “is better than anything they have ever seen before,” Jordan said. 

As for the teachers’ raises, Jordan said she is examining a variety of different ways to come up with the money, including possibly combining some of the county office’s smaller school sites to create economies of scale. She said she has gone out of her way to involve the board in this planning process.  

The board’s newest member, Enrique Palacios, said Monday that he was content with the quality of budget information provided over the last year. 

“They actually have provided, throughout the year, a tremendous amount of information about the budget,” Palacios said. 

Palacios agreed with Jordan’s assessment that the board majority has political motives for threatening not to approve next year’s budget by the July 1 deadline. He said there has been bad blood between Jordan and certain board members since she was elected superintendent in 1998, defeating the candidate these board members had endorsed. 

“This whole year that I’ve been on the board these board members haven’t done a damn thing to improve the quality of education (in the county),” Palacios said. “There a lot that the county can do, but it requires everyone working together.” 

But Avellar maintained that he and other board members are simply fighting to have more input into the budget process. 

“We’re not looking at it as an adversarial thing,” Avellar said. “Maybe (Jordan) is.” 

The board will hold a special budget meeting tonight at 5 p.m. at the Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Avenue. One item on the agenda is a possible 20 percent cut in Jordan’s salary, which Avellar said is in reaction to the board’s disappointment with Jordan’s leadership. 

At its meeting tonight, the City Council will consider a recommendation to transfer funding for the First Source Employment Program from the Sewer Fund to allocations from a variety of capital projects. 

The goal of the employment program is to promote the hiring of qualified Berkeley residents among businesses that contract with the city, especially construction contractors.  

A March audit performed by City Auditor Ann-Marie Hogan, concluded that the FSEP was being inappropriately financed by the Sewer Fund, which generates about $14 million a year for repair and maintenance of the city’s damaged and leaking sewer lines. According to Berkeley Municipal Code, it is a violation to use that money for any city program that is not sewer related.  

Hogan said in her report that when the FSEP was first established, it was only promoting local hiring on sewer projects and that over time the program started promoting hiring for other divisions, which created the funding problem.  

According to the report to council, The city manager is proposing individual capital projects fund for FSEP. If adopted by the council, each project would allocate 1 percent of its budget to the program. 

Low-income energy program 

The council will consider accepting a state grant of $97,600 to help low-income residents pay energy bills and fund energy efficient weatherization services for their homes and apartments.  

The state legislature authorized the California State Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program as a response to the energy crisis. 

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty income. 

Both the bill payment assistance and the weatherization programs will give seniors and disabled residents priority. 

Public Hearings 

Zoning appeal 

The council will hold nine public hearings tonight. Among them will be the appeal of a zoning permit for the construction of a detached dwelling behind an existing structure at 1825 Berkeley Way.  

Neighbors are appealing the permit because the new dwelling would be within four feet and eight inches of the rear property line. Normally, the required setback for a rear property line is 15 feet.  

The city manager’s report recommends that the council deny the appeal and uphold the Use permit. 

The council could deny the appeal, send the project back to the Zoning Adjustments Board or reverse the ZAB’s decision. 

Lighting assessment 

The council will hold its annual street-lighting assessment public hearing. According to the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, the city must hold a public hearing each year prior to accepting the street-lighting assessment budget.  

The city manager estimates the city will spend $1.6 million during fiscal year 2002 for street-light upkeep. The current property owner and business assessment is $1.3 million. 

Businesses are assessed at four times the rate of residential property owners because commercial areas are on average four times brighter than residential areas. 

Consent items 

Some of the consent calendar items, those generally passed unanimously and without discussion, include: 

• An additional $12,000 to the Harrison Park air study to look at certain metals in the air at the park. 

• Repair of broken parking meters. 

• Ask the city manager to report at this meeting (an exception to the rules) on the status of staffing for traffic and pedestrian safety. 

Berkeley Housing Authority 

The Housing Authority will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers just prior to the regular City Council meeting. 

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. It is broadcast on KPFB at 89.3 and televised on B-TV, ch-25. 

CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT — For a thousand years, American Indians have made Painted Rock their canvas. 

The horseshoe-shaped sandstone monolith is known around the world for its red ocher drawings of horned figures and geometric shapes. 

Unfortunately, it also attracts modern scribblers. Now, federal and state officials are considering cameras, satellites and other modern technology to preserve the ancient site from vandals who write or chip their names into the rock. 

“We get graffiti at this site two to three times a year,” said Duane Christian, an archaeologist with the federal Bureau of Land Management. 

The rock is in the national monument created by President Clinton in January on 204,000 acres of grasslands between San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield. 

Policing the rock is difficult because the area is sparsely populated and the monolith is several miles from the nearest building. 

Vandals can be charged with a felony that carries a sentence of up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

Graffiti writers also violate religious strictures. The rock is sacred to the Chumash Indians, who hold summer solstice festivals there. 

In 1991, volunteers removed the worst damage. And recently, Christian and a half-dozen computer experts, engineers and law enforcement advisers visited Painted Rock to discuss ways of preventing further desecration. 

“This is such an internationally renowned site, our job is to protect what’s left of it,” explained Ron Fellows, field manager for the BLM in Bakersfield. 

Suggestions range from placing cameras to photographing cars entering the site to using an electronic beam to alert observers miles away. One problem with the beam idea, though, is that an elk or antelope could wander by and set off a false alarm. 

Another idea would be to monitor the site via satellite “remote sensing,” although Fellows said that is “probably impractical” because of it is so costly. 

Fellows said that once he gets a proposal from the research team, he will go to Washington, D.C., with a budget request. 

Meanwhile, low-tech sometimes has worked. One woman who carved her initials inside a heart on Painted Rock was caught because she had signed the registration book at the visitor’s center. 

The oldest graffiti on Painted Rock dates back to the 1870s, Christian said. But writings over 50 years old are considered historical and the government cannot remove them.

Not since the mid-’90s have more Californians believed the state is headed in the wrong direction. 

And it may get worse. Nearly 60 percent of state residents expect the economy to worsen in the next year, while about 40 percent see a brighter horizon, according to a new poll. 

The telephone survey of 2,001 adult Californians was done over eight days in early May by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. The poll was conducted in English and Spanish. 

The twin culprits were the souring economy and the electricity crisis. 

“Californians clearly see the electricity crisis as a harbinger of other growth-related problems,” said Mark Baldassare, the research institute’s survey director. “This crisis and general economic uncertainty have severely undermined public confidence in California’s future and in its leaders.” 

Change has come swiftly. 

In January, 62 percent of state residents said California was headed in the right direction, compared to 48 percent this month. 

Other key findings include: 

• 82 percent of respondents said population growth over the next 20 years will make California a less desirable place to live. 

• 86 percent of respondents said the electricity crisis will hurt the state’s economy. 

• 43 percent of respondents favor building more power plants, up from 32 percent in January. The second most popular solution, re-regulating the electricity industry, was the favored solution in January. 

• Traffic congestion, affordable housing, air pollution and a shortage of good jobs top the list of negative consequences respondents foresee from the state’s population growth.

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors told a state appeals court Monday they believe the Sara Jane Olson defense team is trying to delay her attempted-murder trial until “years from now when the witnesses have all died.” 

In a bid to get the trial started, Deputy District Attorneys Michael Latin and Eleanor Hunter asked the 2nd District Court of Appeals to reconsider their decision allowing a postponement of the trial until September. 

Defense lawyers J. Tony Serra and Shawn Chapman have said they need more time to plow through a mountain of evidence dating back 25 years in the case of the former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive. 

The appeals court, by a vote of 2-1, ordered the trial judge, Larry P. Fidler, to delay matters until Sept. 4 suggesting there was no pressing reason to force defense attorneys to begin trial when they say they are unprepared. 

Fidler, who took over the case this spring after the original judge was transferred, rejected a defense bid to delay the trial for five months and questioned the rising costs of the Olson defense, which is being partially funded by public money. 

In their appeal, defense lawyers argued that they were unprepared and that starting the trial soon would have denied Olson due process and a fair trial. 

“The prosecution has had 25 years to prepare its case and the unlimited resources of the city, county, state and federal governments, (while) the defense has had very little time to prepare,” said their written argument. 

In their new legal brief, the prosecutors say that the defense has had ample time and plenty of court-appointed help in going through evidence. 

“Instead of getting better prepared for trial as time progresses, Olson’s defense team is less and less willing to try the case,” said the prosecutors. 

Their latest request for continuance, they said, asks for “a reasonable time to prepare.” 

“The request is vague and indefinite,” said the motion. ”... To Olson and her team, ’reasonable’ time means years from now when the witnesses have all died.” 

The road to trial has become even more complicated in recent days with the filing of criminal charges against Serra and Chapman by the city attorney’s office. They are accused of disclosing the addresses and phone numbers of two police witnesses. 

That action, the lawyers say, may force them out of the case entirely because defending themselves will create a conflict of interest with their client. Hearings are scheduled on that issue before the June 22 date set for the appeals court to hear arguments. 

Olson, 54, is accused of attempting to murder Los Angeles police officers by planting bombs under police cars in 1975 in retaliation for the deaths of six SLA members in a fiery shootout in 1974. The bombs did not explode. 

Indicted in 1976 under her former name, Kathleen Soliah, she remained a fugitive until her 1999 capture in Minnesota, where she had taken on her new name and was living as a doctor’s wife, mother and active community member. 

LOS ANGELES — Sixteen members of a Congressional reform committee invoked a 1928 rule in a federal lawsuit filed Monday to gain the release of adjusted Census data they say will show minorities were undercounted. 

The lawsuit was filed in district court in Los Angeles against Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans by members of the House Committee on Government Reform. 

The action, which names 16 committee members as plaintiffs, invokes the “Seven Member Rule,” a 73-year-old statute that gives any seven members of the House Committee on Government Reform special access to federal records. It is believed to be the first time the rule has been invoked in a lawsuit. 

“The adjusted census data should have been released months ago,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., a plaintiff in the lawsuit. “There is no valid reason for the Bush administration to withhold this data from members of Congress or the public.” 

Committee members sent letters to Evans in early April seeking the release of statistically adjusted population figures for the 2000 Census.  

They filed the lawsuit after receiving no response, court documents said. 

The Commerce Department, which oversees the U.S. Census Bureau, has been the target of several other lawsuits filed by cities and counties seeking the release of adjusted data, including a federal lawsuit filed by officials in Los Angeles. 

The debate has political overtones, with Democrats seeking adjusted figures to make up for traditional undercounts of minorities, the poor and children. 

Republicans have argued that adjusting the numbers through statistical sampling techniques would inject errors into a 2000 Census that has been proven to be more accurate than the 1990 count. GOP leaders also claim the Constitution calls for only a raw head count every 10 years for redistricting purposes. 

Both parties agree that district lines drawn with adjusted data could add more minorities, which likely would mean the addition of more Democrats to voter rolls. 

The Commerce Department in March agreed with a recommendation by Census Bureau statisticians who concluded that raw numbers should be released instead of sampled data for official redistricting purposes.  

The statisticians made their recommendation after finding discrepancies between adjusted data and other demographic surveys that could not be resolved before an April 1 statutory deadline for releasing Census figures. 

A 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling bars the use of adjusted numbers for reapportioning Congressional seats, but such data could be used for local districting purposes and the disbursement of government funds. 

The lawsuit filed Monday claims the Commerce Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act by refusing to release the data to committee members under the “Seven Member Rule.” 

“The fact that people have to go to this length to try to get the data is really a sad commentary on the (Bush) administration,” said Jessica Heinz, an assistant city attorney in Los Angeles.  

“The data, even though it may have problems according to the bureau, should be made available to the public so they can make their own conclusions on its quality and so outside statisticians can review the data and articulate their concerns.” 

The White House did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. 

Census officials previously have said that they are trying to reconcile the adjusted figures and hope to make a decision in the fall on whether the data should be released. 

In a related matter, Heinz said Los Angeles will file an appeal by the end of May of its federal lawsuit seeking the release of adjusted figures.  

Last month U.S. District Court Judge Gary A. Feess ruled against the city, which was joined in its federal lawsuit by Albuquerque, N.M.; San Antonio; Stamford, Conn.; the Bronx and Brooklyn boroughs of New York City; Toledo, Ohio; Santa Clara County.; Inglewood and other cities. 

Plaintiffs’ lawyers argued that the use of raw numbers leads to an undercount of the poor and minorities in Los Angeles and could lead to a potential loss of $372 million in federal funding over the next 10 years. 

Cameron and Hidalgo counties in Texas also filed their own federal lawsuit earlier this month claiming the use of raw numbers is leading to an undercount that will cost the counties up to $175 million in federal funds over the next decade. 

On the Net: 

http://www.census.gov

SAN JOSE — Apple Computer Inc. is ready to make bulky cathode ray tube displays things of the past. 

“We are officially end-of-lifing CRT displays,” chief executive Steve Jobs said Monday in opening Apple’s week-long conference for thousands of software developers. “We will be the first with all LCD displays in the industry.” 

Apple already is selling a pair of flat-panel liquid-crystal displays, a 15-inch and a 22-inch, both of which were lowered in price Monday, to $599 and $2,499, respectively.  

Macintosh also will introduce a new 17-inch display for $999 early next month. LCD monitors offer higher resolution and take up far less space than traditional PC displays. 

The decision doesn’t involve Apple’s line of popular iMac computers, the colorful desktops that combine a computer and monitor all-in-one. Those models, which feature a 15-inch screen, will remain the only vestige of CRTs, Apple officials said. 

Citing heavy feedback from consumers, Jobs also said the company now is shipping all Mac computers with its latest OS X operating system, two months ahead of what the company had planned. Previously, users had to buy the $129 software separately. A version of OS X for servers also was released Monday. 

The new OS X is taking center stage at the developers conference in San Jose. It is the Cupertino-based computer maker’s first major platform overhaul since it introduced the Macintosh in 1984. 

Knowing the success of the operating system depends largely on the applications that could run on it, Jobs encouraged developers to act quickly. 

“You can be sure, we’re betting our future on OS X,” Jobs said. “The train has left the station, and now is the time to jump on board before the train is out of sight.” 

After a bruising first quarter in which Apple reported its first loss in three years, Apple returned to profitability in the second quarter, helped by a new line of products and the March 24 release of OS X. 

The company also is hoping to gain market share – it now claims less than 5 percent of the nation’s PC market – by opening up retail stores in high-traffic shopping areas. The company opened its first two stores of 25 planned over the weekend in McLean, Va. and Glendale. 

Jobs said the store openings drew 7,700 visitors, some of whom stood in line for three hours to get in. The stores sold a combined total of $559,000 of merchandise, he said. 

The momentum of Apple’s new products and retail stores has generated more enthusiasm among Apple developers. 

“Without developers seeing that Apple is a viable platform, they’re not going to develop applications for it, and we’re seeing the opposite of that,” said Frank Falco, chief executive of Recall Design, an Australian company that creates online applications.  

After years of developing OS X, and talking about “what’s on the horizon,” Jobs and other Apple officials said they were excited to finally be able to talk about the present. 

“We are at one of these key milestones in the company where all these great things are happening,” Philip Schiller, vice president of marketing, said in an interview. “Hopefully, it’ll have a great cumulative effect.” 

Apple shares were up 3 cents to close at $23.56 in trading Monday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

On the Net: 

http://www.apple.com

On a brutally hot day in Stockton, several members of the St. Mary’s track & field team didn’t have a chance to take a break at the Bayshore Regional championships. With qualifying spots for the Northern California Meet of Champions next week on the line, the Panthers’ top performers had to be at their bests. 

Eleven different Panthers qualified for multiple spots at the Meet of Champions by placing in the top seven spots in at least two events, and the boys won the team title with 135 1/2 points. The girls just missed the team title, scoring 109 points to James Logan’s 124 1/2. Berkeley High came in fourth with 38 1/2 points. 

Saturday at Diablo Valley College was another banner day for Halihl Guy, as the senior won both hurdles races and helped the Panthers’ 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to victories. The trio of Asokah Muhammed, Solomon Welch and Trestin George qualified in both the long jump and triple jump, with Muhammed also finishing second in the 100-meter dash and Welch coming in just behind Guy in the 110-meter high hurdles.  

Courtney Brown won the 200-meter dash, finished third in the 400-meter and ran legs in both relays. Throw in qualifying spots in both hurdles races for Jason Bolden-Anderson and both throwing events for Phil Weatheroy, and the Panthers are headed to the Meet of Champions with a good shot at the boys’ team title. 

On the girls’ side, the Panthers were carried by Tiffany Johnson and Bridget Duffy. Johnson, who won her spots in a run-off on Tuesday because she missed the BSAL league meet with an injury, won the 100-meter dash by nipping favorite Cheri Craddock of James Logan by .01 seconds. She followed that with a school-record 38-11 in the triple jump, but scratched in the long jump when she had trouble hitting her marks in warm-ups. 

Duffy had possibly the most impressive double, winning both the 1,600 and the 3,200 despite the stifling heat, running the final lap of each race unchallenged. Also qualifying in both long-distance events was Berkeley’s Grace Nielsen. 

Danielle Stokes qualified in three events, winning the 300-meter low hurdles and taking third in both the 100-meter hurdles and the long jump. Kamaiya Warren, who was favored to win both throwing events, finished a disappointing second in the shot put, and wasn’t in the discus after scratching on all three attempts in the league meet. 

Berkeley’s Katrina Keith qualified in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and both of the ’Jackets’ relay teams qualified as well. 

