Charles Ramsey may face an uphill battle for the 14th District Assembly seat — especially in Berkeley, where his opponent Loni Hancock (former Berkeley Mayor) is almost a household name. But no one would have guessed it from the turnout and enthusiasm at the Democratic candidate’s reception on Saturday morning.  

Present at Ramsey’s University Avenue campaign headquarters were both Mayor Shirley Dean and Vice-Mayor Maudelle Shirek — the endorsements of both showed his appeal transcended traditional political divisions, he said. 

Dean introduced Ramsey to about 50 enthusiastic supporters, most of whom were heading out to go on precinct walks on behalf of the candidate. 

“This is going to be a tough campaign,” Dean said. “Loni Hancock is well-known in Berkeley. That’s why we have to turn out every single vote — children, the dead, everyone.” 

“We’ve been told that Ms. Hancock, if elected, is going to be involved in local politics. She’s going to be on the side that — doesn’t include me,” Dean added. 

Ramsey was born at Herrick Hospital and attended Berkeley schools throughout childhood. But even still he had given up on campaigning in Berkeley assuming it would automatically go to Hancock — due to her long tenure in Berkeley city politics. But Dean convinced him not to give up. 

“I’ll be damned if we let Berkeley go to someone other than us!” Ramsey shouted, to great applause. 

Later he said endorsements by Dean and Shirek were telling of his political vision. “I’m going to unify Berkeley,” he said. “I’m going to bring all different kinds of people together to the table.” 

He said one of his top priorities was education, and that his well-regarded service on the board of the West Contra Costa Unified School District was the foundation of his campaign. 

“We’re going to take it from the schoolhouse to the statehouse,” he said. 

Ramsey also used the occasion to announce the key political endorsement of Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante. 

Among those in attendance Saturday morning were Councilmember Betty Olds, Planning Commissioners Susan Wengraf and David Tabb, Berkeley School Board president Shirley Issel, Zoning Adjustments Board member Mike Issel and Jerome Wiggins, Alameda County Board of Education trustee. 

Wiggins, who said that he had “dual-endorsed” Ramsey and Hancock, also drove up to the hills to attend the Hancock fundraiser later that afternoon. 

Issel said that while both candidates have strong education credentials, her sensibilities were more in line with Ramsey’s. 

“I think that Berkeley needs to leave the 60s and move into the 21st century,” she said. “Ramsey’s the guy to take us there.” 

Hancock is a founding member of Berkeley Citizens Action, the principal “progressive” political club in the city, which was formed in the early 70s. 

Several Ramsey supporters thought it unjust that the Northern California delegation in Sacramento has no black members. 

“The so-called progressives in Berkeley are always talking about diversity,” said Olds. “Well, here’s there chance to support it.” 

Frank Davis, Jr., president of the Berkeley Black Property Owners Association, said that he supported Ramsey “not because he’s black, but because he’s fair.” 

“He’s not bogged down with this crazy left-wing, rent control thing,” Davis said. 

Reverend Mark Wilson, pastor of the McGee Avenue Baptist Church said that he has seen how important personal relationships are to Ramsey. 

“Political leadership has to do with the way you connect with people,” he said.  

The 14th Assembly District includes Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette and parts of Oakland. The primary election will be held on March 5.

Editor:  

In last Thursday’s (Jan. 24) Daily Planet there was an article titled “Students Want a Seat on City Council.” 

If students want more involvement in City politics, where have they been all year? Each time I attend a City Council meeting I scan the Council Chambers for U.C. students, thinking that evolution can’t do its thing without them. But rarely do I find them. Last Tuesday’s public hearing (Jan. 22) on the Public Safety tower was no exception. There were lots of people who live near the tower, but no students wishing to represent their or anyone else’s point of view. Probably they don’t even know that the l70-foot police tower is going to zap us all, near or far, student or no, with more hazardous microwaves. Never mind that the Macro Corporation, whom the city hired to study the tower (and the only entity allowed to apply for the consulting position), says microwaves are harmless. If the Macros really had wanted to get to the truth about microwaves, they could have tried www.microwavenews.com, or www. EMRNetwork.org for starters. 

Paul Brodeur’s wonderfully informative book “The Zapping of America” can still be found on many library shelves.  

Why are students so disinterested in the subject of their own survival? Consider the cell phone. How can students or anyone else blindly trust industry cell phone studies when it is clear that such short-term studies are useless? Radiation emissions from cell phones and cell phone towers have essentially the same negative impacts on living organisms as do the emissions from the police tower. Because of student addiction to the cell phone (which stimulates endorphins in the brain, making them addictive), dangerous microwave-emitting cell towers may soon be installed on Berkeley apartment houses or on telephone poles only six feet from bedroom windows. I personally would not want anyone to represent me on City Council who passed with flying colors the class Extinction l0lA, for which cell phone use is the only requirement.  

On the other hand, hats off for those in council last Tuesday, Dona.Spring and Kriss Worthington, who nixed turning on the police tower (Mayor Shirley Dean was out of town) in spite of city pressure to turn it on. It’s difficult to imagine anyone voting for the tower after listening to Erica Etelson, a lawyer and a member of the neighborhood group there protesting the tower. She reported that 10 days before, a court in Spain had ordered the removal of a cell phone tower near a school where four children had been diagnosed with leukemia in the 18 months since the tower was erected. And in Summerland, (near Santa Barbara), the fire department is suing Nextel to remove wireless antennae installed on their station house a few years ago, because the firefighters began suffering grogginess, confusion, sleep disorders, and other mental problems soon after the antennae were installed. Yet Etelson’s words were ignored by most of council.  

What’s more, the tower is not even legal, since its erection sidestepped Berkeley public processes. 

Apologies are not enough; the tower should come down.  

ÜC students will have a second chance on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m., to sharpen their survival skills at council.  

Their support would be most welcome. Sadly, however, if they do come Tuesday they will come, like the rest of us, with the risk of being ignored by most of our City Council... . 

Kate Bernier 

Berkeley

Tuesday, Feb. 5

Do War and Justice Mix? 

5:30 p.m. 

Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 

Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd. 

The Center for Ethics and Social Policy presents Dr. Martin Cook, professor of ethics at the U.S. Army War College, discussing just war theory and the modern political climate. Free and open to the public. 549-5060. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6

Get Connected: The Magic of Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Copwatch 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Copwatch Office 

2022 Blake St. 

Know Your Rights Training, learn what your rights are and how to watch the police effectively and safely. 548-0425. 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government – The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology.” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Planting Rice, Harvesting Slaves:  

Generational and Gendered Struggles on the Upper Guinea Coast in the Era of the Atlantic Slave Trade 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level “C” 

A talk by Walter Hawthorne of Ohio University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Relationship Seminar 

7 - 9 p.m. 

First Presbyterian Church of Alameda 

2001 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda 

A four session seminar, Wednesdays, Feb. 6 - 27, on developing and deepening healthy interpersonal relationships. 522-1477. 

Thursday, Feb. 7

Help Put an End to the  

Sanctions Against Haiti 

4:30 p.m. 

Federal Building 

1301 Clay St., Oakland 

A vigil with music and speakers. 483-7481, haitiaction@yahoo.com.  

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Why I Quit the Livermore Nuclear Labs 

6 - 8 p.m. 

UC Berkeley, 155 Dwinelle 

Dr. Andreas Toupadakis presents a lecture on U. S. Foreign Policy leading up to 9/11 and its effects on global security. UCBNOW@hotmail.com. 

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft 

Vigil urging the end of Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza. 548-6310, wibberkeley.org.  

Middendorf Breath Workshop 

6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

Middendorf Breath Institute 

830 Bancroft Way, #104 (the corner of Bancroft and Sixth St.) 

The Institute staff will conduct a day and a half Breath and Movement Workshop. Workshop fee is $100. 981-1710, www.breathexperience.com 

Saturday, Feb. 9

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

Afro-Centric Thoughts in Process Workshop 

3 p.m. 

Black Repertory Group 

3201 Adeline St. 

Black Consciousness for and about Africans born in America, also celebrating knowledge beginning with the birth of human life in Africa six million years ago. 652-2120 or 841-0392. 

Black History Month Rally 

2 p.m. 

Frank Ogawa City Hall Plaza, 14th & Broadway, Oakland 

Berkeley High School 

Men’s Crew Team  

Annual Ergathon Fund Raiser 

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Civic Center Park 

BHS is the only public school on the West Coast offering crew to its students. Less than 2 percent of the team’s annual budget comes from the BHS Athletic Department. 559-3179, jldulay@attbi.com. 

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers Fund Raiser  

6 p.m. 

Kensington Youth Hut 

59 Arlington Ave., Kensington 

19th Annual dinner and fund raiser for the nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation and education in flyfishing. 524-0428. 

Valentine-Making Workshop 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Albany Library  

1247 Marin Ave., Albany 

The Albany Library is sponsoring a Valentine-Making Workshop, make one to keep and one to donate to Meals on Wheels. 526-3720 x19. 

Sunday, Feb. 10

Salsa Dance Party and Lesson 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Novices are welcomed, and nobody is required to bring a partner. $12. 508-4616, ronniematisalsa@yahoo.com 

924 Gilman Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; Feb. 10: Tragedy, Tragetelo, Born/Dead, 5 p.m.; Feb. 15: One Time Angels, Eleventeen, Audiocrush, Counterfit, Bikini Bumps; Feb. 16: Iron Vegan, Nigel Peppercock, Lost Goat, Iron Lung, Depressor; Feb. 22: Oppressed Logic, Deface, Edddie Haskells, Throat Oyster; Feb. 23: From Ashes Arise, Artimus Pyle, Brainoil, Down in Flames, Dystrophy, Scholastic Deth; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

The Albatross Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Feb. 5: Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen; Feb. 6: Bob Schoen Jazz Quintet; Feb. 7: Tina Marzell; Feb. 8: Anna & Ellen Hoffman, Hideo Date; Feb. 9: Robin Gregory, Ducksan Distones; Feb. 10: Choro Time; Feb. 11: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keyes; Feb. 12 Singers Open Mic; Feb. 13: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Feb. 14: Graham Richards Jazz Quartet; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Ashkenaz Feb. 5: 9 p.m., Danubius, $8; Feb. 6: 8 p.m., Zydeco Flames, $8; Feb. 7: 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite w/ Digital Dave, $5; Feb. 8: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums, $11; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m. Don Carlos, Reggae Angels, $15; 1317 San Pablo Ave., 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Feb. 6: Sisterz of The Underground, $5; Feb. 7: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; Feb. 8: Mission, Psychokinetics, $7; Feb. 9: Delfino, Lost Coast Band, $5; Feb. 10: Medusa & Feline Science, $8; Feb. 11: The Steve Gannon Band, Mz. Dee, $4; Feb. 12: Planting Seeds, Shady Lady, $8; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Cato’s Ale House Feb. 6: Christopher Gamper Trio; Feb. 10: Ben Bonham and Jimmy Sweetwater; Feb. 13: Irish Session; Feb. 17: Phillip Greenlief Trio; Feb. 20: Anton Schwartz Trio; Feb. 24: Blue and Tan; Feb. 27: Vince Wallace Trio 

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

Jupiter Feb. 6: Alias Smith; Feb. 7: Spectraphonic; Feb. 8: Mushroom; Feb. 9: Mulabaka; Feb. 13: Avrahams Soul Explosion; Feb. 14: Spectraphonic; Feb. 15: Forest Sun; Feb. 16: Michael Bluestien Trio; Feb. 20: Joshi Marshall Duo; Feb. 21: Spectraphonic; Feb. 22: Ben Graves Group; Feb. 23: Brenden Millstein Quartet; Feb. 27: J Steinkoler Duo; Feb. 28: Spectraphonic; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Live Oak Concerts Feb. 10: Judy Phillips, Howard Kadis, $10; Feb. 15: Merlin Coleman with Dan Cantrell, Darren Johnson and Ron Heglin, $10; Feb. 16: Marvin Sanders, Karen Ande, JungHae Kim, $12; All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., 644-6893. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

“John Glennon and Erika March” Feb. 24: 5 p.m., A program of French music including the works of Francois Couperin, Chambonnieres, and Muffat. $15 - $18. MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda, 528-1685 

“Cosi Fan Tutte” Feb. 22 through Mar. 3: The Berkeley Opera will perform Mozart’s classic opera. $10 - $30. Call for specific dates and times. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. 841-103, www.berkeleyopera.com 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

Oakland Magic Circle hosts its 34th annual Installation Banquet and Stage show, Feb. 5: 7 p.m. Dinner, 8 p.m. Show, Dick Newton, Timothy James, Peter Winch, Dan X. Solo, $20 Adults, $15 Children; Bjornson Hall, 2258 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 420-0680. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

“Human Nature” Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.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. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Feb. 1: 7:30 p.m., Full Moon in Paris; 9:30 p.m., Pauline at the Beach; Feb 2: 7 p.m., Summer; 9 p.m., Boyfriends and Girlfriends; Feb 3: 3 p.m., A Witch in the Family; 5:30 p.m., Erotikon; 7:30 p.m., Johan; Feb. 4: 3 p.m., Hallelujah; 7 p.m., Women in Love; Feb. 5: 7:30 p.m., From the Pole to the Equator; Feb. 6: 3 p.m., The Last Laugh; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 4; Feb. 8: 7:15 p.m., A Summer’s Tale; 9:30 p.m., A Tale of Springtime; Feb. 9: 7 p.m., A Tale of Winter; 9:15 p.m., Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” 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.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Through Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

“The Image of Evil in Art” Feb. 7 through May 31: An exhibit exploring the varying depictions of the devil in art. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2541. 

“The Pottery of Ocumichu” Feb. 7 through May 31: A case exhibit of the imaginative Mexican pottery made in the village of Ocumichu, Michoacan. Known particularly for its playful devil figures, Ocumichu pottery also presents fanciful everyday scenes as well as religious topics. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2540 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Shambhala Booksellers Feb. 3: 7 p.m., William Peterson will read from his latest book “Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris 1990-1994”. Free. 242 Telegraph Ave., 848-8443 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Boadecia’s Books Feb. 9: 7:30 p.m., Loolwa Khazzoom reads from her new book “Conseqence: Beyond Resisting Rape” which takes a street savy look at street harassment. The evening will include a screening of the film “War Zone” and several spoken word presentations. Free. 398 Colusa, Kensington, 595-4642 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

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; $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. 

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. - 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.  

Oakland Museum of California Feb. 14: 1 p.m., Diane Curry shares her experiences researching photographic archives for the history of Oakland, free; Feb. 17: 12 - 4 p.m., A family program in which artists engage families in creative projects inspired by the work of California African American artists; 2 - 3 p.m., Artist Raymond Howell discusses his creative process and artistic techniques. $6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID. 10th & Oak St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

Two nearly identical resolutions supporting Claremont spa workers in their classic, labor/corporate battle will surface at tonight’s City Council meeting — one by Mayor Shirley Dean and the other by Councilmember Linda Maio. 

Maio’s name, too, has been surfacing as the progressive’s best chance at Dean’s seat in November, but as of yet she has not announced her intentions. Labor endorsements will likely be key in November’s citywide election. 

“The official resolution that would result from this would be a combination of the two,” said Dean.  

She added there was “absolutely” nothing political about her decision to ink a resolution condemning Claremont Resort and Spa for several alleged anti-union activities —including the recent suspension of four employees.  

And the support from city council on either side of the table is much appreciated, said Stephanie Ruby, the secretary treasurer of Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union Local 2850, AFL-CIO.  

“They have totally tried to abuse and misuse the tragic events of Sept. 11th., pointing to it being a financial hardship and reason for not paying their workers living wages,” Ruby said. “But this is the same company that after Sept. 11th spent $150 million in buying a resort in La Costa.” 

“Claremont Spa has launched an anti-union campaign and here is the community and the political power structure saying ‘Especially in these times there shouldn’t have to be a fight.’  

They are the outsider in all this. The community is clearly saying ‘you can’t pay people poverty wages. You can’t walk all over other people’s rights to free speech and right to organize,” she added. 

Ruby said the workers have not voted to go on strike but are gearing up for a huge picket line rally on Valentines Day at Claremont, and that she anticipates a long, grueling battle ahead. 

Claremont General Manager Todd Shallan and Spa Manager David Nelson were unavailable yesterday for a comment but the company is soon expected to release a public statement in response to Council’s proposed resolution. 

“They have not been responsive so far,” Dean said. “I’ve received one letter from them — it didn’t explain anything — it just said they hoped I would look at both sides of the story.” 

Oakland Vice Mayor Jane Brunner, a labor and employment attorney, said she too thinks the union and their members are in store for a long, hard battle with Claremont management. 

“After suspending the workers for handing out leaflets — that indicated to me that this was going to be a hard fight,” Brunner said.  

Brunner says she too will soon ink a resolution to support spa workers and expects it will pass with little difficulty in Oakland. Oakland is still trying to agree upon the language and the perimeters of that resolution. But she says she would encourage extreme caution before throwing around words like strike and picket line because they pose added risk for the employees. 

“We’re showing that we support the workers being able to unionize,” Brunner said. “In a union struggle I don’t think we have anything, in particular, we can do to shut them down. Basically, you have to use your office to do a few things — take a stand, mediate a resolution. If we were subsidizing a project, we would have more control.  

Brunner said Claremont’s tactics come as no real surprise to her.  

This happens all the time,” Brunner said. “It’d not good — but it is typical.” 

Contact reporter: 

devona@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

Editor: 

Allow me to second Tom McHenry's suggestion that the "latest reinvention of Berkeley politics" the Berkeley Party, should be called the Nimby Party. For the vague and harmless sounding platitudes of this group masks a specific and bizarre agenda: Keep Everyone Away and Don't Change Anything. 

The comments of their leaders saying the city should "discourage development" and "We've done our growth" underscores their NIMBY agenda, and reminds one of the simplistic nativist movements of another century. 

Their assertion that, if we could just stop development-- everything would be fine, underscores their indifference to the plight of students, renters, workers, and the many others looking to cope with the housing woes of Berkeley. 

I am all too familiar with their program, having battled both their Mr. Muir and Ms. Olson on various affordable housing projects throughout the city. 

It appears that the Berkeley Party would like to deal with the complex issues of affordable housing, congestion, and economic development by putting gates at the city limits to keep others away, and stopping everything else inside. It is a rather strange platform for a City with an illustrious history of embracing and initiating change. 

Patrick Kennedy 

Panoramic Interests 

Berkeley 

The city’s cab drivers, as a result of the new Taxi Ordinance, which went into effect on Jan. 1, are now required to take a course in sensitivity at their own expense. 

Bill Hancock, former San Francisco cab driver who now owns Flag-A-Cab Taxi School, addressed about 25 skeptical cab drivers, most who did not speak fluent English, and asked them to define a word. 

“What does sensitivity mean?” he asked of each of the drivers. 

“Being patient,” one said. “Listening carefully,” another said. “Not getting mad when an old lady hits you with her cane,” yet another said. 

Hancock said all of responses were elements of sensitivity.  

“But the key is being a good listener,” he said. “Cab drivers and bartenders are the unpaid psychologists of the world.” 

The drivers had taken the afternoon off and paid $25 to participate in a two-hour sensitivity training course now required by the city’s new Taxi Ordinance. The ordinance requires all drivers for the 44 cab companies that serve Berkeley to take the course. 

The training session, which was held on the sixth floor of the Civic Center, gave the drivers tips about appropriate behavior with customers who use wheelchairs, walkers, hearing aids and seeing-eye dogs. The course also covered appropriate terminology for a variety of disabilities. 

The City Council approved the new ordinance, which was recommended by the Commission on Aging, in September after hearing from numerous senior citizens who told stories of bad treatment by cab drivers. Seniors spoke of missing doctor appointments because of cabs that never showed up, others told of waiting for hours in front of super markets with bags of groceries, and others said they avoided using cabs simply because the drivers were rude. 

The primary problem, both riders and drivers agreed, was that the city’s $220,000 Taxi Scrip Program, which provides taxi vouchers to the disabled and residents who are 70 or older, was not fully reimbursing cab drivers for their time. 

“Before the ordinance was approved, the city was deducting 10 percent of the top of the fare when the drivers exchanged the scrip,” Commissioner on Aging Maris Arnold said. “In addition to that, the cab company owners were taking a cut.” 

Arnold said the drivers, who rely on their daily fares and tips for expenses, would have to wait up to a month to receive the devalued fare. 

Since the ordinance went into effect, drivers now receive full fare for the taxi vouchers, which they can redeem each week at the City of Berkeley Finance Customer Service Center. In addition, the drivers are paid a minimum of $5 for each scrip rider they transport. 

And some scrip riders are saying the service has increased with the pay scale. 

“We’ve heard that the drivers have gotten better,” Aronld said. “We’re not hearing those terrible stories any longer.” 

But despite reports of better service, drivers are still required to take the sensitivity training at their own expense and some were not too happy about it.  

“I agree that a lot of the cab drivers need polishing but it’s not going to happen here,” said cab driver Toni Guglielmi, a 20-year veteran. “I think this is just the city covering its butt.” 

Hancock, who primarily conducts training courses in San Francisco where drivers are required to take a four-day course, said drivers aren’t always happy about the training at first but most end up saying that it was valuable.  

“90 percent of cab drivers in the industry today are from another country,” he said. “And it’s not fair to them or the public they serve to just give them a cab and let them loose on a city without any training.” 

Arnold agreed. “I know the cab drivers often feel like their getting a raw deal but I don’t think a little sensitivity training is going to hurt them,” she said. 

But Guglielmi, who said she has never turned down a senior or disabled customer, remained skeptical about the training.  

“Maybe we should have a sensitivity training for customers,” she said. “As drivers we’re sensitive, too. We’re sensitive to being paid with bad credit cards, we’re sensitive to customers running off without paying and we’re sensitive to being robbed.” 

Editor: 

I think the Berkeley public safety radio tower looks nice, and I'm amazed at how many people hate it. We might be glad it's there, guiding emergency crews, when some disaster strikes Berkeley. 

Now we’re being warned about radiation danger. This is physics, not aesthetics.  

A form can offend the eye, and the printed word can affect thought. But radio waves can't do much to a human body unless they deposit enough energy. Police and fire calls put out something like light bulbs.  

The major component of any radio receiver is an amplifier, because the energy in the signals is so low. 

And the police and fire don't transmit all the time like a TV station. 

I just don't see the danger. And that's physics, not aesthetics. 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley

Wednesday night, the Board of Education will vote on a controversial shift in district policy that would reduce the number of students it allows into the school system from outside Berkeley on “inter-district permits.” 

The item under consideration is Board Policy 5117, which lays out general guidance on inter-district permits. If approved, the policy would make school capacity the top consideration in determining whether to accept a transfer student. 

At its Jan. 23 meeting, the board approved a $50,000 contract with California Financial Services, which will determine the capacity of each school in the district.  

The policy change would affect students from neighboring communities attempting to enter the system for the first time and those already in the system on inter-district permits, who are looking to move from elementary school to middle school, or from middle school to high school. 

Board members say they support the policy change to address overcrowding concerns, particularly at Berkeley High School, which currently enrolls 3,055 students, including 239 inter-district transfers. 

“It’s a crowded campus, anyway you look at it,” said board member John Selawsky. 

But board and community members have raised several concerns about the proposed policy shift.  

Selawsky and fellow board member Terry Doran, while generally supportive of the change, argue that middle school students currently on inter-district permits, who may be expecting to attend Berkeley High School, should be exempt from the new policy. 

Others have raised concerns about the fiscal impact of the change and debated its possible effect on student safety. 

Currently, 568 students, or six percent of the total, are in the Berkeley schools on permits – 202 on the elementary school level, 127 in middle school and 239 at Berkeley High School. The district admits students for a variety of reasons, from accommodating the children of district employees, to winning more state funding, which is allocated on a per-pupil basis.  

The board will not consider the actual details of the policy, the administrative regulations that will guide its implementation, for several weeks. But those details, which could include the exemption proposed by Selawsky and Doran, are likely to come up for debate Wednesday night.  

“I believe we do have an implicit commitment to students we’ve let into our middle schools to (go to) the high school,” said Doran. 

Doran said he was particularly concerned about eighth graders, who may not have time, at this point in the year, to make alternative arrangements. Selawsky echoed Doran, and said he would seek to extend the exemption to current seventh-graders as well. 

Shirley Issel, president of the board, said it would be painful to deny transfer students access to the high school. “There are so many terrific kids here on permits...and it would be a tremendous loss to lose them,” she said. 

But, Issel said she would not support the exemption for current eighth graders. “I have to be focused first on our obligations to Berkeley residents and their kids,” she said, arguing that the overcrowding issue needs immediate attention. 

Issel added that she does not believe that middle school parents, with children on inter-district permits, are expecting their kids to be admitted to the high school.  

“I think people understand there’s going to be annual review,” she said. 

But, several parents reached by the Daily Planet said the district has always sent the message that a student, once in the system, could expect to stay in that system through high school, barring any significant behavioral problems. 

“We assumed they would get in because we were told they would get in,” said Earl Thomas, a Kensington resident, discussing his two children, who moved from King Middle School to BHS. 

Thomas said the current crop of eighth graders should be allowed to attend BHS. 

Another issue that surfaces around inter-district permits is student safety. Laura Menard, a BHS parent who is active on safety issues, says there is a perception in the community that students from outside the district, whether here on a permit, or using a false Berkeley address, are responsible for some of the violence at the schools. But, as Menard notes, the district has not collected any data on the topic.  

“That’s been batted around for awhile,” said Selawsky, referring to the perception that students from outside the district have caused trouble at the schools, “but we don’t have the information.” 

Selawsky said he suspects that students from Berkeley are responsible for some of the violence. 

Another issue is the fiscal impact of the policy. Historically, the district has welcomed students on inter-district permits because the state provides funding on a per pupil basis. But, Superintendent Michele Lawrence says she believes that the cost of educating a high school student may outweigh the state funds that student brings to the district. 

The district has not yet conducted a fiscal analysis to buttress Lawrence’s theory. 

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2002. There are 329 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 5, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of Supreme Court justices; critics charged Roosevelt was attempting to “pack” the court. 

On this date: 

In 1631, the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, and his wife arrived in Boston from England. 

In 1783, Sweden recognized the independence of the United States. 

In 1881, Phoenix, Ariz., was incorporated. 

In 1887, Verdi’s opera “Otello” premiered at La Scala. 

In 1917, Congress passed, over President Wilson’s veto, an immigration act severely curtailing the influx of Asians. 

In 1917, Mexico’s constitution was adopted. 

In 1958, Gamel Abdel Nasser was formally nominated to become the first president of the new United Arab Republic. 

In 1962, French President Charles De Gaulle called for Algeria’s independence. 

In 1981, a military jury in North Carolina convicted Marine Pfc. Robert Garwood of collaborating with the enemy while a prisoner of war in Vietnam. 

In 1994, white separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, Miss., of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963, and was immediately sentenced to life in prison. (Beckwith died Jan. 21, 2001, at age 80.) 

Ten years ago: The House of Representatives authorized an investigation into whether the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign conspired with Iran to delay release of the American hostages. (The task force investigating the “October Surprise” allegations later said it found no credible evidence of such a conspiracy.) 

Five years ago: Switzerland’s “Big Three” banking giants announced they would create a $71 million fund for Holocaust victims and their families. Investment bank Morgan Stanley announced a $10 billion merger with Dean Witter. U.S. Ambassador Pamela Harriman died in Paris at age 76. 

One year ago: Four disciples of Osama bin Laden went on trial in New York in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa. (The four were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.) Flanked by a jumbo refund-check stage prop, President George W. Bush asked Americans to get behind his proposed tax cuts. A disgruntled former factory worker killed five people, including himself, at an engine plant near Chicago. 

Today’s Birthdays: Comedian-actor Red Buttons is 83. The Rev. Andrew M. Greeley is 74. Country singer Claude King is 69. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron is 68. Actor Stuart Damon is 65. Financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn is 63. Television producer-writer Stephen J. Cannell is 61. Actor David Selby is 61. Singer-songwriter Barrett Strong is 61. Football Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach is 60.

With energy issues back in the headlines again, the city’s Energy Office is busy answering questions about energy conservation measures, and helping Berkeley residents and businesses comply with energy conservation regulations. Some questions, however, are of a broader nature and illustrate people’s growing interest and concern for just what all our energy consumption is doing to the planet. 

To help shed some light on a few of these issues, take this quiz to test your energy impact knowledge.  

Information was compiled from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Energy, the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the World Watch Institute, and the California Energy Commission. 

1. The average household uses _____ percent of their electricity for electric lighting: 

a. 15% 

b. 20% 

c. 40% 

2. A compact fluorescent lamp (bulb) use ____ less energy than an incandescent bulb with the same brightness: 

a. 25% 

b. 75% 

c. 35% 

3. Carbon dioxide (CO2 – a greenhouse gas) levels have increased by _____ percent since the Industrial Revolution (about 1785): 

a. 5% 

b. 30% 

c. 12% 

4. An average 32-gallon household trash container creates ____ pounds of CO2 equivalent: 

a. 320 lbs. 

b. 32 lbs. 

c. 3.2 lbs. 

5. Burning a single gallon of gasoline creates ____ CO2. : 

a. 6 oz. 

b. 20 lbs. 

c. 12 oz. 

6. The United States has about 4% of the earth’s population, and uses ____ of the world’s non-renewable energy resources (oil, natural gas, coal): 

a. 25% 

b. 13% 

c. 4% 

7. Every year the amount of heat energy lost through un-insulated homes in the U.S. is equivalent to: 

a. two Super tankers of oil. 

b. the amount of oil shipped through the Alaskan Pipeline for one year. 

c. the amount of oil used in New Jersey for one heating season. 

