People listen as a woman sings of loneliness on the steps of Old City Hall Tuesday night during a candlelight vigil in memory of the homeless who have died this year.  

“This community gathering is celebrating Berkeley’s response to the homeless, but there is more to be done. There’s always more to be done,” said boona cheema, executive director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, which, along with Food First and Food Not Bombs, sponsored the gathering .

Wednesday, Nov. 14

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article – a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Flu Shots 

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave. 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov. 28. 

Movie Presentation 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The movie, “If These Walls Could Talk” will be shown. 644-6107 

Near-Death Experience  

Support/Information-Sharing  

Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

The new East Bay chapter of IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies) will be provide an open, sharing, compassionate and supportive environment for the exploration of NDEs, the dying process, the meaning of life and human consciousness. 428-2442 www.iands.org. 

Haiti: Ten Years After the Coup 

7 p.m. 

La Pena Cultural Center 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Film: LaFanmi Selavi (The Family is Life) by Lee Flynn and Caitlin Manning. A documentary showing Haiti and its people living in a culture of resistance, dignity, and hope-– a perspective rarely explored by the media. Sponsored by Jericho Amnesty Movement. $5 (no one turned away for lack of funds). 483-7481 

Second Wednesdays Poetry  

Writing Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Albany Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Second Wednesdays is a monthly Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Alison Seevak. Free and open to all ages. 526-3720 x19 

Planning Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Wireless Telecommunications Facilities: Continued Planning Commission discussion of and action on proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments to add Chapter 23C.17 and new definitions to Subsection 23F regarding the siting, installation, and operation of wireless telecommunications antennas and related facilities for personal wireless services. The new regulations shall apply to wireless telecommunications facilities on property other than the public right of way.  

Thursday, Nov. 15

Berkeley Center for  

Globalization and Information  

Technology 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Inderpal Grewal, SFSU, “Transnational America: Identity, Citizenship and Diasporas in Late-Twentienth Century USA.” 642-4608 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

UK Seminar 

5 p.m. 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall 

John Brewer, University of Chicago, “New Ways in History, or, Talking about my Generation: History and Modernity in the 1960s.” 642-4608 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Storytelling Workshop for  

Senior Adults 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison St., Oakland 

Storyteller, Steven Henegar, leads the workshop. 444-4755 

Falun Gong Introduction  

Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Dwinelle 83 

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese mind and body meditation/exercise system. Free. xrzhang@lbl.gov 

Editor, 

I’ve been following the exchange about downtown parking, and found Planning Commission chair Rob Wrenn’s letter (typically for him) clear, logical and comprehensive. And I love Bonnie Hughes’ sane-and-zany points, including the irony of all the serious treadmillers who probably drive a mile or less to get to the gym. 

With Jenny Wenk and everyone else that thinks of more parking as a solution and driving as a necessity for most folks, I want to share some of my own personal transportation experiences. I consider living in Berkeley (in my case, not in the hills) a privilege for many reasons, but among them is the fact that I’ve been able to explore and in some small ways innovate in finding practical ways to run my life while minimizing car use. (It is so frustrating and expensive to drive in urban areas, and so little fun!) 

I am one of those people who needs to watch my weight and can’t ever manage to find a separate, “dedicated time” for Exercise (capital “E” intentional.) It’s just part of my nature to look for “twofers”: e.g., using my body while getting to work, shopping, running errands, etc. 

I used to bike to work, and I still have my bicycle set up with both a center rear basket and side panniers for packages of various sorts. But the trip wasn’t long enough (about a mile each way) to get much exercise riding, so I began walking. I hated dealing with a heavy backpack, so I got one of those four-wheeled foldable shopping carts, and after struggling with wasteful and leaking plastic trash bags in the rain, learned of a booth at the Ashby Flea Market that has, for about four dollars, a great zip-top heavy gauge woven plastic bag that makes a perfect insert and even has handles for easy liftout at home. I call the whole rig my “Lincoln Town Car”, which always getsa few laughs. 

But the main thing is that the walking is so relaxing and refreshing! I can listen to tapes or my radio – or not, watch the progress of roses throughout a year...I still love to do longer errands by bike (sometimes Kaiser, Emeryville Marketplace, etc.) and use BART to A’s games and to San Francisco for some classes I take. I do own a car, and use it when necessary, but most of the time my basic motto is “ABC”: Anything But the Car. 

For the record, I am 59. Granted, no children for me to ferry about these days. But I do feel that by the time I get into Ms. Wenk’s theoretically “car dependent” demographic, I’ll still be in plenty good enough shape to go on enjoying life more because I’m driving less. 

Donna Mickleson 

Berkeley 

It’s been said that 1,000 years from now the most enduring American contributions to the world will be the Constitution, baseball and jazz. We might like to think of that as our legacy, but the most visible icons of America will probably be the curvy script of Coca-Cola and the rounded ears of Mickey Mouse. 

However, the logo of the Walt Disney company fares in the coming era, its origins are being complicated by a documentary film screening at the Fine Arts Cinema in Berkeley. “The Hand Behind The Mouse: The Story of Ub Iwerks” attempts to set the corporate history straight regarding the little guy with the squeaky voice. 

Ub Iwerks met Walt Disney when both were low-level draftsmen in Kansas City. Together they embarked on a creative business partnership creating short animated commercials and announcements for a local movie theater. The film traces a period of failed business dealings before Iwerks and Disney sat down together to brainstorm a new cartoon character, which would eventually become Mickey.  

The name Ub Iwerks may sound strange to most people. For one thing, it’s a Dutch-German name whose grunting vowels don’t have the sparkly lilt of “Walt Disney.” More significantly, Ub Iwerks has been all but erased from popular history of American culture. This is the man whose influence reached to include Chuck Jones and Carl Stalling, who achieved animation immortality with Bugs Bunny. 

“The Hand Behind The Mouse” was created in 1998 by Iwerks’ granddaughter, Leslie, who will make an appearance at the Fine Arts Cinema on Sunday, Nov. 18th to speak with the audience. Although just an infant when Ub passed away, through research and interviews Iwerks put together a thumbnail sketch of her grandfather.  

“From what I gathered by looking at all his artwork page and page, and cell by cell, what I do know of him is that he was a very quiet man,” said Iwerks by telephone from Los Angeles. “But he had a dry wit about I him, and a quiet humor. And a wacky humor. If you think about it, Iwerks spelled backwards is ‘screwy.’” 

The story she tells, however, is not the discovery of her grandfather – not a “personal documentary” of the kind which has gained artistic cache in recent years due to Marlon Riggs’ inferior imitators. She doesn’t need that. The repercussions of global popular culture and the implication of corporations controlling their own history have automatically raised this film’s ante. 

Iwerks said she had been wanting to tell the real story of her grandfather and his place in the pantheon of popular animation since she was a girl. The added bonus is that in doing so, it also lends a peek into the operation and motivation of the Disney company. To viewers with only a passing interest in animation history, the indirect portrayal of a business giant is the more interesting subplot. 

This December marks Walt Disney’s 100th birthday and the Walt Disney Company is aggressively advertising its year-long “100 Years of Magic” celebrations by digging up old archival footage of Walt on radio and television, and presenting Disney’s seemingly phenomenal – and prolific – artistry and engineering. The phrase oft repeated in this campaign comes from one of Disney’s early television appearances: “We must never forget, it all started with a mouse.”  

As a corporate slogan, it’s great. But all the publicity material coming from the Walt Disney Company make no mention of Iwerks, the man who developed the look of Mickey (then named Mortimer and thankfully changed later). Mickey’s first cartoon was called “Plane Crazy” and Iwerks, in a superhuman bout of frenetic drawing, drew all of the thousands of cells needed to make that three-minute short in a manner of a few weeks. 

The Walt Disney Company not only uses Mickey as its familiar corporate logo, but for years it projected Disney as its frontman. Disney was a recognizable presence on the company’s weekly television show to introduce programs and new company projects. It’s corporate identity was as much about Disney warm familiarity as Mickey’s round ears. 

In the popular imagination, the company was associated with Walt Disney, and it would be naïve to assume that was a happy accident. The price paid for identifying a huge company’s projects as a single man is that the artists and engineers who upheld the company’s vision – people like Iwerks – got brushed under the rug. 

Perhaps the greatest irony of this film is the very first image you see during the opening credits. The Walt Disney Company funded this film, and Roy Disney,Jr., Disney’s nephew and a vice president of the company, appears in the film remembering Iwerks and his contributions to Disney the man and Walt Disney the company.  

Iwerks said he shied away from speaking directly about the origins of Mickey. 

“Never did he (Roy Disney, Jr.) specify or give a point of view on how Mickey was created,” she said, “but certainly indirectly supported my viewpoint in funding the movie and never saying anything different.” 

To lob criticism at the stranglehold which the Walt Disney Company has on the imaginations of young children is like throwing dirt clods at the side of a barn; their cultural misdemeanors are many: Celebration, U.S.A., “Pocahontas,” the revitalization of Gilbert Godfried’s career. But “The Hand Behind The Mouse” presents the qualities that made Walt Disney a likeable friend, a successful businessman and a good guy to work for.  

“I call this the Walt and Ub story, because they were two sides of the same passion,” and each inspired the other, said Iwerks.  

As an employee of Disney, Ub Iwerks developed multi-plane animation cameras, an animation Xerox process which virtually eliminated hand-inking cells, the wetgate printer which removed scratches from film footage, perfected a process to bring live-action and animation together and a list as long as his arm of other innovations.  

“That was one thing Ub really liked and respected about Walt, was that he didn’t have a budget to do what he needed to do,” said Iwerks. “He would have an idea, share it with Walt, and Walt would say: ‘Great, can we adapt it or can we use it on this film or this attraction?’ So they would immediately go and create a prototype of something that would save the company thousands and thousands of dollars.” 

If Ub Iwerks gave Disney the things he needed to make his company succeed, Walt in turn gave Iwerks an open playing field and nearly limitless facilities to make whatever his mind could fancy, which sounds like an engineer’s dream job. 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 14: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Blake’s Nov. 14: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2, Hebro, free. All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley .edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10 Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jupiter Nov. 14: Wayside; Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter. com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 17: Christy Dana Quartet, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 18: Mitch Marcus Trio, Raleigh’s, 2438 Telegraph Ave.; Joe Chellman Quartet, The Village, 2556 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Musicians for Medical Marijuana” Nov. 16: 7 :30 p.m., Dark Star Orchestra, The Flying Other Brothers, MCed by Mountain Girl, doctors and lawyers on hand for consultation. $20. Sweet’s Ballroom, 1988 Broadway, Oakland, 869-5391 www.m4mmj.org. 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

Theater 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16-17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Odyssey” Nov. 16: 7 p.m., Nov. 17: 2 p.m., 7 p.m., Nov. 18: 2 p.m., The Splash Circus presents this outer space circus adventure with juggling scientists, acrobatic aliens, aerial acts, tumbling, masked Commedia characters, contortion, pyramids and dance. Youth performers between the ages of 10 - 14. $13, $6.50 for kids under 14. The Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. 655-1265 x202, www.splashcircus.com. 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits  

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Through Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice at UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Nov. 18 through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” Nov. 15 through Feb. 15: 18 homeless and formerly homeless elders reveal how they learned and applied wisdom that is timeless. Mon. - Fri. and Sundays 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reception and presentation by the elders Thurs. Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 17: 7 p.m. Graham Hutchings discusses his newly released book “Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. 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  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

After taking a year off from volleyball, Emily Friedman approached Berkeley High coach Justin Caraway this summer and asked him if she could play for the team again for her senior season. 

In his mind it wasn’t a question of if she could play, but rather when she could start. 

“I told her right then that she’d be a starter,” he said. “She’s an incredible athlete who is physically very gifted.” 

Friedman, who began playing volleyball in the seventh grade, played for Caraway’s team during her freshman and sophomore seasons but sat out last year to focus on her sport of choice – softball. 

The dedication paid off and Friedman landed a scholarship to play second base for the University of Wisconsin, Madison softball team. 

“I knew when I was 8 years old that’s what I wanted to do,” she said of her upcoming collegiate career on the softball diamond.  

Recruited by Pac-10 and Ivy League schools, Friedman chose the Big 10’s Wisconsin primarily because she “fell in love with the coaching staff,” especially sixth season head coach Karen Gallagher.  

“Everyone I’ve talked to has just said awesome things about her,” Friedman said. “She really knows what she’s doing, was a great player herself and seems like she’d be a good friend.” 

To prepare for next season, Friedman’s currently working on strength conditioning and improving her hitting. She’s lifting weights and spending three days a week with a hitting coach – that’s after practicing two hours a day with her volleyball team. 

“Infielders are a dime a dozen,” she said, “but if you can hit you can play.” 

Shortly before her freshman season at Berkeley, Friedman severely injured her left knee while playing volleyball on her Golden Bear club team. It was that injury that put in focus exactly what she wanted to accomplish and what she needed to do to reach that goal. 

“I missed a whole season of softball,” Friedman said. “I never realized what I took for granted. It took me nine months to get back.” 

Friedman said she’s a competitive person by nature and that she’s now back to full strength this season, even going so far as to say that her injured knee is stronger than her healthy one, and she can focus on the volleyball playoffs. 

“Her desire to win is as strong as any athlete I’ve coached,” Caraway said. “Had she decided to stick with volleyball, I’m sure she’d be going to college on a full volleyball scholarship.” 

Indeed, for an athlete who lists volleyball a distant second on her athletic resume, Friedman’s no stranger to success on the court. As a senior on a Berkeley team that went undefeated in league for the second consecutive year, she recorded 146 digs and blasted 32 aces in 265 service attempts while committing just seven errors, the fewest on the team. She even added 128 assists despite switching from setter to defensive specialist after the third game of the season. 

“All around she’s the most consistent,” Caraway said. “She just doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.” 

In an effort to make her more of an offensive threat, Caraway said that he’s working with Friedman on a jump serve for the playoffs. 

Friedman recognizes that a key component to being a good athlete is exhibiting confidence in competition. She’s set goals for herself that demonstrate her will to win, but takes a tempered approach to thinking past her collegiate career. 

“I’m not leaving Madison until I’m an All-American, I can tell you that,” she said. “That’s my next goal, then after those four years we’ll see.” 

Already she’s prepared for the dramatic differences between softball at the high school and collegiate level. Friedman, who’s not playing softball for Berkeley High this season, plays for a competitive club team in San Jose. It’s nothing like what she’s expecting next fall. 

“High school softball is very, very different,” she said. “In terms of competition, how things are run and in college the sport is year-round. You lift weights, practice every day and live with your team.” 

In the classroom anatomy and biology are two of Friedman’s favorite classes and she’s planning to start on her pre-med requirements next fall at Wisconsin, but added that her major “will probably change a few times.” 

Meanwhile, back to the matter at hand. After a disappointing first-round lost in the North Coast Section playoffs last season, the ’Jackets faced off against Antioch on Tuesday and won 3-1 to advance to the semi-final round on Thursday. 

“We’re definitely a team that could win NCS this year,” Friedman said. “But on any given day anyone who comes out strong and with the most energy could win.” 

In getting to this point Berkeley, in particular, worked on its ball control this season and greatly improved its passing, a direct result of adding Friedman to the ’Jackets’ lineup. 

“Emily’s the best passer on our team, the best defender and she wants to be good at whatever she does,” Caraway said.

In an attempt to kick-start the holiday shopping season, Mayor Shirley Dean, along with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce announced the Shop Berkeley $2,000 Sweepstakes Tuesday. 

During the press conference held in front of Bill’s Trading Post on College Avenue, both Dean and Chamber of Commerce President Reid Edwards denied that the sweepstakes was designed to offset a potential downturn in business related to a controversial council resolution calling for a quick end to the bombing of Afghanistan. 

“We would be doing this regardless of the resolution,” Dean said to television, radio and newspaper reporters. “Berkeley has gone through a renaissance and there are hundreds of friendly shops and restaurants that reflect the unique character of Berkeley.” 

The controversial resolution received national attention and spurred thousands of people to send e-mails and letters, many of which threatened an economic boycott of Berkeley businesses. According to Edwards the existence of a boycott has been only anecdotal. The city’s manager of economic development did not immediately return calls to discuss the possible boycott. 

In fact, progressive Councilmember Dona Spring, who originally authored the controversial Afghanistan resolution, said Berkeley shops might be experiencing a slew of business. 

“We’ve received lots of post cards and e-mails from people saying they will make a point of shopping in Berkeley,” she said. “There are many people in the Bay Area who want a peaceful resolution to the war and are glad to see at least one local government express concern about the use of weapons of mass destruction.” 

Dean, along with three other moderate councilmembers, did not vote for the resolution, which was narrowly approved on Oct. 16 by the council’s progressive majority. 

Shoppers interested in participating in the sweepstakes can do so by spending more than $100 at any one of the 200 participating stores or restaurants. Winners will be drawn from the names of participants on Jan. 10. The first prize is $1,000 and there are two secondary prizes of $500. The sweepstakes begins Monday and will continue through Dec. 30. Dean credited her chief of staff, Jennifer Drapeau, for the sweepstakes idea. 

Since the threat of a boycott, both moderate and progressive councilmembers have eagerly shown support for Berkeley businesses. On Tuesday’s City Council agenda, there were two pro-business recommendations authored by progressive councilmembers. 

One recommendation, authored by councilmembers Linda Maio and Spring, calls for a grant of $25,000 for a citywide holiday advertising campaign, free parking on Saturdays and an additional $25,000 for citywide advertising in the spring. 

In addition Maio has submitted a recommendation that the city’s main Web page add a link to a list of Berkeley businesses that do commerce on the Internet “because supporters (of the resolution) from across the country have asked how they can help patronize Berkeley businesses,” she said. 

The recommendation went on to request that Dean remove any mention of a boycott from her Web site and that she “emphasize the strength and uniqueness of Berkeley’s businesses, which continue to enjoy a strong regional draw.” 

Janet Dunlap, the manager of Bill’s Trading Post, said she hopes the sweepstakes will reverse the indicators of a downturn in the economy.  

“I hope it perks things up around here,” she said. “There’s actually parking spaces outside and that’s a bad sign.”

The Daily Planet received a copy of the following letter addressed to the members of the City Council: 

Thank you so much for your courageous vote in taking a stand to end the bombing in Afghanistan as soon as possible. 

It is a serious mistake to argue against a stand of conscience based on economic considerations. Berkeley’s economy will do better in the long run, by doing what is right, and you have done that. 

I am proud to be a member of Berkeley’s business community. (family practice physician in Berkeley since 1979.) 

I am also proud of Berkeley’s history of thoughtful progressive stands, from Ron Dellums in the 60’s and beyond, to the present. 

Thank you, Berkeley! You make me proud! 

Frank H. Lucido MD 

Berkeley 

Member, Steering Committee, San Francisco Physicians for Social Responsibility

The Planning Commission will make recommendations on two long-standing, controversial city issues tonight – rules for new cellular phone antennae and a moratorium on the conversion of factory space into offices in parts of West Berkeley. 

Both matters have come before the commission and City Council but have not been resolved for almost one year. 

The commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. The public hearings on these issues have been closed, but interested parties may address the commission during its regular public comment period. 

If approved at the Planning Commission level, both items will be sent to the City Council.  

The commission will also receive a status report on the Southside Plan, which has been in development for more than three years. The University of California has expressed disapproval over changes to the draft Southside plan, which were added as a result of citizen comment.  

Antennae 

The commission is set to adopt guidelines to regulate applications for new base antennae for cell phone and other wireless communications services.  

Two different drafts of a possible new regulations have been circulated, one prepared by city staff and the other by citizens. 

The citizens’ version is much more restrictive: It wouldn’t allow new antennae near residences or schools, imposes penalties for antenna radiation in excess of the federal limit and demand that antennae be no higher than the maximum building height in each district. 

The authors of the citizens’ proposal admit that under their ordinance, “every provider may not be able to provide coverage to every square inch of the city,” but say that their version is more sensitive to the concerns of residents. 

The commission will likely approve some compromise between the two versions. 

The issue came to light last year, when the Zoning Adjustments Board denied an appeal by neighbors of the Solano Theater. They had sought to overturn an administrative permit given to Nextel Communications, a cell-phone and wireless services provider, to install an antenna on the theater. 

The neighbors, who feared that radiation from the antenna might be dangerous, then appealed to the City Council in December.  

The council responded by instituting a 45-day ban on new cell phone antennae while regulations could be developed. The ban was extended for six months in January and for another five in July.  

Federal law states that cities may only regulate new antennae based on aesthetic grounds, not for fear of possible adverse public health effects. 

MU-LI moratorium 

A subcommittee of the commission formed to study a moratorium on office conversions in the West Berkeley mixed-use/light industrial district has presented its report to the commission. 

The subcommittee recommends that the commission approve the moratorium, which it says will give city officials time to study the effects of office development in the area.  

The district, which comprises between one-third and one-half of Berkeley west of San Pablo Avenue, was designated in the West Berkeley Plan as being an area for light industry and artists.  

During the last year, residents have complained that an influx of office space in the area is causing rents to increase, bringing in undue amounts of traffic and, because of conversions, reducing the city’s stock of building space that can be used by artists and light industry. 

The subcommittee’s position is different than that of city staffers, who, in their report, advise the commission not to approve the moratorium. The staff report holds that there is no “quantifiable information” that shows that office development in the district has negatively impacted the area. 

The moratorium, as it is currently written, would only apply to conversions of 5,000 square feet or greater, and would remain in effect for one year. 

The commission passed a version of the moratorium in January, but the City Council sent the issue back to the commission after the City Attorney’s Office said that the community had not been properly notified about the issue.

Following is a copy of a letter originally sent to Councilmember Dona Spring: 

I did not get a chance to attend last month’s council meeting. I am very happy that you introduced the resolution and even more so that it passed. I have seen the City Council go back and forth over the years as to whether Berkeley should take a stand on foreign policy issues or focus solely on sewers and roads. Perhaps other cities have the luxury of basking in their parochialism; Berkeley is not so free, and to some extent it is the duty of this city – among all cities – to stand up and speak out on issues of great concern to the world and the nation.  

Moreover, all of us living in the city pay taxes to the federal government, have a stake in the world condition, (may wish to be free from retaliation for our national government’s acts), and many here will even be called to war or have their sons or brothers called to war. It is most definitely a local concern of Berkeley’s, and if Berkeley, of all places, does not speak out, does not refute the virtually 100 percent support the media polls say are in favor of bombing sovereign nations, then who will? Berkeley is also one of the few places in the country with such diversity, such a mixed population which includes Indians, Pakistanis, Afghans, Iranians, etc., muslims and arabs of every description, not to mention all of the people from the other 87-or-so nationalities, that we should (and generally do) have a better understanding of what it means to live around people unlike ourselves, and how alike we all really are, ultimately. It is amazing how quickly most (now proven by polls) Americans are willing to suspend other people’s civil rights, to bomb and kill innocent people who happen to live behind the wrong borders; most Americans seem to really and truly place a lesser value on the lives of foreigners or nonChristians or dark-skinned people than the value they place on lives of American citizens.  

We cannot allow Berkeley to sit silently while this kind of hatred and insanity goes on. Therefore, I applaud your efforts to bring this before the city’s agenda and to ask Berkeley to take the only acceptable position. You succeeded in even gaining only abstentions from your opponents, I understand – which really demonstrates that there is only one right, just answer in the debate. 

There is much more one could say, much more we will all have to keep saying, for as long as it takes, in as many venues as we can be heard in. 

John M. Hartenstein, Esq. 

Berkeley

To those who knew her, the name Alice Sachs Hamburg is synonymous with both peace and activism. 

The 95-year-old activist who raised three children, fought against above-ground nuclear testing, racism, the Vietnam War and more recently went to battle for the survival of KPFA radio, died Monday morning in her Berkeley home. 

“She was always an inspiration,” said fellow activist Eleanor Salkind, “Everyone looked up to her.” 

Alice Sachs was born Nov. 25, 1905 to Russian immigrant parents in Wilton Coal Mining Company Hospital in North Dakota. 

She describes her childhood home in “Grass Roots: from Prairie to Politics,” – a Creative Arts Book Company autobiography to be released in about two weeks: “The wind, rain and snow blew in, but it was a shelter. The eerie howl of the coyote disturbed our nights. My mother, new to the prairie, was terrified.” 

Life was hard. The soil her father farmed, while working in the mines, was rocky and barren. But she recalled the good times when people in the community would gather to work together at harvest time. 

“Kinship in this pioneer village transcended culture or religion. People from different parts of the world were brought together in this tiny place, united by common hardships,” she wrote. 

Hamburg’s young life was spent in a number of cities and towns, as her father tried his hand at various jobs, including plumbing and the dry goods business, but it seemed to Hamburg that his heart was always in farming. 

The moves led her Jewish family to towns that had never before met Jews and to experience some anti-Semitism in the form of teasing. 

While going to school, Alice began her work life at the age of 12. She was a live-in helper for one family, and cleaned house for another. 

By the time she was in high school, Alice’s family had moved to Aberdeen, South Dekota, where she worked part time in her father’s store, which had “new technology” – a telephone. 

In 1924 the family headed west to California and settled in Fresno, where she met her husband-to-be and got an early taste of what she would experience later as McCarthyism. Several women from the synagogue the family belonged to approached Alice’s mother and said: “You have a nice daughter and we understand she’s seeing Sam Hamburg. Be careful, he’s a Communist.” 

A few years later, when she was a student at UCLA, and had not yet married Sam, Alice took a class from an “inspiring” economics professor. She was disturbed when his contract was not renewed because of suspected “left-wing” leanings. 

In 1926 Alice married Sam Hamburg and lived for a while on a ranch in the San Joaquin Valley – first in a tent, then in a cookhouse. She soon moved on her own to Berkeley to continue her education, commuting by train to the ranch on holidays. 

After graduating with honors in economics, Hamburg went back to the ranch and taught migrant laborer children, then went on, for a time, to other teaching positions. 

“I lost my teaching job in 1932 because the trustees believed that married women should be supported by their husbands,” she writes. She adds that she “may have been a bit too outspoken in some of the discussion groups held outside of class, in which taboo topics such as birth control were brought up.” 

With twin girls about nine years old and a boy in kindergarten, Alice moved back to Berkeley, where, except for a stint in San Francisco, she would live out the rest of her long life. She took her activism to the local PTA, which took up the issue of integration. Berkeley hired its first black teacher in 1943 and instituted voluntary bussing in 1945. 

“By the late 40s, the country is in the grips of anti-Communist fervor,” Hamburg writes. In 1949, the California legislature passed the law that would make all state employees sign a loyalty oath and Hamburg helped found the Citizens’ Committee Against the Loyalty Oath. 

These meetings were also cited in an FBI report, which Hamburg quotes in her book: “In the 1940s she had been among sponsors of receptions held in honor of Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson and other well-known communists.” 

Hamburg got in trouble another time for supporting Robeson. At the height of his fame, the Berkeley Board of Education refused to let him perform in the newly-completed Community Theater, but because of a protest which Hamburg and others led, the concert went ahead as planned. 

In 1950, Hamburg joined the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, in which she would be active the rest of her life. 

On Sept. 11, 1951, she received a subpoena to appear before the State Un-American Activities Committee and was questioned about her activities around her support for Robeson and the Hollywood Ten. She responded to the committee, calling their questioning “a flagrant violation of the democratic principles which are the very foundation of our great American heritage.” 

Following her appearance before the committee, Hamburg was asked to resign from the Garfield PTA. She refused. 

Hamburg was both a mom and a political activist, said one of Alice’s daughters, Tanya Goldsmith, in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It was a precursor to feminism – she did both,” said Goldsmith, who lives in Berkeley. “She did not stay at home and make brownies.” 

Much of Hamburg’s political activity was generated through WILPF, and later, Women Strike for Peace, a sister organization. Hamburg protested against atmospheric nuclear testing; she protested at Berkeley’s Public Health Department against the growing levels of Strontium 90 in the local dairy supply; she rallied against the growing dependence of the California economy on war-related industry. Later Hamburg marched against the Vietnam War and helped the anti-war effort add civil rights to its agenda. 

Her friend and fellow activist, Margot Smith, calls Hamburg a role model. “All of us elders look to her and say we’d like to be like her at her age.” 

Among the most important things she would do – and continued to do up until about a year ago – was to write “Alice Hamburg’s review of legislation.” She would collect various opinions on candidates and ballot measures, condense the issues and give the opinion of various groups on each item. 

Another Berkeley activist, Eleanor Salkind said Hamburg talked about the large bag Hamburg always carried with her, containing notices of meetings and community events “so we knew what was going on.” 

“She was always an inspiration,” Salkind said. 

Hamburg’s efforts never seemed to flag. “She never took a nap, a vacation. She used every waking moment and never lost her grasp on what was important to her,” said her daughter Tanya Goldsmith. 

That spirit continued unabated. She was working to endow the Ron Dellums chair at UC Berkeley’s Peace and Conflict Department. She even went with her friend, Madeline Duckles, to a forum last week at the university on the state of nuclear weapons after Sept. 11. “At the very end, she was interested in everything going on,” Duckles said. 

The situation at KPFA radio and the community’s attempts to democratize Pacifica radio were among her activities until her last days. 

“In my fifty years of involvement with the station, I have seen turmoil unleashed time and again. Free speech is still under siege,” she wrote. “What is happening in Berkeley and the Bay Area gives some reassurance that democracy is not dead. Power is still in the hands of the people.” 

Note from the reporter: On Nov. 6, Alice Hamburg wrote me a note that I saw only on Tuesday. In part, it said: “Dear Judith Scherr, I hope you have had time to read my autobiography. Finally, Creative Arts tells me the book will be out in about one week.” In fact, I had held on to the book - “Grass roots from prairie to politics” for months, only reading it this past week, when I took a few days off from the Planet. This obituary is based mostly on that book. Sorry I took so long, Alice. Judith Scherr 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: 

The Student International Forum and the Columbus Campaign for Arms Control (of Columbus, Ohio) wish to thank you for the resolution to ask your representatives “to help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible, avoiding actions that can endanger the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan, and minimizing the risk to American military personnel...to devote our government’s best efforts in collaboration with governments throughout the world, to addressing and overcoming those conditions such as poverty, malnutrition, disease, oppression, and subjugation that tend to drive some people to acts of terrorism;” and to “engage in a national campaign to lessen our dependence on oil from the Middle East and to commit to a nationwide conversion to renewable energy sources such as solar and fuel cells, within five years” (as described in the summary of the Berkeley City Council meeting, 16 October 2001, at

We hope you will stand firm and overcome such ill-tempered and ill-informed calls for boycotts of Berkeley as reported by BBC (at

We urge all lovers of freedom, all defenders of human rights, as individuals and organizations to visit the beautiful city of Berkeley; hold conventions in Berkeley; support Berkeley businesses; and bring much-needed tax dollars to Berkeley so you may continue your good work. 

Yoshie Furuhashi 

Ohio State University 

Columbus, Ohio

A man told police he was the victim of hate speech on Friday, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department.  

The man, who called the police Saturday morning, said he had told his neighbors that he was prepared to report their incessant arguing and noisy behavior to the building manager. The neighbors then got angry at the man and allegedly made disparaging comments about his sexual orientation.  

Harris said the man wanted to make sure the comments were on record in case any further trouble developed. 

A man was arrested after allegedly stealing money from an unattended parking lot cash box early Sunday morning, according to Harris. 

Around 12:55 a.m., the BPD received a call from an anonymous tipster, saying that a man was prying open the self-pay box at Ampco Parking, 2020 Center St.  

The responding officer saw a suspicious man, who fled the scene when the officer attempted to question him. The suspect was apprehended along with an undisclosed amount of cash and taken into custody.  

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the mayor and council: 

I read about your recently passed resolutions originally in a slanted piece from the AP. I wanted to write to let all of you, both to the five with the courage to publicly stand up for decency, and to the others who abstained, that there are plenty of people around the world who stand with you, against the forces that perpetuate violence in the name of profit, or whatever bogus nationalism that profit hides behind. I can’t speak for everyone, but for myself I wish to thank you for your courage in taking a currently unfashionable stand. 

I have many fond memories of your city from my visits there, and wish to assure you that, despite any short-term financial setbacks that your actions may cause, that doing the right thing for humanity will make much more of an impression than worrying about keeping your mouths shut for the sake of the almighty dollar. 

Dean Zorn 

Woodbury 

OAKLAND — A proposed University of California admissions policy aims to look at prospective students as more than the sum of their transcript and test scores. 

Under the new policy, known as “comprehensive review,” students would not be judged on academics alone, but would be viewed in terms of academics plus supplemental factors such as overcoming hardship. 

UC already uses comprehensive review for some students, but campuses are required to admit at least 50 percent of students solely on academic criteria. The change would eliminate that requirement. 

Doing that would send “a strong message to K-12 schools and students that the university is looking for students who have achieved at high levels and have challenged themselves to the greatest extent possible,” UC officials say in an information packet sent to the governing board of regents. 

UC’s faculty members have approved comprehensive review admissions. A regents committee will vote on the change Wednesday. If approved, it would go to the full board on Thursday. 

Critics say they’re concerned the plan would make the admissions process a little less fair. 

“If parents and their kids cannot reliably predict their chances of admissions based on certain objective academic factors, then they will believe that it’s all a crapshoot,” said Kevin Nguyen, executive director of the American Civil Rights Institute. 

The institute was founded by Ward Connerly, the UC regent who led the move to drop the nine-campus system’s old affirmative action programs. 

Regents were skeptical when the change was first presented in October, but some indicated they could be persuaded to vote for it. 

Comprehensive review would not change the statewide pool of students deemed eligible for entry to one of UC’s eight undergraduate campuses. That is determined by meeting grade and test minimums, or by graduating in the top 4 percent of one’s high school class. 

The new rules would give campuses more leeway in selecting from the pool, which could change who gets into highly competitive Berkeley. 

Even there, the impact might not be great. 

Berkeley officials reviewed 1,000 admissions from this fall and found that all but 4 percent would have been admitted under comprehensive review. The losers under comprehensive review tended to be students who had good grades but hadn’t done much outside the classroom. 

The 50 percent minimum was adopted at the same time UC dropped race from admissions in 1995. (Previously, campuses had to admit at least 40 percent of students on academics alone.) Regents rescinded the 1995 vote in May. The vote was largely symbolic because of a 1996 law dismantling most state affirmative action programs, but did bring the academic minimum up for debate. 

Some have criticized comprehensive review as a covert way of reviving affirmative action without mentioning race. 

After race-blind admissions went into effect, enrollment of blacks and Hispanics tumbled. The figures have rebounded since then, but there has been a reshuffling, with more blacks and Hispanics going to lesser-known campuses such as UC-Riverside and fewer going to Berkeley and UCLA. 

UC officials say the new policy isn’t backdoor affirmative action because race is taken off applications before they are reviewed and the overall pool of applicants remains unchanged. They do not expect the ethnic composition of freshmen classes at any of the campuses to change substantially. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.ucop.edu/news/expanding/comprev.pdf 

Sierra Club gives S.F. air a C-minus 

SAN FRANCISCO — A Sierra Club report gives San Francisco a C- for its efforts to clean the air with public transit. 

The “Clearing the Air with Transit Spending: Sierra Club Grades America’s Fifty Largest Cities” report gives New York the highest grade for investing more money on providing people with transportation alternatives than on new roads. It flunked Oklahoma for having a high amount of smog from cars and trucks per person and spending just $5.80 on public transportation for every $100 it spends on highway and road construction. 

San Francisco received a C for the amount of smog from cars and trucks per person, and got a D for the amount spent on public transit versus highways per person. In San Francisco, 65 pounds of smog from cars and trucks is created per person per year and 46.9 percent of smog is from cars and trucks. To address this, in California, only $56 is spent per resident on public transit for every $100 spent on highways. 

Police get huge raise 

OAKLAND — Police voted Monday to accept a five-year contract with the city that makes them among the best-compensated public safety officers in the state. 

Highlights of the contract, which expires June 30, 2006, include a 27 percent pay hike over five years, new benefits such as differential pay for certain shifts, an enhanced retirement package and premium pay for bilingual officers and evidence technicians. 

Officer Bob Valladon, president of the Oakland Police Officers Association, called the contract the best in 30 years. 

He said one reason for the overwhelming approval by the OPOA membership was the security the contract provides. 

“Now everybody can see for the next five years what they will be receiving and make plans, like buying a house,” he said 

Valladon praised the city for its good faith and efforts during bargaining. The first meetings began in the spring, and a tentative agreement was reached last month. 

The Oakland City Council is expected to ratify the agreement in early December.

SANTA ANA — A judge’s ruling on the application of Proposition 13 could cost cities and counties millions of dollars and mean lower property taxes for thousands of homeowners. 

The ruling issued earlier this month said the method used by tax assessors to determine how some properties are taxed violates state law. 

Proposition 13 limits the amount of property taxes that local governments can collect. Passed by voters in 1978, the initiative protects property from an annual assessment increase of more than 2 percent until it changes hands, 

Local governments argue that the provision doesn’t apply when property values remain flat or drop during a recession then surge as real estate values rebound. In those cases, counties routinely hike the taxable property value beyond 2 percent. 

Judge John M. Watson ruled that the Orange County assessor violated Proposition 13 by increasing the taxable value of a home in Seal Beach by 4 percent in one year. 

Robert Pool bought the house for $330,000 in November 1995. The home’s taxable value was flat for two years but the assessor raised the price more than $13,000 in 1998, saying the jump was justified. 

County attorneys argued that the assessment was legal because it made up for years in which the property value did not increase. The county maintains it was merely recapturing the full tax value of the property, charging 2 percent for each of the years the property values did not rise. 

Watson said in his Nov. 2 ruling that the recapturing method is unconstitutional.  

He said the measure was clear that taxable values cannot rise more than 2 percent a year, no matter how much the property value rebounds. 

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said Watson’s ruling is the first time the issue has been tested in court. 

“This has profound implications for property tax policy and Proposition 13, specifically,” Coupal said. 

Watson still must rule on a motion to broaden the complaint to class-action status, which could apply to other cases statewide. 

BOMBAY BEACH — A series of minor earthquakes rattled the Salton Sea area Tuesday but apparently caused no injuries or damage. 

Four quakes measuring magnitude-3.0 or greater and centered three miles southeast of Bombay Beach, struck within a three-hour period, according to reports from the U.S. Geological Survey and California Institute of Technology. 

Bombay Beach is a small town on the sparsely populated east shore of the Salton Sea. The San Andreas Fault stretches along the area where the temblors occurred. 

A magnitude-3.0 quake hit at 8:03 a.m., followed five minutes later by one of magnitude-3.2. The largest, a magnitude-3.4, struck at 8:45 a.m. and a 3.1-magnitude temblor followed at 10:57 a.m. 

A dozen other smaller temblors struck the same area Tuesday morning. The seismic activity began at 5:43 a.m. with a magnitude-1.7 quake. 

A dispatcher with the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department said there had been no reports of damage or injuries. 

SANTA ANA — A sanity hearing for mass killer Edward Charles Allaway began Tuesday before an Orange County judge who will decide whether Allaway is fit to be released from a state mental hospital. 

Allaway has been held at state institutions for nearly 25 years since being found innocent by reason of insanity in a July 1976 shooting rampage that left seven people dead and two others injured at California State University, Fullerton. 

“We’ve all heard the expression ’safe and sane,’ and Mr. Allaway is every bit of that,” John Bovee, his lawyer, said in his opening statement. 

In 1977, a judge found Allaway innocent by reason of insanity — under a diminished capacity defense — after a jury was unable to reach a verdict. 

Although California no longer allows the diminished capacity defense, Allaway remains entitled to a sanity hearing that is now typically reserved for those found legally insane. 

Psychiatrists have differed on Allaway’s mental state. He has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. However, state psychologists now believe he suffered from a form of schizophrenia that went into remission shortly after he was remanded to a state hospital. 

Allaway, 63, was a campus janitor when he took a .22-caliber rifle into the library and shot to death two custodians, a photographer, retired professor, library assistant, graphic artist and audio technician. Two other people were wounded. 

He told authorities he killed his co-workers because they teased him about his belief that pornographic movies were being made on campus. Some, he said, joked that the movies might even have starred his wife. 

Allaway, who is expected to testify during the three-week hearing, has petitioned for release four times previously. Judges rejected three of those petitions and Allaway withdrew the other one. 

During his opening statement, Bovee told Superior Court Judge Frank F. Fasel that Allaway has willingly participated in treatment and has not needed to take medication since his incarceration in 1977. 

Deputy District Attorney Dan Wagner reserved the right to make his statement later in the hearing. 

Bovee argued that Allaway has been locked away more for political reasons than because of his mental health. In 1992, the state health department fought moving Allaway from a maximum security state hospital to another state hospital. 

Mark Mills, a psychiatrist who evaluated Allaway in 1993 at the request of the state, testified that Allaway had shown no signs of delusions since he was first remanded to a state hospital. 

“By the time I saw him in 1993, I was very comfortable ... that he was not delusional,” Mills said. 

He also told the court that Allaway suffered at least one other delusional episode in the early 1970s, which included a belief that his then wife was having sex with men at the auto plant where he worked. 

Allaway signed himself into a psychiatry ward at his wife’s urging but refused to take medication, Mills said. 

After his release, he moved to California and divorced his wife. He later remarried. 

“The good news is he was able to kind of regroup ... The bad news is well before July 1976, he ’s having little breakthroughs of delusional behavior,” Mills said. 

The psychiatrist recommended that if Allaway is released, he should be placed in a supervised and structured environment, such as a halfway house with 24-hour psychiatric care available. 

The testimony of Mills did little to comfort the half-dozen family members of Allaway’s victims who attended the hearing. 

“It’s always difficult to hear a doctor talk about what a wonderful person that man is,” said Patricia Almazon, whose father was among those killed. 

Paul Paulsen, whose sister was killed, said he was watching the trial with “fear that Allaway could be back on the street.” 

“It’s fear not just for me but for the community he ends up in,” he said. “How can you guarantee he’ll never do it again?” 

A look at key events leading to Edward Charles Allaway’s sanity  

hearing, which began Tuesday: 

—July 12, 1976: Allaway, then 37, walks into the library at California State University, Fullerton, and kills seven people. 

—Sept. 9, 1977: A jury is unable to reach a verdict. The defense agrees to allow the judge to decide the case. 

—Nov. 16, 1977: A judge finds Allaway innocent by reason of insanity and remands him to a state mental hospital. 

—June 12, 1993: A judge rejects Allaway’s second petition for freedom. The first petition for conditional release was never filed with the court because it was not supported by the state hospital. 

—November 1997: Patton State Hospital staff members recommend Allaway be transferred to a halfway house. Allaway files a petition with the court seeking release and then withdraws it. 

—February 2001: Allaway again applies for conditional release. 

—August 2001: Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank F. Fasel sets a date for Allaway’s sanity hearing. 

WASHINGTON — Ronald Reagan’s childhood home would become a federal historic site under a bill passed by the House on Tuesday. 

The Dixon, Ill., house where the former president lived in the early 1920s is owned by the private Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Foundation. The bill, which passed by voice vote, authorizes the Interior Department to acquire the site from the foundation, which would continue managing and operating it. 

Supporters say the legislation will protect the legacy of America’s 40th president. 

“Establishing the boyhood home as a national historic site will ensure long-term preservation ... and its eligibility for funding from the National Park Service,” said Rep. George Radanovich, R-Calif. 

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., sponsor of the bill, has fought attempts by lawmakers, the Bush administration and the National Park Service to delay action on the legislation until an Interior Department study is completed. In October, a House committee rejected an amendment that would have required the study. 

Rep. Joel Hefley, sponsor of the failed amendment, criticized the bill for designating the site “as a national park unit without study by the park service or indeed any real idea of what the park service’s role in this will be or how they will manage it.” 

“Make no mistake, this bill is before you in this form today only because the Speaker wants it,” Hefley, R-Colo., said from the House floor. 

Reagan lived in the home, which is in Hastert’s district, for three years between the ages of 9 and 12. 

SAN JOSE — Spending on information technology in the United States is expected to rise just 1.5 percent in 2002, a relatively small increase that nonetheless offers some hope for the troubled high-tech sector, according to a new survey. 

The report released Tuesday by the Gartner Inc. research firm and the SoundView Technology Group Inc. investment bank was based on interviews with 1,000 corporate technology buyers and high-tech vendors at a recent symposium. 

The survey found corporate technology spending will likely end up rising 2.5 percent this year over 2000 — well off the original 8 percent increase the companies were expecting in January. 

Fifty-nine percent of the survey respondents said they spent less on technology than their budgets allowed, leaving room for more potential spending next year. 

“I think there’s a huge glimmer of hope for the tech sector,” said Al Case, a Gartner senior vice president. 

The survey found that the sectors most likely to attract next year’s technology spending are security, data storage, Web-based applications and services and handheld computers. 

Nationwide, capital expenditures on technology total about $500 billion a year, Case said. 

Soundview Technology’s chief executive, Mark Loehr, said the expectation of even a slight rise in tech spending in this poor economic environment “supports our conviction that the bottom has been reached.”

Deal made as life support for bankrupt company 

SAN JOSE — Troubled high-speed Internet provider Covad Communications Inc. signed a $150 million loan and marketing agreement Tuesday with one-time rival SBC Communications Inc. 

The deal is expected to provide enough money to keep the company alive until it starts generating positive cash flow, now expected by the second half of 2003. 

Covad, which provides digital subscriber line services over phone circuits to 346,000 subscribers in 50 markets, filed for bankruptcy protection in August and struck a deal with bondholders to erase $1.4 billion of debt. 

After Tuesday’s announcement, shares of Santa Clara-based Covad jumped 29 cents, or more than 30 percent, to $1.15 on the OTC Bulletin Board. The company was delisted in July from the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

Shares of SBC fell 54 cents to close at $37.40 in trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

“This infusion of capital will be one of the final steps in our plan toward financial stability for Covad,” said Charles Hoffman, Covad’s chief executive. 

The deal replaces a $600 million, six-year agreement reached with San Antonio-based SBC in September 2000. It does not increase SBC’s ownership in Covad, which is now about 5 percent. 

Under the new deal, SBC will make a one-time, $75 million prepayment secured by Covad assets. SBC can use the money toward the purchase of Covad services over 10 years. 

SBC also will make a $50 million, four-year loan also secured by Covad’s assets. Interest payments will be deferred for two years. 

The deal also requires SBC to pay a $10 million restructuring fee and the elimination of a $15 million marketing fee owed by Covad under the previous agreement. 

Covad said it expects to move out of bankruptcy later this year.

LAS VEGAS — Oracle Corp.’s chief executive said the database software giant likely will fall short of Wall Street’s earnings estimates for its fiscal second quarter. 

Larry Ellison told reporters late Monday at the Comdex trade show that the tough economic environment following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks probably will mean Oracle will miss analysts’ earnings expectations of 11 cents per share for the three months ended in November, as compiled by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

Ellison said he now expects earnings of 9 cents or 10 cents per share. 

Shares of Oracle fell 88 cents, or nearly 6 percent, to close at $14.52 in trading Tuesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The City Council will discuss possible strategies tonight in case a citizen’s group collects enough signatures to challenge the city’s recently-approved redistricting plan. 

The council will have various options, if the newly formed Citizens for Fair Representation gathers the 4,000 valid signatures necessary to place the controversial Blake-O’Malley redistricting plan on the March ballot. 

One choice will avoid a ballot referendum by a council repeal of the plan, which it narrowly approved on Oct. 16. If the council chooses to repeal, the entire redistricting process – which bitterly divided the council – will begin anew. The process, which would begin on Nov. 27, would have to be completed by the council’s last meeting of the year on Dec. 18 to comply with a City Charter deadline of Dec. 31. 

The other choice, which is apparently even less appealing, and more expensive, would be to put the plan before the voters on March 5.  

Several councilmembers said on Monday they would prefer repealing the plan because of the $60,000 to $100,000 price tag of putting the referendum on the ballot. (The cost would be elevated because the city would have to produce its own ballot. At this time, other jurisdictions, but not Berkeley, will be preparing ballots – complete with sample ballots and ballot statements – for the March vote.) 