The Northern California Meet of Champions will take place at Cal’s Edwards Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

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. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins, and become little “dump” workers. $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. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) 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 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “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. “Ricky Swallow/Matrix 191,” Including new sculptures and drawings through May 27; “Five Star: the 31st Annual University of California at Berkeley Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition: Through May 27 $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 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  

Lawrence Hall of Science “Math Rules!” A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge.“Within the Human Brain” Ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “T. Rex on Trial,” Through May 28 Where was T. Rex at the time of the crime? Learn how paleontologists decipher clues to dinosaur behavior. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Computer Lab, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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 orr www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for year membership. All ages. May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2 El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 22: Nigerian Brothers, Zulu Exiles, Umlilo; May 23: Paul Pena and Friends; May 24: Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Carribean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 23: Willis Alan Ramsey; May 24: Nickel Creek; May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 22: Willy N’ Mo; May 23: Global Echo; May 24: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Pena Cultural Center May 24: Tato Enriquez, plus a video and photo exhibit from earthquake-devastated El Salvador; May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Berkeley Chamber Performances May 22, 8 p.m. Presenting “Baguette Quartette” for an evening of Parisian Cafe music. $12 - $15 Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 525-5211 www.berkeleychamberperform.org 

Berkley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 25, 8 p.m. John Kendall Baily conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Workds by Back, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbytarian Church 2727 Collage Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florance Schwimley Little Theatre 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts/performing/jazz 

New Millenium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet. Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

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

Berkeley Ballet Theater Spring Showcase. May 21: 2 p.m. Youth Ensemble, 6 p.m. Adult Division $5 - 15. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. 

“Procession of the Sun and Moon” with Selected Solo Pieces by Maria Lexa May 27, 2 p.m. Full length drama with giant puppets and masked characters accompanied by live music. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300.

What side are you on in the marijuana fight? 

Editor: 

Who's afraid of the U.S. Supreme Court? Not the medical marijuana patients’ movement. 

The May 14 ruling by the Supremes added no new onerous elements to the United States’ prohibitionist war on drugs. All Justice Clarence Thomas, writing the majority opinion, could do was refer to the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 and re-iterate its unscientific and highly political findings that “Congress has made a determination that marijuana has no medical benefits worthy of an exception.” 

In other words, the Supremes’ response to the five year old medical marijuana patients’ movement is essentially, “read Congress’ lips,” to which I respond, “talk to the hand!” 

We have gone beyond the point where a corrupt group of judges (the recount in Florida proved that Gore won the popular vote there!) can tell us to follow the unscientific and politicized rulings made by a Congress who, for the most part, are indebted to large corporations (pharmaceutical, alcohol, tobacco and others) and to the Prison Industrial Complex. And we aren't going to be turned around! 

In 1979 (ten years after the Controlled Substances Act quoted by Justice Thomas) voters in Berkeley passed The Berkeley Cannabis Ordinance. The Ordinance mandated that cannabis law enforcement be the lowest possible priority of the police department. It also required the City Council to ensure that no city funds were spent for cannabis law enforcement and that there were no arrests for citations for cannabis law violations. The city has never been in compliance with the mandates of this ordinance. 

This year, after two and a half years of input and initiative from the Medical Marijuana movement, the Berkeley City Council adopted a conservative and controversial set of growing and possession standards for Medical Marijuana. In doing this the Council ignored he recommendation of its own Community Health Commission which, recognizing that there are indeed medical benefits to marijuana use, argued for the same (higher) standards as exist in Oakland. 

So what’s new. Politics, politics, politics. If it’s OK for the highest judicial body in the land to be anti-democratic and unscientific, then it must be OK for the Berkeley City Council. But who can blame them? After 30 years of the recent round of the war on drugs, a war that disproportionately negatively impacts communities of color, a war in which the prohibitionists have mastered the act of the big lie - say it loud enough and long enough and people will believe it — honorable people, even progressive people can get confused. 

Which is why I hearken to the words of Benson B. Roe, M.D., Emeritus Professor and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, who in October, 1996, stated: “Opponents [of medical marijuana] want us to worry about ultimate legalization of the ‘drug’ and question the scientific evidence of its medicinal value. More importantly we should question the scientific evidence for any harm or danger from its use and thus should ask what justification is there for outlawing it. Cannabis (marijuana) has been widely used for centuries (longer than tobacco) and no significant disease process or toxin has been identified with it. With firm medical certainty I would far rather have my kids smoke pot than either tobacco or alcohol, the lethal effects of which are well known.”  

Frederick Douglas, ex-slave and fighter for freedom, stated “Power surrenders nothing without a struggle.” The medical marijuana movement is a struggle for medical rights, a struggle for civil rights. The old union song asks, “Which side are you on?” Are you on the side of democracy, science and compassion, or are you on the side of corporate control, ignorance and cruelty? 

Robin M. Donald 

Berkeley 

Israel has hurt hopes for peace 

Editor: 

The taxpayers of America should not worry about the inefficient use of their hard-earned dollars. Israel used some of its exorbitant aid from the United States to hire two New York public relations firms, Rubenstein Associates & Morris, and Carrick & Guma, to help polish American-tailored sound bites. Its efficiency is evident from the number of Israel’s supporters parroting those test-marketed arguments (“We Must Seek Peace in the Middle East” 5/12-13/2001). 

Daryl Kutzstein starts his letter by making the point everyone agrees with: there should be peace in the Middle East. His startling claim mirrors Ariel Sharon’s statement at his swearing — in that Israel’s “hand is extended in peace.” 

Kutzstein furthers the Israeli government’s line that it is all for peace instead of looking at the reality that it shoots unarme Palestinians, assassinates officials, lays siege on villages, and enforces a colonial system of settlements. 

If that is Israel wanting peace, I would hate to see it wanting war. 

Palestinians actually know that all too well. Israel wanted war in 1948 and 750,000 civilian Palestinians paid with their homes. According to Kutzstein/Israeli government, that is all now irrelevant. He writes so arrogantly, “We must move from asking who did what and when.” The crime is always trivial to those who benefit but how can he have the nerve to ask the victims to forget? 

Now five million refugees keep their homeland in their memory and the catastrophe that forced their exile is central to their life. This catastrophe is Israel’s establishment. Israel refuses to accept accountabilty for this exile, even though it refused and still refuses them to return to their homes. How can you negotiate with a government that will not even acknowledge its own actions? 

Israel’s supporters do not help when they repeat arguments merely because they fit conveniently into a need to rationalize Israel’s bellicose behavior and Apartheid regime. It comes from a psychological need to reconcile one’s beliefs (Israel is good) with an unpleasant reality (pictures of Israeli soldiers shooting kids). 

For example, Kutzstein categorically dismisses the Students for Justice in Palestine occupation of Wheeler Hall at UC Berkeley as anti-Semitic. 

He relies uncritically on several alleged incidents he surely did not witness, and certainly did not read in the official record. It is convenient and comforting to pass on hearsay spread by critics attempting to smear a successful and engaging event he is predisposed to disagreeing with. 

Kutzstein similarly sees no problem with uncritically repeating Israel’s claim that “Israel has offered ... the most generous peace ever.” It is a worthless claim because it is relative to a frankly unimpressive past. 

Their commitment to peace should not be measured by what they offered in the past, but whether they offered what is needed for peace. An Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz, reported that this is uncorroborated. Israel’s supporters take it at face value without question or doubt. 

The fact is that Israel was only willing to give up partial administrative control over most of the West Bank and Gaza, which it illegally occupies anyways. What is it giving up by negotiating land it is obligated under international law to withdraw from? Israel was essentially negotiating its compliance with UN Resolution 242. 

If one starts with the conclusion that Israel is benevolent and genuinely interested in doing what it takes to bring peace, there can be no serious discussion about peace. The term peace has been so diluted and made meaningless by cynical use, we cannot even talk about ending the violence permanently until we begin by confronting the history and the fundmantal facts on the ground. The Palestinians are a displaced people. Israel is the country that displaced and continues to marginalize and repress them, and deny the Palestinians fundamental rights. Once we recognize that, we will understand what is needed for peace. First, we must be painfully honest. 

William Lafi Youmans 

Berkeley 

Green Party is all about saving Berkeley trees  

Editor: 

I would like to correct some factual errors which appeared in Carol Denney’s letter (May 8) regarding the library trees. 

Regarding the three “public input workshops” which were held on the Shattuck Avenue redevelopment project, Green Party members were in fact in attendance. As soon as it became clear that the proposed plan would call for the removal of nearly all the trees downtown, and that the planning group was not going to budge, we joined an organized effort to save the trees. Our members made phone calls, petitioned, and participated in a demonstration in which we symbolically “chained” ourselves to the very trees in front of the library that were subsequently destroyed. Our work to save the trees was done well before the proposal went to the City Council for its approval, not just after the fact. 

Unfortunately, the momentum at the time was too strongly on the side of the consultants, who were wedded to their downtown plan. The opponents of the plan had to struggle to get anything at all, even a compromise to relocate the trees. The alternative would have been a virtual clear-cut of Downtown. The compromise wasn’t at all what we would have preferred. However, the final plan saved or relocated many of the downtown trees, certainly a better alternative than the original plan going ahead unchanged. 

The City Council resolution explicitly stated that the trees in front of the library would be relocated. The outrageous decision to cut them down, after the Berkeley community had been assured that they would be relocated, was entirely the fault of irresponsible and unaccountable city employees who 

directly violated the City Council directive and the compromise agreement. The City Council and City Manager are also at fault since to date nothing has been done to address their actions. 

The Green Party was, is, and will continue to be committed to protecting trees in Berkeley and elsewhere from unnecessary destruction. 

Greg Jan 

County Councilor for the Green Party of Alameda County 

Liz O’Connell-Gates came to preschool with her kids on Saturday to get involved in a lesson plan that didn’t involve ABC’s or 123’s. At Step One School – located in the Berkeley hills – children, teachers and parents traded in crayons for gardening tools to participate in a countywide beautification project called “Spruce up for Kids Day.” 

More than 2,000 volunteers throughout Alameda county pitched in time at approximately 120 child care centers during the event made possible by the Alameda County Children and Families Commission, said Kathy Padro, the commission’s outreach coordinator. 

The commission collected some $250,000 in grants generated from Proposition 10, the 50-cent per pack cigarette tax that funds early childhood development and anti-tobacco education programs in California.  

“It’s important to get kids at an early age and teach them about gardening and tobacco,” O’Connell-Gates said. “Just like they say that love lasts a lifetime, I think that the wonderful things kids learn here last a lifetime and can be passed on.” 

“Spruce up for Kids Day” provided an opportunity to involve parents with their children’s’ schools and to involve kids with nature.  

“There’s a pretty active parent community here. It’s the only way you can make ends meet in a school like this,” said Eric Bjerkholt, father of one Step One Alumnus and two other children currently enrolled. 

Many preschools and childcare centers are non-profit organizations and are “traditionally under funded,” according to a press release put out by the commission.  

“We are in a crisis that’s been brewing basically because teachers already don’t get paid enough, and preschool teachers get paid even less,” said Sue Britson, co-director at Step One.  

Monday, May 21

Creation conversation 

7:30 - 10 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Rabbi Yaacov Deyo, founder of L.A.’s SpeedDating will review creation from the reference point of physics and compare this to the description classical Jewish sources have given for our universe and its creation.  

$10  

848-0237 x127 

Parks, Recreation and  

Waterfront Commissions  

Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Hs Lordships Restaurant 

199 Seawall Drive 

Berkeley Marina 

Meeting to discuss the proposed new Eastshore State Park. 

981-6334 

Solid Waste Management  

Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Solid Waste Management Center 

1201 Second St. 

Among other topics, staff report on status of TV’s/monitors as hazardous material. 

Tuesday, May 22

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 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Strawberry tasting 

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

548-3333 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Solving Residential Drainage  

Problems 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

Second day of two day seminar led by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt. Continued from Thursday May 17. $70 for both days. 

525-7610 

Time, Jews and Buddhism 

7 - 8 p.m. 

Judah L. Magnes Museam 

2911 Russell St. 

A discussion with Steven Goodman and Bill Chayes. $5. 

549-6950 

Wednesday, May 23

Healthful Building Materials  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35 per person  

525-7610 

Regional Tranportation Talk 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Rebecca Kaplan of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition will talk about the Metropolitan Transportation Commision’s 25-year Regional Transportation Plan at the regular meeting of the Berkeley Gray Panthers. Open to the public. 

548-9696 

Forum on Small Learning  

Communities 

7:30 p.m. 

La Peña Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

Organized by Berkeley High Senior Nicole Heyman, panel of students, teachers and community members will discuss the achievement gap at Berkeley High and possible reform plans. Students encouraged to participate. $3. 

Thursday, May 24  

Paddling Adventures  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dan Crandell, member of the U.S. National Kayak Surf Team and owner of Current Adventures Kayak School, will introduce attendees to all aspects of kayaking. Free  

527-4140 

City of Berkeley Meeting 

2 - 4 p.m. 

2120 Milvia St. 

Second Floor Conference Rm. 

Bancroft-Durant Two-Way Street Proposal Meeting. Call Bike For a Better City 597-1235. 

West Berkeley Project Area  

Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

Among other topics, correspondance regarding Commissioner Training, Eastshore State Park planning meetings and proposal for commissioner advocate. 

705-8105 

Community Health  

Commission Meeting 

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Among other topics, a vote on Letter of Apology to Mayor. 

644-6109 

Friday, May 25  

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  

Free Writing, Cashiering &  

Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation 

869-3995 

Chocolate and Chalk Art  

Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Chocolate Menu available listing various items for various chocolate items for sale from Solano businesses. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free.

This afternoon, ESPN will carry an NCAA postseason selection show, and after a lengthy absence, Cal will likely be among the participants. But this is no repeat of MarchMadness. Instead, the baseball team is aiming for their first run at the College World Series since 1995.  

“I’m not sure we’re in yet,” admitted Cal head coach David Esquer. “I’m very paranoid in that respect. Hopefully we’ll get our name called on Monday.” 

This year’s Cal team has defied expectations with their 33-23 record. After losing Xavier Nady and Mike Tonis to the draft, many believed that this team would suffer through ayear of hard knocks. Esquer himself was not sure of what to expect from his inexperienced squad. 

“We had a lot of inexperienced players in key roles,” said Esquer. “Conor Jackson was a freshman, Jeff Dragicevich was a freshman, (Brian) Horwitz... Carson White was a junior college transfer, so he hadn’t played in the Pac-10.”  

However, the team’s young bats were up to the challenge. Horwitz embarked on a school-record 25-game hit streak, Jackson finished with an even .300 average, and White hit .340, tied for the team lead with 49 runs batted in, and led Cal with a .575 slugging percentage. 

The one strength of this year’s team coming into the season was the pitching staff.  

“We got two arms back from injury in (Jason) Dennis and (Ryan) Atkinson, and Trevor Hutchinson was back as the ace,” said Esquer.  

Cal also had the benefit of an effective relief corps, an area in which they struggled during the 2000 season. David Cash (10-3), Blake Read, and Andrew Sproul were very effective as long relievers.  

“Plus, we knew we had a few freshman who would contribute in Brian Montalbo and Matt Brown,” Esquer said. 

Brown led the team with eight saves, and Montalbo, a 4th round pick of the Atlanta Braves, served as a long reliever and spot starter. However, Cal’s run towards the postseason really picked up steam when Hutchinson got into a groove.  

“The team didn’t play well behind Trevor early on; we needed to get him on a roll,” said Esquer.  

Since gutting out a victory against Arizona on April 20th, Hutchinson (6-6) has won four consecutive games.  

“It really helps to be winning going in; the team has a lot of confidence,” said the junior right-hander. “I had some bad luck early in the season, but now everything is going well.” 

Cal struggled early on, losing games in late innings and often by two runs or less.  

“We just had to improve on little things, fundamentals,” said Esquer. “When we play good defense, we can play with anyone.”  

The team faced its nadir on April 17th, when they dropped a 10-6 decision to St. Mary’s. At 22-19 overall, and 7-8 in the Pac-10 with three conference series left to play, the Bears took control of their postseason destiny. Cal took two of three from Arizona and Stanford, then swept UCLA in Los Angeles. As the dust settled, the Bears found themselves at the end of a 7-2 conference run that landed them in third place in the Pac-10.  

As the finish line approached, the Bears seemed to sense the postseason. They rallied to beat Santa Clara in their final home game on May 8th, then traveled to Kansas State and swept the Wildcats to cap a season-ending 9-2 run. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now,” said Hutchinson.  

Finishing ten games over .500, and in third place in the Pac-10 would seem to ensure Cal’s inclusion in the NCAA Regionals. However, Coach Esquer isn’t satisfied with a mere playoff invitation.  

“We can’t just be happy to be there,” he said. “Most teams are just happy to get there, then they go two (losses) and out. We have to believe we can win the region.”

As Berkeley school administrators decide what to do with more than $500,000 awarded to the district for improved standardized test scores, a growing core of frustrated Berkeley teachers are studying ways to protest the test. 

A Berkeley Federation of Teachers meeting at Rosa Parks Elementary School earlier this month drew more than 20 teachers from five Berkeley schools eager to join a growing movement against the state-mandated Stanford 9 test. 

A 10-hour test for students in grades two through 11, the Stanford 9 is intended to compare student grade-level achievement in reading and math from school to school throughout the state. 