8. During 2001, Californians reduced their electric energy use by:  

a. 9% 

b. 12%  

c. 4% 

9. In its 7- to 10-year lifetime, a single compact fluorescent lamp will save approximately ___ in energy costs: 

a. $42.00 

b. $61.00 

c. $78.00 

10. In one year, a leaky toilet wastes _____ gallons of water. 

a. 50  

b. 500 

c. 22,000 

Answers  

1: C, 40%. This number will decrease as more compact fluorescent lamps are used in homes. 

2: B, 75% less energy, and therefore, cost 75% less to use. 

3: B, 30%. Carbon dioxide is a significant contributor to global warming, which is related to the 4- to 10-inch rise in sea levels over the last century. 

4.: A, 320 pounds of carbon dioxide-equivalent is produced from each 32 gallon can of household trash produced. To reduce your household trash, compost kitchen scraps and yard waste, recycle all paper, glass and cans, and avoid purchasing products with plastic packaging. 

5: B, 20 lbs. of CO2 is produced from each gallon of gasoline. The overall effect is that the atmosphere will be burned off before all the world’s fossil fuels could ever be burned. To reduce the amount of gasoline you use, keep your vehicle well maintained, keep tires properly inflated, or avoid driving completely and use public transportation. 

6: A, 25% The United States uses one-quarter of the earth’s available energy. We are the greatest consumers of energy, and therefore the greatest polluters. 

7: B, the amount shipped annually through the Alaskan Pipeline. If homes were properly insulated with ceiling, wall and floor insulation, there would be a dramatic decrease in the amount of energy needed, and therefore less pressure to drill for oil in wilderness environments. 

8: B, 12% less electricity was used in California overall in 2001. This value combines commercial, industrial and residential sectors. 

9: C, $78.00 dollars can be saved for each compact fluorescent lamp used at current electricity rates. This amount would increase as rates increase. 

10: C, 22,000 gallons of water are wasted each year by a single leaky toilet. Wasted water contributes to drought and electricity shortages, since water is used to produce hydroelectric power. A leak of just one drop per second will waste 2,400 gallons of water. 

To learn more about energy costs and impacts, visit the city of Berkeley’s Energy Office Web site at www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/ENERGY.  

A series of free energy lectures sponsored by the City and by the Energy Commission will be held on Mondays in February and March at the Berkeley Adult School, at the corner of University Ave and Bonar St. starting at 7 p.m. Please call 510-981-5435 or e-mail: energy@ci. berkeley.ca.us to reserve your space. Lecture topics are posted on the Energy Office Web site. 

Alice La Pierre is an energy analyst for the City of Berkeley. This column appears as a public service on the first and third Tuesday of the month.

Orange pedestrian flags are being stolen 

BERKELEY — Thieves seem to be collecting the bright orange flags intended to help protect pedestrians cross dangerous intersections in Berkeley. 

About half of the 1,000 flags that the city of Berkeley bought last month to help drivers see people crossing the street have been stolen. 

Still, city crews have been refilling flag-holding canisters at four busy locations. Reh-Lin Chen, the city traffic engineer who helped set up the flag program, said he hopes to buy 2,000 more flags — at a little more than $1 each — for the program, which will include flags at three other intersections within six months. 

The flags failed to prevent an accident last month — just two days after Berkeley began the program — when Susan T. Wood, with flag in hand, was struck and injured by a Jeep. She escaped major injury. 

Man shot to death in  

Richmond 

RICHMOND — Police are investigating the killing of a Richmond man, who was shot to death Sunday morning after an argument. 

After responding to reports of gunshots at Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street around 10:30 a.m., police found Jamario Jajuan Washington, 22, suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body. 

Washington was transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Richmond, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, said Richmond Police Sgt. Enos Johnson. 

Police cordoned off Pennsylvania Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets following the shooting to gather evidence. 

Police said they had no suspects. The police department was considering offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the slaying, Johnson said. 

Johnson would not comment on how many times Washington had been shot or if anyone witnessed the shooting. 

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Three members of Oakland’s Citizen Police Review Board have resigned amid frustration with long-winded meetings and what they perceive as slow progress to improve the situation. 

Sylvester Grigsby, whose term doesn’t expire until 2003, said the major reason he resigned was the amount of time required of him. His last day will be Feb. 15. 

Grigsby said he hopes the board will develop a training document for potential board members so they will know exactly what the commitments are. 

“I know I came on during the big transition, but I didn’t know what was expected of me. If people have to learn by chance it becomes very frustrating,” Grigsby said. 

Peter Kassel resigned at the Jan. 24 meeting of the police review board, announcing he had “had enough.” He also handed in a resignation letter for Daisy Jin Yan, who was absent. 

More changes are expected by Feb. 15, when the terms of four other board members expire. The mayor has not yet selected replacements, although he has a list of candidates on his desk and will “definitely be appointing people by the Feb. 15 deadline,” said spokeswoman Erica Harrold. 

SAN JOSE — The results are in from the digital video recorder set: Britney Spears beat the men on the field in the Super Bowl instant replay department. 

While millions of Americans watched the annual pro football championship, TiVo Inc. was monitoring the viewing habits of 10,000 of its 280,000 subscribers. 

The leading maker of digital video recorders used its technology to analyze which football plays or TV ads its subscribers chose to view again or to see in slow motion. 

TiVo viewers did more instant replays of Super Bowl commercials than of the game itself, and the Pepsi ads featuring Spears were the MVP, said John Ghashghai, TiVo’s director of audience research. 

Other popular replays included a General Motors Cadillac ad accompanied by Led Zeppelin’s 30-year-old song “Rock and Roll,” and a Bud Light commercial spoofing cable TV’s “BattleBots” battles. 

Of the football action, the game-winning field goal garnered the most replay attention. 

TiVo did not release actual numbers on how many times viewers used instant-replay or slow-motion functions. But it said the special features were used an average of 44 times per household during the broadcast. 

The analysis — TiVo’s largest of a single, live television event — is the kind of information broadcasters, content distributors and advertisers could use to direct tailored messages as more American households embrace DVRs. 

Already, the NFL has been paying TiVo for so-called “audience measurement” data. It learned, for instance, that a Budweiser commercial received the most pause-and-replays during an earlier wild-card playoff game. 

Other advertisers and networks have worked with TiVo in the past for similar data. 

“As this analysis shows, the growth in the use of TiVo technology can have a profound impact on how the Super Bowl audiences of the future will watch and interact with the broadcast,” said TiVo’s chief executive, Mike Ramsay. 

The company would not disclose how much it charges businesses such as the NFL for such marketing research. 

Digital video recorders have been slow to take off, but market research firm Forrester Research projects that the number of U.S. households with a digital video recorder will grow from the current 800,000 to 42 million by 2006. The other big name in DVRs is ReplayTV, owned by SONICblue. 

The devices work like a VCR, with a hard drive and an interactive programming guide that is periodically updated via telephone or Internet connection. 

Subscribers can pause live television, skip commercials and automatically choose programs to record with an intelligent search function. 

At the same time, DVRs can monitor viewer habits and even record shows automatically based on a viewer’s apparent preferences. 

Privacy advocates have decried such technologies as invasive, but TiVo officials say they do not pass along information that would identify individual viewers. 

When gathering customer marketing research, TiVo says it does not link viewer data to their name, gender or age — only into one big database that can identify users by ZIP code. 

If DVRs do take off as expected, such powerful information could become valuable revenue generators for TiVo and other companies seeking to customize television viewing, analysts say. But it could become problematic if they are not careful. 

“It’s a fine line between where consumers might get frightened — ’Are they getting watched?’ — versus TiVo and others wanting to make our viewing experiences better and more tailored to our interests,” said Greg Ireland, an industry analyst with the Gartner Group market research firm. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.tivo.com 

SAN JOSE — Hewlett-Packard Co. said Monday that first-quarter earnings will beat current Wall Street forecasts because consumer demand for its computers and printers has been better than expected. 

The positive report didn’t stop the bickering over HP’s proposed $23.7 billion acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp., however. Chief opponent Walter Hewlett said the improved outlook is another sign HP could do well on its own without the risky Compaq merger. 

Hewlett, an HP board member and son of one of the company’s late co-founders, also blasted chairwoman Carly Fiorina for telling an investment conference Monday she is garnering enough shareholder support to win the proxy fight over the deal. 

Hewlett said he is hearing quite the opposite in his meetings with investors, and accused Fiorina of lying so as to “mislead the market.” 

HP spokeswoman Rebeca Robboy took issue with that allegation, and said Fiorina was right to relate “growing support from institutional investors.” Analysts also have remarked recently that shareholder perceptions about the deal appear to be changing. 

“We stand behind the belief that if such momentum continues, we should have a favorable outcome,” Robboy said. 

HP had said on Nov. 14 that revenue in the first quarter, which ended Thursday, likely would drop slightly from the fourth-quarter figure of $10.9 billion. Margins and expenses were expected to be essentially flat. 

But the company said Monday that revenue actually will be “up moderately” from the fourth quarter, with “measurable” increases in gross margins. That translates into earnings “substantially” above analysts’ current forecast of 16 cents per share, excluding one-time charges. 

The company did not provide more specific figures. Full results for the quarter are due to be reported Feb. 13. 

“Economic conditions around the world continue to be challenging, but consumer technology spending is clearly showing some strength,” Fiorina said. 

Investors seemed moderately pleased — despite a broad selloff that pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average more than 2 percent lower Monday, HP shares rose 4 cents to $22.04 on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich raised his HP earnings estimate to 24 cents per share, from 17 cents. But he said he was “somewhat suspicious” of the report because of HP’s desire to win support for the Compaq deal. 

Indeed, HP cited the upgraded outlook as evidence that it is not being distracted by the Compaq integration or the debate over the acquisition. Hewlett and Packard family interests with 18 percent of HP shares vow to vote the deal down and have harshly criticized Fiorina. 

“Our shareowners can be assured that we are on a path toward enhancing, not losing, shareowner value,” Fiorina said at the Goldman Sachs technology conference in Palm Springs. 

Banc of America Securities analyst Joel Wagonfeld raised his first-quarter earnings estimates from 15 cents to 26 cents, though he said the strong consumer demand will be hard to sustain. 

He also said the relatively strong financial reports from HP and Compaq in recent weeks “have improved the credibility of each management team.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pro-merger page: http://www.votethehpway.com 

Anti-merger page: http://www.votenohpcompaq.com 

SACRAMENTO — Agreeing that California’s benefits for injured workers are woefully inadequate, the Senate voted Monday to raise those weekly payments by more than $300 over four years. 

Senators approved the bill 23-14 with most Democrats supporting the measure and Republicans opposing it. 

The Assembly was expected to quickly approve the bill later Monday and send it to Gov. Gray Davis, who has indicated he will sign the measure after vetoing three previous benefit increases in the last three years. 

The bill’s supporters said the state’s current benefits are a “disgrace,” “shameful,” “grossly low,” and “among the worst in America.” 

“If somebody wants to lose a finger or an eye, move to Pennsylvania,” said Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco. “You’re better off there.” 

The bill would raise California from 49th to about 40th in the country in terms of the level of benefits, supporters said. 

The bill’s legislative backers put the proposal on a fast track after Davis reached agreement last week on a new bill with Democratic lawmakers, labor leaders and attorneys who represent injured workers. 

Opponents said the stepped up process allowed them little input or debate. “Quite frankly, while this house has the ability on 21 votes to jam something through this way, to do it this way is inappropriate,” said Sen. Ray Haynes, R-Riverside.” 

The legislation, by Assemblyman Thomas Calderon, D-Montebello, would pump an extra $2.5 billion into the statewide compensation system, raising maximum benefits for injured workers from today’s $490 a week to $602 next year and $840 in 2006. After 2006, automatic hikes would follow the state’s average wage increases. 

The bill would also double death benefits to a maxim of $320,000. 

The increases would begin Jan. 1, 2003 for job-related injuries suffered on or after date and would be the first increases since 1996. 

Supporters say the benefit increases during the next four years would cost California employers an extra $1 billion, or about one penny per hour per worker. 

They say the bill includes $1.5 billion in systemwide cost savings and reforms that would cover the rest of the increase in benefits. 

But insurers and employers expressed fears those savings would fall far short and that the bill would cost them twice the $1 billion estimated by supporters. 

Davis vetoed workers’ compensation increases in 1999, 2000 and 2001, saying they didn’t force enough cost savings in the system. 

Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga said the governor should veto this one, too. 

“This bill will ultimately cost California jobs,” he said. 

State officials estimate that about 900,000 claims are filed every year for accidents or deaths on the job. Under California’s system, employees are entitled to compensation in exchange for not suing their employers for on-the-job injuries. 

Among those urging approval of the bill Monday were Steve Duncan, 50, of Livermore, who endured 42 surgeries for burns and broken bones since a February 1999 explosion and fire at the Tosco refinery in Martinez. 

Duncan, a pipefitter who was paid $50,000 a year, now receives $490 a week in workers compensation. He called the increases “desperately needed.” 

Duncan’s wife, Gnesa said, “An injury happens to a whole family.” She said they get by because “I’m a good budgeter.” 

But the Duncans would not benefit from the bill because it is not retroactive. 

——————: 

On the Net: 

Read AB749 at www.assembly.ca.gov. 

Visit the California Department of Industrial Relations at www.dir.ca.gov. 

See the California Chamber of Commerce position at www.calchamber. 

The City Council will consider asking for a redesign of the new safety tower and a request from the Peace and Justice Commission to not comply with Attorney General John Ashcroft’s request to question individuals. 

Towering eyesore 

Councilmember Dona Spring is asking that the safety tower behind the Public Safety Building at 2180 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, be taken down and rebuilt as two flagpole-styled antennae. The council recently approved the activation of the tower despite neighborhood protests. 

Neighbors claimed that the tower, which is 17-feet tall, never went through the city’s normal approval process. Spring is asking that the city manager begin an environmental review of two options. One is relocating the tower to the city’s recycling center on Gilman Street and the other is to leave the tower near the Safety Building, but redesigning it, so it’s not so imposing. 

Questionable questioning 

The Police Review Commission and the Peace and Justice Commission are asking the council to approve separate recommendations that the Berkeley Police Department not cooperate with requests from the Attorney General’s Office to question named individuals or interview large groups unless they are suspected of being involved in a specific crime. 

According to the commissions recommendations, they are concerned that the civil rights of men of Middle Eastern decent will be violated. The recommendations also say that the cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Portland, Ore. have declined to cooperate with Justice Department requests.  

City Manager Weldon Rucker has recommended the council not approve the commissions’ recommendations because. Rucker has suggested the Chief of Police should evaluate the validity of each request to question individuals and determine if it infringes on the rights of the involved individuals.  

Closed session 

The council will hold a closed session meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the sixth floor meeting room at 2180 Milvia Street to hold labor negotiations with five unions. 

The unions include Service Employee International Union locals 790, 535 and part-time Service Employee International Union local 535. There will be 10 minutes set aside at the beginning of the meeting for public comment.  

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 78.

They were asking the question of the hour, working the crowds on the corner of Shattuck Ave. and Center St. Saturday morning, Mike Dilauro and Anthony Redic made their appeal: “Can you spare some change?” 

In a recession, people are unlikely to dig into their pockets and give the guy on the corner a break, mostly because they need a break themselves. 

Plus, an economic slump means the shoppers and tourists who are most likely to give simply are not there. 

“Since Sept. 11, my profits have decreased 75 percent,” said Gary, a 58-year-old saxophonist who has played mellow jazz on Berkeley street corners for the past two years. “They’re still down.”  

But this past week, economic analysts have suggested that Bay Area residents could soon spare a dime. 

National research groups such as the Conference Board and the Institute of Supply Management issued reports saying that they expect economic expansion. 

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that unemployment went down 0.2 percent from December to January.  

On Wednesday, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) announced that the Bay Area economy is likely to recover by the third quarter of 2002. 

ABAG research director and economist Paul Fassinger said his index numbers were encouraging. 

Their index is derived from historical data about the last recession in the early 90s, national economic indicators and indicators specific to this nine-county region, including local construction activity and orders for semiconductors.  

“The index was slightly up for November,” explained Fassinger. “This suggests to us the recession is starting to end. It’s a good prediction for six to nine months down the road.”  

Although he cautioned that the recovery will not bring back the fast, tech-driven growth of the late 90s, he remained optimistic, saying that tourism and financial services businesses, whose revenues are tied to cycles of contraction and expansion, should be the first to get back on their feet. Experts at University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business disagree.  

Research by Ken Rosen, a real estate professor, and Amanda Bishop, a research associate, suggests that the Bay Area economy is unlikely to recover before 2003. Their numbers point to a deep recession where unemployment figures are still down and the housing market is still a buyer’ s market.  

“It won’t feel good until next year,” Rosen has said.  

Berkeley’s deputy city manager does not put much stock in any of these predictions, however. “The down turn in the economy doesn’t affect us the way it affects other cities,” said Phil Kamlarz. 

Though ABAG’s predictions rely on better numbers for certain industries like the technology and automotive industries, Kamlarz said that Berkeley’s fortunes do not change with these tides. “We have a fairly stable revenue base in the city of Berkeley,” said Kamlarz. Berkeley’s large population of university students ensures a steady stream of revenues in the downtown area and the city does not rely on high-tech growth as much as Silicon Valley cities do.  

Even if more people are buying cars because of low interest rates, Berkeley’ s economy does not necessarily feel a boost. “We don’t have major auto malls or shopping centers for revenue generation,” he added. “There is no single retail economic driver. Our economy is very diverse.”  

Indeed, businesses like the furniture store Scandinavian Designs have weathered the recession fairly well. According to Store Manager Geir Fredriksen, revenue at Scandinavian Designs in January of 2002 was down only 1 to 2 percent from January 2001.  

“Certainly we felt the change,” he said. “But it didn’t have as much impact on our business as a when Ikea opened two years ago.” The cheap-chic home furnishings giant took a larger chunk out of their profits than the recession of the last several months.  

But the recession has definitely slimmed the wallets of others in Berkeley. 

B.E., who has been driving a cab in the area for 14 years, says he has fewer and shorter fares these days.  

The Clinton years were flush, but, he said, “It’s been worse after Sept. 11. With all the lay-offs, people are not traveling. They’re trying to spend less and cut costs.”  

The increase in the number of cab companies and the growth of airport shuttles, he adds, makes this recession even harder to bear than the lean times of the past. If the economy is getting better, it isn’t necessarily because there are more jobs in the Bay Area.  

Fassinger admitted that unemployment in the area has just leveled off, but not necessarily decreased.  

The career advisers at Worksource One-Stop Career Center say their offices are still congested. Adrian Harper, whose organization Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) works with Worksource, keeps seeing 50 to 60 people a day walk into the Addison St. office. 

“Since December, it’s never been more crowded,” he said.  

Harper noted that the recession has hit everyone, changing the demographics of the job seekers.  

“It used to be primarily black people. Now that’s changed,” he said, pointing to black, brown and white faces at the computer terminals in the research room. “There’s an older population, too.”  

Rosemary Prior, who was at Worksource on Friday afternoon, agreed. “It’s a particular challenge for the mature, experienced worker,” she said.  

Many job seekers are used to holding a solid, well-paying job and do not want to start at entry-level all over again. 

Although Prior emphasized that she is “very thankful” for having landed a part-time minimum-wage position at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, she is still looking for other opportunities. The Berkeley resident, who has a background in non-profits and eventually hopes to do faith-based motivational-speaking, says she is trying to stay positive in the face of grim prospects.  

“I haven’t seen any improvements,” said Prior. “I’m not into the hype.”  

Harper, who has also been monitoring the other BOSS offices in Oakland and Hayward, hasn’t seen improvements either.  

“If it’s gotten better,” said Harper, “I’d like to know which city it’s in.”  

Mendoza, who used to work for a non-profit agency, was willing to commute anywhere, even to East Palo Alto from her San Francisco residence. She got a call from one of the firms, Campus Connections three weeks into January saying that it had placed her with a small accounting firm.  

“I was about to take anything,” said Mendoza, who was worried that her unemployment checks were about the run out. “But this came at the right time.”  

Some Berkeley residents have not fared too badly in January either. Nate Byerley, who says his girlfriend, a massage therapist, just found a steady job in San Francisco, had only been on the hunt for ten days before he found something. Shortly after he stopped working on an Americorps project, he landed a full-time position with a decorative landscaping company and was able to bargain for better terms.  

“I got to negotiate my salary because they weren’t paying me benefits,” said Byerley. “They wanted to pay me $12 an hour, but I got them to pay me $14.50.” 

Those who have found work haven’t necessarily found their dream job or even a job with the full buffet of benefits, but they are relieved to have income. And, judging by the number of people with shopping bags on downtown Berkeley’s main drag on Saturday morning, they are willing to spend it.  

“People seem willing to give,” said Redic, showing the $10 in bills and coins he and Dilauro had collected in the two hours they had been standing in front of the cash machines at Wells Fargo Bank. 

“I mean, people seem to be taking out money at these machines.”  

Editor: 

Its hard to know whether to laugh or cry at the latest reinvention of Berkeley politics, the Nimby Party (aptly nicknamed the "Berkeley Party").  

For these visionaries, our city, once known for championing noble truths (the Free Speech Movement) and international justice (the anti-apartheid fight) will now carry the banner of defense of the status quo. Yes, in this world of finite resources, swelling populations, and increasing disparities of wealth and opportunity, by all means, let's not only put a fence around our city and keep out all those undesirable extra people, let's go one step further and put up fences around all the neighborhoods, the better to keep out those annoying "outsiders" from other parts of the city who want to start businesses, build housing, use the parks, and otherwise abuse the sensibilities of our new arbiters of truth, "neighborhood activists." That's surely a philosophical base that will end the bickering in our city government. 

Tom McHenry 

Berkeley 

Monday, Feb. 4

National Organization for Women 

6:30 - 8 p.m. 

6536 Telegraph Ave. 

February meeting of the Oakland East Bay Chapter of NOW. 287-8948. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

The Alexander Technique 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley YWCA 

2600 Bancroft Way 

Introductory workshop discussing the basic principles of this method, and demonstrate how you can apply them in ordinary movements. $15 members, $23 non-members. 848-6370. 

Tuesday, Feb. 5

Do War and Justice Mix? 

5:30 p.m. 

Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 

Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd. 

The Center for Ethics and Social Policy presents Dr. Martin Cook, 

professor of ethics at the U.S. Army War College, discussing just war theory 

and the modern political climate. Free and open to the public. 549-5060. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6

Get Connected: The Magic of Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Copwatch 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Copwatch Office 

2022 Blake St. 

Know Your Rights Training, learn what your rights are and how to watch the police effectively and safely. 548-0425. 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government - The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Planting Rice, Harvesting Slaves:  

Generational and Gendered Struggles  

on the Upper Guinea Coast in the Era  

of the Atlantic Slave Trade 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level "C" 

A talk by Walter Hawthorne of Ohio University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Relationship Seminar 

7 - 9 p.m. 

First Presbyterian Church of Alameda 

2001 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda 

A four session seminar, Wednesdays, Feb. 6 - 27, on developing and deepening healthy interpersonal relationships. 522-1477. 

Thursday, Feb. 7

Help Put an End to the  

Sanctions Against Haiti 

4:30 p.m. 

Federal Building 

1301 Clay St., Oakland 

A vigil with music and speakers. 483-7481, haitiaction@yahoo.com.  

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Why I Quit the Livermore Nuclear Labs 

6 - 8 p.m. 

UC Berkeley, 155 Dwinelle 

Dr. Andreas Toupadakis presents a lecture on U. S. Foreign Policy leading up to 9/11 and its effects on global security. UCBNOW@hotmail.com. 

Friday, Feb. 8

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft 

Vigil urging the end of Israeli Occupation of West Bank and Gaza. 548-6310, wibberkeley.org.  

Middendorf Breath Workshop 

6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

Middendorf Breath Institute 

830 Bancroft Way, #104 (the corner of Bancroft and 6th St.) 

The Institute Staff will conduct a day and a half Breath and Movement Workshop. Workshop fee is $100. 981-1710, www.breathexperience.com 

Saturday, Feb. 9

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

Afro-Centric Thoughts in Process Workshop 

3 p.m. 

Black Repertory Group 

3201 Adeline St. 

Black Consciousness for and about Africans born in America, also celebrating knowledge beginning with the birth of human life in Africa six million years ago. 652-2120 or 841-0392. 

Black History Month Rally 

2 p.m. 

Frank Ogawa City Hall Plaza, 14th & Broadway, Oakland 

Berkeley High School 

Men's Crew Team  

Annual Ergathon Fundraiser 

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Civic Center Park 

BHS is the only public school on the West Coast offering crew to its students. Less than 2% of the team's annual budget comes from the BHS Athletic Department. 559-3179, jldulay@attbi.com. 

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers Fundraiser  

6 p.m. 

Kensington Youth Hut 

59 Arlington Ave., Kensington 

19th Annual Dinner and Fundraiser for the nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation and education in flyfishing. 524-0428. 

Valentine-Making Workshop 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Albany Library  

1247 Marin Ave., Albany 

The Albany Library is sponsoring a Valentine-Making Workshop, make one to keep and one to donate to Meals on Wheels. 526-3720 x19. 

Sunday, Feb. 10

Salsa Dance Party and Lesson 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Novices are welcomed, and nobody is required to bring a partner. $12. 508-4616, ronniematisalsa@yahoo.com 

Valentines Dance 

2 p.m. 

Longfellow School for the Arts 

1500 Derby St. 

Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra will perform. $15, $18 at door. 420-4560 

Special Day with Susan Crane: Plowshares Activist 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship 

1924 Cedar 

“Loving Your Enemies: A Revolution of Values.” Susan shares her spiritual journey which led to three terms in prison and living in Jonah House. 524-6064, hcarlstad@aol.com. 

John J. McNeill 

11 a.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

Spiritual leader, activist and author of The Church and the Homosexual will speak at the New Spirit Community Church 11 a.m. Worship Celebration. 849-8280, admin@newspiritchurch.org. 

Monday, Feb. 11

Perfect Couples 

5 - 7:30 p.m. 

2576 Shattuck Ave., Suite 7 

A group for singles who don’t want to be. For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s. $30 per session, 8 week commitment. Catherine Auman, MFT. 848-3511. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

An Evening of Music, Song, and Speech 

7 p.m. 

AK Press 

674-A 23rd St., Oakland 

Progressive minded singers and organizers will perform and speak. $5. 208-1700, molly@akpress.org 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Per Petterrson lectures as part of the Positive Political Theory Seminar. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Tuesday, Feb. 12

Wetland Restoration 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline, Oakland 

Restoration activities include planting native and removing non-native plants, shoreline clean-ups, and water quality monitoring. Gloves and tools are provided. 452-9261, mlatta@savesfbay.org 

UNtraining White Liberal Racism 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

1840 Alcatraz 

The UNtraining offers personal work for white people to address our unconscious racial conditioning. $10. 235-6134. 

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Near-death Experience Support Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

International Association for Near-Death Studies offers a supportive environment for the exploration of near-death experiences. 531-6393. 

Lady ’Jackets get an easy win over Reno 

Going into Saturday night’s game against Reno High, the Berkeley girls’ basketball team’s five-game winning streak seemed to be in serious jeopardy. After all, the ’Jackets were facing the defending Nevada state champs without one of their key players, freshman center Devanei Hampton, and senior star Sabrina Keys on the bench. Instead, it turned into yet another routine Berkeley victory. 

The ’Jackets (12-7) jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back against the smaller, slower Huskies (15-7). Although Reno would score the next seven points, Berkeley immediately pulled away with an 8-2 run on the way to a 58-38 win. 

Keys, who didn’t start because she was late to the game, still scored 16 points with 8 rebounds to lead the ’Jackets. Fellow senior Angelita Hutton had 8 steals, including 5 in the second quarter alone, and scored 12 points, and point guard Shaquita Brown pitched in with 10 points. 

Reno’s lone offensive threat was center Jessica Stewart, who scored 12 points on a variety of post moves. But with Stewart in foul trouble for much of the game, the Huskies couldn’t get anything going against the suffocating Berkeley press. The game could have been a huge blowout if the ’Jackets had executed better offensively, as they shot just 24-of-65 from the floor (36 percent). 

“We should have converted more opportunities on offense,” Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura said. “We missed an awful lot of two-footers.” 

Even without the 6-foot-3 Hampton, who injured her knee last weekend, Nakamura’s squad dominated the boards, 32-23. Keys got support from Natasha Bailey and Myette Anderson, who each pulled down 5 rebounds, as Berkeley often seemed to be playing under the basket by themselves. 

“It’s different without Devanei in there, because we know we can get every rebound between us,” Keys said. “But our other posts did really well tonight.” 

Stewart gave the ’Jackets a bit of trouble inside, but guarding Keys while carrying her team offensively was too much to ask. She picked up her third foul midway through the second quarter with the score 20-14 in Berkeley’s favor, but when Stewart headed to the bench, the ’Jackets immediately went on a run, scoring 6 points in less than 30 seconds. And although Stewart scored 6 points in the third quarter to keep her team within 10 points of Berkeley, a 7-0 run to start the final quarter for Berkeley put the game away. 

The final minutes of the game turned into a highlight reel for Berkeley. Keys hit an NBA-range 3-pointer with the shot clock running out, then freshman guard Danisha Wright made a couple of crowd-pleasing moves. The 5-foot-0 bit of quicksilver drove the lane for a falling layup, then went inside again for a running putback at the buzzer, bringing the crowd to its feet. 

Nakamura appreciated Wright’s spectacular plays, but he was also pleased with the general play of his bench, a traditional Berkeley strength that hasn’t always been reliable this season. 

“Danisha has flashes of brilliance, but she also sometimes goes in and has problems,” Nakamura said. “But our reserves have been getting better. These games are good because I like putting different people in pressure situations and see how they react.”

Late-model Volvos and at least one limousine clogged up a tiny street in the Berkeley Hills Saturday afternoon, as former Mayor Loni Hancock, a Democratic candidate in the 14th District Assembly race, held her last Berkeley fundraiser before the March 15 primary. 