“The fact is we’ve got to clear up this mess,” said Mayor Shirley Dean, a member of the minority “moderate” council faction. “When we went to the district system in 1986, no one anticipated this problem.” 

This “problem” is a Census Bureau undercount of about 4,500 people, mostly students living in districts 7 and 8. Because the City Charter requires district lines to be redrawn according to the decennial census – whether it’s flawed or not – all of the proposals the council considered had a flawed count of people living in districts 7 and 8.  

According to a report by the city attorney, the Census Bureau has not yet corrected its blunder and has only indicated the city “may receive ‘draft’ numbers” from the bureau by the end of the year.  

The census undercount resulted in a plan, approved by the council’s progressive majority faction, that put nearly 17,000 real people in moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong’s District 8, while the other seven districts have closer to 13,000 residents. Progressive councilmembers said the approved plan adhered most faithfully to the City Charter, which requires that all districts be changed as little as possible during the redistricting process. 

Soon after the plan was approved, the Citizens for Fair Representation formed to challenge the approved plan, which they said was little more than a power grab by the council progressives. Last week the CFR announced that it had 6,000 signatures, well above the 4,000 required, to place the plan on the ballot. The deadline for submitting the signed petition to the city clerk is Wednesday. 

If the signatures are verified, the council will decide on Nov. 27 whether to rescind the current plan and adopt a new one. A second plan adopted by council would also be subject to referendum, in which case the former district boundaries, established in 1991, would be used for election purposes, according to a background report by the city attorney. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said she favored yet another option – putting an amendment on the March 5 ballot that would extend the redistricting deadline by two years thereby allowing time for inaccurate census numbers to be corrected. 

“We can’t simply ignore this problem and hope it will go away,” she said. “We have to get to a place where we can deal with accurate numbers when we redraw council lines even if it takes a ballot amendment.” 

Progressive Councilmember Dona Spring disagreed saying the council would be better off repealing the Blake-O’Malley plan and working around the inaccurate census data to create another redistricting plan. 

It would be costly to put anything on the ballot, Spring said. “Why not come up with a plan that resolves some of the difficulties posed by the census undercount.” 

Progressive Councilmember Kriss Worthington proposed reworking the Blake-O’Malley plan by including a 5 percent “fudge factor” in each district’s population count.  

According to guidelines prepared by the city attorney, the population count in each district should be within 1 percent of the others. Worthington said if the 1-percent allowable difference was increased to 5 percent, the undercount in districts 7 and 8 could be “fairly and equally spread” among all of the districts instead of just two. 

“All of the other proposals put 90 percent of the undercount into districts 7 and 8,” he said. “The 5 percent allowable difference is the only proposal I’ve heard of that spreads the undercount throughout the city.” 

Moderate Councilmember Betty Olds said the council should be cautious in selecting a new plan. “The council needs to be careful about which plan it chooses,” she said. “If the progressives just tweak the current plan a little bit, the 6,000 people who signed that petition are not going to be happy.” 

Tuesday, Nov. 13

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Senior Center 

2727 College Ave. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

10 a.m. - noon 

UC Berkeley 

2223 Fulton St. 

6th Floor Conference Room 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of more than 1 million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 642-3609 

Special Seminar 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

H. Peter Oberlander, University of British Columbia and Citizenship Court Judge for British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, “After Sept. 11: a North-American Perimeter for Travel and Immigration?”  

642-4608 

Palestine and the Peace  

Empowerment Process 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

World Wall for Peace Founder Carolyna Marks uses slides to help tell the story of her three-week trip throughout the Palestinian territory in July 2001. $10 donation. 548-2220 x233 

Experimental Mid-life  

Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Miriam Chaya presents the first of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

The Hormones in Health and  

in Disease 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

George Sayers, a retired professor, will lead a discussion. 644-6107 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

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

531-8664 

Wednesday, Nov. 14

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article – a community 

writers’ group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Flu Shots 

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or more and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov. 28. 

Movie Presentation 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The movie, “If These Walls Could Talk” will be shown. 644-6107 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Near-Death Experience  

Support/Information-Sharing  

Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

The new East Bay chapter of IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies) will be provide an open, sharing, compassionate and supportive environment for the exploration of NDEs, the dying process, the meaning of life and human consciousness. 428-2442 www.iands.org. 

Second Wednesdays Poetry  

Writing Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Albany Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Second Wednesdays is a monthly Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Alison Seevak. Free and open to all ages. 526-3720 x19 

The recent letters in the Berkeley Daily Planet by Councilmember Hawley and her Planning Commissioner David Tabb were filled with distortions regarding redistricting plan adopted by the City Council majority. The right wing opponents of the plan seem to think that the more they distribute disinformation about the plan, the more people will begin to believe these untruths. They’re attacking the process (which they have misconstrued) because they wanted a different outcome. 

The fact is, there were extensive opportunities for public input on the approved Council majority plan as well as the plan that the council minority submitted. There were two public hearings and there were three votes on the plan over a period of a month. At the end of the second public hearing on redistricting, three council members proposed a small, fully described amendment to one of the proposals for redistricting. The city staff was then directed by a majority on the council to draft this preferred plan as an ordinance for a vote the following week. Then, when all the information was available to all the members of the public and Council, this ordinance was voted on for the first time and the following week once again for the second reading. After the preferred plan was specified, the public then had an additional two weeks to give input either in writing, telephone or at the public comment section of the Council.  

The truth is: there was no backroom deal! 

The approved the redistricting plan sought to create a balance of student and neighborhood communities of interest in both District 7 and District 8. The real problem is that there are a greater number of the undercounts in District 8, primarily because of the census undercount in student areas. Due to the undercount, District 8 had to have an additional 2000 people added to it. The Council majority has made a commitment to recalculate the districts as soon as an updated census count has been made available. 

After seeing repeated distortions and mischaracterizations of the approved redistricting plan that conservative council members were passing out at a supermarket frequented by my constituents, I began passing out fliers to members of the public to give them the other side of the arguments on the matter. Mr. Tabb, Ms. Hawley and so-called “Citizens for Fair Representation” did not want members of the public to have the other side of the story. When Mr. Tabb complained to me I told him that we all had a right to be distributing information. Later, I witnessed Ms. Hawley verbally accost volunteers who were distributing literature, telling them to go home and screaming false accusations about the adopted plan. Apparently they think that they have the right to approach members of the public with information but that those of us on the other side don’t have the same right. Talk about running roughshod over the grassroots democratic process!  

Mr.Tabb’s accusations about the Afghan resolution are equally inaccurate. The item was introduced a week in advance on the council agenda and included an endorsement of the letter presented by Vice Mayor Shirek to the Congressional Black Caucus. The revised item that was distributed at the council meeting when the resolution was passed took several of the most important points from the letter (that was included in the original agenda item) and put them directly in the recommendation. The item also contained background statements from three council members; any councilmember could have submitted background statements. The letter had been available for a week and the public made written and oral comments during that period before the vote. Moreover, Mr. Tabb has never complained about the mayor’s much more frequent last-minute amendments. 

The right wing of the Council has every right to referendum the adopted redistricting plan. But is democracy and civil discourse in our community really served by their continued false allegations and distortions? 

Dona Spring is a Berkeley councilmember. 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 13: Singers’ Open Mic #2; Nov. 14: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Blake’s Nov. 13: The Photon Band, Ian Moore, $4; Nov. 14: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2, Hebro, free. All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley. edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10 Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jupiter Nov. 14: Wayside; Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Music on Telegraph” Nov. 17: Christy Dana Quartet, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 18: Mitch Marcus Trio, Raleigh’s, 2438 Telegraph Ave.; Joe Chellman Quartet, The Village, 2556 Telegraph Ave.; Nov. 25: Downtown Uproar, Greg’s Pizza, 2311 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 1: Scrambled Samba Trio, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 2: Paul and Jill Janoff, Musical Offering, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 8: Jonah Minton Quartet, Julie’s Healthy Cafe, 2562 Bancroft; Dec. 9: Hebro, Blakes, 2367 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 15: Thelonious On The Move, Bison Brewing, 2598 Telegraph Ave.; Dec. 16: Howard Kadis, Musical Offering Cafe, 2430 Bancroft; Dec. 22: Kaz Sasaki Duo, Blackberry Ginger, 2520 Durant; Dec. 23: Almadecor, Ann’s Kitchen, 2498 Telegraph Ave.; All shows 2 - 4 p.m., Free. 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Musicians for Medical Marijuana” Nov. 16: 7 :30 p.m., Dark Star Orchestra, The Flying Other Brothers, MCed by Mountain Girl, doctors and lawyers on hand for consultation. $20. Sweet’s Ballroom, 1988 Broadway, Oakland, 869-5391 www.m4mmj.org. 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16-17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Odyssey” Nov. 16: 7 p.m., Nov. 17: 2 p.m., 7 p.m., Nov. 18: 2 p.m., The Splash Circus presents this outer space circus adventure with juggling scientists, acrobatic aliens, aerial acts, tumbling, masked Commedia characters, contortion, pyramids and dance. Youth performers between the ages of 10 - 14. $13, $6.50 for kids under 14. The Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. 655-1265 x202, www.splashcircus.com. 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Through Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits  

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Through Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice at UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Nov. 18 through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 17: 7 p.m. Graham Hutchings discusses his newly released book “Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit; Through Jan. 13: Grand Lyricist: The Art of Elmer Bischoff, featuring paintings and works on paper that trace the evolution of Bischoff’s career. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. 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  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

There’s hunger in Berkeley. 

It’s not like the TV images of stunted, starving children with bloated bellies and red-cast hair in third-world countries.  

It’s less dramatic – in fact, “invisible” – says Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland-based Food First Institute for Food and Development Policy. 

When a person making minimum wage, or living on a $630 welfare grant gets to the last week of the month, having paid the PG&E bill and a hefty Berkeley rent, there may be no money left for food for the family.  

“The last week of the month gets tough,” says boona cheema, executive director of Berkeley’s Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, which, along with Food First, is kicking off National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, by staging a community gathering in front of Old City Hall this evening. 

The event, 5 - 10 p.m., at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, will feature speeches – both thanking the City Council for its work and asking for more – as well as music and food. 

Homelessness is another concern that the gathering will address. “There’s been five years since additional shelter beds have been added,” said cheema, noting in an interview on Monday, that rain was coming down steadily. “We’re always calling for more shelter beds.” 

But the real answer is not in shelter space. “In the long term, we need to build more housing for the very poor,” she said. 

Not enough is known about hunger in Berkeley, cheema said, citing Food First statistics that say hunger has risen 50 percent since 1985 and that 36 million people in the nation suffer from hunger daily. 

One statistic that stands out, however, is that the free food pantry has only enough groceries for about 30 percent of the people who want them. 

Children of school age, get a balanced lunch, but cheema says the city should extend a free meals program to children too young to be in school. 

Mittal says the solution is not complicated. Government policies “should respect the right to food.” 

It is as basic as making sure people earn a living wage, so they don’t have to make a choice between having a roof over their heads and buying food, she said. 

“Change has to happen in our own backyard.”

Editor: 

With all the attention the recent Berkeley City Council vote on the U.S. military action in Afghanistan received, one would think that it is radical and unpatriotic. In fact, the language of the passed resolution states (in part) to “ask our representatives to help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible, avoiding actions that can endanger the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan, and minimizing the risk to American military personnel...”. 

This is very simply a statement of reason and a call for a measured and reasonable response to the atrocities of September 11. I am puzzled why it did not get the support of the entire Council. I for one can't fathom how creating an atmosphere of violence and hate will secure the safety and peace of this country's or any country's citizens, nor how massive bombing raids in Afghanistan will do anything but create more potential terrorists and reduce yet another world region's infrastructure to rubble. Berkeley has once again been accused of a knee-jerk, anti-war reaction. The real knee-jerk reaction is our own government's use of bombing as a means to secure peace and justice. 

I support the vote of the Berkeley City Council and applaud those Councilmembers who displayed the courage to pass it. 

John Selawsky 

Director, Berkeley School Board 

At tonight’s meeting, the City Council will consider a series of measures suggested by Mayor Shirley Dean to better prepare the city to respond to acts of terrorism. The measures come out of a recent meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, which Dean attended along with representatives from the City Manager’s Office and the police, fire and health departments. 

One measure asks the Disaster Council and the Fire Safety Commission to review and update the City of Berkeley Disaster Preparedness Plan so it includes responding to acts of terrorism. The recommendation suggests procedures reflect the fact that the police, fire and health departments will be the first responders to local acts of terrorism.  

The recommendation also suggests preparedness measures include a regional multi-agency coordination that incorporates other Alameda County cities as well as the East Bay Municipal Utility District, BART and AC Transit. The recommendation asks the city manager to explore training programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Justice because, according to a background report, there "is little or no money" available to fund preparedness measures. 

Mayoral expression repression 

Councilmember Linda Maio has put a recommendation on the agenda that would formally ask the Mayor Shirley Dean to remove any mention of the so-called Berkeley boycott that has been threatened by people around the country after the City Council approved a recommendation calling for a end to the bombing in Afghanistan “as soon as possible.” 

The recommendation sparked a national controversy and many people who sent e-mails and letters to councilmembers threatened to boycott Berkeley businesses. 

Maio’s recommendation asks “the mayor to remove any mention of a boycott from her Web site, and that in future press interviews she emphasize the strength and uniqueness of Berkeley’s businesses.” 

Flamingo hotel homeless program 

The City Council will consider a recommendation to approve $100,000 for emergency housing for the seriously mentally disabled homeless at the Flamingo Hotel on University Avenue. The item had appeared on the council’s Oct. 30 agenda but was pulled by Councilmember Linda Maio, who represents District 1, where the Flamingo is located. Maio said she wanted to learn more about the program before voting on the funding issue. Several neighbors of the Flamingo expressed concern about crime related to the program during a public hearing on the Draft General Plan at last week’s City Council meeting. The program has been in operation at the Flamingo since March but the City Charter requires the council to approve the program because costs have exceeded $25,000. Funding for the program would come from a State Department of Mental Health grant that was awarded to the city last year. If approved, the program will continue at the Flamingo until June, 30, 2002. The Mental Health Division’s Mobile Crisis Team had used the Flamingo Hotel for temporary respite housing for the last several years.  

New deal for the Berkeley Police Department 

After 38 negotiating sessions over the last year, the Berkeley Police Association, has hammered out a new Memorandum of Understanding that will increase police officer compensation by $30 million over the next six years.  

The council will likely approve the new contract, which will be in effect until June, 2007. One new feature of the union agreement is the 3 percent at 50 retirement program, which will allow officers to collect 3 percent of their annual compensation for every year they have been employed by a police department once they reach the age of 50.  

Because there is concern that a large percentage of officers over 50 might take advantage of the retirement benefit, the plan won’t go into effect until June, 2002, while the rest of the Memorandum of Understanding will be retroactive to July 8, 2001. The delay of the 3 percent at 50 plan will allow the city to retain experienced officers while recruiting and training new officers, according to a Human Resources background report. The other significant change in the agreement is that it will now take police officers less time to reach the top of the pay scale. Now instead of 12 years to reach top salary, officers will receive top pay after six years regardless of rank. 

Downsizing the Shellmound 

The council will adopt a writ of mandate issued by the Alameda County Superior Court that will remove four properties from the West Berkeley Shellmound, a city landmark that encompasses three square blocks at the end of University Avenue. 

The owners of the properties located at 1916, 1920 and 1930 Second Street and 620 Hearst Ave. challenged the Feb. 20 landmarking because they claimed there was no evidence to support the decision. The remaining properties included in the landmark designation will remain in tact. 

Other matters: 

• The council will adopt the first reading on an ordinance that will restrict the areas of town that stores selling tobacco can operate. 

• The council will accept a county grant of $350,000 allowing the One Stop Career Center to continuing operating until June, 2002. For more information call 981-5100. 

• The council will also likely approve a recommendation from the Transportation Commission that would allow the Department of Public Works to set up temporary traffic calming devices while neighborhood groups wait for permanently installed measures such as curb bulbouts. 

The City Council meeting will be held tonight at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will also be broadcast live on the KPFA Radio, 89.3 and Cable B-TV, Channel 25 

The Daily Planet received this copy of a letter to the mayor and City Council: 

I applaud your courageous, public stand against the bombing campaign in Afghanistan. I am grateful that some persons, some body politic, have the courage and moral fiber to say “NO” to this madness. We cannot become the evil we wish to destroy. It makes us less than we can be. 

I work in Oakland at Holy Names High School and live in San Francisco. I want my students to know that our elected officials CAN speak out on significant issues. To say “it makes no difference” is to underestimate the power of conscience. Thank you for exercising your civic responsibilities and giving public witness to truth, as inconvenient or unpopular as that may be. 

Sister Karen Conover, BVM 

San Francisco 

SAN FRANCISCO — Despite light Veterans’ Day traffic, the season’s first major storm caused transportation nightmares Monday across the San Francisco Bay area. 

Water pooled on Highway 101 south of San Francisco, and several accidents caused severe backups on that major artery during the morning commute. Flooding on a platform forced trains to bypass a downtown San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit station. 

Incoming and outgoing flights at San Francisco International Airport experienced delays of up to a half-hour Monday morning due to the rain, airport spokesman Ron Wilson said. 

By 4 p.m., 2.09 inches of rain had fallen in San Francisco on Monday alone, according to Bob Benjamin of the National Weather Service. 

“That’s a lot of rain,” he said. 

In some Northern California areas, at times rain fell at a rate of 2 inches per hour. 

A winter storm warning was in effect through midnight above 7,000 feet in the Lake Tahoe area. 

The California Highway Patrol recorded dozens of incidents across the Bay Area, including collisions, flooding and mudslides. 

The storm was expected to taper off by the evening and clear fully by midday Tuesday, Benjamin said. Another storm is expected by week’s end.

Editor: 

When the U.S. Census figures came out it was obvious that it was going to have a substantial impact on Berkeley’s election districts. This is because a vast number of students simply were not counted as they had been 10 years before. During the redistricting process the city clerk and staff did an excellent job keeping us informed of both the process and the various proposals on the city Web site. Because of staff’s excellent use of the internet, it is hard to imagine a more transparent redistricting process.  

Here is how it went: the city clerk made available packets of information (both printed and on the internet) and the city staff prepared a sample redistricting plan. The information was made available to anyone who wanted to submit a plan. Four plans were submitted and by early September they and the staff plan were made available on the city’s Web site. As requested by the council, a sixth plan was added by staff. On Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 the City Council held public hearings. According to the city’s Web site, “At the end of the public hearing on Oct. 2, 2001 the City Council may adopt or modify and then adopt any proposal.” (http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/redistricting/07packet/exl_process.htm) This is exactly what they did. According to the record, on Oct. 2, it was “moved, seconded, carried (Shirek/Breland; Noes - Armstrong, Hawley, Olds, Dean) a substitute motion to approve a redistricting plan, Scenario 2, as presented by Blake and O'Malley, with amendments to specific tracts and blocks made by Vice Mayor Shirek and to direct the city clerk to prepare the redistricting ordinance for council adoption at the meeting of Oct. 9, 2001.” The first reading was passed on the 9th, and the second on the 16th. Throughout the process I felt city staff did an excellent job keeping everyone informed. Regardless of what one thinks of the outcome, it was a fair process.  

During the week between the first and second vote, a referendum petition by opponents of the redistricting ordinance was pre-approved by the city clerk to challenge the redistricting plan.  

People have a right to circulate a referendum and I support that. I was at the Star Market Oct. 21 and asked if I wanted to sign the petition. I asked the gentleman about it and he proceeded to tell me a how the Brown Act was violated and nobody had a chance to see it before it was passed. I got upset with him but realize that he was not well informed and was probably just repeating something he was told. I sent an e-mail around describing the false statements and asking about the petition. I got a reply back from the city attorney that said, “Some of the opponents of the redistricting ordinance have argued that the ordinance which the council adopted was illegal. I do not believe that expressing this opinion in the course of circulating the referendum petition would render the gathering of the signatures illegal.” I agree. It would be a nightmare to make sure that everyone who signed a petition wasn't lied to. Best not to open that can of worms.  

Council member Hawley, in her opinion piece to the Nov. 7 Daily Planet tries to paint the approved redistricting plan as a completely new one. Is she implying that the council cannot make any changes to the plans submitted? Clearly they can and clearly she is wrong. Is this just more false information to get signatures? I think so. What should we do when someone tells lies to get signatures? Spread the truth. People might still want to sign the petition, but then it will be for the right reasons-they simply didn’t like the approved redistricting plan. 

Tim Hansen 

District 8, Berkeley

SAN LEANDRO – San Leandro officials have shut down a Kmart store after a large portion of the roof collapsed early Monday morning. 

According to Battalion Chief Steve Brown of the Alameda County Fire Department, no serious injuries resulted from the collapse, which left the hole about the size of a house – or roughly 100 feet by 100 feet – on the roof of the store, located at 205 Floresta Blvd. 

Brown said there were five to six customers inside the store and 20 employees when the incident happened at about 8 a.m. Of those people, one seemed overwhelmed by the occurrence and was evaluated and released by paramedics at the scene, Brown said. 

The fire department responded to the scene at 8:12 a.m. with three engines, one truck and a battalion chief. It was soon joined by an ambulance, police officers and three building inspectors from the city of San Leandro, Brown said. 

Brown said the fire department was on scene for about two hours, helping store managers determine a plan of action. Meanwhile, as dictated by standard procedure, the store had its electricity and gas shut off. 

Brown said he does not know how long the closure will remain in effect.  

He said that although it was raining at the time of the collapse, there still has not been an official cause of the collapse has not been determined. 

That, Brown said, has to be determined by structural engineers, who along with city engineers, will have to see if the store will be reopened. 

Brown said that the store stands alone and there was no impact to other buildings in the area.

NEW YORK — Robert Treuhaft, an attorney prominent in San Francisco leftist circles and the region’s civil rights movement since the 1940s, died Sunday after a brief illness. He was 89. 

Along with his wife, muckraking journalist Jessica “Decca” Mitford, Treuhaft was a fixture among the Bay Area’s left-leaning political set, and their home became an international political and literary outpost. 

Treuhaft defended blacks beaten up by police in Oakland after World War II and supported the Black Panther Party and the draft-resisting Oakland Seven during the Vietnam War. He also helped develop Mitford’s 1963 expose of the funeral industry, “The American Way of Death.” 

Treuhaft was known for a rollicking wit and bohemian sensibility. 

The couple met in Washington, D.C., where Treuhaft was a lawyer working on the staff of a government agency that handled price control and rationing. They moved to Oakland in 1943. 

Treuhaft was born in New York City and died there, at the home of his daughter, Constancia Romilly, with family by his side. He had recently moved to New York, leaving the Oakland home he shared with Mitford from 1960 until her death in 1996. 

Family members did not immediately disclose the cause of death. He will be eulogized at a memorial to be held in the Bay Area early next year.

SAN FRANCISCO — All trucks heading to the Golden Gate Bridge were stopped and inspected Sunday in a security move requested by Gov. Gray Davis’ anti-terrorism advisers. 

The inspections stopped Monday at 4 a.m. 

Dwight “Spike” Helmick, commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, said there was no specific threat to the bridge that prompted the extra security. 

The decision was approved and set up quickly to take truck drivers by surprise. Officers checked drivers’ licenses, log books and inspected the trucks for hazardous materials or anything else suspicious. 

OAKLAND — The death of the Oakland Zoo’s latest baby elephant hit its mother, and the elephant manager, hard. Now, after weeks of deliberation, the zoo has decided to continue its elephant breeding program. 

Dohani was believed to have been accidentally gored by its mother, Lisa, when it was 10 days old. Dohani died Sept. 9. 

Dohani was a hope for the elephant world and would have helped validate the zoo’s policy of not disciplining the elephants with electric prods or bull hooks. And it would have restored the social structure seen in matriarchal wild elephant societies. 

Colleen Kinzley, zoo curator and elephant manager, wrestled with whether to scrap the breeding program. But after consulting with an elephant researcher, Cynthia Moss, Kinzley decided to press on with the program. 

She even has been inquiring about artificial insemination and has been contacting zoos as far away as Europe to add to the exhibit. 

MENLO PARK — Gays, lesbians and bisexuals feel more accepted by society today than a few years ago, but about the same percentage say they have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation. 

Nearly three-quarters of the respondents to a national survey released Tuesday said they have been victims of verbal abuse, while about one-third said they have encountered physical abuse. 

Telephone interviews with 405 randomly selected self-identified lesbians, gays and bisexuals were conducted in 15 major U.S. cities last November by the Kaiser Family Foundation. A second telephone survey with 2,283 adults was conducted to gather the general public’s feelings about gay and lesbian issues. 

Seventy-six percent of lesbians, gays and bisexuals reported they feel more accepted, as compared to a few years ago. But 74 percent say they’ve experienced prejudice and discrimination. 

Lesbians were more likely to experience discrimination — 85 percent — than gay men (76 percent) or bisexuals (60 percent). 

Seventy-four percent of lesbians, gays and bisexuals reported encountering verbal abuse, while 32 percent said they experienced physical abuse against themselves or their property because of their sexual orientation. 

Ninety percent of the lesbians, gays and bisexuals interviewed believe the government is not doing enough to protect them from discrimination, while 64 percent said more prejudice was directed toward them than blacks. 

In the general population survey, 62 percent reported they have a friend or acquaintance who is gay. That compares to 55 percent three years ago, and 24 percent in 1983. 

Sixty-four percent of the general population surveyed said they think there is more acceptance of homosexuals today than a few years ago, and 29 percent said that acceptance is good for the country. Forty-four percent said it didn’t matter either way and 23 percent said it was bad for the country. 

The margin of error for the general public survey was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, and it was plus or minus 5.9 percent for the gay, lesbian and bisexual survey.

SACRAMENTO — For all of California’s congested humanity, its residents still prefer, even more than most Americans, a house and back yard in the suburbs. 

More than half its city dwellers also yearn for small-town life. 

While 71 percent of people nationally prefer the traditional single-family home, 84 percent of Californians consider it the ideal, says a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. And 65 percent of Californians already live in one compared to 60 percent nationally. 

The overwhelming preference for a single-family home came as a dramatic surprise to researchers who called it a “recipe for sprawl.” 

“The combination of the types of housing and communities that most people want is very much in line with the type of suburbanization we’ve seen for the last 50 years,” said PPIC pollster Mark Baldassare. 

But real estate agents said it’s no shock to them. 

“No, not at all,” said Linda Pennington of Garland Realty in suburban Corona, Calif., where the population tripled in 10 years. “They like the single-story ranch-style house.” 

The survey, the first major statewide look at housing, growth and development issues, shows that two-thirds of the state’s residents would not choose to live in multistory, multifamily housing, even if it means they can walk to shops, school and mass transit. Central Valley residents, accustomed to homes on larger lots, preferred it least. 

The results, from 20-minute conversations last month with 2,002 Californians, also reveals that higher-density, transit-oriented aspects of “smart growth” have yet to catch on with the masses. 

“The preference for a single-family home is so strong, and the desire to live in smaller communities is so strong that it’s fairly hard for those promoting more compact development to appeal to a large and broad audience of Californians,” said Baldassare. 

Indeed, despite millions of dollars spent by foundations and activists to promote fewer cars, higher buildings and a more urban lifestyle, only 34 percent of Californians are familiar with the term “smart growth.” 

Likewise, only 38 percent know about the term “sprawl.” 

“Many of these terms that are used with regularity by the planners and policy makers, like smart growth and sprawl are not even on the radar screen,” Baldassare said. 

The fewest number of people recognizing the word “sprawl” — 29 percent — was in metropolitan Los Angeles, which spreads 16 million people across 35,000 square miles in five counties and 177 cities. 

The poll interviewed 2,002 adult California residents in English or Spanish from Oct. 22 to Oct. 31. The margin of error for survey was plus or minus 2 percentage points. The PPIC is a private, nonprofit research organization based in San Francisco. 

Commissioning the survey are the James Irvine, William and Flora Hewlett and David and Lucille Packard foundations. All sponsor smart growth tactics with money from companies that spawned much of California’s suburban growth. Representatives of all three are meeting Tuesday to discuss the results. 

The Hewlett Foundation gave $70 million in 1995 to create the PPIC. 

On the Net:www.ppic.org

News of an airplane crash jangled the nerves of travelers in California, many already on edge since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. 

More than 255 people were killed Monday when an American Airlines jetliner en route to the Dominican Republic broke apart and crashed after takeoff from New York’s Kennedy Airport. 

Federal investigators do not believe the crash was the work of terrorists, but that did little to calm nerves. 

Daniel Rothmuller, 58, was waiting at Los Angeles International Airport for an American Airlines flight to New York when he heard about the crash. 

“First of all, I was horrified that there was an airplane crash,” he said. “Then I thought, oh my God, it’s another terrorist attack.” 

American Airlines flight attendant Sherri Grossman of Princeton, N.J., was returning home with her husband and three children after a Disneyland trip. She was so shaken after Sept. 11, she took a leave of absence and still hasn’t decided if she will return to work in December. 

She lost friends on Sept. 11 and Monday, she said. “I knew the captain on the plane that went down,” said Grossman, who has been a flight attendant for 23 years. 

In the minutes following the crash, law enforcement and airport officials stepped up security efforts throughout the state. 

An undetermined number of flights from California airports to New York airports were delayed by a ground-stop order issued at 6:30 a.m., said LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles. 

The planes returned to the air nearly four hours later when the group-stop was lifted, she said. 

Travel agents said they braced for calls from nervous travelers, but did not receive many. 

“One of my agents had someone who had to go to New York today or tomorrow cancel,” said Jerry Greenberg, owner of Baldwin Travel Bureau in Los Angeles. “But we’ve had a few bookings, too. People are nervous to begin with and this doesn’t help.” 

At Seaside Travel House Inc. in Long Beach, owner Ada Brown said it was “strangely quiet.” 

“Sometimes when that happens, it’s because people are waiting to see what happens,” she said. 

After hearing more news about the crash, Rothmuller, of Los Angeles, said he felt better, “if you can feel better about that sort of thing.” 

He and others resigned themselves to continue flying despite their concerns. 

“I’m scared to fly because we don’t know what happened and in light of what happened before, it’s scary to go before you have all the facts. But I’m going to go because I have to go for work,” Camille Tragos said at Los Angeles International Airport. 

“If God wants me to make it home, then I’ll make it home, and if he wants to take me, he’s gonna take me,” said Margie Schnitzer, a New Jersey legal secretary whose morning flight to New York was canceled 

Nervousness extended beyond airports. Along San Francisco’s famed Market Street, tourists slowly digested news of the crash but pushed on with their plans. 

“I think you’re always going to have plane accidents, and whether it’s related to Sept. 11 or not, I’m not going to alter my plans. I’m just a bit weary,” said Brian Kilham, who was visiting from Nottingham, England. 

“It doesn’t worry me one bit. These things happen, don’t they? You could die in a car accident,” said Michael Thompson, a tourist from Newcastle, England. He’s been visiting San Francisco for the past couple of days. He planned a trip to Las Vegas later in the week and didn’t plan to change it. 

Ricky Dong of Los Angeles was visiting friends in San Francisco. Fear will not disrupt his immediate or holiday plans, he said. “I’ve made traveling plans over the Thanksgiving holidays. I’m not going to change those because of the accident.” 

Joe Santulli, 36, of Pompton Lake, N.J., said despite the crash and the prior terror attacks, he will continue to fly out of necessity. 

“You stop flying, you stop living your life,” he said. 

Santulli, who was in Los Angeles on business, knows first hand about the death and destruction of terrorist attacks. His sister-in-law, Catherine A. Nardella, was killed in the World Trade Center. 

“It was difficult,” he said of getting over his sister-in-law’s death. “And once we get some closure, this happens.” 

——— 

Associated Press reporters Gary Gentile, Ritu Bhatnagar and Raul Mora contributed to this report. 

HOUSTON — Executives of Dynegy Inc. and Enron Corp. believe their plan to merge the nation’s two dominant energy marketing companies will overcome federal antitrust scrutiny, leading to a completed deal by next summer. 

“We really are confident that up and down the line we will be able to convince (federal regulators) this is in the best interest of the energy industry and the two companies,” said Chuck Watson, chairman and chief executive officer of Dynegy. 

Investors pleased with the deal to bail out the once mighty but now troubled Enron sent the shares of both companies soaring Monday — in midday trading Enron shares were up 10.5 percent, and Dynegy shares rose 12 percent. 

Steve Bergstrom, Dynegy’s president, said the closest regulatory scrutiny would come from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but that he expected all antitrust hurdles would be cleared within the next six to nine months. 

The deal, worth at least $9 billion, was announced Friday. Dynegy also will assume $13 billion of Enron debt. 

Enron became a takeover target after its stock plunged about 80 percent in recent weeks because of concerns that the nation’s top buyer and seller of natural gas wasn’t revealing serious financial problems to shareholders. 

Dynegy officials pledged Monday that they won’t tolerate the sort of financial practices that prompted Enron to acknowledge last week that it overstated earnings by about 20 percent since 1997 and kept more than half a billion dollars in debt off the company’s books. 

Those financial practices included business partnerships now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

“Dynegy will manage the new company in the way we’ve managed the old company. We will substantially simplify the balance sheet,” said Rob Doty, Dynegy’s chief financial officer. 

After the merger is completed, the Enron name will disappear. Watson will serve as chairman and chief executive of the combined company. Dynegy’s stockholders will own about 64 percent of the new company and Enron’s stockholders will hold the rest. 

Enron’s stock price began to free fall after Enron announced a $618 million third quarter loss on Oct. 16 and disclosed a $1.2 billion reduction in shareholder equity related to the partnerships. That was followed by news of the SEC investigation. 

Enron responded by firing its chief financial officer, Andrew Fastow, who ran the partnerships, and scrambled to get cash and increase credit lines to regain investor confidence. Investors didn’t respond and dumped Enron shares, sending its stock plummeting. 

The deal to merge the companies was announced after the stock markets closed on Friday, and investors reacted positively to the news Monday. 

In midday trading, Dynegy shares rose $4.63 to $43.39 on the New York Stock Exchange. Enron shares were up 91 cents to $9.54 on the NYSE — but still much lower than the 52-week high of $84.87. 

Consumer mega-spending of the ‘90s is on the backlash 

NEW YORK — Seldom has there been such a seismic change in American spending habits. 

In the 1990s, consumers borrowed on every asset they owned so they could spend on whatever was on sale at Home Depot or WalMart. It may be no exaggeration to say they sought ways to spend. Shopping was a sport. 

In pursuing their goals, consumers ignored warnings that zero savings couldn’t be long maintained, that they endangered their retirements, that they were inviting inflation. Life was to be lived, damn the cost. 

Now, with some spectacularly low prices and interest rates dangled before their eyes, an economically unhealthy portion of the public is nodding rather than springing to action, and deflation is a possibility. 

Deflation? After all these years of worrying about prices running amok because of strong demand, sellers are now contending with a situation in which prices conceivably could spiral down because of low demand. 

The possibility of this happening might not be great, but the word has at least been showing up in the commentaries regularly offered by securities analysts, corporate economists and some academicians. 

Several factors helped change the consumer mind, but they all added up to doubts rather than certainty about the future. 

The wealth effect, the sense of being rich, sprang an air leak when stocks fell. The technology bust seemed to spring out of the box. Social Security worries reinforced fears. Job losses undermined dreams. Then terrorists confirmed growing doubts about an inevitably good future. 

The effort to restore at least some of that old confidence is now a battleground in itself, an economic war involving America’s most powerful fiscal and monetary institutions. 

To entice consumers and businesses into greater activity, the Federal Reserve, having lowered interest rates 10 times this year, is prepared to go lower. And Washington is preparing massive tax and spending programs. 

For its part, elements in the private sector are doing things almost unimagined a decade ago, such as halving prices, offering interest-free borrowing and offering a variety of money-back guarantees. 

At least superficially, some areas of the economy are doing fairly well as a result. Car sales have surprised, and housing sales have defied dire predictions. But hotels, travel and entertainment are hurting. 

The intensity of the selling effort has seldom been greater or more apparent, to which any Sunday TV football fan can testify after enduring more car ads in three hours than pass and runnings plays on the field. 

Nevertheless, the economy probably in recession now, shrinking in size, which leaves success to be measured in terms of how shallow and short the recession ends up being, and how healthy is the recovery. 

Even in recovery, which the great majority of economic minds believe is coming, there’s danger. Suppose the White House and Congress and the Fed and the private sector overshoot the mark, rousing up too much demand? 

What then? Then inflation would be the worry. 

REDWOOD CITY — Excite AtHome has agreed to sell parts of the Excite.com Internet portal to InfoSpace Inc. for $10 million, a deal that will require the approval of a bankruptcy court. 

InfoSpace, a Bellevue, Wash.-based provider of online directories and other Internet services, wants to acquire the Excite.com domain name, trademarks and user traffic. 

Excite’s equipment and employees would not be part of the proposed sale, which was announced late Friday. ExciteAtHome also would still own the broadband-specific portal it offers to its cable-modem subscribers. 

ExciteAtHome was formed in 1999 when cable-access provider At Home Corp. bought the Excite portal for $6.7 billion. The company fairly quickly sputtered, and now a bankruptcy court is to consider whether ExciteAtHome can be sold to its largest shareholder, AT&T Corp., for $307 million. 

A group of ExciteAtHome’s bondholders are opposed to the deal, saying the price is far too low. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.excitehome.net 

http://www.infospace.com 

NEW YORK — Janet Barasso ran blindly through thick, black smoke with her two sons Monday and feared the worst after an American Airlines jetliner crashed just a block from her home. 

“I thought we were being bombed, because I didn’t see the plane,” said Barasso, weeping and wearing a surgical mask after she and her sons, ages 10 and 16, reached safety. 

The beachfront Queens neighborhood of Rockaway Beach was plunged into chaos after the jet carrying 260 people crashed shortly after taking off from nearby Kennedy Airport. 

There were no known survivors. Authorities also said several people on the ground were missing, providing fresh grief for a New York neighborhood that lost dozens of its own in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, 15 miles away. 

Investigators said there was no immediate evidence of sabotage on Flight 587, which was on its way to the Dominican Republic. Police and federal agents went door to door, asking residents what they heard and saw and poked through yards looking for pieces of the plane. 

Some witnesses said they heard an explosion and saw one of the jet’s two engines fall off before the crash. 

Kevin McKeon had just hugged his 5-year-old daughter, Shannon, and was leaving the kitchen when a piece of engine 20 feet wide and 10 feet long plunged through the room. 

“The next thing we knew, the walls were blowing off,” he said. The impact tossed him and his daughter into the back yard and his wife into the living room. 

A wing section ended up in the basement while the engine piece ripped through the back of his three-story house and into the garage, which caught fire. The family survived, McKeon with charred dollars in his wallet. 

The Rockaway Beach neighborhood is on a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay, which separates it from the airport. The crash snapped many people out of their holiday routine. 

Retired firefighter Tom Lynch said he was walking on the beach when he saw an orange explosion on the plane, just before it plummeted into the middle-class neighborhood. 

Two neighborhood schools — empty because of the Veterans Day observance — were turned into triage centers and Beach Street became a morgue. Firefighter Joe O’Brien said Monsignor Martin Geraghty walked up and down the street, blessing more than a dozen bodies that had been pulled from the wreckage. 

It was unclear how many buildings caught fire after the crash; one witness said the fuselage may have damaged a dozen homes.  

Some residents spilled into the streets with fire extinguishers to battle the fires, and others grabbed garden hoses. 

Displaced families were sent to an area hotel. 

“People should remain calm,” said Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, handling another crisis in his stricken city. “We’re just being tested one more time and we’re going to pass this test, too.” 

Residents were doing laundry, watching television and walking dogs on the beach when they saw the plane fall from the sky. 

Gardener Carmine Castellano was driving his truck toward a Texaco gas station when one of the plane’s engines landed a few feet in front of him. A block away, he saw flames from the fuselage rising 200 feet into the air. 

“I heard a loud crash and I thought it was a car accident, but it was too loud,” Castellano said. 

Off-duty firefighter Vincent Plover said about a dozen homes were on fire when he arrived around 9:45 a.m. Later, bleary eyed, he helped pick up small pieces of wreckage near the charred wall of a two-story home. 

“There wasn’t much left of the plane,” Plover said. 

Construction worker Antonio Villela was digging a hole with some co-workers a few blocks away when he heard an explosion. 

“I saw flames come out from behind the plane,” he said. “A whole wing with the engine fell off.” 

The plane nose-dived and crashed, sending flames and smoke pouring into the sky. 

Dolores Ravanno said she saw construction workers screaming as they ran down the street to help. Other people hugged in the street. 

“The black smoke just rushed down the block and all over,” said Eileen Dolan, who was walking her dog when the jet hit. “I panicked” — and ran home to get her children. 

Said Gina Ramos, who lives two houses away from the crash: “After Sept. 11, you don’t know what to think. I thought it was bombs.” 

Human sprit prevails at BOSS graduation  

Last Friday 81 people who have turned their lives around with the help of Building Opportunities of Self Sufficiency donned traditional caps and gowns for the eighth annual graduation ceremony at St. John’s Presbyterian Church. 

BOSS Director boona cheema officiated the ceremony and Mayor Shirley Dean handed out diplomas to the graduates who have successfully completed one of a variety of BOSS adult education programs including basic education, culinary arts and computers skills.  

Family and friends of the graduates filled the elegant church hall to capacity. Many cheered and applauded as Dean handed each graduate a diploma. 

“This is wonderful,” Dean said. “Completing these courses is not an easy thing and it’s good to see the human spirit prevail.” 

BOSS’s programs are designed for low-income and homeless people who are trying to find their way into the work force. The courses are taught at a variety of sites in Oakland and Berkeley. 

According to the BOSS Web site, there are four strategies the organization is applying to end homelessness and poverty. They are: Community building, housing, support services and economic development. Adult education is one of the services in the economic development component of the plan. 

Dr. John Randal attended the ceremony to see Raschelle Kessler graduate. Six months ago Randal hired Kessler to work in his office at the nonprofit World of Work in Oakland. Kessler, who completed BOSS clerical courses, is now Randal’s executive administrative assistant. 

“BOSS is offering these people survival skills that most of us take for granted,” Randal said. “They are receiving the physical, mental and spiritual skills needed to overcome hardship.” 

Ray Jackson, 44, graduated Berkeley High School in 1975. He went on to college and studied psychology before he developed a drinking problem. He was able to stop drinking in 1993 only to relapse five years later. 

“It was April, 1998,” he said. “Thought I could have a drink and it turned out I couldn’t.” 

Once Jackson stopped drinking again, he had been out of the job market some time and needed to refresh his computer skills. A friend told him about BOSS’s Adult Education Program and Jackson was soon enrolled. 

Jackson was trained in a variety of software programs including Power Point, Access and Microsoft Windows. With some assistance from BOSS, Jackson found a job with Nurse Finders in San Francisco seven months ago. Jackson is now a manager and is responsible for placing nurses with hospitals throughout the Bay Area. 

“I found BOSS and they put me back on my feet again,” Jackson said. “Now I have a job and a job with a future.” 

Jackson said he plans to enroll at Cal State Hayward in January to get a degree in Human Resources.

Monday, Nov. 12

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

1552 Sacramento St. 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November, 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of over one million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 527-6162 jagdes@igc.org 

Tuesday, Nov. 13

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Senior Center 

2727 College Ave. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

10 a.m. - noon 

UC Berkeley 

2223 Fulton St. 

6th Floor Conference Rm. 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November, 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of over one million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 642-3609 

Special Seminar 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

H. Peter Oberlander, University of British Columbia and Citizenship Court Judge for British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, “After Sept. 11th: a North-American Perimeter for Travel and Immigration?” 642-4608 

Palestine and the Peace  

Empowerment Process 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

World Wall for Peace Founder Carolyna Marks uses slides to help tell the story of her three-week trip throughout the Palestinian territory in July, 2001. $10 donation. 548-2220 x233 

Experimental Mid-life  

Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Street 

Miriam Chaya presents the first of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

The Hormones in Health and  

in Disease 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

George Sayers, a retired professor, will lead a discussion. 644-6107 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

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

531-8664 

Wednesday, Nov. 14

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Flu Shots 

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28. 

Movie Presentation 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The movie, “If These Walls Could Talk” will be shown. 644-6107 

Near-Death Experience  

Support/Information-Sharing  

Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

The new East Bay chapter of IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies) will be provide an open, sharing, compassionate and supportive environment for the exploration of NDEs, the dying process, the meaning of life and human consciousness. 428-2442 www.iands.org. 

Second Wednesdays Poetry  

Writing Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Albany Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Second Wednesdays is a monthly Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Alison Seevak. Free and open to all ages. 526-3720 x19 

Thursday, Nov. 15

Berkeley Center for  

Globalization and Information  

Technology 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Inderpal Grewal, SFSU, “Transnational America: Identity, Citizenship and Diasporas in Late-Twentienth Century USA.” 642-4608 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

UK Seminar 

5 p.m. 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall 

John Brewer, University of Chicago, “New Ways in History, or, Talking about my Generation: History and Modernity in the 1960s.” 642-4608 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Storytelling Workshop for  

Senior Adults 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison St., Oakland 

Storyteller, Steven Henegar, leads the workshop. 444-4755 

Falun Gong Introduction  

Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Dwinelle 83 

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese mind and body meditation/exercise system. Free. xrzhang@lbl.gov 

Friday, Nov. 16

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Weldon Rucker, City Manager of City of Berkeley, presents “Managing a City Like Berkeley.” $1 admission,  

11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

Crosspulse Farewell Concert  

& CD Release Party 

8 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Center 

1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland 

Crosspulse, a percussion ensemble dedicated to the creation and performance of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural music, dance, film and educational projects, marks its cessation as an on-going touring group. $25-30, children half-price. 559-9797 www.crosspulse.com 

Berkeley High School Jazz  

Ensemble Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Florence Schwimley Little Theatre 

1920 Allston Way 

Presenting a varied repertoire of jazz. $8 548-8026 www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/artsperforming/jazz 

Flute Concert 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Public Library, South Branch 

1901 Russell St. 

Mary Youngblood will perform a free solo concert. 644-6860 

Saturday, Nov. 17

National Children’s Book  

Week 

3 p.m. 

South Branch Public Library 

1901 Russell St.  

Theatre company “Word for Word” in a children’s performance of two stories: “The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling and “Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti” by Gerald McDermott. Geared for children 4 years and up. Free. 649-3943 www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Greg’s Pizza 

2311 Telegraph 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Christy Dana Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Compiled by Guy Poole

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean and the City Council: 

I have been following, with interest, the story of the anti-war resolution. 

I understand that not everyone agrees with it and that the city is getting some flack in that regard. Above all else we must remember that this is America and as Americans we are guaranteed the right to express our opinions. I applaud the council's vote for peace just as I applauded Barbara Lee’s lone dissenting vote in regards to the War Powers issue. In a time like this, more so than at any other, any American with a differing opinion on a very important issue has the moral obligation to speak their mind. I may not, and frequently do not, agree with all my fellow Americans have to say but I will, indeed, defend their right to say it. THAT is what America is all about! 

Rory Duncan 

Oakland

924 Gilman St. Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 12: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keys; Nov. 13: Singers’ Open Mic #2; Nov. 14: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Blake’s Nov. 12: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 13: The Photon Band, Ian Moore, $4; Nov. 14: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2, Hebro, free. All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10 Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jupiter Nov. 14: Wayside; Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16-17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

Cal still winless heading into Big Game 

Cal head football coach finally came the realization on Saturday that hit most observers weeks ago. 

“We’re just not very good, and that’s a big understatement,” Holmoe said of his team after a 55-14 beating courtesy of the USC Trojans, Cal’s school-record 12th loss in a row dating back to last season. 

The Bears (0-9 overall, 0-7 Pac-10) failed in every facet of the game on Saturday, gaining a season-low 223 yards and committing four turnovers on offense while conceding 448 yards on defense. The all-around struggle has become a theme for Cal this season, and Holmoe admitted he didn’t know what it would take to fix the myriad of problems the team faces every week. 