The test is at the center of Gov. Gray Davis’ efforts to hold schools more directly accountable for meeting statewide education standards. Schools that perform well are eligible to receive monetary awards, in the form of teacher bonuses and student scholarships. Schools that perform poorly face sanctions and, in extreme cases, may even be taken over by the state.  

A growing number of students, parents and teachers are opposing the test and the way it is used. At two affluent high schools in Marin County earlier this month, enough students boycotted the tests to invalidate the results. The students called the test meaningless and a waste of time. 

Protesters in Oakland May 7 said the test was racist and unfair. Not only are individual test questions culturally biased in favor of affluent whites, they argued, but students of color tend to go to schools in poorer

A plan to install permanent lighting inside UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium has Panoramic Hill residents worried that glaring, unsightly lighting towers will be visible from all over the city. 

“The lighting stands will be visible from all around Berkeley,” said Mike Kelly, a neighbor of the stadium. “They’ll stick up from behind the Campanile like big ugly scarecrows.”  

According to a letter to the president of the Panoramic Hill Association from Jacki Bernier, the University’s principal planner, the idea of retractable lighting has been rejected by planners because of the high cost. The retractable lighting stands would not be visible during the day or when the stadium was not in use at night, Bernier added. 

The idea of permanent lighting at the stadium is unnecessary at best, Kelly said. The university has an average of one or two games a year, he added. 

“In the last 15 years there have been no more than nine night games,” he said. 

Kelly said Fox Television, which televises all the PAC 10 games, brings in temporary lights for those games.  

Panoramic Hill President Janice Thomas said that the lighting will likely increase the number of games played at the stadium at night. “This is a stadium that’s built on top of residential neighborhood,” she said. “With night games you’ll have as many as 75,000 pouring out at 11 p.m. at night, and besides traffic we’re bound to have rowdiness and drunkenness.” 

Thomas also said the glare from lighting would be intrusive. 

The university is planning to begin seismic work that will include shoring up the stadium’s north and south zones and constructing a new two-story press box. Bernier’s letter said the permanent lighting would likely be a part of the seismic work. 

In her letter, Bernier wrote that no lights would be installed for the 2001 football season. She added that the university is continuing to study the possibility of installing permanent lighting, she said, “with the goal of finding a solution that mitigates the neighbor’s most pressing concerns.”

There were at least as many questions as there were people at the Berkeley Alternative High School on Saturday. Yes, that’s right — on Saturday.  

About 70 Berkeley residents showed up for the first Community Summit meeting to discuss the potential break-up of Berkeley High School into “smaller learning communities.” 

For 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, the place was pretty full. But it could have been fuller. 

“I was pleased at the number of people who were there,” said Michael Miller, a parent and active member of Parents of Children of African Decent. “But if you consider how (a shift to smaller learning communities) is going to impact people, it was a small turnout and not a very diverse one.” 

The project is now in the “pre-planning” stage. With the help of a $50,000 federal planning grant, teachers and parents have been organizing meetings for the last few months to promote public awareness and dialogue. 

The purpose of Saturday’s meeting was to formally introduce the idea to the community and to outline what stages have taken place so far.  

Berkeley High is considering moving towards smaller learning communities because research throughout the United States has shown that large high schools (such as Berkeley High) can combat campus violence, truancy, high teacher turnover and the racial achievement gap by creating smaller learning communities. Each community of about 500 students has a different focus to lure in students with particular needs. 

The coming months will be crucial if the Small Learning Communities Advisory Committee is to accurately gauge community support for the project.  

If there is support, then school officials can apply for federal grants this fall to create more small learning communties within Berkeley High.  

Because of the number of questions and limited time, meeting coordinators took pains to make sure everyone in the audience wrote out their questions to be addressed by the community at later meetings. 

Many of the questions asked during the lively question-and-answer session of the meeting surrounded issues of equality. 

“I want to know what is the process for evaluating underlying beliefs or ideologies — things that set us apart,” Yolanda Huang said. “In a community like Berkeley where you have such diverse communities with [diverse] opinions and backgrounds, how do you achieve a vision for all?” 

Steve Jubb, director of the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools, gave an initial response. 

“Young people and families do not all learn alike — for the same reasons, in the same ways — and they don’t all have the same sets of challenges,” Jubb said. “So choice will need to be an important part of [this project].”  

At the same time, Jubb recognized that the simple fact of having choices is not enough. Students and parents must believe that these new choices make equity possible. Otherwise, people’s decisions may affirm the same inequalities that have always been there.  

“What we know is that choice without advocacy reproduces inequity,” Jubb said. “So if you just give choices, then what tends to happen is people group and regroup according to their perceptions.” 

But some parents were concerned that, though choice seems like a good thing, there may be certain decisions — serious decisions about things like subject-focus or career-track — which many students might not be willing or able to make. 

Rick Ayers, the Berkeley High teacher charged with coordinating the small learning community discussions, spoke to some of these concerns. 

“We want to organize the kinds of programs that allow students to focus on a thematic core, and something that organizes all these curricula and activities. But it certainly doesn’t mean career path in the narrow sense.” 

But there are parents and community-members who think that separating Berkeley High into smaller schools based on things like subject-interest or career-interest or skill-level will promote inequality. It may also create the perception, by certain students, of being given an advantage or disadvantage among their peers.  

“I don’t want to see the School of Social Justice, I don’t want to see Common Ground, I don’t want to see Computer Academy,” said Irma Parker, parent liaison for the Rebound program. 

“I think if there’s going to be equity and fairness in this, that it should be school number one, school number two, school number three, and that the kids are assigned to those schools the same way we assign kids to the school here in the system. Otherwise I just don’t see the equity and the fairness there.” 

Parker also raised another question that had not yet been approached head-on — Do teachers feel committed to this project? 

“It’s a given in the community that most people feel Berkeley High schools staff — the teachers in particular — are entrenched in their own ideas and their own policies,” Parker said. “Most people can just point out the teachers who they feel are very committed to the students. I haven’t heard anybody talk about the commitment of the teachers who will be teaching these kids.” 

Miller felt afterwards that some progress had been made, but that there are still many over-arching, general issues that should not be pushed aside for the more specific ones. 

“The huge issue is the inequity in education. It seems to me a simple truth that it’s our job as a community to educate the members of the community, and we’re not doing that,” Miller said. 

“In my own observation at Berkeley High,” Parker said, “it seems to me that Berkeley High is really interested in educating the kids who are on the fast track. But there’s a certain segment of kids there they seem to want to police.” 

Miller acknowledges that the kinds of issues Parker raises are very difficult to address, but he also feels that, without addressing them, creating smaller learning communities will only delay the issues that face the community.  

“There are a fair number of number of people in the community,” Miller said, “who don’t understand what Irma (Parker) is talking about – who don’t want to go to that place,” Miller said. “That’s a hard place to go to.” 

“I am all for the small learning communities,” he said. “But I still think we have to know all the dynamics that exist that force us to move in this direction.”  

Next meetings: The next Community Summit will take place on Monday, June 18. There will also be a special student meeting at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince) on Wednesday, May 23.

The University of California at Berkeley is offering summer courses at a discounted price for teachers from the Berkeley, Oakland, West Contra Costa and San Francisco unified school districts. 

The “100 Teachers” program will provide the “scholar teachers” with an exemption from course and lab fees - which run from $100 to $400 a class at Cal.  

The teachers will also get a $50 discount on the $325 enrollment fee, which means that they can take as many units as they can for $275 – hundreds of dollars less than the $900 the average student pays for a 5-unit course during the summer. 

The program is an attempt to lure more teachers into studying in the university during the summer, says Gary Penders, the director of the university’s summer program.  

Penders says the number of those teachers taking classes from the university in the summer dwindled beginning in 1979, when school cuts caused some school districts to cut back on subsidizing teachers’ summer courses.

LOS ANGELES – A death row inmate convicted of killing a police officer gave a tape-recorded address Sunday at a graduation ceremony for a private college. 

Unlike Mumia Abu-Jamal’s commencement address last year at Antioch College in Ohio, which brought hundreds of demonstrators, his speech at Occidental College drew no protests. 

Students chose Abu-Jamal, who was convicted in 1981 of killing Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, to speak at the baccalaureate, a ceremony held for seniors before they graduate. 

“Had I known this was going on I would have gone down there and held up a picture of Danny,” the slain policeman’s widow, Maureen Faulkner, said in a telephone interview from her Southern California home. “He was in college when he was murdered and he never got a chance to graduate.” 

About 250 students and relatives attended the baccalaureate. Some cheered loudly as students introduced the 3 1/2-minute speech. 

“I think he has a message that fits perfectly with (Occidental) — radicalism, justice, activism,” said Bre Fahs, 21, a graduating senior who led the effort to have Abu-Jamal speak. 

Occidental College President Theodore Mitchell said he supported the students’ decision to invite Abu-Jamal. 

“This is a college that’s quite committed to the free expression of ideas,” Mitchell said. “So I’m pleased that we are able to provide a venue for Mumia to speak.” 

Abu-Jamal, 45, was convicted of fatally shooting Faulkner after the officer had a physical confrontation with Abu-Jamal’s younger brother during a traffic stop. 

He has repeatedly said he is innocent. His supporters contend he was framed because he was an outspoken radio journalist and a former Black Panther activist. 

Abu-Jamal did not refer to his own case in his taped speech, but spoke instead about the “loneliness and alienation” of life in prison. 

Prison is “a world that you do not know and hopefully you will never know,” Abu-Jamal said. 

Abu-Jamal noted that the United States has 5 percent of the world’s population, yet houses 25 percent of its prison inmates. 

Two million people are now incarcerated in this country, he said. 

“Imagine, if these people were all assembled in one place,” they would “achieve the population of states like Idaho, Maine, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Nebraska,” Abu-Jamal said. “There are more people in U.S. prisons than the entire population of some nations.” 

Some relatives of graduates questioned whether Abu-Jamal should have been invited to speak. 

“To have a convicted killer as a baccalaureate speaker is probably inappropriate,” said Mary Wieand, 86, of Lombard, Ill. 

Abu-Jamal’s speech was not seen as controversial by the majority of students at the private, liberal-arts college located a few miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. 

“Everyone I know either supports it or doesn’t care,” said graduating senior Eric Way, 22. “Even if he is on death row he still has his First Amendment rights.” 

Faulkner said, “Danny was murdered at the age of 25 and he lost his freedom of speech. I feel (Abu-Jamal) should also lose his freedom to speak out on issues. 

“I feel the students who made this decision, if they ever have a tragedy in their own lives, I think they’ll look back and realize what a mistake they’ve made,” Faulkner said. “They make these criminals into heroes and the victims are forgotten.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Complaints against some of the state’s largest telephone companies are on the rise, according to an analysis of 47,000 complaints filed with state utility regulators over the past two years, a newspaper reported. 

Complaints against AT&T soared 87 percent, excluding its wireless unit, and went to 47 percent against Pacific Bell, according to a San Francisco Chronicle analysis. The gripes also more than doubled against Sprint PCS. 

Watchdog groups said the complaints signal the need for heightened consumer protection rules and increased enforcement of existing laws.  

Critics said regulators like the California Public Utilities Commission have failed to address complaints, including those concerning problems with high-speed Internet access via phone lines, wireless companies’ rapid growth and confusing long-distance fees. 

“I think it’s a pretty good sign the PUC has been asleep at the switch,” said Regina Costa of The Utility Reform Network in San Francisco. “People who think that this industry will run itself are crazy.” 

Early last year, the PUC took steps to address customer gripes. A telecommunications “bill of rights” was proposed, which would have protected consumers from cramming, slamming, hidden fees and other phone company abuses. 

PUC Commissioner Carl Wood had said the new rules could go into effect last fall.  

But regulators put the proposal aside last summer after the state was hit with threats of rolling blackouts and rising energy costs. 

Now, PUC officials don’t expect to vote on the proposal until at least this fall, possibly later. 

Meanwhile, phone companies say consumers don’t need any additional regulations to protect them. 

AT&T spokesman H. Gordon Diamond said the proposal could raise phone companies’ costs and force consumer rate hikes. He said more enforcement of existing legislation is in order, rather than new regulations.

SAN FRANCISCO – Higher power costs zapped restauranteur Marino Sandoval and his customers even before California regulators decided this week how to allocate a $5.7 billion electricity rate hike — the highest in the state’s history. 

Faced with soaring natural gas rates that tripled his utility bill, Sandoval last month raised the prices at his popular Mexican restaurant chain, El Balazo, by as much as 20 percent on some items. A giant burrito that cost $4.95 at the end of March costs $5.95 today. 

“We had to do it because it seemed like the price of everything, from our beans to our tortillas, was going up almost every day. Our higher prices have everything to do with the higher energy prices,” said Sandoval, who runs six restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay. 

From hotels to bagel shops, businesses throughout California have been raising their prices or imposing special surcharges to offset rising power costs. Most of the increases so far have reflected higher natural gas costs, which utilities have been passing along to their customers throughout the state’s power crisis. 

Now, businesses and households are bracing for electricity rate increases that could balloon the bills of the largest users of the state’s two biggest utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison Co. 

The higher rates, which will begin appearing in June’s utility bills, threaten to jolt the state’s already jittery economy. 

“Pretty soon, we may see California staring down the barrel of a recession,” said Dave Puglia, a vice president for APCO, a public affairs firm hired by California business interests to study the economic effect of the state’s energy woes. 

Until now, California businesses have only had to pay a fraction of the state’s staggering electricity bill, which is on a pace to reach $70 billion this year — about 10 times more than in 1999. 

By itself, the $5.7 billion rate increase approved by the California Public Utilities Commission probably isn’t enough to topple the state’s roughly $1 trillion economy — the sixth largest in the world. 

“It will cause some hardships, particularly for some small business owners, but from the macro point of view, these rate increases aren’t going to have a major impact on California’s output,” predicted Sung Won Sohn, chief economist for Wells Fargo & Co., which runs the biggest bank headquartered in the state. 

But some business leaders are worried the hike will represent the coup de grace for many companies already reeling from rising expenses for gasoline, natural gas, health care benefits and workers’ compensation insurance. Against this backdrop, many employers also face pressure to raise their workers’ wages to help pay for California’s high housing costs. 

“If this keeps up, at some point, we are going to reach a breaking point in the economy,” said Allan Zaremberg, president of the California Chamber of Commerce. 

The California Chamber is part of the California Alliance for Energy and Economic Stability, a coalition that sought to shift more of the electricity rate increase from businesses to households. 

Under the plan approved by the PUC, businesses are expected to pay about $4.6 billion more for electricity and households will pay an additional $1.1 billion. 

Even if they are spared on their utility bills, consumers still will be pinched by higher prices for goods and services as businesses pass along their electricity price increases. 

Some California firms, particularly those making commodities sold around the world, won’t be able to substantially raise their prices without losing business from customers who will buy from competitors in other states and countries. 

Manufacturers of cement, glass, paper products and steel are among the companies that probably won’t be able to pass along their higher energy costs, Puglia said. 

The rate increases mean that utility bills will consume about 25 percent to 30 percent of a big manufacturer’s budget, Puglia estimated, up from about 15 percent now. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some companies go out of business because of this,” said Justin Bradley, director of energy programs for the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Association, a high-tech trade group. 

Even if they don’t shut down completely, many companies likely will lay off workers as they cut costs to pay for power. The California Manufacturers and Technology Association estimates that the energy crisis will result in the loss of 135,755 jobs — or about 40,000 more than the entire dot-com industry has laid off nationwide during the past 16 months. 

Painful though they may be, higher electricity rates and some resulting layoffs are a better alternative than the increased number of blackouts that probably would have occurred if retail prices hadn’t been raised, according to most economists. 

“People are wildly exaggerating how much this is going to hurt the California economy,” said Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Palo Alto research firm. “The rate increases are part of a long-term solution for California. We needed them to stabilize the market. On balance, this is a good thing.” 

Even though his monthly utility bill at one of his restaurants rose from $1,500 last year to $4,500 this year, El Balazo’s Sandoval shares Levy’s optimism. After all, customers continue to pour into his restaurants, despite his restaurant’s higher menu prices. 

“Business is so good that I have been too busy to think about whether I am going to have to raise my prices again,” he said. “If I have to, I will. I don’t think people are going to stop eating because of this.”

LOS ANGELES – The head of the California Public Utilities Commission provided a state Senate committee with evidence showing three power generators reduced electricity production and then benefited from the resulting high prices. 

While testifying before the committee Friday, PUC President Loretta Lynch displayed charts that tracked electricity prices and power generation at three plants on a single day last November. 

According to the graphs, after the plants reduced production during the middle of the day, the state was forced to declare two separate power emergencies which indicate electricity reserves had fallen seriously low. 

After the shortfall in supply helped cause a spike in prices, the companies operating the three plants suddenly increased their electricity production to almost full capacity, allowing them to capitalize on the much higher rates. 

“We certainly see a pattern,” Lynch told the committee, which is investigating alleged manipulation of the state’s wholesale power market by energy suppliers. “Many generators are playing on their experience and playing, to an extent, California.” 

Maintenance records reviewed by investigators show that there were no valid reasons for the plants to cut back production, Lynch said. 

She would not identify the power plants involved, however, Lynch did say that they are owned by at least two companies. 

Sen. Joseph Dunn, who heads the special committee investigating alleged market manipulation, said Lynch’s testimony, on its face, is “very damning.” 

He said his committee has uncovered additional preliminary evidence showing that several power companies have allegedly engaged in similar behavior. 