Around 150 people -- many of them familiar faces from the glory days of Berkeley Citizens Action -- turned out to the home of Helen Moncharsh to give to Hancock’s campaign and to hear from her most high-profile supporter: Senator Barbara Boxer. 

Among the local Hancock supporters in attendance were Councilmembers Kriss Worthington and Linda Maio, Berkeley Unified School District board members Terry Doran and Joaquin Rivera, former Ron Dellums aide Bob Brauer and Wally Adeyemo and Josh Fryday of the Associated Students of the University of California. 

Boxer gave Hancock a rousing introduction, saying that she numbered Hancock and her husband, Tom Bates among her personal heroes. 

Bates represented the 14th District in the Assembly between 1976 and 1996. 

“They don’t have to take a poll to figure out what’s right,” she said. 

Boxer said that though Hancock faced significant opposition in the person of Charles Ramsey, she was confident that Hancock -- who, she said, represented the district’s traditional interests -- would be elected. 

“With the working men and women on your side, with youth, with the progressive community, the environmental community, the peace movement -- that’s Berkeley,” said Boxer. “That’s why you’re going to win.” 

Hancock acknowledged the ASUC representatives along with at least two Berkeley High School students in the crowd. She said that all her supporters, of all ages, would have to pull very hard in the four and a half weeks remaining before the primary. 

“Over the next 32 days, we’re going to make this something for all generations,” she said. 

Hancock, who served as head of the Western Regional Office of the US Department of Education during the Clinton administration, emphasized the need to rebuild the California school system, which she said had fallen into deep disrepair. 

“I’m going to use the experience I had in Berkeley and in the Department of Education to fight for our schools every day in Sacramento,” Hancock said. 

Hancock said that her platform -- which, in addition to education, focuses on environmental protection, public transportation and health care -- would follow and build upon the Berkeley tradition, which, she said, has always been at the forefront of such issues. 

“This district has always been the district that has defined what is possible in the state,” she said. 

Fred Collignon, a former City Councilmember and professor at UC Berkeley, said that though he had his differences with Hancock in the past, his decision to support Hancock was an easy one. “I worked with her all the time, across political lines,” said Fred Collignon. “I find her to be a very talented lady.” 

After the speeches, Carole Norris, a one-time BCA candidate for the Berkeley City Council, told the crowd that though each of them had already given, Hancock needed to raise an additional $5,000 for an upcoming advertising campaign. 

Norris called out to the throng, asking who could give $500. Four hands went up, each of them receiving applause in turn. She asked who could give $250. Fewer people stepped forward. There were quite a few pledges but it was unclear, by the end, whether the $5,000 had been raised. 

Editor: 

Thank you for your consistent coverage of the controversial public safety building tower. It is important for Berkeley residents to understand that the negative impacts of the tower go far beyond aesthetics. The sixteen transmitting antennas on the tower emit extremely high levels of radiofrequency radiation.  

In Summerland, CA, the fire department is suing Nextel to remove antennas installed on their stationhouse a few years ago, because the firefighters began suffering grogginess, confusion, sleep disorders and other mental problems soon after the antennas were installed.  

Just last month, a court in Spain ordered the removal of an antenna near a school after four children developed leukemia within 18 months of the antenna's installation. 

The tower is immediately adjacent to McKinley House, a transitional shelter for women and children.  

It is also within two blocks of two grade schools and Berkeley High.  

It is my fear that in ten or twenty years, radiation from radio and cell phone towers will pose an even bigger public health crisis than lead paint and tobacco pose today, and all because the government, once again, stands behind false industry assurances as to the safety of their dangerous products. 

Concerned citizens should tell the council that industrial installations like the tower do not belong near schools and residences. 

Erica Etelson 

Berkeley

Cal used a bruising inside game to battle Arizona State for a 67-59 victory at Haas Pavilion on Saturday night.  

The win pushed Cal’s record to 15-5 overall, 6-4 in Pac-10 play, for a fifth-place tie with Stanford in the Pac-10 standings. Arizona State fell to 11-9 (4-7) and stayed in seventh place. 

Freshman Amit Tamir led the Golden Bears in scoring with 13 points, closely followed by Joe Shipp’s 12 and Solomon Hughes’ 11. The latter made his second straight start after coming off the bench for four games and missing four games following a knee injury. 

For ASU, forward Tommy Smith led the way with 15 points, followed by 13 from Shawn Redhage. 

Cal needed a more productive effort from Hughes, who had just 2 points and 1 rebound two days earlier against Arizona, because Jamal Sampson was ineffective for the second straight game. The freshman center, bothered by an illness, came off the bench, picked up four fouls in just seven minutes and didn’t score. Hughes, meanwhile, shot 5-for-7 from the field, grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. 

“I really thought Solomon came out here with aggression,” Cal head coach Ben Braun said. “I think he came out here with enthusiasm. He was still tired a little bit tonight. He’s getting his timing back.” 

Braun added, “He was really personally hurt after Thursday night. I told him, ‘Hey, be patient, Solomon, it’s going to take some time. You’ve got to take little steps.’ This was a major step on his way back.” 

The 6-foot-11 Hughes abused ASU center Chad Prewitt in the low post, scoring on the 6-foot-9 senior and helping to shut him down. Prewitt had averaged 20.7 points in his last 11 games, but the man ASU coach Rob Evans calls “the best post man in this league” managed just nine points against Hughes and Sampson. 

Saturday was a tight, physical game that featured plenty of good defense. The Bears made a concerted effort to get the ball inside – Cal scored 28 points in the paint – and, in the process, get to the foul line. ASU, conversely, took and missed plenty of perimeter shots, especially in the first half, and did not get to the line much. Cal shot 18-for-22 from the charity stripe to just 8-for-13 for ASU. 

The Sun Devils also shot just 39 percent from the field to Cal’s 40 percent. ASU did out-rebound Cal, 42-27, grabbing a big edge (20-5) in offensive boards. 

“We knew going into this game it was going to be probably as physical a game as we’re going to play to this point,” Braun said. “That’s a trademark from Arizona State. I told our guys. We prepared them this week in practice. ‘We’re going to get hit. There’s going to grab loose balls. They’re going to grab offensive rebounds. That’s their game. That’s their identity.’ I thought our guys through that hung in there.” 

The most unusual stats of the night concerned the top rebounders for each team, both guards. Brian Wethers pulled down eight boards for Cal, while, amazingly, 6-foot-2 Curtis Millage grabbed 11 for ASU. 

“Brian is a separator,” Braun said. “I told him, ‘We’re going to need more sometimes.’ He told me he was disappointed. He wanted to get 10-plus.”

Tutors at BHS student learning center go unpaid 

In 1999, in its inaugural year, Berkeley High School’s Student Learning Center, which provides tutoring and college preparatory classes during the 

day, and serves as a drop-in tutoring center after school, had two co-directors, 30 tutors and a bounce in its step.  

Today, the SLC, developed in large part to address the “achievement gap” separating white and minority students, has one director, five tutors and a financial crisis on its hands. 

In December, the program, funded largely through grant money, spent the last of its allotment from a three-year, federal “twenty-first century” grant, leaving it unable to pay last semester’s tutors fully. 

The tutors, UC Berkeley students, also received payment through the university’s Professional Development Program, and Crystal McClendon-Gourdine, SLC director, says the high school administration is working to come up with its full share of the tutor salaries. 

Prior to the 2001-2002 school year, the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project, or BSEP, the center’s other major grant funder, cut its annual grant to the program from over $100,000 the previous year to about $24,000 this year.  

McClendon-Gourdine says the decline in funding has affected the quality of SLC services. “The activities are the same,” she said, making reference to the tutorials, college tours and writing coaches at the heart of the program. “The individualized attention and level of engagement is different.” 

But Dan Fingerman, chair of the BSEP Berkeley High School Site Committee, defended his organization’s decision to cut funding. He noted that BSEP must divide its dollars, derived from a special local tax, between over 30 worthy programs at the high school. He also argued that the Student Learning Center’s shortcomings preceded the funding cuts, and in fact, led to those cuts. 

“I don’t know which is the cart and which is the horse,” he said, referring to the cuts and decline in services. “To some degree the decrease in funding came as a result of the center not quite providing the support we hoped it would.” 

An evaluation of the program in its first year, by a pair of UC Berkeley graduate students, called the center, which serves a largely African-American and Latino student base, an “active and dynamic place,” and recorded several positive comments by tutors and students, who talked of improved study skills and beneficial trips to college campuses.  

But, it also pointed to a series of problems – uneven performance by tutors, a lack of communication and a leadership that was often absent.  

Fingerman also points to data showing little improvement in the grade point averages of SLC students. 

“It’s a legitimate concern, because everyone wants higher GPAs,” said McClendon-Gourdine. But, the director argued that the high school and district administration has never given the center the proper professional development, curricular support and financial backing it needs to flourish. 

Mary Ann Valles, BHS co-principal, said historically, the center has not received proper backing. 

“They could have been the beneficiaries of greater support in previous years,” she acknowledged. Valles added that a program like the SLC generally takes about five years to establish itself, suggesting that the center has not had adequate time to yield measurable results. 

Shirley Issel, president of the Board of Education, said part of the problem is a lack of coordination between high school support services – from the Student Learning Center, to guidance counselors, to the BHS health center. “Programs like the SLC have tended to operate in isolation from other programs on site,” she said. 

Valles said the high school began to address the problem last year with the formation of a “support providers group.”  

McClendon-Gourdine said the center, in its headier days, was able to address the issue, to some degree, by assigning several of its tutors to serve as "youth advocates." With more funding, she said, the center could put the advocates back in place. But, at this point, with the school district in serious fiscal trouble, the future of the program is unclear. According to the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, or FCMAT, a state agency that has been providing the district with financial advice since October, the district is $1.6 million in debt this year, and will be $7.8 million in debt next year if the Board of Education does not make cuts. 

Joaquin Rivera, vice president of the school board, said he believes the Student Learning Center is a quality program and hopes it will remain in place. 

But, he said the SLC, like other programs that have depended on grant funding since their inception, present the district with a particularly difficult challenge in tight times. 

“You get the grants and they dry up in a few years and the district is supposed to pick up the slack,” Rivera said. “It’s hard for the districts. We’re strapped for cash.” 

Lamont Harper and Kendall Murphy, sophomores at Berkeley High School who participate in the center’s Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID program, which focuses on students with a 2.0-3.5 GPA who want to go to college, say the district should do all it can to maintain funding for the SLC. 

“This is one of the programs at the school that helps you get into college,” said Harper, who placed particular emphasis on a writing program that allows students to work through several drafts of papers, and improve their skills. “We need to fund it.”  

Editor: 

It has been two years now since I resigned as the Director of the c Folk Festival, and people still come up to me and thank me profusely--some with tears in their eyes. Then they ask the inevitable question: "Why did you move the Festival from Fellowship Hall to Ashkenaz?" I am writing this letter to answer this question.  

I started the Festival in 1995 after an inspiring conversation with David Nadel, the late owner of Ashkenaz. I wanted to create a joyful venue for the expression of folk music. From the beginning, the Festival received an outpouring of enthusiastic support from many of the talented musicians and artists living in the Bay Area, the volunteers who helped produce the Festival, the local arts councils and foundations that provided funding, and the audience members who came to enjoy the free music.  

The first four festivals (1996-1999) were held at the Unitarian Universalists' Fellowship Hall in North Berkeley. Fellowship Hall is unique to Berkeley. It has a main hall, a large fenced outdoor area with ample play facilities for children, indoor rooms for workshops, and plenty of space for the informal "jamming" that occurs spontaneously when folk musicians get together.  

Fellowship Hall contributed greatly to the atmosphere and positive feeling of the Festival, and I do not believe a more appropriate venue could be found in any metropolitan area. I am very grateful to the Unitarian Universalists for allowing us to hold our Festival at their beautiful facility. 

It was my intention from the beginning to keep the Festival small and manageable, both to insure my ability to do the work required and also in keeping with the philosophy that folk music should be presented in an intimate setting with good acoustics.  

In my capacity as Festival Director, I worked approximately 700 hours each year as a volunteer, in addition to my full-time paid employment, which made size and manageability critical. 

There was a dark side that until now I have spoken little about, in order to preserve the integrity and spirit of the Festival itself.  

However, it has become apparent that in spite of the spontaneous outpouring of enthusiasm and hard work by everyone involved, the Festival has, in effect, been destroyed by one individual --an individual who wants to be seen as a well-meaning crusader on behalf of the disabled.  

In spite of all our efforts, few months after the 1999 Festival, the Board of Unitarian Universalists called me to say that we would no longer be allowed torent Fellowship Hall. I was later told that they were threatened with a lawsuit and that they were not willing to deal with this potential problem--even though I firmly believe any lawsuit would have been meritless. Obviously,  

Festival management never had any desire to hold the Festival in an inappropriate venue, but there are many considerations including acoustics, manageability, available facilities, parking and transit access, and the cost of renting a facility that go into selecting a site for a festival. No site is perfect and all the available choices involve some compromise. Balancing all of these considerations, the Festival Board of Advisors and I concluded that Fellowship Hall was the best available location and we chose to stay there. 

The Berkeley Free Folk Festival had its own integrity and might eventually have grown into something larger if funding and volunteer power had become available.  

As it is, we'll probably never know because the new Director and I have both spent so much time fending off the attacks, demands, and histrionics that there has been little time left over to raise money or consider plans for an event larger than already exists.  

In all probability there will not be another Festival. 

Editor: 

It has been two years now since I resigned as the Director of the c Folk Festival, and people still come up to me and thank me profusely--some with tears in their eyes. Then they ask the inevitable question: "Why did you move the Festival from Fellowship Hall to Ashkenaz?" I am writing this letter to answer this question.  

I started the Festival in 1995 after an inspiring conversation with David Nadel, the late owner of Ashkenaz. I wanted to create a joyful venue for the expression of folk music. From the beginning, the Festival received an outpouring of enthusiastic support from many of the talented musicians and artists living in the Bay Area, the volunteers who helped produce the Festival, the local arts councils and foundations that provided funding, and the audience members who came to enjoy the free music.  

The first four festivals (1996-1999) were held at the Unitarian Universalists' Fellowship Hall in North Berkeley. Fellowship Hall is unique to Berkeley. It has a main hall, a large fenced outdoor area with ample play facilities for children, indoor rooms for workshops, and plenty of space for the informal "jamming" that occurs spontaneously when folk musicians get together.  

Fellowship Hall contributed greatly to the atmosphere and positive feeling of the Festival, and I do not believe a more appropriate venue could be found in any metropolitan area. I am very grateful to the Unitarian Universalists for allowing us to hold our Festival at their beautiful facility. 

It was my intention from the beginning to keep the Festival small and manageable, both to insure my ability to do the work required and also in keeping with the philosophy that folk music should be presented in an intimate setting with good acoustics.  

In my capacity as Festival Director, I worked approximately 700 hours each year as a volunteer, in addition to my full-time paid employment, which made size and manageability critical. 

There was a dark side that until now I have spoken little about, in order to preserve the integrity and spirit of the Festival itself.  

However, it has become apparent that in spite of the spontaneous outpouring of enthusiasm and hard work by everyone involved, the Festival has, in effect, been destroyed by one individual --an individual who wants to be seen as a well-meaning crusader on behalf of the disabled.  

In spite of all our efforts, few months after the 1999 Festival, the Board of Unitarian Universalists called me to say that we would no longer be allowed torent Fellowship Hall. I was later told that they were threatened with a lawsuit and that they were not willing to deal with this potential problem--even though I firmly believe any lawsuit would have been meritless. Obviously,  

Festival management never had any desire to hold the Festival in an inappropriate venue, but there are many considerations including acoustics, manageability, available facilities, parking and transit access, and the cost of renting a facility that go into selecting a site for a festival. No site is perfect and all the available choices involve some compromise. Balancing all of these considerations, the Festival Board of Advisors and I concluded that Fellowship Hall was the best available location and we chose to stay there. 

The Berkeley Free Folk Festival had its own integrity and might eventually have grown into something larger if funding and volunteer power had become available.  

As it is, we'll probably never know because the new Director and I have both spent so much time fending off the attacks, demands, and histrionics that there has been little time left over to raise money or consider plans for an event larger than already exists.  

In all probability there will not be another Festival. 

Jessica Bryan 

Felton, California 

Felton, California 

Let’s see: Stanford beats Cal 79-52 on Wednesday. Cal heads into Saturday’s rematch with its archrival without its best player. The makings of a Cinderella story? Sorry, afraid not. 

The Cardinal used a delicate balance of sharp outside shooting and old-fashioned muscle to beat the Bears into submission on Saturday at Haas Pavilion, winning 79-51 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. With Cal senior forward Ami Forney bedridden with the flu and 6-foot-5 post Olga Volkova on crutches after spraining her ankle during a shootaround, the Bears were in no shape to put up much of a fight and were out-rebounded 49-35. 

From the post-game comments, it sounded as if Stanford just barely escaped with a win, rather than cruising to a 27-point win. 

“We missed a lot of shots that usually go down for us,” Stanford head coach Tara Vanderveer said. 

“We just kind of held them off for most of the game. It wasn’t the best game we’ve ever played,” Stanford guard Nicole Powell said. 

The talent gap between the two teams was no more evident than late in the first half. Stanford, already comfortably ahead, put four freshmen on the court, while Cal was still going with their top lineup. Yet Stanford still looked remarkably superior, with freshman guard Sebnem Kimyaciouglu lighting the Bears up for four 3-pointers in the half, including one just before the buzzer that put the Cardinal up 42-27 at halftime. 

“I guess (the Stanford coaches) want me to shoot a little more, and it helps my confidence knowing they won’t take me out if I miss,” Kimyaciouglu said. 

It helped that she didn’t miss very much. The former Pinewood High star finished 5-of-7 from the field, scoring 14 points, one of four Stanford players who reached double figures. The Bears, on the other hand, missed a lot, shooting just 29 percent from the field and going 3-for-18 from behind the arc. The poor shooting effort not only doomed the Bears to defeat, it made them passive on defense against one of the most explosive teams in the country. 

“We wanted to press more, because we know they don’t like pressure,” Cal head coach Caren Horstmeyer said. “But we have to score to press, and we didn’t do that.” 

The lone bright spot for Cal was the play of redshirt freshman Kiki Williams. Always aggressive offensively, Williams turned it up a notch on Saturday while starting in Forney’s place. She put up 14 shots in her 24 minutes of play, scoring 18 points and showing good inside-out ability with two 3-pointers and some nice post moves. 

“The last game I only took three shots,” Williams said. “Even if I don’t make the first couple, I know I have to keep shooting.” 

On Feb. 4, 1789, electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States. 

On this date: 

In 1783, Britain declared a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, the United States of America. 

In 1801, John Marshall was sworn in as chief justice of the United States. 

In 1861, delegates from six Southern states met in Montgomery, Ala., to form the Confederate States of America. 

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid. 

In 1945, President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta. 

In 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped in Berkeley, Calif., by the Symbionese Liberation Army. 

In 1976, more than 22,000 people died when a severe earthquake struck Guatemala and Honduras. 

In 1977, 11 people were killed when two cars of a Chicago Transit Authority train fell off elevated tracks after a collision with another train. 

In 1982, President Reagan announced a plan to eliminate all medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe. 

Steenburgen patronizes arts 

LOS ANGELES — Mary Steenburgen is becoming an active supporter of the fine arts. 

The Oscar-winning actress will be presenting a painting exhibition Feb. 21 at a Beverly Hills art gallery. 

The exhibition will feature the works of Los Angeles-based portrait artist America Martin, who went to high school with Steenburgen’s 21-year-old daughter, Lily McDowell. 

“I can’t really compare her to another artist,” Steenburgen told The Associated Press. “She’s very on the edge in terms of her exploration. ... It’s kind of amazing that someone so young would see inside people the way she does.” 

Queen Mother on recovery bed 

LONDON — The Queen Mother Elizabeth is “progressing” in her recovery from a bug she caught over Christmas, her daughter Queen Elizabeth II said Sunday. 

The 101-year-old royal matriarch has been absent from public engagements since late November. 

The queen told well-wishers at the royal family’s Sandringham estate in eastern England that the queen mother was getting better. 

Rockette high-kicks Radio City 

NEW YORK — A former Rockette wants to give Radio City officials a high, hard kick where it really hurts — in the wallet. 

Pamela Everett says in a $2.5 million lawsuit against Radio City Entertainment that her former employer is illegally using her photographs for commercial purposes. 

The dancer says her likeness has appeared on dolls, postcards, pens, pencils, McDonald’s placemats, Federal Express ads, Nynex calling cards, disposable cameras, New York City subway maps and milk containers. 

Court papers filed last week say Radio City has given some of Everett’s photos virtual makeovers by changing her teeth, eyes, nose, hair and eyebrows, by placing her head on another body and by giving her body non-matching hands. 

“Radio City has made such use of Everett’s likeness without her consent and without compensation to her,” court papers say. 

Susan Arons, a spokeswoman for the music hall, said she had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment on it. But she said Radio City owns the photos it takes of Rockettes while they work for the company. 

WASHINGTON — President Bush is sending Congress a $2.12 trillion spending plan Monday that seeks to recognize the “new realities” confronting the nation since Sept. 11. It proposes the biggest jump in defense spending in two decades and a record increase in money devoted to making Americans more secure at home. 

The budget tries to revive an anti-recession stimulus package that stalled late last year in the Senate. It also seeks billions of dollars more in future years to make permanent the biggest economic victory of Bush’s first year in office, a sweeping, across-the-board tax cut. 

But the spending plan for the 2003 budget year must face the new realities of a reduced financial situation — $4 trillion in disappearing surpluses because of the recession and that tax cut. 

To do that, Bush wants to squeeze government programs from highway construction to job training and environmental projects. 

Congressional Democrats are pledging a fight to restore spending for their priorities and to oppose tax breaks in Bush’s stimulus package for the wealthy and corporations. 

“There are a lot of us who question whether or not we really need to have a major stimulus package. Many people think we’re coming out of this recession,” Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said Sunday on CNN’s “Late Edition.” 

White House budget director Mitchell Daniels said Bush was prepared to negotiate the elements of a stimulus package and the overall budget as long as it did not compromise his top goals. 

“There’s certainly no give in terms of doing what it takes to safeguard America and to win the war against terror,” Daniels said on “Fox News Sunday.” “These are sort of non-negotiable items ... and the president’s going to do what it takes.” 

In the message to accompany his budget, Bush said his spending plan “recognizes the new realities confronting our nation. ... It is a plan to fight a war we did not seek, but a war we are determined to win.” 

Bush’s budget asks Congress to increase defense spending to $379 billion in 2003. That is an increase of $48 billion, or 14.5 percent, making it the biggest one-year jump in defense since 1982 under Ronald Reagan. 

Overall, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the president’s 2003 budget seeks to spend $2.12 trillion for the 2003 budget year beginning Oct. 1 — a 3.4 percent increase from projected spending this year of $2.05 trillion. 

The current 2002 budget represents the first time government outlays will top the $2 trillion mark. That milestone is occurring just 15 years after the government recorded its first $1 trillion budget in 1987. 

The current year’s budget represents a 10.2 percent jump in overall spending from 2001. To restrain spending to a proposed 3.4 percent increase next year while still boosting defense and security, Bush is asking Congress to cut a number of popular programs. 

Those reductions include trimming $9 billion from highway programs, cuts to a popular youth job training program and a freeze on new water projects built by the Army Corps of Engineers. 

Those steps will make room for the defense increase and a near doubling of spending devoted to homeland security, to $37.7 billion in 2003. 

Bush’s budget will also include further increases in education, one of his priority areas, including a new proposed tax credit worth up to $2,500 per child to help families cover the cost of private school tuition and other expenses to move their children out of schools with persistently low test scores. The cost of the tax credit was put at $3.7 billion over five years. 

The shrinking of the projected surplus by $4 trillion has forced the administration to delay one of Bush’s major campaign planks, bolstering Social Security. Also set aside for now is Bush’s goal from his first budget of paying off $2 trillion of the national debt. 

The spending document projects that the government, which managed four consecutive budget years of surpluses from 1998 through 2001 — last accomplished seven decades ago — will return to deficits this year. The document projects red ink of $106 billion in the current year, $80 billion for the 2003 budget and a $14 billion deficit in 2004, before returning to the black.

SAN FRANCISCO — Venture capitalists emerged from the dot-com debris to finance more fresh ideas late last year, helping to lift quarterly investments in startups for the first time since the Internet bubble burst, according to a study to be released Monday. 

Startups across the country received $7.1 billion in venture capital during the fourth quarter, a 2 percent improvement from the third quarter, based on statistics collected for the National Venture Capital Association by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Venture Economics. 

It marked the first time venture capital volume climbed from the previous quarter since the industry showered entrepreneurs with $26.3 billion during the three months ended June 2000. 

Around the same time, the stock market began to shun the unprofitable dot-coms that venture capitalists had nurtured in previous years, triggering a painful shakeout. The fourth-quarter bounce may signal the early stages of a turnaround, according to venture capital experts. 

“We have bottomed out and are clearly on the road to recovery,” said John Taylor, vice president of research for the National Venture Capital Association, the industry’s main trade group. 

Despite the fourth-quarter uptick, venture capital investment continued its drastic decline on a year-to-year basis. The fourth-quarter activity represented a 67 percent drop from the $20.9 billion invested during the same period in 2000. 

For all of 2001, venture capitalists invested $36.5 billion, a 63 percent decline from a $99.6 billion spree in 2000. The 2000 figure lowers the National Venture Capital Association’s previous estimate of $104 billion for that year. 

The revision resulted from the trade group’s decision to use joint data compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Venture Economics, which previously released competing surveys. 

As they enter 2002, most venture capitalists believe they will build on the modest momentum of last year’s final quarter. 

“I wouldn’t say we are much above the bottom, but at least it doesn’t feel like we are going back down again,” said Gregory Sands, general partner of Sutter Hill Ventures in Palo Alto. 

Last year, venture capitalists devoted most of their time and money to trying to salvage the best startups in their portfolios while pulling the plug on the weakest . With much of the dot-com mess behind them, venture capitalists are “starting to look outward again,” said Philip Sanderson, general partner of WaldenVC in San Francisco. As they re-enter the fray, venture capitalists are focusing more on biotechnology. 

The $1 billion that venture capitalists invested in biotech startups during the final three months of 2001 represented a quarterly record for the sector. 

Biotech accounted for 14 percent of all venture capital investments in the fourth quarter. In contrast, the $867.6 million invested in biotech during the fourth quarter of 2000 accounted for 4 percent of the total volume. 

Plenty of venture capital remains to be invested. Venture capitalists started the year with about $50 billion at their disposal, estimated Jesse Reyes, a vice president for Venture Economics. 

The surplus is one reason venture capitalists aren’t raising as much money as they were a few years ago. Institutional investors also are trimming their venture capital portfolios. With those forces at work, venture capitalists in the fourth quarter raised $9 billion for future investments, a 65 percent decline from the prior year, according to VentureOne, another industry research firm.  

WASHINGTON — Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay pulled out of this week’s scheduled congressional testimony on Sunday, with his lawyer saying that hearings have taken on a “prosecutorial” tone. 

“I have instructed Mr. Lay to withdraw his prior acceptance of your invitation,” Lay attorney Earl Silbert said in letters to the Senate and House panels that were to hear from him Monday. 

“He cannot be expected to participate in a proceeding in which conclusions have been reached before Mr. Lay has been given an opportunity to be heard,” Silbert added. Lay had agreed to appear voluntarily and thus was not obligated to show up. There was no indication whether any of the committees seeking his testimony might subsequently subpoena Lay to appear. In the letters, Silbert cited remarks on Sunday talk shows by various members of Congress suggesting there was rampant criminality at Enron

Adobe to buy Accelio FOR $72M  

SAN JOSE — In a move to bolster its network publishing empire, Adobe Systems Inc. said Friday it has agreed to acquire Canadian-based business software maker Accelio Corp. for $72 million in stock. 

San Jose-based Adobe is the leading desktop publishing software company and the second-largest PC software company in the United States. 

Its Adobe Acrobat portable document format, or PDF, reader, has become a standard for document distribution on the Web, and is the company’s largest revenue generator as government agencies and businesses transition from paper-based to electronic-based processes. 

Adobe officials said acquiring Ottawa-based Accelio, one of the leading software makers of business forms with more than 7,000 customers worldwide, will quickly broaden its “ePaper” business. 

‘Free DVD’ gang pleads guilty  

LOS ANGELES — Two members of a prominent cyberspace gang that posted free downloads of DVD programs and other software pleaded guilty to criminal charges of copyright infringement. 

Kentaga Kartadinata, 30, and Mike Nguyen, 26, both of Los Angeles were members of a gang known as DrinkorDie. Under a plea agreement, both men face between 27 and 33 months in prison, prosecutors said. They remain free on bail and will be sentenced a later date. 

Authorities have seized more than 100 computers in five different countries allegedly used by members of the so-called Warez community, which served as an umbrella group for smaller cyberspace gangs such as DrinkorDie. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Johnson said indictments are expected soon against at least 50 other DrinkorDie members. 

Nguyen, a computer programmer at the University of California, Los Angeles managed several of the group’s file servers containing thousands of pirated software titles. 

Apple entangled in consumer lawsuit  

CUPERTINO — Apple Computer Inc. faces a lawsuit alleging it misled consumers and made low-quality software upgrades for older computers to “accelerate a deliberate policy of planned obsolescence.” 

According to the proposed class-action suit filed Wednesday in Superior Court in Los Angeles, the Cupertino-based company encouraged customers in 1998 and 1999 to buy their latest PowerPC G3 computers, while promising the units would be capable of running Apple’s next-generation operating system called OS X. 

The company also said OS X would be “fully optimized” to run on those G3 models. 

But Apple, which released Mac OS X last year, broke both promises, the lawsuit alleges. 

“Computers have a short life span compared to other assets — that’s for sure. But when a company makes claims to spur sales, they ought to live up to their claims,” said Thomas Ferlauto on Friday. He is one of four named plaintiffs and a Los Angeles attorney in the case. Apple declined to comment on the pending litigation. 