“I don’t have the answers, and that’s why I won’t be the coach here next year,” said Holmoe, who announced his resignation the previous Sunday. 

Cal’s season was summed up nicely on the Trojans’ final score of the game. Eric Holtfreter, the third quarterback to take the field for the Bears, was hit from the blindside by USC lineman Kenechi Udeze and fumbled the ball. Running back Michael Sparks, a walk-on freshman who was fifth on the depth chart to start the year, didn’t see the ball go by him and stood with his back to the play as John Cousins picked up the ball and ran 89 yards for a touchdown with just 22 seconds left in the game. 

Other lowlights included starting quarterback Kyle Boller throwing an interception that Troy Polamalu returned 53 yards for a score and a USC fake field goal that turned into another touchdown. Holmoe said that the Trojan trickery, called by head coach Pete Carroll with the score already 28-7 in the third quarter, was simply a friendly gesture. 

“It’s like two brothers playing chess,” said Holmoe, who coached with Carroll for the San Francisco 49ers in 1995. “I was hot, but if I had the chance to do the same thing, I would. I still love him to death.” 

Carroll’s team managed to beat up the Bears on the ground despite the absence of starting tailback Saleem McCullough due to injury. The Trojans (5-5, 4-3) dug deep into their bench to find freshman Chris Howard, who had just 11 carries coming into the game. Howard responded by scoring on his first two carries, first on a pitchout to the right for 25 yards to tie the score at 7-7, then on a pitchout to the left for 15 yards that made the score 28-7 just before halftime. 

Meanwhile, after a promising opening drive that ended in a Boller 5-yard touchdown run, the Bears went 3-and-out twice. Boller then threw a pass that was deflected by linebacker Mike Pollard and picked out of the air by DeShaun Hill. They wouldn’t reach the USC side of the field again until freshman Reggie Robertson replaced Boller after the starter suffered a jaw injury. Robertson led the team to a touchdown, hitting wide receiver Charon Arnold with an 8-yard scoring pass, but by then the game was already out of hand. 

“We got off to a good start, but we had a couple drives where we didn’t execute, and then things just started happening to us,” receiver LaShaun Ward said. 

Those “things” have been happening to the Bears all season, starting with their first loss to Illinois and continuing through every excruciating week, and the players are finally starting to sound fed up with the futility. 

“This season’s been really hard, really frustrating,” Boller said. “There’s no reason we can’t be in these games.” 

“This has been the most frustrating, hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” senior linebacker Scott Fujita said. “We’ve tried new things every week, but we can’t even get our basic stuff right.” 

Next up is the Big Game, and it could get ugly for the Bears against Stanford’s offensive juggernaut, which averages nearly 40 points per game, as USC was scoring just 23 points per game before Saturday. It’s often said that Cal fans don’t care if the Bears win another game all year if they just beat the hated Cardinal. 

“I guess we get to test out that scenario,” Holmoe said with a rueful smile. 

Hundreds of college students from all over the west gathered in Berkeley this weekend for the California Schools Against War conference. The conference combined informational talks with meetings focused on strategies for organizing students against the U.S.-led bombing of Afghanistan.  

“The attacks on Sept. 11 have nothing to do with the bombing in Afghanistan,” said Brenda-n Behan.  

Behan, a student at Claremont McKenna College in southern California, traveled north to the conference to exchange ideas with other students and to challenge his assumptions about the war in Afghanistan.  

“The movement has to show people the way in which U.S. foreign policy has led us to the situation we’re in now,” said Behan. 

The Berkeley Stop the War Coalition organized the conference. Similar conferences were planned in Chicago, New York and Boston. Conference organizers said that 550 students from 60 different colleges in the West had registered for the conference. They believed that between 700 and 800 people actually attended some part of the two-day conference. 

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean: 

Although I live in Mill Valley and I am not one of your constituents, I feel the need to write in support of Dona Spring. I have never been more disappointed in a local elected official as I am with you. Your reaction and stance regarding Spring’s resolution is something I would expect from a Republican or a big business corrupted Democrat, nor from someone with your reputed foresight and intelligence. 

Spring’s resolution is a call to end the destruction and assault against a group of people that live in abject poverty and have suffered years of civil war and Soviet occupation. Simply, the resolution requests the end of misguided and sadistic violence as soon as possible. 

Politically should be ashamed of yourself, pandering to right-wing war mongers and flag wearing reactionaries calling for blood. When President Bush announces the need for low-yield tactical nukes, will you support him and his genocide? Berkeley is the one place where I expected a reasoned response to the tragedy. 

Instead its mayor is preoccupied with threatened economic boycotts while the Afghan people are exterminated. 

You are complicit in Bush’s maniacle destruction. 

As far as I am concerned you have committed political suicide. History will not look favorably on you. 

As for the supposed boycotts, it is unlikely that the type of person who threatens boycott would not have patronized a Berkeley business to begin with; rather they are in the Central Valley attending John Birch Society meetings. 

I understand the need to protect business interests. 

Also I understand the importance of being politically astute and as far as I am concerned you have failed miserably. 

In response to threatened boycotts, I vow to patronize Berkeley business instead of local Mill Valley businesses up through the Christmas season. I will make every attempt to purchase goods at Berkeley shops and I will make a point of telling the staff and management of every store my reasons for doing so. 

You have no political or moral spine. You should be recalled. My deepest sympathies to your political career. 

Robert Young 

Mill Valley 

With a NCAA playoff berth possibly on the line, All-American Laura Schott scored a golden goal in the 118th minute to lift No. 17 California to a 1-0 victory over USC in the final regular season game Sunday afternoon at Edwards Stadium.  

Cal improved to 12-6-2 overall and 4-4-1 in the Pac-10, while USC fell to 10-6-2 and 5-3-1 in the Pac-10.  

Last weekend, Schott also tallied the golden goal in Cal’s 2-1 road victory against Arizona. Sunday’s goal was Schott’s fourth game winner of the season and her 15th goal overall. Entering the weekend, the Hermann Trophy and M.A.C. finalist led the Pac-10 in scoring with 31 points and now has 33 (15 goals, 3 assists).  

“This one was a little bit more special because we’ve been having a hard time coming together as a team lately,” said Schott. “To have a win like that in an overtime situation with a golden goal, it’s awesome for our team, and hopefully we can carry that momentum into the playoffs.”  

The game was a back-and-forth affair with Cal dominating the first half and holding a 10-4 shot advantage. The Trojans had the upper-hand in the second half in shots, 6-3.  

The momentum shifted back in Cal’s favor in time for overtime when Megan Kakadelas was whistled for a red card when she elbowed Cal defender Lucy Brining in the head in the 81st minute.  

The Bears held an 8-2 shot advantage in overtime and came close to scoring on several chances before Schott sealed the victory for Cal at 117:25. The goal developed when midfielder Jennifer Medina found defender Kassie Doubrava on the right flank. Doubrava passed the ball to a streaking Schott on the right side, and Schott chested the ball down and scored to the far post. 

“Every coach is going to say this,” said Cal coach Kevin Boyd. “I wasn’t focusing on the win. I was focusing on the effort we were giving. I was really unhappy Friday (in a 2-0 loss to UCLA) with our effort. We talked a lot about that yesterday and this morning. What I wanted to see was 100 percent effort from all of our players, and I thought we got that today.  

“Regardless of the outcome, I thought USC and us were in (the playoffs). Both of us were pretty aware of our injuries and were subbing quite a bit. I subbed more than I usually do because I didn’t want an injury.”  

The 64-team NCAA Tournament field will be announced today at noon. Cal is looking for its 10th bid in school history and fourth straight berth.

Boy Scout’s anti-gay stance blamed 

An Alameda County judge sided with Berkeley that the city has the right to charge the Sea Scout organization for docking its boats at the marina, after the group’s admission it does not allow openly gay members. 

The city stopped offering free berths in 1998 after the Sea Scouts, and the parent organization Boy Scouts of America, refused to budge on their anti-gay policies. The Sea Scouts sued in 1999 alleging a violation of the group’s rights of free speech and association. 

Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Richman ruled Friday that “public entities may condition public subsidies ... upon the recipient’s compliance with state and local laws that prohibit discriminatory membership policies.” 

Berkeley had provided free berthing to the Sea Scouts program since 1945. The Sea Scouts found their yearly renewal stymied inn 1998 after the Boy Scouts of America’s Mount Diablo Silverado Council denied a scoutmaster position to a man because he was gay. 

About 15 Sea Scouts were named as plaintiffs in the suit filed in 1999 against the city, seeking a return of the free berths for the group’s two sailboats and about $1.5 million in damages. 

But the city of Berkeley, long a climate for tolerance and inclusion at all levels involving public funds, held fast that it didn’t need to give away pricey waterfront berths to the organization that discriminates. 

“It seems like a no-brainer, you would think, that if you are going to get our money, there are strings,” said Deputy City Attorney Laura McKinney. “We don’t have a right to keep them out of there; we just have a right to refuse a public subsidy to them if they do not adhere to our requirements regarding nondiscriminating member policies.” 

The Sea Scouts issue was the center of heated public debate since 1998. Crowds overflowed at Berkeley city council meetings on the issue, which sharply divided supervisors. 

The Sea Scouts argued to the city council that they did not inquire about the sexual preferences of its members, but it someone was openly homosexual they would not meet membership requirements. 

Sea Scout officials were not available for comment after Richman’s ruling was released. The group has 60 days to appeal. 

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the Berkeley City Council: 

Thank you for standing up for your beliefs in promoting the cause of justice and peace among nations in this world.  

I understand you have passed a resolution calling for a “conclusion” to the bombing of Afghanistan. While we all deplore the tragic events of Sept. 11, no amount of bombing can be justified as a response to this horrific event.  

Silence during this bombing campaign is testament to consent. I, for one, disagree with the current U.S. administration’s approach and appreciate your willingness to address this issue in the face of opposition. It is a sign of hope in this period of historical darkness. 

Phil Dutton 

Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY  

No. 3 Stanford scored midway through the first half and never looked back as it shutout out rival California, 2-0, in front of 1105 spectators at Edwards Stadium Sunday afternoon.  

The Cardinal (14-1-1 overall, 4-1-1 Pac-10) took the second game of the two-game season set on the strength of Lee Morrision’s fourth goal of the year in the 26th minute.  

The Golden Bears had plenty of opportunities, particularly in the first half, but couldn’t capitalize. Cal (9-8-1, 2-4-0) outshot Stanford, 5-1, in the opening period. Senior forward Austin Ripmaster had a clear shot on net, but failed to convert as he shot right at Cardinal keeper Andrew Terris.  

Sophomore midfielder Omar Gusmao, who replaced a suspended Mike Munoz in the starting lineup, let go of a blast from atop the box, but barely missed the goal.  

Stanford scored the insurance goal in the 67th minute and sat on the lead for the rest of the contest to tally its 14th win of the season. Johanes Maliza scored the second goal after a series of headers in the box as Derek Shanahan assisted him for his sixth goal of the season.  

Cal freshman standout Mike Munoz missed the game to serve a suspension after drawing a red card in last week’s game versus UCLA.  

“We definitely missed Michael today, but I don’t think that’s the reason why we lost,” said coach Kevin Grimes. “You can never put it on the shoulders of one man. We definitely missed his presence out there, but Omar (Gusmao) did a very good job as his replacement.”  

Stanford has taken the last five matches from the Golden Bears dating back to 1999. In their last meeting, the Card blanked Cal, 4-0, at Stanford.  

Stanford was outshot 10-8 for the game, but capitalized on the chances that came its way.  

“You have to give Stanford credit,” said Grimes. “They get one or two chances and they put them away. You can’t discount their efforts in the attack. They’re dangerous and that’s why Stanford’s ranked where they are.”  

Cal concludes the regular season with a swing through the Pacific Northwest as they visit Oregon State and Washington. The Bears travel to Corvallis to face the Beavers on Friday at 1 p.m. and head up to Seattle Sunday to take on the 10th-ranked Huskies, also at 1 p.m.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Ken Kesey, who railed against authority in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and orchestrated an LSD-fueled bus ride that helped immortalize the psychedelic 1960s, died Saturday two weeks after cancer surgery to remove 40 percent of his liver. He was 66. 

After studying writing at Stanford University, Kesey gained fame in 1962 with “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” followed quickly with “Sometimes a Great Notion” in 1964, then went 28 years before publishing his third major novel. 

In 1964, he rode cross-country in an old school bus named Furthur driven by Neal Cassady, hero of Jack Kerouac’s beat generation classic, “On The Road.” The passengers called themselves the Merry Pranksters and sought enlightenment through the psychedelic drug LSD. The odyssey is documented in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 account, “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” 

“Sometimes a Great Notion,” widely considered Kesey’s best book, was made into a movie starring Henry Fonda and Paul Newman. 

But “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” became much more widely known because of a movie that Kesey hated. It tells the story of R.P. McMurphy, who feigned insanity to get off a prison farm. 

The 1974 movie swept the Academy Awards for best picture, best director, best actor and best actress, but Kesey sued the producers because it took the viewpoint away from the character of the schizophrenic Indian, Chief Bromden. 

Kesey continued to write short autobiographical fiction, magazine articles and children’s books, but didn’t produce another major novel until “Sailor Song” in 1992, his long-awaited Alaska book, which he described as a story of “love at the end of the world.”

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the Berkeley City Council: 

I thank Berkeley for recognizing that the bombing of Afghanistan is wrong. 

I write as a New Yorker, an Arab-American and as someone who believes that the United States needs to seriously reconsider their strategy in this “war.” 

War will not end terrorism, but will continue generations of hatred that will only serve to propagate further acts of hatred. While we heal gradually from our loss of 6,000 lives, we must appreciate that retaliation will not mend our hearts nor will it render justice. Those that are our enemies will not be contained by country lines – they will only be contained by the deflation of their gripes. We need to listen and we need to act proactively. 

Securing a future free of terrorist attacks with every missle we drop is a delusion. 

I realize that you do will have critics, so it is all the more reason for you to know that your resolution is widely supported. So let me thank Berkeley for speaking up for what many of us feel and for what is dangerously difficult to say as debate on this issue is fading. 

Johanna Habib  

San Carlos

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Syracuse scored an overtime goal, topping No. 17 California, 2-1, to advance to the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament Saturday afternoon at Artificial Turf Facility on the University of Maryland campus.  

Syracuse’s Kristen Aronowicz scored the game-winning goal one-minute into overtime as she put in a rebound for the Orangewomen’s 16th win of the season.  

In the first half, junior Lisa D’Anjou scored her ninth goal of the season at 23:33 to give the Golden Bears the 1-0 lead. Audrey Latsko made a save and attempted to feed a Syracuse player when Cal collapsed on the Orangewomen keeper, forcing a turnover that led to D’Anjou’s goal.  

Syracuse (16-3) drew six penalty corners in the first half, but was denied a score as Bear keeper Emily Rowlen made three saves, while the Cal defense snuffed out the reminder of the Orangewomen attempts.  

The game went end-to-end for most of the game until three minutes remained in the contest when Meredith Gettel scored on a breakaway. The freshman forward slipped through the backfield and dribbled around a diving Rowlen to put home the equalizer at 3:28.  

“A player at the top of the circle took a shot, and I stopped the first one and then I must have just cleared it to another (Syracuse) player who put it in,” said Rowlen, describing the game-winning goal.  

The Bears suffered their first defeat of the season in overtime after recording a 4-0 mark during the regular season. SU outshot Cal, 5-2, in overtime and 17-10 for the game. Sophomore Nora Feddersen led the Bears in shots with four attempts.  

Rowlen logged 76 minutes and made seven saves in the losing effort.  

Cal concluded the season with a 14-5 mark, the second-best tally in school history, and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. The Bears clinched the NorPac Conference Championship with a 2-0 win over Stanford on Nov. 3, advancing to the play-in game. They defeated Quinnipiac, 5-1, in Berkeley to setup up Cal’s first round matchup with the Orangewomen.  

Syracuse ended Cal’s eight-game winning streak that dated back to the Bears’ overtime victory vs. No. 9 Ohio State, Oct. 13. Kent State handed Cal its last loss, Oct. 11, 3-1.  

Five seniors played their last game for Cal on Saturday. Forwards Elizabeth Harkins and Amber Stockstill, midfielder Amber Olsen, and backs Sara Hunt and Erin Robinson closed out their career against the Orangewomen.  

They came from all over Alameda County. Some stood at attention in their service uniforms, caps adorned with patches and gold cording, while others sat at attention in their motorized wheelchairs.  

They stood straight and tall, only slightly different from their youth, wrinkles and white hair a testament to their lives after service for their country. Others, who died in the line of duty, were not there in body, but perhaps in spirit.  

Under a dark morning sky, the county of Alameda honored all veterans who served at the 48th annual Veterans Day ceremony at Alameda Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday.  

Mark Raymond Chandler, chair of the Alameda County Veterans Affairs Commission, welcomed the small crowd of approximately 200 veterans and their families and friends. Speakers included state Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, local and state officials as well as active duty military. 

“Our most precious resource is our seniors … and in our hearts we will say, ‘God bless America,’” said Chandler as he read from an article on patriotism. 

Amidst a huge flag flying in the rain-kissed breeze, an assortment of California’s veterans gathered to pay tribute to those who had served and returned, as well as those who had fallen during their years of service to the United States in World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, Panama and Persian Gulf wars.  

The theme this year was veteran women in the military, and Connie Guaraglia was one of the women honored.  

“I am a woman marine,” Guaraglia said.  

Her vest was adorned with patches and buttons which reflected her dedication to the United States military. For 12 years, Guaraglia was president of the Associated Chapter of Women Marines for the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area. Guaraglia had three brothers to serve in the military, and offered young women deciding to go into the marines a bit of advice if.  

“It would be the best thing she did. Marines stick together, they’re a community. We call each other sister Marine and brother Marine. It is a good choice, and you’ll never be alone,” she said. 

Also recognized were “Gold Star Mothers,” a group of women who lost family members in the war. As a sign of respect of the loved ones lost, silence followed their introduction as the women stood. 

Many of the speakers said the national anthem took on a special meaning following the Sept. 11 events in New York and Washington D.C., and the sight of venerable veterans saluting the flag as the color guard posted the colors brought some audience members to tears. 

While most of the veterans in attendance were seniors, there were Vietnam veterans there, to pay their respects and to “give back,” said Kenneth Stevens, who works with homeless veterans with the Homeless Vet Emergency Housing Facility in Menlo Park.  

Stevens did two tours in Vietnam and said he got caught up in a turbulent period after he returned stateside. He now has 11 months of sobriety. 

“I feel like I’ve come too far to go back now,” he said as he described how he helps other veterans. 

These days he is working with homeless veterans and said he wants to help others. 

Vice Admiral Ernest Riutta, commander of the Pacific Area 11th Coast Guard District, reminded the audience that Americans are “those who enjoy the blessings of freedom,” but that freedom came with a price. He also praised those currently serving their country, including his two sons who are pilots in active duty.  

The ceremony included essays by local high school students and Agatha De La Cruz, a sophomore at UC Berkeley, who has been recognized for her academic achievements and volunteerism by veterans groups.  

Native American dancers from the Miami, Mohawk, and Payute nations danced ceremonial dances and sang memorial songs for those who have given their lives in battle, the latest song was written during Desert Storm.  

Josef Perdiguerra, a member of the dance group, said that Native Americans had sometimes fought against the flag, but now there are Native Americans in the military ranks who now fight for freedom under the same flag. 

Several of the speakers used the phrase “ultimate sacrifice” in their speeches when describing Americans who have died either in combat or while on active duty.

Editor: 

I wish to express my support for the city of Berkeley’s resolution calling for an expedient end to the bombing of Afghanistan. While it was impossible for them to predict the magnitude of the negative response and publicity they have received, I admire their courage to speak out, and to say something reasonable in the face of so much blind acceptance. While many have promised an economic boycott against Berkeley, I have been proud to spend my time and money there while visiting during the last two weeks. 

I hope that Berkeley does not back down under pressure. The inability of some people to think critically about the war or the purpose of the resolution should not be a deterrent to Berkeley’s voice of reason. 

Christian Guenther 

Sacramento 

SACRAMENTO – California counties got a windfall that will total more than $10 billion over 25 years with the 1998 settlement of a multistate lawsuit against the tobacco industry. 

But counties aren’t spending the money on smoking cessation and anti-tobacco campaigns. Instead, financially strapped counties are using it for various projects, including an animal shelter, road repairs, debt repayment or just to prop up general funds. 

Of the $1.2 billion doled out to local governments so far, only 18 percent has been invested in health programs. Less than 6 percent has gone to prevent smoking, according to figures calculated by the Tobacco Industry Monitoring Project, a state-supported program based at the University of Southern California. 

The 58 counties and three cities each receive an annual payment based on population and tobacco sales, as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with major tobacco manufacturers. 

But not enough of that money is going “to adequately fight the tobacco industry’s campaign to recruit new smokers,” said Paul Knepprath, vice president of government relations for the American Lung Association of California. 

California expects to receive about $21.4 billion over 25 years from the 1998 multistate settlement with tobacco companies. Half of that will go to the state’s 58 counties and the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose. 

For fiscal year 2001-2002, California will receive about $475 million, with an equal amount going to the counties. The state is investing $401 million in health and anti-tobacco programs, and putting the balance into the general fund. 

The Lung Association and the Tobacco Industry Monitoring Project have tracked where local governments are spending their funds. No state or federal agency keeps that data. 

County spending is “all over the map, which is what you would expect from counties that have been strapped for cash for years,” Knepprath said. 

Some counties, such as Merced, have are considering selling future payments for a lump sum, trading a fluctuating revenue stream for a secure amount of cash. Merced plans to use its estimated $26 million to build an animal shelter and a new juvenile hall. 

Deputy County Administrator James Brown said Merced has delayed those two projects for years and the tobacco money means they can actually start building. 

Tight budget years recently means “local governments just haven’t been able to keep up on capital projects,” he said. 

Lake County supervisors have dedicated $400,000 of their expected payment of about $600,000 to bring a sewage treatment plant up to compliance with state health codes, said county administrative officer Kelly Cox. 

“We really have to do those upgrades,” Cox said. “It could be a huge health issue otherwise.” 

Lake County will spend the remaining money on a home-health care program for seniors. 

The American Lung Association opposed the settlement when it was being negotiated, Knepprath said, because it didn’t have any guarantees the money would go to smoking prevention or treatment for tobacco-related illnesses. 

In the settlement’s fine print, Knepprath said, it was clear “it was a pot of money going to every state,” which didn’t follow the settlement’s intent. 

The 46 participating attorneys general said in the settlement’s preamble that they sued to obtain money to pay for states’ health care and anti-smoking programs. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that states dedicate a good portion of the funds, which will total $202 billion over the life of the payments, for anti-tobacco programs. The recommendation varies by state, according to population, but is about 20 percent. 

A study released earlier this year by the National Conference of State Legislatures found that states were only spending 5 percent of the money on those programs. 

When they negotiated the settlement, the attorneys general were told by other state officials that it wasn’t up to “the AGs to appropriate the money,” said Christine Gregoire, Washington state’s attorney general and one of the chief negotiators. 

The final settlement may not spell out how to spend the money, but “it’s restitution in a lawsuit for damages, and if you understand that concept, you know that all the money needs to go to health restitution and tobacco control.” 

Not so, said Tulare County administrative officer Janet Hogan. Tulare sold their payments for an upfront sum of $45 million, which will be spent on capital projects. 

The settlement intended for each county to decide how to spend the money, Hogan said, and Tulare County has already spent enough on tobacco education. 

State officials are blowing a great chance to improve health care, Gregoire said, “simply because governors and AGs didn’t stand up and do the right thing with the money.” 

Of the California counties, Los Angeles County will get the most money, which the attorney general estimates will be about a total of $2.6 billion. The county has earmarked all money to go to anti-smoking programs for the entire 25 years. 

In Ventura and Orange counties, voters determined how the funds would be directed. Ventura voters overwhelmingly rejected a private hospital’s plan to use the money for private hospitals, and county supervisors voted to spend the money on health programs. In Orange County, voters approved a similar plan, although county officials haven’t determined how the money will be split. 

Santa Clara County and the city of San Jose are using large portions to pay for insurance for all children in the county. 

In Contra Costa County, all of this year’s expected payment of $10.8 million will go to health care, because county supervisors decided early to spend all the money on health services, said Julie Freestone, director of the county’s tobacco control project. 

But none of the money was earmarked for smoking prevention or cessation programs, she said. 

Knepprath said that tug-of-war, even between health issues, is happening in all counties and across the nation and further pulls support from anti-smoking campaigns. 

“Even the money spent on health, spent on kids with asthma, doesn’t prevent people from smoking and doesn’t help people quit smoking,” Knepprath said. “There is so much evidence that prevention programs save the state money in the long run, but often times these decisions aren’t made on long-term strategies, but short term crises.”

SAN FRANCISCO – A newspaper reported Sunday that San Francisco school officials misspent tens of millions during the past 13 years, leaving many schools to wallow in decrepit and unsafe conditions. 

A San Francisco Chronicle investigation found that the district raised $337 million for facility renovations from four voter-approved bond and tax measures. But as much as $68 million of that has instead been funneled toward nonteaching salaries. 

Nearly all the money is now gone and the promised improvements were left unfinished or were never started. 

During a six-month investigation, the newspaper uncovered records showing that the San Francisco Unified School District used as much as $100 million to support a sprawling bureaucracy. The money also went to finance projects that ran far over budget and were not revealed to voters. 

Delaine Eastin, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, called the Chronicle’s findings “a grave injustice against the children of San Francisco.” 

The newspaper traced the beginnings of the mismanagement to former schools Superintendent Ramon Cortines, who persuaded voters to pass the first of the four ballot measures in 1988. He pushed another measure through in 1990, riding on safety concerns following the Loma Prieta earthquake, which had hit six months earlier. 

Under former Superintendent Bill Rojas, the mismanagement grew more widespread with bond measures passed in 1994 and 1997. 

Evidence of the mismanaged funds came out recently, with the appointment of the new superintendent, Arlene Ackerman, in May 2000. Auditors hired by Ackerman have found the district’s Facilities Management Department, which oversees school repair and construction, in utter disarray. 

“Decisions were made that were clearly outside of what voters had approved,” Ackerman said. 

Proposition A, for example, called for asbestos abatement, replacement of wiring and lighting, and general repair of ventilation systems. But a budget memo from June 1988 outlined using $553,000 of the first $4.2 million to pay for nonteaching salaries. 

By the end of the year, the district had created 11 new administrative, engineering and architecture positions. And district payroll expenses eventually consumed $1 out of every $5 raised through tax and bond funds. 

Following the passing, and subsequent mismanagement of funds arising out of Proposition B, there was a snowballing of projects the district could not afford. 

Members of the Board of Education say they were never told about the deficits. 

“I get really upset when I visit schools and see the condition they’re in,” Ackerman said. “You can’t expect children to learn at optimum levels ... in an environment where paint peels from the walls, restrooms don’t work, faucets don’t have water. It’s unacceptable.”

LOS ANGELES – An American flag carried in honor of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks arrived here Sunday, concluding a 3,872-mile cross-country trip that symbolically completed the journey of the four California-bound jetliners destroyed by terrorists. 

“This is the symbolic arrival of Flight 11,” said Edward Herrera of Bakersfield, whose sister-in-law Betty Ong was a flight attendant on the plane. “It’s a spiritual arrival of those people here in Los Angeles.” 

Herrera was among those finishing the journey Sunday afternoon, walking the final mile through light mist to Dockweiler State Beach adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport exactly two months after the attacks. 

The participants bore aloft an American flag that was recently returned from Iraq, where a pilot with an Air National Guard fighter wing carried it in the cockpit of his F-16. Their journey culminated in an oceanside ceremony where flags from all 50 states were also displayed. 

An estimated 4,000 runners participated in the journey that began a month ago in Boston, taking turns carrying the flag around the clock through New York, Washington, Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix before arriving in Los Angeles. 

Many of the runners were employees of American and United Airlines, or friends and relatives of crew members who died in the attacks. They traced the routes of two of the hijacked jets, American Flight 11 and United Flight 175, which took off from Boston’s Logan International Airport bound for Los Angeles before they were flown into the World Trade Center. 

The run was meant to show resolve and support for victims and relatives, and to raise money for attack-related charities. 

“This is not a memorial service. This is a message to the country that we have been challenged but we will persevere,” said Todd Wissing, a first officer with American Airlines who helped organize the run and who carried the flag 140 miles during its voyage west. 

Kay Collman of Yorkville, Ill., was also among the runners. Her son Jeff Collman was a flight attendant on Flight 11. 

“This is a final tribute to them. It just feels wonderful to be walking this mile in tribute to him,” Collman said as she walked the final yards to the beach.

BEVERLY HILLS – Top Hollywood executives and a senior White House official met behind closed doors Sunday to discuss the entertainment industry’s role in the war on terrorism, emerging with warm mutual praise but few specifics. 

Participants said they talked generally about Hollywood helping to produce public service announcements for domestic and international consumption, and about studios providing first-run movies to entertain troops in the field. 

They emphasized there was no discussion of altering either the content of movies or television shows to respond to world events. 

“Content was off the table,” Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, told a press conference at the Peninsula Hotel. “Directors, writers, producers, studios will determine the kind of pictures they choose to make and the compelling stories they want to tell.” 

Valenti said the gathering was “a seamless web of unity,” and Karl Rove, a senior adviser to President Bush, described it as “a wonderful conversation.” 

“It’s clear that the leaders of the industry have ideas about how they want to contribute to the war effort, and we certainly want to encourage that,” Rove said. “These people, like every other American, feel strongly about the events of September 11 and the need to see this war through to its victorious conclusion.” 

Present at the meeting were the chiefs of Hollywood’s biggest studios and television networks and the heads of its major unions, including Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone and Melissa Gilbert, president-elect of the Screen Actors Guild. 

Rove said he discussed seven broad themes with the participants, including: the need to encourage volunteerism; to offer support for American troops and their families and that the administration’s war was against terrorism, not Islam. 

Rove said he did not request that Hollywood produce government propaganda. 

“The world is full of people who are discerning and we need to recognize that concrete information told with honesty, specificity and integrity is important to the ultimate success of this conflict.” 

Valenti said that Hollywood’s major studios could have a role in producing public service announcements that could air both at home and abroad to further America’s supposed image as a caring country. 

“We can try to tell people how America has been the most generous country in the world, we have fed and clothed and sheltered millions of people without asking anything in return. We can also make it clear to the millions of Muslims in the world that this is not an attack on Muslims. This is an attack on people who murder innocent people.” 

Robert Iger, president of The Walt Disney Co., said executives did not feel uncomfortable with any of the suggestions made by Rove. 

“It’s not about content, it’s not about propaganda, it’s not about censorship, it’s not about telling our news division what they should or should not cover,” Iger said. “It’s about how we can step up and help an effort that in the end is the patriotic thing for us to do.” 

Disney owns the ABC Television network. 

Participants said their conversation was an early step toward determining Hollywood’s role in the war effort. Executives said they would meet among themselves to discuss more specific proposals. No further meeting with administration officials has been planned. 

“I think there will be a lot more work tomorrow than there was today in terms of specifics,” said Bryce Zabel, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. “The Hollywood community is as patriotic as other Americans and wants to help get America’s message out there.” 

Entertainment officials met several weeks ago with lower-level government officials to brainstorm ideas, which included producing documentaries on the anthrax threat and fostering better understanding of the United States overseas. 

The meeting Sunday, by contrast, was called directly by Rove, a key administration figure.

SAN FRANCISCO – California’s jobless rate rose from 5.4 percent to 5.7 percent last month, tracking a jump in the national unemployment rate as companies cut production and fired workers in response to the lagging economy. 

Nearly 1 million Californians are looking for work and haven’t found a job, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. The data were the first to report state employment levels since the Sept. 11 attacks. 

The 5.7 unemployment rate was the highest since December 1998 and continued a trend that began in February, when unemployment bottomed out at 4.5 percent. 

But economists said the numbers were better than expected. 

Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the nation’s unemployment rate soared from 4.9 percent in September to 5.4 percent in October, and that 415,000 non-farm payroll jobs were eliminated nationwide. Friday’s state report put non-farm payroll job losses at 4,300. 

“The downturn in California is just remarkably mild compared to what the U.S. statistics showed,” said Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Palo Alto research firm. “It’s better than expected, given everything that’s happening in the nation.” 

It also appears to be the reverse of what happened during the recession of the early 1990s, when California moped in the economic doldrums while the nation snapped back. 

Not all is well across the state, though. 

Unemployment in the San Francisco Bay area, staggered by the summer’s layoff binge at high-tech firms, was up notably. 

For the first time since 1988, San Francisco’s 6 percent unemployment rate was higher than that of Los Angeles County, which currently stands at 5.9 percent, according to Ted Gibson, chief economist for the state Department of Finance. 

In Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley, unemployment rose to 6.4 percent — nearly five times its historic low of 1.3 percent, recorded in December. 

Technology layoffs drove the jobless rate over the summer. 

While cuts at major high-tech firms appear to have stabilized, these latest unemployment data suggest technology-related manufacturing and service sectors are still losing jobs, according to Mary Daly, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. 

Other sectors suffered as the economic ripples from the terrorist attacks worked through the service and transportation sectors. 

Tourism sectors were significantly hit. Even taking into account the slowdown after the summer travel season, the state lost 4,400 jobs in the hotel and amusement and recreation industries. Likewise, air transportation employment fell by 4,300 jobs — a loss more rapid than the overall economy. 

In a twist, the restaurant industry added 4,600 jobs over the month, Gibson noted, saying that could be a statistical blip due to the difficulty in tracking employment at thousands of small eateries. 

Other hard-hit sectors included electronic equipment and apparel. 

“We were experiencing a downturn before Sept. 11,” said Ilse Metchek, executive director of the California Fashion Association. “Now ... the retailers of America have taken it upon themselves to cancel (current) orders and downsize spring orders.” 

Short-term predictions indicate garment manufacturing will continue to suffer, forcing more layoffs and causing 10 percent to 15 percent of contractors in Los Angeles County — the hub of the statewide industry — to go out of business. 

The outlook for manufacturing mirrors that of apparel. 

Firms that make metal products for new airplanes are struggling as the demand for planes drops after the Sept. 11 attacks, said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. 

“Until you come up with real good airport security and airplane security ... people aren’t going to want to jump on a plane,” he said. 

The start of the school year saved the numbers from being worse. 

State and local education systems added 65,100 jobs, the department reported. Sectors including finance, real estate, insurance and the government also added jobs. 

In all, 996,000 Californians were unemployed as of mid-October. That was up 48,000 over mid-September and 161,000 from last October, when the state’s jobless rate was 4.9 percent. 

Economists have predicted the state’s jobless rate will continue to climb and company payrolls will continue to be trimmed.

Investment will keep company, $65 million in debt, afloat 

AN FRANCISCO – Embattled e-mail provider Critical Path Inc. announced a $95 million investment Friday that management said will keep the company afloat until it becomes profitable. 

The investment, made by a group led by General Atlantic Partners, consists of a $30 million cash infusion and the retirement of $65 million in debt.  

The deal gives Critical Path more than $90 million in cash assets and reduces its outstanding debt to $37 million, down from $300 million six months ago. 

The investors will receive convertible preferred stock and warrants to purchase 2.5 million shares of Critical Path’s common stock. The company didn’t disclose the conversion price of the investment. 

Critical Path Interim CEO William McGlashan Jr. said the investment completes a reorganization launched earlier this year after the San Francisco-based company acknowledged that some of its former employees had fabricated sales last year. 

The accounting scandal devastated the company’s once high-flying stock and raised questions about whether the business would survive the crisis. 

Critical Path’s shares surged 99 cents, or 88 percent, on Friday’s news to close at $2.12 on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. The stock peaked at $134.88 in 1999. 

As part of its overhaul, Critical Path has laid off more than 400 workers to pare its expenses by $70 million annually. McGlashan said running the business now requires about $30 million quarterly, slightly more than the company’s projected quarterly revenue of about $27 million. The company lost $346.4 million on revenue of $93.4 million through the first nine months of the year. 

“Cash is not an issue for us anymore,” McGlashan said. 

Backed by the new investment, Critical Path is hoping to attract more corporate customers previously uncertain about the company’s chances for survival. 

Critical Path also is trying to move past the accounting scandal. On Thursday, the company agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle 55 shareholder suits alleging misconduct in the accounting scandal. Critical Path also will issue warrants for 850,000 shares of its common stock priced at $10 per share. 

The company’s accounting imbroglio remains under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Critical Path is cooperating with the inquiry.

When Napoleon died in captivity, one of his prison guards, a man who had fought against the French at Waterloo, attempted to come to terms with his feelings through verse: 

Oft have I gazed on this wondrous man, 

But aye with strange emo- tions, undefined, 

Akin to fearful dread and wonderment, 

As if oppress'd by some mysterious power. 

When, on Friday, developer Patrick Kennedy heard that Gene Poschman had retired from the Zoning Adjustments Board, his reaction was considerably more prosaic. 

“Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead!” he said. 

Kennedy quickly followed this instant assessment with praise, saying that Poschman “knows the code better than anyone in the city – including the staff and myself.”  

But throughout his conversation with the Planet, Kennedy couldn’t refrain from recalculating the time it would take his current projects to be built. 

Considering that Poschman had opposed 9 of Kennedy’s projects in the last 10 years, often forcing the builder to go to the city council to have ZAB decisions overturned, Kennedy’s glee was understandable. 

But all Poschman’s supporters would agree that it was high praise for one of Berkeley’s most dedicated civic servants whose 14-year stint on the ZAB ended Thursday night.  

Poschman told ZAB attendees that he would soon be undergoing surgery to replace a hip, and that he would be unable to give the amount of time he had previously given to the board. 

“My operation is not life-threatening, but if I try to postpone it to attend more ZAB meetings, it would be,” he said. “My wife has threatened me, close friends have threatened me...” 

Kennedy’s acknowledgment of Poschman’s mastery of the city regulations is universally shared by everyone who follows local planning and development issues. Local builders have a whole stock of jokes, traded and shared with each other, that are designed to take some of the sting from Poschman’s legendary interrogations. 

Kennedy, the most high-profile Berkeley developer, keeps up-to-date spreadsheets that track Poschman’s voting record on major residential projects. 

But membership on the ZAB, as Poschman understands it, requires more than an intimate understanding of the law. The ZAB is where the lofty abstractions of the city’s building codes meet the nitty-gritty details of actual city projects, and Poschman devoted many hours each week to visiting the sites of proposed developments, to observe them first-hand. 

“He was just excellent with site visits,” said fellow ZAB member Deborah Matthews. “The information he would bring back was always different from what the rest of us would see.”  

An outspoken educator 

Before joining the ZAB in 1987, Poschman was first a legislative aid to legendary Sacramento powerhouse Jess Unruh and later the chair of the political science department at CSU-Hayward. 

Elihu Harris, the former state assemblyman and mayor of Oakland, said on Friday that when he was a student at Hayward he “majored in political science and minored in Poschman.” 

“Gene Poschman was without a doubt my favorite professor throughout my college years,” he said. “He was a major catalyst in my desire to enter public service.” 

“He was witty and sarcastic, and provoked exciting questions about politics. He made the subject come alive in many ways that other professors didn’t, and don’t.” 

Harris recalled one typical example of the Poschman pedagogical style that occurred after he had taken one of Poschman’s two-quarter courses. In the first quarter, Harris said, he got an A. In the second semester, he got a B and went to the professor’s office to talk about it. 

“Poschman said, ‘You’d better graduate soon, Harris – you’re getting dumber every quarter,’” Harris recalled. 

James Nichols, a former colleague at Hayward, said on Friday that Poschman’s influence is still felt on campus. 

“It’s hard to do justice to Gene, but he was a truly outstanding faculty member,” he said. “He was very dynamic politician who played a very active role in campus politics, and always kept the administration on its mark.” 

Nichols added that Poschman had a similar impact on his students. 

“He was wonderful for the very good students,” he said. “The less good ones had a harder time keeping up with him. But he was always very gentle.” 

Nichols said that he attended Poschman’s wedding to Ann Mester. Rose Bird, the future Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, presided. 

“It was the only time I’ve seen him at a loss for words,” he said. 

An impromptu party 

With ZAB chair Carolyn Weinberger absent, Poschman ran the meeting Thursday night. Seeing a number of familiar faces in the audience before the public comment period, including his wife and a number of personal friends, he reluctantly opened the proceedings to  

“This is my last meeting, and lots of people are here to make sure that I leave,” he said.  

Zelda Bronstein, a member of the Planning Commission, said that she first met Poschman in 1973, when he hired her to teach an American Government course. 

Many years later, she said, when Councilmember Linda Maio asked Bronstein to serve on the Planning Commission, she agreed with the condition that Poschman serve as her mentor. 

“I want to congratulate Gene for many years of exceptional service to the community,” she said. “I thank him not only for his knowledge and his patience, but his good humor which has leavened many an otherwise somber, sober and otherwise distressing public meeting.” 

Nancy Carleton, a former ZAB chair, remembered the time she and Poschman snuck up to the top of a neighboring building to check the progress on Kennedy’s Gaia building. 

“But the thing that I miss most about being chair was telling Gene to be quiet,” she said.  

“Gene, we love you, we’ll miss you, and we know that you’ll continue to be active in Berkeley, doing good things.” 

Another former ZAB chair, Kevin Powell, praised Poschman’s commitment to his work. 

“Gene reflects the best there is in Berkeley,” he said. “Everyone that came before this board got a very fair, very sincere and very wise treatment, and that’s a legacy that I hope will continue.” 

Shortly after the public comment period was over, ZAB member David Blake uncorked a bottle of wine and the ten-minute break the board usually takes stretched into 20, as friends and well-wishers turned Old City Hall into a place for an impromptu party. 

But before that could happen, the board needed to discuss upcoming changes to the city’s zoning ordinance. After 45 minutes of discussion, a new ZAB member suggested that perhaps the board should hold a special meeting on the subject. 

Poschman gently squashed the idea. 

“There is a special place in hell reserved for people who propose special meetings,” he said.

The area immediately north of the University campus, bounded by Hearst Avenue on the south, Cedar Street on the north, Spruce Street on the west, and Highland Place on the east was subdivided in the late 1880s by a man named Daley, who called his subdivision Daley's Scenic Park.  

Frank M. Wilson purchased the subdivision in the 1890s built his large shingled home on one of the most prominent lots. It is his house in the background of the post card pictured here. It was located at the top of Scenic Avenue where the Graduate Theological Union Library now stands. 

In1904 the neighborhood was described by the San Francisco Chronicle: "Wander if you will on the Berkeley slopes north of the University of California campus to have your faith in human kind renewed. Wander up Ridge Road until you come to the shingle and clinker brick houses set in the midst of gardens, a lesson in peaceful, harmonious, artistic and natural living, an architectural picture rarely attained, [and where] 90% of the houses are built in brown shingle."  

A rustic natural style was advocated by the neighborhood Hillside Club as a means of retaining the natural beauty of the hills. Some of the houses noted in the 1904 article were Ernest Coxhead's Beta Theta Pi House (1893), now the School of Public Policy, at Hearst and Le Roy, and Bernard Maybeck's first commission in Berkeley, for Charles Keeler, on Highland Place (1895).  

It was not until around 1909 that the streets were paved in Daley Scenic Park and the paving of the streets also included a comprehensive plan for sidewalks, divided streets, retaining walls, paths, staircases and the planting of bushes and flowers. To soften the rigidity of the grid pattern some property owners donated land for rounded corners.  

The double-curving staircase featured on the post card was removed in the 1960s, but other staircases still exist in the area. The largest and most complex are the steps and divided road at La Loma, Virginia, and La Vereda streets. Other portions of this project include the divided roadway on Le Conte between La Loma and Le Roy, the divided curved roadway and steps on La Loma at Hilgard, the Le Roy Steps, the divided roadway on Hearst Avenue between Scenic and Euclid, and the retaining wall and stairs on Arch Street at the crest of the hill. They are made of thickly textured gray concrete wall surfaces capped with smooth concrete of the same natural gray color. The simplicity of the walls and balustrades is consistent with the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Hillside Club.  

Susan Cerny is author of “Berkeley Landmarks” and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.

There has been a lot said recently about free speech in the United States, yet here in Berkeley – birthplace of the free speech movement in the 1960s – the radical left is using their slim majority on the Berkeley City Council to silence their critics and suppress the will of the majority of the people in Berkeley. It is time for progressives to speak out about what really has been happening in Berkeley.  

Recent controversies about the resolution passed by the Berkeley City Council opposing efforts of the United States in Afghanistan has obscured much more insidious and serious activity by the very same council members who passed that resolution – activities that have included back-room deal making on council business and the intimidation of Berkeley residents who are exercising their democratic right to oppose this radical majority. 

First, the anti-U.S. resolution proposed by Councilmember Dona Spring – ill-timed and ill-worded – was written in secret by three members of the council, proposed at a council meeting without any prior notice to colleagues on the council or the public, and passed on a purely ideological vote with complete disregard to input from council colleagues or the public. Politics as usual for the radical left on the Berkeley City Council. 

Then, having essentially gotten away with that, the same group met behind closed doors – in possible criminal violation of the open-meeting Brown Act – and drafted an ill-conceived and poorly written resolution gerrymandering new council districts in Berkeley. This “oligarchy on the left” then passed this resolution, once again, on a purely ideological vote with complete disregard to input from council colleagues or the public directly affected by the new districts. 

Berkeley residents who have had enough of this unfair representation formed a group, Citizens for Fair Representation, to fight this unscrupulous politicking of the radical left, and began a petition drive to ask the council to reconsider their politically-motivated vote on redistricting that created unbalanced council districts – with 17,000 people in one and 12,875 in all the others – in a blatant power grab designed to create a super majority for the radicals on the Berkeley City Council. 

But, legislative back-room dealing apparently isn’t enough for the radical left in Berkeley. Members of the Berkeley council majority – specifically councilmembers Dona Spring and Kris Worthington – have resorted to intimidation and harassment to try and prevent Berkeley residents from challenging their misdeeds. 

Twice this past weekend, and again on Monday, these councilmembers and their political cronies disrupted the efforts of volunteer signature gatherers working on a referendum to repeal their unfair redistricting ordinance. This is simply outrageous. At a time when all across the nation people are talking about how to be sure all voices on the political spectrum are allowed to participate in public discourse, the far left in Berkeley is seeking to silence what we know to be a majority of the residents. 

A referendum is one of the very few ways citizens can directly challenge improper actions taken by elected officials. It is very hard work to collect signatures, yet over 100 volunteers have joined Citizens for Fair Representation collecting signatures every weekend throughout the city. Berkeley voters are eager to register their disgust with the back-room deals that have come to plague municipal politics, and the fact that the petition process is succeeding has councilmembers Spring, Worthington and their cohorts running scared. 

The radicals in Berkeley say free speech is essential, yet they violate it to suit their ends. They say fair representation is important, yet they disregard it. What are they afraid of, the will of the people? They have set a bad example. When the eyes of the country are on Berkeley about a vote the radical majority claims was about free speech, perhaps they should consider practicing what they preach. 

David Tabb is a Political Science Professor at San Francisco State University, Chair of Citizens for Fair Representation, and a Berkeley resident. 

“The Man Who Wasn’t There,” the latest movie from the consistently inventive Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, takes place in 1949 Santa Rosa and was filmed in the California towns of Orange and Pasadena.  

Stylistically combining the vernacular humor of Ring Lardner with the hardboiled crime dramas of James M. Cain, this film goes so deep into the American vein, its real location, however, is Anywhere, U.S.A. When a story begins in a small-town barber’s chair and ends in an electric chair, could it be set anyplace else? 

Film noir lovers will be well pleased by the plot’s twists and turns, its meticulous attention to the vagaries of infidelity, blackmail, and murder. But I’m not much of a noir fan, and to paraphrase a character in the film, recounting the plot will just make your head hurt.  

There are two things that set this movie apart and make it unique in American cinema. One is the creation of its central character, the barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton).  