During a break in Friday’s hearing, a spokeswoman for a trade group of major power suppliers told the Los Angeles Times that there have been no coordinated efforts to shrink supplies to increase profits. 

“There has been no collusion,” said Jean Muoz of the Independent Energy Producers Association. 

The PUC and state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer are jointly investigating the exorbitant wholesale power prices that have cost California billions and brought major utilities to financial ruin.

By Ron Harris 

Associated Press Writer 

SAN FRANCISCO – After years of complaints from parents about San Francisco’s crowded, ill-equipped and run-down schools, the FBI has been called in to find out whether the mess is more than just a matter of bad management. 

City and school authorities asked the bureau earlier this spring to determine whether the mishandling of millions of dollars was criminal. 

“This is a very broken school system,” said Arlene Ackerman, who has been superintendent for less than a year “The infrastructure and finances are very broken.” 

The FBI would not comment. But City Attorney Louise Renne said her office is working with the bureau in an investigation of current or former school staff members. 

In 1990 and 1997, San Francisco residents voted for school improvement and construction bonds totaling $90 million for the district, which has more than 66,000 students and an annual budget of about $500 million. 

The money was meant to cover earthquake-related repairs, fire and safety improvements, building renovations and construction. 

But $27 million went to other projects and needs without Board of Education approval, an audit by an accounting firm found. Some of it went to salaries to new staff in an administration Ackerman has called bloated. 

In addition, $14.6 million in state grant money to be used for new construction and modernization is unaccounted for. 

“That’s just a complete waste of money that’s out there that the district could be soliciting or putting to use,” said Maricela Valencia, who has a daughter in sixth grade. 

Valencia said she is putting her daughter back in private school — at $800 per month with a scholarship — after a one-year trial of the public system. 

“It disappointed me the most in that the number of children in the classroom is too much for the teacher to deal with,” she said. “The students are out of control.” 

Ackerman said the school district needs “tight accountability systems.” She refused to blame directly any previous superintendents or board members, saying only that her job is to fix things. 

Many parents and some district employees say the breakdowns in management and accounting came during the tenure of the previous schools chief, Bill Rojas. Rojas left to become superintendent of the Dallas system but was fired less than a year later after clashing with the board there. 

This week, he returned to San Francisco to answer the allegations. 

Rojas admitted that there were “weak internal controls” during his tenure, but said that the current administration is also to blame for failing to track the bond money. 

“How long, when budgets are produced year to year, are you going to blame Bill Rojas?” he said at a city Board of Supervisors meeting. “I may not have been the most popular superintendent, but you don’t have a single financial audit saying we weren’t solvent.” 

Parents have long complained about an administration in disarray, underpaid teachers, dilapidated buildings, classrooms without books and limited Internet access in one of the world’s most technology-oriented cities. 

Some of the schools are in such bad repair that they were cited in an ACLU lawsuit accusing the state and city of discrimination in funding. 

Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, for example, consists of dilapidated wooden buildings and World War II bungalows in a largely black part of town. A $4 million improvement project has ballooned to $16 million, with little progress toward a new campus. 

At the same time, Lowell High, which selects the city’s brightest students, is still waiting for campus-wide Internet access, despite qualifying for a $1 million state grant for the project in 1998. 

The Board of Education recruited Ackerman after learning of her successes running schools in Washington, D.C. The board also recently named Ramon Cortines, a former superintendent in San Francisco and New York City, to lead a citizens oversight committee. 

“I’m very saddened, but I’m not shocked or surprised,” school board member Dan Kelly said of the financial mess. “This is exactly the kind of activity that some of us thought was going on.”

MOUNT DIABLO – Several Bay Area state parks have resorted to hiring “hit men” to rid natural areas of a number of cloven-hoofed marauders. 

Naturalists and local wild land managers said they have now begun to control the region’s burgeoning wild pig population. 

The pigs are legendary for transforming green areas into muddy, furrowed plots with their rooting, while destroying the habitats of other animals.  

It is estimated that the area’s wild pig population ranges anywherefrom the hundreds to the thousands. 

The pigs, which were first sighted in the 1980s, are not native to California and accounts of how they got here vary. But park officials agree the porkers are here to stay. 

State funding dictates efforts to trap pigs in state and local parks. Since recreational hunting is not allowed in public parks, park and utility districts must either send members of their own staffs pig hunting or hire professional trappers. 

The “hit man” approach has proven effective, but there are costs associated. 

In Mount Diablo State Park, officials have quietly dispatched 244 wild pigs over the last two-and-a-half years. The park has a five-year contract with its trapper to the tune of $100,000. And pig money can dry up as fast as a mud-hole in July during tight budget years. 

“I would say there’s about 80 percent less damage (on Mount Diablo) since I started,” one trapper, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Contra Costa Times. The trapper said he wished to maintain a low profile to avoid possible animal rights controversies. 

He said pig control programs require constant maintenance year-round. Areas without such programs can become overrun with the swine in just a few years. 

“The pigs cannot multiply faster than I can kill them,” the trapper said.

SAN FRANCISCO – Two runners from Kenya won San Francisco’s most popular race Sunday, the 12K Bay to Breakers. 

James Koskei won the men’s race in 34:19 in his first time running the race. He said the steep Hayes Street hill presented some difficulty. 

“When we reached the hill, we had to struggle,” he said. “We started pushing then.” 

Jane Ngotho won the women’s race in 40:35, beating second-place finisher Jane Omoro, also of Kenya, by one second. 

“The race today was good,” Ngotho said. “The weather was good.” 

The cool, foggy weather at the 8 a.m. beginning didn’t deter some from running the race naked. The race draws serious runners and those out for a good time, many in costumes, such as the game Twister and Batman and Robin. 

The runners made their way down streets littered with tortillas, and as the winners crossed the finish line, some of the 60,000 runners and walkers were just reaching the one-mile mark – an hour after the race began. 

Defending champion Reuben Cheruiyot finished second in the men’s race, three seconds behind Koskei. Third was Moroccan El Arbi Khattabi, who finished in 34:40. The women’s third-place finisher was Gladys Asiba, of Kenya, who finished in 40:51.

For the fourth game in a row, the Berkeley Yellowjackets couldn’t put together a big inning. For the fourth game in a row, they gave the other team a big inning. So for the fourth game in a row, they lost. 

With the 6-3 loss on Friday to El Cerrito in the regular season finale at San Pablo Park, the ’Jackets also put themselves in a poor position to pick up an at-large bid for the North Coast Section playoffs. Head coach Tim Moellering will attend the NCS meeting on Sunday to apply for a spot, but losing four in a row to end the season isn’t exactly the way to impress the selection committee. 

“We’re probably a bubble team,” Moellering said. “We’re certainly capable of beating some teams in the playoffs, but we have to sweat it out.” 

The way the ’Jackets have played the last two weeks, however, they don’t look like they could beat much of anyone. They were outscored 26-11 in the four losses, and scored more than one run in an inning just once. And with Stanford-bound pitcher Moses Kopmar sidelined with a groin injury, their pitching has looked shaky, giving up four innings of four or more runs to their opponents. 

“We talked about those big innings, and the fact that that’s the best time to step up on defense, but we’ve just let the roof cave in on us,” Moellering said. 

The cave-in happened in the top of the fifth on Friday. Cole Stipovich had come in and snuffed an El Cerrito rally the previous inning, but walked nine-hitter Ken Hirose to start the fifth with the score tied 1-1. After a bunt single by James McDermott, Ryan De La Rosa dropped a sacrifice bunt down the first-base line. Berkeley first baseman Sean Souders started to charge the ball and couldn’t get back to the base in time to take Stipovich’s throw, loading the bases. 

The Gauchos had four bunt singles in the game, and the ’Jackets looked shaky covering every one of them. 

“We really only misplayed one bunt. They were all very good bunts,” Moellering said. 

Stipovich struck out Greg Murray, and it looked as if he might wiggle his way out of another jam. But Andy Davaran knocked a single into left field for two runs, and Jamonte Cox lined a single off of Stipovich’s leg to score two more. 

Berkeley finally got something going in the bottom of the sixth, as Noah Roper and Jeremy LeBeau had RBI singles to draw the ’Jackets within two runs. But the El Cerrito coaches lifted Murray and brought in fireballer Kenny Salyer with two outs and men on second and third. Salyer walked Souders to load the bases, but got Lee Franklin to fly out to left to end the threat. The Gauchos tacked on another run in the top of the seventh, and Salyer struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to end the game. 

So now the ’Jackets will have to wait until Sunday to find out if they will go on playing this season. There are 16 total spots in the NCS 3A playoffs, but Moellering said he really isn’t sure about his team’s chances of snagging one of them. 

“I really don’t know, because there are some leagues we haven’t heard from,” he said. “I just don’t have the information yet.”

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. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins, and become little “dump” workers. $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. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) 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 2911 Russell St. 549-6950  

UC Berkeley Art Museum “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 exuberant color, and by its combinations of media and subject matter. “Ricky Swallow/Matrix 191,” Including new sculptures and drawings through May 27; “Five Star: the 31st Annual University of California at Berkeley Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition: Through May 27 $6 general; $4 seniors and students age 12 to 18; children age 12 and under free; free Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon and Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; 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  

Lawrence Hall of Science “Math Rules!” A math exhibit of hands-on problem-solving stations, each with a different mathematical challenge.“Within the Human Brain” Ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “T. Rex on Trial,” Through May 28 Where was T. Rex at the time of the crime? Learn how paleontologists decipher clues to dinosaur behavior. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Computer Lab, Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

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. All ages. May 19: Punk Prom and benefit for India quake victims features Pansy Division, Plus Ones, Dave Hill, Iron Ass; May 25: Controlling Hand, Wormwood, Goats Blood, American Waste, Quick to Blame; May 26: Honor System, Divit, Enemy You, Eleventeen, Tragedy Andy; June 1: Alkaline Trio, Hotrod Circuit, No Motiv, Dashboard Confessional, Bluejacket; June 2 El Dopa, Dead Bodies Everywhere, Shadow People, Ludicra, Ballast. 525-9926  

Ashkenaz May 19: 9:30 Kotoja; May 20: 8:30 p.m. Jude Taylor and His Burning Flames; May 22: Nigerian Brothers, Zulu Exiles, Umlilo; May 23: Paul Pena and Friends; May 24: Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon; May 25: Jelly Roll; May 26: Carribean All Stars; May 27: Big Brother and the Holding Company; May 29: Andrew Carrier and Cajun Classics; May 30: Fling Ding, Bluegrass Intentions, Leslie Kier and Friends; May 31: Wake the Dead, David Gans 1370 San Pablo Ave. (at Gilman) 525-5054 or www.ashkenaz.com  

Freight & Salvage All music at 8 p.m. May 20: KALW’s 60th Anniversary Concert featuring Paul Pena, Orla and the Gasmen, Kennelly Irish Dancers, Kathy Kallick and Nina Gerber; May 23: Willis Alan Ramsey; May 24: Nickel Creek; May 25: Gearoid O’Hallmhurain, Patrick Ourceau, Robbie O’Connell; May 26: Darryl Henriques; May 27: Shana Morrison; May 31: Freight 33rd Anniversary Concert Series: Bob Dylan Song Night and others; June 1: The Riders of the Purple Sage. 1111 Addison St. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter All shows at 8 p.m. May 19: Solomon Grundy; May 22: Willy N’ Mo; May 23: Global Echo; May 24: Beatdown with DJ’s Delon, Yamu and Add1; May 25: The Mind Club; May 26: Rythm Doctors; May 29: The Lost Trio; May 30: Zambambazo 2181 Shattuck Ave 843-8277  

La Pena Cultural Center May 19, 8 p.m.: Carnaval featuring Company of Prophets, Loco Bloco, Mystic, Los Delicados, DJ Sake One and DJ Namane; May 20: 6 p.m. Venezuelan Music Recital; May 24: Tato Enriquez, plus a video and photo exhibit from earthquake-devastated El Salvador; May 26: 7-9 p.m. in the Cafe Jason Moen Jazz Quartet, 9:30 p.m. Charanga Tumbo y Cuerdas; May 27: 4 p.m. in the cafe La Pena Flamenca; May 28: 7 p.m. Frank Emilio Flynn 3105 Shattuck Ave. 849-2568 or www.lapena.org  

Satsuki Arts Festival and Bazaar May 19, 4 - 10 p.m. & May 20, Noon - 7 p.m. A fund-raiser for the Berkeley Buddhist Temple featuring musical entertainment by Julio Bravo & Orquesta Salsabor, Delta Wires, dance presentations by Kaulana Na Pua and Kariyushi Kai, food, arts & crafts, plants & seedlings, and more. Berkeley Buddhist Temple 2121 Channing Way (at Shattuck) 841-1356 

KALW 60th Anniversary Celebration May 20, 8 p.m. An evening of eclectic music and dance that reflects the eclectic nature of the stations’ programming. Performers include Paul Pena, Kathy Kallick & Nina Gerber, Orla & the Gas Men, and the Kennelly Irish Dancers. $19.50 - $20.50 Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 or www.thefreight.org  

VOCI Women’s Choral Ensemble and Kairos Youth Chorus May 20, 7 p.m. Presenting “Songs From the Soul: A celebration of life, love, and the yearning for peace.” Works by Lassus, Back, Brahms, Vivaldi and others. $15 - $20. University Christian Church 2401 Le Conte 524-2604 

Berkeley Chamber Performances May 22, 8 p.m. Presenting “Baguette Quartette” for an evening of Parisian Cafe music. $12 - $15 Berkeley City Club 2315 Durant Ave. 525-5211 www.berkeleychamberperform.org 

Berkeley Lyric Opera Orchestra May 25, 8 p.m. John Kendall Baily conducting, Ivan Ilic on piano. Works by Back, Stravinsky, Mozart, Prokofiev. $15 - $20 St. John’s Presbyterian Church 2727 Collage Ave. 843-5781  

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, Combos and Lab Band May 25, 7:30 p.m. $5 - $8. Florance Schwimley Little Theatre 1920 Allston Way www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/arts/performing/jazz 

New Millennium Strings Benefit Concert May 26, 8 p.m. Featuring pieces by Weber, Chabrier, Bizet.  

Benefits Berkeley Food Pantry $7 - $10 University Christian Church 2401 La Conte 526-3331 

Colibri May 26, 11 a.m. Latin American songs and rythms. West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 1125 University 649-3964 

Himalayan Fair May 27, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects. $5 donation Live Oak Park 1300 Shattuck Ave. 869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Kenny Washington May 27, 4:30 p.m. $6 - $12. Jazzschool/La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter String Quartet May 27, 7:30 p.m. Works by Janacek and Haydn. $8 - $10. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St.  

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

Dance 

Berkeley Ballet Theater Spring Showcase. May 20: 11 a.m. Pre-Ballet, 2 p.m. Children’s Division, 7 p.m. Youth Ensemble Gala Performance with reception following; May 21: 2 p.m. Youth Ensemble, 6 p.m. Adult Division $5 - 15. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 College Ave. 843-4689  

Theater 

“Procession of the Sun and Moon” with Selected Solo Pieces by Maria Lexa May 27, 2 p.m. Full length drama with giant puppets and masked characters accompanied by live music. $5 - $10 Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“New Moon at Sinai” May 30, 7 p.m. Music, live puppet theater, shadows and images will take the audience from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Featuring music by Pharoah’s Daughter and Mozaik and the musical and ritual theater group The Puppet Players. $8 - $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts 2640 Collage Ave 925-798-1300 

“Conversations In Commedia” May 30, 7:30 p.m. Series continues with Mime Troupe playwright Joan Holden and veteran clown/actor/director/playwright Jeff Raz. $6 - $8. La Pena 3105 Shattuck Ave 849-2568 

“Big Love” by Charles L. Mee Through June 10 Directed by Les Waters and loosely based on the Greek Drama, “The Suppliant Woman,” by Aeschylus. Fifty brides who are being forced to marry fifty brothers flee to a peaceful villa on the Italian coast in search of sanctuary. $15.99 - $51 Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 

“Planet Janet” Through June 10, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 7 p.m. Follows six young urbanites’ struggles in sex and dating. Impact Theatre presentation written by Bret Fetzer, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7 - $12 La Val’s Subterranean Theatre 1834 Euclid 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“The Misanthrope” by Moliere Through June 10, Fri - Sun, 8 p.m. Berkeley-based Women in Time Productions presents this comic love story full of riotous wooing, venomous scheming and provocative dialogue. All female design and production staff. $17 - $20 Il Teatro 450 449 Powell St. San Francisco 415-433-1172 or visit www.womenintime.com 

“The Laramie Project” Through July 8, Wed. 7 p.m., Tues. and Thur. -Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written by Moises Kaufmen and members of Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Moises Kaufman. Moises Kaufman and Tectonic members travelled to Laramie, Wyoming after the murder of openly gay student Matthew Shepard. The play is about the community and the impact Shepard’s death had on its members. $10 - $50. The Roda Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Sister, My Sister” May 20, 5 p.m. Poetry, photography and dramatic readings which give voice to women and children cuaght in homelessness. Admission is free, donations welcome. Live Oak Park Theatre1301 Shattuck Ave. 528-8198 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive May 19: 3:30 Starewicz Puppet Films; May 20: 5:30 The New Gulliver; May 22: 7:30 Can Dialectics Break Bricks; May 23: 7:30 Casting Call; May 24: 7:00 Sampo; May 25: 7:30 E Flat; May 26: 7:00 Subarnarekha; May 27: 5:30 Stone Flowers. Pacific Film Archive Theater 2575 Bancroft Way (at Bowditch) 642-1412 