A key University of California academic committee recommended this week that the UC system drop the SAT as an admissions requirement, and develop a test more closely aligned with California’s high school curricula. 

“We want to emphasize students’ achievement in the high school ... so that the admissions test reflects what they’ve learned,” said Dorothy Perry, an associate professor in dentistry at the UC San Francisco, and chair of the committee that made the recommendation. 

Perry’s group, the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, or BOARS, made the suggestion one year after UC President Richard Atkinson directed the Academic Senate, which represents all UC faculty, to consider eliminating the SAT as an admissions requirement. 

Currently, the UC system requires prospective students to take either the SAT I, a two-part math and verbal test, or an alternative test called the ACT assessment. UC also requires students to take the SAT II, which includes three tests – one in writing, one in math and one in an area of the pupil’s choice.  

In the coming months, the “divisional Senates” at each of the nine UC campuses will examine the BOARS recommendations, and make comments. Then, the larger Academic Senate will vote on the proposal. If approved, the recommendations will go to the UC Board of Regents for a final vote. The BOARS committee expects implementation by 2006. 

After a year of study, the committee concluded that “achievement-oriented” tests, like the SAT-II, which focus on specific subjects, are better predictors of success at the college level than “aptitude-oriented tests,” like the SAT-I, that center on general math and verbal skills. 

As a result of their study, the committee recommended a move to a new testing regimen, emphasizing achievement-oriented testing.  

Students would take a three-hour core test, focused on math and language arts skills, and including a writing sample, and two, one-hour subject exams, with some degree of student choice about the subjects selected. All three tests, according to the committee, should mirror what is being taught in high schools throughout California. 

Some in the UC community object to the BOARS recommendations. Matthew Malkan, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, said the committee is recommending a serious change with little cause. 

“My main gripe with this is that they’re proposing really quite a big leap into the dark, with many complications, and with very little motivation,” Malkan said, arguing that the BOARS study does not reveal a substantial difference between the value of aptitude-oriented tests like the SAT-I and achievement-oriented tests like the SAT-II. 

Any switch, he said, could create confusion among students who want to apply to both the UC system, using the new tests, and other universities, which would still require the SAT-I. 

“We’re very concerned about that,” Perry responded, noting that BOARS has recommended the development of tests that would be transferable to other universities. 

Chiara Coletti, vice president of public affairs for The College Board, which administers the SAT, defended the exam. “We think it is an excellent test,” she said, “the most scrutinized and researched in the country.” 

Still, she said The College Board is prepared to work with UC, the largest user of the SAT in the nation, to create new tests. “Opportunities to experiment and help produce new, and very good tests are something we’re very excited to do,” she said. 

Ken Gullette, director of media relations for ACT, said his company’s assessment, which includes English, reading, math and science components, is already curriculum-based. He said that, with the addition of a writing sample, he believes ACT could meet the proposed new standards. 

At present, according to the BOARS report, 73 percent of UC applicants take the SAT-I, compared with 25 percent who take the SAT-I and ACT, and 2 percent who take ACT alone. 

Local educational leaders were generally supportive of the BOARS recommendations. “I think it’s fine,” said Shirley Issel, president of the Berkeley Board of Education, “as long as (the new test) aligns with the California state standards.”  

School board member John Selawsky said he believes the SAT-I is a flawed predictor of success in college. But, he said he had concerns about curriculum-based tests given that some schools may not be as strong as others in teaching to the state standards. 

“My only concern is that a kid is going to be punished if a kid is not being taught those standards,” he said.  

The name Hearst is probably best known because of the fabulous estate at San Simeon, Hearst Castle, which is a state park. However, the name and family has an important relationship to Berkeley as well. Hearst Castle, which was designed by Julia Morgan, was built by William Randolf Hearst (1863-1951) the only son of George and Phoebe Apperson Hearst.  

George Hearst (1820-1891) made a fortune in mining and his wife Phoebe Apperson Hearst (1842-1919) became a generous benefactor of charities and, after her husband's death, of the University of California.  

The Berkeley campus has several buildings that bear the Hearst name: Hearst Mining Building, (1902) named for Mrs. Hearst’s late husband; the Hearst Greek Theater (1903), and the Hearst Gymnasium for Women (1927). The Hearst Museum of Anthropology was subsidized and enhanced by expeditions to Egypt, Italy and Mexico that were financed by Mrs. Hearst. She also sponsored an architectural competition for the campus that resulted in the wonderful ensemble of Classic Beaux-Arts buildings that grace the central core of the campus today.  

Mrs. Hearst came to Berkeley in the fall of 1899 and had architect Bernard Maybeck build a large reception hall for her on Channing Way. A year later the building was moved to the campus to become the women’s gymnasium. This building was destroyed by fire in 1922.  

In honor of his mother who died in 1919, and to replace the burned building, William Randolph Hearst gave Hearst Memorial Gymnasium for Women to the university. It was designed by Maybeck and Julia Morgan. The building overlooks Bancroft Way and is approached from the street by a wide staircase.  

The reinforced concrete building is an essay in eclectic and romantic Classicism. Decorative elements include ornamental bronze window frames, classic balustrades and columns, monumental urns and bas-relief sculptures of dancing ladies bearing garlands. The building contains several enclosed or partially enclosed courtyards, the largest of which contains the swimming pool. It was conceived to be a complete retreat for women, with convenient, comfortable rooms for lounging, eating and napping.  

This was the last Hearst building built on the campus. Unlike his mother, William Randolf Hearst turned his attention and fortune to his personal project at San Simeon.  

Susan Cerny is author of “Berkeley Landmarks” and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.

Editor: 

Robert Cabrera's condescending letter to students on how to build political influence (”Political lesson from the black community to the students” 1/30/02) concealed a hidden personal agenda that he holds in the upcoming state Assembly race. Cabrera's true motivations for promoting Charles Ramsey's candidacy is Ramsey's complete allegiance to landlords and real estate interests. In his campaign, Charles Ramsey has openly expressed support for Costa-Hawkins (the state law that has cause Berkeley rents to rise 45%), and would probably vote to abolish rent control in California -- if the opportunity was presented to him.  

As President of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, Robert Cabrera has generously contributed to Ramsey's campaign -- as have other Berkeley landlords like Frank Davis, and an organization known as “The Evictors.” Ramsey's contributor list even includes Berkeley landlord Harold Hanerfeld, who attempted to evict two Cal students for having a third roommate -- in a three-bedroom apartment!! The bottom line is that Charles Ramsey has been bought, lock, stock and barrel by the most callous and rapacious landlord interests the East Bay can boast.  

Any East Bay resident who cares about the housing crisis should vote for Loni Hancock in the March 5th primary. Landlords and real estate interests already have enough power in Sacramento. Don't give them the 14th Assembly District by electing Charles Ramsey. 

Paul Hogarth 

Berkeley Rent Board Commissioner 

UC Berkeley graduate (Class of 2000) 

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” 

-- John Lennon 

“Communities in Action” Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Religious Fundamentalism in Islam and Judaism 

1 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A course that explores the ways in which some Jews and Muslims have reacted to the challenges of the modern world. $35, $30 members. 845-6420, www.Lehrhaus.org 

National Organization for Women 

6:30 - 8 p.m. 

6536 Telegraph Ave. 

February meeting of the Oakland East Bay Chapter of NOW. 287-8948. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

The Alexander Technique 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley YWCA 

2600 Bancroft Way 

Introductory workshop discussing the basic principles of this method, and demonstrate how you can apply them in ordinary movements. $15 members, $23 non-members. 848-6370. 

Do War and Justice Mix? 

5:30 p.m. 

Flora Lamson Hewlett Library 

Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd. 

The Center for Ethics and Social Policy presents Dr. Martin Cook, 

professor of ethics at the U.S. Army War College, discussing just war theory and the modern political climate. Free and open to the public. 549-5060. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6 

Get Connected: The Magic of Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Copwatch 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Copwatch Office 

2022 Blake St. 

Know Your Rights Training, learn what your rights are and how to watch the police effectively and safely. 548-0425. 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government - The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Planting Rice, Harvesting Slaves:  

Generational and Gendered Struggles on the Upper Guinea Coast in the Era  

of the Atlantic Slave Trade 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level “C” 

A talk by Walter Hawthorne of Ohio University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Relationship Seminar 

7 - 9 p.m. 

First Presbyterian Church of Alameda 

2001 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda 

A four session seminar, Wednesdays, Feb. 6 - 27, on developing and deepening healthy interpersonal relationships. 522-1477. 

Help Put an End to the  

Sanctions Against Haiti 

4:30 p.m. 

Federal Building 

1301 Clay St., Oakland 

A vigil with music and speakers. 483-7481, haitiaction@yahoo.com.  

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Why I Quit the Livermore Nuclear Labs 

6 - 8 p.m. 

UC Berkeley, 155 Dwinelle 

Dr. Andreas Toupadakis presents a lecture on U. S. Foreign Policy leading up to 9/11 and its effects on global security. UCBNOW@hotmail.com. 

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft 

Vigil urging the end of Israeli Occupation of West Bank and Gaza. 548-6310, wibberkeley.org.  

Middendorf Breath Workshop 

6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

Middendorf Breath Institute 

830 Bancroft Way, #104 (the corner of Bancroft and 6th St.) 

The Institute Staff will conduct a day and a half Breath and Movement Workshop. Workshop fee is $100. 981-1710, www.breathexperience.com 

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

Afro-Centric Thoughts in Process Workshop 

3 p.m. 

Black Repertory Group 

3201 Adeline St. 

Black Consciousness for and about Africans born in America, also celebrating knowledge beginning with the birth of human life in Africa six million years ago. 652-2120 or 841-0392. 

Black History Month Rally 

2 p.m. 

Frank Ogawa City Hall Plaza, 14th & Broadway, Oakland 

Berkeley High School 

Men’s Crew Team  

Annual Ergathon Fund Raiser 

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Civic Center Park 

BHS is the only public school on the West Coast offering crew to its students. Less than 2 percent of the team’s annual budget comes from the BHS Athletic Department. 559-3179, jldulay@attbi.com. 

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers Fund Raiser  

6 p.m. 

Kensington Youth Hut 

59 Arlington Ave., Kensington 

19th Annual Dinner and Fund raiser for the nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation and education in flyfishing. 524-0428. 

Valentine-Making Workshop 

1 - 3 p.m. 

Albany Library  

1247 Marin Ave., Albany 

The Albany Library is sponsoring a Valentine-Making Workshop, make one to keep and one to donate to Meals on Wheels. 526-3720 x19. 

Salsa Dance Party and Lesson 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Novices are welcomed, and nobody is required to bring a partner. $12. 508-4616, ronniematisalsa@yahoo.com 

Valentines Dance 

2 p.m. 

Longfellow School for the Arts 

1500 Derby St. 

Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra will perform. $15, $18 at door. 420-4560 

Special Day with Susan Crane: Plowshares Activist 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship 

1924 Cedar 

“Loving Your Enemies: A Revolution of Values.” Susan shares her spiritual journey which led to three terms in prison and living in Jonah House. 524-6064, hcarlstad@aol.com. 

John J. McNeill 

11 a.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

Spiritual leader, activist and author of The Church and the Homosexual will speak at the New Spirit Community Church 11 a.m. Worship Celebration. 849-8280, admin@newspiritchurch.org. 

Perfect Couples 

5 - 7:30 p.m. 

2576 Shattuck Ave., Suite 7 

A group for singles who don’t want to be. For men and women in their 20s and 30s. $30 per session, 8-week commitment. Catherine Auman, MFT. 848-3511. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

An Evening of Music, Song, and Speech 

7 p.m. 

AK Press 

674-A 23rd St., Oakland 

Progressive minded singers and organizers will perform and speak. $5. 208-1700, molly@akpress.org 

People have a lot of ways to change their lives when discontent settles upon them. They might get a new job or a new haircut, upgrade their Palm pilots or switch to chai latte. After sitting through a triptych of documentaries being presented at the Fine Arts Cinema as “Designs For Living” a viewer might be tempted to live off the power grid, or become a political anarchist, or grow potatoes on a communal farm in Russia.  

He still wouldn’t get it, though. The films do not comprise a how-to handbook for alternative lifestyles. Famed anarchist Emma “Red Emma” Goldman, back-to-nature gurus Scott and Helen Nearing, and the Downs’ syndrome farmers in a small Russian village called Svetlana are the subjects of an evening of film, which instruct, by example, the benefits of living closely to one’s ideals. 

Emma Goldman was thrown out of the United States in 1919 for her ideals. The American government had exiled the outspoken anarchist with her long rap sheet of political rabble-rousing for organizing draft resistance in the face of World War I conscription. 

“She loved the U.S. She loved U.S. culture. But it was an ambivalent thing,” said filmmaker Coleman Romalis, who made “Emma Goldman: The Anarchist Guest.” “She was very hostile to capitalism and the State and religion. Many of the things that defined the U.S. set her teeth on edge.” 

The native Russian went back to Russia during the revolution, believing Bolshevism was the great progressive social plan for the future. Immediately disillusioned by the state of Lenin’s communist party, she left Russia to bounce around Europe, eventually settling in, of all places, Canada. 

“You can imagine Toronto in 1926,” said Romalis. “It was very much a stuffy, Anglo-Canadian British atmosphere. It was part of the British Empire with Victorian values in many ways. Not a place to find the revolutionary instincts of Emma Goldman.” 

It was her Toronto address that hooked Romalis. A professor of sociology at nearby York University, he admitted that he knew of Goldman but had never read her works or studied her life until he discovered that Goldman had died in a house a few blocks from his own. His proximity to the hero of social disobedience intrigued him. 

His research led him to the Emma Goldman Papers Project, a Berkeley organization created to collect, catalog and maintain Goldman’s writings. There, he discovered, in reams of raw, prodigious letters, her political passions and emotional outpourings. 

“Emma used letters the way we use e-mail now. She might write eight or 10 letters a day,” said Romalis. “Sometimes they were formal letters to her political colleagues, and she hewed to some political lines in that. Others were very emotionally forthcoming when she wrote to lovers and people who were her intimate friends. That’s when her heart would be revealed, and her anguish at trying to live her life, especially her life in exile.” 

In his film Romalis used actors to give voice to some of Goldman’s letters; there is very little film footage or sound recordings of the anarchist herself. There are photographs and a short newsreel from the 1930s shot in a New York hotel room wherein we see Goldman being interviewed by a panel of American journalists. 

She had just been admitted back into the United States on a 90-day conditional visa, having agreed to not speak about political issues. The journalists surrounding her, naturally, asked her opinions about political issues. 

Her answers were short, careful, and pithy: 

“Question: What do you think of Hitler?” 

“Goldman: I’ve never met him, and don’t want to.” 

“She had a lot of experience with journalists and press conferences,” said Romalis. “I think you sense when you look at her the tension in her right then. With the camera, the reporters with their notebooks, she was measuring every word.” 

The image we see of Goldman in the film is a staunch, serious, and unsmiling woman. This is the person famous for saying, “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution.” But the joie de vivre she evidenced in her life and her many arduous lovers does not translate to photographs. 

“I was confused about that for a long time,” said Romalis. “I asked people who knew her if I was missing something in the pictures. Some said she had the most beautiful eyes behind her thick lenses, a beautiful shade of blue. She had beautiful hair, and a lovely manner about her. It would change when she was in public.” 

Romalis, who now spends half his time at his house in Berkeley and half at his residence in Toronto, will be present at the Fine Arts Cinema on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to answer questions from the audience. He will be joined by the makers of the other two films on the bill, Gunnar and Peter Maddsen (“Svetlana Village: The Camphill Experience in Russia”) and Polly Bennell and Andrea Sarris (“Helen Nearing: Conscious Living/Conscious Dying”). 

Svetlana village is a farming community about 90 miles east of St. Petersburgh, where the farmhands are retarded and developmentally challenged, many with Downs’ Syndrome. It’s neither a retreat nor therapy (although it works out that way) but a lifestyle that incorporates everyone’s talents and energy to maintain a working farm. 

It’s based on the Camphill community model, which mixes village staff with developmentally disabled villagers in all the communal work, allowing everyone to learn from everyone else. 

Peter Maddsen, who had been busking around Russia playing guitar in plazas and train stations for money and not doing a very good job of it, stumbled onto Svetlana village and found a new way to live. 

Five years later his brother, Gunnar, a Berkeley musician and founder of the a cappella group The Bobs, came to Russia with video equipment to document his brother’s potato farm. He immediately got a crash course in the Camphill experience. 

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

Svetlana has adopted innovative ways to farm. Using mud and straw under their feet to make bricks and the designs of environmental architect Rolf Yakobsen, Peter and the villagers built an effectively insulated community house and potato storage cellar designed to be naturally temperate and aerated.  

In America, one of the popular champions of rural subsistence living has been Helen Nearing, the subject of the third documentary at the Fine Arts Cinema by Polly Bennell and Andrea Sarris. Nearing and her husband Scott became simple-living gurus with the publication of the their book “Living The Good Life” in 1954. Their successive farms in Vermont, and later in Maine, became Mecca for people seeking an alternative, passive lifestyle. 

In “Helen Nearing: Conscious Living/Conscious Dying,” the aging Nearing says she is a “visitor of life.” The woman, who had spent most of her life working the land and helping to instruct generations of young people to living simply, said in the film she is “more interested in the meaning and the background of life than I am in Harborside, Maine” (the location of her farm). 

After establishing a philosophical model and hands-on techniques for a self-sustained lifestyle, Helen Nearing is shown preparing to die in the same peaceful, ideological way she lived. 

924 Gilman Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; Feb. 10: Tragedy, Tragetelo, Born/Dead, 5 p.m.; Feb. 15: One Time Angels, Eleventeen, Audiocrush, Counterfit, Bikini Bumps; Feb. 16: Iron Vegan, Nigel Peppercock, Lost Goat, Iron Lung, Depressor; Feb. 22: Oppressed Logic, Deface, Edddie Haskells, Throat Oyster; Feb. 23: From Ashes Arise, Artimus Pyle, Brainoil, Down in Flames, Dystrophy, Scholastic Deth; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme.html. 

The Albatross Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Feb. 2: Robin Gregory, Ducksan Distones; Feb. 3: Danubius; Feb. 4: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keyes; Feb. 5: Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen; Feb. 6: Bob Schoen Jazz Quintet; Feb. 7: Tina Marzell; Feb. 8: Anna & Ellen Hoffman, Hideo Date; Feb. 9: Robin Gregory, Ducksan Distones; Feb. 10: Choro Time; Feb. 11: Renegade Sidemen with Calvin Keyes; Feb. 12 Singers Open Mic; Feb. 13: Jimmy Ryan Jazz Quartet; Feb. 14: Graham Richards Jazz Quartet; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Ashkenaz Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Kotoja, $11; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Adaawe; Feb. 5: 9 p.m., Danubius, $8; Feb. 6: 8 p.m., Zydeco Flames, $8; Feb. 7: 10 p.m., Dead DJ Nite w/ Digital Dave, $5; Feb. 8: 9:30 p.m., Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums, $11; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m. Don Carlos, Reggae Angels, $15; 1317 San Pablo Ave., 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Feb. 2: Felonious, The People, $6; Feb. 3: One of Many, $3; Feb. 6: Sisterz of The Underground, $5; Feb. 7: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; Feb. 8: Mission, Psychokinetics, $7; Feb. 9: Delfino, Lost Coast Band, $5; Feb. 10: Medusa & Feline Science, $8; Feb. 11: The Steve Gannon Band, Mz. Dee, $4; Feb. 12: Planting Seeds, Shady Lady, $8; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

Cato’s Ale House Feb. 6: Christopher Gamper Trio; Feb. 10: Ben Bonham and Jimmy Sweetwater; Feb. 13: Irish Session; Feb. 17: Phillip Greenlief Trio; Feb. 20: Anton Schwartz Trio; Feb. 24: Blue and Tan; Feb. 27: Vince Wallace Trio 

Jupiter Feb. 2: Post Junk Trio; Feb. 6: Alias Smith; Feb. 7: Spectraphonic; Feb. 8: Mushroom; Feb. 9: Mulabaka; Feb. 13: Avrahams Soul Explosion; Feb. 14: Spectraphonic; Feb. 15: Forest Sun; Feb. 16: Michael Bluestien Trio; Feb. 20: Joshi Marshall Duo; Feb. 21: Spectraphonic; Feb. 22: Ben Graves Group; Feb. 23: Brenden Millstein Quartet; Feb. 27: J Steinkoler Duo; Feb. 28: Spectraphonic; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Live Oak Concerts Feb. 10: Judy Phillips, Howard Kadis, $10; Feb. 15: Merlin Coleman with Dan Cantrell, Darren Johnson and Ron Heglin, $10; Feb. 16: Marvin Sanders, Karen Ande, JungHae Kim, $12; All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., 644-6893. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers. com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

“John Glennon and Erika March” Feb. 24: 5 p.m., A program of French music including the works of Francois Couperin, Chambonnieres, and Muffat. $15 - $18. MusicSources, 1000 The Alameda, 528-1685 

“Cosi Fan Tutte” Feb. 22 through Mar. 3: The Berkeley Opera will perform Mozart’s classic opera. $10 - $30. Call for specific dates and times. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. 841-103, www.berkeleyopera.com 

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

Oakland Magic Circle hosts its 34th annual Installation Banquet and Stage show, Feb. 5: 7 p.m. Dinner, 8 p.m. Show, Dick Newton, Timothy James, Peter Winch, Dan X. Solo, $20 Adults, $15 Children; Bjornson Hall, 2258 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 420-0680. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

"Human Nature" Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.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. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Feb. 1: 7:30 p.m., Full Moon in Paris; 9:30 p.m., Pauline at the Beach; Feb 2: 7 p.m., Summer; 9 p.m., Boyfriends and Girlfriends; Feb 3: 3 p.m., A Witch in the Family; 5:30 p.m., Erotikon; 7:30 p.m., Johan; Feb. 4: 3 p.m., Hallelujah; 7 p.m., Women in Love; Feb. 5: 7:30 p.m., From the Pole to the Equator; Feb. 6: 3 p.m., The Last Laugh; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 4; Feb. 8: 7:15 p.m., A Summer’s Tale; 9:30 p.m., A Tale of Springtime; Feb. 9: 7 p.m., A Tale of Winter; 9:15 p.m., Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” 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.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Through Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

“The Image of Evil in Art” Feb. 7 through May 31: An exhibit exploring the varying depictions of the devil in art. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2541. 

“The Pottery of Ocumichu” Feb. 7 through May 31: A case exhibit of the imaginative Mexican pottery made in the village of Ocumichu, Michoacan. Known particularly for its playful devil figures, Ocumichu pottery also presents fanciful everyday scenes as well as religious topics. Call ahead for hours. The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd., 649-2540 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Shambhala Booksellers Feb. 3: 7 p.m., William Peterson will read from his latest book “Voices in the Dark: Esoteric, Occult & Secular Voices in Nazi-Occupied Paris 1990-1994”. Free. 242 Telegraph Ave., 848-8443 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Boadecia’s Books Feb. 9: 7:30 p.m., Loolwa Khazzoom reads from her new book “Conseqence: Beyond Resisting Rape” which takes a street savy look at street harassment. The evening will include a screening of the film “War Zone” and several spoken word presentations. Free. 398 Colusa, Kensington, 595-4642 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

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; $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. 

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. - 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.  

Oakland Museum of California Feb. 14: 1 p.m., Diane Curry shares her experiences researching photographic archives for the history of Oakland, free; Feb. 17: 12 - 4 p.m., A family program in which artists engage families in creative projects inspired by the work of California African American artists; 2 - 3 p.m., Artist Raymond Howell discusses his creative process and artistic techniques. $6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID. 10th & Oak St., 238-2200, www.museumca.org 

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

Burns leads way with 25 points and 14 boards 

The Berkeley Yellowjackets pounded the offensive glass and played tenacious defense on Friday night against the Pinole Valley Spartans, and it looked as if that would be enough to get them through. But to hand the Spartans their first league loss, the ’Jackets needed a bit of help from Lady Luck right at the end. 

Berkeley senior Lee Franklin put his team up 56-52 with two free throws with 14 seconds left in regulation, seeming to ice the victory. But Pinole Valley’s John Chapple sped down the floor for a score, then snagged the inbounds pass and put up a wide-open layup that would have tied the game. Unbelievably, his shot rimmed out at the buzzer to give the ’Jackets (14-7, 8-1 ACCAL) a spot top of the league standings with a 56-54 win. 

“I guess someone up there wanted us to win tonight, because that ball just rolled right out,” Franklin said. 

“That’s not exactly how we drew it up, but we’ll take it today,” Berkeley head coach Mike Gragnani said of the last-second dramatics. 

Berkeley was in position to win largely because of their work on defense and rebounding. Franklin, who had four steals in the first quarter, and Dontae Hall put constant pressure on the Pinole Valley guards in a full-court effort, causing numerous turnovers, and the ’Jackets dominated the offensive boards, with senior Damien Burns keeping his team alive with putbacks all night. In all, the ’Jackets out-boarded Pinole Valley 39-28. 

Burns scored a game-high 25 points to go with 14 rebounds, saving his biggest performance of the year for his team’s biggest game of the year. 

“This win means an awful lot to us,” Burns said. “We’ve been looked over all season. All the newspapers were picking Pinole Valley over us. Now they’ll have to give us respect.” 

Berkeley forward Nate Simmons had a productive night with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Franklin scored 7 points. Chapple led the Spartans with 22 points, and Decoud pitched in with 12. 

Looking at the Berkeley roster, one would expect Franklin and Burns to be leaders of the team as the seniors with the most playing time. But neither played for Berkeley last season, and Gragnani said he has been waiting all year for someone to take the reins of the team. 

“We’ve had a huge void in leadership this whole year,” Gragnani said. “Damien’s learning what it means to lead, and Lee’s natural leadership is finally starting to come out. Those two put us on their shoulders tonight. I can’t say enough about them.” 

Gragnani’s team almost managed to blow a lead they had maintained since the first quarter. After Pinole Valley’s Thomas Decoud put his team up 7-2 with a thunderous dunk, Berkeley turned it on. Burns got a tip-in and a short jumper, then Simmons scored on a drive to give his team an 8-7 lead. They sustained that lead, which grew as large as 10 points in the second half, until there were just four minutes left in regulation. 

But Berkeley’s aggressive defense usually means a lot of fouls, and Friday was no different, with Pinole Valley (14-4, 7-1) reaching the bonus late in the third quarter. After Decoud hit the Spartans’ first 3-pointer of the game to pull within 46-44, he tied the game 48-48 with two free throws. The momentum seemed to be swinging Pinole Valley’s way, but Burns pulled his team back from the brink of disaster. He got a putback on a Franklin miss, then blocked a shot by Gary Shields that Simmons took to the other end for a layup and a four-point lead.  

Berkeley point guard Shawn Burl hit a free throw to put his team up 53-48, but the Spartans refused to fold. Duran Davis got a putback of his own to pull within three, and Shields had two chances to tie the game with wide-open 3-pointers. But he missed both, the second going over the backboard to give Berkeley possession. Davis stole the ensuing inbounds pass, but threw up a wild bomb that missed badly, and Burns grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 30 seconds left. He made one free throw to give the ’Jackets some breathing room, but Chapple came right back with a driving layup to pull within two, sending Franklin to the line with the weight of the game on his shoulders. 

Although Pinole Valley head coach Mark Deluca called two straight time-outs before letting Franklin shoot his charity shots, the Berkeley three-sport star was well-prepared. The freshman game that started the day was delayed 40 minutes by a late-arriving referee, then an altercation during the junior varsity game pushed the varsity game back even further. Franklin spent the spare time at the free throw line, working on his shot. 

“They tried to ice me, but I spent about an hour-and-a-half before the game just knocking down free throws,” he said with a smile. “I was ready.” 

“If there’s someone we want on the line in that situation, it’s Lee,” Gragnani said. “He’s a money player.” 

With Pinole Valley winning the first meeting, the two teams are tied at the top of the ACCAL. The Spartans won a coin flip before the season for a tie-breaker for the league’s automatic bid into the North Coast Section playoffs, meaning they will get the bid if they win the rest of their games. But Deluca said both teams deserve a spot in the playoffs, no matter who wins the title. 

“I think our league is a lot stronger than most people give it credit for,” he said. “The bottom line is that we’re both going to be difficult teams to deal with in the playoffs.”

The latest round in the city’s redistricting battle came to a head on Friday, as five “citizens proposals” for new City Council districts were submitted for the council’s consideration. 

The City Council revoked its approval of an earlier plan after a group calling itself “Citizens for Fair Representation” gathered about 7,000 signatures, threatening to scuttle the plan through a referendum.  

CFR said the “Blake-O’Malley plan,” named after its authors, David Blake and Mike O’Malley, was a back-room deal designed to shift more students into District 8, and thus to hurt moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong. 

New district lines must be redrawn every 10 years, in response to population shifts as registered by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Complicating matters is the fact that there are several blocks in the city – mostly those with UC dormitories and known to be “undercounted” – that have a larger population than is reflected by the 2000 Census. 

The Census Bureau has been promising to deliver corrected numbers to the city for the last month, in order to aid the redistricting effort. There was some confusion in city offices on Friday about whether the numbers had been received. 

Pat DeTemple, the city’s Geographic Information Systems expert who has worked closely on redistricting, was out of his office on Friday, and so could not confirm whether or not the new numbers had been received. 

While details of the new proposals are still sketchy, several authors spoke of their proposal plans in general terms on Friday. 

All said their plans met the requirements laid down by the city charter, which states that new district lines must match old ones as closely as possible. 

The Associated Students of the University of California submitted a plan designed expressly to create a student-dominated district, with the goal of electing a UC student to the City Council. 

“Students are citizens of Berkeley,” said Josh Fryday, ASUC vice president for external affairs. “We have just as much stake as anyone else, and we care about this city as much as anyone else.” 