A pained, laconic man, Crane is perhaps the most passive, nonviolent criminal in cinema history. He isn’t motivated by lust or greed. He even finds it difficult to cut hair and throw it away like common dirt, appreciative as he is that the stuff grows out of us and is part of us. Crane floats through the world ghostlike, a sexless nonentity, yet he has a rich interior life filled with reflection and rumination, which eloquently pours out of him and into the film’s narration, if not his fellow characters’ ears.  

The other element that makes “The Man Who Wasn’t There” a singular creation is the film’s elegiac tone. This mood of a loving lamentation does not come from Mr. Crane – he has no point of view – it belongs, rather, to the filmmakers. They tug at your heart not because they want you to experience the tragedy of loss, but because they want you to accept loss and recognize its beauty. The Coen brothers are moving in the realm of poetry in this regard.  

Watching this film, I thought less about comparisons to “Double Indemnity” and more about the way Thom Gunn versified AIDS or the way Donald Hall rendered divorce and cancer. The Coen brothers make their poetry with a soundtrack of Beethoven sonatas and an exquisite black and white cinematography that turns stark for interiors and creamy for exteriors. 

Thornton’s career hits a high-water mark with his performance. It’s no small task to make riveting a man with no pulse, especially when the character is in almost every frame, but Thornton does so with astonishing success. Some of the advance praise for “The Man Who Wasn’t There” has compared his work here to that of the great Montgomery Clift, and indeed Thornton’s haunted expressions do sometimes evoke the master’s, especially regarding “A Place in the Sun.” At the risk of sounding flip, however, I was also reminded of late-period Rory Calhoun, around the time of “Mulefeathers” and “Motel Hell.” 

Thornton’s towering performance stands tall due to the equally astonishing performances of his supporting cast. Frances McDormand (collaborating with her director husband, Joel Coen, for the first time since “Fargo”) plays Crane’s cheating spouse, Doris. Hardly a villain, Doris is by and large the placid type, and she and Ed make a good couple. But unlike Ed, Doris gets power surges that cause her to drink and grab life by the balls. One minute she’s as stone-faced as her husband and the two looking like matching gargoyles, but then on an impulse, her eyes spin and her face breaks out in a big twitch. She needs adventure. She loves her husband, but she lusts for life. 

McDormand is an abundantly talented actor and she makes her character so hard and funny, so soft and sad, you can see why Ed doesn’t hate her even though she’s a cheat. Other notable performances are turned in by the brutish James Gandolfini, as Big Dave, Doris’s lover; by Jon Polito, as Creighton Tolliver, the “pansy” grifter who inadvertently sets the plot in motion; and by Scarlett Johansson in the role of Birdy Abundas, the teenage pianist whose youth and music represent the barber’s last hope at stopping life from going down the drain.  

It’s interesting to note that “The Man Who Wasn’t There” began its release on All Souls’ Day, the second of the Mexican Days of the Dead. Could a movie that accepts and even celebrates loss have a better launch date than a holiday that does the same?

924 Gilman St. Nov. 10: Sunday’s Best, Mock Orange, Elizabeth Elmore, Fighting Jacks, Benton Falls; Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 10: Robin Gregory and Si Perkoff, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; Nov. 11: Choro Time; Nov. 12: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keys; Nov. 13: Singers’ Open Mic #2; Nov. 14: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Blake’s Nov. 10: Kofy Brown, J. Dogs, $7; Nov.11: Psychotica, $5; Nov. 12: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 13: The Photon Band, Ian Moore, $4; Nov. 14: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2, Hebro, free. All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Freight & Salvage Nov 10: Barry & Alice Olivier $16.50 - $17.50; Nov. 11: Austin Lounge Lizards $16.50 - $17.50. All Shows 8 p.m. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Nov. 10: Post Junk Trio; Nov. 14: Wayside; Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

Rose Street House of Music Nov. 8: 7:30 p.m., Jenny Bird and Melissa Crabtree, $5 - $20. 594.4000 x.687 www.rosestreetmusic.com 

“Philharmonia Baroque” Nov. 10: 8 p.m.; Nov. 11: 7:30 p.m., “Optimism and Sacrifice”; $34-$50. First Congregational Church, Dana St. and Durant Ave. 415-392-4400 www.philharmonia.org 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra”, presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“Mozart and Mozart of the North” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Hausmusik presents early classical quartets by Mozart , Johann Fuchs, and Bernhard Crusell, the “Mozart of the North”. $15-18. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington St., Albany, 527-9029 

“The Fuck the War Ball” Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Bay Area’s most outrageous bands will perform in benefit for Love Underground Vision Radio. $5. Burnt Ramen, 111 Espee Ave., Richmond, 526-7858, fmoore@eroplay.com 

Theater 

“me/you...us/them” Nov. 8 through Nov. 10: Thur - Sat 8 p.m., matinee on Sat. 2:30 p.m. Three one-acts that look at interpersonal, as well as societal relationships from the perspective of the disabled. $10 - $25. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 925-798-1300 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m., matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“La Guerra D’Amore” Nov. 16 through Nov. 17: 8 p.m. Choreographer Joachim Schlomer and period music specialist Rene Jacobs collaborate to present dancers and vocalists expressing stories about the “war of love” in a contemporary Venetian square. $34 - $52. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 642-9988 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. Nov. 3: Stefanie Renard and Britta Randlev; St. Mary’s College Dance Company; Marin Academy. Nov. 4: Stefanie Renard and Britta Randlev; Somi Hongo; Dana Lee Lawton; Seely Quest; Cristina Riberio; Nadia Adame of AXIS Dance Company. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 7: 8 p.m., “Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance,” more than 30 singers, dancers, and musicians present a musical synthesis of the authentic Roma styles. $18 - $30; Nov. 8: 11 a.m., SchoolTime Performance, “Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance,” $3 per student or chaperone, in advance only; Nov. 8: 8 p.m., “Orquesta Aragón,” $18 - $30; Nov. 11: 3 p.m., Recital - Angelika Kirschschlager, Bo Skovhus, and Donald Runnicles. “Wolf/ Die Italienisches Liederbuch,” $45; Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“The Conduct of Life” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A cautionary tale of unchecked political power gone awry with devastating human consequences. Written by Maria Irene Fornes. $12 general admission, $8 faculty & staff, $6 students. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Macbeth” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Goddesses” Nov. 30 through Dec. 1: Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 7 p.m. A sensuous and humorous drama concerning one mortal woman’s struggle to control the six extraordinary goddesses in her psyche. Written by Dorotea Reyna. $10. Mils College, Lisser Hall, 5900 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 883-0536, rlcouture@earthlink.net 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Nov. 8 - Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 5: 7 p.m., Profit and Nothing But!; Nov. 6: 7:30 p.m., Dog Star Man; Nov. 7: 7 :30 p.m., Animal Attraction; Nov. 7 p.m., Exilée, Museum Theater; Nov. 9: 7:30 p.m., Friends in High Places; 9:15 p.m., Soldiers in the Army of God; Nov. 10: 7 p.m., Prefab People; 9 p.m., The Outsider; Nov. 11: 3:30 p.m., Born at Home and The Team on B-6; 5:40 p.m., The Creators of Shopping Worlds; Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“La Lesbian Film Festival” Nov. 9 - 11. La Peña Cultural Center presents La Lesbian at La Peña: A Lesbian Performance and Film Series. $8 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck 654-6346 www.lapena.org 

Exhibits  

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Architects of the Information Age” Through Nov. 10: A solo exhibit showcasing the works of Ezra Li Eismont. Works included in the exhibition are mixed media paintings on panel and assemblage works on paper and canvas. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland 836-0831 

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Nov. 11 - Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice at UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Matrix 195” Nov. 18 through Jan. 13: German artist, Thomas Scheibitz’s, first solo museum exhibition in the United States showcases semi-abstract representations of everyday objects and landscapes. Wed., Fri. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $3-$6. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Nov. 9: Lauren Dockett will read from her latest book, “The Deepest Blue: How Women Face and Overcome Depression.”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 7: 5:30 p.m. Rimpoche Nawang Gehlek talks about “Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation”, 7:30 p.m. Rea Armantrout & Brenda Hillman read their poetry, $2; Nov. 8 7:30 p.m. Jonathan Lethem and Carter Scholz present “Kafka Americana”; Nov. 9: 7:30 p.m. Sue Hubbell thinks about “Shrinking the Cat: Genetic Engineering Before We Knew About Genes”; Nov. 11: 7:30 p.m. Mary Leader, Alice Jones & Susan Kolodny read their poetry, $2; Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 7: Jill Fredston reads from “Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic’s Edge”; Nov. 8: Harry Pariser discusses “Explore Costa Rica”; Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 10: 4 p.m. Ruthanne Lum McCunn reads from her novel “Moon Pearl”; Nov. 17: 7 p.m. Graham Hutchings discusses his newly released book “Modern China: A Guide to a Century of Change”;Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

UC Berkeley Nov. 8: 7 p.m., Reading and book signing with Osha Gray Davidson, author of “Fire In The Turtle House: The Green Sea Turtle and the Fate of the Ocean.” Mulford Bldg., Rm. 132. 848-0110 www.publicaffairsbooks.com/books/fire.html 

“Rhythm and Muse” Nov. 10: 6:30 p.m. This event is supported by Poet’s and Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation. Open mic evening open to all writers and performers. Features poet/musician Avotcja. Free. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 10 & 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. 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  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

The St. Mary’s football team used and inspired defensive effort and a superlative effort from quarterback Steve Murphy to take down Piedmont, 20-15, on Friday night, winning the BSAL title an an automatic berth in the North Coast Section playoffs. 

The Panthers held Piedmont to just 259 total yards and picked off UCLA-bound quarterback Drew Olsen three times, and Murphy provided just enough offense to lead the team to a win. The senior threw for 132 yards and a touchdown and ran for a team-high 78 yards and another score. With starting tailback Trestin George limited by a strained hamstring suffered in last week’s win over St. Patrick’s, Murphy was the focus of the offense. 

“Steve made great decisions today, and he was outstanding running the ball,” said St. Mary’s head coach Jay Lawson, who changed his team’s game plan to put the ball in Murphy’s hands more. 

Murphy avoided errors, with a Julian Taylor fumble the only St. Mary’s turnover. Olsen, on the other hand, was without his top receiver and running back, and the senior appeared to be trying to win the game by himself at times. In addition to the three picks, he overthrew several receivers and suffered several drops, three by tight end Peter Boyle. 

Boyle first drop set the tone for the entire game. After the Highlanders stopped the opening St. Mary’s drive at their own 10, Olsen’s first pass deflected off of Boyle’s hands right to St. Mary’s linebacker Fred Hives, who took the ball in for a score and a quick 8-0 St. Mary’s lead after a two-point conversion. Olsen was just 4-of-12 for 35 yards in the first half, with the Panthers taking a 14-2 lead into the locker room. 

St. Mary’s next score was all Murphy. First he threw a perfect fade pass to wide receiver Courtney Brown for a 28-yard gain, then picked up 27 yards on a keeper, thanks in part to a crushing block by George. After George was stuffed twice at the goal line, Murphy took another keeper around the left end, reaching the ball over the goal line by inches for a 14-0 lead. 

“I knew it was on my shoulders this week with Trestin hurting,” Murphy said. “The coaches told me all week that I had to lead the team.” 

Piedmont’s only first-half points came courtesy of an intentional safety by Murphy. Backed up to their own 4 by an Olsen 50-yard punt with less than three minutes left in the half, Lawson ordered Murphy to run out the back of the end zone. Lawson said the decision was a combination of a shaky punting game and his stout defense. 

“The way our defense was playing, I wanted to make them earn their points,” Lawson said. 

The strategy looked brilliant when replacement kicker Omarr Flood booted the ensuing free kick over the heads of the return men, putting the ball on the Highlander 21. Three plays later, Olsen threw the ball right between the numbers of St. Mary’s linebacker Taylor to kill the drive. 

The Panthers extended their lead to 20-2 when Murphy threw a jump ball up for Chase Moore. Piedmont cornerback Mike Kim went up with Moore for the ball and tipped it, but Moore used his size advantage to stay upright and catch the rebound. 

Olsen marched his team down the field on the next drive, connecting on all four passes in the series and making an impressive throw across his body to Boyle for a 13-yard score to pull within 20-9. It looked as if he would repeat the performance on the next drive, getting the Highlanders to the St. Mary’s 18, but he overthrew a receiver and the ball floated into the hands of St. Mary’s linebacker Chris White in the end zone to kill the drive. 

“Our offense was just stuttering today,” Olsen said. “Anytime I throw three picks, it’s going to be hard for us to win.” 

The next St. Mary’s drive died when Murphy had to leave the game with an injured wrist, and Olsen hit a quick strike with a 62-yards touchdown pass to Pat Castles, who inexplicably was able to get behind the Panther defense. But Hives recovered the onside kick, then busted out for a 22-yard gain. The Panthers were hit with a delay of game penalty with 27 seconds left to put them in a 4th-and-7, but Lawson crossed up the defense and called a long pass for Brown, who hauled the ball in at the 1, and Murphy kneeled on the next play to run out the clock. 

The Panthers now await their NCS matchup, to be determined at a seeding meeting on Sunday. St. Mary’s cannot host a playoff game at their field due to not meeting the minimum crowd capacity.

Saturday, Nov. 10 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Sather Gate Mall 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Joe Chellman Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Gaia Yoga Forum 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

A forum for those interested in the practice of Gaia Yoga. $10 members, $15 non-members. 548-2220 x233 

Chaparral House Discovers  

Artist in Residence 

2 p.m. - 4 p.m. 

Chaparral House  

1309 Allston Way 

Reception and exhibit of works by artist and resident Helen F. McCulloch. 848-8774 

Sunday, Nov. 11 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Blackberry Ginger 

2520 Durant Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Aaron Greenblatt Duo performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto  

Celebrates Veteran’s Day 

11 a.m. - 11 p.m. 

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto 

1919 Fourth St.  

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto celebrates by offering veterans a complimentary entree with each entree purchased. Please bring your discharge papers. 845-7771 

Family Concert 

4 p.m. 

Malcolm X School 

1731 Prince St. 

The Community Women’s Orchestra presents orchestral music based on folk tunes. $5. 653-1616  

The Cornelius Cardew Choir 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Directed by Tom Bickley and presented by The Berkeley Arts Center and ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series. The Choir will be performing paragraph 7 of The Great Learning (1969) by Cornelius Cardew and Sonic Choreographies (2001) by Kathy Kennedy. $10. 

Racism, Hate Crimes, and Stereotypes in Our Back Yard 

11:15 a.m. 

Fellowship of Humanity 

411 28th St., Oakland 

Presented by Sonya Kaleel. 451-5818 HumanistHall@yahoo.com 

United Genders of the Universe 

7 p.m. 

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

An all ages genderqueer group for anyone who views gender as having more than 2 options. 548-8283  

Multimodal Adventure in Ecuador 

7:30 p.m. 

Long Haul/Infoshop 

3124 Shattuck Ave. 

Bicycle activist Jason Meggs gives a presentation of his recent 

multimodal adventures in Ecuador, including trepidations in oil country, riding on tops of buses, and car-free islands. Spoken with video and other media. Vegan dinner only $3-5 donation. 540-0751 

Monday, Nov. 12 

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

1552 Sacramento St. 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November, 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of over one million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 527-6162 jagdes@igc.org 

Tuesday, Nov. 13 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Senior Center 

2727 College Ave. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

10 a.m. - noon 

UC Berkeley 

2223 Fulton St. 

6th Floor Conference Rm. 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November, 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of over one million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 642-3609 

Special Seminar 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

H. Peter Oberlander, University of British Columbia and Citizenship Court Judge for British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, “After Sept. 11th: a North-American Perimeter for Travel and Immigration?” 642-4608 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Palestine and the Peace Empowerment Process 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

World Wall for Peace Founder Carolyna Marks uses slides to help tell the story of her three-week trip throughout the Palestinian territory in July, 2001. $10 donation. 548-2220 x233 

Experimental Mid-life Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Street 

Miriam Chaya presents the first of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

The Hormones in Health and in Disease 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

George Sayers, a retired professor, will lead a discussion. 644-6107 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

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

531-8664 

Wednesday, Nov. 14 

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Flu Shots 

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28. 

Movie Presentation 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The movie, “If These Walls Could Talk” will be shown. 644-6107 

Near-Death Experience Support/Information-Sharing Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

The new East Bay chapter of IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies) will be provide an open, sharing, compassionate and supportive environment for the exploration of NDEs, the dying process, the meaning of life and human consciousness. 428-2442 www.iands.org. 

Second Wednesdays Poetry Writing Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Albany Library 

1247 Marin Ave. 

Second Wednesdays is a monthly Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Alison Seevak. Free and open to all ages. 526-3720 x19 

Thursday, Nov. 15 

Berkeley Center for Globalization and  

Information Technology 

noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Inderpal Grewal, SFSU, “Transnational America: Identity, Citizenship and Diasporas in Late-Twentienth Century USA.” 642-4608 

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

UK Seminar 

5 p.m. 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall 

John Brewer, University of Chicago, “New Ways in History, or, Talking about my Generation: History and Modernity in the 1960s.” 642-4608 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Storytelling Workshop for Senior Adults 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

First Congregational Church of Oakland 

27th and Harrison St., Oakland 

Storyteller, Steven Henegar, leads the workshop. 444-4755 

Falun Gong Introduction Workshop  

7 - 9 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Dwinelle 83 

Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese mind and body meditation/exercise system. Free. xrzhang@lbl.gov 

Friday, Nov. 16 

City Commons Club Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Weldon Rucker, City Manager of City of Berkeley, presents “Managing a City Like Berkeley.” $1 admission,  

11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

Crosspulse Farewell Concert & CD Release Party 

8 p.m. 

Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Center 

1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland 

Crosspulse, a percussion ensemble dedicated to the creation and performance of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural music, dance, film and educational projects, marks its cessation as an on-going touring group. $25-30, children half-price. 559-9797 www.crosspulse.com 

Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Florence Schwimley Little Theatre 

1920 Allston Way 

Presenting a varied repertoire of jazz. $8 548-8026 www.bhs.berkeley.k12.ca.us/artsperforming/jazz 

Flute Concert 

8 p.m. 

Berkeley Public Library, South Branch 

1901 Russell St. 

Mary Youngblood will perform a free solo concert. 644-6860 

Saturday, Nov. 17 

National Children’s Book Week 

3 p.m. 

South Branch Public Library 

1901 Russell St.  

Theatre company “Word for Word” in a children’s performance of two stories: “The Elephant’s Child” by Rudyard Kipling and “Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti” by Gerald McDermott. Geared for children 4 years and up. Free. 649-3943 www.infopeople.org/bpl. 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Greg’s Pizza 

2311 Telegraph 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Christy Dana Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Elementary School Panel 

11 a.m.- 2 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St. 

Neighborhood Parents Networks sponsors a panel discussion and fair for Berkeley public elementary schools to offer information for parents entering their children in the public school system. $5 members, $10 non-members. 527-6667 www.parentsnet.org 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m. 

Ashkenaz 

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Day one of the festival focuses on acoustic roots music, with concerts, workshops, a children’s program, and a Saturday night dance with three bands. 

Sunday, Nov. 18 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Raleigh’s 

2438 Telegraph 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Mitch Marcus Trio performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

3 - 11 p.m. 

Freight and Salvage 

1111 Addison St. 

Day two of the festival features contemporary folk music, with singer-songwriters and original string music. 

Buddy Club Children’s Show 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Comedy and magic with The Flying Calamari Brothers. $7, $6 BRJCC members. 236-7469 

Broadway Meets the Blues 

5 p.m. 

St. Jerome’s Church 

308 Carmel Ave., El Cerrito 

A free concert by the Berkeley Broadway Singers. 525-7815 

United Genders of the Universe 

7 p.m. 

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

An all ages genderqueer group for anyone who views gender as having more than 2 options. 548-8283  

Mosque Open House 

1 p.m., 3 p.m. 

Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California 

1433 Madison St., Oakland 

All are welcome to Open House. 832-7600, www.iccnc.org 

Monday, Nov. 19 

Flu Shots 

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m - 2 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Tuesday, Nov. 20 

Breakfast with Rev. Sirirat Pusurinkham 

7:30 - 9 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

Pastor of the Church of Christ in Thailand, a leader in the struggle for economic justice for indigenous minorities, campaigner against international child prostitution. Free. Food service begins at 7:15 a.m. 845-6830 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

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

531-8664 

Experimental Mid-life Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Street 

Miriam Chaya presents the second of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

Holiday Crime Prevention 

11:15 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Members of the Berkeley Police Department will discuss prevention methods . 644-6107 

Holistic Health 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Elizabeth Forrest discusses Creative Aging in the first of two Holiday Holistic Health talks. 644-6107 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

12 - 2 p.m. 

Alta Bates Medical Center 

2001 Dwight Way 

Monica Nowakowski lectures on holiday stress reduction. 601-0550. 

Wednesday, Nov. 21 

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28. 

Stories of Your Amazing Body 

2 p.m. - 3 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

For children aged three to ten years old, escape to the magical realm of health, fun, and excitement of this ongoing storytelling series. 549-1564  

Thursday, Nov. 22 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Friday, Nov. 23 

Kwanzaa Gift Show 

12 - 8 p.m. 

Oakland Marriott Hotel 

1001 Broadway, Oakland 

Three-day cultural gift show offers goods and services as well as retail seminars, business workshops, job recruitment, product samples, business opportunities, and entertainment. 

Saturday, Nov. 24 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m. 

The Village 

2556 Telegraph 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Joe Chellman Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Open Center 

10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

The Center is open for exercise and lunch. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” will be shown at 1 p.m. 644-6107 

Teddy Bear Festival 

1 p.m., 3 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive Theater 

2575 Bancroft Way 

Children get to march their teddy bears through the theater, and then watch animated teddy bear films. $3.50. 642-1412 

Sunday, Nov. 25 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Greg’s Pizza 

2311 Telegraph 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Downtown Uproar performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

United Genders of the Universe 

7 p.m. 

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

An all ages genderqueer group for anyone who views gender as having more than 2 options. 548-8283  

Teddy Bear Festival 

1 p.m., 3 p.m. 

Pacific Film Archive Theater 

2575 Bancroft Way 

Children get to march their teddy bears through the theater, and then watch animated teddy bear films. $3.50. 642-1412 

Monday, Nov. 26 

Quilt Show 

7:30 p.m. 

First Unitarian Church 

1 Lawson Rd., Kensington 

East Bay Heritage Quilters present their work, including art quilts, traditional bed quilts, wall hangings, group quilts, and clothing. $3 non-members. 834-3706 

Tuesday, Nov. 27 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2 - 7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Experimental Mid-life Workshop 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Street 

Miriam Chaya presents the third of three workshops rooted in modern psychology and Jewish traditional sources designed to provide participants with the skills and tools necessary to meet the challenges they will face in the second half of their lives. $35, $25 members. 848-0237 ext. 127 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

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

531-8664 

Holistic Health 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Elizabeth Forrest discusses Creative Aging in the second of two Holiday Holistic Health talks. 644-6107 

Wednesday, Nov. 28 

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

American Disability Act 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Ken Steiner and Jessica Soske from Legal Assistance for Seniors will lead a discussion. 644-6107 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. The last Storytime in the series.  

Stories of Your Amazing Body 

2 p.m. - 3 p.m. 

Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave.  

For children aged three to ten years old, escape to the magical realm of health, fun, and excitement of this ongoing storytelling series. 549-1564  

Thursday, Nov. 29 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Winter Backcountry Travel: Safety and Survival Tips 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Leader of the National Ski Patrol’s Northern California search and rescue team, Mike Kelly, shares his expertise on how to plan a safe adventure in the snow. Free. 527-4140 

Discussion for Women 

1:00 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Katheryn Gardella, RN., discuss Mobility Issues and Felling Good in this part of a series of discussions for women. 644-6107 

Friday, Nov. 30 

City Commons Club Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Nat Goldhaber, entrepreneur, presents “Running for Vice-President in a Spiritual Age.” $1 admission; 11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

Saturday, Dec. 1  

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a nonprofit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served basis on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least 5 years old and must be accompanied by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Sunday, Dec. 2 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

The Cal Sailing Club, a nonprofit sailing and windsurfing cooperative, give free rides on a first come, first served basis on the first full weekend of each month. Wear warm clothes and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. Children must be at least 5 years old and must be accompanied by an adult.  

Visit www.cal-sailing.org  

Friday, Dec. 7 

Friday, Dec. 21 

ONGOING EVENTS 

Sundays 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346  

Mondays 

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails (?) 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.co 

m/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

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

531-8664 

Wednesdays  

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28 

Thursdays 

Free Anonymous HIV Testing (?) (?) 

5:15 - 7:15 p.m. 

Check in 5 - 7 p.m. 

University Health Services 

Tang Center  

2222 Bancroft Way 

Drop-in services and limited space is available.  

Call 642-7202  

Fridays 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

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

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

Free Sailboat Rides  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Cal Sailing Club 

Berkeley Marina 

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

Visit www.cal-sailing.org August 4 & 5, September 1 & 2, October 6 & 7, November 3 & 4, and December 1&2 

Say standardized testing is devisive 

OAKLAND — Public school teachers and union representatives from around the Bay Area spoke out Thursday against standardized testing and cash incentives they termed “divisive” and a growing obstacle to their educational mission. 

“We need more than just a gimmick when it comes to teacher accountability,” said Barry Fike, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers. 

At a news conference at the Elihu Harris State Office Building, teachers lined up to toss fake money into a trash bag, symbolizing their decision to refuse or donate the cash rewards they have received because their schools exceeded the state’s Academic Performance Index. 

The members of the Oakland Educational Association together have refused $3,500, and Reva Kidd, a teacher at Berkeley’s Cragmont Elementary, said she had been offered $10,000. 

“I couldn’t believe it because we struggle so much to get adequate compensation,” she said. 

Margot Pepper, a third-grade Spanish-language immersion teacher at Rosa Parks Elementary School in Berkeley, said she had been offered $500. 

“I turned down the money because I feel the test is not a measure of achievement,” she said, but rather, “a measure of socioeconomic level.” 

As an example, Pepper said she had an “extremely bright” Latino student who was fluent in English but “bombed” the Stanford Achievement Test-9, the current centerpiece of the state’s testing program. 

Meanwhile, she said, a Caucasian child at risk of failing out of class “was the highest scorer.” 

About a dozen other speakers lambasted the SAT-9 at the press conference and at a subsequent panel discussion hosted by the California Coalition for Authentic Reform in Education, or CalCARE. Fadeeluh Muhyee, a senior at Oakland High School, said by awarding bonuses based on SAT-9 test scores, the state was funneling cash to the schools that need it the least. 

“That’s the way this is set up: So rich schools can get richer and poor schools can get poorer.” 

“Teachers don’t want this kind of blood money,” said state Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley. Aroner was also a panel member. “They want salary increases.” 

The state board of education voted to make SAT-9 the primary public-school evaluation test in November 1997. Two years later, the state government passed the Public Schools Accountability Act, which provided cash rewards for school districts that exceeded a state-defined Academic Performance Index. 

Les Axelrod, a research and evaluation consultant with the state education department’s standards and assessment division, said that SAT-9 “certainly isn’t aligned to the state standards we’ve adopted” under API. 

Developed by Harcourt Educational Measurement, Inc., the SAT-9 is based on a broad national standard so that it can be used anywhere in the country. 

In the language of the testing world, it is “norm referenced:” Students are measured against a statistical nationwide average, rather than scored on their own achievement level. 

Rick Rubino, principal of Madison Elementary in San Leandro and a panelist, was among those at Thursday’s forum who said part of the problem with the SAT-9 is that half those who take it inevitably score below average. 

“I think my head will explode if I hear one more teacher say: ‘We have to close the achievement gap,’” Rubino said. “You’re never going to close the achievement gap using SAT-9, because half will always fail.” 

The Public Schools Accountability Act called for broader performance measures for schools than simply the SAT-9, including attendance, Axelrod said. As part of this broadening, yet another standardized test is being rolled out: The California Achievement Standards test, whose language component is already being administered simultaneously with the SAT-9.  

In 2003, the state board is due to for a complete revamp of the Standardized Testing and Reporting program, Axelrod said. 

“This coming year is going to be last year of the STAR program as we know it.” 

In the meantime, however, teachers around the state have begun to speak out against the trend toward cash rewards for raising student test scores — a policy that both presidential candidates last year advocated as a means toward teacher accountability. 

“No matter where I go, this issue is on the front page, all over California,” Aroner said at the press conference. 

Pepper, the Washington Elementary teacher, said the SAT-9’s inequality along lines of income and race was bound to lead to lawsuits against school districts. Inequality was not the only problem the cited Thursday evening, however. 

Kidd, the Cragmont teacher, said the award money was “divisive among teachers,” and several complained that requirements to remove all educational materials from their walls before testing week disrupted their jobs. 

“My position as a teacher is very compromised by the process,” said Kidd. 

Rubino and several others said they were not against student assessment tests in general — just the SAT-9. 

“People like it because it’s easy,” he said. “They don’t have to get down in the trenches and do an authentic assessment.” 

The use of the SAT-9 and the national push for cash incentives results from “the perception that teachers have a ‘cush’ situation,” said Fike, of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers. 

“So what do we get? Methodology designed by people by and large far from the classroom.” 

“If the public thinks the system is broken,” Rubino said, “then we have to fix the system and the perception.”

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the Berkeley City Council: 

Thank you for passing the resolution calling for an end to our government’s current bombing campaign in Afghanistan. This resolution is yet another reason why I am proud to call Berkeley home! I agree that our government's bombing campaign in Afghanistan is wrong. My first thought after hearing that the resolution passed was that Berkeley is once again brave to express its views. Then I was saddened to think that expressing an opinion today in this country could be considered brave, and not simply a normal aspect of a democracy. It is as if we have become a Communist country, where we as citizens must either adhere to the party line and "watch what we say," or else! Thanks again! 

Lee Schurin 

Berkeley

The Cal women’s soccer team continued its free-fall on Friday, losing 2-0 to UCLA. The loss, which dropped Cal to 3-4-1 in the Pac-10, puts the Bears on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament. 

The Bears played Friday’s game with two defensive starters on the bench due to injury, with another starter joining them in the second half. The Bears had just 16 players available for the match. 

Head coach Kevin Boyd was forced to play Brittany Kirk, his best midfield playmaker, as a sweeper. As a result, the Bears couldn’t get anything going offensively, managing just three shots to UCLA’s 17, none by leading Pac-10 scorer Laura Schott. 

“Brittany did the best she could at sweeper, but she’s the only player who could possess the ball consistently today,” Boyd said. “We’re really struggling with our depth right now.” 

The Bruins upped their conference record to 7-1, tied for first place, thanks to two first-half goals. Midfielder Mary-Frances Monroe kicked off the scoring with a 25-yard bomb over Cal goalkeeper Mallory Moser’s head in the 29th minute, and leading scorer Stephanie Rigamat slammed home a rebound from a Sarah-Gayle Swanson shot five minutes later. 

Cal finishes the regular season against USC on Sunday, and it looks as if the Bears must win that game to have a shot at the playoffs. The Trojans will be tough, however, owning a 5-2 Pac-10 record going into Friday’s game against Stanford.

Claims to have collected 4,000 signatures for a March ballot challenge 

A newly formed organization committed to rescinding the city’s recently adjusted council districts is claiming that it has collected enough signatures to put the controversial redistricting on the March ballot. 

The Citizens for Fair Representation announced less than a month ago that it would collect over 4,000 signatures necessary to challenge the redistricting plan, which was approved on Oct. 2, by putting it before the voters in March. According to a spokesman for the group, the organization has collected at least 4,000 signatures and intends to collect extra signatures by the city’s deadline of next Thursday. 

The CFR say they launched the petition drive to recind the resdstricting plan becuase they claim it was fashioned by progressives to weaken moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong in District 8 and strengthen Councilmember Kriss Worthington in District 7.  

Progressives deny the accusations of a polictical power grab and say their plan is the most legal of the proposed plans. 

“We’re well over the 4,000 requirement and pushing towards a cushion of any challenges of the signatures, Adam Sonenshein, Campaign manager for CFR. “I think we’ll come in with 6,000 at least.” 

Once the petitions are submitted, the city clerk will verify the signatures and the petition to rescind the new redistricting plan would be put on the ballot for voter approval. If the plan is voted out, the council will begin the redistricting process all over again. 

The controversial redistricting plan was drafted by Berkeley residents Michael O’Malley and David Blake, a former aide to progressive Councilmember Linda Maio. Progressives approved the plan, from a field of six others, because it best fit City Charter requirements. 

Moderates claimed that the plan was fashioned during a secret meeting, which as many as four councilmembers may have attended the day before the vote. In addition they claimed that the Blake-O’Malley plan took advantage of a census blunder that undercounted nearly 4,500 people, mostly students in districts 7 and 8. 

Because the charter requires the district lines be drawn according to the census – whether it has a colossal error or not – the approved district lines resulted in a population imbalance in District 8.  

So, according to the census, each new district has close to 12,800 people. But according to the 1990 Census, there are 17,000 people in District 8 and close to 12,800 in each of the other eight districts. The extra residents is District 8 consist of many of the students who were undercounted in the census. 

“If it’s true that they have gathered enough signatures, that’s wonderful,” said moderate Mayor Shirley Dean. “I don’t relish starting the redistricting process all over again but anything is better than what we have now.” 

Progressives argue that the approved plan was the most legal of the six proposals and that moderate accusations of back room deals were sour grapes at not getting their preferred plan approved.  

Blake argued that the petition drive is an attempt by moderates to avoid having a large population of students in District 8, which represented by moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong. 

“The moderates obviously don’t want students in [Armstrong’s] district because they don’t vote for her and they don’t vote for her in droves.” Blake said.

Editor: 

From Tuesday morning’s Associated Press article about the Nicaraguan election we read: 

“During the campaign, the United States warned of dire consequences if Ortega were to win, invited Bolanos to hand out donated U.S. food and pressured a third candidate to leave the race.”  

This is how the US supports free democracy around the world? 

Tom Lent 

Berkeley 

Editor: 

As a Berkeley resident for 15 years and a business owner, I thank the Berkeley City Council for its majority stand to encourage the ceasing of the bombing. Given how misguided these attacks are, it’s unbelievable others have not spoken out. This courage to “speak truth to power” is the reason I am proud to live here. 

Any threatened loss of business over this very well-considered stance should be exposed – who are these people so we can stop doing business with them? 

Rose Anne Raphael 

Berkeley 

SAN FRANCISCO — Measure I, which would have created an independent municipal utility district similar to one in Sacramento, was defeated Friday, and the other public power initiative, Proposition F, appeared headed for defeat with only a few thousand votes to count. 

Measure I trailed by 5,092 votes with all precincts reporting, and all absentee ballots counted. Proposition F trailed by 1,114 votes. There were about 3,000 provisional ballots left to count Friday afternoon. Provisional ballots let people cast votes even if their registration is in question, and the votes are counted if they voters are later proven eligible. 

The parent company of bankrupt Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spent more than $1 million trying to defeat Proposition F, which would expand the city’s public utilities commission into a department of water and power similar to Los Angeles DWP. 

Board of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano and both campaigns were searching for answers as to why some absentee ballots remained unguarded by law enforcement on Election Night, and why elections officials still had not finished counting. 

“I don’t know why they can’t just count them in overtime and get this over with, because there’s such an emotional and political investment,” Ammiano said. 

City Attorney Louise Renne asked Secretary of State Bill Jones to investigate the way the ballots were handled.  

Jones’ office already is conducting a six-month investigation into charges the city’s Department of Elections mishandled ballots in the November 2000 election. 

At stake is the opportunity to create a municipal power agency that would buy PG&E’s transmission lines and power plants necessary for providing San Francisco with electricity, and to take over the utility’s 360,000 customers on its hometown turf. 

Both measures would have issued millions of dollars of bonds to buy any electricity they can’t generate, pay workers, buy the infrastructure and pay the cost of the expected legal battle with PG&E. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.pge.com 

http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/elections 

Editor: 

I heartily applaud your resolution on Afghanistan. It takes great courage to stand up for your convictions in the face of such opposition. You make me proud to live in Berkeley. 

Nancy Holland 

Berkeley 

More than 300 people brought their flags, banners and life-size puppets to San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza today to demonstrate against the Qatar World Trade Organization meeting. 

Protest organizers said the San Francisco demonstration was just one of an unknown number of others simultaneously occurring in at least 36 countries around the world.  

Protesters marched to an police barricade at the headquarters of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 

For more than an hour, the demonstrators shouted insults at PG&E officials and employees who brought their lunches outside to watch the action from behind the barricades.

Imagine that a nuclear warhead was sent to this country in a container on a ship to be blown up by terrorists. That’s the scenario Scott Sagan, a Stanford University professor, painted for an audience on Thursday. 

“We don’t inspect those containers on a regular basis,” he said. “We don’t inspect the cargo holds of planes we think are coming from friendly countries either.” 

In short, Sagan said the possibility of a nuclear threat was very good. 

Sagan was part of a group of panelists that came to UC Berkeley’s law school to discuss the threat of nuclear weapons from terrorists and the world’s ability to deal with the problem.  

The forum was originally organized last summer. Panelists were asked to address President George W. Bush’s nuclear policy. Yet, Sept. 11 and recent threats from Osama bin Laden prompted the evening’s discussion to shift to problems with nuclear stockpiles. 

Before Sept. 11, Sagan said that some experts doubted that terrorists were interested in getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction. 

“No one doubts that now,” he said. 

The countries the United States may need to put a magnifying glass on are countries close to Afghanistan like China, India, Pakistan and Russia. All are known to have developed nuclear weapons.  

If bin Laden wanted a stockpile of nuclear weapons to raid, he would have more than enough to choose from, several panelists said. 

Shibley Telhami, an expert on the Middle East, said that foreign facilities are extremely vulnerable to an attack or a security breach. 

“Most of them are very old and they need modernization,” he said. 

No one mentioned exact figures on what the total costs may be to secure foreign facilities or paying to inspect and secure vulnerable ports of entry in this country. 

Sagan said that the amount was probably an inordinately large amount. 

“Who will pay for all of that? You and I will. Don’t expect a refund any time soon,” he said. 

However, several experts said that choices may have to be made to safeguard nuclear stockpiles now at risk. 

Neyan Chanda, an expert on Far East countries, said facilities in Pakistan are very vulnerable. 

He said that personnel in these facilities who may be sympathetic to bin Laden or the Taliban may give them over to Afghanistan. 

He also said the current Pakistani administration could be overthrown. He indicated that a new government with ties to the Taliban and bin Laden will make it easy for extremists to acquire the country’s nuclear weapons. 

“It’s something that’s keeping a lot of people sleepless at night,” he said. 

Chanda said that no system existed to check the loyalty of staff members in Pakistan. He also said that the weapons had no special locking mechanisms that would allow only authorized personnel to handle them. 

“In this context, it becomes quite clear that the possibilities are quite horrendous to consider,” he said. 

However, Chanda said the United States’s hands are virtually tied. While Pakistan publicly accepted a U.S. offer to help secure its nuclear weapons, Chanda said he doubted the Pakistani government would allow the United States full access to its facilities and personnel.  

"They don’t have faith that the U.S. can keep their stockpile safe," said Chanda. 

Concern over United States presence in China may also be keeping the largest superpower in that part of the world from accepting help from its rival in the west.  

"It might reveal a sign of weakness," said Susan Shirk, a UC San Diego professor and former cabinet official for President Bill Clinton. 

Chinese officials have refused to discuss security measures for their weapons, she said. 

But still, she said China is a country that has had its own problems with terrorism from separatists and should be engaged in a dialogue for international openness and cooperation. 

"We need a dialogue with China on our missile defense program, so that we can both consider safety issues," she said. 

China objected to Bush’s national missile defense program, she said, but unless it is brought to the table it will continue to be secretive of its present arsenal and will likely expand it. 

"If we build a national missile defense program, China will expand. That will be the price we’ll have to pay," she said. "But, if we share information with the Chinese, we’ll have less friction with them." 

Other panelists also expressed the fear that isolationism could cripple U.S. goals. 

David Caron, a UC Berkeley law professor, said that so far the U.S. fight against terrorism is a unilateral one. Unless the United States begins engaging other countries and involves the United Nations in its fight against terrorism, it has little chance of winning. 

"The situation now is that the U.S. is selectively involving the U.N. That only works when the goals are temporary," he said. 

Administrators up to 25 percent; staff and faculty less than 2 percent increase 

OAKLAND — The University of California is considering boosting some top administrators’ pay by as much as 25 percent, although most faculty and staff members would get raises of less than 2 percent. 

The proposals, to be considered by the UC Board of Regents next Thursday, come amid warnings that the budget outlook for the nine-campus system is bleak. 

The president of UC, campus chancellors and most UC system administrators would get 2 percent raises under the proposal. 

But some senior managers would get more. UC Berkeley’s executive vice chancellor, Paul Gray, who received a merit pay increase in October that took him from $218,400 to $222,800, is set to get another boost to $260,000, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. 

By contrast, Gov. Gray Davis makes $165,000 a year. 

Executive vice chancellors at other campuses are scheduled to get raises from 20 percent to nearly 26 percent. 

UC officials say the higher salaries are necessary to attract and keep top talent. 

Preserving that kind of leadership “especially during these extremely challenging economic times, is critical to maintaining UC’s competitiveness and institutional quality,” said UC spokesman Paul Schwartz. 

But UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Richard Watts said that the same argument could be made for faculty. 

“I have no doubt that many people in these positions are worthy, but I feel there is a disparity between the way they are being handled and the way the faculty are being handled,” said Watts, who will get a 0.5 percent raise. 

UC’s tenure-track professors earn an average of $91,934. One-third are scheduled to get 2 percent raises; the rest will get the 0.5 percent cost-of-living raise.  

UC also is considering putting up to 3 percent of professors’ salaries into their retirement plan funds. 

UC clerical workers make an average of $33,921.  

Their proposed raise is 1 percent.

SAN FRANCISCO — O.J. Simpson’s mother, Eunice Simpson, was found dead in her home of natural causes Friday morning, the medical examiner’s office said. She was 80. 

Simpson, a longtime resident of the city’s Bayview District, was discovered dead at about 8 a.m., according to Richard Vetterli, a spokesman for the medical examiner. 

The home was purchased by O.J. Simpson, a native San Franciscan who gained fame as a pro football player and broadcaster and later was acquitted in 1995 in the killing of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. 

Eunice Simpson, a former nurse’s aide at San Francisco General Hospital, raised O.J. and her three other children in the city’s Potrero Hill housing projects, a cluster of apartments that overlook the old shipyards on San Francisco Bay. 

She was divorced from O.J. Simpson’s father, Jimmy Lee Simpson, who died in 1986. 

In recent years, Eunice Simpson was plagued by arthritis and had joint replacement surgery, making it difficult for her to walk. She appeared at her son’s murder trial in a wheelchair, and used a cane when called to testify for the defense. 

O.J. Simpson bought the house for his mother in the 1970s when he was playing for the San Francisco 49ers. 

She nearly lost the home this year. But a Southern California attorney who sought the sale of the home to satisfy a legal debt owed by the former football star canceled an auction planned for January, allowing the woman to stay in the house. 

O.J. Simpson, a Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Famer, reportedly owed Orange County attorney Marjorie Fuller $148,300. Fuller represented Simpson’s two children in the custody battle that followed his acquittal on murder charges. 

What a great time of year to be outdoors! Cool weather is enjoyable as long as you can warm up by moving around. A good way to fan that internal fire is to dig holes. 

Dig holes in which to plant trees and shrubs now. This time of year the soil is usually crumbly and moist. Plants set in the ground now will be in place and ready to grow next year when warm breezes melt away winter. 

No need to break your back digging holes. Ignore the old gardening maxim that it’s better to plant a $5 tree in a $50 hole than vice versa. Make your planting hole just deep enough so that the ground line on the plant will be the same as it was when the plant was in the nursery or its pot. 

And no need to concoct fancy additives to mix with the soil in the planting hole. Fluff up the soil with peat moss, compost, or perlite, and the roots will have little incentive to leave the hole. Eventually they will wrap around, perhaps strangle, each other. 

Also avoid putting fertilizer into any planting hole. Most feeder roots are in the top layer of soil, so sprinkle fertilizer on the soil surface and let rain leach it down to the feeder roots. 

Lime or phosphorous fertilizers move very slowly down through the soil, so if your soil needs either of these materials, mix them into the planting hole. Farther out, just spread these materials on top of the soil. By the time roots reach out that far, the lime or phosphorous will have worked its way down. 

One situation that does call for digging a $50 hole, as well as mixing in special additives, is when you’re planting a tree or a shrub that needs a special soil. Rhododendron, blueberry, and azalea, for example, thrive best in soils that are very acidic and high in humus. At another extreme are cacti, requiring slightly alkaline soils that are sandy and low in humus. 

Some trees and shrubs transplant better in the spring, but even in such cases it pays to dig planting holes now. Take the soil out of the hole, put it back in, then put on a cover of hay or leaves to protect the surface and mark the site. Come spring, pull back the covering and you will be able to pop a plant into its prepared hole in less than five minutes.

Rain or shine, it’s hard to get seeds to germinate this time of year because the summer sun quickly dries the soil. And there are plenty of seeds still to sow, including biennial and perennial flowers, and fall vegetables. 

A few tricks ensure good and rapid seed germination. Start out by weeding. Get down on your knees and use your hands to pull out every weed, roots and all. Deep-rooted weeds might need coaxing out with a trowel. But do not rototill or turn over the soil with a shovel because you will break apart the capillary connections within the soil. These connections are especially important now for moving water up, down and sideways to newly planted seeds. 

Also try to soak seeds in water for four to eight hours before you plant them. After soaking, strain the seeds and surface-dry them with a paper towel to make handling easier. Now sow, making your planting holes slightly deeper than recommended to make use of moister soil deeper down. 

Another trick allows better seed germination whether you soak the seeds or not before planting. After sprinkling seeds at the recommended rate within the furrow, do not cover them with soil. Fill your watering can and pour water directly into the furrow. Keep doing this until you have gently but thoroughly wet the soil just beneath the seeds. Now fill in the furrow with soil, and tamp it gently with the back of a garden rake. 

Every couple of days after sowing, if the weather is dry, sprinkle the soil surface with more water. This will not wet the soil deeper than a fraction of an inch, but evaporation will help dissipate some of the sun’s heat. The water deeper down, cozied up against the seeds, will not evaporate. Don’t water too much, however. You don’t want to make conditions conducive to damping-off disease, which rots seedlings right at the ground line. 

Try these tricks this summer, even with beet seeds, which are notorious for erratic germination, or carrot seeds, which are notorious for slow germination. You will be amazed at how soon you see the maroon leaves of beet seedlings elbowing their way up through the soil and the grass-green carrot sprouts forming dainty lines up and down the beds.

Veterans Day expected to bring in large crowds, despite economy 

MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT — The National Park Service says it’s ready for a surge of visitors this holiday weekend after offering free admission to promote “unity, hope and healing.” 

“This is not about money,” Park Service spokesman David Barna said Friday. “It’s not significant enough compared to the significance of helping this country heal. We all have families. We’re all in this together. We’re not counting dollars this weekend.” 

The parks’ already overburdened resources have been stretched even further since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Hundreds of federal rangers have been reassigned to security details, and many state parks have been even harder pressed as local law enforcement chases down anthrax scares. 

But the suspension of entrance fees during the Nov. 10-12 Veterans Day weekend — announced by Interior Secretary Gale Norton as a way of encouraging travel — should provide an economic boost, especially to businesses in and around parks. 

State parks in California and at least 25 other states also waived admission fees, and are bracing for crowds. 

“There are certain parks where people will flock to if the fees are dropped,” said Roy Stearns, the state’s deputy parks director, citing Mount Tamalpais and coastal parks along San Francisco Bay. 