“Svetlana Village” May 26, 4 p.m. Subtitled “The Camphill Experience in Russia,” details community of organic farmers, nearly half of whom are developmentally disabled. World premiere benefit screening, Q & A with director and a Svetlana resident afterwards. $7-$15 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck Ave 

Exhibits 

“Scapes/Escapes” Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media by Evelyn Glaubman Through June 1 Tuesday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. Gallery of the Center for Psychological Studies 1398 Solano Ave. Albany 524-0291 

“Elemental” The art of Linda Mieko Allen Through June 9, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery 1316 Tenth St. 527-1214 www.traywick.com 

Ledger drawings of Michael and Sandra Horse. Meet the artists May 19, 20 (call for times). Exhibit runs through June 18. Gathering Tribes Gallery 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038 www.gatheringtribes.com  

“Alive in Her: Icons of the Goddess” Through June 19, Tuesday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photography, collage, and paintings by Joan Beth Clair. Pacific School of Religion 1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Tyler James Hoare Sculpture and Collage Through June 27, call for hours. Party June 9, 5-9 p.m. with music by Sauce Piquante. The Albatross Pub 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

“Watershed 2001” Through July 14, Wednesday - Sunday Noon - 5 p.m. Exhibition of painting, drawing, sculpture and installation that explore images and issues about our watershed. Slide presentation on creek restoration and urban design May 31, 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

Bernard Maisner: Illuminated Manuscripts & Paintings. Through Aug. 8 Maisner works in miniature as well as in large scales, combining his mastery of medieval illumination, gold leafing, and modern painting techniques. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 849-2541 

“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 

“Geographies of My Heart” Collage paintings by Jennifer Colby through August 24; Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 

Images of Portugal Paintings by Sofia Berto Villas-Boas of her native land. Open after 5 p.m. Voulez-Vous 2930 College Ave. (at Elmwood) 

“Tropical Visions: Images of AfroCaribbean Women in the Quilt Tapestries of Cherrymae Golston” Through May 28, Tu-Th, 1-7 p.m., Sat 12-4 p.m. Women’s Cancer Resource Center Gallery 3023 Shattuck Ave. 548-9286 ext 307 

Readings 

Cody’s Books 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 21: Ariel Dorfman reads “Blakes Therapy”; May 22: Daniel Schacter talks about “The Seven Signs of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers”; May 24: Katie Hafner decribes “The Well: A Story of Love, Death and Real Life in the Seminal Online Community”; May 25: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about “In the Heart of the Sea”; May 29: David Harris talks about “Shooting the Moon: The True Story of An American Manhunt Unlike Any Other, Ever”  

Boadecia’s Books 398 Colusa Ave. Kensington All events at 7:30 p.m., unless noted May 19: Jessica Barksdale Inclan will read from “Her Daughter’s Eyes” 559-9184 or www.bookpride.com  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 843-3533 All events at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise May 23: Jon Bowermaster discusses his book “Birthplace of the Winds: Adventuring in Alaska’s Islands of Fire and Ice”; May 29, 7 - 9 p.m.: Travel Photo Workshop with Joan Bobkoff. $15 registration fee  

“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. May 24: Stephanie Young with host Louis Cuneo; May 31: Connie Post with host Louis Cuneo Cafe Firenze 2116 Shattuck Ave. 644-0155. 

Adan David Miller and JoJo Doig May 20, 7 p.m. Poetry and spoken word. Ecology Center 2530 San Pablo 548-3333 

Tours 

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

Berkeley City Club Tours 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. The fourth Sunday of every month, Noon - 4 p.m. $2 848-7800  

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

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tours All tours begin at 10 a.m. and are restricted to 30 people per tour $5 - $10 per tour May 19: John Stansfield & Allen Stross will lead a tour of the School for the Deaf and Blind; June 2: Trish Hawthorne will lead a tour of Thousand Oaks School and Neighborhood; June 23: Sue Fernstrom will lead a tour of Strawberry Creek and West of the UC Berkeley campus 848-0181 

Lectures 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute Free Lectures All lectures begin at 6 p.m. May 20: Miep Cooymans and Dan Jones on “Working with Awareness, Concentration, and Energy”; May 27: Eva Casey on “Getting Calm; Staying Clear”; June 3: Jack van der Meulen on “Healing Through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga)”; June 10: Sylvia Gretchen on “Counteracting Negative Emotions” Tibetan Nyingma Institute 1815 Highland Place 843-6812 

Progressives? Call them radical 

Editor: 

I’m responding to a front page article in today’s issue on a squabble in the Berkeley City Council. You use terminology that is very misleading. 

Unfortunately this poor choice of words seems to have been accepted on all sides for years. I am referring to your calling the more left-of-center group progressive and the center group moderate. 

In my view the left-of-center group has never been progressive. It should be called left or left wing radical. The “moderate” group is hardly moderate. It is very progressive liberal and should be so designated. 

Misleading assignment of names verges on propagating falsehood.  

In Berkeley we ought to be able to call a spade a spade. 

Joseph E. Lifschutz, M.D. 

Berkeley 

Elected officials accountable for electricity crisis 

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Elected Officials: 

Re: Electricity 

As the elected officials representing the districts that will be most impacted by the results of poor judgment and bad decision-making of “electorates past,” you are obligated to act on behalf of your constituents by making decisions that are in the best interest of the people you promised to represent. 

Your offices had the power to prevent this mess. Your offices have the power to correct it. 

Like many Californians, my income is dependent upon the uninterrupted flow of affordable electricity. Rolling blackouts, exorbitant rate hikes and tax increases to repay bonds are not options.  

Prove your allegiances.  

You should either place the burden of bond re-payment on California’s taxpayers and allow the ongoing exploitation of utility customers while the utility companies’ parent corporations continue paying dividend to their shareholders and implement rolling blackouts that will further threaten California’s economy. 

Or you should take control of the utility companies’ assets and generating plants. 

Legislate that the State of California and its citizens be reimbursed for costs incurred since deregulation. 

Return to the ratepayers (via rate reductions and credits) what they have been overpaying to the utility companies. 

Take this opportunity to introduce, and pass legislation that will prevent these catastrophes of greed from occurring in the future. You hold office at a time when the public is painfully aware of the issues at hand and we will stand behind your efforts to introduce positive and necessary reforms. 

Prove that you are working on behalf of your constituents and fulfilling the duties of your office, or prove that you are working on behalf of the utility companies in their efforts to exploit their ratepayers.  

I will hold you and your offices accountable for any revenues lost as a result of rolling blackouts, all excessive rates I am charged and all tax increases as a result of existing and future bond measures if these matters are not resolved in a manner that is beneficial to all Californians. 

Mitchell Triplett 

Albany 

Opposition to Beth El not about good works 

Editor: 

Recent articles and arguments in support of the Beth El project on Oxford and Spruce Streets have noted the good works performed by the Congregation and by many of its individual members.  

Such activities are to be applauded and both deserve and receive our respect. However, these good works have nothing to do with the zoning and planning issues at hand.  

Many organizations act for the good of humanity yet do not claim the right to do so in an area of single-family homes.  

There are two overriding problems with this project. The first is that it is simply too big. Where else in a single-family zone can one find a building of roughly 34,000 square feet? Even more important, Beth El has crossed the line between a church and school, which are conditionally allowed in single-family zones, and a commercial facility, which is not.  

Beth El’s plans call for an industrial size kitchen and banquet area. Beth El will rent this facility to its members which will act as a magnet for social occasions of all sorts.  

Having such a resource will be a powerful recruiting tool to attract new members to the Congregation, thus compounding the problem. Beth El may not maintain this type of commercial operation at its present site.  

As it is, the hosting of such social functions is directed to a variety of venues throughout the area that are equipped for and in the business of handling such events.  

Please don’t misunderstand. The social activities associated with Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and weddings are important and wonderful events.  

May the band play on joyously into the night. However, to expect to do so in a single family neighborhood is bad policy and bad planning, no matter how profound are the good works performed by the celebrants.  

Daniel P. McLoughlin 

Berkeley  

Beating a path through it all 

Editor: 

In defense of his pretty creekside backyard, Zack Cowan of Spruce Street raises one silly and one reasonable bone of contention with my plan for a public path along Codornices Creek that would connect Live Oak Park with the Rose Garden and Codornices Park. He comically claims that to put the stream under Spruce would be to build a rickety wooden bridge to carry the automobile and bike traffic on the street. Actually, my mode for going under Spruce is just two blocks away on Walnut, where there is not a bump in the asphalt and cars that pass easily over the creek and creekside path that run underneath and connect two parts of Live Oak Park..  

The serious point from Cowan is his question of how I can claim that no homes would need to be “eminent domained” when the creek runs directly under a home up on Glen. If I may get more specific than in my letter outlining the plan: The house with the creek in the basement can be avoided by running the path up to Glen street through the very large and wide backyard of an adjacent home. The path would resume on the uphill side of Glen by going through the undeveloped narrow strip separating the back walls of two small homes. The creek cascades down from the Rose Garden into their backyards. All homes that make space for the path would, of course, receive generous payment from the city. I don’t know where Cowan got the idea I intended the city to just take his yard.  

In surveying for the plan I noticed that many homes on Spruce and Glen have “save the creek” signs in their yards. And yet Mr. Cowan’s letter was not unexpected. A Spruce street resident, who was passing by while I was surveying, told me, pointing to where the creek bubbles under Spruce, “I support your idea but I suspect that the owner over there will give you quite a fight.”  

Ted Vincent  

Berkeley

Saturday, May 19

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Annual strawberry tasting 

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

548-3333 

Get to Know Your Plants 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave.  

Learn what to look for and what and how to record it to more intimately know your plants.  

548-2220 

“Be Your Own Boss” 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

YWCA 

1515 Webster Street, Oakland 

Second Saturday of a two day workshop on starting up small businesses (see May 12). 

415-541-8580 

Community Summit on  

Smaller Learning  

Communities 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Alternative High School  

MLK Jr. Way (at Derby)  

All teachers, students, administrators, parents, and community members are encouraged to attend this meeting on smaller learning communities at Berkeley High. Translation, childcare, and food will be provided.  

540-1252 to RSVP for services 

Campaign for Equality Benefit  

7:30 - 10 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club  

1650 Mountain Blvd.  

Oakland 

A comedy benefit with performances by Karen Ripley, Julia Jackson, Pippi Lovestocking, Darrick Richardson, and Nick Leonard. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Lesbian Gay Association Scholarship Fund for the 2001 ILGA Summit in Oakland.  

$15 - $20 466-5050 

Finish Carpentry 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

Carpenter/contractor Kevin Stamm leads workshop. $95. 525-7610 

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

Seminar taught by structural engineer Tony DeMascole and seismic contractor Jim Gillett. $75. 

525-7610 

How to Prevent Home Owner Nightmares 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

Dispute prevention and early resolution seminar taught by contractor/mediator Ron Kelly. $75. 

525-7610 

Puppet Shows 

1:30 and 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health (Lower Level) 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Program on physical and mental differences. Promotes acceptance and understanding. Free. 

549-1564  

Historical Society Walking Tour 

10 a.m. - noon 

Clark Kerr Campus 

East Entrace (off Warring St.) 

The “State Asylum for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind” moved to what is now Clark Kerr Campus in 1860. Learn about evolution of sight, history of the school. $10. 

848-0181 

Bicycle Treasure Hunt 

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Meet at Downtown Berkeley BART 11 a.m. 

Meet at BART to travel down to Alameda for a four hour treasure hunt. $0 - $30. www.bayhunt.org 

Berkeley High Car Wash 

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Channing Way and Milvia 

Car wash fund-raiser by yearbook staff. $4-5. 

Preparedness Block Party 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

McGee St. between Oregon and Stuart 

To help residents prepare for earthquakes, rolling blackouts, and other emergencies. Key activities between noon and 2 p.m. Live music, BBQ, potluck, activities for children. 883-5280 

Community Workshop 

10 a.m. 

Alternative High School 

For those concerned about the future of students and Berkeley High School. 

644-4586 

Sunday, May 20

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 849-0217 

Working with Awareness,  

Concentration, Energy 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Nyingma members discuss meditative awareness in everyday life. Free and open to the public. 

843-6812 

Salsa Lesson & Dance Party  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Kick up your heels and move your hips with professional instructors Mati Mizrachi and Ron Louie. Plus Israeli food provided by the Holy Land Restaurant. Novices encouraged to attend and no partners are required.  

$12 RSVP: 237-9874 

Mediterranean Herbs 

1:30 p.m. 

UC Botanical Garden 

200 Centennial Drive 

Tour of herbs. Learn myths and legends, ideas for planting in home gardens. 

643-1924 

Jazz on 4th Street Festival 

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

4th St. between Hearst and Virginia 

Performances by Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble and two Berkeley High Jazz Combos, among others. Also 4th St. merchants, raffle prizes, arts and crafts. Free admission. Proceeds benefit Berkeley High Performing Arts.  

526-6294 

Monday, May 21  

Creation conversation 

7:30 - 10 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Rabbi Yaacov Deyo, founder of L.A.’s SpeedDating will review creation from the reference point of physics and compare this to the description classical Jewish sources have given for our universe and its creation.  

$10  

848-0237 x127 

— compiled by  

Sabrina Forkish 

Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commissions Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Hs Lordships Restaurant 

199 Seawall Drive 

Berkeley Marina 

Meeting to discuss the proposed new Eastshore State Park. 

981-6334 

Solid Waste Management Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Solid Waste Management Center 

1201 Second St. 

Among other topics, staff report on status of TV’s/monitors as hazardous material. 

Tuesday, May 22 

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 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

Strawberry tasting 

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

548-3333 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Free Writing, Cashiering & Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Solving Residential Drainage Problems 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

Second day of two day seminar led by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt. Continued from Thursday May 17. $70 for both days. 

525-7610 

Wednesday, May 23  

Healthful Building Materials  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by environmental consultant Darrel DeBoer.  

$35 per person  

525-7610 

Regional Tranportation Talk 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Rebecca Kaplan of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition will talk about the Metropolitan Transportation Commision’s 25-year Regional Transportation Plan at the regular meeting of the Berkeley Gray Panthers. Open to the public. 

548-9696 

Forum on Small Learning Communities 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave 

Organized by Berkeley High Senior Nicole Heyman, panel of students, teachers and community members will discuss the achievement gap at Berkeley High and possible reform plans. Students encouraged to participate. $3. 

Thursday, May 24  

Paddling Adventures  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Dan Crandell, member of the U.S. National Kayak Surf Team and owner of Current Adventures Kayak School, will introduce attendees to all aspects of kayaking. Free  

527-4140 

City of Berkeley Meeting 

2 - 4 p.m. 

2120 Milvia St. 

Second Floor Conference Rm. 

Bancroft-Durant Two-Way Street Proposal Meeting. Call Bike For a Better City 597-1235. 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission Meeting 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

Among other topics, correspondance regarding Commissioner Training, Eastshore State Park planning meetings and proposal for commissioner advocate. 

705-8105 

Community Health Commission Meeting 

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Among other topics, a vote on Letter of Apology to Mayor. 

644-6109 

Friday, May 25  

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  

Free Writing, Cashiering & Computer Literacy Class 

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

AJOB Adult School  

1911 Addison St.  

Free classes offered Monday through Friday. Stop by and register or call 548-6700. 

www.ajob.org 

Living Philosophers  

10 a.m. - Noon  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way)  

Hear and entertain the ideas of some modern day philosophers: Jacob Needleman, J. Revel, Hilary Putnam, John Searle, Saul Kripke, Richard Rorty and others. Every Friday, except holidays. Facilitated by H.D. Moe.  

Therapy for Trans Partners  

6 - 7:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center for Human Growth  

2712 Telegraph Ave. (at Derby)  

A group open to partners of those in transition or considering transition. The group is structured to be a safe place to receive support from peers and explore a variety of issues, including sexual orientation, coming out, feelings of isolation, among other topics. Intake process required. Meeting Fridays through August 17.  

$8 - $35 sliding scale per session  

Call 548-8283 x534 or x522 

Saturday, May 26 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects.  

$5 donation 

869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net  

Chocolate and Chalk Art Festival 

9 a.m. 

Registration at Peralta Park 

1561 Solano Ave. 

Areas of sidewalk will be assigned to participants to create their own sidewalk art. People who find all five of the chocolate kisses chalked onto Solano Ave. can enter raffle for cash prize. Chocolate Menu available listing various items for various chocolate items for sale from Solano businesses. Dog fashion show at Solano Ave. and Key Route in Albany at 2 p.m. Free. 

527-5358 

Sunday, May 27  

Himalayan Fair 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.  

Live Oak Park  

1300 Shattuck Ave.  

The only such event in the world, the fair celebrates the mountain cultures of Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ladakh, Mustang and Bhutan. Arts, antiques and modern crafts, live music and dance. Proceeds benefit Indian, Pakistani, Tibetan, and Nepalese grassroots projects.  

$5 donation 

869-3995 or www.himalayanfair.net 

Getting Calm; Staying Clear 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Discussion of meditation and analysis. Free and open to the public. 

843-6812  

Inside Interior Design  

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar led by certified interior designer and artist Lori Inman.  

$35 per person  

525-7610 

Monday, May 28 

Shavuot Ice Cream Party 

11 a.m. 