“We would hope we will be elected to the City Council as soon as possible.” 

Fryday said the ASUC plan would give students a 60 percent majority in District 7, which is currently represented by Councilmember Kriss Worthington. 

Councilmember Dona Spring submitted another proposal. She said hers was designed to preserve the current district lines as much as possible,. 

“I tried only to nibble at districts,” she said. “I didn’t move any district lines more than two blocks, and the majority of them are moved only one block.” 

Nick Rizzo, a junior at Berkeley High School, drew a plan that shifts much of student-heavy Northside into District 7. 

Rizzo wrote about his motivation to come up with a redistricting plan in an letter accompanying his application. 

“The Ancient Greeks believed a person’s primary duty was civic participation, and I couldn’t agree with them more,” Rizzo wrote.  

“Unfortunately, I am too young to join the marvelous, diverse people of Berkeley in that paramount act of civic participation, voting. I decided I needed another way to serve my city, to charge it for the better.” 

Tim Hansen, a member of the fledgling Berkeley Party, submitted a plan he said was concerned with the integrity of communities.  

“I submitted it trying not to worry so much about councilmembers, but about neighborhoods,” he said. 

Nuclear Free Berkeley submitted a plan, which its author, Elliot Cohen, said was nonpartisan and left the disputed “undercount” blocks in their current district. 

“I’m offering it as an option,” Cohen said. “I’m not saying it’s the best plan, since I haven’t seen the others yet – it’s just something I’m presenting to the council for their consideration.” 

David Tabb, CFR chairman, said that his group did not submit their own plan, but would keep a watchful eye on the process. 

“We plan to review the plans submitted to make sure they are truly not partisan,” he said. 

Tabb said during the last redistricting round, he had favored the plan drawn up by the City Manager’s Office in response to direction from the City Council. 

Phil Kamlarz, deputy city manager, said it was not the city manager’s function to submit a new proposal along with those drafted by citizens.  

If the council requested, however, the city manager’s staff would perform the same function it had in the past – drawing up alternative maps in response to councilmembers’ concerns. 

Hopefully, Kamlarz said, this round of citizen proposals will already have taken the council’s concerns into account. 

“Ideally, the citizens’ proposals will address all the issues adequately,” he said.  

Kamlarz said each proposal’s author will have a chance to sit down with DeTemple to further tweak their plans in response to the new census figures.  

City staff will review the new proposals during the coming weeks to make sure they conform with both the city charter and a requirement that the population of all the districts are within 1 percent of each other. 

The city hopes to publish the new proposals on its Web site by Feb. 13, so that interested citizens may read and review them in time for a City Council public hearing on Feb. 19.

Editor, 

It has been with great disappointment that I have watched the events of the week unfold on your editorial page. On Tuesday, you published a letter to the editor that made unsubstantiated and false accusations about illegal activities by the leaders of Copwatch, and included a very unbecoming and woefully inaccurate portrayal of the methods of Copwatch. While news media are not responsible for the opinions stated in letters, they must take responsibility for the factual content. You seem to have made no efforts to check those facts, since the allegations are maliciously untrue. (This is particularly surprising to me since I have submitted letters to the Daily Planet in the past, and the editor called me to verify the sources of the facts that I used.) 

It was also distressing that the paper ran the letter as "author's name has been withheld from this letter for her safety." This insinuates that the author was fearful of retaliation from Copwatch. 

Andrea Prichett, co-founder of Copwatch, wrote a response to the letter, and it ran in today's paper (Copwatch keeps a sober eye on justice 1/31/02). Much to our dismay the, editor took it upon herself to sign the letter "the author's name has been withheld from this letter for her safety concerns," instead of how it was actually signed "Andrea Prichett, Copwatch, Co-founder." Ms. Prichett never asked that her name be withheld and doing so further inflames a tense situation. This sensationalism is unethical and unacceptable. 

Civilian oversight of law enforcement is an important tool to ensure that the police can effectively enforce the laws, while upholding the constitutional rights of every person. In order for civilian oversight to work, the activities of the police must be out in the open. That is why observing the police in the performance of their duties is an important step in preventing the abuse of power that is common at many police stations around the country. 

We at Copwatch are very concerned that there is a misperception of the methods and intentions of Copwatch by the community and police. We would like to invite any and all who are interested in the methods and philosophy of Copwatch to attend the "Know 

Your Rights" training on February 6, at 7pm at 2022 Blake Street. The event is free and open to the public.  

Karla James 

COPWATCH

Parris Vega scored a hat trick as the St. Mary’s Panthers claimed an easy 6-1 victory over St. Patrick on Friday. 

Freshman Margot Davis scored two goals for St. Mary’s along with assisting on one of Vega’s goals.  

The Panthers (7-4, 5-3 BSAL) have one regular-season game left, today against Holy Names. With a win, they would clinch the third seed in the BSAL playoffs, which would mean a home game in the opening round on the uneven ground of the St. Mary’s field. 

“A home game would be important for moral support, and we’re familiar with our field,” St. Mary’s head coach Donny McGuire said. 

The Lady Bruins (2-7-1, 2-7) were no match for St. Mary’s on Friday, as Vega and Davis carved up the St. Patrick defense with their precise through balls and speed.  

“(Vega and Davis) work really well together, and they’re big assets to have up top,” McGuire said. “During the first few games they were at different positions, but they’ve come together nicely.” 

Davis started the season at sweeper, but the emergence of sophomore Brianna Plump at that spot has allowed the freshman to use her skills to score goals rather than prevent them. Vega, on the other hand, can excel at midfielder or attacker, as her passing often sets up teammates for easy shots. 

Chelsea Sera scored the first goal of the game for the Panthers just four minutes in, chipping St. Patrick goalkeeper Monica Villanueva. Vega put Davis through on a 40-yard run 10 minutes later, and the freshman dribbled around Villanueva before scoring. 

Vega pounced on a loose ball in the St. Patrick end in the 18th minute to score her first goal, and Davis finished the scoring for the first half when she forced a turnover, then scored off of her own rebound. 

Vega’s second goal came just after halftime, volleying in a low corner kick from Davis. She then finished off the hat trick by bursting down the middle of the defense to score in the 54th minute. 

The Bruins managed a consolation goal in the 61st minute. Villanueva, released from the slow torture of facing down St. Mary’s shots to play the field, sliced a ball into the St. Mary’s box. Several Panthers watched the ball trickle by them before Sarah Giggoltti slammed it past St. Mary’s substitute goalkeeper. But McGuire wasn’t too worried about his team giving up a soft goal. 

“It was a different defense and a different goalie,” he said. “They know they made a mistake, but it wasn’t a game-costing mistake.”

Diversify, whatever you do. That’s the quick lesson from Enron’s collapse. Company employees, whose 401K relied entirely upon the success of Enron earnings, lost everything when the stock suddenly crashed last fall. More than $1 billion disappeared from the company’s 401K. 

“This is going to open people’s eyes to the risk of holding so much company stock,” said Peter Mork, an associate at La Jolla Economics, a private economic consulting firm. Monk remains dubious, however, that companies will voluntarily amend their 401K plans. It’s up to employees to be aware of how their nest eggs are used, he said. 

A 401K account safeguards an employee against the future. The retirement account deducts money automatically from the payroll, and tucks it away into a plan that offers, among other things, investment in company stock. There is no national or state law limiting the amount invested in company stock, and some loyal employees tip their portfolios heavily in favor of their company. 

The Enron tragedy is a call to employees to re-think their retirement plans, says Monk. 

For those who are not seasoned investors, which are the majority of public-company employees, step one is to diversify, said Mork. Don’t put too much stock in anyone company, even your own. 

“My 401K is entirely invested in Intel,” said Patrick Finucane, a former Intel employee, who left the company in November. “Not that there’s anything wrong with Intel, but if a surprise happens like it did to Enron, there goes my whole 401K.”  

Finucane said that while he worked at Intel,  

>he was offered a choice of diversifying through other stocks and mutual  

>funds, or putting all his stock in Intel, which he did. No one dissuaded  

>him from doing so. 

> 

>The 401K at Cisco Systems does not include an option of company stock,  

>said Kathleen Deornelas, in the Human Resource Department. It's too  

>tempting for people to fold the bulk of their savings back into the  

>company, in the hopes of a quick return, she said, especially with a  

>top-performing company like Cisco. Her company 401K offers investment in  

>mutual funds and other stocks instead. "We don't want people to put their  

>eggs in one basket, " she said. 

> 

>That adage may soon be backed by federal law. 

> 

>A new bill, if passed by Congress, will help protect employees from the  

>Enron fate. Proposed by California Senator Barbara Boxer (D), the Pension  

>Protection and Diversification Act, would limit the amount of company  

>stock that can be allowed into an employee's retirement plan. It amends  

>the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, by placing a  

>limit of 20% that any employee can invest in one stock. Currently, the  

>ERISA has no limits on the amount of company stock invested in a 401K. 

> 

>The bill is a direct response to the Enron scandal, said a representative  

>from Boxer's Los Angeles office, and is now in committee. 

> 

>Employees like Cynthia McCane of Hewlett Packard say they would welcome  

>protection from a volatile stock market. Her colleagues at Hewlett  

>Packard aren't particularly worried about their 401K, she says, but they  

>are concerned about Wall Street's future, and have been since September 11th. 

> 

>"It's nerve racking to play the stock market," she said of the recent drop  

>in stock prices. "You win you lose, depending on where your money is  

>going." And, how your 401K is invested. 

>

Editor: 

The Republican Party has made great electoral progress by exploiting and distorting the Christian faith. Separation of Church and State has been the single most important element in making America a great nation. This tradition is the greatest contribution toward worldwide political thought to develop from the American Revolution and our Founding Fathers. This tradition defines the spirit of America. This tradition is under severe attack from the "so called" Christian Right at the direction of the national Republican Party. 

Republicans seeking to exploit faith to achieve political ends are damaging the Christian religion and our democratic nation.  

Many Christians understand that the doctrines of the "so called" Christian Rights arise out of a misunderstanding of Christian theology. Christ taught that merely following external Law would never provide salvation. Just following Laws of Behavior does not make us free from sin. The "so called" Christian Right is trying to ignore this revolutionary doctrine by emphasizing the changing of laws to make us a more Christian nation. This is simply impossible. Salvation is personal and internal. According to the Bible, salvation is only achieved with the help of Jesus Christ. A law book provides no help in achieving salvation. Laws belong in the realm of Caesar instead of God. 

The Christian doctrine of "Free Will" is ignored by the political activities of the Republican "so called" Christian Right. We are given the choice to select sin or salvation by God. Legislation is simply irrelevant to salvation. Salvation is the purpose of Christianity, not legislative or political victories by Republicanism. 

Christianity also teaches us to care for the poor and helpless. This is not reflected in the lobbying or electoral activity of the "so called" Christian Right. The Republican agenda is a political statement that essentially glorifies Greed. Since when is the Christian religion an advocate of Greed? 

The Democratic Party agenda more closely reflects mainstream Christian values than does the Republican agenda.  

We are all aware of the outrageous comments of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson after the September 11th attacks. These political preachers seem to think that God is opposed to civil liberties and Free Will. God is not a Republican or supporter of Republicanism. God is the only source of judgment regarding sin according to the Bible. This right to judge morality is reserved to God. Political preachers have no right to usurp God’s authority in this manner. The "so called" Christian Right has set itself up to judge the morality (the sin) of our political figures in violation of this authority. The "so called" Christian Right does not show a tendency towards Christian forgiveness when judging Democrats. The political preachers and their organizations like the Christian Coalition routinely forgive Republicans. Why the double standard? Is it because it promotes Republicanism? 

We recently located some interesting quotes by Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson on "The Conservative Hall of Fame" web site (see http://451world.com/fame/html) Ralph Reed was formerly the head of the Christian Coalition and now head of the Georgia Republican Party. In a speech to the Christian Coalition, he said, "Tell em what they want to hear; when elected do as you please. Lie if you have to." Ralph Reed must have missed the Ten Commandments. 

Pat Robertson said " I think one man, one vote; just unrestricted democracy would not be wise. There needs to be some kind of protection for the minority which the white people represent now, and they need and have a right to demand a protection of their rights." Pat Robertson attacks democracy and advocates white racism. There is nothing Christian about these comments by Ralph Reed or Pat Robertson. 

We recently heard anti-Clinton zealot and Republican commentator, Ann Coulter, defend the comments of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson concerning the September 11th attacks while addressing the College Republicans in Oregon. Her comments included a spirited defense on our treatment of the American Indians as being an advance for Christianity. Her most outrageous comment advocated placing in detention, under John Ashcroft, anyone who criticized the use of references to God in our schools. She seems to be against the Freedom of Speech provided by the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. We do not imprison anyone for his or her religious or political views in America. The "so called" Christian Right is acting like an American Taliban. 

Stephen Crockett & 

Al Lawrence 

Hosts of Democratic Talk Radio 

Boys Soccer – St. Mary’s 1, St. Patrick 1 

The Panthers end the BSAL regular season with a tie, ensuring a first-round bye for the playoffs. Andrew Nackerud scored the game’s first goal for St. Mary’s in the 15th minute with an assist from Ryan Mueller, but Ed Castaneda knots the score with a goal in the 21st minute. The Panthers will play their second-round playoff game on Thursday against a winner of a first-round game.

LE ROY, N.Y. — It wiggles, it jiggles, and next week Jell-O is going on the road. 

The Traveling Jell-O Museum is slated to be unveiled in Salt Lake City next week by curator Lynne Belluscio and company spokesman Bill Cosby. 

Utah is the museum’s first stop in part because of international attention directed at Salt Lake City because of the Olympics. But the state also has the highest per capita consumption of the dessert, which is the official state snack. 

Utah households buy an average of 21 servings per year – twice as much as households across the country, Jell-O spokeswoman Camille Rustige said. 

The traveling museum will be on display in Utah through March 5. 

“It depicts little snippets of Jell-O’s history,” Belluscio said in Thursday’s editions of The Daily News of Batavia. 

The exhibit includes several historical items from the permanent Jell-O Museum in Le Roy, the birthplace of Jell-O. The museum, in a century-old stone building, opened in 1997 marking the 100th anniversary of a simple dessert that has become an American icon. 

Pearl Bixby Wait, a carpenter who dabbled in patent medicine, added fruit flavor to gelatin in 1897. His wife christened it Jell-O. 

Millionaire kicker

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Randy Rial is hoping he’ll be a millionaire when he leaves the Super Bowl, and he’s not even playing in the game. 

Rial will compete in Hershey’s Million Dollar Kick contest at the Super Bowl XXXVI pre-game show in New Orleans on Feb. 3.  

He’ll be given one chance to make a field goal worth $1 million. 

“It’s really surreal, it’s hard to believe,” Rial told the Battle Creek Enquirer for a story Tuesday. “I can’t believe I’m going to the Super Bowl.” 

Rial, 41, a manufacturing manger for Tenneco Automotive, beat out five others Monday in a qualifying round in Jacksonville, Fla.  

He was the only finalist to make all three field goals from 15, 25 and 35 yards. 

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Mike Hollis will help determine the length of Rial’s Super Bowl kick.  

Hollis is attempting three field goals in the days before the Super Bowl; for each successful kick, Rial’s attempt will move five yards closer, starting from 40 yards out. 

Hollis also is working with Rial — a field goal kicker during high school — in the days leading up to the big game. 

Even if Rial doesn’t make the kick, he gets a consolation prize of $10,000.  

And besides, Rial said the contest means more to him than just the chance to win a million bucks. 

“I’m thinking about how I get to go to the Super Bowl, I get to do this kick and I get to watch a great game,” he said.

——— 

RHINEBECK, N.Y. (AP) — The burglary of two historic estates in New York’s Hudson Valley has baffled police, but one thing is clear: The culprits had an eye for fine kitchenware. 

At the Wilderstein Historic Site in Dutchess County last weekend, burglars stole several Tiffany items, including a hot water kettle with matching burner and a cream pot, police said. 

At the Edgewater Estate a few miles away, a sterling silver tea set and a silver service for 12 were reported missing. 

State police estimated the losses at more than $100,000. 

Wilderstein Executive Director Gregory J. Sokaris said that while the items were irreplaceable, he was thankful the burglars did little damage to the house. 

“We were very lucky in that respect,” he told The Register-Star in Hudson, N.Y. “It could have been a lot worse.” 

The burglars somehow managed to circumvent an alarm system that included motion detectors, according to state police Investigator Richard Nesbitt. The investigation is continuing.

——— 

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — A charity that had been cleared to serve beer at a fund-raiser during Groundhog Day festivities has decided not to offer up the suds after all. 

“I think we would like to take baby steps to make sure it is a high-quality event,” said Pat Joseph, executive director of the western Pennsylvania chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is holding the fund-raiser. “We’re hoping we can bring in something that will be a lot of fun and add things to the weekend in Punxsutawney.” 

In 1996, Groundhog Day organizers banned drinking on Gobbler’s Knob, the spot where Punxsutawney Phil emerges each year in search of his shadow. But earlier this month, Punxsutawney Borough Council voted 5-2 to allow the charity to sell beer. 

The charity will still hold its event, charging $10 admission to see bands in a tent large enough to fit 1,200 people. 

The 1993 release of “Groundhog Day,” the Bill Murray film set in Punxsutawney, helped generate bigger crowds, including an influx of young people who added drinking and dancing to the annual celebration. 

Enter Paltrow, stage left 

LONDON — Gwyneth Paltrow plans to make her British theater debut in the spring with her “Shakespeare in Love” director John Madden in charge. 

“We kind of agreed (to) it in principle a week ago,” Madden said Friday, “having spent a great deal of time in ’Shakespeare in Love’ with me saying to her, ’You’ve got to go on the stage.”’ 

Paltrow is due to open at London’s Donmar Warehouse theater in the same part that won Mary-Louise Parker a Tony Award for best actress in “Proof” in June. 

David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, still running on Broadway in New York, will cast Paltrow as Catherine, a talented young woman who has inherited her father’s mathematical genius — and may also have inherited his mental instability. 

The remaining three roles have yet to be cast, though Madden said he expected the remainder of the company to be British. 

The joint presence of Paltrow and Madden might seem a dry run for an eventual film of the play, but Madden — who began directing in the theater in London and New York before shifting to film — said such thinking is premature. 

“We’re doing this as a piece of theater,” he said in an interview. “That’s what the focus is and what the raison d’etre is.” 

“Proof” begins rehearsals April 8 and starts previews May 9, before a May 15 opening night. The limited run will end June 15. 

Paltrow’s mother, Blythe Danner, is a Broadway veteran who most recently starred last spring in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies,” earning a Tony nomination. 

Estefan sues actor  

MIAMI — Music mogul Emilio Estefan Jr., the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, has sued an aspiring Venezuelan actor, accusing him of defamation and abuse of process. 

The Circuit Court lawsuit filed Thursday describes Juan Carlos Diaz as an unwanted trespasser who has harassed the Estefans. Police records show Diaz twice has been issued a trespassing warning, one at the Estefan’s mansion and the other at the gym. 

Estefan, his wife and his lawyers said they would have preferred to keep accusations in the courts. Estefan said Diaz’s repeated public statements accusing him of making threats and unwanted sexual advances forced them to speak publicly. 

A hearing to grant Estefan a permanent restraining order against Diaz has been pushed back to Feb. 21. He already has a temporary restraining order. 

Ellis Rubin, Diaz’s attorney, did not immediately return a call for comment. 

Emilio Estefan received the Person of the Year award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2000. He has produced hits for his wife, Ricky Martin, Jon Secada, Shakira and others. 

——— 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Phoenix Pictures has acquired the film rights for “Misconception,” a legal thriller co-written by O.J. Simpson defense attorney Robert Shapiro. 

Shapiro co-authored “Misconception” with novelist, screenwriter and director Walt Becker. 

Published last spring, “Misconception” follows a surgeon general nominee who becomes the target of an anti-abortion extremist in a scandal over an extramarital affair, a pregnant lover and an illegally procured abortion drug. 

Shapiro and Becker will be executive producers on the film, the production company said Thursday. 

Phoenix Pictures’ films include Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The 6th Day” and the upcoming thriller “Basic” from director John McTiernan. 

Shapiro was a member of Simpson’s defense team when he was acquitted in the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson later was found liable for their deaths in a civil trial and ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages. Shapiro did not represent him at that trial. 

——— 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Broward judge sent actor Brad Renfro to jail after he turned himself in for a probation violation. 

The star of the 1994 film “The Client” appeared in court Thursday after he was charged with driving without a license and public intoxication Jan. 14 near Knoxville, Tenn., his hometown. 

Renfro, 19, is serving probation for trying to steal a yacht in August 2000. 

Circuit Judge Ronald J. Rothschild ordered Renfro’s arrest. 

“The fact that you’re back here accused of a crime is grounds to detain you,” Rothschild said. 

Authorities said Renfro and a friend had tried to steal a 45-foot yacht from Holiday Harbor in Fort Lauderdale. As they motored away, they forgot to untie all the docking lines, which snagged the $175,000 vessel, damaging its stern. 

In 1998, the actor was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana, but avoided jail time with a plea deal. 

Renfro’s movie credits include “Ghost World,” “Bully” and “Apt Pupil.” 

The project we are about to detail is so simple you might decide to go into business for yourself. 

We’re talking about the installation of a prefabricated wall niche. They not only are attractive but they also allow you to utilize dead space in a wall for a display platform for flowers, art, sculptures, statuary, religious items and more. 

There are a few tricks you will need to know to ensure a smooth installation. But, the project is easy: 

• Cut a rough opening in the wallboard. 

• Apply adhesive to the wallboard. 

• Mount the niche in the opening. 

• Nail it in place with finish nails. 

• Caulk the nail holes. 

Except for the few precautions that follow, that is all there is to it. 

The real trick is accomplished in the planning. Most wall niches are made to fit in the empty space that exists between wall studs. The empty area (or wall cavity) between any two studs is known as the “bay” or “stud bay.” This cavity between floor or ceiling joist would be known as the “joist bay” and between rafters — you guessed it — the “rafter bay.” 

Wall studs normally are spaced at either 16 inches or 24 inches on center. If the spacing is 16 inches, the stud-bay clearance (distance between studs) will be 14 1/2 inches. If the studs are spaced at 24 inches, the distance, stud-to-stud, will be 22 1/2 inches. The niche you choose should be purchased to fit your particular stud spacing. 

Yes, you can install a niche made for a smaller 14 1/2-inch bay into a larger 22 1/2-inch bay, but you will have to do a little framing that could turn the project into a weekend of work. 

Keep in mind that not all stud bays are empty. They can contain electrical wiring, plumbing pipes and vents, to name a few things. Also, keep in mind that a wall has two sides and you will want to study both of them before cutting. Why look on the other side? By surveying its surface you often can tell what’s inside. A wall switch or receptacle is a dead giveaway that electric wiring is nearby. An intersecting wall on the opposite side guarantees that the chosen stud bay is not empty. Such a configuration requires the wall being intersected to have partition framing. Sometimes you can get around the wiring, but you won’t ever get around a partition connection. 

The most important tool for this project will be a stud-finder. One that also checks for sheet-metal ducting, plumbing pipes and electrical wiring is best for this task. If there is a sink or shower valve on the other side of the wall, there will be a valve or a vent pipe in the wall. If a stove exists, there might be a gas line or larger electric wire in your way. Look in the attic to see if anything is penetrating the top of the wall. No penetrations from the attic or subarea are good indications, but not proof positive. 

Why all the precautions? Most stud bays are empty. However, you shouldn’t arbitrarily start removing drywall. A diagnosis first can save dollars later. 

Once you’ve found the perfect place for your niche, use a razor knife or a saw to cut out the wallboard to the niche manufacturer’s specifications. We suggest making a small hole with a razor knife first. Check to make sure that nothing exists in the cavity. Then cut. 

With the hole cut, apply the glue. Put it on the wall — not the niche. You will find out that handling a caulked niche can be a mess. Ever hear the old saying “paint travels”? Well, caulking and adhesive does too. Some manufacturers suggest a special adhesive for their niches. If that’s not the case, we suggest silicone caulk. Clear is good. It sticks well, can easily be cleaned with alcohol and will readily fill the irregular void that typically is created between a straight object (like the back of a niche) and a wall’s wavy surface. 

Be prepared to have someone apply pressure to the surface of the niche to hold it solidly in place while 6-penny or 8-penny bright finish nails are used to permanently attach it to the wall. The nail should be long enough to go through the niche and the wallboard, and then penetrate into the stud approximately 1 inch. Wipe off the excess caulk, putty the nail holes and let everything dry. 

If you are even modestly careful when you cut the drywall, you will find that no wall painting will be necessary, and you will have to paint only if you want to change the color of the niche. 

—- 

For more home improvement tips and information visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com. 

—- 

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, P.O. Box 1562, New York, NY 10016-1562, or through these online sites: www.onthehouse.com or apbookstore.com. 

Sting Advice 

Got a nest of insects with stingers near your home? Destroy it by using a spray made for hives that shoots a stream about 20 feet. Sunset is the best time to attack them — when they’re all in the hive. Wear light colors and no scented lotion or perfume. If you look or smell like a flower, they’ll notice. If buzzed, don’t swat. Be still, or move away slowly. If you get stung, remember honeybees sting only once, leaving their stinger behind. To remove it, scrape sideways. This prevents more venom from getting into the skin. Bumblebees, yellow jackets, wasps and hornets have smooth stingers and can sting multiple times. Their venom also attracts others, so exit quickly. Wash with soap and water, use antiseptic, and treat pain and itch with lotions and ice. Or dab on ammonia, meat tenderizer or even mud.

Go ahead, make your truck’s bed a sandbox 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

I own a 1998 Ford Ranger regular-cab truck. My folks, who own an earlier-model Ranger, tell me that my truck will drive better if I put a sandbag or two in the bed to add weight. They say it helps prevent rear-wheel spin and makes the truck handle better. They live in the snow belt, and I live in Texas, where snow and ice are rare. But my folks still insist that the sandbag trick will improve my handling on both rainy days and sunny days. My roommate, who owns a 1996 Ranger, says my folks and I are a bunch of idiots, and if we put sand in the back, we might as well bury our silly heads in it. What's the deal? – Stephen 

TOM: I think your roommate is just ticked off about the jackhammering-as-cathartic-therapy you practice while he's trying to sleep, Stephen. 

RAY: Your folks are right. Pickup trucks are very weird vehicles. Think about it. Most of the time, they have absolutely no weight in the back. Everything -- you, your passengers, the engine -- is up front. That in itself makes for very weird handling. 

TOM: But then add to that extremely stiff, heavy-duty springs in the back. They have to be stiff enough to support hundreds of pounds of stuff if you decide to load up the bed. 

RAY: So what's the result? When the bed is empty, the rear end of your pickup truck tends to bounce all over the road and spin its wheels at the slightest provocation. 

TOM: And there's not much the manufacturer can do about it. If the manufacturer adds weight to the back, that eats into the payload you're able to carry. The weight would also reduce your gas mileage and would eat into performance. 

RAY: Of course, if your bed is empty anyway, you probably don't care about payload. And the tiny penalty you pay in mileage and performance might be well worth the improvement you get in handling and traction. 

TOM: And you will feel an improvement. With three or four bags of sand all the way in the back, the truck will be balanced better when cornering, and you'll get less bouncing around and improved traction in the rain. 

RAY: So tell your roommate that, despite his advice, you WILL be looking for a few hundred pounds of dead weight to put in the back of your pickup. Then ask him if he’s available.  

More on Ray’s  

survey 

TOM: Last week we unveiled the results of a survey we did about the cost of car repairs. 

RAY: We picked two fairly average cars, a '96 Honda Civic and a '96 Dodge Intrepid, and picked four common repairs. The repairs we chose are ones you’re likely to need done on a 3-to-4-year-old car. 

TOM: Then we called 158 different shops – both dealerships and independent shops – and got estimates for these repairs. 

RAY: We then compared the repair costs at the dealers with the repair costs at the independents. And we found that dealer prices were higher, on average – by 15 percent for the Honda and by 10 percent for the Dodge. 

TOM: But we also discovered some interesting regional differences. For instance, we looked at the data by time zone. And guess which dealers charged the highest prices? The ones on the coasts. The dealer prices all tended to be higher in the Eastern and Pacific time zones than they were in the Central and Mountain zones. 

RAY: We also learned that in every case, the Mountain time zone had the smallest price spread between the dealers and the independent shops -- they charged almost the same amounts there. So in the Mountain time zone, it almost doesn't matter if you go to the dealer or an independent. Almost! Remember, these are averages. 

TOM: So what's the moral of our survey? Well, if you live on the East or West Coast, you can often save real money by going to an independent (some of which you should deposit directly into our secret bank account in the Cayman Islands). 

RAY: And you'll save even more money if you drive your car across the Continental Divide before getting that brake job! 

TOM: But does all this mean that you should never go to a dealer? Absolutely not. After all, money isn't everything. Would you want your open-heart surgery to be done by the guy who had the lowest prices? 

RAY: We think it means that for the normal, everyday stuff that needs to be done to your car (timing belt, brakes, shocks; like the repairs we researched), you can probably save a few bucks -- hundreds of bucks, in some cases -- by going to a good independent shop. 

TOM: But dealerships do offer some advantages. For one thing, they will know more about your car than the average independent shop. That could mean that they might not have to spend a lot of time diagnosing a problem that's unique to your car. So, if you've got a weird problem, the dealer is still probably your best bet. 

RAY: If you want to see all of the results of our survey, complete with very pretty bar graphs and charts, go to our Web site, the Car Talk section of www.cars.com.

SACRAMENTO — California has opened a new front in the battle between automakers and environmental coalitions, becoming first in the nation to target auto emissions to combat global warming. 

But no technology exists to fight the emissions of carbon dioxide, which helps cause global warming, from automobiles. So, automobile manufacturers say, the only response to the proposal in California’s Legislature is to sell smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. 