Not all parks have seen higher attendance since Sept. 11. Tourism has been hurt at places like the Grand Canyon and the Muir Woods, which depend to a large extent on air travel and foreign visitors. Fully 78 percent of the 1.8 million people a year who visit the redwood cathedrals in a hidden valley just 45 minutes north of San Francisco are visiting from outside the Bay Area, and 22 percent are foreign tourists, the park said. 

John and Betty Parker of Concord brought their nieces, who are visiting from Canton, Ohio, to the park on Friday. The family stopped to chat on a paved path underneath the towering giants. 

With many tourists suffering from post-attack jitters, Parker said all the popular spots have seemed less busy than usual. 

“We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge on Wednesday and no one was there,” he said. “This is a perfect time for people to get out.” 

B.J. Ray, his wife, Rainey, and their two friends decided to take advantage of low airfares and celebrate their wedding anniversaries with a trip to San Francisco. 

“There’s definitely been a mentality that we’re not going to live in fear,” Ray said, adding that they paid $178 roundtrip from Dallas. 

In general, parks near big cities have experienced an average 15 percent increase, Barna said. 

At Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, about two hours southwest of Washington, attendance jumped 39 percent in September alone. Attendance at Yosemite National Park, near the California-Nevada border, went up about 10 percent, Barna said. 

“People are going back to the parks to get away from the news,” Barna said. “They are those special places we set aside for solace for reflection.” 

National parks expect to break even this weekend, reasoning that the money visitors don’t spend on entrance fees likely will be spent at concession stands, gift shops and visitor’s centers. 

California’s parks will lose less than $100,000 in revenue, Stearns said. 

“When you think of the honor we can pay to veterans, I think that far outweighs the money loss,” Stearns said. “We may take a little hit, but I think the communities around those parks will feel the benefits.” 

About a third of the nation’s parks charge admission fees, adding up to $145 million a year. Since 1996, that money has gone directly back into the park system for much-needed maintenance and repairs, Barna said. 

There currently is a $4.9 billion maintenance backlog, which President Bush has proposed to eliminate in five years with additional funding. 

Annually, the service spends $2.5 billion on 385 parks, which, last year, saw 287 million visitors. 

Since Sept. 11, about 200 park employees have been reassigned to homeland security. Park rangers are patrolling dams in the West, parks near the Canadian and Mexican borders and major monuments in the Washington D.C. area. A handful also are getting sky marshal training, Barna said. 

The service’s 200 seasonal law enforcement employees, who work primarily during the summer, have been asked back to the parks to help compensate for the loss.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The discovery of the mummified body of a 94-year-old woman inside a chest in a shed near the Oregon border has resulted in murder charges against a man who lived at the woman’s home. 

The body of Alice Beck was located by Modoc County sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday. 

Sam Brown, 68, who shared a home with Beck at Willow Ranch, north of Alturas, Calif., told police that she died in December 1999 of natural causes. After her death he allegedly placed the body, which was in the fetal position, in the chest. 

Brown was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, elder abuse and grand theft for cashing Beck’s Social Security checks. 

An autopsy was planned next week. Because of the deteriorated state of the body it is uncertain what determinations can be made. 

One of Beck’s neighbors called police on Tuesday, saying she had not seen the woman for more than a year. When a deputy questioned Brown that night, he said that Beck was out of the area. 

Brown telephoned the sheriff’s office Wednesday and asked that they return to his residence. He led them to Beck’s body. 

Willow Ranch is a mostly abandoned former lumber mill community 34 miles north of Alturas off Highway 395 with only scattered residences. The elementary school, store and post office have long been closed.

SAN FRANCISCO — When Houston-based Dynegy Inc. announced Friday that it had bought Enron, its larger rival for $7.8 billion shares of stock, some energy traders predicted fluctuating power prices in the coming months throughout the West as the market settles into a new hierarchy with one fewer provider. 

“The fragility of the system is such that a small perturbation can turn everything upside down very easily,” said Gary Ackerman, executive director of the Western Power Trading Forum, of which Enron is a member. “A week ago I don’t think many people would have even contemplated this.” 

The loss of Houston-based Enron will “make prices more jumpy and more uncertain and it’s going to take the market some time to calm down,” Ackerman said. Should the Northwest have a chilly winter, prices could spike with fewer sellers in the market, he said. 

And that in turn could affect California’s pocketbook, though the state buys a negligible amount of electricity from Enron, said Oscar Hidalgo, spokesman for the state Department of Water Resources, which buys electricity for the customers of two financially ailing utilities. Hidalgo said the state had a long-term contract with Enron earlier this year though the marketer opted out of it after a month. 

“They have indicated to us that we were somewhat of a credit risk for them, like many generators at the time,” Hidalgo said. 

Earlier this year, Enron attempted to cancel its contract as electricity and natural gas provider to California’s two public university systems, which spent more than $170 million combined last year on the fuels. It was unclear Friday what would happen to those contracts. 

Enron’s reach in California goes beyond keeping the lights on. 

The state’s retirement pension fund owns 3 million shares of Enron stock — about 1 percent of its total investments — said CalPERS spokeswoman Pat Macht. The CalPERS board will meet next week to discuss the situation, she said. 

“I can only say at this point that we were as surprised and shocked as the rest of the world was about what has been going on there and we’re assessing our options,” Macht said. 

Enron Corp.’s outspoken support for deregulation of the country’s electricity markets sparked resentment in California as rolling blackouts swept through earlier this year, although the energy marketer is not one of California’s largest power providers. 

Some felt the financial downfall of the nation’s top buyer and seller of natural gas and major electricity seller was justified. 

“The principles of karma seem to be working here,” said Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based consumer advocacy group the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. “Here Enron was one of the chief proponents of deregulation and took advantage of it and benefitted enormously and now is reaping the consequences.” 

Earlier this year, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer subpoenaed Enron’s electricity trading records as he sought to prove the state was the victim of price gouging which led officials to spend more than $9 billion buying electricity for the customers of two financially troubled utilities. Enron repeatedly denied all accusations of market manipulation. 

Enron, the nation’s top buyer and seller of natural gas and the top wholesale marketer in the United States, had become one of the nation’s 10 largest companies, recording revenue of $100.8 billion in 2000. 

Six years after a heart transplant saved her life, Kelly Perkins braved cold, thin air to scale 19,340-foot-high Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. 

The achievement was the latest in a series of treks by the 40-year-old California woman to summits around the world to prove that transplant recipients can live a full life — and then some, in Kelly’s case. 

Kelly’s doctors at the UCLA Medical Center say she’s the first heart transplant recipient they’re aware of to scale Kilimanjaro. The Golden, Colo.-based American Alpine Club said its records indicate the same. 

Accompanied most of the way by her husband, Craig, Kelly made it to Kilimanjaro’s highest point, Uhuru Peak, on Oct. 21, after a winding, seven-day ascent that covered about 45 miles. 

“It was pretty brutal,” she said in a telephone interview after returning to her Laguna Niguel home this week. “The winds were so fierce that once I was actually knocked to the ground.” 

The wind chill at the top plunged to minus-20 degrees, by her guides’ estimates, but despite the extreme conditions she found the experience incredible. 

“So many times, I would tell Craig to pinch me because I couldn’t believe this dream was becoming a reality,” she said. 

“I don’t like to say this is all about me, because I had such amazing support. Sometimes people are afraid to rely on others for support — but everyone wins if you work together, if you work as a team,” she said. 

As her husband sees it, when Kelly pushes the envelope she expands boundaries for others. 

“It doesn’t mean everyone is going to climb Kilimanjaro. But maybe this will provide a sense of additional freedom for other transplant recipients or people with chronic illnesses or other obstacles in their lives,” he said. 

“Maybe someone who thinks they can only walk one block might walk two blocks.” 

Despite training, Kelly had to fight severe nausea and change her medication and diet in mid-hike to keep going. She had to borrow a spare jacket from filmmaker-climber Michael Brown, who filmed the journey for Picture Plant Entertainment, to stay warm enough to make the final push to the top. 

Brown also filmed blind climber Erik Weihenmayer’s ascent last May of 29,035-foot Mount Everest, in Nepal. That made Weihenmayer the first blind person to successfully climb the world’s tallest mountain. 

Craig, exhausted from hiking just ahead of Kelly to keep the winds from constantly buffeting her 5-foot-3, 105-pound body, had to stop at about 19,000 feet and turn back. 

Among the eight climbers who reached the summit was Kelly’s longtime friend, Susan Kjesbo, who also joined the couple in a successful 1997 hike up 14,495-foot Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the United States outside Alaska. They also scaled Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak at 12,388 feet, in 1998. 

Kelly, a real estate appraiser, was dying from a virus that attacked her heart when she received her transplant. The donor was a 40-year-old woman killed when thrown from a horse. 

She began her post-transplant climbs in 1996, 10 months after her surgery, by reaching the top of 8,842-foot Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. 

Kelly was cleared by her doctors for the Kilimanjaro ascent and had medical help with a helicopter on standby, but didn’t have a doctor on the last leg of the climb. Now her doctors, Hillel Laks and Jon Kobashigawa of the UCLA Medical Center, “are bouncing off the walls,” she said. “This is huge for them.” 

“This is a monumental accomplishment, and it will spread the word of donor awareness around the world,” Dr. Kobashigawa said. “To the best of my knowledge, she’s the first transplant recipient to climb Mount Kilimanjaro — or Whitney, Fugi and Half Dome, for that matter.” 

Kobashigawa said Kelly has proven that with exercise, people with donor hearts “can develop extraordinary capacity. This will help other transplant patients. She’s an inspiration and a role model for them.” 

Because its nerves were severed for her transplant, Kelly’s heart does not “know” immediately when to start beating faster to match the exertion of her body. Adrenaline kicks in after a few minutes, but until then she must endure an oppressive feeling of fatigue. 

She picked Kilimanjaro because the first heart transplant in the world was done in South Africa in 1967 by Dr. Christiaan Barnard, and paid tribute to him in a small ceremony atop the mountain. Barnard, who knew of the planned ascent, died a month before the climb. 

“I felt it was appropriate to do a tribute to him as he represented a real milestone in medical history,” she said. 

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Perkinses talked about postponing their climb. But Kelly said she opted to move ahead, thinking how “a wonderful person gave me a second chance to live life to its fullest.” 

So what’s next? 

“We don’t even want to go there yet,” said Kelly. “I’m still remembering how cold it was on Kilimanjaro.” 

If there is another mountain, it wouldn’t necessarily be a higher one such as Mount Everest, her husband added. 

“All the mountains we’ve climbed have been symbolic. They have helped us carry the story of Kelly’s recovery and promote organ donation,” he said. 

“So if you hear of another mountain with some other meaning that helps our goal, let us know.” 

SANTA MONICA — California may target the tailpipe in a bid to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases scientists believe are behind global warming. 

While the United States has pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol to limit or reduce global emissions of the gases, chiefly carbon dioxide, a small group of California lawmakers wants the state to adopt a similar policy of its own. 

“Someone has to pick up the ball,” said Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Woodland Hills. 

Instead of targeting billowing smokestacks, the legislative effort focuses on the state’s love affair with the car. 

In California, an estimated two-thirds of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere comes from the exhaust pipes of the 26 million vehicles that travel its roads. Nationwide, less than one-third of total carbon dioxide emissions come from vehicles, with industry and power generation making up most of the balance. 

A bill, authored by Pavley, would require by 2005 that the state adopt laws that result in “the maximum feasible reduction” in carbon dioxide emissions from the state’s cars and trucks. 

Burning a gallon of gasoline produces about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide. Cutting total emissions, therefore, works only by driving less or more efficiently or using alternate fuels, such as natural gas. 

Russell Long, executive director of the environmental organization Bluewater Network and the bill’s sponsor, said automobile manufacturers could meet the bill’s requirements by upping the gas mileage of new cars, selling fewer gas-guzzling SUVs and promoting public transit programs. 

Automakers oppose the bill, AB 1058. 

“The command-and-control approach ... would be pre-empted by federal law, would saddle Californians with higher costs without providing them any benefit, and ignores other more effective and equitable approaches to this issue,” Phillip Isenberg and Steven Douglas, of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, wrote Pavley April 9 in stating the industry group’s opposition. 

Since the Industrial Revolution, the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has steadily risen. The gas, which acts as a blanket to trap heat that would otherwise be radiated to space, has led to what scientists say is a slow rise in average temperatures across the Earth. 

Over the next century, global temperatures could rise as much as 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit over 1990 levels, according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 

Such changes would wreak havoc on California, said scientists in testimony given Friday at an Assembly hearing in Santa Monica on climate change and policy planning.  

Everything from the state’s water supply to its susceptibility to devastating wildfires to its native animal species would be affected. 

“Everything we do is threatened by the specter of climate change,” said Peter Miller, senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

Curbing California’s CO2 emissions would have little material affect globally, however. The state accounts for about 2 percent of total emissions worldwide. 

But lawmakers said the bill, if signed into law, could prompt other states to enact similar legislation. 

“If we’re not doing it at a national level, we can at the state level begin providing steps to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach. 

SACRAMENTO — Disabled students will not be able to use calculators, audiotapes and other aids when taking the state’s new high school exit exam under new rules the state Board of Education approved. 

Passing the exam will be required to earn a diploma, beginning with the class of 2004. 

Federal law allows students with learning disabilities or impairments to use special accommodations to keep up with unimpaired classmates. 

Students can work under an individualized education plan that details what help is allowed, including extra time on tests. 

Board members voted Thursday to disallow some of the accommodations for the state’s exit exam. Other accommodations are still allowed, including special furniture or lighting, or large print or Braille versions of texts. 

The exclusions were limited to calculators on the math portion of the test and audio presentations for the English portion, said Phil Garcia, board spokesman. 

The nonprofit Disability Rights Advocates in Oakland sued the state Department of Education in federal court in May on behalf of disabled students who say the exam will disproportionately deny them diplomas. 

The state board asked for a simplified version of a new waiver system to consider at next month’s meeting. 

In California, 600,000 students are enrolled in special education. 

LOS ANGELES — The new Harry Potter movie heading to theaters next week has enflamed a small legion of conservative Christian critics who claim the boy wizard is a tool leading children to witchcraft and sin. 

But as anticipation grows for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” other Christians insist the stories are harmless fantasies about magic and morals. 

“I’m so tired of people saying he’s evil,” says Connie Neal, a Christian author who has investigated the Potter claims. “They’re choosing to interpret the books in a very selective way.” 

Neal — a mother of three and author of “What’s a Christian to do with Harry Potter?” — characterized herself as a “discreet fan.” 

Yet other authors maintain reservations about the mysticism of Harry’s world, in which magical people predict the future, change shapes and communicate with ghosts. 

“Although the story is fictional, Harry Potter has real-world occult parallels,” said Richard Abanes, author of “Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick.” 

“The books present astrology, numerology mediumship, crystal gazing,” he said. “Kids are enthralled with it. And kids like to copy.” 

Abanes embarked on an eight-city tour to promote his book before the Nov. 16 U.S. release of the Potter film, which stars newcomer Daniel Radcliffe as the boy who learns on his 11th birthday he has magical powers. 

“There’s a real religious concern,” observes Jana Riess of Publishers Weekly, who moderated an Abanes-Neal debate at a July convention of Christian retailers. “Evangelical Christians believe that witchcraft is real.” 

But, she said, witchcraft in the Potter novels “is not a worldview in the way evangelicals would think of it.” She likens the fuss to parallel complaints when “The Wizard of Oz” was published a century ago. 

Scottish author J.K. Rowling calls the accusations “absurd,” saying Harry Potter’s world is entirely imaginary. 

“I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, ’Ms. Rowling, I’m so glad I’ve read these books because now I want to be a witch,”’ the author has said. 

Though more than 50 million copies are in print worldwide, there has been no evidence of widespread conversions to paganism or witchcraft. 

Andy Norfolk of the London-based Pagan Federation, said the youth-aimed Potter books have created no serious interest in his movement because the don’t appeal to older people seeking spiritual options who “see them as rather uncool.” 

Enemies of Pottermania abound, nonetheless. 

The Potter books top the banned book listing for 2000, compiled by the American Library Association. 

Some have called for the books to be banned from public school libraries, claiming stories about witches and wizards violate church-state separation. Others have staged book burnings or circulated phony reports that claim the novels inspired thousands of children to join satanic cults. 

A Kansas library recently canceled a reading of the books due to complaints about magical content. Some children in Jacksonville, Fla., must now present parental permission slips to read the books at school libraries. 

“Satan is up to his old tricks again and the main focus is the children of the world,” wrote Jon Watkins, a Baptist activist. “The whole purpose of these (Potter) books is to desensitize readers and introduce them to the occult.” 

On the Web page of self-described Christian occult investigator David Bay, a drawing shows a boy reading a Potter book while sitting on the lap of a grotesque demon that gorily pierces his skull. 

“Harry Potter conditions children to think of witchcraft as harmless and even fun. That way, when the real antichrist arrives on the scene, they will be preconditioned to accept him,” Bay said. 

Bay and Watkins also denounce Roman Catholicism, Mormonism and much of secular life as nests of evil conspiracies — views outside the beliefs of most Christians. 

Neal fears churchgoing parents will prejudge the books without reading them. She thinks most children won’t be harmed so long as parents help them understand the difference between fantasy and reality. 

Christians “should use the help of God and our own common sense to do our best to be light in the world, not a laughing stock,” she says.

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s jobless rate rose from 5.4 percent to 5.7 percent last month, tracking a jump in the national unemployment rate as companies cut production and fired workers in response to the lagging economy. 

Nearly 1 million Californians are looking for work and haven’t found a job, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department. The data were the first to report state employment levels since the Sept. 11 attacks. 

The 5.7 unemployment rate was the highest since December 1998 and continued a trend that began in February, when unemployment bottomed out at 4.5 percent. 

But economists said the numbers were better than expected. 

Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the nation’s unemployment rate soared from 4.9 percent in September to 5.4 percent in October, and that 415,000 non-farm payroll jobs were eliminated nationwide. Friday’s state report put non-farm payroll job losses at 4,300. 

“The downturn in California is just remarkably mild compared to what the U.S. statistics showed,” said Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Palo Alto research firm. “It’s better than expected, given everything that’s happening in the nation.” 

It also appears to be the reverse of what happened during the recession of the early 1990s, when California moped in the economic doldrums while the nation snapped back. 

Not all is well across the state, though. 

Unemployment in the San Francisco Bay area, staggered by the summer’s layoff binge at high-tech firms, was up notably. 

For the first time since 1988, San Francisco’s 6 percent unemployment rate was higher than that of Los Angeles County, which stood at 5.9 percent, according to Ted Gibson, chief economist for the state Department of Finance. 

In Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley, unemployment rose to 6.4 percent — more than four times its historic low of 1.3 percent, recorded in December. 

Technology layoffs drove the jobless rate over the summer. 

While cuts at major high-tech firms appear to have stabilized, these latest unemployment data suggest technology-related manufacturing and service sectors are still losing jobs, according to Mary Daly, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. 

Other sectors suffered as the economic ripples from the terrorist attacks worked through the service and transportation sectors. 

Tourism sectors were significantly hit. Even taking into account the slowdown after the summer travel season, the state lost 4,400 jobs in the hotel and amusement and recreation industries. Likewise, air transportation employment fell by 4,300 jobs — a loss more rapid than the overall economy. 

In a twist, the restaurant industry added 4,600 jobs over the month, Gibson noted, saying that could be a statistical blip due to the difficulty in tracking employment at thousands of small eateries. 

Other hard-hit sectors included electronic equipment and apparel. 

The start of the school year saved the numbers from being worse. 

State and local education systems added 65,100 jobs, the department reported. Sectors including finance, real estate, insurance and the government also added jobs. 

In all, 996,000 Californians were unemployed as of mid-October. That was up 48,000 over mid-September and 161,000 from last October, when the state’s jobless rate was 4.9 percent. 

Economists have predicted the jobless rate will continue to climb and payrolls will continue to be trimmed.

East Bay advertising agencies are beginning to feel the belt-tightening as clients cut their budgets to save a little money for what is becoming more of an uncertain economic future every day. 

“This is going to be a super tough one,” said K.C. Jones, executive director of AdMark, the East Bay Advertising Club. He said the recession has been forming since the start of this year and was exacerbated by the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Gary Albright, owner of Design for Advertising, Inc. in Lafayette, said his firm felt the economic downturn as early as last fall.  

“That’s really when I started to notice fewer and fewer calls,” he said. 

Albright said his clients are mostly small- and medium-sized businesses, where the advertising budget is the first thing to go during spending cuts. 

“We seem to get pretty direct feedback from the ups and downs in the economy,” said Albright.  

According to AdAge magazine’s Coen Report spending totals for 2000, advertising is a $243 billion business in the United States. An estimated $12.2 billion of that is located in the Bay Area.  

Magnus Nagase, of Montclair-based Nagase Advertising Inc., said he noticed business thinning out about four months ago. Many of his clients, including high-tech firms and government agencies, already warned him that project spending is going to drop next year. 

“I think everyone’s watching their dollars more than before,” said Nagase. 

Some companies were doomed long before September. Clear Ink, a Walnut Creek-based agency, was at the top of its game last year with 150 employees and a large, mostly high-tech clientele. However, following the dot-com implosion, the agency found itself with a lot of unpaid bills. 

A phone call to Clear Ink on Friday yielded this response from the secretary: “Actually, we’re going out of business today, so you’ll have to call someone else.”  

Laurie Beasley, owner of Beasley Direct Marketing, Inc. in Morgan Hill, also deals with high-tech clients, but she said that the dot-com bust did not affect her as strongly.  

“I did have a lot of dot-com clients, but I never counted on them for 100 percent of our revenue,” she said.  

However, her major clients are software and hardware firms, and revenues for her 10-employee agency have decreased from 30 percent to 50 percent since June. 

Jones warned it could take until sometime next year for the economy to recover. He added that Sept. 11 and its aftermath are “really going to slow the comeback.”  

The recession comes on the tail of extreme surplus.  

“Year 2000 was probably one of the biggest years in the history of advertising,” said Jones.  

But just one decade ago, the advertising industry was suffering intensely as a result of the economic slowdown that hit the country at the beginning of the ’90s. 

“Oh my God, yes,” said Dennis Green, of Lazzari & Green in Alameda, when asked if his firm was affected by that recession. At the time he was working primarily with real estate firms.  

“Some clients cut back pretty severely,” he said, noting that it took four to five years for things to return to normal. 

Albright said it also took his firm several years to recover from the early ’90s recession, forcing him to cut his small staff of seven in half. During the following years, he has gradually dismissed his entire staff, now running the firm by himself. He has no plans to begin hiring anytime soon.  

“I’m just going to continue working in low-overhead mode,” he said. 

How severely some advertising agencies are affected by a recession depends much on which industries they are representing at the time. J. Stokes and Associates in Walnut Creek works mostly with food and automotive services.  

“Those tend to be things that people still need,” said owner Jim Stokes. “We’ve had a record -year in income.” 

Stokes said most businesses are still unable to make long-term decisions based on the market, but the ones who choose to be proactive may end up making a tidy profit. 

“Traditional thinkers will probably cut their advertising, which means there’s an opportunity for a competitor to increase their activity to gain market share,” said Stokes. “Buying a market share can be a very expensive thing, but during a recession the price of media tends to drop.”  

When the economy finally turns around, said Stokes, these businesses will end up “ahead of the game.” 

However, making the decision to spend a lot on advertising in a recession is risky, and most companies are too nervous to take the chance.  

Pete Halberstadt, part-owner of Alameda-based West Advertising, said none of his clients have cut their budgets yet, but he wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen.  

“We’ve sensed it, everybody’s nerves are a little jangled,” said Halberstadt. “I think the mood is such that we’re all bracing ourselves.” 

Murky as the economic future may be, Jones said he expects consumer confidence to return soon, and companies should be prepared for this. He cited an advertisement from the media magazine AdAge Global, which read, “Why advertise in 2001? 2002.” 

“That hits the nail on the head,” said Jones.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Ken Kesey, the acid-dropping Merry Prankster who wrote the 1960s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” lay in critical condition Friday after cancer surgery on his liver. 

Kesey, 66, was operated on two weeks ago because of tumor on his liver, said his friend Ken Babbs. He said doctors had removed 40 percent of Kesey’s liver, and there were no signs of cancer elsewhere in his body. 

“He’s holding his own, but it looks like it will be a long, hard struggle,” Babbs said. 

Kesey was at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. 

Kesey burst onto the literary scene with “Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1962, which he wrote from his experiences working at a veterans hospital. 

During the same period, Kesey volunteered for testing on LSD. After writing his second novel, “Sometimes a Great Notion,” he bought an old school bus dubbed Furthur. 

With Neal Cassady, hero of Jack Kerouac’s Beat Generation novel “On the Road,” at the wheel and pitchers of LSD-laced Kool-Aid in the cooler, Kesey and a band of friends who called themselves the Merry Pranksters took a trip across America to the New York World’s Fair. 

The bus ride was immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 book “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” 

Kesey published his third major novel, “Sailor Song” in 1992. He said he lost interest in the novel as an art form after discovering the magic of the bus. 

The movie version of “Cuckoo’s Nest” swept the 1974 Oscars for best picture, best director, best actor and best actress. But Kesey, who has never seen the film, sued the producers because it took the viewpoint away from the character of the schizophrenic Indian, Chief Bromden. 

Kesey, who was diagnosed with diabetes in 1992 and suffered a stroke in 1997, set down roots in Pleasant Hill in the mid-’60s, after serving four months in jail for a marijuana bust in California. 

His rambling red barn-house has become a landmark of the psychedelic era, drawing strangers in tie-dyed clothing, seeking enlightenment.

It’s been 40 years since they fought segregation in the Deep South 

JACKSON, Miss. — In the summer of 1961, blacks and whites embarked together on buses to search for “White Only” and “Colored Only” businesses whose segregationist rules they would proudly disobey. 

Led largely by students from Northern colleges, the Freedom Riders were ridiculed, arrested and sometimes beaten. But their campaign brought national attention to segregation, and hundreds joined them. 

On Friday, the Freedom Riders gathered in Jackson, one of dozens of cities they helped transform. 

“It was something I felt I had to do because my very person-hood, my very salvation, was tied up not only with African-Americans being oppressed, but also with white people,” said the Rev. John R. Washington, a 61-year-old former Freedom Rider. “The biggest challenge in this nation was that black and white come together.” 

Washington, of Claremont, Calif., returned to Mississippi’s capital for the first time in four decades. Jackson, the state’s largest city with a population of about 185,000, now has a black mayor and a majority-black City Council. Its once all-white police force is fully integrated, as are its public schools. 

“I hoped and I knew that there would be some progress,” Washington said. “There is a sense it has exceeded my expectations.” 

The Rev. Ed King, a faculty member at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said the reunion is a rare opportunity for the Freedom Riders to see the progress they’ve helped achieve. 

“Nobody ever expects to live to see as much change as we have seen,” he said. “This ought to give hope today to those who are desperate that the things they do can make a difference.” 

Jackson native Fred Clark, 58, a middle school teacher, remembers being arrested when he and a group of neighborhood youngsters tried to enter a white waiting room in a segregated bus station. 

“I was so scared,” he said. “We were standing there shaking.” 

Clark hoped the reunion will give black children a sense of those who fought for their freedom. 

“They need to know where they came from so they can know where they are going,” he said. 

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove marked the reunion by declaring Saturday “Freedom Riders Day.” 

“We salute the heroic efforts in 1961 of the Freedom Riders, and their role as an inspiration to others to follow on the long, often perilous road to end segregation,” his declaration said. 

While in Jackson, the group is documenting their experiences for an oral history project. They talked of their days behind bars at the Parchman state prison in the Delta, where they slept on musty mattresses in reeking cells. 

“If you weren’t scared, you were crazy,” said 70-year-old former Freedom Rider Marv Davidoff, who teaches at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minn. 

His most vivid memory of Parchman, he said, wasn’t the angry whites or crowded cells. It was the freedom songs that moved him to tears on his first night in the prison. 

“It was a moment of blessed human solidarity,” he said. “It’s a gift that we gave to each other.” 

——— 

On the Net: http://www.freedomridersfoundation.org 

LOS ANGELES — Brimming with a renewed sense of patriotism and respect for the military, Americans across the country are turning out this holiday to honor veterans and remember the heroes from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Many say they are attending Veterans Day celebrations with a new kind of pride and veterans say they are enjoying more respect. Speakers are drawing special attention to Americans fighting in Afghanistan and the firefighters and police officers who died in the World Trade Center. 

“I think it’s a different response and more respect for veterans because of what happened September the 11th,” Councilman Nate Holden said after attending a ceremony at the Veterans Affairs hospital in West Los Angeles. “The average person, including the veterans, is becoming more appreciative.” 

At a song-filled ceremony Friday in Hollywood Hills, firefighters and police officers sat prominently on the stage next to a plaque memorializing the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Barbara Alderson Raga brought her 12-year-old daughter, Suzie, to the ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park for the first time. 

“I think certainly in the context of what’s going on in the world, this is of great interest,” Raga said as she gazed up at World War II fighter planes in the Condor Squadron flying over. 

In O’Fallon, Mo., as many as 1,500 people are expected Sunday for the dedication of a new veterans’ memorial that consists of a “platoon” of bronze boots. 

Veterans said they weren’t anticipating so many participants before Sept. 11. 

Sheldon Hartsfield, president of the Mid Rivers chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said he is greeted warmly when he’s out in public these days, and is thanked more strongly for his service when he appears on behalf of veterans’ groups. 

Wallace Levin, chairman of San Francisco’s Veterans Day parade, said he expected this year’s event to one of the biggest ever. 

“I think that Veterans Day has never been as important as it is this year,” he said. “I just hope it helps the morale of our troops and our people. The front lines this time are not just in Afghanistan, they are in New York and Washington. The war is in America.”

Students and community members gathered for a candlelight vigil Thursday night in UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza to mourn the loss of lives in Afghanistan and to urge a halt to the U.S. bombing.  

While the organizers said they extend their full sympathies to the victims of Sept. 11 attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., they said the U.S. government should not retaliate by waging war on innocent civilians.  

“We can best honor the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks by not forgetting the human rights of those in the United States and around the world,” Tram Nguyen of Amnesty International told the crowd of about 175. “We are also here to remind ourselves of a common humanity.” 

During the two-hour vigil, the crowd listened to half a dozen speakers from the sponsoring organizations, as well as traditional Afghan music, which painted a backdrop for the poignant stories of remembrance. 

Hatem Bazian, an Islamic scholar and frequent commentator on Middle Asian issues, was the featured speaker for the evening. He said the message of tonight’s vigil was to bring attention to the innocent lives that were being lost for no reason.  

“Those responsible should be brought to justice, but not through this process and through this mechanism that the United States has chosen, which is to bomb the poorest country in the world that has the lowest standard of living, that has been in the process of war for 21 years, so there is no infrastructure left to bomb and therefore one wonders what these bombs are destroying other than life,” he said.  

Taliban officials have claimed as many as 1,500 civilian casualties since the air 

strikes began, however U.S. military officials have insisted that the Taliban is 

grossly exaggerating those numbers. International journalists have been unable to independently verify any casualty numbers from either side. 

Nguyen invited several candle-holding participants to sign a petition which will be sent to President George W. Bush.  

“The petition urges him along with his cabinet members and the government to make sure that all human rights are being protected in the military operations in Afghanistan,” she said.  

Although many in the crowd said they wanted an end to the bombing, the petition itself made no call to stop the air strikes. 

“The people of Afghanistan are dying, a nation is dying,” said a student from the Afghan Student Association. “We mourn for the victims of this tragedy, the loss of life, for the sorrow and for their grief. We are here tonight because of our respect for humanity and appreciation of the value of life,” she said.  

The vigil was sponsored by Afghan Students Association, Society of Afghan Professionals and the UC Berkeley chapter of Amnesty International. 

Today

Special Seminar in  

Constitutional Jurisprudence: Thoughts on the 2000  

Presidential Election 

Noon 

Institute of Governmental Studies 

UC Berkeley, 119 Moses Hall 

Robert Post, UCB, “Sustaining the Premise of Legality: Learning to Live with Bush v. Gore.” 642-4608 

City Commons Club  

Luncheon 

12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave. 

Ameena Janadali, Cofounder of the Islamic Networks Group, presents “Women of Islam.” $1 admission; 11:45 a.m. lunch, $12.25. 848-3533 

Human Nature 

8:30 p.m. 

Metaversal Lightcraft 

1708 University Ave. 

Join the X-plicit Players as they visit the wilderness of Human Nature, explore intimate but un-named ways of being together, awaken senses old and new, and participate in rituals of Group Body. $15. 848-1985 wwwxplicitplayers.com 

Bikes Not Bombs at Berkeley Critical Mass 

5:30 p.m. 

Constitution Plaza 

Downtown Berkeley BART 

Join a group of bicyclists riding in protest of the oil war. 

Even Stronger Women : Arts, History, Literature 

1:15 - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

This week: Autobiographies. Free. 232-1351 

PC Users Group Meeting 

7 p.m. 

Vista College, Room 303 

2020 Milvia St. 

Monthly meeting will feature a presentation by Jan Fagerholm and will focus on new Linux features. 

Saturday, Nov. 10

Community Conversation on  

Confronting Racism 

9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Rosa Parks Elementary School  

920 Allston Way 

“Finding Common Ground for Building a Stronger Community.” Advance registration required; lunch and child care provided, no fees. 898-7625 

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Sather Gate Mall 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Joe Chellman Quartet performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Chaparral House Discovers  

Artist in Residence 

2 p.m. - 4 p.m. 

Chaparral House  

1309 Allston Way 

Reception and exhibit of works by artist and resident Helen F. McCulloch. 848-8774 

Sunday, Nov. 11

Celebrate Music on Telegraph 

2 - 4 p.m.  

Blackberry Ginger 

2520 Durant Ave. 

Shoppers and visitors to the cultural heart and soul of Berkeley will be treated to the joyful sound of music throughout the holiday season. Aaron Greenblatt Duo performs, sponsored by the Telegraph Area Association. 486-2366 

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto  

Celebrates Veteran’s Day 

11 a.m. - 11 p.m. 

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto 

1919 Fourth St.  

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto celebrates by offering veterans a complimentary entree with each entree purchased. Please bring your discharge papers. 845-7771 

Family Concert 

4 p.m. 

Malcolm X School 

1731 Prince St. 

The Community Women’s Orchestra presents orchestral music based on folk tunes. $5. 653-1616  

The Cornelius Cardew Choir 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut St. 

Directed by Tom Bickley and presented by The Berkeley Arts Center and ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series. The Choir will be performing paragraph 7 of The Great Learning (1969) by Cornelius Cardew and Sonic Choreographies (2001) by Kathy Kennedy. $10. 

Racism, Hate Crimes, and Stereotypes in Our Back Yard 

11:15 a.m. 

Fellowship of Humanity 

411 28th St., Oakland 

Presented by Sonya Kaleel. 451-5818 HumanistHall@yahoo.com 

United Genders of the Universe 

7 p.m. 

Pacific Center 

2712 Telegraph Ave. 

An all ages genderqueer group for anyone who views gender as having more than 2 options. 548-8283  

Multimodal Adventure in Ecuador 

7:30 p.m. 

Long Haul/Infoshop 

3124 Shattuck Ave. 

Bicycle activist Jason Meggs gives a presentation of his recent 

multimodal adventures in Ecuador, including trepidations in oil country,riding on tops of buses, and car-free islands. Spoken with video andother media. Vegan dinner only $3-5 donation. 540-0751 

Monday, Nov. 12

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

1552 Sacramento St. 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November, 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of over one million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 527-6162 jagdes@igc.org 

Tuesday, Nov. 13

Flu Shots 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

St. John’s Senior Center 

2727 College Ave. 

The City of Berkeley Health Department will administer flu shots to individuals 60 years old or over and to those with specific chronic diseases. $2 donation. 644-6500 

Muhammad Nazar on Aceh 

10 a.m. - noon 

UC Berkeley 

2223 Fulton St. 

6th Floor Conference Rm. 

Political activist Muhammad Nazar was taken into police custody in November, 2000 after leading a peaceful demonstration of over one million people in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Amnesty International recognized Nazar as a prisoner of conscience. He was released in October and is currently on his first US speaking tour. Free. 642-3609 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Berkeley Mayor Shirely Dean and the City Council: 

I am writing to tell you that, as a New Yorker who has been touched by this tragedy, I fully support the vote of the Berkeley council to send a letter to federal authorities to ask them to stop bombing Afghanistan. 

I do not believe that was our only option, our best option, or an action that will be fruitful in the long run for any of us. 

Although during my frequent visits to the Bay Area in the past I have usually stayed in “the city,” I have always been sure to come to Berkeley. I enjoy the atmosphere and always end up making copious purchases from local merchants. I assure you that I will continue to do so in the future; in fact your city’s bravery in opposing this needless, and doubtlessly fruitless, war only makes this more likely. 

Spencer Thompson 

Brooklyn 

In a warehouse off San Pablo Avenue, stacks of silk-wrapped bundles reach nearly to the ceiling. Wrapped in scarves of red, yellow and saffron – traditional colors in Tibetan Buddhism – sacred texts are being prepared for shipment halfway around the world.  

A young woman deftly rolls a long rectangular book in a square of silk, neatly folding in the corners and tying it up with a ribbon. Nearby, two volunteers brush red dye across the books’ exterior edges, while others methodically stack and assemble the texts. 

For months now, a small group of volunteers has worked quietly and persistently on the Yeshe De project (named for an esteemed 9th-century Tibetan translator), assembling more than 150,000 books. The texts, cherished ancient Buddhist prayers and commentaries, will be distributed along with prayer wheels and sacred images to Tibetan clergy and laity at the 12th World Peace Ceremony, to be held in India this coming January.  

Although the immense effort is now in its final crunch, with shipment scheduled for the last week in November, no one seems stressed or short-tempered. “Watch your breath,” reads a sign in English, Portuguese and Vietnamese, posted over one of the worktables. 

Most of the volunteers are students at the Nyingma Institute, a Tibetan Buddhist center in Berkeley where people can live and work for periods of 6 to 18 months. But there are others as well – ordinary citizens who stop in for a few hours each week.  

“Around the time of our shipping, this place is like a magnet; we get all kinds of people,” says Stephanie Hoffmann, Yeshe De coordinator. “Our oldest volunteer is 80 years old.  

“Last week we had a group of 15-year-olds, students from a private high school in Oakland and from Berkeley High School. I asked them if they could choose one word to describe the experience of working here, and they said ‘Peace.’ Or ‘patience.’ Or ‘happiness.’” 

The work is repetitive but oddly satisfying.  

The workshop shares quarters with Dharma Publishing in the former Heinz Ketchup factory building on San Pablo, where colorful prayer flags now fly over the Spanish style stone walls and tiled roof. Since the Nyingma Institute was founded by Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan lama who came to the United States in 1968, one of Dharma Publishing’s missions has been to preserve and replicate sacred Buddhist writings – thousands were lost or destroyed after the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959.  

“Imagine all the books in all the libraries in the West being destroyed, and you get an idea of the size of it,” said Jack Petranker, a senior editor.  

Tibetan Buddhists see themselves as the keepers of the original Buddhist tradition, which came to Tibet from India beginning in the 7th century. During the next several centuries, Tibetan scholars carefully translated the earliest Sanskrit writings on the Buddha’s teachings into their own language. Beginning in the 1970s, Tarthang Tulku has led an effort to recover thousands of these sacred texts so they can be reprinted and distributed to the Tibetan community in exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Some of the books also find their way back to the few remaining monasteries in Tibet.  

In 1989, Tarthang Tulku organized the first World Peace Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India. About 500 Tibetan Buddhists attended that first ceremony and, with tears of joy, received copies of texts that they had feared lost forever. This year, between 6,000 and 7,000 Buddhists are expected to gather for the 10-day gathering in mid-January. 

“It’s a very overwhelming experience,” says Petranker, who went to Bodh Gaya for the ceremony several years ago. “You have thousands of monks and nuns chanting together from morning till night. There are hundreds of people circumambulating the site, so you’re kind of caught up in this wheel of humanity.” 

While a primary goal of the ceremony is to distribute religious books and artifacts, thereby helping to preserve the endangered Tibetan culture, Buddhists believe the annual gathering has a broader significance. Not only does it help preserve the endangered Tibetan Buddhist culture, but supporters also say the effort helps generate a powerful spiritual force that blesses the entire world.  

Bodh Gaya, site of the Buddha’s enlightenment, is considered by Buddhists to be the center of the cosmos.  

“When all these people get together to pray for world peace, to chant special prayers, in the most powerful place in the world, you have an incredible vortex of energy.” said Petranker. “What we’re doing here is for the benefit of all people. It’s immediately for the benefit of the Tibetans, giving them back their culture. But in the long run, it helps us all.” 

To volunteer, call the Yeshe De office at 845-1710. For more information on the Nyingma Institute and its programs, visit the website at nyingmainstitute.org 

924 Gilman St. Nov. 9: Hoods, Punishment, Lords of Light Speed, Necktie Party; Nov. 10: Sunday’s Best, Mock Orange, Elizabeth Elmore, Fighting Jacks, Benton Falls; Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 7: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 9: Anna and Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 10: Robin Gregory and Si Perkoff, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; Nov. 11: Choro Time; Nov. 12: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keys; Nov. 13: Singers’ Open Mic #2; Nov. 14: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Blake’s Nov. 9: Delfino, Boomshanka, $5; Nov. 10: Kofy Brown, J. Dogs, $7; Nov.11: Psychotica, $5; Nov. 12: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 13: The Photon Band, Ian Moore, $4; Nov. 14: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2, Hebro, free. All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov 8: 8 p.m. Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance, $18 - $30; Nov. 10: 7 p.m. & Nov. 11: 3 p.m., The 2001 Festival, $20 - $32; Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs. berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10 Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight & Salvage Nov. 9: The Harmony Sisters with Alice Gerrard, Jeanie McLerie & Irene Herrmann $16.50 - $17.50; Nov 10: Barry & Alice Olivier $16.50 - $17.50; Nov. 11: Austin Lounge Lizards $16.50 - $17.50. All Shows 8 p.m. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jupiter Nov. 9: Xroads; Nov. 10: Post Junk Trio; Nov. 14: Wayside; Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

“Benefit for Buzzy Linhart” Nov. 9: 7:45 p.m., A number of Bay Area performers wil join together to raise the spirit of disabled singer-songwriter Buzzy Linhart. All ages show, $10. Black Box Gallery, 1928 Telegraph Ave. 451-1932 www. buzzylinhart.com 

“Philharmonia Baroque” Nov. 10: 8 p.m.; Nov. 11: 7:30 p.m., “Optimism and Sacrifice”; $34-$50. First Congregational Church, Dana St. and Durant Ave. 415-392-4400 www.philharmonia.org 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra”, presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“me/you...us/them” Nov. 8 through Nov. 10: Thur - Sat 8 p.m., matinee on Sat. 2:30 p.m. Three one-acts that look at interpersonal, as well as societal relationships from the perspective of the disabled. $10 - $25. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 925-798-1300 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m., matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep. org 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. Nov. 3: Stefanie Renard and Britta Randlev; St. Mary’s College Dance Company; Marin Academy. Nov. 4: Stefanie Renard and Britta Randlev; Somi Hongo; Dana Lee Lawton; Seely Quest; Cristina Riberio; Nadia Adame of AXIS Dance Company. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 7: 8 p.m., “Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance,” more than 30 singers, dancers, and musicians present a musical synthesis of the authentic Roma styles. $18 - $30; Nov. 8: 11 a.m., SchoolTime Performance, “Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance,” $3 per student or chaperone, in advance only; Nov. 8: 8 p.m., “Orquesta Aragón,” $18 - $30; Nov. 11: 3 p.m., Recital - Angelika Kirschschlager, Bo Skovhus, and Donald Runnicles. “Wolf/ Die Italienisches Liederbuch,” $45; Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Macbeth” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Nov. 8 - Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Films 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 5: 7 p.m., Profit and Nothing But!; Nov. 6: 7:30 p.m., Dog Star Man; Nov. 7: 7 :30 p.m., Animal Attraction; Nov. 7 p.m., Exilée, Museum Theater; Nov. 9: 7:30 p.m., Friends in High Places; 9:15 p.m., Soldiers in the Army of God; Nov. 10: 7 p.m., Prefab People; 9 p.m., The Outsider; Nov. 11: 3:30 p.m., Born at Home and The Team on B-6; 5:40 p.m., The Creators of Shopping Worlds; Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“La Lesbian Film Festival” Nov. 9 - 11. La Peña Cultural Center presents La Lesbian at La Peña: A Lesbian Performance and Film Series. $8 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck 654-6346 www.lapena.org 

Exhibits  

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Architects of the Information Age” Through Nov. 10: A solo exhibit showcasing the works of Ezra Li Eismont. Works included in the exhibition are mixed media paintings on panel and assemblage works on paper and canvas. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland 836-0831 

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Nov. 11 - Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice and UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Nov. 9: Lauren Dockett will read from her latest book, “The Deepest Blue: How Women Face and Overcome Depression.”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 7: 5:30 p.m. Rimpoche Nawang Gehlek talks about “Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation”, 7:30 p.m. Rea Armantrout & Brenda Hillman read their poetry, $2; Nov. 8 7:30 p.m. Jonathan Lethem and Carter Scholz present “Kafka Americana”; Nov. 9: 7:30 p.m. Sue Hubbell thinks about “Shrinking the Cat: Genetic Engineering Before We Knew About Genes”; Nov. 11: 7:30 p.m. Mary Leader, Alice Jones & Susan Kolodny read their poetry, $2; Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 7: Jill Fredston reads from “Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic’s Edge”; Nov. 8: Harry Pariser discusses “Explore Costa Rica”; Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 10: 4 p.m. Ruthanne Lum McCunn reads from her novel “Moon Pearl”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

UC Berkeley Nov. 8: 7 p.m., Reading and book signing with Osha Gray Davidson, author of “Fire In The Turtle House: The Green Sea Turtle and the Fate of the Ocean.” Mulford Bldg., Rm. 132. 848-0110 www.publicaffairsbooks.com/books/fire.html 

“Rhythm and Muse” Nov. 10: 6:30 p.m. This event is supported by Poet’s and Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation. Open mic evening open to all writers and performers. Features poet/musician Avotcja. Free. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 10 & 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. 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  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

At halftime of the battle of ACCAL undefeateds on Thursday night, the score was knotted at 7-7. Favored Pinole Valley had run into an inspired Berkeley defense, managing to roll up just 124 yards. Spartan tailback DeAndre MacFarland, averaging nearly 200 rushing yards per game coming in, had just 20 yards on the ground. An upset looked possible, if not probable. Then the roof fell in. 

MacFarland ran for 144 second-half yards and three touchdowns after halftime, leading the Spartans to a 35-14 win and a second straight ACCAL championship. Berkeley’s defense, missing two key starters, was unable to stop the big play in the second half, as MacFarland had scoring runs of 50, 23 and 32 yards. 

“We just didn’t have enough players, and we got tired,” said Berkeley running back Germaine Baird, who rushed for 90 yards and a score. “The big plays got us spooked.” 

The ’Jackets were still within a touchdown after Baird’s spectacular 15-yard run made the score 21-14 late in the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, MacFarland was stood up and appeared to fumble, with Berkeley recovering. But the officials ruled the play was dead when MacFarland stopped moving forward, and the Spartans retained possession and drove for another score to put the game away. 

“If we had gotten the ball back there, it would’ve turned the game around,” Berkeley linebacker Akeem Brown said. “It would’ve been a straight dog-fight.” 

For his part, MacFarland seemed impressed by the Berkeley defense that held him to his lowest first-half rushing total of the season. 

“Their defense was real good in the first half,” he said. “They had me every time I ran the ball. But my coaches told me at halftime to bounce outside instead of going inside, and that worked.” 

Berkeley looked jumpy at the beginning of the game. Already down 7-0 when they got the ball, the ’Jackets were pushed back 40 yards in penalties on their opening drive. But they shook it off and punched the ball into the end zone to tie the game on Mario Mejia’s four-yard toss sweep. It was Mejia’s fourth carry of the year, all for touchdowns. 