Berkeley Hillel 

2736 Bancroft Way 

Coeme hear the ten commandments. 

540-5824 

Tuesday, May 29 

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 

Young Queer Women’s Group 

8 - 9:30 p.m.  

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave.  

Make some new friends, expand your horizons and get support with a bunch of queer women all in the same place at the same time (somewhere between 18 and 25).  

548-8283 or visit www.pacificcenter.org 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

The Lois Club Meeting 

12 noon or 6 p.m. 

Venizia Caffe and Bistro 

1799 University Ave. 

Social gathering for people whose names are Lois. National organization, local chapter now has 75 members. Open to Loises and their guests. Join the club for lunch or dinner. Call 848-6254 by May 25 

Wednesday, May 30  

Dream Home for a Song  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by author/contractor/owner-builder David Cook.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

Thursday, May 31  

Backpacking in Northern CA.  

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Outdoors Unlimited’s director, Ari Derfel, will give a slide presentation on some of his favorite destinations for three-to-four-day backpacking vacations. Free  

527-4140 

Attic Conversions  

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center  

812 Page St. 

Seminar conducted by architect/builder Andus Brandt.  

$35 per person  

525-7610  

League of Women Voters’ Dinner and Meeting 

5:30 - 9 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Featuring speaker Brenda Harbin-Forte, presiding judge of the Alameda County Juvenile Court on “What’s happening with Alameda County children in the juvenile justice system after Prop. 21?” $10 to reserve buffet supper. May bring own meal or come only for meeting/speaker. 

843-8824  

Battle lines are being drawn in the discussion about whether “small learning communities” could help Berkeley High School tackle problems with truancy, campus violence, teacher turn-over, and the achievement gap that separates Asian and white students from their African-American and Latino peers. 

With the help of a $50,000 federal planning grant, some Berkeley Unified School District teachers and parents have organized meetings in recent months to examine the potential of small learning communities at Berkeley High. One is taking place at the Alternative High School, 2701 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. 

If enough community support for the small learning communities’ model emerges, the Berkeley school district could apply for implementation grants in the fall. 

Small learning communities have been used at large high schools in Chicago and other cities to make education more relevant to students by allowing them to choose among a diverse array of learning communities, rather than forcing them to conform to the traditional curriculum of one “comprehensive” school. 

Berkeley parents and teachers who support small learning communities for Berkeley High say they would allow teachers to give more individualized attention to struggling students, deepening their interest in academic topics. 

“It’s an incredible opportunity to turn people on to education through personalization,” said Berkeley High teacher Dana Richardson at a recent community meeting. 

Over time, such an approach would improve the attendance, behavior and test scores of students who have historically had problems in these areas, small learning community enthusiasts argue. 

But skeptics say Berkeley High could deal with these problems today, without reforming the entire school, if teachers and administrators would summon the will to enforce existing rules and lend support to programs already in place for addressing problem areas.  

“Give me one or two individuals beside myself and within two weeks you would have almost zero truancy on campus,” said Robert McNight, chair of the African-American Studies Department at Berkeley High. “We’re not doing anything to deal with the truancy problem.”  

McNight said attendance rules simply are not enforced for certain groups of students, whom he called the “academic untouchables”.  

“Nobody wants to teach them, nobody wants to deal with them,” McNight said. 

“I don’t see the reform movement as necessarily the answer is addressing the problems in education that we face today,” McNight added. “If anything it may prolong (those problems).” 

McNight said the current movement in support of small learning communities was alarmingly disconnected from the African-American community it purports to serve. He said all the talk of the “achievement gap,” for example, glosses over the fact that Berkeley High is preparing many of its African-American students for college and successful careers. 

“We just go all over the country looking at models that have worked in those communities, but we’re facing different kinds of challenges (in Berkeley),” McNight said. 

“Of course there needs to be improvements in the system,” he added. “If you want to put forth an effort, you support programs that have a history of being successful with this group of students.” 

McNight said the vast majority African-American students at Berkeley High who’ve passed through the African-American Studies program have gone on to four-year colleges. Students in the program are engaged in what happens in the classroom because they study the important contributions other African-Americans have made in American history, he said. 

“What would you want to reform an entire institution in order to correct a problem that could be affecting 5 percent of the students,” McNight said, referring to the estimated number of Berkeley High students who skip class habitually. “It doesn’t make sense.” 

But Berkeley High Social Living teacher John Fike, while he agreed that better enforcement of rules is part of the solution to Berkeley High’s problems, said he believed nothing short of comprehensive reform can rescue Berkeley High from its current “dismal state.” 

“I think it’s the only thing that will save Berkeley High,” Fike said. 

Fike said it is not just the habitually truant students who aren’t served by Berkeley High’s current structure, but a “majority” of the school’s students. 

“There’s a large group of students who are enduring high school,” Fike said. “They’re not really anywhere near meeting their potential of really having a constructive use of their high school years.” 

The research suggests to him, Fike added, that small learning communities “have a huge impact on issues of violence, on issues of truancy, and on issues of student and staff morale.” 

A recent community meeting to consider small learning communities at the high school drew many Berkeley parents who share Fike’s views. 

Berkeley High Parent Malcolm Howells admitted that he was “still mystified by some of the practicalities” of implementing small schools, but he said he thought small learning communities could make certain students feel less alienated. 

“Everybody agrees that Berkeley High is too big,” Howells said.  

“Our school is hemorrhaging teachers,” said Rick Ayers, the Berkeley High teacher charged with coordinating the discussions around small learning communities. “You can go down the list of great teachers who are leaving.” 

Small learning communities will help retain good teachers by freeing them to work more closely with students so they can feel they making a difference in those students lives, Ayers and others argue. 

But at least one parent in the audience that night echoed McNight’s concern that the discussion around small learning communities had not, to date, included enough input from parents of African-American and Latino students. 

“This is not a representative group here tonight,” said Beatriz Leyvva-Cutler. “Not at all.” 

Joan Blades, a Berkeley parent-activist helping to organize discussion of small learning communities, said she hoped more African-American and Latino parents would turn out for today’s meeting at the alternative high school. 

But even if a consensus in support of small communities emerges among Berkeley High parents in the months ahead, getting Berkeley High faculty to push ahead with the model will be difficult, Fike said. The school has a “track record of being resistant to change,” he said. 

For three years running some Berkeley High staff have been unable to come up with the votes needed to set aside minutes during the school day where teachers could work on collaborative strategies to meet students needs. It takes the vote of three quarters of the schools faculty to implement such a change and, although a sizable majority of teachers favor the plan according to Fike, the votes came up short. 

“A lot of teachers get really burned out trying to make change at Berkeley High” because it takes so long, Fike said. 

The Berkeley High crew team will compete in the state championship meet today, but they will be unique among the 15 teams racing at Lake Natoma. 

The Yellowjackets are the only crew team in the competition that is a public school varsity sport. In fact, Berkeley High is the only public school west of the Mississippi River that has crew as a varsity sport. Most high school-level teams are club sports, run by private organizations that bring together athletes from a wide region. 

In the 1960s, there were several public schools in the Bay Area that had varsity crew teams, but as schools began streamlining their athletic departments, crew was one of the first sports to go. Redwood High, for instance, had a very good team that had a strong rivalry with Berkeley High. But now the kids of Marin row for the Marin Rowing Association, a club that draws from every school in the county. But despite the smaller pool of athletes, the Berkeley High team has kept with their traditions, and are currently third in the Northern California Rowing Association, made up of 11 teams. 

“We have done well drawing just from Berkeley High, and now we’re starting to draw numbers like the bigger clubs,” Berkeley varsity boys coach Eric Christiani said. “But I’ve had to visit just about every eighth-grade P.E. class for the last three years.” 

Christiani, in his fourth year of coaching at Berkeley High, has 51 athletes on his team, with comparable numbers on the girls’ team. Those kids, he said, will draw their friends into the sport, keeping the cycle of participants flowing. 

“We tend to draw mostly freshmen, but we do get a few older kids,” he said. “I’m already getting calls from parents wanting their kids to be on the team next year.” 

Another challenge the team faces is funding. The Berkeley High athletic department kicks in a fair amount, but not nearly enough to cover everyone’s expenses. So the team has a parents organization that helps raise the rest.  

“The parent group makes running this team possible,” Christiani said. “It’s an expensive sport, so it’s always a struggle.” 

The ’Jackets are one of the few teams that doesn’t have a boathouse, so they make due with a spot at the Oakland Estuary. 

“We basically have a slab of concrete that we launch from,” Christiani said. “Our long-term goal is to put aside money for a facility, so we can put a roof over our heads and the boats.”

The City Council asked two commissions to monitor the city’s Sewer Fund, which generates about $14 million a year in local fees, because of “inappropriate use and allocation.” 

The Citizens Budget Review Commission and the Public Works Commission have begun an examination of Sewer Fund uses and the quality of sewer work performed as part of the city’s 30-year Sanitary Sewer Plan, which has so far cost city residents and businesses $71 million. 

The Sewer Fund is generated by fees collected by the East Bay Municipal Water District that bases the fees on a per-gallons rate. 

According to the Municipal Code the “Sewer Fund is a restricted fund reserved for the purpose of operation, maintenance, rehabilitation and improvement of the city’s sanitary sewers.” 

A legal opinion written by the city attorney in 1991 specified the funds could not be used for any other purpose. 

According to a report to the council by City Auditor Ann-Marie Hogan, the city’s sewer fund was being used to pay the salaries of two city workers employed by the First Source Employment Program “in apparent violation of the Berkeley Municipal Code.” The program oversees a city policy that requires companies that contract with Berkeley to offer available jobs to residents first. During 1999 and 2000, the Sewer Fund paid over $120,000 toward the employees’ salaries. 

Hogan said when the funds were first diverted from the sewer fund in 1988, it was appropriate because the vast majority of city contractors were working on the sewers. But as the city became involved in 

capital projects such as the renovation and seismic retrofit of the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center, the First Source program was overseeing a variety of projects which had nothing to do with the city’s sewers. 

Hogan said it was probably a budgetary oversight and not deliberate misuse of funds. “Using the funds had outgrown its rationale,” she said. 

Along with many Bay Area cities in the early 1980s, Berkeley was issued an order by the California Regional Water Quality Board to fix leaky and broken sewer pipes because raw sewage was finding its way into creeks and storm drains which were emptying into the Bay, according to the Sanitary Sewer Program Study prepared by the Public Works Commission.  

The Sewer Fund is partially used to pay for a 30-year program of replacing or repairing half of the city’s 2,745,600 feet of sewer lines. It is also used to cover sewer administration costs and regular maintenance of city sewers. The program was initiated in 1985. According to the study, over 15 years, the city has completed more than 29 percent of the repair work. 

While it appears the city is over half way to its 30-year goal, Commission Chair John Piercy says there is some question about the quality of the work, which is being overseen by the Public Works Department. 

Public Works Commissioner Carlene St. John told the City Council on Tuesday that at the end of the 30-year plan, the city will still have sewer problems that will require attention because of normal wear and tear and because the city is on a earthquake fault. “It’s like repainting the Golden Gate Bridge,” she said. “You got keep doing it and doing it.” 

The City Manager’s Office has proposed a 3 percent increase in Sewer Fund fees in next year’s budget to cover the rising cost of labor and an anticipated public information campaign to encourage property owners to repair sewer lines on private property known as upper laterals. 

Piercy said the Budget Commission and the Public Works Commission will work together to determine if the sewer plan is funded properly, the work is being carried out competently and that fees are being correctly charged.  

“We need to have some kind of clear statement about how these funds are being used,” said Mayor Shirley Dean at Tuesday’s meeting. “It has to be clear if these funds are being used or abused.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio thanked the two commissions for their presentation to council and for working very hard on “not one of your more sexy items.”

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A day after defeating Connecticut, 2–0, the second–seeded California Golden Bears used eight hits on offense and an excellent three–hit shutout pitching performance by junior Jocelyn Forest to defeat the Florida Atlantic Owls, 2–0, in the winner's bracket of the South Region of the NCAA Regional.  

Cal waited until the top of the third to break the scoreless 0–0 tie, plating two runs in the inning. Senior Pauline Dueñas began the inning with a single down the left–field line. Dueñas then advanced to second on a groundout by junior Candace Harper. Sophomore Veronica Nelson followed with a strikeout looking which brought sophomore Eryn Manahan to the plate, who singled back up the middle, bringing in Dueñas from second on a close play at the plate. On the play, Manahan moved to second and later scored on a line–drive single to center by sophomore Courtney Scott.  

FAU attempted to cut away at the Bears lead in the sixth, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Forest turned the threat away, getting the next two batters to fly out to center.  

Forest went the distance for Cal, allowing just three hits with six strikeouts and just one walk. She improves to 26–7 on the year.  

Nicole Myers took the loss for FAU, falling to 26–12 in 2001. 

Manahan, Scott and sophomore Kristen Morley each had two hits in the game for the Bears, while Ninya Ybarra had two hits for the Owls.  

With the win, the Bears tie a school record with 51 wins on the year with only 15 losses. The Owls fall to 46–20.  

The Bears return Saturday for a 3:30 game with any one of the three remaining teams (Florida, FAU or Florida State).

Berkeley Lite is an occasional column illuminating those who’d like to shine us on. 

Chalk up one more for Patrick Kennedy, winner of the most recent Battle of the Build.  

Don’t get me wrong, I actually think San Pablo Ave., where he’ll construct a four–story apartment/commercial building’s the most perfect place in the city for a few (but not blocks on end) four–story buildings. Kennedy’s project’s “in my back yard,” by the way.  

(At the same time, wouldn’t it be lovely to line Spruce Street, with its regular bus service in the North hills, with two–story, four–unit buildings?) 

My irradiated beef’s not with the masterful politico from Piedmont – whose hard-won project at Acton and University is yet to break ground – it’s with our wimpy council moms & pop, who give all sorts of lip service to affordable housing, but rolled over and gave Mr. K. the store, with only a drop of “affordable” housing.  

A politician with guts – one who truly wants to figure out a way for the $8–$10/hr. folk who work in Berkeley shops and restaurants to live near where they work – would have come up with a way to give Kennedy what he wanted ONLY in exchange for deeper affordability, and more than just the mandatory 20 percent of the units whose rents must be kept affordable by law to people who earn 80 percent of the area median income (which is about $50,000 for a family of three.)  

Councilmember Dona Spring said as much. She said she’d wanted to fight to get more low income units. But without her colleagues fighting with her, she said making the argument was futile. 

A shame the discussion among them didn’t happen in public. At least then the community would have been able to see which councilmembers were actually willing to fight for affordable housing. 

To his credit, Kennedy points out that he’s the only developer currently building multi-family housing in Berkeley. Also, he favors tenants already living here and especially those who might have to leave unless they get into one of his units.  

Further he argues that he is building housing for folks with moderate means, though this argument is open to interpretation. He says for the 80 percent of the units going at market-rate rents, he will be able to charge only “moderate” rates. That’s because most folks don’t want to live in “that” prostitute-infested neighborhood, he said. 

Spring also recalled that the council had either given or lent (Kennedy says lent) the developers $20,000 early in the process to secure the property because they said they were providing a number of low-income units. 

And now, what’s the council gonna do about all the other 11-odd parcels to be developed along SP Ave? Well, perhaps they’ll toss one or two to an “affordable” housing developer, adding to the divide between affordable & market–rate dwellers, instead of mixing them up in one building.  

And where’s the long–term vision? The group opposing the 2700 San Pablo project asked the question time and again, with no council response. Where are people without backyards going to play, have their “backyard” barbecues, let their children romp? San Pablo Park is heavily used by people from both inside and outside the area. Is the city willing to create new mini–parks for its new San Pablo Ave. residents? Will it demand builders pay for these? Where’s the long-term planning????  

••• 

Speaking of planning, since transportation planning’s one of the most talked–of topics in the city - remember bike-to-work day, flags on streets, Santa Rosa lights – you’d think Berkeley would have a top rate-transportation engineer in its planning department. Well, we had a traffic engineer who quit, then one who came for six months and left and now one who quit after one month. What’s up?  

••• 

Did you catch the rally outside the City Council Chambers almost two weeks ago? If you passed by you’d have heard the lively chants “Don’t take away our medicine” and seen the brightly–colored placards denouncing an evil-intended City Council for passing an ordinance to implement Prop. 215. Some 200 people participated.  

But a whole lot of them appeared misinformed, if not misled by those who were informed. A number of folks told me the City Council passed its ordinance to get rid of Prop. 215 and disallow their medicine. 

It just ain’t so.  

Now there’s plenty to argue about the ordinance itself. Ought patients to be allowed to grow more than 10 plants for medication? Some argue you need more, because some plants don’t make it. Like the six basil plants I stuck in the ground a couple of weeks ago. There’s two left. Do snails like pot as much as basil?  

But I’m getting off track. 

The argument goes on to say that patients need pot in its various growing stages, some plants ripe to pick and others getting ready. And some patients need more of the medicine than others. 

These are the arguments that informed people were making. 

The misinformed said the council wanted to do away with Prop. 215. But that’s the last thing you can say about our council. Even the most conservative, moderate or whatever-you-want-to-call the minority faction of the council, is in full support of sick people using medical marijuana. 

Now if you want a “bad” guy, try the supreme court.  

*** 

One more thing – it’s about those telephones. Remember Jim Keene, yeah, the former city manager, and the fight for the $2 million for the new system. Remember how he sold it to the council by saying the phones would be answered and the operators who answered the phones would stay with the callers until they got to the person who could answer their questions. No more voice mail hell, Keene said.  