Years after California began regulating toxic tailpipe pollutants from the state’s ever-growing fleet of 25 million vehicles, lawmakers now want to limit carbon dioxide, an unregulated nontoxic emission that many scientists believe is warming the earth’s atmosphere. 

They succeeded in part Wednesday, as the state Assembly, encouraged by a group that includes environmentalists, high-tech business executives, scientists and celebrities such as Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand, passed a vehicle-related global warming bill. 

The bill gives automakers until early 2005 to start cutting carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles sold in California. It now goes to the Senate. 

Automakers who sell approximately 2 million new cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles yearly in California, believe they’re already beaten. 

“We’re expecting a law to be passed,” said Kris Kiser, vice president of state affairs for the 13-member Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. “It’s an election year. The issue has a core constituency and it’s a powerful one for the Democrats.” 

Automakers see the bill as a backdoor way to force more fuel-efficient vehicles into the state, she said, warning that “California consumers are looking at smaller, lighter vehicles and some models may be eliminated.” 

The vote is disgusting, Kiser said, because carbon dioxide can’t be measured from a car’s tailpipe. 

That doesn’t matter, supporters said. There’s been a “perception shift” about carbon dioxide from cars, and the bill by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, is California’s answer to a sometimes-disputed international phenomenon called global warming. 

The Bluewater Network and Natural Resources Defense Council, environmental organizations that sponsored the bill, say California contributes nearly 7 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases — and 2 percent of all global carbon dioxide. Of that, California’s cars and trucks contribute up to 60 percent of those emissions. 

“If California starts doing something in this regard I think other states will follow,” Pavley said. 

Pavley’s bill tells the California Air Resources Board to write regulations by January 2004 to get the “maximum feasible reduction” of carbon dioxide from cars and trucks. The Legislature would have a year to decide if the regulations were reasonable. If so, they would begin in 2005. 

That would be groundbreaking, said air board spokesman Jerry Martin, although “manufacturers would need time to develop the hardware or software to limit the emissions.” 

By most accounts, carmakers have no existing technology to limit carbon dioxide emissions, a natural byproduct of combusting carbon-based fuel. 

“An enormous amount comes out of the tailpipe,” said Peter Miller, a senior scientist with the NRDC. “It far exceeds the amount of other pollutants.” 

Miller suggested numerous alternatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including better tires, alternative fuels, better fuel efficiency, buying equivalent reductions from other CO2 sources, carpooling, transit and better urban planning. 

“If it was easy, it would have been done,” Miller said. 

Pavley said car manufacturing representatives wouldn’t talk about such recommendations with her before the bill passed. 

“They said they had none. They didn’t want any regulatory reform,” she said. 

Kiser admitted as much. 

“We said, ’how do you fix it? To regulate carbon dioxide you regulate fuel use. It’s that simple for us.” 

———— 

On the Net: Read AB1058 at www.assembly.ca.gov. 

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers: www.autoalliance.org. 

• Population of California: 35 million. 

• Number of vehicles: estimated 25 million. 

• Diesel trucks and buses: 2 million. 

• 2020 Forecast: 45 million people, 31.5 million vehicles. 

• Gasoline consumed in 2000: 14.2 billion gallons. 

• 2020 Forecast: 19.6 billion gallons. 

• Estimated population increase to 2020: 1.4 percent a year. 

• Estimated increase in miles driven to 2020: 1.8 percent a year. 

Source: California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission

NEW YORK — Enron’s collapse added a smacking insult to the injury of the stock market’s decline over the last two years. 

That kind of slap is what businesses and investors, and those tasked with watching over them, may have needed. 

Many had claimed to be chastened by the painful reverse in fortunes of Internet and technology companies, and their stocks, more than a year ago. There was soul-searching over the ways companies calculated their profits or losses, and how they revealed their liabilities. There was an examination of auditors’ conflicts of interest when their firms did other business with the companies whose books they monitored. 

Humbled investors acknowledged the need to lower their expectations of fat, quick returns. Many of the analysts who helped build expectations faced a grueling public examination because of the stakes they, or their firms, had in the performance of stocks they covered. 

But real action was limited. Some investment banks faced sanctions for possibly manipulating the sales of coveted first offerings of stock during the tech boom. Beyond that, the general attitude can be summed up: Yes, the system needed some fine tuning but, since we’re all acting in good faith, why rush to reform? 

The apparent bad faith at Enron Corp. and some Arthur Andersen LLP auditors, dramatized by the alleged shredding of documents even after a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation began, changed all that. 

“I think it could lead to some good reforms in the long run,” said Jeremy Siegal, a finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. 

He cited, among others, the need for standardizing how businesses report their earnings. Companies now have a lot of latitude in formulating profit or loss, how they add up revenues and expenses, where and even whether they list their debts or other liabilities. Different companies use different formulas, creating confusion about a company’s real bottom line. 

In addition, Siegel said in a telephone interview, the system needs firewalls between accountants who audit a company’s books and others who, working for the same accounting firm, do consulting or other work for the company. He urged a formal division “like we had 60 years ago between commercial banks and investment banks.” 

Several of the big accounting firms last week were beginning to build those walls, spinning off or otherwise separating auditing and consulting operations. 

Siegel, long an advocate of the stock market as the best place for long-term investment, also hoped for a return to an emphasis on dividends for company shareholders — a tried and true indication that a company is really making money, not just tweaking its books or making promises it can’t keep so its stock will get a short-term boost. 

He saw no reason for investors who lost money on Enron stock to lose faith in the market or business in general. “The vast majority of CEOs and CFOs are honest people,” he said. 

But if small investors come to realize just how hard it is to analyze a business’s balance sheet, that won’t be bad. 

“Most small investors have no ability to translate those sheets,” Siegel said. 

Wayne Firebaugh, an independent financial planner in Roanoke, Va., agreed that in recent years “people were investing in businesses they didn’t understand.” People interested in buying Enron stock, for instance, often were asking him, “What does Enron do?” 

They’re simply aware a stock is rising and “they’re buying on momentum,” he said. 

The problem, of course, is that by the time a small investor gets wind of a stock’s potential for success, the big traders probably have already moved in — and in fact may have found reasons to move out. 

Like Siegel, Firebaugh sees a silver lining to the storm over Enron. “It has increased understanding, and hopefully will change some behavior,” he said. 

He finds individual investors more easily steered toward mutual funds, where an expert can make investment decisions, and away from individual stocks. They better understand the need for a diversified portfolio, where losses in one company or sector can be balanced by a better performance elsewhere, he said. 

And they’ve gained a new skepticism toward those who tout stocks, he said, listening more closely when he explains why some analysts would promote some stocks and not others. 

“You have a competition in who’s going to get into a good deal, and you also have a competition in who’s going to get out of a bad deal,” he said. The competition is who will get there first, and anyone who isn’t a professional probably won’t.

LOS ANGELES — Amgen Inc., the world’s largest biotechnology firm, said Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its latest immunity-boosting drug for cancer patients, Neulasta. 

The Thousand Oaks.-based company said Neulasta is an improved version of its $1 billion a-year drug Neupogen, which boosts white blood cell production in patients receiving chemotherapy. 

Neupogen requires daily injections for seven to 10 days, which can be trying for many patients. Neulasta, on the other hand, needs only one injection, because it is constructed from larger molecules that the kidneys can’t wash out of the body, said Ken Keller, Amgen’s senior director of marketing. 

Amgen hopes to launch the new drug in April. It will continue to sell Neupogen, however, as Neulasta does not have FDA approval to treat bone marrow transplant patients, leukemia patients or children, Keller said. 

Some 1.5 million patients receive chemotherapy in the United States each year. About 400,000 of those are at risk of getting an infection because their white blood cell count drops, Keller said. 

Amgen hopes doctors will prescribe more chemotherapy patients with Neulasta before they get sick, because it is easier to administer than Neupogen. 

“The biggest upside is more patients,” Keller said. 

By 2005, the company expects both drugs combined to produce revenue of $2 billion a year. 

In the fourth quarter of 2001, sales of Neupogen increased 13 percent from a year earlier to $353 million. 

The company posted profit of $1.1 billion on sales of $4 billion in 2001. 

With the introduction of Neulasta, Amgen plans to phase out production of Leukine, the immunity-boosting drug made by Immunex Corp., the Seattle-based company Amgen announced in December it was buying for $16.8 billion. 

Last weeks’ murders of two Oakland residents in south Berkeley have left the residents of the area calling for the city to clean up what they say is a chronic problem with crime in their neighborhood.  

On Wednesday night, the Berkeley Police Department and a number of city officials responded. 

The BPD hosted a town hall meeting at the Philips Temple CME Church, located at the corner of Adeline and 62nd streets, to discuss the shooting and what residents can do to protect themselves. 

The meeting seemed to portend the birth of a south Berkeley anti-crime coalition, with around 100 residents, representing several neighborhood associations, in attendance.  

Officer Rob Rittenhouse, the BPD’s new area coordinator for south Berkeley, presided at the meeting, and introduced two of his fellow officers: Sgt. Steve Odom, who spoke on personal safety, and Detective William Badour, who gave an update on the investigation into last week’s murders (see sidebar). 

Mayor Shirley Dean, Councilmember Kriss Worthington, representatives from the offices of Vice-Mayor Maudelle Shirek and Councilmember Margaret Breland, and Tom Myers of the city manager’s office also attended the meeting. 

The heavy attendance by city officials underscored the gravity of the crime situation in south Berkeley – a situation that some say has spun out of control in recent years. 

The BPD recently reported that the area received 259 complaints of drug-related activity in 2001 – far more than in any other area of the city. 

Sgt. Odom’s personal safety presentation was well-received, but several residents became impatient. 

“Why should we have to feel unsafe?” asked area resident Andrea Cesar. “Why can’t the city clean this up?” 

Several groups offered their solidarity with the 62rd St. Neighborhood Association, in whose neighborhood the shootings occurred.  

Ron Casimere, president of the Alcatraz Avenue Neighborhood Association, said that there had to be more communication between south Berkeley neighborhood groups.  

“This whole corridor has a problem,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s taken this incident to get us together.” 

Several community activists that recently fought to close Brother’s Liquors on Shattuck Avenue came to listen and offer their support. The City Council voted to shutter Brother’s Liquors last month, which neighbors alleged was the center of drug and other criminal activity in their neighborhood. 

“There’s a bunch of communities in south Berkeley that are fed up to here,” said Byron Onisko. 

Frank Davis, Jr., president of the Black Property Owner’s Association and a 63-year resident of south Berkeley, said that BPD officers should be assigned to the area for several years at a time. It takes that long, he asserted, for the officers to know the area and be effective. 

The situation in south Berkeley was dire, he said. 

“I look around and I can see this area beginning to blossom in drug activity,” he said.  

After the meeting, Mayor Dean listened to residents’ complaints about several blighted and abandoned homes in the neighborhood, which had become magnets for crime.  

Dean told the residents to write to her and the city manager with the specifics of their problems. She promised them that their concerns would be handled. 

On Thursday, Dean said that the city – with the help of neighborhood residents – would do its best to clean up the area.  

“I’m of the theory that crime will thrive in areas where people are not organized, and where there is evidence of blight,” she said. “What we need to do is make sure that if trees are not trimmed, if there’s run-down houses, if street lights are broken, the city will be there to fix them.” 

On the way out of the building, a resident of 63rd Street cornered Mike Berkowitz, an aide to Vice-Mayor Maudelle Shirek, who represents the area on the City Council. 

“I’m just questioning (Shirek’s) involvement in our neighborhood,” the 63rd Street resident said. “We feel like we have no representation.” 

Berkowitz said that Shirek was an active supporter of the Berkeley Police Department. He said that she had voted to increase the size of the force, for community policing, and, not least, for the activation of the Communications Tower behind the Public Safety Center. 

“That was a big issue,” he said. “We took a lot of flack for that.” 

Officer Rittenhouse said on Thursday that a follow-up meeting is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 20 at the Philips Church. Interested parties can contact the BPD at 981-5700.

Editor: 

When I opened the Planet on Tuesday, I was soon shocked at the gross mischaracterization of Copwatch as presented by the anonymous woman from South Berkeley. As I live near Sacramento and Ashby, I observe the police at work on a daily basis and understand the potential for misconduct is great, as their job is quite frustrating.  

Regardless of a department’s history of misconduct, the police force is an institution of violence and ought to be monitored by the citizens who pay their wages and whom they are sworn to protect and serve, to ensure that they are not overstepping their boundaries.  

I have deep respect for Copwatchers who understand their duty as members of this society is to be on the streets, observing, recording, witnessing, and holding the police accountable for their actions. I attended their Decal class at UC Berkeley in which I participated in a Know Your Rights training and was trained how to Copwatch properly.  

I was struck by their deep commitment to nonviolent principles and the absence of blame placed on individual officers for the acts of violence occasionally required by their job. Not once did I feel the organization was dehumanizing officers or demonizing them—I listened to solid institutional analyses gained through observation and research. I never heard them object to everything the BPD does. I never got the impression that “cops = bad guys”—that is far too simplistic a treatment of the situation.  

Perhaps the writer of Tuesday’s letter failed to make the connection that if the BPD is more than tolerant, more than cautious, and more than restrained in their use of force, it might be because this community maintains a consciousness about their rights and the limits society has placed on the police force—which might have something to do with the fact that Copwatch has been around for twelve years in Berkeley educating people on that very subject. I am glad that there are Copwatchers on the streets in my neighborhood reminding the BPD that although they have violent means of keeping peace at their disposal, they are still accountable to the community in all its manifestations. 

Elena Pérez  

South Berkeley Resident 

David Miller, who was a clean cut, Irish-American, ex-college football player from Syracuse, N.Y., did not fit the 1960s-era American cultural stereotype of an anti-Vietnam War protester. But today, David Miller is known as the “first” person to burn his draft card, which the San Francisco resident did in New York City in 1965, in front of a large crowd. A photo of Miller’s card burning is still on display in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Miller is the author of “I DIDN’T KNOW GOD MADE HONKY TONK COMMUNISTS: A Memoir About Draft Card Burning, Witchcraft, and the Sexual Meaning of Ballgames,” just out from Regent Press. His memoir details Miller’s journey from his early spiritual and political orientation in Catholic pacifism and nonviolent direct action movement, led by the nun and Catholic Worker leader, Dorothy Day … to the ecofeminist witchcraft and women’s spirituality he practices today.  

Miller’s memoir is presented in four parts. Part one is a straight-up explanation of how Miller went from a volunteer job serving soup in Catholic Worker kitchens to the center of a political maelstrom, which resulted in the draft law’s wording being changed to make the public destruction of a draft card a crime. During this period Miller marries, has children, appears before the Supreme Court, and goes to Federal prison.  

Part two chronicles Miller’s second marriage, the birth of more children, and his travels through New York, London, and San Francisco. While living in the Bay Area Miller read a book about matrifocal (women-centered), goddess worshipping cultures.  

This begins a 20-year interest in ecofeminist witchcraft and goddess spirituality. During this period Miller attends law school, practices law in San Francisco, divorces, and partners to Starhawk, a well known leader in the Reclaiming Community of witches. He begins giving "men only" workships on his own or with co-presenters. 

In part three of Miller’s life, he travels to the ancient ruins of the Mayan city, Tikal, in a jungle of Guatamala; and to Copan in Honduras, where a king Miller calls 18 Rabbit lost his life as part of a sacrificial ballgame warrior mythology. His travelling companion, Starhawk, feels no female energy in these places, and Miller becomes tries to make sense of the history and influences he has perceived. Miller begins studying a sixteenth century Mayan text called the Popul Vuh. These further influences lead to Miller’s interest in the spiritual, symbolic, and sexual ideas underlying the games of football, basketball, and baseball. 

Miller’s transformative journey continues. In part four of his memoir, he is approaching his sixties. He returns to Schiller Park, in Syracuse, where his parents first met. Miller describes having an incandescent experience in which he takes in the totality of his life experience. He sees his family root, his cosmic root, and all the different seasons of his life.  

"If we wish to dance out from under the grip of our sacrificial ballgame warrior culture," Miller writes, "a new ballgame dance is needed. Let us set aside the temples and trappings of our warring ballgames and instead, dance the seasons, the well of the year with our sacred bodies, on this sacred earth. 

Miller’s book title was inspired by a country song called, "The Wild Side of Life," which is about honky tonk angels who can’t be tamed into wives. On the night after burning his draft card Miller was thrown in jail. The inmates were singing, and Miller chose "The Wild Side of Life" as his song.  

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme.html. 

The Albatross Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring. com. 

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

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Live Oak Concerts Feb. 10: Judy Phillips, Howard Kadis, $10; Feb. 15: Merlin Coleman with Dan Cantrell, Darren Johnson and Ron Heglin, $10; Feb. 16: Marvin Sanders, Karen Ande, JungHae Kim, $12; All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., 644-6893. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas “A Therese” & “Les Adieux,” Bruce Nalezny’s “Poeme & Finale” and Chopin’s 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

Oakland Magic Circle hosts its 34th annual Installation Banquet and Stage show, Feb. 5: 7 p.m. Dinner, 8 p.m. Show, Dick Newton, Timothy James, Peter Winch, Dan X. Solo, $20 Adults, $15 Children; Bjornson Hall, 2258 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 420-0680. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

"Human Nature" Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.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. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” 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.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

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; $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. 

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. - 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.  

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

Friday, Feb. 1

Benefit for the Chiapas  

Peace House Project 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1606 Bonita 

Live music, DJs and homemade baked goods. Sliding scale. 

Hungarian Jewry 

7:30 p.m. 

Temple Beth El 

2001 Vine St. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj of Budapest, Hungry will present discuss his life in Hungry and his effort to bring Judaism inside the iron curtain. 848-3988 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

“Communities in Action” Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Church Women United 

Berkeley /Albany Chapter 

9:30 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

This will be the preparation day for the World Day of Prayer. 526-4303.  

Saturday, Feb. 2

“Communities in Action” Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Sunday, Feb. 3

Religious Fundamentalism in Islam and Judaism 

1 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A course that explores the ways in which some Jews and Muslims have reacted to the challenges of the modern world. $35, $30 members. 845-6420, www.Lehrhaus.org 

Monday, Feb. 4

National Organization for Women 

6:30 - 8 p.m. 

6536 Telegraph Ave. 

February meeting of the Oakland East Bay Chapter of NOW. 287-8948. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

The Alexander Technique 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley YWCA 

2600 Bancroft Way 

Introductory workshop discussing the basic principles of this method, and demonstrate how you can apply them in ordinary movements. $15 members, $23 non-members. 848-6370. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6

Get Connected: The Magic of  

Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Copwatch 

7 p.m. 

Copwatch Office 

2022 Blake St. 

Know Your Rights Training, learn what your rights are and how to watch the police effectively and safely. 548-0425. 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government - The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Relationship Seminar 

7 - 9 p.m. 

First Presbyterian Church of Alameda 

2001 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda 

A four session seminar, Wednesdays, Feb. 6 - 27, on developing and deepening healthy interpersonal relationships. 522-1477. 

Thursday, Feb. 7

Help Put an End to the  

Sanctions Against Haiti 

4:30 p.m. 

Federal Building 

1301 Clay St., Oakland 

A vigil with music and speakers. 483-7481, haitiaction@yahoo.com.  

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Friday, Feb. 8

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft 

Vigil urging the end of Israeli Occupation of West Bank and Gaza. 548-6310, wibberkeley.org.  

Saturday, Feb. 9

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

Afro-Centric Thoughts in Process Workshop 

3 p.m. 

Black Repertory Group 

3201 Adeline St. 

Black Consciousness for and about Africans born in America, also celebrating knowledge beginning with the birth of human life in Africa six million years ago. 652-2120 or 841-0392. 

Berkeley High School 

Men's Crew Team  

Annual Ergathon Fund Raiser 

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Civic Center Park 

BHS is the only public school on the West Coast offering crew to its students. Less than 2 percent of the team’s annual budget comes from the BHS Athletic Department. 559-3179, jldulay@attbi.com. 

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers Fundraiser  

6 p.m. 

Kensington Youth Hut 

59 Arlington Ave., Kensington 

19th Annual Dinner and Fundraiser for the nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation and education in flyfishing. 524-0428. 

Sunday, Feb. 10

Salsa Dance Party and Lesson 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Novices are welcomed, and nobody is required to bring a partner. $12. 508-4616, ronniematisalsa@yahoo.com 

Valentine’s Dance 

2 p.m. 

Longfellow School for the Arts 

1500 Derby St. 

Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra will perform. $15, $18 at door. 420-4560 

Special Day with Susan Crane: Plowshares Activist 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship 

1924 Cedar 

“Loving Your Enemies: A Revolution of Values.” Susan shares her spiritual journey which led to three terms in prison and living in Jonah House. 524-6064, hcarlstad@aol.com. 

John J. McNeill 

11 a.m. 

Pacific School of Religion 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

Spiritual leader, activist and author of The Church and the Homosexual will speak at the New Spirit Community Church 11 a.m. Worship Celebration. 849-8280, admin@newspiritchurch.org. 

Monday, Feb. 11

Perfect Couples 

5 - 7:30 p.m. 

2576 Shattuck Ave., Suite 7 

A group for singles who don’t want to be. For men and women in their 20’s and 30’s. $30 per session, 8 week commitment. Catherine Auman, MFT. 848-3511. 

Writing an Ethical Will Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

An Evening of Music, Song, and Speech 

7 p.m. 

AK Press 

674-A 23rd St., Oakland 

Progressive minded singers and organizers will perform and speak. $5. 208-1700, molly@akpress.org 

Institute of Government Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Per Petterrson lectures as part of the Positive Political Theory Seminar. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Tuesday, Feb. 12

Wetland Restoration 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Shoreline, Oakland 

Restoration activities include planting native and removing non-native plants, shoreline clean-ups, and water quality monitoring. Gloves and tools are provided. 452-9261, mlatta@savesfbay.org 

UNtraining White Liberal Racism 

7 - 9:30 p.m. 

1840 Alcatraz 

The UNtraining offers personal work for white people to address our unconscious racial conditioning. $10. 235-6134. 

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Near-death Experience Support Group 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Church 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

International Association for Near-Death Studies offers a supportive environment for the exploration of near-death experiences. 531-6393. 

Thursday, Feb. 14

Get Connected: Cooking from the Heart 

6 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Join Pastry Chef Daniel Herskovic, as he instructs how to create a sumptuous meal. $25 includes meal and lesson. 601-7247, dherskovic@yahoo.com 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

After playing tough for the first 30 minutes of the game, the Cal Bears went ice-cold with the game on the line Thursday night against Arizona to take their first home loss of the season, 68-58. 

The crowd at Haas Pavilion was rocking for the first half, during which an 18-2 Cal run gave the Bears a five-point lead. But the crowd went dead silent after a Ryan Forehan-Kelly jumper tied the game, 49-49, with 11 minutes left. Cal got just one field goal the rest of the way, a 3-pointer by Amit Tamir, as the Wildcats (14-6, 7-3 Pac-10) pulled away with a 17-3 run that lasted nine minutes. 

“They stepped up their defense, but we started rushing our shots,” Cal swingman Brian Wethers said of the Bears’ cold streak, which included seven turnovers. 

Arizona point guard Jason Gardner led the Wildcats in the second half with 15 points after scoring just two points in the first half. Arizona’s leading scorer at 21.3 points per game, Gardner hurt the Bears (14-5, 5-4) with his penetration and durability, getting to the free throw line 13 times and playing all but one minute of the game. 

“That’s not unusual for Jason,” Arizona head coach Lute Olson said. “He’s had other games when his first half wasn’t so good, but when it gets to crunch time he’ll step up.” 

Arizona also got a typically productive all-around night from sophomore Luke Walton, who had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Rick Anderson pitched in with 16 points and 13 rebounds. 

The Arizona big men were helped by foul trouble for the entire Cal front line. Starters Solomon Hughes and Jamal Sampson combined to play just 18 minutes, contributing just 2 points and 1 rebound between them. Sampson was also the team’s latest victim of a flu bug, which has affected about half of the Cal players as well as head coach Ben Braun.  

Arizona was clearly the aggressor in the game, getting a 31-12 advantage in trips to the free throw line. Although the Wildcats made just 16 of their free throws, the Bears were clearly not aggressive on offense. 

“We can’t be successful getting to the foul line 8 times, 10 times, 12 times,” Braun said. “We’re at our best when we’re testing teams inside, and we didn’t do that.” 

With Hughes and Sampson on the bench for most of the game, the grunt work was left to 6-foot-10 freshman Amit Tamir. Tamir scored 10 points but had just 6 rebounds as the Wildcats claimed a 37-29 edge on the boards. 

The absence of the Cal shot-blockers also contributed to Arizona’s 54.8 shooting percentage, the second-highest the Bears have surrendered this season. Walton really took advantage, backing down smaller Cal defenders for short leaners in the post. 

“(Cal) has been effective down there challenging shots and making it tough to score,” Olson said. “We spread the floor and attacked them early, and they got in foul trouble.”

During Tuesday night’s crime summit, the Berkeley Police Department gave its most complete account to date of the murders of Rammar Johnson and Noel Turner, Jr. 

BPD Homicide Detective William Badour took questions from the audience about the shooting, although he declined to answer many questions, on the grounds that releasing certain facts may interfere with the investigation of the case,. 

Badour said that Johnson and Turner were shot while sitting in a green Honda Acura parked in front of 3331 King St. at around 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 22. The victims each suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head. 

The shots were fired from outside the car, from a distance of between 10 and 15 feet, according to Badour. Two young black males were seen fleeing the scene on foot. The police department has not been able to identify them. 

The victims – who had been visiting someone in the area – were from East or West Oakland. They were not living in the neighborhood, which straddles the Oakland-Berkeley border, at the time of their deaths. Neither was employed. 

Badour said that both victims had rap sheets that included arrests for drugs and gun possession, but that they had not, to his knowledge, every been arrested in Berkeley. 

Johnson and Turner were not in possession of illegal drugs at the time of the shooting. 

“The investigation so far does not lead us to believe that the crime was drug-related,” Badour said, a point which many members in the audience found hard to believe. 

One questioner tried to pin Badour down on the point. He wanted to know if regular, law-abiding citizens who were not involved in drugs should fear for their safety. 

“Is there any reason why we should be more concerned about walking down the street than we were two weeks ago?” he asked.  

“I don’t think this was a random thing,” Badour answered, implying that the perpetrators of the crime were not likely to repeat the crime on innocent people. 

Badour said that forensic evidence connected with the crime has been collected and is still being processed. He said that many in the neighborhood, including people that have recently been arrested on drug-related crimes, have been questioned.  

Still, he said, the case, if it is solved, will most likely be solved by people with information who share it with the police. 

“In other cases like this that I’ve worked, there are people who have seen something but are reluctant to come forward,” he said. “If anyone saw anything, or suspects anything, or has a hunch, call us. You don’t have to leave your name.” 

To that end, the BPD is filling out paperwork that will soon allow the department for a substantial award – probably $30,000 – for information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrators. 

Badour said that he was optimistic that the case would be cracked soon. 

“Standing before you now, I feel pretty good about it,” he said. 

Anyone who may have information about the case is urged to contact the BPD Homicide division at (510) 981-5741. 

Allegations made in Tuesday’s, 01/29/02 edition entitled “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Copwatch” contained several provocative opinions about the group that were unsubstantiated by the editorial staff of this newspaper. We continue to stand behind our resolve to provide this space as a vehicle for the first amendment and went to a reasonable length to try to trace down the truths in her allegations but were unsuccessful. At this time, we have no reason to believe that despite the allegations made in Tuesday’s letter that anyone involved in Copwatch has been picked up by the Berkeley Police Department for a heroin overdose. 

LOS ANGELES — MGM has a license to kill the title of the new “Austin Powers” sequel “Goldmember.” 

The studio petitioned the Motion Picture Association of America to ban the suggestive name of the New Line Cinema comedy, saying it infringed on the title of its 1964 James Bond thriller “Goldfinger.” 

The MPAA ordered New Line to stop using the title last week. 

“(We) have a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who tries to trade in on the James Bond franchise without authorization,” MGM said in a written statement. 

New Line said it plans an appeal, arguing the MPAA approved the title of its 1999 sequel “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” a parody of the 1977 Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.” 

Meanwhile, the studio has withdrawn preliminary ads for “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” which is scheduled to debut July 26. 

The comedy, starring Mike Myers as a toothy, flower-child secret agent, also co-stars Destiny’s Child singer Beyonce Knowles as his lover Foxy Cleopatra. Myers also plays several villains, including hairless schemer Dr. Evil and the new bad-guy, Goldmember. 

In the story “Panthers take it easy, still destroy Albany” (Daily Planet, Jan. 31), the St. Mary’s assistant coach should have been identified as Dave Simril. The Daily Planet regrets the error.

California Secretary of State Bill Jones, Republican candidate for governor, attacked his rivals and touted a statewide voter registration drive during an appearance at UC Berkeley Wednesday. 

Jones, speaking before several hundred students in professor Alan Ross’s “Election 2002” class, said former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who is leading in the polls for GOP primary, is too moderate for his party. 

“I’m a Republican, and I’m proud to be a Republican,” said Jones, attacking Riordan, who has endorsed and funneled campaign contributions to Democrats, and taken a pro-choice position on abortion.  

Jones also assailed Riordan for failing to break Los Angeles Unified School District into several smaller districts, arguing that smaller, local governance is more in line with Republican philosophy. 

“The mayor is a Republican, everyone knows he’s a Republican,” responded Matt Szabo, deputy press secretary for the Riordan campaign. “He’s running an inclusive campaign, and when he’s elected, he’ll be a governor for all Californians – Republicans, Democrats and Independents.” 

Szabo added that Riordan does support the division of the Los Angeles Unified School District into many smaller districts. Darrel Ng, press and communications assistant for the Jones campaign, said that Riordan should have worked with the local school board to break up the district during his time in office. 