The Spartans almost scored just before halftime, as they drove down to the Berkeley 5 with two minutes left. But Berkeley defensive tackle Robert Hunter-Ford stripped the ball from MacFarland at the goal line and Juleeun Jacobs recovered to preserve the tie going into the locker room. 

The ’Jackets had 10 players declared ineligible for the game due to academics, including four starters. That forced several players into new positions with only a short week of practice. 

“We’ve had good players out there, but we just lacked continuity,” Berkeley head coach Matt Bissell said. “They just didn’t know their new positions very well.” 

Several Berkeley players turned in late assignments after grades had been issued and said their teachers were willing to change their grades, but the administration wouldn’t allow some changes. One player thought he had dropped a class to start the year, but a mixup within the counseling department resulted in a failing grade rather than a drop. Adding to the problem was the unusual Thursday night game. A Berkeley coach said if the game had been a day later, almost all of the ineligible players would have been off probation and available. 

The Berkeley players were visibly upset that their teammates were sitting on the sidelines in street clothes in the most important game of the year. Several of them expressed anger with the Berkeley administration. 

“The administration screwed us over completely,” lineman Matt Toma said. “They really showed us no support at all coming into a huge game.” 

With the loss, Berkeley will have to apply for an at-large bid to the North Coast Section 4A playoffs. But with just eight total spots, at-large bids are hard to come by, especially for a team that finished the regular season at just 5-4 overall. But the ’Jackets hope their impressive non-league schedule, which included powerhouses James Logan, Foothill and Dos Palos, will play in their favor. 

“It would be great if we got in (to the playoffs), but the scores we lost by will probably keep us out,” Toma said. 

Bissell didn’t hold out a lot of hope either, but said he will attend the seeding meeting on Sunday and fight for his team. 

“Our kids deserve at least a shot, because they played their hearts out,” he said. “We had an incredibly tough pre-season schedule, and we could have had a much better record with some cream puffs in there. We haven’t lost to anyone we shouldn’t have.”

UC Berkeley shows city its newest plans for the 

University Village project 

UC Berkeley is several years into its plan to rebuild the aging University Village complex in Albany. Aged buildings, constructed to house shipyard workers during World War II, have been torn down and new apartment buildings erected in their place. Other buildings, built in the ’60s, are slated for similar upgrades. 

The construction of new buildings at the village provoked a fair amount of protest from residents, who feared that rental rates at the traditionally low-cost complex would rise dramatically. 

But it appears that the next phase of redevelopment at the village will not see any dramatic opposition – just a sigh from local activists who had hoped for something more. 

The UC unveiled its new plans for the village Monday at the Albany City Council meeting. Their proposal, which is still in its very early stages, would involve the construction of commercial buildings and more apartments along San Pablo Avenue and Buchanan Street. 

The presentation to the Albany City Council only conveyed the broadest strokes of the plan. The university has yet to begin the process of seeking developers for the site, and has no drawings or plans for specific buildings.However, UC officials promise to save some of the large eucalyptus trees that stand on the San Pablo side of the parcel, possibly to create a public park. 

The area of the Village in question is the last remaining portion of the old Gill Tract – a 15-acre parcel – that is still devoted to agriculture. When UC bought the land from a horticulturist in 1929, the entire 100-acre parcel was a thriving East Bay nursery. 

The UC plan is in tune with current efforts, at both the city and county levels, to reduce traffic and encourage human-scale development along San Pablo Avenue.  

The city of Albany, which revised its general plan several years ago to address the question of redevelopment at the village, calls for precisely the kind of development that the UC is now proposing the avenue. 

“We’re all looking at mixed-use development – commercial space, offices and residential units,” said Ann Cheney, Albany’s director of community development. “It’s part of an attempt to encourage people to get out of their cars and walk as much as possible.” 

In all probability, the UC announcement marks the definitive end to a plan, long supported by food activists, to turn the remaining Gill Tract into a center for urban agricultural research. 

In 1997, the Bay Area Coalition for Urban Agriculture, an ad hoc group composed of several well-known Berkeley groups, issued a proposal to develop a world-class center for urban agriculture on the tract. 

Last year, BACUA held a series of meetings with UC officials to discuss the proposal. Members of the organization said Thursday that at the time, they thought they were on the verge of reaching an agreement. But halfway through the discussions, they said, it became apparent that the university had no intention of building the center. 

Josh Miner, a former BACUA organizer, said that he suspected that the university was dealing with them in bad faith. 

“There was a pretty dedicated group of people trying to work with the university on this issue, and their energy was – I think, intentionally – misdirected by the university,” he said. 

Terrel Brand, a member of the BACUA steering committee, said Thursday that the Gill Tract was of historical importance in the movement for organic farming and alternative methods of pest control. Brand said that until the mid ’80s, it housed the UC’s Division of Biological Control, which was a pioneer in the field of Integrated Pest Management. 

“The research at the Gill Tract was focused on completely non-chemical methods of pest control,” he said. “It’s a really important site for the development of IPM.” 

“For the university to just dismiss this resource is just sad,” said Miner. 

Though the Albany general plan does call for some preservation of open space in the area, it appears unlikely that the space required for a urban agriculture research facility will be left.  

The Berkeley Daily Planet receieved this letter addressed to Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean and the City Council: 

I urge you to amend Policy T–35 in the draft General Plan to both maintain the existing public parking supply and allow for an immediate parking and public transit study to accurately assess the needs of downtown community organizations, cultural facilities, businesses and all Berkeley residents for short–term parking in the downtown area.  

Please find attached a letter regarding this issue that I will be submitting to the City Clerk at tonight's public hearing. 

Thank you for your attention and support. 

Jack Gardner 

Berkeley 

Good news! Many seniors report they experience more joy, greater affection, and better sex now, in their later years, than they had earlier in their lives.  

This finding comes to us courtesy of OLDER COUPLES: NEW COUPLINGS, Finding and Keeping Love in Later Life, by local authors Edith Ankersmit Kemp, L.C.S.W. and Jerrold E. Kemp, Ed.D. 

They say the lessons learned during a long life can result in maturity and a heightened appreciation for the importance of spending time with and enjoying romantic partners. Age is not a barrier to sexual satisfaction. 

The authors frankly discuss disadvantages of senior romances as well. As partners age, there is an increasing probability one will end up being the other’s long-term caretaker. If elders marry, they could well be headed for a short amount of romantic time together, followed by a long, painful, difficult and expensive caretaking responsibility. Additionally, it is hard to be sure which potential elder partners would even be willing take on that role.  

The 15 relationships showcased in OLDER COUPLES: NEW COUPLINGS demonstrate that romantic opportunities can offer either bliss or pain at any age.  

The authors describe one senior couple who begin sleeping together. Then the man goes on a short trip, meets a wealthy woman, and he jumps at the chance to dump his lover and marry the wealthy woman. This man then betrays the wealthy wife with his former lover. (Sounds like a catch, doesn’t he?) So then, there’s the divorce, and the man returns to the first woman, and now he wants to marry her. (She goes for it!)  

The Kemps don’t make many value judgments. They point out hasty marriages are more common in later years.  

Personally, I like my self-help books to make value judgements, give advice, be the result of thorough and well-thought-out statistical studies and research…and then I want to be offered constructive conclusions about human nature and patterns of experience. 

Plenty of people, though, might prefer the Kemps’ anecdotal approach, which basically reads like a report on 15 couples, filled in with what feels like journal entries and generic commentary. When addressing the plight of senior women for whom the chances of finding a mate are downright depressing – there are 20 eligible bachelorettes for every bachelor – the authors describe their own experience rather than providing a specific targeted course of action an “outnumbered” woman can take.  

The authors do offer useful general advice on various ways to meet romantic senior partners, however, along with some supplemental information, such as the USDA Daily Food Guide Pyramid.  

It is a pleasure to read descriptions such as “her pleasantly wrinkled face” even if grammatical errors, redundancies and word imprecision do mar the reading experience. 

The strength of OLDER COUPLES: NEW COUPLINGS lies in its emphasis on the senior romantic experience – a subject area largely neglected by most popular relationship gurus.

The growing movement to create distinct “small schools” within Berkeley High School got a boost Wednesday night as the school board held its first wide-ranging public discussion on a formal policy. 

“We feel like we’re in a whole new era now, because a year ago it was hard to get it on the agenda at all,” said Rick Ayres, coordinator of the Communication Arts and Sciences, a small school at Berkeley High. Ayres is also a leader of the small schools movement. 

Berkeley High currently has four theme-oriented schools, launched by parents and teachers as part of a national movement to alleviate large-school problems, such as racial segregation and student anonymity. Parents cite better and more intimate interactions with teachers and other students as advantages of small schools.  

However, board support was thin on Wednesday for fully abandoning the current “comprehensive” high school model. Most small schools advocates favor creating eight to 12 largely autonomous learning communities of 250 to 400 students. Only Board President Terry Doran supports a full conversion to small schools. 

“I just don’t believe our comprehensive traditional model at Berkeley High School is capable of addressing the broad issues that are confronting urban education,” Doran said in a recent interview. 

The other four board members questioned how far to go with the new policy, and how fast. Another major goal of the movement — board approval of a draft policy by early December, to meet grant deadlines — appeared uncertain. 

“I really don’t know at this point how it’s going to unwind,” said board Director Ted Schulz on Thursday. 

The board spent most of Wednesday’s conversation discussing language in the six-page, 10-section policy draft. For example, whether 70 percent of each school’s students should be required to “meet or exceed the school’s identified student outcomes” for the school to continue the following year. 

“That 70 percent makes me nervous,” said Board Director Ted Schulz, adding that he didn’t see it as an effective means toward the more important goal of continued academic improvement.  

The question of small-school choice, by both students and teachers, also came under the microscope.  

“I don’t think it’s good to have solutions which split up the community,” said board Vice President Shirley Issel. 

Schulz said he wanted small-schools to begin in 10th grade because the district had just launched a ninth-grade retention program. The program, Critical Pathways, is designed to identify low-achieving students before they enter school and support them with tutoring and extra classes. 

Doran has argued that the small schools model would provide the individual attention that Critical Pathways is meant to compensate for. 

The adoption of a new policy will require the board to agree on and commit to detailed guidelines for individuals small schools’ purpose and core principles, accountability mechanisms, admissions criteria, community governance structures and financing. 

Tensions were on display at Wednesday’s meeting between a revved-up community movement and a board responsible for crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” on the new policy. Fidgeting reached a crescendo among the 44 people in attendance as the board put off public comment for the first two hours. 

“There are a lot of people who want to speak,” Larry Bilick, a Common Ground small school parent, interrupted as the clock neared 9 p.m. “We have a time schedule, you know.” 

When the board members agreed to continue their discussion, Superintendent Michelle Lawrence noted that any policy the board adopted would be subject to public comment at two more board meetings. 

The most common message among speakers was that the community groups were far ahead of the board in weighing the issues and even setting out policy plans. A “sample policy” document with twice the volume of the board’s draft policy has been posted on the Berkeley Small Schools website (www.berkeleysmallschools.org).  

“What I would hope you would do is really respect the work that’s been laid down,” said Chico Mario, a Berkeley High parent. 

“There’s no way we’re going to fail ... if we are all doing it together,” said Michael Miller, a parent active in the small-schools movement and the chair of Parents and Children of African Descent, which advocates for improvement of the school’s performance among minority students. 

Ayres called on the board to simply be done with the existing large-school model. 

“[Small schools] depend on the insane work of a few people who want to do it,” he said. If they have to continue competing for resources with a still-intact comprehensive school, he added, “they’ll either be reabsorbed, or they’ll go charter and leave.” 

The small schools supporters hope to apply for two major seed grants that would help enable full implementation for 2003-2004: $500,000 from the federal Department of Education, and $700,000 from the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools. 

The move toward board approval of a small-schools policy comes as Berkeley High struggles to renew its accreditation next fall with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. 

“The plate is fairly full,” said Lawrence, but she acknowledged the community’s frustrations and tentatively agreed to identify and visit another district that had already successfully made the switch. 

The majority of the board members remain hesitant to jettison the options and variety of a large high school. Issel, the most vocal skeptic, has expressed pointed concern over both WASC and the nature of the grassroots effort behind small schools. 

“I frankly don’t see that we’re having a collaborative consensus-building discussion,” she said. “There’s a lack of collaboration and an effort underway to ram an agenda down the throat of a community that will end up splitting [it] into camps of those for and those against. ... I do not see the gathering of petitions and the generating of a political campaign on behalf of small schools to have anything to do with sound educational planning, and I think it’s a highly questionable use of public funds.”

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean and the City Council: 

I am writing to commend you on your brave, balanced and compassionate resolution. Like U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, courageous voices such as yours make me proud to live in Berkeley. It is most important that people of conscience and compassion stand up now despite the frenzy of war and vengeance the country is engulfed in. 

Thank you again for your resolution. 

Tom Moseley 

Berkeley

Buzzy Linhart will play peace party 

Veteran folk rock performer Buzzy Linhart is taking the stage again.  

Sitting up in a hospital bed in a front room of his southwest Berkeley home, Linhart focuses his corn flower blue eyes on a guitar string as he winds it through the head stock of an electric guitar in preparation for tonight’s benefit and peace party in his honor. 

The 112-year-old house Linhart lives in is bustling with activity. Linhart’s son, Xeno Rasmusson, makes last minute arrangements for the benefit and friends, including musician Jen-X, gather among the pianos, guitars and keyboards in Linhart’s living room to help get ready for the event. 

“I like the idea of a peace party,” Linhart says. “So many people are overwrought with all that’s going on it will be nice just to get together and relax.” 

Linhart, 58, walks with great difficulty and relies mostly on a wheelchair to get around. He sits up in his bed fielding phone calls from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, between discussing his music career and taking deep pulls of vaporized marijuana, which helps to relieve symptoms of wide-angle glaucoma and emphysema.  

The benefit and peace party will take place tonight at the Black Box Gallery in Oakland. The party will include musical performances from a variety of well-known musicians, the poetry of Bay Area Poet Allen Cohen accompanied on piano by George Michalski. Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who has known Linhart for over 20 years, will address partygoers. 

Linhart, who was a musical prodigy, has been a major figure in the folk rock since 1963 when song writer and musician Fred Neil gave him an introduction to the folk rock scene in New York. Through the 60s, Linhart played with The Seventh Sons, a highly respected band that performed widely along the Eastern Seaboard.  

In 1965, the New York Times credited the multi-talented Linhart as the first American to combine Western rock with East Indian raga music. Linhart’s visionary music made him the founding father of free-form radio and a major player in the Greenwich Village folk-rock movement that included artists like Bob Dylan. 

Linhart has performed on hundreds of recordings with artists like Jimi Hendrix, Stephen Stills, Richie Havens, Harry Nilsson and Patti LaBelle. And his songs have been sung by Carly Simon and Bette Midler among others. 

Linhart, also a film actor, holds a special place in film history. He was the first actor to display full frontal nudity while playing the role of a hitchhiker in the non-X-rated film 1972 movie “The Groove Tube.” Linhart also composed the music for the film. 

“It was an exquisite moment in comic film history,” he said with his typical good-natured smile. “I’m really quite proud of it.” 

Linhart has been contending with health problems since an 1982 automobile accident in Trumansburg, New York. He suffered serious damage to his knees and ribs. Linhart had no insurance and was unable to receive proper medical attention.  

“Several years later I had surgery on my knees that left them worse off than they were before,” he said.  

Not long after the accident, Linhart was unable to play music and found himself homeless. In 1989 Linhart hooked up with Wavy Gravy who talked him into coming to Berkeley where he has lived ever since.  

Linhart is on the Board of Directors of Musicians For Medical Marijuana and has been strong local advocate for medical marijuana. 

“My vision would be totally gone by now if I didn’t use medical marijuana,” said Linhart, who was an anti-drug activist after he stopped using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes in 1968. “There are thousands of people using prescription drops that lose their vision because they don’t chose medical marijuana.” 

In September, 1998 the Berkeley Police wrongfully arrested Linhart for cultivating 13 medical marijuana plants. Linhart sued the city and received an out of court settlement of $30,000.  

Linhart recently returned from New York where he played several gigs and is planning to perform with Eric Burdon and Robby Kreiger. Linhart is also currently working out the details of a performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  

The Benefit and Peace Party will be held at the Black Box Gallery at 1928 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland starting at 7 p.m. There is a sliding scale door charge. For more information call (510) 451-1932. 

For more information about Linhart’s career and music go to www.buzzylinhart.com

The Berkeley Daily Planet receieved this letter addressed to Councilmember Dona Spring: 

Thank you for leading the way to the Berkeley City Council’s action on Afghanistan. It gives me great strength to know that clearer heads can still prevail. 

I believe the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce leaves much to be desired. 

It still rankles that the chamber rounded up flagrantly-fragrant fragrance industry folks to fight the request of Berkeley citizens, disabled by synthetic scents, asking for fragrance-free accommodation for Berkeley city meetings. (Berkeley reworded the proffered, sensible, kindly- and clearly-stated wording of its Commission on Disability, in favor of obfuscating words developed with the fragrance industry. The industry that is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration!, and which formulates a scent using tens to hundreds of chemicals from its repertoire of 3,000 to 5,000 inadequately or untested chemicals. And our government and health “experts” have the audacity to wonder why rates of asthma and other chronic illnesses soar. But this is another book.) 

As far as I’m concerned the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce still stinks ... but now in a different way. To even imagine them going against the Council’s Action on Afghanistan, well, it's mind-boggling. But then to realize they’ve actually gone before the media — which is no longer a news source, but just another series of corporations trying to outsell some other corporation through sensationalism — well, it goes from mind-boggling to numbing to infuriating. 

And it proves to me once again, that what President George W. Bush reportedly said at least twice has to be taken with more than just a grain of salt. 

“If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.” – George W. Bush, December 18, 2000 

“A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there’s no question about it.” – George W. Bush, July 26, 2001 

It seems to me that the president of the United States has gotten the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce right there in lock-step with him. 

And all the while, whether we wish to unite behind him or not, we are still Americans and we are still allowed by law, if not the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, to have and express another view. And that should bring commerce into Berkeley! 

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce certainly did its best to guarantee a drop in business in Berkeley by going to the media as it did, stating that they expected a drop in business, as a result of this 5-4 vote, with it’s Oh, me! Oh, My! whine about being the chamber in Berkeley.  

What in the world did they expect the media to do with that? Of course, the media is going to put it out there for the world to see and to join in lockstep with BCC’s predictions. Of course, the media will go into Oakland to find a visitor seeking his five seconds of fame by stating he’d not shop in Berkeley. 

Now, had the BBC stated that it was a 5-4 vote stating the Council’s actions are to ... 

“Condemn the mass murder of thousands of people on Sept. 11, 2001, and express our profound grief at the atrocities last month that killed thousands of innocent people in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, and acknowledge, honor, and support the heroic rescue efforts on the part of dedicated police and fire departments, and the city, state, and federal governments; and “ask our representatives to help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible. ...” 

And of course the chamber, fully expected the commerce of Berkeley to flourish in such an atmosphere, the results may well have been quite different. In fact, I’ll wager, the vote never would have made it to the news. 

George W. Bush has no sense of history for history has shown that war begets war. Reportedly Mr. Bush stated this in the first Presidential debate: 

“The reason we start a war is to fight a war, win a war, thereby causing no more war!” 

I am proud that Berkeley City Council — even by a squeaky-tight vote — does have a sense of history and has demonstrated a reverence for life around this small planet. And Councilmember Spring, I thank you! 

Barbara Wilkie 

Berkeley

Fredrica Drotos gasped when she saw the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapse before her on television. She watched rescue workers treat victims and search for survivors and wondered if she could have done the same.  

“If something like that happens or if a natural disaster occurs here, I don’t want to be standing on the side unable to help myself or others,” said Drotos, 40. “I hate feeling useless. I want to know how to help.”  

Now she does.  

Like hundreds of Berkeley residents, Drotos has completed a city-sponsored Community Emergency Response Training course.  

Established in 1989 after the Loma Prieta earthquake, the program, which falls under the city’s Office of Emergency Services, provides free emergency training to anyone, ages 18 or older, who lives or works in Berkeley.  

Courses are available in Disaster First Aid, Light Search and Rescue, Fire Suppression, Disaster Mental Health, Shelter Operations, Earthquake Retrofitting and Basic Personal Preparedness. Classes are usually held on Saturdays and can last anywhere from two to seven hours  

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, program coordinator Dory Ehrlich said there has been an increase in enrollment, though she did not have class-size figures available.  

“Preparedness is not something people usually think about when things are going well,” said Ehrlich. “But I think Sept. 11 made people aware of their vulnerability and the importance of being prepared. Our classes have been more popular ever since.”  

Although the terrorist attacks have not sparked a change to the curriculum, Ehrlich said all of the courses provide basic information on what to do in any emergency situation.  

“If a disaster strikes, the police, firefighters and hospitals will be overwhelmed,” said Ehrlich. “So we’re teaching people how to take care of themselves and their neighbors, to be self-sufficient for five to seven days until professional help can arrive.”  

Drotos, who signed up for the disaster first aid class prior to Sept. 11 at the encouragement of her neighborhood association in Panoramic Hill, said her main reason for enrolling was earthquakes – not terror.  

“The Hayward Fault runs right through Memorial Stadium and along lower Panoramic Way,” she said. “If an earthquake hits and makes the road fall, how are ambulances and fire trucks going to get to us? Residents have to be prepared.”  

Drotos’s instructor Stan Sprague, a retired Berkeley firefighter, said that he teaches students how to perform triage, establish airways, control bleeding, recognize shock, make splints and treat burns.  

“I learned how to assess situations – how to help as many people as possible with the least amount of resources,” said Drotos. “I feel much more confident now about what to do in a crisis.”  

“We spend a lot of time discussing ways to improvise,” said Sprague. “You need flexibility of the mind in a disaster situation. For instance, I show them how to open an airway by demonstrating on someone lying down on a table, but in a real situation you might not have a flat surface available.”  

Sprague said his biggest frustration with the program is course length.  

“I would like to teach CPR, but there’s just not enough time in three hours,” he said.  

Although several cities offer emergency training programs to residents, Ehrlich said Berkeley is unique in that it allows people to take as many or as few courses as they wish. She also said the city offers basic personal preparedness talks in the neighborhoods and to schools, businesses and religious groups. It conducted 48 presentations last year alone. 

“I want to take more classes now,” said Drotos. “I’d like to learn CPR and just keep reinforcing my knowledge. Because these are things you don’t do everyday, I feel like I need to continually refresh myself and let them really sink in my brain.” 

Ehrlich said the program was suspended in the mid-1990s because of funding problems but then revitalized in 1999 at the urging of city officials. Since then, the city has trained upward of a thousand people in 67 courses.  

The most recent session of classes ended in October, but another will start in January.  

Classes this month will be reserved exclusively for city employees. Ehrlich said they are already full with more than 20 people signed up for each.  

“People really get turned on to this stuff,” Sprague said. “Knowing what to do in a disaster is such a valuable skill. It saves lives.”

Only one year into its mission, NASA’s High Energy Transport Explorer satellite just earned its keep. 

Scientists have finished analyzing the data from a Sept. 21 gamma ray burst that HETE detected, and found a rare thing. Thanks to the satellite’s tip-off, several observers were able to see the visible-light afterglow of the burst. 

Gamma-ray bursts have been one of the hottest mysteries in astronomy for 20 years now. They are flashes of extremely high-energy radiation that come speeding at us from the farthest reaches of the universe. One burst may emit, in less than a minute, more energy than our sun will during its entire life. They pop up randomly, like flashbulbs in a distant galaxy, then disappear in a matter of seconds and never come from the same spot again. Although they happen every day, no one knows how, why or even really where these mysterious beacons occur. 

Each burst also produces an afterglow, a longer burst of lower-energy radiation – such as visible or infrared light or radio waves. The visible light may be seen for up to six days after the gamma-ray burst, and radio signals may persist as long as a month. 

But catching the afterglow may be more a matter of luck than skill. Bursts have been observed for over 20 years, but only about 30 afterglows have been seen. Most of those were in the past two years, using new satellites and technology. If it’s foggy, rainy, daylight, or just a bad time at your telescope, or if you don’t look in exactly the right spot, you’re out of luck. 

Even if conditions are right at your telescope, the bursts come from so far away the visible light could be blocked by dust in space before it ever gets here, or may be shifted down the spectrum into the infrared where astronomers may not look. 

The HETE satellite was launched in October 2000 specifically to study gamma-ray bursts. When HETE detects a burst, which means it was pointed in the right direction at the right time to see one go off, it transmits the data to a ground station. The station then sends out an automated alert to astronomers around the world. Anyone can subscribe to the alerts and try to observe the afterglow. 

After the burst on September 21st, several observers found the visible and radio afterglows. LOTIS, a robotic telescope operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, found it within a day, followed by a telescope in Arizona, the Mt. Palomar observatory near Los Angeles, and the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico. 

This burst came from about five billion light-years away, in the constellation Lacerta. That large region of space is densely populated with stars, so it was hard to pick the visible burst out of its bright background. 

“I don’t think anybody had a lot of hope that they were actually going to find anything, because the region was so large,” said Dr. Kevin Hurley of UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, a HETE collaborator.  

The challenging conditions made the researchers that much more pleased with their luck, and with HETE’s performance. 

There are two major competing theories to explain gamma-ray bursts. One is that they are caused by the death of a super-massive star, producing an explosion up to ten times larger than average supernovas. The other theory is they mark the collision of two ultra-dense neutron stars, or maybe a neutron star and a black hole. Two objects so massive smashing together would produce incredible amounts of energy. 

Detecting the afterglow is an important step in understanding what causes the bursts. Scientists are interested in bursts because they come from very young galaxies that seem normal in every other way. Learning more about them may help us understand what our own galaxy was like when it was young.  

With more data, scientists may even be able to tell how old the universe was when galaxies first began to form. 

Studying gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows also gives astronomers exciting glimpses into the insides of distant galaxies.  

“You can think of it as shining a flashlight through the galaxy to detect what the galaxy is made of, what elements it contains, the density around the exploding object,” Hurley said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Ballot measures that would launch a municipal utility to replace Pacific Gas and Electric Co. as the city’s power provider remained virtually deadlocked Thursday, though a major credit-rating agency already was predicting “decades” of legal battles ahead between the utility and its challengers. 

Thousands of absentee and provisional ballots remained uncounted. 

Some ballots that were mailed in were taken to an auditorium near city hall as part of a plan to protect against any potential anthrax threats. No threats were received, but Department of Elections Director Tammy Haygood said the decision had been made “some time ago.” 

Board of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano and both campaigns still were searching for answers as to why some absentee ballots remained unguarded by law enforcement on Election Night, and why elections officials still had not finished counting. 

“I don’t know why they can’t just count them in overtime and get this over with, because there’s such an emotional and political investment,” Ammiano said. “There’s the tarnish of votes being moved to another building, so there’s a lot of anxiety and irritability over this issue.” 

At stake is the opportunity to create a municipal power agency that would buy PG&E’s transmission lines and power plants necessary for providing San Francisco with electricity, and to take over the utility’s 360,000 customers on its hometown turf. 

The bankrupt utility’s parent company spent more than $1 million trying to defeat Proposition F, which would expand the city’s public utilities commission into a department of water and power similar to Los Angeles DWP, and Measure I, which would create an independent municipal utility district similar to Sacramento MUD. 

Local interest in public power grew during the state’s power crisis, as LADWP and SMUD both managed to charge their customers up to 30 percent less for electricity than PG&E. 

Both measures would issue millions of dollars of bonds to buy any electricity they can’t generate, pay workers, buy the infrastructure and pay the cost of the expected legal battle with PG&E. 

New figures released Thursday by the San Francisco Department of Elections showed Proposition F leading by just 831 votes, and Measure I trailing by 2,958 votes, with all precincts reporting — but some absentee and provisional ballots still to be counted. 

Regardless of which way the votes eventually fall, California’s largest utility and its supporters said public power lacked an overwhelming mandate from voters, unlike a solar power measure that attracted 73 percent of voters. 

“With the apparent failure of the MUD, a very close vote on Proposition F and very low voter turnout, there is no strong sentiment in favor of municipalization in San Francisco,” PG&E said in a written statement. 

But Standard and Poor’s, a major credit rating agency, issued a statement Thursday morning presuming F would pass. S&P predicted a “protracted fight in the court system” would stall the city from launching its municipal utility. 

“Legal challenges against the vote may continue for decades” due to fears the absentee votes may have been tampered with, the release said. 

The utility denied a legal battle was already in the works Thursday. 

“It’s premature at this time to speculate,” said Jennifer Ramp, a PG&E spokeswoman, acknowleding the utility spent more than two decades fighting the creation of Sacramento’s MUD more than 50 years ago. 

Though backers of F&I still hope the uncounted votes swing toward public power, they reluctantly are looking at backup plans, Ammiano said. 

The Board of Supervisors also could implement a municipal utility by working with Mayor Willie Brown and the city’s Public Utilities Commission, though voters would lose the chance to elect the board that would run the utility. They instead would be appointed by the mayor. 

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On the Net: 

http://www.pge.com 

http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/elections 

SAN FRANCISCO — More than half a dozen Bay Area mayors met with Gov. Gray Davis on Thursday to discuss anti-terrorism coordination between state and local officials to keep the public informed about potential threats. 

Davis said an alert system similar to the one in place during the power crisis would be set up and used to alert citizens of potential danger. 

State Special Security Adviser George Vinson, named to that post last week by Davis, will be among those reviewing intelligence coming in from federal agencies and helping to determine what stage of alert, if any, would be issued, Davis said. 

“We discussed a range of measures that were taken from our concerns over bioterrorism to heavy trucks to airports to food safety to the safety of the water,” Davis said. “I think (the alerts are) a good idea. It puts us all on the same page.” 

Davis again defended his decision to put National Guard and California Highway Patrol officers on four California bridges last week. He said the security measures would remain indefinitely. 

“I have no reservations as to what I did,” he said. “I would do it again.” 

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who arranged the meeting, said he and the other mayors also backed Davis’ decision to heighten security and alert the public and let them make their own decisions. 

“It was clear that they would make the same judgment you would have attempted to make and have attempted to make, and that is to err on the side of public safety and security,” Brown said. 

Davis met with the mayors and other key security officials at Treasure Island before crossing the Bay Bridge and thanking and saluting personnel stationed on the Golden Gate Bridge. He shook hands with bridge workers there who thanked him for tightening security on the bridge where they spend most of their day. 

Davis said it is costing $400,000 to $1 million per day to maintain the security measures. 

“That is a lot of money, but in a $100 billion budget $300 or $400 million more is obviously a cost that we can bear,” Davis said. 

Richmond Mayor Rosemary Corbin proposed the alert idea, and Davis said he would work to establish the state criteria to define the various stages that would then likely be adopted at the local level. 

“We’re all dealing with a moving target, and we don’t know if tomorrow we will no longer be talking about a health threat or a blown up building,” Corbin said. “But when you get what the FBI tells you is a credible bit of information and you don’t pass it on, the idea that if something happens and you didn’t share that information is too awful.”

The State of California Office of Emergency Services have answered thousands of calls regarding anthrax, small pox, information regarding the handling of suspicious mail and other safety concerns.  

According to Kati Corsaut, chief of the Office of Emergency Services Joint Information Center, over two thousand callers have been assisted by operators since Oct. 19, when the Safety and Information Referral Line began operations at the request of Gov. Gray Davis. 

The non-emergency phone number has a recorded message in both English and Spanish with a number of options, including one to talk directly with an operator, to answer questions regarding terrorism.  

The toll-free number is 800-550-5234; for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people 800-550-5281 TYY; or additional information on terrorism and the State’s response can be found at the OES Web site: www.oes.ca.gov 

LONG BEACH — Student enrollment at California State University has reached a record 388,734 students this year, due in part to a slowing state economy, the chancellor said Thursday. 

The record enrollment reflects an increase of more than 20,000 students, or 5.5 percent, for the 2001 fall semester over last year. 

With the children of baby boomers reaching college age and the growing demand by high school students for a college education, the postsecondary education commission estimated an additional 130,000 students would enter the university system by the 2010. 

But with the state’s slowing economy sending people back to college, Chancellor Charles B. Reed said the tidal wave predicted by the commission has arrived early. 

“The tidal wave is not simply out on the horizon,” he said. “It has already washed over our beaches.” 

The news of the enrollment boom comes weeks after Reed told the 23-campus system’s board of trustees that Gov. Gray Davis’ projection of up to a $14 billion state budget deficit meant the CSU would have to cut its budget and should begin looking for ways to cut costs. Reed estimates the state’s economic downturn could last up to three years. 

“During the coming months, we will be working with the CSU presidents to set enrollment targets that both provide access for eligible students and take into account budgetary restraints,” he said. 

CSU’s enrollment survey found 19 of its 23 campuses reported increases. San Diego State topped the list with 34,171 students. 

The chancellor has given permission to several of the system’s hardest hit campuses to set enrollment guidelines, including giving priority to students who live in the area. 

For more than four years, trustees have taken steps to prepare for the latest influx of students, dubbed “Tidal Wave II.” 

CSU tightened its enrollment requirements for high school students and aligned its entrance requirements with the University of California. It also expanded its summer school and online class offerings.

SACRAMENTO — A teacher who burned a flag in front of sixth graders days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has been fired, Del Paso Heights school district authorities said. 

“He’s no longer on the payroll,” said Superintendent Carl Mack Jr. 

Officials placed teacher Kory Grant Clift, 25, on paid administrative leave Sept. 18 after they said he partially burned a flag and referred to the nation as the “United Snakes.” In October the district gave him a 30-day notice of termination. 

Clift is appealing his firing, but no hearing has been set. 

The teacher called it an example of “revolutionary teaching.” Clift, a second-year uncredentialed teacher, reportedly told his 30 students, “I can’t burn it all because that’s illegal.” He also told the students, “Babylon is burning,” according to the district. 

Clift later apologized for the flag burning, and said it remains his goal to teach. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has often ruled that flag burning is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 

But Mack said he dismissed Clift for more than flag burning. Earlier this year Mack put Clift on administrative leave after he placed a child in a closet for disciplinary reasons. 

“It wasn’t based on just one incident,” Mack said. 

The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges over the flag incident “because the students and the school were not placed at significant risk,” said supervising attorney Don Steed. 

Infamous Condit’s son files for state’s Modesto district 

FRESNO — The son of Rep. Gary Condit, who scuttled plans to run for state Assembly after his father became embroiled in the Chandra Levy scandal, reversed course Wednesday and decided to run for state Senate. 

Chad Condit filed a notice of intent to run for the 12th Senate District currently held by Sen. Dick Monteith, R-Modesto, who is running for the elder Condit’s Congressional seat, according to the Stanislaus County elections office. 

Condit, 34, recently quit his $110,000 a year job in the governor’s office to protest critical remarks Gov. Gray Davis made about his father. Davis, a close Condit ally and friend, said he was disappointed the congressman had not been more forthcoming in public about his relationship with Levy, a 24-year-old who disappeared in Washington, D.C., in May. 

In recent weeks, Chad Condit has been collecting signatures for his father’s re-election bid even though Rep. Condit has still not announced whether he will seek another term. 

Chad Condit could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press. 

During his first remarks following his father’s first television interview, Chad Condit said he had abandoned his own political ambitions. 

“If this is what politics is about, I don’t know that I want any part in it,” he told CNN in August. 

In a stark illustration of how the Condit political machine has collapsed, local Democrats said Chad Condit was likely to face Rusty Areias, head of state parks, and a former Condit ally. 

Areias, 52, was a member of the Gang of Five that Gary Condit led in protest of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown when they were in state Legislature in the 1980s. 

Just six months ago, all this would have seemed improbable. The Condit machine, running strong for more than a decade, was realigning political seats to account for term limits and make room for the next generation. 

Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza, a former Condit aide who could not seek re-election because of term limits, planned to run for the 12th Senate district carved out for him by state Democratic leaders. 

Chad Condit, a former aide to Cardoza, was expected to run for Cardoza’s vacant 26th district Assembly seat. 

Then Chandra Levy vanished and Rep. Condit’s political future was punctuated with a big question mark. He’s not a suspect in her disappearance, but he admitted having an extramarital affair with her, police sources have said. 

Cardoza, D-Atwater, and Monteith, who had said they wouldn’t challenge Condit, both announced they would run for the seat. 

With Cardoza running for Congress, a number of candidates have jumped at the chance to fill his seat and the Senate seat that had been tailor-made for him. 

“Everything’s been in flux around here,” said Tom Hallinan, a Democrat from Modesto who is running for Cardoza’s current office. “It’s been that kind of year: A strange confluence of events for everybody.” 

Other Democrats running for the 12th Senate District include Larry Morse, an assistant Merced County prosecutor, and Modesto lawyer Armando Flores. 

Former Assemblyman Peter Frusetta, a Tres Pinos rancher, leads the list of Republican candidates. Jeff Denham of Salinas filed a statement of intent along with Joseph L. Wright of Modesto, who works for Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif. 

Flores, 50, who filed papers at the same time as Chad Condit, said the clerk’s office was crowded with candidates trying to beat Wednesday’s deadline to declare for state office. 

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco physicians will be allowed to prescribe methadone to heroin addicts after the city gained an exemption to the typically strict state and federal laws that regulate the availability of methadone. 

The drug, which is one of few known to control heroin cravings, is usually available only in one-day doses at methadone clinics. With prescriptions, patients will have access to methadone on a more extended basis and should be able to get the drug at local pharmacies. 

San Francisco will get a federal grant worth about $1 million to set up the program. The grant was announced Oct. 29. City Supervisor Gavin Newsom, who was involved in drafting the legislation for it, said patients should be able to get methadone prescriptions from their doctors as early as this January. 

“The human suffering associated with heroin addiction will be mitigated, and the fiscal costs associated with this treatment will be lessened,” Newsom said. 

There are about 15,000 heroin addicts in San Francisco, and the grant is expected to provide treatment for all of them. Newsom said that some of the leading problems that San Francisco emergency rooms treat are flesh-eating viruses and other diseases associated with heroin use. 

He emphasized that he expects the new program to save the city money. 

“We will be able to quantify the money saved,” he said. “The economic impact of getting people off heroin is literally extraordinary. We will save lives.” 

He added that methadone clinics in San Francisco will remain open to meet demand.

LOS ANGELES — Ammunition used by duck hunters may become the newest weapon in the fight against terrorists on airliners. Bismuth Cartridge Co. has a bullet it says can bring down the bad guys but not the planes. 

Armed federal sky marshals protecting passengers aboard commercial aircraft may someday be forced to fire their weapons, leading to fears bullets could penetrate the fuselage. 

Bismuth bullets have the same stopping power and ballistic characteristics as lead, but disintegrate into the consistency of talcum powder when they hit a solid surface of some substance, like an airplane fuselage, concrete floor or metal target. 

“What was originally designed to aid duck hunters may now become one of the newest weapons in the worldwide fight against terrorism,” Bismuth President Ken Elliott said. “We feel this is the ideal ammunition for use in high-risk environments.” 

Bullets made of bismuth, a material similar in weight to lead, were developed in the early 1990s as an alternative to steel pellets after the federal government banned environmentally unfriendly lead shot for hunting water fowl. 

Publishing magnate Robert E. Peterson, an avid hunter, acquired the patents for making the shotgun shells and Bismuth started working on the pistol bullets about 18 months ago. A rifle bullet is also planned. 

Bismuth ammo is well-suited for close-quarters combat, like what could occur on a hijacked aircraft, Elliott said. The Immigration and Naturalization Service is currently testing it. 

Bismuth is conducting its own tests to refine the bullet to see whether it can be made to break apart even faster than it does now. It then plans to show it to the Federal Aviation Administration, which runs the air marshal program. 

“There are a number of issues and remedies that the civilian population has to offer the government. This is another that may work out and certainly (Bismuth) can follow the protocols for that,” FAA spokesman Jerry Snyder said. 

NEWPORT BEACH— The largest known gold bar from the California Gold Rush — a bread loaf-sized brick named Eureka — has been sold for a record $8 million, officials said Thursday. 

The ingot was bought by a collector described only as a “Forbes 400 business executive,” said Michael Cabrini, president of Monaco Financial, the Orange County-based rare coin company that handled the sale. 

The sale nearly doubled the record set previously for the sale of collectible money. In 1999, a single silver dollar sold for more than $4 million, said Donn Pearlman of the Professional Numismatists Guild. 

“They sold the artifact that was THE piece of numismatic history of the California Gold Rush,” he said. 

The bar was handmade in 1857 by California assayers Don Kellogg and August Humbert. Weighing nearly 80 pounds, the bar’s face was stamped with its 1857 value — $17,433.57. 

On Sept. 3, 1857, the bar was loaded onto the SS Central America in San Francisco. The “Ship of Gold” was bound for New York where the gold was to be turned into coins. 

Eight days later, the ship was damaged in a hurricane and sank Sept. 12 more than 140 miles east of Cape Hatteras, N.C., in 8,000 feet of water. More than 400 people died. 

The lost riches helped spark an economic depression that lasted three years. 

The gold sat on the ocean floor until 1986, when Thomas G. Thompson founded the Columbus-America Discovery Group to research and locate the shipwreck. The treasure was recovered, but a court fight with insurance companies kept the gold locked up. 

The treasure was later sold the California Gold Marketing Group, a group of private investors. The bar was part of a 16-month exhibit that included $20 million worth of gold items recovered from the shipwreck. 

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On the Net: 

http//:www.shipofgoldfinfo.com 

http//:www.sscentralamerica.com 

PALO ALTO — As the chairman of Intel Corp., Andy Grove speaks freely and often about silicon wafers, microprocessors, profits and the history of computing. 

But he has refused to talk publicly about his own history — of living as a Jew in World War II, of taking a new identity as he hid from Nazis, of fleeing Soviet domination for a new life in America. 

“I didn’t feel like talking to strangers about it when they came to interview me about microprocessors, the Internet and stuff like that,” he says. “It was not an appropriate way to combine these things.” 

Grove ends his long public silence in a new memoir, “Swimming Across,” recounting stories of his youth amid the 20th century tragedy of Eastern Europe. 

Grove began writing with his grandchildren in mind after he was named Time magazine’s 1997 Man of the Year. 

“I’m getting old,” Grove, 65, says. “It dawned on me that by the time they are old enough to be interested and understand it, I will be too old to make too much sense.” 

True to Grove’s personality, the book speaks in logical tones. He doesn’t psychoanalyze and never connects the trauma of his youth with the business philosophy he made famous in another book, “Only the Paranoid Survive.” 

In fact, Grove’s legendary career at Intel, where he served 11 years as chief executive, receives only two sentences in the epilogue. 

But in an interview with The Associated Press, he said he approaches important business challenges with the same rational decision-making he used before fleeing Hungary 45 years ago. 

“As I think about the stories in the book, they are so much like me today, that I am more prone to conclude I was me at age 15,” he says. 

Still, it’s not difficult to see how paranoia might emerge from his early life. 

Grove, who was born Andras Grof in Budapest in 1936, begins his story with memories of driving his pedal-powered toy sports car as his parents watched search lights crisscross the sky over the Danube. 

It was his third birthday, Sept. 2, 1939 — the day after Hitler’s troops marched into Poland. 

He soon lost much of his hearing after a bout with Scarlet Fever. His father, a dairy operator, was conscripted into a Hungarian labor battalion. 

Though not religious, he and his mother faced persecution like other Jews when Germany occupied Hungary in 1944. 

At first, the changes were inconvenient, such as being forced to sit in the back of trams. Then Jews were not allowed to ride at all. Then he and his mother were moved to a “Star House.” They were forced to wear yellow Stars of David. Radios were confiscated. Neighbors were herded into German Army trucks. 

Shortly afterward, his mother obtained false papers and he took on a Christian identity as “Andras Malesevics,” her illegitimate child. He carefully memorized his story, and was especially careful when urinating, so as not to show he was circumcised. 

“I was deadly afraid of making a mistake,” he said. “I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen if I had made a mistake, but I had a feeling it would be awful.” 

After the Red Army reached Hungary, a semblance of normalcy returned, although Grove’s mother was raped by a soldier. After three years, his father appeared — a filthy, emaciated man in a ragged uniform. 

Grove discovered girls, opera and English as a teen. His poor hearing, which was only restored after five surgeries in the 1970s, made him an observant student, and he excelled in school. 

The book’s title stems from a story a teacher told his parents one night — that life is a big lake in which everyone starts swimming. “Not all of them will swim across,” the teacher said. “But one of them, I’m sure, will. That one is Grof.” 

As a chemistry major at the University of Budapest, Grove was not the most active revolutionary, but he joined in demonstrations that toppled the Communist regime. After the Soviet Army invaded, he decided it was time to leave his homeland, along with 200,000 others. 

“I was very conscious of people getting shot, that I could be one of them,” he says. 

With the help of the International Rescue Committee, which will receive proceeds from the book, Grove landed at a relative’s apartment in New York. He studied chemical engineering at the City College of New York, earned a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and helped found Intel Corp. He never returned to Hungary. 

His mother, who eventually fled Hungary with Grove’s father, reviewed the manuscript of “Swimming Across.” She is now 94. At first she said nobody would be interested in the story, but then warmed to it. She allowed personal details of her life, such as the rape, to be used. 

“She basically said that was the least of it,” he said. 

Grove long thought he had escaped fear, uncertainty and insecurity when he left Hungary. Then the World Trade Center crumbled. He ran into fellow Hungarian emigre and Intel pioneer Les Vadasz shortly thereafter. 

“We looked at each other and he said to me, ’I didn’t think I was going to have to go through this kind of stuff again,”’ Grove said. “That captured my feeling as well.” 

TYLER, Texas — A jury has awarded about $485,000 in damages to a woman who said she was terminated as manager of Tyler’s Old Navy store because she was pregnant. 

Joanna Laxton sued San Francisco-based Gap Inc., doing business as Old Navy, in Tyler federal court for sex discrimination. After two days of testimony in U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie’s courtroom this week, the jury agreed. 

Judge Guthrie said she would enter a final judgment in the case in early December. 

Jurors on Wednesday awarded Laxton $127,350 for past lost income and benefits, $57,000 for future lost income and benefits, $100,000 for mental anguish and $200,000 in punitive damages. 

Regional manager Karen Jones said Laxton was fired for a number of policy violations, among other things. 

ance and because of complaints from subordinates who said they were “abused and harassed.” 

Company representatives said their actions were “based entirely on legitimate, nondiscriminatory factors.” 

SANTA CLARA — Palm Inc.’s chief executive, Carl Yankowski, has resigned, the company said Thursday. 

Eric Benhamou, chairman of the Santa Clara-based handheld computer company, will take his place until a permanent replacement is named. 

Yankowski cited the company’s restructuring for his decision. Palm is in the final stages of forming a subsidiary that would focus on the Palm operating system and work independently from the hardware group that makes the handheld devices. 

“With Palm’s transition into two individual businesses almost complete, my role has changed, and it no longer matches my aspirations,” Yankowski said.  

“I leave confident that our separation and solutions strategies, combined with the new leadership at the helm of both businesses, will result in increased shareholder value. It has been an honor to lead Palm.” 

Yankowski did not announce his future plans. 

The announcement comes as Palm is suffering from slow sales and increased competition. The move to form a separate subsidiary, announced in late July, was designed to boost the Santa Clara-based company’s software business. 

Alan Kessler, the former head of Palm’s software group, resigned in mid-August, and David Nagel, the former chief technology officer of AT&T Corp. and president of AT&T Labs, was named the chief executive of the new Palm operating system subsidiary. 

Yankowski took the helm at Palm in December 1999. He was formerly a chief executive of Sony Electronics and Reebok International, and helped oversee the spin-off of Palm from its parent company, 3Com Corp. 

Benhamou, who is also chairman of 3Com, was the networking company’s chief executive from 1990 to 2000, during which time 3Com bought U.S. Robotics and its Palm handheld technology. 

Benhamou, who grew up in France, came to 3Com from Bridge Communications, a networking company he co-founded before it merged with 3Com. 