Well, try it yourself: 981-CITY. 

STONE MOUNTAIN, Georgia – The No. 7-ranked California women’s tennis team suffered a major loss, when they fell in the NCAA Round of 16 to the No. 11-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, 4-2, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The Bears met up with the Sun Devils for the third time this year, the first two coming in the regular season.  

Though Cal defeated Arizona State on Mar. 9, the Sun Devils would take the next two, defeating the Bears, in Tempe, before knocking Cal out of the NCAA tournament. The Sun Devils opened the competition by sweeping the doubles point, the first time doing so in their three meetings this year.  

ASU would carry that momentum into singles, as they would grab three singles points for the victory at the No. 1, 3 and 6 spots. ASU’s Adria Engel, who was named ITA Player of the Month for April downed senior Anita Kurimay at the No. 1 court in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. ASU’s other two wins would come in straight sets as well, as Raquel Kops-Jones lost, 6-2, 7-6, while Sekita Grant lost, 6-3, 7-5.  

Cal’s two points in singles came with wins from Christina Fusano and Jieun Jacobs at the No. 2 and 4 courts. Jacobs would tally a straight set victory over Faye DeVera, 6-2, 6-3, while Fusano would easily handle Karen Palme, 6-3, 6-3. In the three meetings this year between Cal and ASU, Fusano would be the only player on the Cal team to go undefeated in singles against her opponents.  

Individual singles and doubles competition begins on Monday, May 21, as the Bears will enter Kops-Jones, Fusano and Kurimay in singles. In doubles, Kurimay and Kops-Jones will team for a chance at Cal’s fourth straight NCAA doubles championship.

West Berkeley’s past is evident today through its diverse building stock. It presents a heterogeneous mix of old and new buildings, residential and industrial buildings often side by side.  

A lone Victorian house or a windmill behind an old grocery store evoke curiosity as might an anonymous concrete tilt-up building with no signage.  

There remains some industrial activity in west Berkeley, but the area is evolving.  

Because west Berkeley has not experienced massive redevelopment there is a visually interesting mix of building types and uses.  

Fragments of the past have been retained through the reuse of older buildings.  

The Heywood-Ghego House is the last pioneer building on this block of Fourth Street.  

The house was built for William B. Heywood, the son of pioneer Zimri Brewer Heywood.  

The Ghego family purchased the house in 1925 from descendants of the Heywood family and members of the Ghego family were still living in the house when the Redevelopment Agency purchased it in 1978.  

The house is a raised-basement Victorian with a symmetrical design that features tall paired sash windows topped with ornate bracketing.  

The hipped roof is flat in the center and, rather than coming together at right angles, the corners of the eaves were cut at a diagonal, which is an unusual feature. 

In 1992 the Redevelopment Agency sold the house to Abrams and Millikan, developers of the popular Fourth Street retail district, and it is now a unique feature of the Fourth Street commercial district.  

Susan Cerny writes Berkeley Observed in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association

A woman was battered and raped by two men who forced her into a bathroom on the Berkeley School District’s east campus about 2 a.m. Tuesday, police said. 

Formerly the home of the district’s continuation high school, the campus is used for administrative offices and some classes today, said Berkeley Police Lt. Russell Lopes.  

Lopes said the bathroom was apparently left unlocked during the night Tuesday through oversite. 

The woman was originally approach by her two assailants while walking home along Ashby Avenue, Lopes said. 

Police found evidence of alleged drug use inside the bathroom where the attack occurred. 

The victim was transported to Highland Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released. Police have no suspects in the case. 

••• 

A brawl between half a dozen teenage girls wielding baseball bats and knives ended with two injuries and four arrests Tuesday, according to police. 

Lt. Lopes said the fight, was apparently the result of a long-term feud between two families living in different units of a south Berkeley apartment building,. 

The fight began about 3 p.m. when a 16-year-old girl allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old girl in a stairwell, striking her repeatedly in the head with a baseball bat. 

The initial attack lead to a series of alleged retaliatory attacks by members of the victim’s family, Lopes said.  

When the police arrived at the scene, on the 2900 block of Mabel Street near Ashby Avenue, they found a number of teenage girls still screaming at each other, bats in hand, Lopes said.  

Several windows had been broken out in the apartment building. 

The initial victim was transported to Alta Bates hospital with a “severe head injury”, Lopes said.  

Another girl was treated at Alta Bates for a severe cut in her hand caused when someone threw a knife through the air, Lopes said. 

Three teenagers and one adult involved in the brawl are in police custody, Lopes said. There is a warrant for the arrest of a fifth suspect, the 16-year-old who began the fight and fled the scene before police arrived Tuesday. 

••• 

Police are on the lookout for a man who they say has committed at least seven bank robberies in the last two months – three of them in Berkeley. 

The suspect struck Wednesday at the Bank of America at 1536 Shattuck Ave.  

Just before closing time the man, who police described as a black male in his late 30s, around 5 feet 10 inches and 170 pounds, wearing dark, wrap around sunglasses, allegedly passed a note to a Bank of America teller saying he had a gun and was demanding money. 

The man escaped with a “large quantity” of cash, Lopes said. 

Police believe the same man is responsible for similar bank robberies at two other Shattuck Avenue banks, one as recent as last Friday, Lopes said.

SAN FRANCISCO — After years of complaints from parents about San Francisco’s crowded, ill-equipped and run-down schools, the FBI has been called in to find out whether the mess is more than just a matter of bad management. 

City and school authorities asked the bureau earlier this spring to determine whether the mishandling of millions of dollars was criminal. 

“This is a very broken school system,” said Arlene Ackerman, who has been superintendent for less than a year “The infrastructure and finances are very broken.” 

The FBI would not comment. But City Attorney Louise Renne said her office is working with the bureau in an investigation of current or former school staff members. 

In 1990 and 1997, San Francisco residents voted for school improvement and construction bonds totaling $90 million for the district, which has more than 66,000 students and an annual budget of about $500 million. 

The money was meant to cover earthquake-related repairs, fire and safety improvements, building renovations and construction. 

But $27 million went to other projects and needs without Board of Education approval, an audit by an accounting firm found. Some of it went to salaries to new staff in an administration Ackerman has called bloated. 

In addition, $14.6 million in state grant money to be used for new construction and modernization is unaccounted for. 

“That’s just a complete waste of money that’s out there that the district could be soliciting or putting to use,” said Maricela Valencia, who has a daughter in sixth grade. 

Valencia said she is putting her daughter back in private school – at $800 per month with a scholarship – after a one-year trial of the public system. 

“It disappointed me the most in that the number of children in the classroom is too much for the teacher to deal with,” she said. “The students are out of control.” 

Ackerman said the school district needs “tight accountability systems.” She refused to blame directly any previous superintendents or board members, saying only that her job is to fix things. 

Many parents and some district employees say the breakdowns in management and accounting came during the tenure of the previous schools chief, Bill Rojas.  

Rojas left to become superintendent of the Dallas system but was fired less than a year later after clashing with the board there. 

This week, he returned to San Francisco to answer the allegations. 

Rojas admitted that there were “weak internal controls” during his tenure, but said the current administration is also to blame for failing to track the bond money. 

“How long, when budgets are produced year to year, are you going to blame Bill Rojas?” he said at a city Board of Supervisors meeting. “I may not have been the most popular superintendent, but you don’t have a single financial audit saying we weren’t solvent.” 

Parents have long complained about an administration in disarray, underpaid teachers, dilapidated buildings, classrooms without books and limited Internet access in one of the world’s most technology-oriented cities. 

Some of the schools are in such bad repair that they were cited in an ACLU lawsuit accusing the state and city of discrimination in funding. 

Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, for example, consists of dilapidated wooden buildings and World War II bungalows in a largely black part of town.  

A $4 million improvement project has ballooned to $16 million, with little progress toward a new campus. 

At the same time, Lowell High, which selects the city’s brightest students, is still waiting for campus-wide Internet access, despite qualifying for a $1 million state grant for the project in 1998. 

The Board of Education recruited Ackerman after learning of her successes running schools in Washington, D.C.  

The board also recently named Ramon Cortines, a former superintendent in San Francisco and New York City, to lead a citizens oversight committee. 

“I’m very saddened, but I’m not shocked or surprised,” school board member Dan Kelly said of the financial mess. “This is exactly the kind of activity that some of us thought was going on.”

A committee of nine ratepayer groups will not be allowed to take part in the proceedings involving the bankruptcy filing of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., a judge ruled Friday. 

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali agreed with PG&E that the ratepayer groups did not have a legal right to join other creditor committees in participating in the Chapter 11 case. 

U.S. Trustee Linda Eckstron Stanley, whose role is to appoint creditor committees in such cases, had taken the unusual step of appointing a committee of ratepayers – giving them legal standing and the ability to voice opinions. 

“While the UST no doubt acted with good intentions and with the interests of ratepayers in mind, she abused her discretion by going beyond the authority given her in the Bankruptcy Code, erring as a matter of law,” Montali wrote in his ruling. 

The judge agreed with PG&E that ratepayers do not qualify as creditors under bankruptcy law, and noted that the ratepayers have other venues to protect their interests. 

The utility argued ratepayers already have the ability to voice any concerns before the state’s Public Utilities Commission. 

“That is their forum. This is not their forum,” James Lopes, a PG&E attorney, told the judge during final arguments Friday. 

The judge also agreed with PG&E that the state Attorney General can represent ratepayer interests in the court process. 

“Pacific Gas and Electric Company is pleased that the court determined there was no basis in the Bankruptcy Code for the creation of a Ratepayers’ Committee. This decision allows for the continuation of an orderly and efficient reorganization process that the Bankruptcy Code provides,” PG&E officials said in a statement. 

The state, however, has hesitated to become involved in the case for fear it will lose the right to regulate PG&E. 

Gov. Gray Davis strongly denounced Monatli’s decision. 

“Bankruptcy proceedings are neither ‘efficient and organized’ as PG&E claims. They produce years of uncertainty,” Davis said in a statement released late Friday. 

“Today’s decision proves my point. Bankruptcy courts could care less about ratepayers.” 

Consumer and ratepayer advocates were also outraged by the ruling. 

“The judge has told us this is a rich man’s court,” said Robert Gnaizda, policy director of the Greenlining Institute, a coalition of minority groups.  

“The group that has the biggest morale authority to criticize PG&E is no longer involved, and you’ll have rich groups (of creditors) deciding how to split the spoils and then they’ll make the ratepayers pay for it.” 

Gnaizda said he will be asking the state Attorney General to reconsider getting involved. 

Stanley, the U.S. Trustee, maintained her decision to include ratepayers as creditors was allowed under the law, but said she will not file an appeal because it would take too long and the bankruptcy case would have to move forward in any case. 

She said she will meet with U.S. Trust attorneys next week to consider other options to include ratepayers in the bankruptcy proceeding. 

RIVERSIDE — Cities with their own power plants connected to the California power grid want exemption from rolling blackouts, saying their customers shouldn’t be deprived to help others. 

A group of California cities, all of them generating plenty of power to weather the summer energy crunch, faced a Friday deadline to ask the federal government to relieve them from blackouts. 

While most Californians pay large utilities like Southern California Edison Co. for power, about 25 percent of state households are billed for electricity by cities, counties or local districts with their own power plants. 

Four serving Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale and the Imperial Valley are independent of the power grid and don’t face outages. But about two dozen others are required by contract to give electricity back to the grid-controlling Independent System Operator by participating in rolling blackouts. 

“We believe our power was purchased for the citizens of Riverside and that we don’t have the right, nor does anyone else, to take it away from them when they need it,” Riverside utilities director Tom Evans said. 

“Our customers are being denied something that they are fundamentally entitled to.” 

The cities seeking exemptions argue that they are suffering for the ill-fated decisions made when California’s electricity market was deregulated. 

“It makes them wonder why they went out and did their jobs,” California Municipal Utilities Association attorney Tony Braun said. 

The exemption campaign is led by Vernon, a small city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Vernon filed a complaint last week asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to exempt it from rolling blackouts. 

Vernon’s utility has 2,000 customers, most of which are industrial operations such as glass manufacturers and meatpacking plants. The city power distribution system was designed to lure industry with low electric rates, spokesman Jorge Somoano said. 

FERC set a Friday deadline for other city utilities to support the campaign and up to half, including Riverside, were expected to either file their own complaints or documents supporting Vernon, said attorney Bonnie Blair, who represents municipal utilities in Azusa, Banning and Colton. 

FERC is expected to decide on the issue by mid-June, Blair added. 

“The obligation to share in (rolling blackouts) did not contemplate situations where some utilities were not meeting their basic obligation to provide resources to serve their customers,” Blair said. “If they are forced to participate in rolling blackouts, the effect is that the ISO is taking energy that has been bought and paid for by some customers and effectively giving it to somebody else that has been unable to buy it.” 

Cal-ISO vice president of operations Jim Detmers said they will fight the exemptions.  

He said excluding municipal utilities from blackouts would increase the share of those events shouldered by communities that do not have their own electricity distribution. 

Ronald Nunnally, Edison’s director of federal regulations and contracts, said the municipal utilities have an obligation to uphold the integrity of the power grid to which they are connected. 

“The ability to use the grid requires to keep it whole, if you will, under all circumstances,” he said. 

LOS ANGELES — The lawyer for a dying smoker suing tobacco giant Philip Morris Inc. suggested Friday that a jury award $10 billion in punitive damages. 

The company’s actions met the legal standards for punitive damages, attorney Michael Piuze told the Superior Court jury in closing arguments. 

Richard Boeken, 56, who has lung cancer that has spread elsewhere, claims fraud, conspiracy and negligence.  

He claims that Marlboro, the popular Philip Morris cigarette brand, was his favorite since he began smoking at age 13. 

Piuze said Boeken should get $270,000 for medical bills, $2.1 million for lost earnings and future earnings and $10 million for pain, suffering and general damages. 

He said that $100 million was “not nearly enough” for punitive damages and then wrote $10 billion over the  

word “Justice” on a large pad displayed on an easel. 

“Richard Boeken’s sin was that he believed Philip Morris,” Piuze said. 

Boeken kicked both heroin and alcohol, but not cigarettes because he heeded a 50-year tobacco industry campaign to cast doubt on rising health concerns, he said. 

After decades of smoking two packs or more a day, he was diagnosed in 1999 with lung cancer, which had spread incurably to his lymph nodes, lower back and brain. 

Boeken was “hooked” on cigarettes and tried several times to quit because of recurring bronchitis and his desire to run, but he never believed health warnings that smoking could cause serious illness, Piuze said. 

If the cigarette industry had “told America in 1955 or 1954 ... this stuff will kill you,” Boeken and “untold millions of other people would never have been smoking,” he claimed. 

Piuze argued that cigarettes are legally a defective product because they are unsafe. 

“The consumer was plunking down his or her good money and buying poison,” he said. He noted that Philip Morris did not dispute that its product caused Boeken’s cancer. 

Piuze contended the tobacco industry could have created a safe cigarette and prevented “millions of slow, agonizing, crummy deaths that cost a lot of money” if they had spent nearly 50 years on research instead of a “propaganda” campaign to cast doubt on health concerns. 

Piuze told jurors that Philip Morris was guilty of a “failure to warn” consumers of their products’ danger before the government issued warning labels in the 1960s. The company also had a “failure to instruct” how to use their lower tar products, he said. 

Showing jurors packages of regular Marlboros, Marlboro Lights and Marlboro Ultralights, he said government and industry knew that all three delivered the same amount of toxins, because consumers using the lower tar products took more puffs and breathed more deeply. 

“It’s only a secret from the people who used it” and mistakenly thought they were getting less tar, Piuze said. 

The company should have told consumers to not puff so deeply and so often, Piuze said. 

Boeken was “reassured,” by the tobacco industry’s stance, his attorney argued. But even if Boeken was partically responsible for his illness by continuing to smoke, “Philip Morris doesn’t walk just because someone was gullible enough to believe,” he said.

BREA — A 1,000-pound steer raised at a parochial school was slaughtered in front of more than 100 students, some as young as 5, to teach them where meat comes from – a demonstration that has drawn protests from some quarters. 

The youngsters had their parents’ permission to watch, but animal rights organizations objected along with teen-age protesters from outside the school, situated in a well-to-do rural area on the outskirts of this Orange County community. 

The 2-year-old steer named T-Bone was killed by a butcher Thursday at Carbon Canyon Christian School.  

Pastor and principal Dave Kincer on Friday defended the demonstration, which is part of an agricultural ranching program, noting the students who cared for and fed the animal knew it would be slaughtered. 

“We sent out a paper to all parents, saying that it was time to dress (the steer),” he said. “It was an awesome experience. It gave them a chance to see up close what they’ve been reading about in books all year.” 

More than half of the school’s 170 students observed after their parents signed permission slips. Some students got queasy and left during the lesson, but most were fascinated, Kincer said. 

It was the first time a steer was killed at the school and Kincer wouldn’t say whether it would happen in the future. 

The carcass was taken to a Brea meat market where it was being prepared for consumption and returned to the school, Kincer added. 

The school has been inundated with hundreds of phone calls from people upset about the demonstration and interview requests from the media. Some students have even been teased by other kids about Thursday’s event. 

Suzanne Daigle, 14, said she was outside a store when some students from a nearby school shouted “slaughterers” to her and her friends. Daigle, who aspires to be a surgical nurse, said she didn’t have a problem watching the event, but said “it also made me realize how quickly life can be taken.” 