Jones, who served in the State Assembly for twelve years before becoming Secretary of State, also said he has more government experience than businessman, and rival gubernatorial candidate, Bill Simon.  

“I have actually walked the walk,” he said. “I have passed legislation.” 

“While Bill Jones has career politician experience,” retorted Jamie Fisfis, communications director for the Simon campaign, “Bill Simon has private sector experience.” 

A recent California Field Poll, conducted Jan. 23-27, shows Riordan with a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination, with 47 percent of voters favoring the former Los Angeles mayor, compared to 13 percent each for Jones and Simon. The primary will be held March 5. 

Professor Ross said that, with the primary just around the corner, Jones has little hope of closing the gap with Riordan, who has a significant fund-raising edge.  

“It’s going to be very tough to beat that kind of money,” he said. 

According to the latest figures, provided by the state, Riordan has raised over $7.9 million, compared to Jones’s $2.9 million. The former mayor of Los Angeles has $2.3 million on hand, compared to Jones’s $1.1 million. 

The Secretary of State also spoke at length about “Vote America,” a voter registration initiative, out of his office, that calls on Californians to serve as poll workers, conduct voter registration drives in their communities, or pledge to “take five” – registering and recruiting five voters to go to the polls. 

“Without any question.” Jones told the students, “we have the ability to change the world by virtue of our participation in elections.” 

Jones also touted the “three strikes and you’re out” legislation that he crafted as an Assemblyman in 1993, which imposes enhanced sentences for three-time felons. 

Several students raised concerns about the law, arguing that it has a disproportionate effect on African-Americans and Latinos.  

Jones said the law does not target any particular ethnic group, and added that, as governor, he will push for “pre-strikes” legislation that would beef up intervention services for young people. 

Jones said that legislation could include more pre-school and after-school programs, but Ng said the campaign has not ironed out the specifics. 

Bruce Cain, director of the Institute for Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, said the Secretary of State was the clear winner in a Jan. 22 debate in San Jose between the Republican gubernatorial hopefuls. But oddly, he said, that performance has not provided a boost. 

“He will go down in the annals of history as unique in the sense that I have never seen someone win a debate,” Cain said, “and go down in the polls.” 

Cain’s explanation: “It all comes down to one word – money.” 

Jones, responding to a student’s question about his financial disadvantage Wednesday afternoon, said that if money was all that mattered, there would have been a President Perot. 

Editor:  

I was astonished to pick up the Berkeley Daily Planet today and find an anonymous letter which villified Berkeley Copwatch.  

I have had the privilege of knowing the organizers of Copwatch, sitting in on some of their meetings, and witnessing how they conduct their copwatching shifts on the streets. They are unfailingly polite and respectful to police, as well as to everyone else. They do not shove anything in anyone's face, let alone microphones--they don't even own any microphones. As for videotaping, this is a perfectly legal activity, as was explained in your Monday feature article, and Copwatchers who use videocameras are trained not to interfere with police.  

The organizers and volunteers at Copwatch are civil, articulate, intelligent, and nonviolent. They know a lot about the law, and so they try to educate citizens regarding their rights. It's great that your anonymous letter writer knows a lot of upstanding, heroic police officers. Those officers are indeed a blessing to the community, but not every officer fits this profile--certainly not all of the time.  

It's absolutely false to say that Copwatch objects to everything that the police do. The fact is that police misconduct has been well documented in Berkeley, as well as places like L.A. and Oakland, and this is why Berkeley has a Police Review Commission. Incidentally, the Berkeley PRC has a longstanding collaborative and amicable relationship with Copwatch.  

Also, the allegation that a police officer picked up two Copwatch leaders who overdosed on heroin is absolute nonsense. Lastly, the author's name being withheld "for her safety" implies that somebody in Copwatch might "come after her." Copwatch is a sober, intelligent, and nonviolent group. They have never harmed or "come after" anyone ever, nor would they be disposed to do so (even in response to defamation).  

Marc Polonsky 

Berkeley

LOS ANGELES — A background actor from last summer’s “Planet of the Apes” movie accused the filmmakers of harming him and hundreds of others with dust used in a climactic desert fight scene. 

Jeffrey Clark seeks unspecified damages from studio Fox Entertainment Group for alleged fraud, battery, conspiracy and negligence, according to the proposed class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday. 

About 80,000 pounds of Fuller’s Earth, a sedimentary clay used for absorbing chemicals and oils, were tossed into the air with giant wind machines during the production, the lawsuit said. 

Extras involved in the scene — a battle between human slaves and their ape rulers — were exposed to the dust for hours at a time without breathing masks, according to the lawsuit. 

As a result, Clark said he suffered lingering eye irritation and respiratory problems. 

It is unclear, however, whether other background performers have joined the lawsuit. Clark’s attorney did not immediately return calls for comment. 

Fuller’s Earth is routinely used to produce dust effects in movies. The International Cinematographers Guild recommends limited use of the product and only in well-ventilated areas. The guild also suggests that crews wear proper breathing protection. 

Limited exposure to the clay is not dangerous except for those with chronic asthma or other respiratory ailments. Fuller’s Earth is also used in some cat litter and oily skin health treatments, and the dust is not toxic unless previously used to soak up a poison. 

Clark alleges he was exposed to the dust for 10 to 12 days at six or eight hours at a time. He and other extras were paid about $8 an hour. 

Fox officials did not immediately return calls for comment. 

The 2001 movie, a remake of the 1968 Charlton Heston thriller, chronicled the adventures of an Earth astronaut (Mark Wahlberg) who lands on a planet populated by intelligent primates who enslaved a race of humans. 

Directed by Tim Burton, best known for 1988’s “Batman,” the $100-million sci-fi adventure earned about $180 million domestically.

The Jan. 18 death of Irma Augusta, the last of the “Freedom Home sisters,” gave birth to the idea of creating a historical district honoring a group of homes on Stanton Street, which served as a springboard for impoverished Southern African-Americans to start a new life.  

The 95-year-old Augusta was the niece of Joseph Quezaire, a railway Pullman porter, who along with a group of other porters, purchased modest middle-class homes in the 2800 block of Stanton Street in the late ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. 

The porters, many of them from Plantation Country, Louisiana, then opened their homes to relatives living under oppressive conditions in the South. 

“These porters shared their homes with unfortunate relatives constrained in poverty, segregation and misery down south,” said Edward Gibson, a relative if Augusta. “These places of refuge are what I call the Freedom Homes, where the porters’ relatives found hope of a new and better life.” 

There is little documented history available of African-American homeownership in Berkeley. The Berkeley Historical Society, the Berkeley Public Library and the Berkeley Architectural Historical Society have no records about when African- Americans purchased their first homes in the city. There is also very little information about the Pullman Porters, who among the first African Americans to move to California from the south in the 1920s. 

“This is very important information and as a community we have to do what we can to document it,” said Jackie Stewart, the correspondent secretary for the African American Genealogical Society “The sad thing is that we are losing a tremendous amount of historical information with each older person who passes away.”  

Augusta’s mother, Annie Quezaire Mathieu, whose parents were slaves, was among the first Quezaires to move to Stanton Street from Donaldsonville, La. in 1941. Augusta was the last to move to Berkeley in 1957 after the death of her husband in 1955. There were five Quezaire relatives who moved to the Stanton Street home in the hopes of escaping the oppressive poverty of Louisiana. 

According to Gibson, who is married to Augusta’s niece, there were at least five other homes on the same block that were purchased by Pullman porters, who in turn brought their family members to Berkeley. He said porters began purchasing homes as early as 1927. 

“It was not unusual for African Americans to cluster together in small communities like that,” Stewart said. “Clustering together provided a communal feeling. And once one family purchased a home, they were often followed by other family and community members.” 

Gibson said the homes in 2800 Stanton Street hold a worthy place in history. He is planning to begin the process to have the homes or possibly the entire block landmarked.  

“These were very important homes to these families, they allowed them to change their futures in a very significant way,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s important for the city to recognize this area.” 

Chair of the Social Science Department at Vista College Chuck Wollenberg agreed.  

“Before the Second World War there were very few places where African Americans and Asian Americans could buy homes in the Bay Area. In Berkeley it was south of Dwight Way and West of Grove Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way).” he said. “I think some sort of historical recognition of this area makes a lot of sense.” 

Gibson, a retired naval officer who lives in Oregon, has contacted the Berkeley Architectural Historical Association and said he expects to submit the Stanton Street homes for consideration as a city a landmark in the coming weeks. 

BAHA Executive Director Anthony Bruce said that once the application is initiated, the homes could become landmarked within a few months. 

“Homes can be either architecturally or socially significant to be landmarked,” he said. “Mr. Gibson will have to demonstrate the historical significance in written form, which will be considered by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.” 

Editor: 

As a founding member of Copwatch, I feel that I must respond to the misperceptions, misinformation and false notions that appeared in an opinion piece entitled “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Cop Watch,” (January 29, 2002). 

The author of this letter seems to have given Copwatch quite a bit of consideration, but has not actually spoken with our members or read our literature. She seems to be operating in the belief that Copwatch is simply against the police on principle.  

Within the movement for police accountability, citizens who advocate for independent, civilian oversight of police have often been characterized as being “anti-police.” This simplistic representation of our analysis of police misconduct does a disservice to Copwatch and to the police. 

Within many professional law enforcement organizations nationally, there is support for civilian oversight of police. In fact, many police officers have come to believe that community involvement in oversight is essential, especially when we consider how difficult it is for officers who witness misconduct to “blow the whistle” on their fellow officers.  

I agree with the author of the letter when she says that Berkeley is “NOT Los Angeles, not even Oakland”. Berkeley citizens voted to establish one of the first Police Review Commissions in the country in 1973, and since that time, there has been a long line of citizens who have invested countless hours into making sure that brutality and misconduct did not become common practice as it has in some other communities.  

For the last twelve years, Copwatch volunteers have dedicated themselves to the task of monitoring police conduct. This kind of community oversight helps to explain why Berkeley cops are held to a higher standard of conduct.  

Copwatch is made up of volunteers. We are teachers, students, office and construction workers, doctors, artists and others.  

We train members of the public in non-violence techniques, observation methods and relevant aspects of the law. We train our members to deescalate situations where possible, not to interfere and to practice non-violence at all times (no verbal put downs, don’t run, keep your hands visible, etc). I must confess that I was shocked to read the paragraph in which the author claims that some officer on the BPD had taken two of the “main leaders” of Copwatch to the hospital to be treated for heroin overdose. This claim is not only untrue, but I fear that it is an effort to “kill the messenger” for carrying the unpleasant information that yes, police misconduct persists in Berkeley to this day.  

We at Copwatch have brought incidents of misconduct to the attention of the Police Review Commission and had allegations sustained. We have challenged and ultimately changed policies that we perceived to be unjust or ill considered. We have conducted countless “Know Your Rights” workshops in an effort to educate the public and to defend our basic civil rights. We have provided support and referrals to victims of misconduct. We are currently investigating claims that the Berkeley Drug Task Force has been using excessive force as a means of carrying out drug suppression efforts. 

I am glad that the author has had positive experiences with members of the Berkeley Police Department. However, that is not the experience of all Berkeley residents. Copwatch receives many complaints of misconduct each week especially from people who live in south and west Berkeley.  

As a school teacher, a twenty year resident of Berkeley, and someone who cherishes the Bill of Rights, I will continue to observe police, speak out against injustice and work for a better Berkeley.  

Andrea Pritchett 

Co-founder of Copwatch 

(Andrea Pritchett’s name was mistakingly withheld in Thursday’s article) 

LOS ANGELES — “Bloody Sunday,” a dramatization of the police massacre of 13 Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland in 1972, has been acquired by Paramount Classics. 

The distributor announced the acquisition Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the bloodshed that occurred when police opened fire on an unarmed crowd during a demonstration. The shootings enraged Catholics and set off a wave of Irish Republican Army violence that led to the bloodiest year in the Northern Ireland conflict. 

Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, “Bloody Sunday” stars James Nesbitt and Tim Pigott-Smith. Jim Sheridan (“In the Name of the Father,” “My Left Foot”) was an executive producer. 

“Bloody Sunday” was co-winner of the world-cinema audience award at this winter’s Sundance Film Festival. 

Paramount Classics plans to release the film domestically this fall.  

Besides the U.S. release, the distributor picked up rights for the film in Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Japan and South Africa. 

Students ‘won’t eat if it smells like feet’ 

PITTSBURGH — Middle school students at Schiller Classical Academy are taking a bite out of history in an effort to improve the quality of their lunch. 

The students, who were inspired by civil disobedience in the Boston Tea Party and the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., have started their own revolt of sorts. 

Since mid-December, students have begun a boycott of the lunchroom and adopted the slogan: “We won’t eat if it smells like feet.” 

They complain their pre-packed provided meals often include half-thawed frozen peaches, watery macaroni and cheese, greasy pizza and discolored meat. School officials say Schiller is limited in its offerings because the school lacks a cafeteria. 

“They’re not good ... and every other day it’s the same thing,” said sixth-grader Brittany Ford, 11. 

The protest was sparkedby students in Antoinette Jones’ eighth-grade history class after Jones urged students to take action, instead of just complaining. 

“I told them to find a cause, document what they feel is wrong, document the steps they will take to change it, and I told them they must be willing to make a sacrifice,” Jones said. 

Anthrax is pink flour 

PITTSBURGH — A quirky running club that uses pink flour to help guide its joggers has run into a sign of the times. 

Anxious calls to police were made Monday when residents discovered the flour at locations across the city and feared it might be anthrax. 

“It was an error in judgment,” said Jerry Agin, 60, an official with the Hash House Harriers running club. He called police and quickly explained. 

The Harriers began its noncompetitive social runs in 1938. Over decades, the club has developed a worldwide underground following. 

A leader, known as a hare, gets a head-start and marks a course which other runners, known as hounds, follow.  

The course is marked with checkpoints and false-trails to create general confusion. 

This isn’t the first time Hashers have run into trouble using flour. 

On New Year’s Day, a mall in Fayetteville, N.C., was evacuated for two hours when another Harriers running club marked its trail with flour. And in October, a pair of runners in Oxford, Miss., were arrested after using white powder to mark their route through a busy downtown square. 

“I guess we’re just going to have to stay away from flour for a while — at least in the urban settings,” Agin said. 

——— 

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Shorty the dog should probably consider a career in law enforcement. 

Duane Palmer was playing fetch on Jan. 16 with his 11-month-old Labrador-Huskey mix when the dog returned with a wallet instead of the ball that was thrown. 

Palmer turned the wallet over to police and told them where it was found. 

Police said the address also was the location from which a woman called to report she had seen a man peeping into her living room window on Jan. 9. 

North Huntingdon Patrolman Theodore Kukich said he found footprints in the snow and what appeared to be an impression left by someone laying down — but the man had fled before he arrived. 

The woman who owned the apartment said she could identify the man if she saw him again. 

When police showed her a picture from the driver’s license found below her window, she positively identified a 23-year-old man, who was charged with loitering, prowling at night and disorderly conduct. 

——— 

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Edward Ackell was in a hospital room, recovering from emergency surgery with tubes protruding from his body. But that didn’t stop him from casting a vote that forced a tie in the 138th House District election. 

Republican Rich Antous and Democrat Grace Scire each won 1,166 votes in Tuesday’s special election. A re-count is scheduled for Friday. 

The Danbury voter registrar’s office said the 71-year-old Ackell filled out the last absentee ballot issued Tuesday. Deputy Registrar of Voters George Schmiedel took the ballot to Danbury Hospital and left with Ackell’s vote at about 6:15 p.m., less than two hours before polls closed. 

Ackell won’t say who he voted for, although he is a Republican, according to his wife, Beverly. She said that for some reason she believed her husband’s vote was going to be important. 

“I said to him, ’Ed, you know I just have this feeling that this vote is going to do something for the election,”’ she said. After she called City Hall for help, Schmiedel delivered an emergency absentee ballot application and then returned with the ballot. 

Ackell was ready. He put on his glasses, found something solid to put between the ballot and the bed sheets, and said, “OK, give me the pen.” 

Citing a “primary” African-American female anchor at a local television station as evidence of newsroom diversity, a KPIX company attorney Thursday dismissed as baseless a racial discrimination lawsuit filed Monday by three employees. 

“We find it disturbing that the plaintiffs who are all currently employed by KPIX’s Channel 5 Eyewitness News have chosen to approach the media before the station,” attorney Dana McClintock said. “Although we have not been served with a complaint, we are confident that their claims, as reported by the press, will prove to be unfounded and the station’s treatment of all three individuals has been, at all times, equitable and fair.” 

McClintock said cases such as the one filed by reporter Lance Evans and photographers Cordetta Spells and Richard Flores are not uncommon at KPIX.  

“What you’re seeing here is people going to the press to try to get those headlines, to try to get some momentum behind their story, try to get a settlement, try to mitigate press damage but we just fight these things in court and we win,” McClintock said, adding that “it happens all the time.”  

Evans could not be reached for comment. But in papers filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, he said he lost promotions, airtime and primetime stories because he is an African-American. The management failed to act on his complaints, he said.  

Evans, who has worked for KPIX since 1997, is currently on paid stress leave, but will return to work Thursday.  

Spells, an African-American, said in court papers that she was paid less than her co-workers and humiliated at the station. The suit alleges that she was fired while on stress leave, but McClintock said Spells is still employed with KPIX.  

A television newsroom employee said Spells is on paid leave.  

The plaintiff said in court papers that she worked at the television station for 16 years.  

Richard Flores, who is still working at KPIX, said in court papers that he was demoted for sympathizing with Evans’ claims. Flores declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

KPIX has two African-American anchorwomen. Barbara Rodgers anchors the afternoon newscast and Dana King anchors the evening newscast.  

The latest statistics from Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundation indicate an increase in newsroom diversity from previous years. According to a the foundation’s 2001 survey, minorities make up almost one quarter of all television station jobs. African-Americans make up almost 10 percent of jobs in TV news, while Hispanics constitute another 10 percent. Asian-Americans constitute 4 percent, while Native Americans constitute less than 1 percent of the jobs.

The 7,000-pound Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite, built and operated by UC Berkeley, fell from orbit Wednesday night and scattered debris across portions of Egypt and the Persian Gulf.  

Most of the EUVE, which brought back the first extreme ultra-violet images of the sky, disintegrated or melted upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.  

Roger Malina, a UC Berkeley research astronomer who has directed the project since 1996, said the largest surviving pieces would be about the size of a baseball and hit Egypt at about 8:39 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. 

“The satellite was expected to land in the South Pacific, but it came in about 15 minutes later than we expected. It is extremely hard to predict these things,” said Malina.  

The NASA-funded EUVE was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. on June 7, 1992 and had an initial operation plan of 18 months.  

Malina said NASA was so impressed with the results, that the project was extended twice for a total of nine years.  

The project cost $250 million, “from dream to the crash,” he said. 

The satellite brought back the first map of the sky in the extreme ultra-violet color spectrum, which had been virtually unexplored.  

“It opened up the sky to a different kind of light map, it was a mission of discovery,” said Malina. 

Through the project it was discovered that the sun’s cornea temperature was much higher than previously thought.  

“Scientists used to think it was around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s really way up in the millions,” said Malina 

For the last five years the EUVE mission operation center was quietly located in downtown Berkeley at 2155 Kitteridge St., next door to the California Theater. At the peak of the project there were more than 100 people working around the clock. 

Malina said the EUVE cataloged more than 1,500 new stars and galaxies and “a couple of hundred of those are still a mystery, meaning that nobody knows what they are.”  

For more information about the EUVE project visit, http://ssl.berkeley.edu/euve/.

SAN DIEGO — The energetic 60-year-old woman with cropped white hair and seagreen eyes wouldn’t fit the usual profile of a drug pusher. But inside her cozy condominium, there’s trouble cooking. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration is steeling itself to put Gertrude Spindler out of business and make sure she keeps her wares away from would-be buyers. 

There’s no meth lab in Spindler’s bath tub, nor an Ecstasy ring based in the garage. But the retired packaging designer from Switzerland is using a family recipe to create her “Alpsnack” snack bars that include hempnuts. And under a recent DEA ruling, she may as well be selling heroin. 

Hempnuts come from hemp, an industrial plant grown outside the United States that is related to marijuana. Fiber from the plant long has been used to make paper, clothing, rope and other products. Its oil is found in body-care products like lotion, soap and cosmetics. 

Entrepreneurs like Spindler argue the nuts and oil from hemp are among nature’s best sources of essential fatty acids — omega-6 and omega-3. Twice a day, the San Diego woman swallows a spoonful of raw hempnuts, which she says improves — no pun intended — her joints. 

“I hate chemicals. I like natural things,” Spindler said. “God has given us those natural things and we should use it.” 

But the DEA is saying no. In October, the agency declared that food products containing even trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC — the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana — were banned under the Controlled Substances Act. 

It ordered an immediate halt in the production and distribution of all goods containing THC that were intended for human consumption. It gave until Feb. 6 for all such products to be destroyed or removed from the United States. 

The ruling has galvanized hemp-product manufacturers, who contend the DEA violated the law by failing to hold hearings or accept public comment before issuing its declaration. 

The Hemp Industries Association, which represents U.S. hemp product manufacturers and Canadian hemp exporters, has challenged the ruling in the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco and asked for a stay of the Feb. 6 deadline. 

Meanwhile, association members are continuing to produce and sell their goods, arguing that since the DEA did not issue a standard to measure THC levels they will follow standards set by Canada: By that scale, the THC is so negligible it could be considered undetectable — and certainly far below any level that would produce a “high.” 

“There is no such thing as a true zero in nature. It’s like how the government allows trace levels of arsenic in water or alcohol in orange juice,” said David Bronner, who leads the association’s food and oil committee and is chairman of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, an Escondido-based company. 

Bronner and association members argue that hemp is not marijuana, just as field corn used for livestock feed is not the same as sweet corn eaten by humans. Smoking industrial hemp does not produce a high, just a big headache, he said. 

“But it’s part of this whole drug warrior ideology where they just associate anything that looks like cannabis to drug culture,” Bronner said. “They’re making it a drug-war issue.” 

DEA spokesman Will Glaspy said the agency simply is upholding the law. 

“A lot of people did not understand the law. The clarification says if a substance contains THC and is intended to enter the body then it is an illegal product,” Glaspy said. 

Hemp and marijuana, as the DEA sees it, are different parts of the same plant, he said. And THC in any amount is an illegal drug. 

So far the DEA has not taken enforcement action against people continuing to produce hemp food products, Glaspy said. What will happen after Feb. 6 remains to be seen. 

Hemp activists say Congress intended to exclude hemp products from anti-drug laws. They say the government should treat hempnuts as it does poppy seeds, which are exempted from regulation despite trace levels of opium. 

Moreover, Bronner and others hope the court rules in favor of hemp producers, which would settle the question of legality and allow the hemp market to grow. 

In the United States, hemp is a $100 million industry, mainly in textiles and cosmetics. The food product sector was worth $5 million last year, but has been doubling in size for the past three years, Bronner said. 

Hemp is being used to make energy bars, waffles, tortilla chips, milk-free cheese, veggie burgers, salad oil, bread and other edible goods. A hemp-milk product backed by actor Woody Harrelson is in the wings. 

“It’s just accelerating and the sky’s the limit. ... If we get the DEA out of it, it’s just going to boom,” said Bronner, who compared the hemp industry today to where soy producers were 20 years ago. 

Spindler launched her one-woman Alpsnack business last year. She produces 1,500 bars a month and sends them to distributors in six states. The threat of being shut down just as she’s starting worries her. 

“It hurts. But I have some very strong feelings that it’s going to work. It’s going to be settled,” she said. “It’s a good product. I just believe in it.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.dea.gov 

Hemp Industries Association: http://www.thehia.org 

Dr. Bronner’s: http://www.drbronner.com 

Alpsnack: http://alpsnack.com/ 

LOS ANGELES — Billboards designed to restore the image of Islam are going up along Southern California roads and freeways. 

Beginning Friday, three billboards sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Southern California in Los Angeles and Orange Counties will show the faces of seven smiling Muslims from various sex, age and ethnic backgrounds. 

A message below the pictures reads: “Even a smile is Charity – a message from your Muslim neighbor.” 

The image of Islam and its followers was tarnished because of the actions of a few on Sept. 11, CAIR officials said. 

The billboard campaign to promote religious tolerance is believed to be the first in the nation conducted by Muslims, a spokesman said. 

“There have been some people who have damaged the image of Islam,” said CAIR’s Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. “Our goal is to simply correct that image.” 

“These days any good image of Islam is few and far between,” said Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. “Any positive image of Muslims with an effective sound bite does have an affect on America.” 

Ayloush said the group’s initial, nonreligious message will be the first of several. Other messages will stress the importance of family and helping and respecting each other. 

Jewish leaders and members of the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue, an interfaith group, said they applaud CAIR’s campaign. 

“Any effort to promote religious tolerance is a good one,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. 

“It’s a noble cause to help educate the American public about the true principles of Islam and to reach out and extend an invitation to dialogue,” said Al-Marayati, who is also a member of the interfaith group Muslim-Jewish Dialogue. 

Ayloush said he hopes the billboards won’t become targets of hate crimes. 

“If anyone decides to vandalize them, then there’s nothing we can do about that,” he said. 

The billboards cost between $3,000 and $8,000 each and are funded by donations, many of them from CAIR members. Ayloush estimated that Southern California’s chapter has around 8,000 members. 

Muslim communities in Columbus, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas, have expressed interests in putting up similar billboards in their cities, Ayloush said. 

Mike Gettler knows a thing or two about tomatoes. 

And peppers. And lettuce. After all, he sold 10 million vegetable plants last year, a number he expects to grow this year. 

As head garden guy for Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse, Gettler sees a nation of green thumbs as gardeners galore prepare for the spring planting season. 

“There is a garden revolution going on,” says Gettler. 

“Interest has exploded. It may be the No. 1 outdoor pastime, and it fits the trend to spend more time at home. People see their home as a shelter and a vegetable or flower plot as one way to improve it.” 

But before turning the first spade of rich earth, Gettler advises green thumb wannabes to first turn a few pages, either in magazines or free e-gardening newsletters. 

“Any person who wants to garden can do it,” says Gettler, “but if you don’t do basic reading or answer basic questions, you might not be as successful.” 

Garden outlets hear a bumper crop of questions from first-time gardeners. Gettler trains his staff to quiz customers on the size of plot, vegetables or flowers to be grown, availability of sun and soil quality. As recently as five years ago, Lowes didn’t hear as many basic questions because most gardeners were veterans. 

Yet the most important question has little to do with daylight and soil: “Are you committed to gardening?” 

Too often, he says, people are primed to garden but neglect their plants as the growing season goes on. “They become bored,” says Gettler. “All of a sudden, they’re not weeding, not watering, not testing the soil or checking for bugs. Gardening is one of those things that takes time and TLC. People like to garden because when you’re on your hands and knees tending plants, you don’t think about work or paying bills. All the information in the world won’t make you a good gardener without the drive to seed, feed, and weed.” 

Gettler’s golden rules are simple: 

1. Think small. Especially true for beginners. A large plot can be more work than the novice expects. “Choose a few hardy plants, such as tomatoes, peppers or marigolds that do pretty well no matter what you do to them,” says Gettler. “See what luck you have. Then expand your garden and plant more varieties the next year.” 

2. Get in touch – literally – with your soil. “People tell us, ’my plants didn’t grow’ and often they don’t know why,” says Gettler. “It all starts with the soil.” Inexpensive soil-testing kits to analyze soil condition range from a basic 97-cent model to an elaborate $13.54 unit. Amendments such as lime or peat are often needed to bring dirt to peak-growing ability. 

3. Buy good plant stock from reputable nurseries. Look for healthy and vibrant plants. Gettler says the gardening industry has created high-quality products such as environmentally friendly time-release fertilizers, ultra-hardy plants and water-retaining soil enhancers to take the guesswork out of caring for seeds and a variety of plants. 

Have a patio, small yard or no yard? No problem. Container gardens have sprouted in metropolitan areas thanks to plant varieties suited to small spaces. Water gardens are suddenly hot, too. 

A garden plot is part of the larger landscaping picture for many homeowners. “Most homeowners see vegetable and flower gardens as just another element in a relaxing whole-yard environment that includes patios, decks and water gardens,” says Gettler.

Native plants, though unpopular, rarely get shocked by changes in the weather 

As the saying goes: Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. Take the coldest time of year. Do you know how low the mercury really plummets? 

This is no idle question for a gardener, because the coldest night of the year puts a major limitation on what plants we grow. And gardeners never seem satisfied growing only native plants, which are rarely caught off guard by the weather. 

For a rough estimate of how much cold to expect in winter, consult a U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone map. You’ll find this map, showing the United States overrun with squiggly lines connecting locations with the same minimum temperatures, in the back of most gardening books and magazines. 

Note that these minimums are averages. Some winters will be colder than the average, others warmer. And your plants will respond to actual temperatures, not the expected average temperature. 

Don’t fault the map if your hybrid tea rose dies when it was supposed to be hardy. The map is not detailed enough to account for microclimates that differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. Wind, elevation, change in latitude, and nearness to water or buildings can push the temperature a few degrees one way or another. All other things being equal, the temperature drops a degree — and spring arrives four days later — for every 70 miles north you travel or 400 feet you climb. But not always. When the air is calm, low-lying areas can be the coldest spots. That’s because cold air, being heavier than warm air, flows downward — perhaps right into your garden. So even if your garden and a friend’s are in the same general hardiness zone, microclimates can make actual temperatures different. 

Do you know what temperatures really are in your own garden? Glean this information by getting an accurate thermometer, then mounting it at a suitable location. Keep it off your house, where it will pick up radiating heat, and out of the sun. The north side of a gatepost to your garden is ideal. 

Because lowest temperatures typically arrive late in the night, then creep away by morning, make sure to bundle up and go outside at about 4 a.m. whenever you think the night is really cold. A better idea is to purchase a minimum-maximum thermometer, which records — until reset — the high and the low temperature.