Palm shares lost 3 cents to $2.27 on the Nasdaq Stock Market before Yankowski’s announcement. The stock was up to $2.32 in the extended session. 

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On the Net: 

http://www.palm.com 

It will never cease to amaze us how difficult it has been to get the word out about how important it is to keep water away from a home’s foundation. Take gutters and downspouts for example. 

There’s no better way than using these to collect roof water and prevent it from dropping onto the ground next to the foundation. Believe it or not, in some places local codes don’t require gutters or downspouts. Fortunately, for some, surface-water management is taken very seriously. 

In many communities, strict rules are in place wherein gutters and downspouts not only are required, but also must be connected to an underground drainage system that transports collected water to a public-storm drain system. 

It gets even more complicated. These lawmakers require that watershed from these systems not cross over sidewalks. That’s right, the pipe has to go under the sidewalk. It can’t be exposed to daylight on your side of the sidewalk and run out to the street over a public walkway. We think these are good rules. 

Regardless, these rules are not enforced against existing homes. If you don’t have a gutter and downspout system, chances are you will never have to install one. You’ll do so only if you decide to on your own. As far as your rights are concerned, the latter is probably sweet music to your ears. On the other hand, as a homeowner it might cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix your home someday. Water can take its toll. 

If you have downspouts, at least you are properly collecting damaging roof water and funneling it into a management system that will possibly save you big-time heartache down the road. However, if you do have gutters and downspouts, and the water isn’t being collected into a drainage system, you might be in for it anyway. Collecting all of that water and letting it out near the foundation can be even worse than not having gutters and downspouts at all. Collecting all that water and letting it fall next to the foundation in massive quantities can destroy your home over time. 

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars developing a fancy underground aqueduct. But you do need to pay special attention to what is happening to the water that your roof collects. 

If you have an average-size American home, your roof collects water from an area over 2,000 square feet in size. That’s a lot of collection area. Suddenly, all of that water ends up coming down through six or eight downspouts — altogether less than 2 square feet. Talk about a buildup of water. 

One thing you can do if you don’t have an underground water-delivery system is to extend the downspouts so that they don’t discharge water near your home. The experts tell us 3 feet is sufficient. We think that is a minimum distance. Twenty feet is probably better. 

A lot depends on the soil around your house. You might want to call a soils engineer in your area. Most will be able to answer over the phone. Besides an extension, you will also want something that will prevent the rushing water from eroding your landscape. Rivers move mountains and downspout discharge can literally move your landscape. 

The experts usually recommend that gravel or rocks be placed at the end of a discharge pipe to reduce the chance of erosion.  

With homes, a common practice is to use something called a splash block. Discharge water beats on the block, not the ground. Splash blocks are OK most of the time, but might be lacking during torrential downpours. 

What’s the answer? We both have underground drainage systems on our properties because we want our property to be there when we get old. But, if the thought of an underground system makes you pocketbook-nervous, you should at least install extensions on all downspouts that end within a foot or two of your foundation. 

How far should they be extended? As far as you can afford. And it doesn’t take anything fancy. Flexible plastic drain pipe, a section of downspout, metal, plastic or concrete sewer pipe. You choose. Whatever you do, choose at least one. 

For more home-improvement tips and information, visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com. 

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Readers can mail questions to: On the House, APNewsFeatures, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, or e-mail Careybro(at)onthehouse.com. To receive a copy of On the House booklets on plumbing, painting, heating/cooling or decks/patios, send a check or money order payable to The Associated Press for $6.95 per booklet and mail to: On the House, PO Box 1562, New York, NY 10016-1562, or through these online sites: www.onthehouse.com or apbookstore.com. 

Q: Olivia asks: Every time I run the dishwasher I’ve got to stand by the sink with a cup to bail the water out that comes up and drain it into the adjacent sink. If I don’t, the sink and dishwasher will overflow. The water comes up on the side of the sink where the garbage disposal is. We’ve never used the disposal because it’s been broken since we’ve moved here some weeks ago, but I’m not sure this should affect the way the dishwasher drains, should it? Also, the water never completely drains after running. There’s always a small pool in the dishwasher and a small collection in the sink that does not recede. Is there anything I can do to fix this problem? 

A: This is definitely one that you can fix. The sink is flooding because the disposal and its drain are clogged. Water leaves the dishwasher through a rubber hose that travels up under the sink to a device called an “air gap.” The air gap is a vent that equalizes air pressure so that the water can easily drain out of the dishwasher without air-pressure resistance. From the air gap a second hose travels into the disposal. Once in the disposal the water from the dishwasher is drained into the sewer system (the same place that the other side of the sink drains into). If the water has made it into your sink, it means that the lines to the disposal are working fine and that the drain from the disposal is clogged. Remove the disposal and the associated drain. Clear the drain, install a new disposal and you can start using that cup for drinking instead of bailing. 

By the way, you can eliminate the disposal, but it will probably cost less to replace it. There is a ring under the sink right at the drain that can be gripped with a small Phillips screwdriver. A quick tug and the disposal will fall out. And that’s all there is to it. 

Q: Tony asks: I am getting ready to stain my deck and would like a natural finish that will last as long as possible. What is the best product to use? 

A: We suggest that you use a high-quality penetrating oil finish. Oil restores the natural resins that give wood its natural beauty and prevents cracking, cupping and checking. Be sure that the oil finish contains a mildewcide and ultraviolet protection. Plan to spend about $20 to $25 per gallon. 

As with painting, the key to a lasting deck finish lies with the preparation. If the decking is new and is not kiln dried, allow the material to air dry for a few weeks since “green” lumber will prevent the finish from penetrating. If the decking has been in place for a while, it should be thoroughly scrubbed with TSP and rinsed with fresh water. A pressure washer can make easy work of the process. After washing the deck you might also consider using a deck brightener (wood bleach) to restore the natural color of the wood. Sanding might even be required if the deck has been neglected. 

Next, working in the shade during a cool time of day, apply a thin coat of the penetrating oil finish using a sheepskin pad or a short nap roller.  

Use a clean terry cloth rag to wipe off any excess, and don’t allow the material to puddle. Apply a second thin coat after the first has had the opportunity to be fully absorbed — usually after several hours or the following day. Be sure to apply plenty of finish to the cut ends of the decking. They are especially vulnerable to damage. 

Finally, a light touchup coat each year will make your deck the envy of the neighborhood. 

Q. Barbara asks: We have a crack forming on our cement fountain. It shows both inside and outside the bowl. It doesn’t leak yet. How can I seal it before we spring a leak? 

A. First, drain the water from the fountain. Use an old chisel along with a wire brush to remove any loose material along the length of the crack, wash with a mild detergent and rinse with fresh water. Once the concrete has dried, inject the crack at the inside of the fountain with epoxy filler. 

No action should be necessary at the exterior unless you wish to conceal the crack. If so, clean the outside as suggested above, and apply a latex caulk. Use a damp sponge to wipe away the excess caulking. 

Don’t look now, but a mild fall is about to give way to winter’s grip. 

With all the attention given to energy conservation in recent years, homeowners might have lulled themselves into a sense of complacency when it comes to saving money on energy, according to the Home Service Store. 

Step one in continued energy savings is a self-assessment by the homeowner of what remains to be done. Although memories of last winter might be a distant memory — except for the high heating bills most Americans paid — homeowners should ask themselves what improvements they should have made. Where did most of the icy drafts come from? Did interior windows fog up? Did the furnace run constantly? 

The assessment will lead to a to-do list of sorts. Some tasks which require outdoor work such as installation of storm windows or caulking should be done while the weather still is relatively mild. Some caulks shouldn’t be applied when temperatures fall near freezing. 

A common problem in many homes last year was roof leaks caused by ice dams. An ice dam is caused when snow on the roof melts at the shingle level during daytime temperatures then refreezes at night. According to John Karlesky of Lowes, a 700-store chain of home-improvement centers, hundreds or thousands of pounds of ice can accumulate over a period of days or weeks. The thawing action can seep under shingles and into the house. The accumulation can block gutters, too. Homeowners often try to chip away at the thick ice, but it’s dangerous duty — probably best left to professionals. 

A remedy for ice dams is to apply electrical heating tape to the first few feet above the gutters before the snow and ice get a chance to pile up. Heating experts at Lowes say the tape restricts the accumulation of ice. Homeowners can install the tape but experts caution roof climbers to be careful. Professional help for installation is available. 

It’s a good idea also to make sure the insulation in your attic is at the appropriate R-factor. Heat that escapes through the roof can exacerbate the ice-dam problem. 

Don’t forget exterior doors. If you don’t have a storm door, think again. Considerable heat is lost when cold winds pound your main entries. Storm doors are moderately priced in the $75 to $300 range, depending on quality. Installation should take no more than 2-3 hours, with a minimum of tools. 

Basement pipes and ducts need attention, too. If your basement ceiling is unfinished, your water pipes and heating ducts could use a layer of insulating foam or wrap. Products for just these jobs are available at any supply center. 

There’s one more step you can take while the weather is still warm: clean your windows. Dirt and grime that accumulates over dusty summer months can cut down on warming ambient light. If this coming winter is anything like last year, you’ll need all the warmth you can get.

Claims students should question argued theory 

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama is maintaining its distinction as the only state where biology textbooks include a sticker warning students that evolution is a “controversial theory” they should question. 

The State Board of Education voted without dissent Thursday to place the disclaimer on the front of 40,000 new biology textbooks to be used in the state’s public schools. 

The statement says in part that evolution is “a controversial theory. ... Instructional material associated with controversy should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.” 

The board included the same statement in course guidelines for science teachers. 

The state first put stickers on biology textbooks in 1996, but those books are being replaced with new editions next year. The new books will be used for the next six years. 

The school board’s vote came without any debate, far different from the initial decision to use the stickers. 

“Boy, that was a surprise,” board vice chairman Ethel Hall said. 

The decision was actively supported by the Christian Coalition and the Eagle Forum, groups that seek more religious activity in public schools. 

Joan Kendall, state education chairman for Eagle Forum, said the sticker is needed because biology textbooks contain outdated and disputed information about evolution. 

John Giles, state president of the Christian Coalition, said the board’s new sticker is not as strong as the old one, but he had been concerned the board was going to drop the sticker entirely. 

“The insert they approved does provoke the child to think through the process,” he said. 

At a 1995 board meeting to approve the original disclaimer, then-Gov. Fob James impersonated an ape to poke fun at Charles Darwin, whose works are the basis of evolutionary theory. 

That sticker contained questions students should ask about evolution, such as: “Why do major groups of plants and animals have no transitional forms in the fossil record?” 

Alabama’s use of the sticker to discredit evolution causes scientists to question the quality of its biology education, said Eric Meikle, outreach director of the National Center of Science Education. 

“It’s definitely a negative in people’s view of education in the state,” he said. 

The teaching of evolution, the theory that humans and other living beings evolved into their present form over millions of years, has been an issue in several states. But no other state has used a disclaimer sticker in textbooks statewide, Meikle said. 

The Alabama school board has approved several biology textbooks from different publishers, and local school boards select the books that are used in schools. The course is taught mostly in 10th grade.

OCEANO — A walk on the beach will become more difficult in spots up and down the Pacific Coast as federal authorities try to keep a bird smaller than a human fist from disappearing. 

Efforts to protect the snowy plover already have angered off-road vehicle users and other beachgoers shut out of some beaches along California’s Central Coast. Still more closings are being recommended in a draft recovery plan for the snowy plover that is open for public comment until mid-December. 

Federal biologists and environmentalists say people still will be able to enjoy California, Oregon and Washington beaches but say more restricted access and a host of other measures are needed to prevent the two-ounce bird’s population from collapsing. 

“There’s so little beach left that these guys can actually nest on,” said Babak Naficy, staff attorney for the Environmental Defense Center, a Central Coast environmental group seeking increased restrictions to protect the plover. “There’s not much time left for compromise ... because we’re down to the very, very brink.” 

Along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington, development and recreation have caused the number of snowy plover nesting sites to plummet from 88 to 32 over the last 20 to 30 years, according to David Pereksta, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The plover, a white, gray and black beachcomber, makes its nest out of a divot in the sand, confident that predators won’t spot the tiny, speckled eggs that blend in with pebbles, driftwood and seaweed. 

But that exposure also makes the nests susceptible to inadvertent destruction by beach walkers and off-roaders. 

“People don’t know what they look like. They could easily step on a bird or their eggs just because they’re so cryptic,” Pereksta said. 

The plover also nests from late spring to the end of September, the very time most people are drawn to the beach. 

Non-native European beachgrass and iceplant introduced decades ago to stabilize dunes also contribute to the bird’s struggles. Those species have taken over plover habitat and provide cover to skunks, foxes, feral cats and other animals that prey on plovers or their eggs. 

Snowy plovers along the coast from southern Washington to the tip of Mexico’s Baja California were listed as threatened in 1993. Although a threatened species is in less immediate peril than an endangered one, the two federal designations offer similar protections. 

Snowy plovers in other areas, including the Atlantic Coast and inland saline lakes, are not considered threatened. 

A 1999 report by researchers with the Point Reyes Bird Observatory estimated that 1,950 plovers exist in California, Oregon and Washington. Judging by a more recent partial survey of the coast, the current population is closer to half that, Pereksta said. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recovery plan for the snowy plover aims to increase the bird’s population to an average of 3,000 over 10 years, with all but 250 of those birds in California and about 40 percent of them in three Central Coast counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. 

When final, the document will guide federal officials who are trying to boost plover numbers by removing predators, non-native plants and beachgoers from plover habitat. The recovery effort is expected to last until at least 2025 and cost more than $33 million. 

It recommends new public-access restrictions at about 15 locations, from Bandon State Park in Oregon to Navy installations in San Diego. 

Restrictions already are in place in some areas, including Vandenberg Air Force Base, where the entire beach was closed in late summer, and Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The Central Coast park is the only place in California where off-road vehicles can drive on the beach. 

At Oceano Dunes, off-road enthusiasts have lost about 160 acres — or 10 percent of their previous driving grounds — because of concerns over the snowy plover. Environmentalists want even more restrictions. 

“I see a way of life for my children about to come to an end,” said Jim Suty of San Jose, president of Friends of Oceano Dunes, a 10,000-member group trying to preserve beach access. 

Suty said the recovery plan offers an incomplete picture of the plover’s status because it doesn’t take into account a large coastal population that spends at least part of the year in Mexico. 

In addition to closings, the plan recommends several methods of improving plover habitat, including removing predators and non-native plants, erecting fences around nesting sites, restricting development, adding information signs and working harder to keep dogs and fireworks away from beaches. 

Recent visitors to Oceano Dunes said they’ve already had to cope with more than enough restrictions. 

Tim Harvey, a Pismo Beach electrical engineer who was kite-surfing at the beach, was careful to fly his kite over the water before getting on his board. The park bans flying kites over the beach during nesting season, but he doubted his hobby really bothers the birds. 

“If you’re going to allow four-wheel-drive vehicles, what’s a kite going to do?” Harvey asked. “It sounds to me like it’s a pretty stupid bird. Evolution happens for a reason.” 

LOS ANGELES — An overreaction by the U.S. government could cause the total cost of the terrorist attacks to exceed a trillion dollars, according to a report released Thursday by the Milken Institute. 

The report, titled “Assessing the Costs of Terrorism,” warned that many critical policy choices have yet to be made, with the most important being the extent of the military response, the methods used to obtain domestic security and the means to compensate industries and families affected by the attacks. 

If imprudent choices are made, according to economist and report author Peter Navarro, it could cost the country more than just the estimated billions of dollars in property damage and lost economic output. 

“The direct cost of the destruction of the property and aircraft represent a very small sliver of the overall cost,” he said Thursday night. “If we mishandle this crisis, it could cost us $2 trillion a year beginning in 2011.” 

That number was gained by the simple difference between an annual growth rate of 2 percent and a more robust 3.5 percent, he said. 

Whether this happens will be tied to current fiscal policy and actions relating to the nation’s recovery. In the report, Navarro warned government leaders to be cautious in their fiscal and monetary policies. 

“The clear danger is that we’ll panic and overstimulate the economy,” he said. “We could come out of the recession quickly, but that could trigger a roller coaster of recession and inflation.” 

Navarro said government leaders face a strategic choice of whether to divert resources from productive capital to protective capital, from spending money on building instead of surveillance. 

“As you try to drive the risk of terrorism down, the cost goes to infinity,” he said. 

Reining those costs in, he said, will be a matter of resisting the temptation to go overboard on safety measures. 

In the report, published in the current issue of the quarterly Milken Institute Review, Navarro said the government can choose to double the number of its sky marshals to 40,000 at a cost of $100 million or put two marshals on every plane, creating a bureaucracy many times the size of the FBI and costing $6 billion. 

He also urged policy leaders to consider the impact of increased airport security on passenger delays, which he said could cripple the airlines. 

“The backbone of the airlines is the business traveler,” he said. “When you add a considerable amount of time, you are raising the cost to the business. And, time is money.” 

The report also measured the costs of the attacks in such areas as property damage, increased airline security, lost economic output, subsequent bailouts of the airlines and reduced tax revenues. 

Navarro estimated that the death toll translates into an economic cost in the range of $40 billion, taking into account income scale and education of the thousands of people who died, as well the emotional pain and income loss suffered by their families. 

Property damage will exceed $10 billion and, in the days immediately following the attacks, $6.4 billion was lost in advertising, airline and hotel revenues, the report said. 

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit think tank focusing on four major issues, the global economy, capital markets and financial institutions, the role of education and human capital, and regional economics and demographics.

WASHINGTON — President Bush will announce an expanded role for National Guard troops at airports, possibly stationing them at boarding gates, administration officials said Thursday. 

An announcement was expected Friday at a White House ceremony honoring private-sector employers of guardsmen and reservists, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

The plan calls for a “dramatic increase” in troops at airports, one official said. 

Bush’s announcement, ahead of the busy holiday travel season, was intended to increase confidence in air travel while Congress works to finish an airline security bill, one source said. It will take months to put any changes into effect even once a compromise bill passes. 

Governors have used guard members at security checkpoints, where passengers and carry-on baggage are screened, as well as for general patrol duty at airports. 

One idea under review by the president would have guardsmen monitor passengers who have gone through security and are in the boarding process. 

Recent security lapses have shown that current measures are not foolproof: Last week at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, a gate search by airline employees of passenger who had gone through security found seven knives, a stun gun and tear gas. 

The president asked governors in September to station guardsmen for as long as six months at the nation’s 420 commercial airports, with the federal government to cover the cost. 

It was not immediately clear whether Bush would again ask the governors to call up troops or act on his own. 

The idea of using guardsmen to screen travelers drew a skeptical response from David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, an advocacy group. 

“I don’t know what part they have to play in the security process other than to have a show of force,” he said. 

Also Thursday, major airlines announced they have finished installing bars, latches and other equipment to strengthen cockpit doors — steps to prevent hijackers from getting into cockpits, as they did Sept. 11. 

“This is so crucial as we go into the holiday season,” said Carol Hallett, president of Air Transport Association, which represents the major airlines that carry 97 percent of passengers. “Americans across the board can have full confidence.” 

Draft General Plan examines anticipated impacts on downtown  

The City Council closed the final public hearing on the long-awaited Draft General Plan and, as expected, downtown public parking concerns dominated the evening. 

The council devoted the entire meeting to the Draft General Plan and heard comments from nearly 80 individuals, businesses, nonprofits and representatives from the city’s boards and commissions. 

After closing the hearing, the council was scheduled to ask planning staff for factual clarification on some policies, as well as request additional information on issues raised during the hearing. But because of the late hour, the council decided to submit their questions to staff in writing no later than next Tuesday. The council intends to approve the plan at its Dec. 18 meeting.  

The council heard comments about cooperative housing, free shuttles and the ability of the city’s antiquated sewer system’s questionable ability to handle a greater load if there is significant development. But by far, the most controversial issue on Tuesday night was a parking policy in the draft plan. 

The majority of speakers expressed concern about policy T-35-D, which calls for a two-year moratorium on parking studies downtown.  

Many of those who spoke in favor of downtown parking studies were people who worked in the downtown area, including Alan Miller, vice president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and sents city of Berkeley employees. 

Representatives of the Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Coalition and a variety of individuals, including a 77-year-old man who said he frequently rides his bike to the gym “to pump iron,” spoke in favor of the study moritorium. 

YMCA Director Fran Gallati said he is concerned that with the increasing numbers of theaters, music venues and schools in the downtown that a lack of available parking will discourage people from patronizing downtown businesses. Gallati said that not even studying the possibility of new public parking was “shortsighted.” 

“My job is to look out for the long-term health of the Y,” he said. “I think it would make sense to conduct a parking study simply to find out what the parking needs are in the downtown.” 

Councilmember Miriam Hawley agreed with the pro-parking speakers.  

“It seems the plan is not asking for a moratorium on parking, but a moratorium on thinking,” she said. 

Bicycle Friendly Berkeley organizer Sarah Syed argued that without the parking-study moratorium, the city would not be able to focus on implementing policies that would better utilize existing parking. 

“People who call for more parking don’t consider the increase in traffic,” she said. “The fact is that the city has to prioritized,” she said. “Every dollar that goes into a parking study is a dollar taken away from alternative transportation programs and pedestrian safety.” 

Syed added that deleting the policy would be a “slap in the face” of everybody who participated in the Draft General Plan development. 

The draft plan calls for a two-year moratorium on parking studies while the city tries to implement a variety of policies recommended in the Transportation Demand Management Study. The study, released in March, suggests reducing the number of all-day parkers thereby freeing up parking spaces for short-term parkers who are more likely to patronize restaurants, theaters and other downtown businesses. 

The TDM encourages long-term parkers, who are usually commuters who work in the downtown area, to take other means of transportation to work. The city has already instituted a free bus pass program, known as the Ecopass, for all city employees. And there are plans in the works that would expand that program to Berkeley Unified School District employees as well as larger businesses. 

The Draft General Plan, prepared by the Planning Commission, is a document of over 600 policies that will govern development, transportation and environmental strategies in Berkeley for the next 20 years. The document has been in the making for the last two-and-half years and it reflects the input of five city commissions, businesses, nonprofits and hundreds of individuals. 

But of the more than 600 policies the Planning Commission unanimously approved, there were two the commission could not agree on, rent control and parking. However the rent control issue was not mentioned during Tuesday’s meeting.  

Other issues that were brought up were arguments for and against increased building height limits in the downtown. The president of Ecocity Builders, Richard Register, argued for height increases that he said could free up developed land in other parts of town for public open space.  

Register suggested that building heights be increased to between nine and 11 stories. Currently seven stories is the maximum in the central part of downtown.  

Martha Nicoloff, a founding member of the Berkeley Party, a group of residents who are interested in city development issues, called for decreased height limits. She said she is working on a petition for the November ballot that would reduce height limits along San Pablo Avenue, in the downtown and in the Berkeley hills. 

Public Works Commissioner Linda Perry said the city should be mindful of the city’s “looming infrastructure problem” while approving the increased housing development in the Draft General Plan. “The city’s sewers, streets, sidewalks and public are locked in a death spiral,” she said, quoting a budget commission report. “I Know it sounds dramatic but it’s true.” 

Perry went on to say the city has accrued millions in deferred maintenance costs. 

Senior Planner Andrew Thomas said that a study of the city’s sewer system showed that it can handle a population up to approximately 130,000. He pointed out that in the 1970s the sewer system served 120,000 residents. The 2000 census results show that Berkeley has 102,000 residents.

Thursday, Nov. 8

Shakespeare and Canonicity 

4:10 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Geballe Room, The Townsend Center for the Humanities 

220 Stephens Hall 

Seminar and Discussion with Sir Frank Kermode, literary critic and Shakespeare scholar. 643-7413 www.grad.berkeley.edu/tanner 

Community Health Commission 

6:45 - 9:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

New Business: Bioterrorism Presentation by Public Health staff. 644-6500 phd@ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Women’s Cancer Resource  

Center Gallery Reception 

1- 3 p.m. 

WCRC Gallery 

3023 Shattuck Ave. 

Opening reception with the artists Rowena Halligan and Margaret Herscher. Exhibit runs through Dec. 13. 548-9286 

Long Term Care Coverage 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Herrick Campus 

Maffley Auditorium 

2001 Dwight Way  

Lecture outlining various options for long term care coverage. 869-6737 

Grandparent Support Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

Malcolm X School, Rm. 105A 

1731 Prince St. 

For grandparents or relatives raising their grandchildren and other relatives. 644-6517 

Town Hall Meeting on Standardized Testing 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium 

1515 Clay St.  

Assemblymember Dion Louise Aroner convenes this meeting to discuss the money and effort spent each year on standardized testing. 540-3660 

The Teaching of Gurdjieff,  

7 p.m. 

Claremont Branch Public Library 

2940 Benvenue 

A lecture by Kevin Langdon. Gurdjieff’s teaching puts into question all that we think we know about our own nature and the nature of the universe. Free. 524-0345 www.polymath-systems.com/phenomen/gurdj/index.html 

UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Forum on Nuclear Danger and Global Survival 

7 p.m. 

Boalt Hall, Booth Auditorium 

Exploration of nuclear weapons after Sept.11th in terms of terrorism, geopolitics and international responses. Open to the public. Questions for panelists may be e-mailed to: http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/nuclearform 

Baguette Quartette 

7:30 p.m. 

North Branch Berkeley Public Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Performance of music heard on street corners, cafes, and dance halls in Paris between 1920 and 1940. Free. 649-3913 TDD 548-1240 www.infopeople.org/bpl 

Latin Dance Class 

7:30 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Salsa, Cha-cha, Merengue... $10, No partner necessary. All ages and levels welcome. 508-4616 

Journeys Along the Arctic’s  

Edge: A Rower’s Odyssey 

7 p.m. 

REI 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Join Jill Fredston for a slide presentation on their remarkable adventures rowing more than 20,000 miles along the shores of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Sweden. Free. 527-4140 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Editor: 

Once again I am amazed at the brilliance eminating from the home of one our “premier” institutions of higher learning. 

Stop the war? In favor of what? I hear all we care about is oil. In afghanistan? 

I hear our bombing is leading to poverty and starvation. Isn’t it true that only large amounts of foreign aid has kept them from starving for the last ten years and isn’t it also true that the majority of that aid has come from U.S. taxpayers. 

I hear one of your brilliant graduate students on CNN state that we are preventing them from advancing themselves through things like education. 

Isn’t this the country where women are not allowed an education, where women are not allowed a drivers license, where women are shot for being out after dark without their husbands? Isn’t this the country where T.V.s, VCRs and computers are forbidden. Isn’t this the country where men go to jail for an improper beard? Yes, I suppose the war will interfere with education in Afghanistan – and your point is? 

Are the people of Berkeley suggesting we have a rational discussion with these people? 

I am supposed to believe that the slaughter of 5,000 people is understandable because of the poverty of the region. Would the murder of your family, by the son of a wealthy citizen of Berkeley, be understandable because there are homeless people in California and if not would the elimination of such a murderer be a crime. 

Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to justify genocide when committed by non-wasps? 

Robert Colwell 

Coeur d’ Alene, Id.  

924 Gilman St. Nov. 9: Hoods, Punishment, Lords of Light Speed, Necktie Party; Nov. 10: Sunday’s Best, Mock Orange, Elizabeth Elmore, Fighting Jacks, Benton Falls; Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; Nov. 18: 5 p.m., Mad Caddies, Monkey, Fabulous Disaster, Over It; Nov. 23: The Stitches, Starvations, Neon King Kong, Kill Devil Hills, Problem; Nov. 24: Tilt, Missing Link, Cry Baby Cry; Nov. 30: Shitlist, Atrocious Madness, Fuerza X, Catheter, S Bitch, Delta Force; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

The Albatross Pub Nov. 8:. Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 13: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Nov. 15: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 21: Whiskey Brothers (Old Time & Bluegrass); Nov. 22: Keni “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Nov. 24: Tipsy House Irish Band. All shows start at 9 p.m., 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 

Anna’s Nov. 8: Dreams Unltd; Nov. 9: Anna and Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 10: Robin Gregory and Si Perkoff, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; Nov. 11: Choro Time; Nov. 12: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keys; Nov. 13: Singers’ Open Mic #2; Nov. 14: Bob Shoen Jazz Quintet; Nov. 15: Jazz Singers’ Collective; Nov. 16: Anna & Hyler T. Jones, 10 p.m. Bluesman Hideo Date; Nov. 17: Vicki Burns & Felice York, 10 p.m. The Distones Jazz Sextet; All shows 8 p.m. unless noted. Free. 1901 University Ave., 849-2662 

Blake’s Nov. 8: Ascension, $5; Nov. 9: Delfino, Boomshanka, $5; Nov. 10: Kofy Brown, J. Dogs, $7; Nov.11: Psychotica, $5; Nov. 12: All Star Jam Featuring The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Nov. 13: The Photon Band, Ian Moore, $4; Nov. 14: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2, Hebro, free. All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Nov 8: 8 p.m. Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance, $18 - $30; Nov. 10: 7 p.m. & Nov. 11: 3 p.m., The 2001 Festival, $20 - $32; Nov. 29: Les Arts Florissants, $24 - $46; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph. 642-0212 tickets@calperfs. berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10 Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Freight & Salvage Nov. 8: Ledward Ka’apana & Cyril Pahinui $17.50 - $18.50; Nov. 9: The Harmony Sisters with Alice Gerrard, Jeanie McLerie & Irene Herrmann $16.50 - $17.50; Nov 10: Barry & Alice Olivier $16.50 - $17.50; Nov. 11: Austin Lounge Lizards $16.50 - $17.50. All Shows 8 p.m. 1111 Addison St. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jazzschool/La Note Nov. 4: 4:30 p.m. SoVoSo, $15; Nov. 11: 4:30 p.m. Dave Le Febvre Quintet, $12. 2377 Shattuck Ave. 845-5373 

Jupiter Nov. 8: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 9: Xroads; Nov. 10: Post Junk Trio; Nov. 14: Wayside; Nov. 15: Joshi Marshal Project; Nov. 16: 5 Point Plan; Nov. 17: Corner Pocket; Nov. 21: Starchild; All shows 8 p.m. and free. 2821 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625/ www.jupiter.com 

MusicSources Nov. 18 Harpsichordist Gilbert Martinez. Both shows 5 p.m. $15-18. 1000 The Alameda 528-1685 

Rose Street House of Music Nov. 8: 7:30 p.m., Jenny Bird and Melissa Crabtree, $5 - $20. 594.4000 x.687 www.rosestreetmusic.com 

“Benefit for Buzzy Linhart” Nov. 9: 7:45 p.m., A number of Bay Area performers wil join together to raise the spirit of disabled singer-songwriter Buzzy Linhart. All ages show, $10. Black Box Gallery, 1928 Telegraph Ave. 451-1932 www.buzzylinhart.com 

“Philharmonia Baroque” Nov. 10: 8 p.m.; Nov. 11: 7:30 p.m., “Optimism and Sacrifice”; $34-$50. First Congregational Church, Dana St. and Durant Ave. 415-392-4400 www.philharmonia.org 

“Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Anthony Rapp and His Band” Nov. 13: 8 p.m. Anthony Rapp, currently starring in Berkeley Rep’s “Nocturne,” performs with his three-piece band. $12 - $25. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., 647-2949 

“Oakland Symphony Chorus and the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra,” presents a joint concert. Nov. 17: 8 p.m.; Nov. 18: 4 p.m.; $15. First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. 465-4199 www.oakland-sym-chorus.org 

“me/you...us/them” Nov. 8 through Nov. 10: Thur - Sat 8 p.m., matinee on Sat. 2:30 p.m. Three one-acts that look at interpersonal, as well as societal relationships from the perspective of the disabled. $10 - $25. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 925-798-1300 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m., matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep. org 

“Tomas Carrasco of Chicano Secret Service” Nov. 15: 4 p.m. Performance by member of L.A.-based sketch comedy troupe that uses humor to tackle hot-button racial and political issues. Free. Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley 

“Works in the Works 2001” Through Nov. 18: 7:30. East Bay performance series presents a different program each evening. Nov. 3: Stefanie Renard and Britta Randlev; St. Mary’s College Dance Company; Marin Academy. Nov. 4: Stefanie Renard and Britta Randlev; Somi Hongo; Dana Lee Lawton; Seely Quest; Cristina Riberio; Nadia Adame of AXIS Dance Company. $8. Eighth Street Studio, 2525 Eighth St., 644-1788 

“Nicholas Nickleby” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. The Young Actors Workshop presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Performing Arts Center of Contra Costa College, corner of El Portal Dr. and Castro St., San Pablo 235-7800 ext. 4274 

“Lost Cause” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Three space travelers stranded on a forgotten colony, find themselves in the middle of a bloody civil war, and have to decide between what’s right, what’s possible, and what will save their lives. Written by Jefferson Area, directed by Sarah O’Connell. $7-12. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 464-4468 www.impacttheatre.com 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Cal Performances Nov. 7: 8 p.m., “Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance,” more than 30 singers, dancers, and musicians present a musical synthesis of the authentic Roma styles. $18 - $30; Nov. 8: 11 a.m., SchoolTime Performance, “Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance,” $3 per student or chaperone, in advance only; Nov. 8: 8 p.m., “Orquesta Aragón,” $18 - $30; Nov. 11: 3 p.m., Recital - Angelika Kirschschlager, Bo Skovhus, and Donald Runnicles. “Wolf/ Die Italienisches Liederbuch,” $45; Nov. 16 - 17: 8 p.m., “La Guerra d’Amore,” director and choreographer, René Jacobs, conductor, Ensemble Concerto Vocale. Modern dance and early music from German choreographer Joachim Schlömer, $34 - $52; Nov. 30 - Dec. 2: Fri. - Sat.8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m., The Suzuki Company presents a staged interpretation of the Greek classic, “Dionysus”, $30 - $46; UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall. 642-9988/ www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Macbeth” Nov. 9 through Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail. com 

“Saint Joan” Through Dec. 2: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., 7 p.m. George Bernard Shaw’s epic of a young girl determined to drive the English out of France with only her faith to support her. Directed by Barbara Oliver. $26-35. Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St. 843-4822 www.auroratheatre. org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Brave Brood” Nov. 8 - Dec. 16 Robert O’Hara directs Robert O’Hara’s searing tale of money, desperation, and the fight for survival. $20. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305 www.transparenttheater.org 

“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20 through Jan. 8: Check theater for specific dates and times. Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy chronicles a handful of soldiers returning from a winning battle to be greeted by a gaggle of giddy maidens. Directed by Brian Kulick. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Nov. 9: 7:30 p.m., Friends in High Places; 9:15 p.m., Soldiers in the Army of God; Nov. 10: 7 p.m., Prefab People; 9 p.m., The Outsider; Nov. 11: 3:30 p.m., Born at Home and The Team on B-6; 5:40 p.m., The Creators of Shopping Worlds; Nov. 16: 7:30 p.m., Autumn Almanac; Nov. 17 & 18: 1 p.m., Satantango; Nov. 21: 7 :30 p.m., Macbeth; Nov. 30: 7:30 p.m., Werckmeister Harmonies; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“La Lesbian Film Festival” Nov. 9 - 11. La Peña Cultural Center presents La Lesbian at La Peña: A Lesbian Performance and Film Series. $8 Fine Arts Cinema 2451 Shattuck 654-6346 www.lapena.org 

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Architects of the Information Age” Through Nov. 10: A solo exhibit showcasing the works of Ezra Li Eismont. Works included in the exhibition are mixed media paintings on panel and assemblage works on paper and canvas. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland 836-0831 

“Art Benefit for the Gabriel Sussman Rodriguez Education Fund” Nov. 11 - Nov. 16: Over 60 artists have donated work for this tribute to the memory of Wendy Sussman, a painter and professor of art practice and UC Berkeley, and contribute to the education of her son. Sun. - Fri. 1 - 6 p.m. Worth Ryder Gallery, Kroeber hall, UC Berkeley 415-665-6131 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“In Through the Outdoors” Through Nov. 24: Featuring seven artists who work in photography and related media including sculpture and video, this exhibit addresses the shift in values and contemporary concerns about the natural world that surrounds us. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Traywick Gallery, 1316 Tenth St. www.traywick.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Through Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“Furniture Art” Through Dec. 7: An exhibit of metal and wood furniture that revisits furniture not only as art but as craft. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. The Current Gallery at the Crucible, 1036 Ashby Ave. 843-5511 www.thecrucible.org 

“The Paintings of Bethany Anne Ayers and Sculpture of Alexander Cheves” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15: Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Ardency Gallery, 709 roadway, Oakland. 836-0831 gallery709@aol.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

GTU Exhibit: “Holocaust Series” by Cleve Gray Through Jan. 25: Comprised of 21 works on paper that constitute “a catharsis... for all of humanity.” Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. noon - 7 p.m.; Free. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541 www.gtu.edu 

“The Art History Museum of Berkeley” 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 Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Nov. 9: Lauren Dockett will read from her latest book, “The Deepest Blue: How Women Face and Overcome Depression.”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Nov. 7: 5:30 p.m. Rimpoche Nawang Gehlek talks about “Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation”, 7:30 p.m. Rea Armantrout & Brenda Hillman read their poetry, $2; Nov. 8 7:30 p.m. Jonathan Lethem and Carter Scholz present “Kafka Americana”; Nov. 9: 7:30 p.m. Sue Hubbell thinks about “Shrinking the Cat: Genetic Engineering Before We Knew About Genes”; Nov. 11: 7:30 p.m. Mary Leader, Alice Jones & Susan Kolodny read their poetry, $2; Nov. 12: 7:30 p.m. Rabih Alameddine reads from “I, The Divine”; Nov. 13: 7:30 p.m. John Barth reads from “Coming Soon!!!”, Nov. 18: Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux from the Poetry Society of America read,$5; Nov. 28: 7:30 p.m. David Meltzer and contributors read from his newly revised and re-released collection of interviews with Bay Area Beat Poets; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Easy Going Travel Shop and Bookstore Nov. 7: Jill Fredston reads from “Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic’s Edge”; Nov. 8: Harry Pariser discusses “Explore Costa Rica”; Nov. 14: Gregory Crouch talks about “Enduring Patagonia.” All shows 7:30 p.m.; 1385 Shattuck Ave. 843-3533 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Nov. 10: 4 p.m. Ruthanne Lum McCunn reads from her novel “Moon Pearl”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

UC Berkeley Nov. 8: 7 p.m., Reading and book signing with Osha Gray Davidson, author of “Fire In The Turtle House: The Green Sea Turtle and the Fate of the Ocean.” Mulford Bldg., Rm. 132. 848-0110 www.publicaffairsbooks.com/books/fire.html 

“Rhythm and Muse” Nov. 10: 6:30 p.m. This event is supported by Poet’s and Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation. Open mic evening open to all writers and performers. Features poet/musician Avotcja. Free. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893 

“Berkeley’s World” Nov. 10 & 17: 8 p.m. Staged reading of a new play about five Berkeley emigres who form a career support group through an ad placed in the East Bay Express but find they can’t stand each other. Written by Andrea Mock. Free. Speakeasy Theatre, 2016 7th St. 841-9441 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

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 Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

Oakland Museum of California Through Nov. 25: Pasajes y Encuentros: Ofrendas for the Days of the Dead, highlights three thematic “passageways” that connect the dead with the living: tradition, humor and spirit. $6 adults, $4 seniors and students, free for children under 5. Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. noon - 5 p.m., 10th St., Oakland, 888-625-6873/ www.museumca.org 

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “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. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. 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  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Let’s flash back to Sept. 21. The Berkeley High football team had just lost their third straight game to open the season, and had been outscored 121-12 in the three losses. If anyone had suggested that the ’Jackets would be playing for the ACCAL championship to end the season, they would have been laughed out of the stadium. 

But that’s exactly what has happened. Berkeley rebounded from their miserable start to win their next five games, only one of which has been close, and have run off four league wins with no losses. Their plethora of running backs have simply dominated, with five of them scoring at least three touchdowns apiece, and newcomer Raymond Pinkston has solidified the passing game from the quarterback position. The defense finally stopped giving up big plays, racking up two shutouts and giving up just 28 points in the last four games. 

But just as they get to the biggest test of their ACCAL season, a new obstacle has arisen: grades. The first round of grades was released this week, and a large group of players have eligibility problems. Although the Berkeley coaching staff is prohibited from commenting on players’ grades, as many as 13 players could be ineligible for tonight’s game, including up to seven starters. At least four of those starters are spending today working on getting grade changes into the computer system to get themselves in uniform. 

“We just have to live with it,” wide receiver Lee Franklin said. “I’m kind of disappointed in some guys who didn’t pick up their books, but we can’t dwell on it.” 

Some Berkeley players think the school’s administration is being overly harsh in their enforcement of grades. Several players turned in late homework after the grades were issued, and teachers were willing to improve their grades based on the new work. But unless the grades are entered into the computer system today, the administration considers them invalid for the game. 

“There’s so much negativity around here, coming from the administration, other students, just about everybody, it feels like everyone’s against us,” linebacker Akeem Brown said. “But we know what we have to do.” 

But the ’Jackets could be seriously handicapped in a game against an opponent that is heavily favored. Pinole Valley is undefeated in league play, just like the ’Jackets, and is favored coming into today’s game. The Spartans use a power running game to wear down opponents, as tailback DeAndre McFarland has rushed for 1,597 yards and 23 TDs behind a line that features three players who weigh in at more than 300 pounds. 

“McFarland is an amazing running back, and he’s torched some very good teams this year,” Berkeley head coach Matt Bissell said. “Their offensive line are just beaters. They just punish people.” 

The key to the game could be Berkeley defensive tackle Jamal Lucas-Johnson. The 300-pound junior has been out for four games with an ankle injury, and it’s not clear whether he will be able to play. If he can’t, it could be a long game for a Berkeley defensive line that can’t match Pinole Valley’s brawn. In addition, there could be as many as five new starters on defense due to eligibility problems. 

“We’re going to have a bunch of people playing that haven’t played that much, so I’m a little nervous,” senior Nick Schooler said. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep tonight.” 

Berkeley’s seniors insist they knew they league title would come down to the final game. The ’Jackets and Spartans ended last year in a three-way tie for the championship with El Cerrito, and Berkeley would love to take the title outright this season. 

“It’s just like a playoff atmosphere,” Franklin said. “We didn’t get it done last year, so we’ve got to leave everything on the field.”

Parents filled the Berkeley Community Theater’s backstage area Tuesday to air simmering frustrations about a special education system in schools criticized as unaccountable and resistant to their children’s needs. 

“We’ve never had such an opportunity,” said Ann McDonald Pacho, a member of Berkeley Special Education Parents Group, who helped organize the gathering. “The silence has been there for years.” 

Approximately 900 families have children with special education needs in Berkeley schools, she said, and about 90 parents came to the meeting. 

Standing for more than two hours, Superintendent Michelle Lawrence candidly acknowledged the organizational problems she inherited last summer when she took the district’s helm. She asked for the parents’ patience. 

“We can make this an American model if we can just get on the same page,” she said. 

Patience, however, was in short supply among the parents, many of whom trembled with emotion in recounting their battles to attain special education services for their children. 

Suzy Marzuola praised the deaf education program her son attends at John Muir Elementary, but in a complaint voiced by many, said the process of setting up an Individual Education Plan for him was “horrific” for its tone of “battle lines in the sand.” 

“We had to pay to make sure we were listened to,” she said. “It’s got to stop. Angry people is what it results in.” 

Also high on the list of parent complaints was staff accountability, with stories of chronically unreturned phone calls, months of inexplicable delays and staffers who arrive unprepared for IEP meetings. Parents were also upset that decisions about their children are being made without explanation. 

“People who never lay eyes on a child are making the decisions,” said parent Raychelle Lee. 

Diane Christensen asked for a “customer service policy.” 

“If you get a phone call from somebody,” she said, “you return it before three weeks go by.” 

David Nygren recommended that the district hire consultants to define job descriptions for everybody on staff to ensure greater accountability. He also accused the district of refusing to place his child in a special school because of cost concerns. 

Lawrence said she would look into having more evaluations, a process that sometimes involves union negotiations. But she admitted frankly: “The evaluation process of employees in this organization is practically non-existent.” 

Parents have asked that finances and programs for the special education system be audited. Lawrence said a financial audit had been requested and that state Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team — soon to step in to resolve the district’s financial crisis — would do its own audit. 

A program audit, however, has not yet been planned, she said. 

Several parents warmly praised individual special education teachers and the teaching staff as a whole during the evening, but noted they were overloaded with work.  

Terri Waller, a parent with a fourth-grader, was the lone voice asking for the creation of a staff position specifically to look-after those whose parents are not, for any reason, advocating their needs.  

“Kids without family structures are totally left out of this discussion,” she said.  

“There are more of those kids than all of the people here,” Waller continued. “A lot of those kids are not in the system at all.” 

Trying to lighten the mood after more than an hour of non-stop complaints, Lawrence, fighting a cold and clutching a handkerchief, made a rare public admission of how difficult her job is. She asked the parents to name the good things about the program.  

“I get so depressed,” she said with a smile. 

The parents obliged by calling out the names of half-a-dozen teachers. One applauded the Berkeley High School occupational therapists as a group. 

The good feelings were short-lived, however. Later, parent Raychelle Lee began naming names of administrative staff she considered problematic, and Lawrence stopped her cold. 

“You can tell me anything you want in private, but I don’t want people to be attacked in public.” 

At one especially tense moment, a teacher in the front row said loudly: “I haven’t been evaluated in 10 years.” 

Lawrence, looking wilted, paused, looked at the teacher and turned to the audience. 

“That’s right,” she said. “She may be great, and she may not be great. Or she may be both.” 

While avoiding a blanket statement of support for “full inclusion” of special education students into regular programs, the superintendent stated early in the meeting that she thought many problems in special education were the result of putting students in a separate administrative category.  

“The minute you group kids under the umbrella of Special Education Department, the ownership of responsibility for educating children with different needs becomes isolated,” she said. 

She referred back to this philosophy after Beth Fine, a Berkeley High parent, said the district had neglected to seek money for special education technology through a sub-program of the state’s Digital High School fund. 

“There shouldn’t be a grant written in this organization that doesn’t include special education,” Lawrence said. 

“Our organization is tightly linked,” she said at another point. “What happens with special education students also happens for regular students.”  

She proposed that special education teachers train regular teachers to share knowledge on issues common to both. 

Throughout the evening, Lawrence attempted to create a sense of unity in tackling the special-education problem.  

“We can no longer be an isolated group of individuals,” she said.  

But she tempered this message at every step with calls for a sober acceptance of the district’s murky financial situation. 

“We can have anything we want, but we can’t have everything we want,” she said twice. “Our community as a whole is not real good at accepting ‘no’ as an answer.” 

A parent rose in the audience and shot back: “People are not going to accept ‘no’ as an answer when we haven’t been given respectful treatment. There has to be a buildup of trust on both sides of the table.” 

Earlier in the evening, Lawrence constructed an outsider’s observation on the nature of Berkeley itself. She said she encounters a lot of “animosities and defensiveness,” — not only among special education staff and parents, but throughout the district’s many departments. 

“I’ve never been any place where so many people are so angry and so frustrated in every aspect I walk into,” Lawrence said. “Maybe Berkeley has its share of passionate people, but it seems there’s some dysfunction here. ... What I’m encountering is very different people who are on very different pages.”

Editor: 

I have just read on the BBC’s Internet site that certain people are calling for a boycott of businesses of the city of Berkeley because of the resolutions passed by the City Council about the bombing of Afghanistan. I read the motions passed and for what it’s worth, from the other side of the Atlantic in England the motions look in no way traitorous, disloyal, or in anyway threatening to the United States. 

On the contrary, they are intelligent, humane, far–sighted and dignified, and the council are doing a service to your nation by making such views public. I have written to the council in support of their position. 

What happened on Sept. 11 was an attack on freedom, democracy and the sanctity of human life, the bedrock of your society and mine. 

Only by truly protecting these values can we ultimately triumph against the evil people that launched the attacks.  