“Studies have shown that when children view violence against animals, it desensitizes them to animal cruelty and makes them more aggressive,” said Lacey Levitt of Los Angeles-based Last Chance for Animals. 

About a dozen teenagers who do not attend the school tried to stop the slaughter by forming a human chain to keep the butcher from entering the campus. But police told them they could not block access. 

Anjali Heble, 15, said a friend who attends the school told her a few days ago about the slaughter. 

“Everyone was just shocked that this was going on,” said Heble, a sophomore at a nearby public school. “They were killing this cow in front of children who don’t have the ability to understand it. ... They don’t know how to handle this.” 

Some public school officials did not oppose the public slaughter, noting that 4-H clubs typically raise animals and learn about the food chain. 

“It can be shocking and disturbing to children if they aren’t prepared by school administrators,” said William Habermehl, superintendent of the Orange County Department of Education. However, he said, “there is no doubt it’s an educational experience as long as there is parental permission and it’s age-appropriate.” 

He said “age-appropriate” might depend on such things as whether the youngster was raised on a farm. 

Janice Broyles, a parent and a science teacher at the school, told the Register she welcomed the chance to show students how blood pumps from the heart and what tendons look like up close – lessons demonstrated as the animal was being cut apart. 

As for her three children, ages 7 to 11, she said: “I was concerned about my 7-year-old seeing it. It could be scary to see death. But he was really fascinated. I think it was an excellent lesson.” 

City Councilman Steven Vargas said Friday no laws were broken and no zoning violations occurred at the 43-acre campus. 

The school is nestled in the rolling hills of eastern Orange County. It is sandwiched between horse farms and a state park. 

“ALIVE IN HER: Icons of the Goddess” 

Tuesdays & Thursdays  

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free. 

Museum of the Pacific  

School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 848-0528 

Joan Beth Clair’s exhibit at the museum of the Pacific School of Religion demonstrates that “Holy Hill” is far more advanced as a center of multicultural awareness and acceptance than one might guess.  

Here are images of the sacred goddess displayed in a Christian setting and expressions of ideas which, in a less enlightened place and time, might be condemned as blasphemy, rather than embraced as new manifestations of non-traditional spirituality.  

Some of the images focus on the relationships between roses and symbols of bondage vs. freedom, and others play with folded paper cranes in a natural setting. The final triptych lets the cat out of the bag: “Moon in the Hair of the Goddess,” “Snake/Rose” and “ALIVE IN HER: She who is Perfectly Empty and Perfectly Full” form the denouement of the show, as Clair paints her vision, allowing her brush to express what she had been striving for, or hinting about, in her photographs and collages.  

The multimedia pieces are nice enough, mixing elegant photographs with exquisite handmade paper that coyly displays its internal structures of imbedded flowers, leaves and fibers. But the message is different when the medium is different. The paintings are icons to the Goddess, while the collages focus on the relationship between Nature and the human-made world. The sense of philosophical play abounds in the collages: We are invited to reflect on the photo of a paper crane hovering on a flower stalk, but then we notice that the photographic paper is mounted on paper with real flowers imbedded in it.  

Where is the boundary between reality and imagery? Clair states in her introductory notes: “I have deliberately chosen not to frame my art because frames reinforce the idea of an ‘art' separate from life. I prefer the scrolls that are used in oriental art. There is less of a sense of ‘immortality' of the Artist and more a sense that ‘art' does not stop at a border.” The icons are also borderless scrolls, but even more pointedly: they are infinite. The final goddess image forms the “figure-eight” symbol of infinity and portrays the yin/yang koan-like contradiction of empty fullness. 

Although this is a small art show (alas! too small), there is much to ponder, for there is as much informed commentary as art. The 17 pieces are interspersed with an equal number of lengthy citations from writings by Jose Arguelles and William Blake, as well as reflections on Chinese aesthetics, Sioux cosmology and Balinese sociology. 

The museum visitor will also be rewarded by the displays in the other half of the hall, which contains a rich collection of pots, lamps, scarabs, glassware, seals, cuneiform tablets, and other artifacts spanning three millennia, from the excavation of Tell En-Nasbeh, an ancient city just north of Jerusalem. A happy juxtaposition places a case full of “Cult Objects,” featuring ancient fertility goddesses, just opposite Clair's modern painted icons. The official Museum commentary reads: “Cult practices that grew up around the goddess and her consort were believed to assure the fertility of both land and people. Though the (Old Testament) prophets condemned these practices even the Israelites often found the goddess irresistible.” This seems still to be true for many of us post-modern Berkeleyans.

SACRAMENTO — State lawmakers are wondering if those book-laden backpacks that many kids must lug to school are hurting their backs. 

The Assembly approved a bill Thursday that asks state school and health officials to study whether carrying heavy backpacks can cause spinal damage. 

Many schools have removed lockers because of drug and security concerns, meaning students must carry all their books around all day. 

The author, Assemblyman Rod Pacheco, R-Riverside, said his 6-year-old daughter carries a book bag that seems to weigh as much as she does. 

People from other planets will visit California some day and find “people with curvature of the spine and they’re going to think we’re gnomes,” said Assemblywoman Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Chino. 

The bill was sent to the Senate by a 59-1 vote. 

On the Net: 

Read the bill, AB1030, at http://www.sen.ca.gov

WASHINGTON — Two environmental groups asked the government Wednesday to ban a common wood preservative containing 22 percent arsenic from all playground equipment and to study whether it is safe for other consumer uses. 

The Environmental Working Group and the Healthy Building Network petitioned the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban use of chromated copper arsenate, a powerful pesticide that is put into lumber under pressure in a factory to protect the wood against termites, beetles and humidity.  

The groups say the commission’s 1990 study underestimates the risk of cancer. 

“It’s something we will look at and take seriously,” commission spokeswoman Jane Francis said.  

“We’ve always stood behind that study but if there’s something new out there we want to take a look at that.” 

Arsenic has become a hot topic in light of the Bush administration’s decision to suspend until early next year and do more studies on former President Clinton’s proposal to tighten the standard for arsenic in drinking water. 

Its use in pesticides extends to nearly all the treated lumber found in the United States, going into the making of playgrounds, decks, railings, picnic tables, fences and docks.  

The Environmental Working Group says studies by the commission and the Environmental Protection Agency fail to account for the risks of CCA-treated wood rubbing off onto skin or leaching into places where it can be ingested by people and animals. 

The environmentalists’ report concludes that an average 5-year-old who spends less than two weeks on a playset built with CCA-treated wood will already have exceeded the level of one-in-1-million cancer risk that federal pesticide law considers acceptable for an entire lifetime. 

“Even if they manage to strengthen the drinking water standard, they’ll still be missing the boat if they don’t get arsenic out of wood,” said Jane Houlihan, research director for the Environmental Working Group. 

Although sold across the country, CCA-treated wood is especially common in states such as Florida with high humidity. In March, sections of three Miami-area parks were closed after researchers found that arsenic had leached into the soil from pressure-treated wood. 

However, Scott Ramminger, president of the American Wood Preservers Institute, said the environmental groups were resorting to junk science and scare tactics. 

“It’s totally irresponsible,” he said. “People don’t need to be worried about it. It’s a safe product, it’s got 60 years of safe use.” 

The EPA banned most inorganic arsenic pesticides in 1986 but allowed the use of CCA to continue in pressure-treated wood. The agency classified it as a “restricted use” pesticide to protect factory workers, while manufacturers agreed to voluntarily distribute consumer “fact sheets” about its use. 

The EPA is now studying the use of CCA-treated wood as part of a routine reassessment of pesticides and told environmental groups it is speeding up its look at the use of such wood in children’s playsets. It expects to complete an internal review in June. 

Agency officials met May 9 with environmental groups, state officials and wood preservers, discussing ways to improve the “fact sheets” so that they reflect more recent scientific studies and are better distributed. 

Switzerland, Vietnam and Indonesia have banned CCA-treated wood. Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Australia and New Zealand have either limited its use or proposed restrictions. 

On the Net: 

Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org 

Healthy Building Network: http://www.healthybuilding.net 

American Wood Preservers Institute: http://www.awpi.org 

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/citizens/1file.htm 

CPSC: http://www.cpsc.gov

PASADENA — After years of garnering less attention than its sexier Jovian sisters, the crater-covered moon Callisto is getting closer attention than ever this week from NASA. 

But alas — it turns out the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is just using Callisto to get closer to that fireball of a moon, Io. 

The Galileo spacecraft, on its third and final tour of Jupiter and its satellites, will make its closest pass at Callisto yet, coming within just 76 miles of the Mercury-sized moon early Friday morning. 

NASA is using Callisto’s gravity to better position Galileo for passes at Io in August and October to determine whether the intensely volcanic moon creates its own magnetic field. 

“The main reason we’re flying so close to Callisto is to set up flybys of Io,” said Eilene Theilig, Galileo project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

Callisto is “sort of the ugly duckling of the moons,” said Galileo project scientist Torrence Johnson. Io’s volcanoes, evidence of water close to the surface of Europa and two-toned Ganymede have all generated more scientific excitement. 

But Callisto, which bears craters billions of years old, still has a thing or two to teach scientists.  

NASA will use the flyby to examine small craters to follow up on earlier imaging of the moon that showed fewer craters than researchers expected. 

Galileo also will examine Jupiter this week, mapping its clouds and searching in particular for dark clouds known as “brown barges,” which haven’t been seen since NASA’s Voyager spacecraft flew by in 1979. 

In August, Galileo will pass within about 220 miles of Io to see whether a volcanic plume spotted five months ago is still active. 

Galileo was originally scheduled to end its mission four years ago, but it has continued to bring back useful data despite being bombarded with more than three times as much radiation as it was designed to withstand. NASA plans on sending Galileo on three more passes of Io and one of the small inner moon Amalthea before the probe plunges into Jupiter’s atmosphere in 2003. 

S.F. World Music Festival 

Ashkenaz Music  

& Dance Community Center 

1317 San Pablo Ave  

Tonight: Nigerian Brothers and Zulu Exiles Acoustic $12 

Wednesday : Shoko Hikage Ensemble and Paul Pena 

& Friends $12 

Thursday: World Trance Trio:  

Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent, Geoffrey Gordon $13 

All shows begin at 8:00 pm 

For information, call 525-5054 or click on www.ashkenaz.com  

Berkeley is doubtless one of the culture centers of the Bay Area. We prove this by hosting many important concerts, premiere plays and the like. 

We also show our place by routinely co-hosting parts of long concert series that are billed as San Francisco events.  

Recently the San Francisco International Film Festival showed quite a few of its feature films at Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive, saving Berkelyans the trouble of crossing the Bay to participate in the SFIFF.  

Similarly, during the next few days, Ashkenaz will host the San Francisco World Music Festival for a trio of concerts that display the variety that the festival has to offer. 

Tonight, the SFWMF will bring two African bands into Ashkenaz. The Nigerian Brothers will play “unplugged” versions of highlife, juju and various other styles in their most primal, earthy incarnations.  

So bring your dancin’ shoes, and plan to enjoy the best dance venue in the East Bay. Or come to just kick back and be mesmerized and intoxicated by the sweet “palmwine” tunes of rural Africa.Ken Okulolo leads several of the most prominent African bands of the Bay Area, each focusing on a different style.  

The Nigerian Brothers present the most traditional sound, the village roots of so much modern popular music. 

Although the Zulu Exiles have also promised an acoustic set, I believe they, too, will strive to get the audience up on their feet. Have no fear: they will be able to move you without electric guitars and synthesizers. 

Consisting mostly of former members of the popular local band Zulu Spear, the Zulu Exiles bring the pan-African sound to a peak level of performance. 

On Wednesday night, the focus will be rather different, as Paul Pena and Shoko Hikage share the concert billing. Many will already know of Paul Pena’s recent triumphs as an American blues singer who travelled to Tuva (part of Mongolia) to take high honors performing Tuvan folk songs which he had learned from shortwave radio broadcasts and other recordings.  

A brilliant documentary film called “Genghis Blues” showed events surrounding this journey. This concert will be a chance to hear Pena’s unique combination of central Asian idioms and the Blues, of which he is an indisputed master.  

Shoko Hikage plays the Japanese koto, using experimental techniques to extend the expressive range of that noble ancient instrument. Not willing merely to recreate classical compositions in obedience to tradition, she boldly explores new melodic and technical territories along with the other members of her ensemble. It will be interesting to hear what insights their recent searching has produced. This concert will refute the old saying that “East is East and West is West and ne’er the twain shall meet.” We will hear the fruits of both hemispheres’ learning from the other while meeting and melting in music. 

Thursday night will mark the closing of the SFWMF at Ashkenaz.  

The theme of “World Trance” will be played with and developed by Jai Uttal, Stephen Kent and Geoffrey Gordon, each of whom has crafted a career of combining spiritual music traditions of the East with some elements of postmodern pop to bring the Spirit to the masses. Expect a dazzling display of instruments, lead by Kent's fluidly pulsing didjeridoos, Uttal’s exotic melodies on sarod and guitar, and Gordon’s broad palette of percussion.  

I suspect that there will also be guest artists contributing to a memorable swirl of various styles to craft sound into a tool of heightened consciousness. Any one of these trance masters can invoke a profound world of sound; their symbiotic play will certainly be amazing. 

Of course, parts of the San Francisco World Music Festival will take place in the city during the coming week and a half. For details about concerts in the other venues, click on www.sfworldmusicfestival.org. 

Miko Sloper can be reached at miko@cheerful.com

The glassy-winged sharpshooter and the Pierce's Disease that it spreads are seen as a major threat to the state's wine industry. 

But University of California at Davis plant pathologists say a group of five fungi are also a threat to young grape vines.  

The fungi cause what is known as young vine decline. And like the bacterium-caused Pierce’s Disease, there is no known treatment, the pathologists say. 

Fortunately, only about 1 percent of the state's vineyards are affected by young vine decline. Pierce's Disease in contrast has infested 13 state counties and threatens the state's $2.8 billion wine, table grape and raisin crops. 

Both diseases affect the grapevine’s water conducting capabilities and tissue. 

The earliest report of the fungi in the state was in the late 1950s, but has become of some concern in vine growing regions since the early 1990s, pathologists say. 

And while Pierce’s Disease affects other crops, such as almonds, citrus, alfalfa and peaches, the fungi affect only grapevines. 

Pathologists believe “environmental stresses,” such as inadequate irrigation water or fertilizer, improper planting or producing a crop of fruit on very young vines can trigger the disease. The fungi that cause it are found in most vineyards, pathologists say. 

Affected vines may grow more slowly, have a smaller trunk and less foliage than normal, and contain yellowed or wilting leaves. 

The fungi can enter the vines through wounds made during propagation or pruning. Only rarely does an entire vineyard show symptoms, pathologists say. 

Nurseries can halt its spread by making sure they sell only vines that are otherwise healthy and protected from environmental stresses.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter and the Pierce's Disease that it spreads are seen as a major threat to the state's wine industry. 

But University of California at Davis plant pathologists say a group of five fungi are also a threat to young grape vines.  

The fungi cause what is known as young vine decline. And like the bacterium-caused Pierce’s Disease, there is no known treatment, the pathologists say. 

Fortunately, only about 1 percent of the state's vineyards are affected by young vine decline. Pierce's Disease in contrast has infested 13 state counties and threatens the state's $2.8 billion wine, table grape and raisin crops. 

Both diseases affect the grapevine’s water conducting capabilities and tissue. 

The earliest report of the fungi in the state was in the late 1950s, but has become of some concern in vine growing regions since the early 1990s, pathologists say. 

And while Pierce’s Disease affects other crops, such as almonds, citrus, alfalfa and peaches, the fungi affect only grapevines. 

Pathologists believe “environmental stresses,” such as inadequate irrigation water or fertilizer, improper planting or producing a crop of fruit on very young vines can trigger the disease. The fungi that cause it are found in most vineyards, pathologists say. 

Affected vines may grow more slowly, have a smaller trunk and less foliage than normal, and contain yellowed or wilting leaves. 

The fungi can enter the vines through wounds made during propagation or pruning. Only rarely does an entire vineyard show symptoms, pathologists say. 

Nurseries can halt its spread by making sure they sell only vines that are otherwise healthy and protected from environmental stresses.

BERKELEY — The University of California, Berkeley, will seek permission next week to begin evaluating freshmen applicants on a combination of academic and personal factors. 

The school’s request is the first attempt to change admissions rules since the regents voted Wednesday to eliminate their 1995 policies banning racial preferences in admissions. 

The new policy would not reinstate racial preferences, which remain against state law. 

It would mean some students who might have been excluded from Berkeley in the past could get in, while others who might have been admitted under the current rules could be excluded. 

“We think we get better, more interesting, more talented students” by evaluating each applicant comprehensively as an individual, said Calvin Moore, chairman of Berkeley’s undergraduate admissions committee. 

Moore said Berkeley wants to move to a system similar to that used by Harvard, Stanford and Yale. 

Opponents say moving away from tiered admissions, where at least half of students are admitted based on academic performance alone, is a political act that by definition will produce a less academically qualified class. 

The proportion of Latino, black and American Indian students admitted to Berkeley and UCLA has dropped dramatically in the past six years. 

University of California policy requires that 50 percent to 75 percent of each freshman class be admitted based on academic achievement alone. The percentages vary from about 50 percent at Berkeley to nearly 75 percent at UC-Santa Barbara.