Features

UC plans to spend  

$100 million for retrofit  

The University of California, Berkeley is planning a $100 million retrofit of a stadium that sits atop a major Bay area fault. 

Directly beneath the 75,000 seat Memorial Stadium lies the active Hayward Fault, which is about 70 miles long and runs through major East Bay cities. Some seismic experts say it is the one most likely to produce the next devastating U.S. quake. 

The stadium, which resembles a concrete version of the Roman Colosseum, is home to Cal’s football team. The only other campus building to sit on the fault was a dining hall – and that was torn down. 

The $100 million retrofit is an amount 100 times greater than the original cost of building the stadium in 1923. Much of the money will pay for non-earthquake related upgrades. 

The university will raise money for the upgrade through donations to the athletic program. The project will be completed in phases over seven years – without interruption to football games – said Vice Chancellor Edward Denton. 

North Berkeley family wins Cash for Trash contest 

On June 15, the Donikian family of north Berkeley awoke to a note on their front door placed by Dave Williamson, the Ecology Center Recycling Operations Manager. The note asked permission to check the family trash for recyclables. Zovig Donikian gave Williamson permission and he found zero recyclables.  

“We recycle because recyclables are not trash and should be put to good use,” Donikian said, according to an Ecology Center press statement. At the July 17 City Council meeting, Mayor Shirley Dean will be awarding the Donikians $750. 

Once a week trash from a randomly selected Berkeley household is checked for recyclables. If none are found the household wins $250 or more. If only a few are found they win $50 and the remainder is rolled over to the next week. If numerous recyclables are found the entire prize rolls over to the next week. In the last contest the prize grew to $4,000 before a winner was found. 

The Cash for Trash Contest is a recycling outreach project of the Ecology Center and the City of Berkeley funded by the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board.  

Since February, $4,450 has been awarded to Berkeley residents for proper recycling and another $1,900 will be distributed before the contest ends on July 14. For a list of rules, recyclables accepted, and on-going contest status visit: www.ecologycenter.org or call the Ecology Center Recycling Hotline at 527-5555.