Actions taken by the United States and allies in response to Sept. 11 must always keep these values at the forefront, or we will have already lost the battle against those who attack us by degrading our lives and society ourselves. 

Freedom of thought and speech, a plurality of views, and universal respect for human life without reference to race, religion or color is what makes our society better than those who wish to destroy it. And America has always stood at the forefront of protecting those values. 

Here in England views on the war are mixed. They range from total support for unrestricted bombing, to a wish for all military intervention to end now. But what matters is that we are having a debate, and even our prime minister Tony Blair has now accepted that all views are valid, as the discussion and dissent shows our democracy is alive. 

I urge the people of Berkeley to keep up your brave stance. I hope that your city isn’t hit too hard economically by any ill-thought-out boycott in already–troubled times. But to be honest, your stand, coming from inside America itself, is worth more than any amount of money. By keeping the moral, human, and freedom-based core of America alive at this time is a gift for generations to come both at home and abroad. 

If that core is extinguished now, and a uniformity of opinion that eliminates all dissent and respect for life takes over, then America, and the world will be irrevocably stained and dehumanized for ever, whether we catch Osama bin Laden or not. 

Keep up the struggle, for your own nation, and the rest of us in the world. 

Toby Chopra 

London 

’Jackets now 26-0 in ACCAL, should host playoff game 

The Berkeley High girls’ volleyball team finished up the regular season with yet another ACCAL win on Wednesday, beating De Anza in straight games, 15-1, 15-5, 15-7. 

Berkeley is now 26-0 in its first two seasons in the league, and improved its overall record this season to 27-6. 

It was Senior Night on Wednesday, with a pregame ceremony honoring Desiree Guilliard-Young, Latisha Harris and Emily Friedman for their contributions to the program. Guillard-Young got some special attention, as she is now the school record-holder for career and single-season marks in kills, solo blocks and team blocks. The 6-foot-5 middle blocker will continue her career at Baylor University next year. 

Berkeley was missing two key players, Vanessa Williams and Ilana Barr, due to injury. 

De Anza (12-10, 10-4) proved to be a tough opponent for the depleted ’Jackets, putting up more resistance than the final score indicates. But they were simply overpowered by the Berkeley front line, with Guilliard-Young racking up 10 kills and three blocks and junior Amalia Jarvis, filling in at outside hitter, making nine kills and nine digs. 

The ’Jackets made it much harder on themselves by serving terribly. The committed 13 serving errors, making it tough to get a rally going. In fact, Berkeley didn’t have a run of more than three points the entire night. 

“If we ever get to a point where we’re not missing a million serves, we’ll be pretty good,” Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway said. 

Next up for the ’Jackets is the opening round of the North Coast Section playoffs, where they have lost in each of the last three seasons. With only eight teams making the cut in Division I, there are no easy wins on the horizon, but Caraway thinks his team can do some damage. 

“We match up pretty well with most of the other teams,” he said. “If we’re focused and understand that we can beat anyone out there, we can.” 

As a league champion, the ’Jackets should get a home game for their opening match on Tuesday. The only way they would have to go on the road is if they are going against another league champion that earns a higher seed. Caraway considers that unlikely, saying the ’Jackets should get a No. 3 or 4 seed, competing with James Logan and Castro Valley for a top spot. 

“We ought to be getting a home game to start,” he said. “Our league may not be as strong as some others, but we’ve beaten some good teams along the way.”

Berkeley’s Fire Department has purchased nerve gas antidotes for its paramedic teams, and emergency personnel will soon receive in-depth training on how to handle biological and chemical threats.  

Berkeley, like other cities around the country, has been receiving daily calls regarding suspicious white powders. They are all false alarms, including incidents where the powder has actually been laundry detergent spilled on a front porch, sheet rock dust or Q-tips sent to Alta Bates hospital in an envelope reading: “have anthrax.” 

“We’ve been getting five to seven suspicious envelopes brought to the department every day,” said Lt. Les Putnam, hazardous materials captain at the Berkeley Fire Department, who added that anthrax hype has put a strain on his department’s resources. 

Paramedic Supervisor Dion Williams attended a countywide training Friday to ensure Berkeley’s compliance with Alameda County standards for handling anthrax and other bio-terrorism threats. The county’s Health Department and Oakland Fire Department sponsored the seminar for supervisors of emergency medical workers. The supervisors are expected to train their departments by Dec. 1. 

At the training, Dr. Jim Pointer of the Health Department explained that anthrax bacteria actually has three strains: An inhaled form, a form that affects the skin and a gastrointestinal form. He said it may take days for those exposed to develop symptoms. People die from anthrax because their chest, including the heart, fills with blood.  

The training also covered other potential threats. Plagues, which killed millions of people in centuries past, still survives as a rare disease affecting a few Californians each year, Pointer said. 

Smallpox, which in 1980 was officially eradicated in the United States, still survives in some laboratories around the world and could be extremely contagious if re-released.  

Pointer emphasized he was sharing this information for training purposes only – not to alarm the public. There has been no news about these hazards actually manifesting themselves, Pointer said. 

“It’s simple preparedness,” he said. 

Pointer also presented some chilling facts about chemical weapons. Some are easily available to the public because they have a practical use. Cyanide, for example, is used in printing, photography and agriculture. There is an antidote to the poison, however, which Pointer said specialized medics on “hazmat” teams should carry. 

Other chemicals were specifically developed by military entities “to kill and maim others,” Pointer told trainees.  

These chemical agents are not available to the general public in the United States — only to authorized military personnel.  

Some chemicals, like Soman, bind to enzymes in the nervous system in a few minutes and patients cannot be treated afterwards. Victims exposed to other nerve gases can be treated more readily using antidotes injected into the blood stream. 

Using practice injection kits, Williams and others at the training pretended to shoot antidotes into their thighs, directly through their clothing.  

In the event of a real emergency, paramedics and emergency technicians would first inject themselves. 

“If we’re going to be effective in saving lives, we first have to save our own life,” said Bill Wittmer, special operations chief for the Oakland Fire Department. “If we become victims, we can’t serve the public.” 

Even prior to Sept. 11, Oakland had started developing a Metropolitan Medical Response system in the event of a terrorist attack. The city was one of 120 nationwide selected as grant recipients for such a program by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

This designation allowed Oakland to act as a conduit for Alameda County to accelerate training and ordering of emergency supplies after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. 

“We were able to cut through some red tape,” said Fanning.  

Oakland’s size and status allowed Berkeley and other cities to order supplies through the Oakland Fire Department. 

Berkeley has ordered kits, which include injectable antidotes for nerve gas agents — enough to cover all personnel on duty during any one shift, Putnam said.  

The Berkeley Fire Department does not plan to stock large numbers of antidote kits to inject civilians, however. The focus will be on ensuring that “rescuers can continue the job of rescuing people,” said Assistant Fire Chief David Orth. 

The antidote has limitations, Orth said, because it must be injected immediately after exposure. If nerve gas were released, there would probably be some casualties before rescuers could arrive on scene.  

“You can’t just stick anybody with it and be done with it,” Orth said of the antidote. “I don’t want to give people a false sense of security.” 

Berkeley will also add new protection devices to its rigs, including stronger suits and special respiration devices to use in case of anthrax exposure. 

The Oakland Fire Department serves a larger population and has ordered 2,100 antidote kits. About half of the kits are intended for treating the public in an emergency, said Dale Fanning, the terrorism preparedness coordinator for the Oakland Fire Department.  

Oakland has also ordered enough Cipro, the drug used to treat anthrax, to supply 10,000 people in the area for two days, Fanning said. After that, the city plans to rely on the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile to send more supplies by air. 

Orth said Berkeley has not ordered any stores of Cipro, but the city could request the drug or perhaps draw on Oakland’s supply if needed.  

“At this point, I haven’t heard Oakland say they’re not going to share it,” he said. 

American Medical Response, a private ambulance company serving most of Alameda County, also plans to train its 600 staff members on the emergency procedures. Jennifer Reed, field training coordinator, said to date, only supervisors carry nerve gas antidote kits.  

“It’s a problem if you’re exposed and your supervisor is five miles away,” she said. 

Reed said she wasn’t fazed by the in-depth information on potential biohazards, but by the easy access to such information. 

“You can get all this information off the (Centers for Disease Control) Web site,” she said. “The knowledge is out there if they want it.” 

“Just like burning buildings,” Williams said, “we don’t lie awake at night worried that a fire might break out. If we’re faced with it, we’ll handle it.” 

The Daily Planet received this letter to Mayor Shirley Dean and City Councilmembers: 

This letter is in support of the General Plan Section T 35 for improving parking in downtown Berkeley.  

Most people agree that the automobile creates unwanted congestion, pollution, road rage etc. and that something should be done about it. But we have not yet been moved to seriously consider alternatives as we continue to dream of the perfect parking place, preferably within 20 yards of our destination. 

Why don’t we use the creativity of the very arts community that is lobbying so aggressively for increased parking to rally our citizens to use alternate means of transportation. If only those people who cannot walk, ride bicycles or take public transportation were to use the existing garages, we would have no shortage of space. And for those who must drive we can work on making satellite parking attractive. 

For the last dozen years I have been working with artists in downtown Berkeley, organizing concerts, exhibitions and performances of every imaginable sort as director of the Berkeley Store Gallery and the Berkeley Arts Festival. I have a good idea of the kind of ingenuity, enthusiasm, playfulness and good will that abound here. With the support of the entire arts community we could put Berkeley on the map as a model for “How to Make Downtown More People Friendly and Learn to Love the Bus.” 

To kick off the campaign I propose a performance piece in which we conduct a survey of people on the treadmills at the YMCA to compare how many miles they have run with the miles they drove to get to the Y. 

Bonnie Hughes 

Berkeley 

Tom Holmoe is a lame duck. The Cal head coach announced his resignation, effective at the end of the current season, last weekend. He’s just playing out the string, probably fielding job offers from other coaches while trying to keep his team together. But what about the players he recruited to the program, the ones who are still fighting for playing time, for a possible NFL career, for pride? 

Apparently they just move on. 

“(Holmoe and I) are about as close as a coach and player can get,” cornerback Atari Callen said Tuesday. “But my emotions didn’t shift much when I heard. We knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when he was going to tell us.” 

Holmoe’s timing was well thought out, according to the coach. 

“The big question for me, when I thought about when I would make an announcement as to my resignation, I knew it was going to be at the end of the season but the timing was a difficult choice to make,” Holmoe said. “I figured that with three games to go they would be strong enough to want to make it through.” 

The Bears are winless this season. They host the USC Trojans on Saturday, their last home game, and are expected to draw their smallest attendance in years, even smaller than the crowd last weekend for the loss to Arizona that filled less than half the stadium.  

But Holmoe thinks his team can finish strong, and he’s not the only one. 

“We’ve got to get (Holmoe) a win before he leaves,” Callen said. “Some teams need some kind of tragedy to fire them up. Maybe this is what we need to get motivated and finally get a win.” 

USC head coach Pete Carroll is worried about just that. He and Holmoe are old friends, having coached together for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s, and Carroll thinks the announcement could actually free up Holmoe to be more daring in his final three games. 

“I know Tom is going through some hard times right now, but we have to be ready for anything,” Carroll said. “It’s got to be a relief to be able to concentrate on just getting through his last few games.”

The effort to amend the city’s Landmarks Preservation Ordinance has been on the table for nearly two years now, and it had been hoped that a special meeting Monday might bring the long process one step closer to fruition. 

Those hopes were dashed, however, when the Landmarks Preservation Commission decided to postpone the matter until next month, to allow more time to study the city attorney’s draft changes.  

The changes to the ordinance may end up giving the LPC additional powers – including the right to deny demolition of landmarked buildings, which is currently a power held by the Zoning Adjustments Board. They may also take some of the LPC’s powers away, by relegating some tasks to the city’s planning staff. 

In addition, the changes will help streamline certain aspects of the city’s process for new building developments, hopefully preventing confusing situations like those that arose in the debate about the Temple Beth El expansion. 

Commissioners will likely hold another special meeting sometime before the LPC’s next scheduled meeting in early December to discuss the issue. 

Staff members in the planning department and the city attorney’s office have been working on the proposed changes – which are designed to help the city conform with the state Permit Streamlining Act – since early 2000. 

The Permit Streamlining Act, which was passed in 1977 and modified several times since, mandates local agencies to either approve or deny proposed building projects within 90 days after an application is filed.  

In an early report to the LPC on the subject, some staffers wrote that the process for developers set up by the LPO often conflicts with the PSA, leaving city staff and commissions to scramble to make sure they adhere to both. 

In addition to amending the LPO, several complementary changes are being proposed for the city’s zoning ordinance. 

The LPC is taking a two-phase approach to changes. According to LPC member Jeffrey Eichenfield, the first phase, which the commission is studying now, involve “ordinance clean-up” – changes that are not controversial. 

Some commissioners expressed dismay that the LPC was not able to reach agreement on these changes Monday. 

“We made another stab at getting a ‘Phase One’ set of changes approved, and we hope to do that soon,” said Commissioner Becky O’Malley. 

Eichenfield said the part of the reason for the delay was the complexity of the legal language in which the amendments are written, and the fact that commissioners want to make certain that the changes did not dramatically change the city’s landmarking procedure. 

“Rewriting any ordinance is a difficult process,” he said. “We know our ordinance, we’ve been operating under it for 20 years, and we’re comfortable with it. 

“We’re getting a lot closer, but we’re just taking it section by section. It takes time.” 

One amendment proposed under “Phase One” would change the LPC’s procedures for dealing with proposed demolitions of designated city landmarks. 

“Currently, the LPC can suspend the demolition of a landmarked building for a year,” said O’Malley. “Under the new rule, it will simply have to deny the demolition, so that the developer can appeal the decision to the City Council right away.” 

Another provision would clarify the procedures the city takes when the LPC and the Zoning Adjustments Board take differing stands on an development, as happened in the debate over Temple Beth El’s expansion earlier this year. 

In that case, the LPC had denied the project while ZAB had approved it. Both decisions prompted separate appeals to the City Council – a complex situation that was resolved only when the temple and neighborhood groups reached a compromise. 

Once the “Phase One” recommendations are approved, they will be sent to the city council for a final vote. The commission will begin work on “Phase Two” comprised of more controversial items that will be resolved with the help of an outside consultant. 

Among the items proposed for “Phase Two” are a provision that would allow the LPC secretary, a member of the city planning staff, to approve certain minor changes or upkeep to landmarked buildings. 

The city has acquired a $25,000 grant from the state Office of Historic Preservation to study other cities’ landmark ordinances and prepare recommendations for changes to the LPO.

Editor: 

I am so proud of my city (Berkeley) standing up in the face of the lockstep jingoistic insanity going on in this country. Do most Americans “really” feel safer now that we’re bombing the living hell out of Afghan peasants? 

I hope so, indeed. 

As for me –– I feel glad that Berkeley is so far ahead of its time, looking so very many years into the future, when the rest of humanity catches up (if it survives) and learns that acting righteous and keeping one’s boot on the neck of those born by some chance in another place isn’t what gets us the most security. Or fulfillment either –– but at least the most militaristic minds of our nation can be happy for now as we wreak our holy vengeance, yes? 

In Truth, Justice –– and the “real” American Way. 

Mandeep S. Gill 

Palo Alto 

U.C. Berkeley grad student 

UC students led a demonstration at the Citibank branch on Shattuck Avenue Wednesday, to protest the bank’s involvement in the Three Gorges Dam project in China. 

They charge that Citibank’s parent corporation, Citigroup, has underwritten two bond issues for the China Development Bank, which is financing the project. 

“The dam will create cheaper power for Chinese people, but we think there are better ways to do that,” said Aaron Scheinwald of the California Public Interest Research Group. 

The International Rivers Network, a Berkeley-based non-governmental organization, estimates that the dam, which is scheduled to be completed in 2014, will flood 350 miles of the Yangtze River Valley, displace 1.9 million people and further threaten the Baiji River Dolphin, an endangered species. 

The demonstrators said that they passed out 150 informational flyers in 20 minutes, and were getting favorable responses from Citibank customers. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Two ballot measures that would allow the seizure Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s transmission lines and plants and provide energy through a public power agency hinged on thousands of uncounted ballots. 

The ballots were being held Wednesday as a precaution, in case any were infected with anthrax. 

Voters chose between two competing public power measures one day after PG&E announced a 243 percent increase in profits for the past quarter. The company has spent more than $1 million fighting the measures and trying to protect its assets, which came under fire after the state’s power crisis led to high energy prices and customers suffered through rolling blackouts. 

With thousands of ballots, including 5,500 absentee ballots left uncounted Wednesday, Proposition F was leading 56,008 votes to 53,760 votes, a 51-49 percent margin. The competing proposal, Measure I, was losing by the same 49-51 percent margin, with 52,524 votes for and 53,865 against. 

Proposition F would allow an elected board to declare eminent domain and buy the necessary PG&E infrastructure to serve the city, as well as transform the city utilities commission into a department of water and power similar to that of Los Angeles. 

Measure I would create an independent municipal utility district representing San Francisco and Brisbane with an elected board, similar to Sacramento’s, that also could buy PG&E power plants and transmission lines. 

Both agencies would issue bonds to raise the millions they would need to buy PG&E property, pay workers and buy any electricity they can’t generate. 

The absentee ballots were taken Tuesday to an auditorium instead of City Hall for fear that any possible anthrax contamination could close down the building. 

Election officials stressed they had received no threats about anthrax, but were just being cautious. 

State officials including Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, and S. David Freeman, chairman of the state’s Power Authority and a top adviser to Gov. Gray Davis, support public power. 

“Where in California have the lights been on and the prices been stable? In Sacramento and L.A.,” Freeman said at a news conference on the steps of City Hall last Friday. 

PG&E, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and myriad business groups called the public power measures too costly and too risky. The bankrupt utility’s parent, PG&E Corp., contributed most of the $1.4 million spent to defeat public power to avoid ripple effects elsewhere in the utility’s territory.

SAN FRANCISCO — While solar power won overwhelmingly in San Francisco’s elections, two ballot measures that would let the city seize Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s transmission lines, were still too close to call Wednesday. 

With all precincts reporting, solar-friendly Proposition B won with 73 percent of the vote. It allows the city to issue a $100 million revenue bond to build solar and wind power systems. Another solar measure, Proposition H, which allows city supervisors to issue future bonds for renewable energy projects without voter approval, received 55 percent support. 

With all of the precincts reporting, Jim Lazarus and Dennis Herrera will compete in a December runoff for city attorney. 

Susan Leal was elected treasurer with 86 percent of the votes. 

Proposition A received 73 percent of the vote, authorizing the San Francisco Community College District to borrow $195 million by issuing bonds. The money will be used to build new facilities, improve existing facilities, reduce class size and improve access to information technology. 

Proposition D, which requires voter approval before approving any project that would require filling in part of San Francisco Bay, passed with 75 percent of the vote.

FREMONT — Bay Area Rapid Transit officials and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority announced Wednesday a tentative deal to take BART south from Fremont to San Jose and Santa Clara. 

The transit route extension would cost an estimated $3.7 billion and take BART an additional 16 miles along the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor serving Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara with seven stations. The funding for the project is expected to come from VTA, the state of California and federal grants. 

BART director Thomas Blalock said BART taxpayers will be protected from spending funds to subsidize the system. 

The agreement also calls for the South Bay transit agency to pay $48 million per year to BART to cover the cost of running trains and maintaining the system, and to cover much of the cost of building the extension. The VTA runs Santa Clara County’s buses and light-rail system. 

The South Bay agency runs Santa Clara County’s buses and light-rail system. 

VTA and BART must ratify the agreement. The VTA board is expected to consider the agreement at a meeting on Nov. 9. The BART board will take up the agreement at a meeting on Nov. 13. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reached a settlement on Wednesday over a lawsuit that alleged racial harassment and retaliatory discharge. 

The terms of the settlement include the payment of $35,000 to Keith Bogard who was allegedly racial harassed by a resident of one of Catholic Charities’ facilities. Bogard left the employ of Catholic Charities over three years ago. 

Catholic Charities denies the allegations but has agreed to provide the equal employment opportunity training to employees as well as residents. 

SAN LEANDRO — Registered nurses approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the San Leandro Hospital, the California Nurses Association announced Wednesday. 

The new contract, which was reached Oct. 31 and approved by vote Tuesday, will provide for a 19.5 percent wage increase over three years and is retroactive to July 1, 2001. 

Under the new agreement, newly hired nurses and recent nursing school graduates will not be counted in determining staffing levels. 

A “Staff Nurse Availability List” will be maintained for use by the charge nurse when the number of RNs at work is considered inadequate for a shift on a unit, as part of the agreement. 

Fake teeth, devil horns will return next year 

Every September, a gaggle of ghoulish masks, devil horns and witches’ broomsticks invade the storefront at University and Shattuck avenues, turning it into a hub of Halloween fun. But come November, they disappear like apparitions in the night.  

With Halloween already a fading memory, Berkeley’s Halloween Headquarters has shut its doors and started its annual pilgrimage back home. The rows of Dracula capes and sexy nurse outfits will soon sit in warehouses. And the store’s 25 temporary employees will go their separate ways – until next year. 

“We take a week or so to pack up here and do inventory,” said store manager Melody Bounsall, 24. “Then, everyone goes back to their regular lives, and I return to the warehouse to reorganize.” 

With 11 temporary and two permanent stores scattered throughout Northern California, Too Much Fun/Halloween Headquarters is one of several chains making a profit from what Bounsall calls the largest-grossing American holiday except Christmas. The Dixon-based chain sells infant, children’s and adult costumes as well as masks, wigs, makeup, accessories, decorations and gags.  

District Manager Jon Waldrep said the business depends solely on Halloween sales for revenue, but success depends on year-round planning by a small team of permanent staff members. 

“We spend a lot of time researching what to buy,” said Waldrep. “We look at what TV shows or movies are popular. But it’s really hit or miss. Sometimes we’re right. And sometimes we’re wrong.” 

This year, the chain profited by guessing patriotism would be popular. But the team hasn’t always been so successful in predicting the public’s taste. 

Four years ago, for instance, Waldrep said the license for McDonald’s came out. 

“Everybody in the industry thought it was going to be the biggest thing,” he said. “There were Ronald McDonald costumes, burgers, fries, shakes. But it was a huge flop. Customers didn’t want them. And now we’re all still selling those costumes, trying to get rid of them.” 

While Waldrep said he periodically places custom orders with costume manufacturers, most of the chain’s stock comes from catalogs or trade shows. Every year, Halloween Headquarters’ staff attends industry shows in Chicago, New York and Las Vegas. 

“The Chicago show is the biggest,” said Waldrep. “There are thousands of people and hundreds of vendors. One week is barely enough time to see everything.” 

Despite the misses, Waldrep said the company is able to weather economic conditions. It continues to grow and is even considering opening a permanent store in Berkeley. 

“It’s a profitable business,” said Waldrep. “This year, we’re still up over last year despite recent events.”  

Bounsall said the Berkeley store, which sublets its storefront from Rite Aid every August to November, was able to sell more than $30,000 in merchandise on its best-selling days.  

“In September, our sales were mainly from Cal students buying costumes for frat parties or crazy pranks,” Bounsall said. “But we made the majority of our annual sales the week before Halloween.” 

Last year, Bounsall said the Berkeley store raked in $318,000 in total gross sales.  

“Halloween appeals to a wide range of people, and it’s becoming more and more sophisticated,” said Waldrep, explaining part of the chain’s success.  

“When I was a kid, I was a hobo seven years in a row. My mom would throw me some dirty clothes and that was my costume. But kids nowadays want to glow or light up, or they want blood gushing from their costumes.” 

Bounsall added that adults get into the holiday too.  

“It’s a good excuse to get dressed up for a day and just get crazy,” she said.  

But, perhaps the biggest Halloween fans are the 25 temporary Berkeley store’s employees.  

Andy Zevallos, who had been laid off from his job in the concrete industry, said he decided to work at Halloween Headquarters to earn extra money while fulfilling one of his passions: special effects makeup. 

“I was hired to do makeup on all the employees,” said the 25-year-old. “I like making people look as gory as possible. And I like working with full facial prosthetics of any kind.” 

Waldrep said while the chain cannot compete with the prices of big box retailers, such as Target, it relies on its entertaining atmosphere to attract customers.  

“Our stores have music, flashing lights and fog machines,” he said. “The employees dress up, and customers can try-on hats and beards or whatever. People can let go and play. It’s just a fun place to be.”

League of Women Voters presents forum on race relations Saturday 

How many people of another race or ethnicity do you know so well you can talk to them about issues of race in American society without worrying that hurt feelings and misunderstandings will result? 

Not too many? 

Ever wonder why these conversations are so hard? Ever think that maybe a community’s inability to discuss these issues openly could have a lasting negative impact? 

If so, you may want to be a part of a “community conversation” this Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Rosa Parks Elementary School.  

Entitled “Confronting Racism: Finding Common Ground for Building a Stronger Community,” the daylong meeting comes after months of planning by the Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville chapter of the League of Women Voters. 

Inspired by the vision of the chapter’s new education committee chairperson, Marissa Saunders, an African-American woman and one of only about 20 minorities in the chapter’s 400-plus membership, League leaders decided this summer the time has come to confront racism head on. 

Nancy Bickel, president of the chapter, said the league has a long history of fighting for racial equality, dating from its advocacy for school integration in the years leading up to Brown vs. Board of Education (1954).  

During the chapter’s annual meeting this spring, members reaffirmed this position by making the fight to close the racial achievement gap in local schools a top priority for the year.  

But, surveying the Berkeley community (and her own organization), Bickel was dismayed by what she saw. Too many groups, committees, governing boards, et cetera were not integrated, she said, and there was very little cross-racial collaboration to address racial inequalities in the areas of education, housing or healthcare.  

No wonder there has been so little progress, Bickel thought. 

“When we were young, we thought we’d be much further along,” said Bickel, 60, a League member since 1977. “I don’t see that the situation in Berkeley schools is any better than when my kids were in the schools, and they’re 33 and 34 now.” 

Increasing activism around race 

It’s been a frustration shared by many in Berkeley in recent years. Berkeley PTA leaders organized a community conversation in 1999 to examine the question of why minority parents weren’t more active in the organization – particularly when the performance of minority students in the system was clearly a pressing issue.  

Rev. D. Mark Wilson, Ph.D. of the McGee Avenue Baptist Church, was a facilitator at that meeting. He said many African-American participants left disappointed that the meeting had not led to any concrete action plans. There was a perception among some, he said, that you “come and share your frustration but you never see anything change.” 

Last year, a group of concerned African- American parents decided to go it alone and formed the group, Parents of Children of African Descent. But after a year of pressuring the school board to do more to help struggling minority students, PCAD members decided they still weren’t being heard.  

In January, they packed a school board meeting with supporters and demanded that the board provide money to implement their own intervention program. The board approved the program, Rebound, for 50 students failing multiple classes (almost all of them African-American). 

Others have been inspired by the PCAD example. They have begun to confront the school district’s problems in starkly racial terms, breaking with what they see as a reluctance in progressive Berkeley – the first city to voluntarily desegregate its schools in 1968 – to call it like it is. 

“There is a lot of surface easiness among people in the city in terms of interaction between the races,” said Father George Crespin of St. Joseph the Worker Church. “But, when you look at Berkeley High School, the end product of the education system, its very clear that the racial groups are highly defined and pretty much segregated.” 

This summer, Crespin helped organize a community meeting in which school district leaders were invited to St. Joseph. They were asked not to speak, but to listen as Latino parents and students told how they felt the system was failing them. 

“It’s a question, I think, that no one wants to take on head on,” Crespin said. “Something is not consistent. Whenever you’re in a conversation in the Berkeley community, very quickly people get nervous and don’t want to talk about what the racial implications (of something) might be.” 

The search for dialogue 

It was against this backdrop of increasing racial activism that Saunders seized the idea of a community conversation on racism. 

Like many, Saunders, a 33-year-old single parent, entered the world of Berkeley’s racial politics by way of the school district. When the district opened City of Franklin Elementary School in 1999, Saunders transferred her daughter, then a third-grader, to the new school.  

Soon, Saunders became very involved. She worked as the school’s site coordinator, became co-president of its fledgling PTA, and joined both a Franklin budget committee and a districtwide budget committee. 

But the more involved she became in school politics, the more frustrated Saunders became with how much that system seemed to be dominated by the voices and concerns of Berkeley’s white, affluent community. 

“What I’ve seen in the couple of years that I’ve been active is that it didn’t feel like I have a voice that was even going to be heard,” Saunders said in a recent interview. “No one that is part of that structure: none of them look like me, none of them act like me, none of them think like me, and none of them can represent me. And yet they continue to make decisions for me.” 

It also seemed to Saunders that her willingness to talk openly about her race concerns sometimes lead to her being further excluded from the process.  

Despite having won the strong backing of outgoing Berkeley PTA Council President Mark Coplan last year, Saunders was prevented, on a technicality, from running in the election that would determine his successor. It turned out City of Franklin PTA did not have a formal charter, which, according to PTA bylaws, meant its members could not run for office in the Berkeley PTA Council.  

Coplan, for one, was appalled to see relatively obscure bylaws take precedence over an attempt to diversify PTA leadership.  

“For us to be inclusive, we need to start the process of looking for new leadership way before the election,” he reflected in a recent interview. 

When Saunders became the League’s Education Committee chairperson, she decided to use her new position to push for what she felt was a long-overdue discussion of racism. She wasn’t sure what such a conversation would look like, but she didn’t let that stop her.  

“It’s just something that is needed, so it will work,” she remembers thinking. 

Planning a conversation on race 

Of course, there’s an ocean that lies between saying you’re going to have a conversation on race and actually having one. 

“We’re shaking ourselves up a bit, and we’re a little nervous about what’s going to happen,” Bickel said in a planning session last month. 

But, as it turns out, leading conversations on race has become something of a cottage industry in recent years. Police, corporations and universities around the nation have hosted the conversations to build a greater sense of inclusion in their respective communities. As recently as September, the city of Richmond hosted what it hopes will be the first in a series of annual Symposiums on Racial Harmony. More than 200 people turned out to talk about ways to improve communication between Richmond’s distinct racial and ethnic communities. 

Following the lead of other conversations on race, Bickel, Saunders and other planners for the Berkeley conversation hit on the solution of hiring professional mediators to oversee the daylong meeting. It will fall to these professionals to lay down clear ground rules and help ensure that people feel “safe” expressing their feelings on the sensitive topic of race. 

The lead facilitator, Roberto Almanzán, has a wealth of experience as a diversity consultant and seminar facilitator, where he’s worked with corporations, public agencies, educational institutions and nonprofits. In an interview last week, Almanzán said his own experience on a 1993 weekend retreat made him a believer that something as seemingly simple as a conversation on race can change a person’s life.  

Almanzán was one of six men – two Latino, two black and two white – invited on the retreat. Their discussion of race and racism was filmed and became the documentary film, “The Color of Fear.” 

“That’s a powerful experience: to feel that you’ve been heard and seen for who you really are,” Almanzán said. “I don’t think we can really get past the inequality and the sense that some people have about being discriminated against unless we have these conversations.” 

In communities, as in families, there is a tendency to sweep divisive issues under the rug, Almanzán said. But wounds not brought into the open will only resurface later in the form of anger, he added. 

Simone Young, a concerned Berkeley resident who will be one of 20 small group facilitators Saturday, put it this way: “You cannot solve a historical problem in one day, but you can open up some of the pain. ... And from that you might get some understanding.” 

For many Berkeley community leaders supporting the League’s effort, there is no time like the present to bring any festering racial tensions out into the open. Darryl Moore, who represents Berkeley on the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, said if the Berkeley community doesn’t do more to reach out to minority groups and make them feel welcome, its cherished diversity could become a thing of the past. 

“Ten years from now, I guarantee if things keep going the way they are Berkeley will be less diverse,” Moore said, pointing to a recent wave of gentrification in west and south Berkeley. 

Those who want to participant in the league’s community conversation this Saturday must pre-register by calling 898-7625. Participants will divide into small groups and then into pairs to discuss their experiences with racism before being brought back into the larger group. At the end of the day, lead facilitators will talk about common themes that come out of the day’s conversations. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided for lunch. 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter addressed to the mayor and City Council: 

I am writing to congratulate you on the courageous stand Berkeley took to ask for a quick end to the bombing of Afghanistan. I wish I could have afforded to buy in Berkeley when I bought my home in Fairfield last year. Your stance makes me wish so even more. 

Likewise, even though she is not my representative, I wish I could have been in Oakland to the rally to support and thank Barbara Lee for her courageous stand in Congress. 

In this time of clamping down on freedom of expression in the name of patriotism, I am grateful for oasis of people standing up for what they believe. I am sorry to read that people who would deny us that freedom of expression are reacting to try to economically impact the city of Berkeley. I for one will try to spend money on entertainment, shopping and on eating out in Berkeley when I come to the East Bay. 

Thank you for your vote!! 

Judith Kahle 

Fairfield

LIVERMORE — Many people associate the Altamont Pass with bumper-to-bumper traffic, but a few folks have had more soothing experiences on the range separating the Bay Area and the Central Valley. 

They have spent hours gawking at ground squirrels and odd-shaped boulders, not at brake lights and jack-knifed big rigs. They have listened to screeching hawks, not screeching tires. 

Rich with wildlife and local lore, Brushy Peak is a 2,000-acre preserve a few miles north of Interstate 580. The Livermore Area Recreation and Park District leads hikes to the 1,702-foot summit. 

While the surrounding hills are dotted with power-generating wind turbines, one peak is covered with a full head of oak and buckeye trees. Tall grass and colorful wildflowers bend in persistent winds. 

“The distinction of the colors on the hill are just phenomenal,” said Dave VanWinder of Walnut Creek. “The green of the trees with the yellows on the oak and the grass — it’s like wow!” 

VanWinder recently went on one of the organized hikes, which are offered twice a month. The hike takes about four hours and includes moderately challenging climbs. But the adventure begins way before that. 

Hikers meet a park district ranger at 9 a.m., usually on a Saturday, at Robert Livermore Park. From there, they are driven deep into the Altamont and over private property. 

Cows thinking it’s feeding time usually step up to the van, while cottontail rabbits scamper around large sandstone formations that resemble something out of a Salvador Dali painting. 

Over time, those boulders — sacred to the American Indians who once lived in the area — were hollowed out by water and wind. What’s left are shallow “caves” where life literally begins and ends. 

Each spring, swallows and other birds build nests in the crevices. But one cave, sealed with concrete, serves as a tomb for onetime landowner John Elliott. 

The boulders also earned the name “post office rock” because travelers used to write letters to the next party passing through, roll them up and plug them into the porous rock. 

There’s even a rock cave that some say served as a lookout for the legendary Joaquin Murieta, the Mexican bandit with a Robin Hood reputation. 

But one tale does hold water: The boulders were a backdrop for outdoor parties in the 1960s, where hippies danced under the stars and tried to connect with the cosmos. 

The Livermore Heritage Guild has newspaper clippings and pictures of these parties, including the annual gatherings of the Brushy Peak Bohemian Club. 

But over the past two decades, things have slowed considerably. Property owners shut their gates on the hippies, and since then, the flora and fauna have flourished. 

A delicate and isolated ecosystem, Brushy Peak is home to the federally protected red-legged frog, kit fox, Alameda whipsnake and, in seasonal waterways, tiger salamanders and fairy shrimp. 

The Livermore park district owns 507 acres of Brushy Peak, namely the summit and eastern slope. The East Bay Regional Park District purchased the surrounding 1,100 acres for $3.4 million. 

And unlike other property owners in the rapidly developing Tri-Valley area who hold out for home builders, the ranchers around Brushy Peak readily sold their land to the park district at about $3,000 an acre. 

“The issue is, it’s right in the heart of a growth area,” said Bob Doyle, assistant general manager for the park district’s land-acquisition department. “What we’ve tried to do is build from Brushy Peak out, to create a buffer zone... It’s just a beautiful area.” 

Last year, the East Bay park district asked nearby residents for suggestions on public uses. A preliminary plan outlines access from Laughlin Road from the south, with picnic areas and hiking trails on the western slope. 

The district has yet to identify funds to open and maintain the park. And for now, the only public access to Brushy Peak is through the Livermore park district hikes. 

They begin at an elevation of 925 feet and ascend 777 more feet. The hike is 4 miles round-trip, and it takes about two hours to reach the top. 

Rangers recommend hikers wear sturdy boots and pack sunblock, water, a windbreaker and binoculars. Hikers should also pack a lunch; there is picnicking at the summit among corroded markers left by geological surveyors years ago. 

On a clear day, the windswept ridges boast views out to the Sierra Nevada range. But for now, the adventurous still need to make reservations. 

————— 

If You Go ... 

GETTING THERE: Robert Livermore Park, where hikes begin, can be reached by taking the Portola Avenue offramp from Interstate 580 and going south to L Street. Turn right on L, which becomes Arroyo Road. Follow Arroyo to park entrance. 

GENERAL INFORMATION: (925) 373-5700. 

TICKET INFORMATION: Call (925) 373-5700 for availability. Reservations are required. Cost for Livermore residents is $15 and for non-residents $18. Hiking groups are limited to 10 people at a time. only take 10 hikers at a time. 

ON THE NET: The Livermore Area Recreation and Park District: www.larpd.dst.ca.us 

SAN FRANCISCO — The United Nations Environment Program has awarded Huey D. Johnson the Sasakawa Environment Prize for 40 years of environmental work. 

Johnson, 62, will receive the $200,000 prize in New York next week. 

Johnson founded and is president of the Resource Renewal Institute, a San Francisco group that promotes development conserving natural resources. 

He served as state Secretary for Resources between 1978 and 1982, and is a co-founder and former president of the Trust for Public Land, a nationwide group that has conserved more than 1.3 million acres across the country.  

He also is the former western regional director of the Nature Conservancy.

Editor: 

Thank you for taking this courageous stand. Perhaps this is the beginning of some sanity in our country. It what seems to be a country gone mad with its desire to punish Afganistan, civilians as usual are put in harms way. I don't want the blood of 7 million displaced Afghan people to be on our hands and it looks like that is what will happen if things continue as they are. 

Stephen Sacks 

Fresno 

UC Berkeley Graduate 1974 

Public power measures still in doubt 

SAN FRANCISCO – About 600 ballots kept San Francisco’s elections officials from announcing final results Sunday for an election that’s stretched on for more than four days now and held the future of the city’s public power measure in the balance. 

The 600 ballots – which will determine the fate of public power Measure F – are re-makes, or ballots a scanner wasn’t able to read. Elections officials must examine each ballot separately, correct any problems and rerun the ballots through the machine. 

“There is nothing unusual about this process,” said Tammy Haygood, director of the San Francisco Department of Elections. “We have ballots not automatically read all the time in all counties. What makes this particular is that we’re in a very tight race in San Francisco, and they could make the difference.” 

The much-awaited results for Measure F and Proposition I were supposed to be announced Sunday night, but some lost faith in the Department of Elections’ promise of results. 

“I’m losing patience,” said Board of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano. “I’ve gone from being somewhat resigned to being irritable. We may get these results tonight, as they say, or it may be tomorrow morning – there’s no knowing.” 

High emotions have dominated the election after Haygood took all of the absentee ballots received in the mail on Election Day to a site away from City Hall. Haygood has defended her decision, saying it was done to prevent any anthrax scares or hoaxes. 

But Ammiano said the lack of communication within the elections department raises questions about the security, and therefore accuracy, surrounding those ballots. 

In an election rife with confusion, Measure F faces an especially close battle. Sunday afternoon results showed 64,002 votes in favor of the measure, and 64,388 against it. 

Ross Mirkarimi, the campaign manager for both measures, said that he was heartened by the results. 

“We’re inching closer,” he said. “We’re less than 386 votes away.” 

If the measures don’t pass, Mirkarimi said his camp would pursue every legal option possible, including a full re-count, to challenge the results. 

Frank Gallagher, a spokesman for the Coalition for Affordable Public Services, said his group, which opposes the two measures, wouldn’t pursue a re-count once the final results are released. 

“You have to look at how big the margin is,” he said. “Re-counting is not going to move a lot of votes.” 

The tally indicates that Proposition I may be back to the drawing board, with 64,216 votes against it and 59,874 in favor of it. 

Proposition I would have created an independent municipal utility district similar to one in Sacramento. Measure F would expand the city’s public utilities commission into a department of water and power, allowing an elected board to buy Pacific Gas and Electric Co. infrastructure to serve the city. 

Both measures, seen as a threat to PG&E’s dominance in the San Francisco power business, were fiercely criticized by PG&E and its corporate allies, such as AT&T and Pacific Telesis. Together, they spent more than $2 million on opposition campaigns, and PG&E promised legal action if the proposals won. 

“We don’t know the outcome yet, but the fact that there is no mandate – no landslide in favor of this – means that voters are unwilling to take such a drastic measure,” said PG&E spokesman Jonathan Franks. “The Pacific Gas and Electric Company didn’t create the energy crisis and drastic and costly measures such as F and I aren’t going to solve it.”

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge ruled Friday that the Bay Area’s transportation authority must increase use of public transit throughout the region. 

U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson ruled the Metropolitan Transportation Commission must increase Bay Area public transit use by 15 percent above 1983 levels. 

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by community and environmental groups in February. The groups claimed that the commission and public transportation operators, such as San Francisco’s Muni and AC Transit, were out of compliance with a transportation control measure. 

Public transportation levels now are about what they were in 1983, although the population in the area has increased, said Deborah Reames, an attorney with Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, who handled the case. 

Transportation numbers were not immediately available, and often they are controversial because they usually are based on an estimate, said Randy Rentschler, spokesman for the commission.  

No date has been set for the commission to achieve compliance. 

The commission wants to increase ridership on public transportation, but getting people out of their cars is difficult, Rentschler said. 

“We share the goals of increased ridership and more transit opportunities for everybody, (but) we don’t have a command and control economy,” he said. “People wake up every morning and choose if they want to drive their cars, ride their bikes or take public transportation.” 

The ruling is expected to help reduce pollution in the Bay Area. Cars and trucks contribute about 50 percent of the air pollution in the region, Reames said. 

“It’s not a huge amount compared to the total amount of reduction we need in the Bay Area,” she said. “The most critical thing about this is the court has made it crystal clear that the transportation control measure requires MTC and the operators to achieve the level and maintain it.” 

OAKLAND — Lew F. Galbraith Golf Course has become one of the most expensive public golf course-related projects in Bay Area history. 

Total costs are fast approaching $30 million, of which nearly $20 million comes from public funds. And the project is not scheduled to be finished until late next year or early 2003. 

On Tuesday, the Oakland Port Commission unanimously approved the last official permit to rebuild Galbraith, which will be renamed Metropolitan Golf Links and will be located near the Oakland International Airport. 

The latest series of costs at Galbraith stem from unexpected complications associated with building a new golf course on top of an old landfill. 

Harding ESE, a contractor hired by the port, originally was to be paid $5.9 million to prepare the land for the new golf course, but the company’s bill has jumped significantly in the past 15 months. Harding’s bill now stands at $7.4 million, raising the total costs of preparing the site for the golf course to $12.648 million. The port, a public agency and semiautonomous department of the city, will pay all those costs. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Richard C. Blum, the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has been appointed as Honorary Consul General of the new Mongolian Honorary Consulate General in San Francisco. 

Blum said his nomination came as a result of his interest in the Himalayan region. Blum is founder of the American Himalayan Foundation and also serves as honorary consul to the Kingdom of Nepal. 

The appointment was announced Wednesday in San Francisco by the Prime Minister of Mongolia, Nambar Enkhbayar. 

The main goal of the Honorary Consulate General will be to promote bilateral relations between Mongolia and the United States. 

Mongolia is a vast north Asian country. It peacefully abandoned its communist system in 1990 and has made the transition to a parliamentary democracy. The country’s development has been hampered by inadequate infrastructure, particularly in the energy, transportation, and communication sectors, according to the web site of the Embassy of Mongolia in Washington, D.C. 

The main Mongolian export products are mineral resources, metals, raw materials and consumer goods. The imports mainly comprise petroleum products, equipments and spare parts, vehicles, metals, chemicals, food and consumer goods.

SAN FRANCISCO — Parking spaces remained empty at the Golden Gate Bridge’s visitor center, even after the FBI said there was no credible information backing Gov. Gray Davis’ warnings last week that terrorists were potentially targeting it. 

Still, some who ventured across the bridge Tuesday said they stood by Davis’ decision and were not at all bothered by the heightened security. 

“The FBI wasn’t that good at determining credible threats the first time, so how do they know now?” said Dane Golden, while preparing to cross the bridge on his bicycle. “I can’t say if I was the governor I would do anything different. I couldn’t blame him either way. He’s got to make these tough calls.” 

Davis also defended his decision to warn of potential rush-hour terrorist attacks against four California bridges, and said he has no intention of easing security on the spans. 

“I wanted to treat Californians like adults to allow them to make the best judgment they could make, but to tell them that if they did use those bridges they would all have elaborate security,” Davis said at an economic conference in Los Angeles. “I believe I took the correct steps.” 

State officials remained on high alert, with California National Guard troops and highway patrol officers continuing to patrol the state’s major bridges Tuesday. Davis said he planned to keep them patrolling the bridge for the foreseeable future. 

“We will review the FBI’s updated assessment,” he said. “It’s not uncommon for information to change from one day to the next. It may change again. We have those bridges as secure as they have ever been.” 

National Guard specialists Lissette Renderos and Tangerine Gyi walked the Golden Gate Bridge and monitored pedestrians Tuesday, just as they have since Saturday. 

“If there’s anybody that would be thinking about doing something, they would definitely think it over,” Renderos said. “People can start leading their normal lives again without being afraid.” 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta on Tuesday said California’s bridges remain “vulnerable assets.” 

“Regardless of whether the threat was bogus or not, they are vulnerable, critical infrastructure to all of us,” Mineta said. 

Two National Guard troops and a Humvee vehicle were posted around-the-clock Tuesday at each end of San Francisco’s Golden Gate and Bay bridges, the Vincent Thomas Bridge at the Port of Los Angeles and San Diego’s Coronado Bridge. 

“At this point, that’s what we’re doing — staying in place,” said National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Charles “Terry” Knight. 

The California Highway Patrol will have the final say on when the National Guard can stand down from the bridges, said Eric Lamoureux, a spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. 

Davis announced last Thursday that federal officials had “credible evidence” that terrorists might be targeting the four California bridges during the following few days. 

The governor was sharply criticized for publicizing the threat, which the FBI said was uncorroborated and should have not been released to the public. 

On Tuesday, the FBI said in an advisory to law enforcement agencies that the threat to the bridges was not credible. 

But Bill Swift and his wife Ellen Painter didn’t mind the warnings. They flew to San Francisco from Jasper, Ga., as an act of patriotism in spite of the heightened security and the Sept. 11 attacks. 

“He’s the governor, but he is a person, too,” Painter said before walking across the bridge. “We’re a little scared but it didn’t stop us from coming.” 

A warning of an “uncorroborated” threat against West Coast suspension bridges was passed on last Wednesday to law enforcement nationwide as well as 1,700 members of InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and private companies. Many of these companies then shared the information with their employees. 

The initial warning was based on information provided by U.S. Customs officials, said Matthew McLaughlin, a spokesman for the FBI in Los Angeles. 

FBI agents conducting their own investigation determined there was no realistic threat to the bridges, he said. 

But the public at large didn’t know about the threat until Davis made his announcement Thursday, saying it was based on “credible” information. That surprised federal officials, who nevertheless supported Davis’ decision to warn Californians. 

“Coming from him, I just didn’t believe it. He’s a potential presidential candidate and a showboater,” said Bill Freed, who frequently crosses the Vincent Thomas Bridge. “You don’t change your daily patterns on something as far-fetched as that, especially when you hear it from Gov. Gray Davis.” 

——— 

Associated Press writers Justin Pritchard in San Francisco, Seth Hettena in San Diego, Gary Gentile in Los Angeles, John Solomon in Washington, D.C., and Don Thompson and Alexa Haussler in Sacramento contributed to this report.