LOS ANGELES — “South Park” leads the pack of basic cable shows bringing a new level of raunchiness and violence to television, according to a watchdog group’s new study. 

The rate of sexual references, profanity and violence in primetime cable series was found to be more than double that of broadcast television, the Parents Television Council said Monday. 

“Hollywood’s push-the-primetime-envelope mindset, it seems, has become established in the cable business,” the council said in its study. 

“South Park,” an animated show on Comedy Central, was overall the most “offensive series,” the study said, with a per-hour combined average of 126 violent or raunchy moments. 

The MTV shows “Undergrads” and “Celebrity Deathmatch” were next with, respectively, 73 and 66 such references. 

“Undergrads,” an animated series not on the current MTV schedule, had the most sexual material with a per-hour average of 28.4 references, according to the nonprofit council’s first study of cable content. 

The combined average for all shows was 21.7, while the combined average found in the council’s latest study of broadcast network programming (for fall 1999) was 9.8. 

The study examined 33 series, for a total of nearly 112 hours, that were shown between last April and September. The council focused on basic cable, which reaches about three-quarters of U.S. households, rather than less widely distributed premium services such as HBO or Showtime. 

Responding to the report, a Comedy Central spokesman contended the council failed to “provide context.” 

Comedy Central “is not designed for kids. It’s designed for adults,” said spokesman Tony Fox.  

“Eighty percent of our audience is 18 or older.” 

He noted that “South Park” was at the top of the council’s list because of an episode that used the same four-letter word 162 times as part of a satirical commentary on profanity. 

“That episode had something to say beyond the gratuitous use of swear words,” Fox said. 

A call to MTV seeking comment was not immediately returned Monday. 

PALM SPRINGS — Along an unremarkable stretch of desert on the outskirts of town, just off a road named for singing cowboy Gene Autry and tucked amid heaps of garbage raked by winds strong enough to polish granite, Jim Cornett thinks he’s found the world’s oldest living thing. 

Radiocarbon tests now under way may reveal the unassuming creosote bush sprouted 11,000 or more years ago, the scientist said, meaning it could rival in age another creosote bush growing 50 miles away in the Mojave Desert. 

The scraggly creosote pales in comparison to the grandeur of well known ancients like the gnarled bristlecone pine and majestic coast redwood. 

Seemingly more dead than alive, the bush isn’t big and certainly isn’t tall. It isn’t even very bushy. 

“They’re not very exciting,” Cornett admitted to a visitor. 

What the creosote bush is, Cornett is fairly certain, is ancient. 

If confirmed, the bush — really a 38-foot, arrow-straight line of genetically identical bushes connected at the roots — could trump another creosote bush, dubbed “King Clone.” That bush, found in 1980 to be 11,700 years old, is considered the oldest living thing on Earth. 

“I don’t think anyone ever thought a bush would be that old,” said Cornett, curator of natural science at the Palm Springs Desert Museum. 

In a species that reproduces itself through cloning, any individual is theoretically as old as the species. Take King’s Holly, a rare Tasmanian plant. In 1996, scientists found fossil remains of the plant near the holly’s only known population. 

The fossils were found to be 43,000 years old, suggesting the existing plants had grown in that location for at least that long. 

A box huckleberry colony in Pennsylvania, spread over some 10 square miles, is believed to date back as far as 13,000 years. 

In the case of King Clone and the bush now being studied, scientists traced one bush, not a population — back in time. 

University of California, Riverside botanist Frank Vasek discovered King Clone. Over the millennia, it had grown outward into a large ring. 

Vasek, now retired, said he doubted there were any creosotes older than King Clone. 

“The way human activity is devastating the area, it is unlikely they would survive that onslaught,” Vasek said. 

Tom Van Devender, senior research scientist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Ariz., said the newly found bush could well be older than King Clone. And he doesn’t believe King Clone is as old as scientists claim. He believes it is closer to 7,500 years old or younger. That’s still older than the oldest bristlecone by several thousand years. 

Cornett’s bush grows differently than the ringlike King Clone, thanks, he said, to the merciless winds that howl through the northern outskirts of Palm Springs. 

There, the wind is strong enough to smooth the granite boulders that pepper the garbage-strewn landscape and drive the blades of hundreds of power-generating windmills in the area. It also gives the creosote bush its streamlined shape. 

On this patch of federal land, the bush struggles with the wind to grow outward, but none of the sprouts that grow from roots fanning out under the coarse sand survive — save those lucky enough to come up behind the windbreak formed by the original plant. 

“Every time it puts out a sprout to the side, it gets obliterated,” Cornett said. 

Over the centuries, the bush has formed a long line of clones. When the lead bush dies, it leaves the second in the chain to take the brunt of the wind. 

Cornett and his colleagues first spotted the linear bush while flying over the northern outskirts of Palm Springs. It stuck out like a sore thumb. 

The root samples being tested by Cornett came from beneath the soil upwind of the living bush, and presumably belonged to a genetically identical predecessor that died thousands of years ago. The trace remains of roots linking the living and dead portions of the bush support that hypothesis, Cornett said. 

“This is a spectacular claim, but Cornett is a well respected scientist and I would say run with it,” said Richard Felger, executive director of the Drylands Institute in Tucson, Ariz. 

The creosote bush, Larrea tridentata, is the hallmark perennial of the warm deserts of North and South America. When crushed, or after a rainfall, its small, waxy leaves give off the pungent, petroleumlike smell that gives it its name. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Palm Springs Desert Museum http://www.psmuseum.org/ 

LAS VEGAS — The largest operator of Las Vegas Strip hotel-casinos reported Thursday that fourth-quarter earnings dropped 65 percent. 

MGM Mirage Inc. was the third major Las Vegas-based gambling company to report quarterly earnings losses this week, but the casino giant beat analysts’ estimates for the period and reported annual increases in revenue and earnings. 

Executives said MGM Mirage resort volumes steadily improved through the fourth quarter despite losses caused by the travel slump following Sept. 11. 

“It now seems clear that no city in the United States has rebounded as quickly and profoundly as Las Vegas,” said Jim Murren, MGM Mirage president and chief operating officer. 

The company, whose properties include The Mirage, MGM Grand and Bellagio hotel-casinos, reported net income of $23.7 million, or 15 cents per share, including one-time charges, for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2001. That was down sharply from $68 million, or 42 cents, a year earlier. 

Analysts’ consensus estimate was 9 cents per share. 

Quarterly revenues fell 13 percent to $896.3 million from $1.03 billion a year before, and operating cash flow was down 28 percent to $228.2 million when compared with $317.3 million in the same quarter a year ago. 

MGM Mirage executives told investors in a conference call Thursday that the company reduced its payroll costs by 10 percent during the quarter. 

Although more than 2,000 employees have been rehired, Terry Lanni, MGM Mirage chief executive, said the company intends to keep costs low. 

“Revenue and cost strategies deployed in the weeks following Sept. 11th have had the desired results,” he said. “Our focus on rebuilding our business while keeping a keen eye on costs was intended to return our operations to previous levels as quickly as possible.” 

MGM Mirage, which had its credit ratings downgraded to “junk’ status by Moody’s Investors Service, was hit harder than most of its competitors because of its concentration of resorts in Las Vegas, which depends heavily on air travel. 

Lanni said that though international high-end business fell 75 percent after Sept. 11, about two-thirds of the loss has been recovered. And domestic high-end business that was down 50 percent initially, is now off about 13 percent. 

“Our business has been far more resilient than anyone expected,” Lanni said. 

Lanni acknowledged a global economic and travel slowdown, but added that “current trends in our resorts indicate that casino and noncasino business should continue to improve throughout 2002.” 

As an example, Lanni said Super Bowl bookings are running even with last year, while Chinese New Year bookings “look very strong, but we have to wait and see who shows up.” 

Murren said the company is comfortable with a first-quarter earnings forecast of 24 cents per share. 

Industry analysts also expressed optimism that Las Vegas is on the rebound, even as gambling companies Park Place Entertainment Corp. and Station Casinos Inc., earlier reported significant quarterly losses. 

“While the quarter’s results were obviously impacted by the well-publicized decline in tourism and travel to Las Vegas following the tragic events of September 11, it is evident that MGG (MGM Mirage) made significant headway in reducing its cost structure to match a lower revenue base,” wrote Jason Ader, gambling analyst with Bear Stearns Co. of New York. 

“As trends continue to improve in Las Vegas throughout 2002, we believe the company has put enormous operating leverage in its business model as revenues ramp up.” 

For 2001, MGM Mirage fared much better with annual revenues up 29 percent to $4.01 billion and cash flow up 14 percent to $1.13 billion. Including nonrecurring expenses, the company reported net income of $169.8 million, or $1.06 per diluted share compared with $160.7 million, or $1.09 per diluted share in 2000. 

The 2001 operating results reflect a full year of the Mirage Resorts acquisition, which was completed in May 2000, officials said. 

Executives said the company also reduced its debt by $422 million, bringing total debt reduction to $949 million since the acquisition. Last year it sold $27 million in assets, bringing total assets sold since the acquisition to $256 million. 

The company’s stock was up 60 cents — or 1.9 percent — by midday to $32.12 per share. 

MGM Mirage owns or operates 19 casino properties in the United States, Australia and South Africa. 

——— 

On the Net: 

MGM Mirage Inc.: http://www.mgmmirage.com 

BRUSSELS, Belgium — European regulators on Thursday cleared the $23.7 billion merger of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp., saying the planned marriage of rival U.S. computer makers does not raise competition concerns in Europe. 

A U.S. review of the merger is still underway. The deal also faces the considerable hurdle of shareholder approval, with critics including the heirs of HP’s legendary co-founders. 

Thursday’s decision means the EU’s antitrust office gives its blessing for the companies to move ahead and signals the EU will not launch a four-month investigation into how the deal may affect competition in Europe. 

“A careful analysis of the merger ... has shown that HP would not be in a position to increase prices and that consumers would continue to benefit from sufficient choice and innovation,” an EU statement said. 

The merger plan forced the EU Commission into its biggest European antitrust decision since it blocked the $46 billion bid by General Electric Co. for Honeywell International Inc. last summer. 

The in-depth probe by the European Commission would have been especially problematic for HP as it tries to rein in rebellious shareholders who oppose the deal, observers said. Instead, early clearance in Europe could help HP win over some shareholders. 

Some analysts downplayed the importance of the European decision. 

“The probability was very high that they were going to approve it,” said Charles Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. “It nudges up the probability of an ultimate win on part of HP in this battle with the family, but I don’t think it changes it dramatically.” 

Carly Fiorina, HP’s chief executive, said the announcement is “an encouraging step in the continuing process of satisfying regulators worldwide that this deal will provide a real stimulus for competition.” 

Compaq was equally pleased. 

“This is an important milestone, particularly given the significance of Europe to us,” said Michael Capellas, Compaq chairman and chief executive. 

Board member Walter Hewlett, the son of HP co-founder William Hewlett and the deal’s most vocal critic, said the merger is a “bet-the-company move that is not appropriate for HP.” 

In a statement, he noted few HP rivals raised objections during the EU’s review of the deal. 

“We are not surprised,” he said. “We believe Dell, Sun and IBM must be delighted at the prospect of a merger that would so greatly distract and damage two of their rivals.” 

A source close to the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, said all sides were involved in tough negotiations until the last days, with Germany’s Siemens pushing hard to have the European Commission extend the investigation. 

Fujitsu-Siemens Computers is among the top 10 manufacturers of servers in the world and was one of the few companies to argue against the merger. 

HP and Compaq together would account for about 22-23 percent of the European market for personal computers, but around 47 percent of the market for more powerful servers and disk storage units, according to market researchers Gartner-Dataquest. 

Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP and Houston-based Compaq have said they would await regulatory clearance before setting a date for a shareholder vote. 

The merger is expected to result in about 15,000 job cuts at the combined company, HP officials have said. 

On Jan. 23, Fiorina told employees that as many as 36,000 employees might be at risk if the merger does not go through. She did not make any specific projections but noted they belong to divisions that lost money last year, according to a document on the meeting filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

“If you care — which I do, which we all do — about 36,000 people, you have to figure out a way to make money,” she said. “Because without profitable businesses, you cannot preserve jobs. You cannot continue to make contributions to communities. You cannot continue to invest in R&D. It is fundamental.” 

In Thursday trading on the New York Stock Exchange, HP shares closed up 15 cents at $22.11 while Compaq shares rose 36 cents to $12.35. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pro-merger site: http://www.votethehpway.com 

Anti-merger site: http://www.votenohpcompaq.com 

PHOENIX — America West Airlines posted a wider loss for the fourth quarter, reflecting the continued impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on air travel, the company reported Thursday. 

The Tempe-based airline lost $60.9 million, or $1.81 per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31. The carrier reported losses of $41.7 million, or $1.24 per share, in the same quarter a year earlier. 

The results included $29.9 million in aid from the government’s airline bailout package. 

Excluding one-time items, America West lost $89.1 million, or $2.64 per share. That was in line with Wall Street analysts’ expectations. 

Fourth-quarter revenues fell 30 percent to $400 million from $572 million a year ago. 

Still, executives at the nation’s eighth-largest carrier remain optimistic. 

Earlier this month, America West closed on a $429 million loan secured by the U.S. government, ending the threat of a possible bankruptcy filing. The airline went through Chapter 11 financial reorganization in 1994. 

“Despite the difficult times facing the airline industry, we are encouraged by our improved liquidity position, our incredible turnaround in operations and the trends in revenue performance,” said W. Douglas Parker, America West’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. 

Company officials said they cut costs by returning 11 planes from the airline’s fleet, reducing annual rent by about $50 million and cutting advertising and food expenses. 

Parker said the company is gradually recovering from the travel slump caused by the Sept. 11 attacks. 

“We believe we are in a very good position to ride out this storm and be in a better position than when we started,” he said. 

After the attacks, the airline eliminated 2,000 jobs and trimmed its flight schedule by 20 percent. 

But it restored about a third of its flights in December and plans to reinstate more flights starting February through April, officials said last week. 

The airline also said it plans to recall at least 75 of its 179 furloughed pilots by March. 

America West flights arrived 82.5 percent on-time, compared with 64.1 percent during the fourth quarter of 2000. 

“It’s clear that America West is operating a far different airline than it was 18 months ago,” Parker said. 

The comments failed to rally investors. Shares of America West fell 18 cents, or 4.5 percent, to $3.80 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. 

According to the report, the company filled 68.5 percent of its planes for the fourth quarter. Capacity dropped 14.8 percent from the previous year due to cuts in scheduled flights after the attacks. 

Operating costs for the quarter fell 2.3 percent because of a 33 percent drop in average fuel price. 

For the year, America West reported losses of $147.9 million, or $4.39 per share. Revenue fell nearly 12 percent to $2.0 billion from $2.3 billion in 2000. 

Mike Boyd, an analyst with The Boyd Group in Evergreen, Colo., said he believed the government loan guarantee would give the airline enough cash to ride out current hard times. But he said consumer worries about airport security continue to plague America West and the industry. 

“I’m not worried about this airline going away. They’re doing all the right things,” Boyd said. 

“But it’s hard to do things right when you’re flying in an environment that’s scaring people away. The big question is, ’When will passengers come back?”’ 

America West is the only major U.S. airline to seek a loan guarantee under a federal plan approved after the attacks to provide airlines $5 billion in cash aid and $10 billion in loan guarantees. 

The airline serves 88 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.americawest.com 

RIVERSIDE — Bill Jones stands at a podium on the stoop of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, outlining his economic platform. 

He reads from a prepared text. The wind is whirring, a nearby tractor is roaring, and a reporter struggles to hear him. 

The only reporter struggles to hear him. 

Just one local writer has appeared for a lonely press conference that epitomizes the Republican secretary of state’s campaign for governor. 

Just two months before the primary election, Jones struggles to raise money and generate enthusiasm for his campaign. 

The only Republican holding statewide office, Jones has proved he can slice across party lines to win votes, but he is considered an underdog. Party leaders desperate to win an election have shrugged him off, showing little faith that he can collect the cash and votes to do it. 

As the Riverside event illustrates, his shoestring campaign at times seems more like a bid for a local school board than the state’s top job. 

But Jones presses on. Driven by his rancher roots, a deep seriousness and quiet determination, he traverses the state — addressing strawberry farmers in Orange County and a Kiwanis club breakfast in Clovis, Calif., in the Central Valley one day and blasting Democratic Gov. Gray Davis to Sacramento business leaders, the next. 

While his opponents crisscross California in plush chartered planes financed by powerful donors, the 6-foot-2 secretary of state sips a Diet Coke, crunched into a seat on a packed Southwest Airlines flight. He’s unruffled. 

“I’ve never run in a majority Republican district and I’ve never had the resources that my opponents have had,” Jones says. 

The 52-year-old served for 12 years, from 1982 to 1994, in the state Assembly and rose to Republican leader with the help of Republican then-Gov. Pete Wilson. 

Jones worked as a rancher for 10 years before he ran unsuccessfully for Assembly for the first time in 1976. Before that, however, he tasted politics at California State University, Fresno, where the conservative member of the agriculture fraternity was elected senior class president amid a campus of liberal, anti-war era students. 

“I’m accustomed to working as a minority in a majority government,” Jones says. 

He points to his trademark legislative achievement, co-writing the state’s “three-strikes” law while serving in a Democrat-controlled Legislature, as an example. As secretary of state, he has been recognized for helping to modernize the state elections office, clamping down on voter fraud and making campaign finance records available over the Internet. 

He has avoided the scandal and controversy that sometimes accompanies 20 years in politics, and he is often called a downright nice guy. 

But his low-key style has hurt him, some observers say. On campaign stops, Jones often lapses into long, professorial speeches that don’t engage the crowd. His shyness also makes asking donors for money more difficult. 

In the past year, he has tried to abandon his non-confrontational style, attacking Davis for alleged ethical breaches among his energy advisers and accusing him of bungling the state’s fiscal troubles. 

He also has mounted an uncharacteristically aggressive assault on Richard Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor who leads most polls, accusing him of holding liberal views and criticizing him for donating to Democratic campaigns. Jones is less pointed about businessman Bill Simon, simply saying he has no public record and would be a risky choice to run the state. 

At heart, Jones’ family and friends say, he is a shy farmer. 

“He is an individual who has no pretentiousness,” says former California Gov. George Deukmejian, who is helping with Jones’ campaign. 

Even Jones’ wife of 30 years, Maurine Jones, describes the father of two grown daughters as “very quiet, very serious.” 

“He doesn’t show his lighter side unless he knows you well,” she says. 

Jones’ family farm near Firebaugh, Calif., includes roughly 6,000 acres of tomatoes, asparagus and alfalfa, all of which are run cooperatively by relatives including his parents and 27-year-old daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law. The governor’s race is also a family affair, with Maurine often stumping with him and his 24-year-old daughter Andrea working for his campaign. 

A pilot, Jones owns a single-engine Cessna and often flies himself home from Sacramento. He has used the plane for campaigning, but he says he never flies in anything resembling bad weather. 

On the farm, Jones works mostly on the business side. He relaxes by heading to the coastal mountains to hunt wild boar and ducks. He beams when speaking of his toddler granddaughter, who has appeared at campaign events and who, he boasts, has attended more state Republican Party conventions than Riordan. 

His father, a farmer and 47-year local water board member, inspired Jones to go into public service. His lifestyle growing up, he says, helped him succeed at it. 

“I grew up pretty much in the country with a horse and a dog, where I was always working,” he says. 

Deukmejian describes Jones’ as responsible, open to advice and adept at moving on in the face of disappointment. 

On the early January press conference in Riverside, Jones’ aides are unapologetic for the disappointing turnout. It was a day before President Bush arrived for a town hall meeting in nearby Ontario, and they chalk it up to bad timing because political reporters were busy, they say, preparing for the presidential visit. 

Their reasoning also highlights one of Jones’ most discussed political blunders. In 2000, he switched his endorsement from Bush to Arizona Sen. John McCain during the California primary campaign. 

Jones says he was acting in the best interest of California Republicans, who had suffered three straight statewide losses. McCain, he says, had a better chance of winning California. 

But some party activists haven’t forgotten, and some blame the switch for Jones’ fund-raising problems. 

He hasn’t drawn the help of rich GOP donors considered critical to a statewide race in California. Both Riordan and Simon have outraised him, although neither has won statewide office. Both have deep personal wealth to tap that Jones does not. 

In all of 2001, Jones collected $2.4 million for his campaign, including several large loans. That compares to $6.6 million raised by Riordan and $5.7 million by Simon in the same time period. 

Jones has a favorite quote that he repeats when asked about his lagging finances. 

“President Ross Perot and Governor Al Checchi and Senator Michael Huffington will tell you that money is not the sole solution to politics,” he says, referring to three candidates who lost after pouring millions of their personal fortunes into campaigns. 

Analysts say Jones’ simply lacks the knack to lure dollars. 

“He’s not a good fund-raiser,” says said Allan Hoffenblum, a former GOP consultant and publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book, which tracks political races. 

Still, Jones’ strategists are counting on strong support from Jones’ home turf of the Central Valley, and from conservative primary voters put off by Riordan’s relative liberalism. In a recent independent statewide poll, Jones led his two foes in the farm-rich Central Valley, but trailed everywhere else. 

Jones says he’s confident the wounds within his own party will mend, adding that a recent trip to Washington reassured him. 

“People were trying to figure out how to win California,” he says, “and I’m the only one that has done that and I’ve done it twice.”

NAME: Bill Jones 

PARTY: Republican 

AGE-BIRTH DATE: 52. Dec. 20, 1949 in Coalinga, Calif., in Fresno County. 

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree in business and agronomy from California State University, Fresno, 1971. 

EXPERIENCE: In Assembly, wrote the three-strikes law for habitual offenders. Put campaign finance information on the Internet and worked to improve quality of voting machines. Farmer and rancher. State assemblyman, 1982-1994; secretary of state, 1995-present. 

FAMILY: Wife Maurine; Daughters Andrea, 24, and Wendy, 27; one granddaughter and one grandson on the way. 

NET WORTH: At least $400,00, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission. 

CAMPAIGN WEB SITE: www.billjones.org 

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 916-349-2002

Gov. Gray Davis officially launched construction of the new eastern span of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge Tuesday, saying the project's primary goal was safety, and its secondary goal was to relieve congestion. 

But at a time when the employment rate is still in slumping, some are looking at the project as providing a third service – the project will create approximately 67,000 jobs. 

Other goals of the East Bay Bridge project is to protect the bay’s environment, according to statements made by Davis’ office. 

“This project is about more than just getting commuters to their jobs faster and safer. It’s about creating new jobs,” Davis said. “At least 67,000 new jobs – enough to fill every seat in the Oakland Coliseum. This project isn’t just a spark for our troubled economy. It’s a full-fledged bonfire.” 

The governor’s office stated that the project will add $8 billion to California’s struggling economy. 

But locally, the larger concern some may have is how long the construction will take – approximately 1,000 working days – how the more than 100,000 tons of structural steel will be shipped onto the bridge and the $2.6 billion price tag. 

It is the largest public works project in California and the largest ongoing bridge project anywhere in North America.  

“It’s taken us more than 10 years to get this far. It is a massive project and there has been a lot of controversy surrounding it. But right now, we’re celebrating,” said Colin Jones, Caltrans spokesperson. 

The road thus far has been paved by disputed financial projections and timelines. But the bulk of the opposition has been about the design and alignment of the bridge, and has primarily come from the city of San Francisco and the U.S. Navy. 

The construction of the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Bridge was originally announced by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, and at the time it was the largest and longest bridge in the world. Also, during the same year, construction began on the more glamourous, much anticipated Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay Bridge opened in 1936 and the Golden Gate followed one year later.  

“The Bay Bridge is the work hours of the greater Bay Area,” Jones said. “It’s really the centerpiece of the transportation system – from the East Bay to the city or commuters from Contra Costa.” 

According to Jones, this expansion project will make the Bay Bridge the safest bridge in the world. 

“And after Sept. 11, and the hint of there being a military attack on the bridge, that is a very real concern to people,” Jones said. “The bridge will be able to withstand a major earthquake on either (Hayward or San Andreas) faults.”  

The project will link Oakland to Yerba Buena Island in the middle of the bay, where westbound motorists will proceed onto a seismically retrofitted western span to arrive in San Francisco. 

Jones said the new span, expected to be completed in 2006, will also provide bike/pedestrian lanes. 

“There’ll be bike lanes, there’ll be better views,” he added. 

The mega-project is funded by state gasoline tax money, bridge toll fees, revenue bonds and a $450 million loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

The construction plan has been in the works since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.  

The westbound roadway is scheduled for completion in 2006 with eastbound traffic on the new span in 2007.

Even before the start of Wednesday’s boys’ basketball game between St. Mary’s and Albany, it was pretty obvious that the Panthers weren’t taking their closest geographical BSAL opponent very seriously. After all, St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo didn’t even bother to show up, choosing instead to scout his team’s next opponent, Salesian. 

The game went just as expected, with St. Mary’s cruising to an 85-34 win to stay undefeated in league play. Guard Tim Fanning led the Panthers with a game-high 16 points, with forward Spartacus Rodriguez putting in 14, guard John Sharper hitting for 13 and center Simon Knight 12. 

Albany (3-17, 1-6 BSAL) was led by center Brandon Hinchee, who scored 14 points on a variety of short jumpers and post moves, but no other Cougar scored more than 4 points. 

St. Mary’s (17-2, 7-0) displayed their superiority right away, jumping out to an 8-0 lead with a jumper by Sharper and 3-pointers by Sharper and Fanning. Fanning hit another 3-pointer to make the score 11-2, and after Albany scored another bucket, the Panthers put the game away with a 21-point run that lasted well into the second quarter. Although the Cougars managed to run off 8 straight points to pull back within 37-14, the Panthers answered right back with their own 8-0 run to make the score 47-16 at halftime. 

St. Mary’s assistant coach Dave ? called off the dogs in the second half, pulling his team back into a half-court defense rather than pressure the Cougars, but Albany still matched their 18 first-half turnovers in the second half. 

“We know (St. Mary’s) is the top team in the area, so we had our work cut out for us,” Albany head coach Doug Kagawo said. “But we just saw this as a chance to see how we measure up.” 

While St. Mary’s dragged through a slow third quarter, the pace picked up for the final period when ? let his reserves run wild. Rodriguez got things going with a left-handed jam and ended up with 12 points in the quarter as the Panthers outscored Albany 22-8. 

“We got to let everyone play a lot tonight, ? said. “It was good, because you never know when you’re going to need those guys down the stretch.” 

Kagawo wasn’t surprised that his team lost big, but he was a bit off-put by Caraballo’s voluntary absence. 

“That’s (Caraballo’s) choice, and he can do what he wants,” Kagawo said. “I’ve never seen that done before, but it that’s his style, that’s his style.”

Editor: 

As a founding member of Copwatch, I feel that I must respond to the misperceptions, misinformation and false notions that appeared in an opinion piece entitled “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Cop Watch,” (January 29, 2002). 

The author of this letter seems to have given Copwatch quite a bit of consideration, but has not actually spoken with our members or read our literature. She seems to be operating in the belief that Copwatch is simply against the police on principle.  

Within the movement for police accountability, citizens who advocate for independent, civilian oversight of police have often been characterized as being “anti-police.” This simplistic representation of our analysis of police misconduct does a disservice to Copwatch and to the police. 

Within many professional law enforcement organizations nationally, there is support for civilian oversight of police. In fact, many police officers have come to believe that community involvement in oversight is essential, especially when we consider how difficult it is for officers who witness misconduct to “blow the whistle” on their fellow officers.  

I agree with the author of the letter when she says that Berkeley is “NOT Los Angeles, not even Oakland”. The citizens of Berkeley have historically taken a great interest in the functioning of its police department. Berkeley citizens voted to establish one of the first Police Review Commissions in the country in 1973, and since that time, there has been a long line of citizens who have invested countless hours into making sure that brutality and misconduct did not become common practice as it has in some other communities.  

For the last twelve years, Copwatch volunteers have dedicated themselves to the task of monitoring police conduct and reporting their findings back to the community. This kind of community oversight helps to explain why Berkeley cops are held to a higher standard of conduct.  

Copwatch is made up of volunteers. We are teachers, students, office and construction workers, doctors, artists and others.  

We train members of the public in non-violence techniques, observation methods and relevant aspects of the law.  

We train our members to deescalate situations where possible, not to interfere and to practice non-violence at all times (no verbal put downs, don’t run, keep your hands visible, etc). All of this information is in our training handbook, which we provide to the public at no expense (although we gratefully accept donations).  

I must confess that I was shocked to read the paragraph in which the author claims that some officer on the BPD had taken two of the “main leaders” of Copwatch to the hospital to be treated for heroin overdose. This claim is not only untrue, but I fear that it is an effort to “kill the messenger” for carrying the unpleasant information that yes, police misconduct persists in Berkeley to this day.  

We at Copwatch have brought incidents of misconduct to the attention of the Police Review Commission and had allegations sustained. We have challenged and ultimately changed policies that we perceived to be unjust or ill considered. We have conducted countless “Know Your Rights” workshops in an effort to educate the public and to defend our basic civil rights. We have provided support and referrals to victims of misconduct. We are currently investigating claims that the Berkeley Drug Task Force has been using excessive force as a means of carrying out drug suppression efforts. 

I am glad that the author has had positive experiences with members of the Berkeley Police Department. However, that is not the experience of all Berkeley residents. Copwatch receives many complaints of misconduct each week especially from people who live in south and west Berkeley.  

Defending the provisions of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is not “anti-cop”? It is a disservice to the community to make libelous insinuations about the leadership of Copwatch.  

As a school teacher, a twenty year resident of Berkeley, and someone who cherishes the Bill of Rights, I will continue to observe police, speak out against injustice and work for a better Berkeley. I hope that one day I will be able to meet the anonymous author of the letter. She (and the public) are invited to attend our “Know Your Rights” training on Feb. 6 at 7pm at our office so that she can better understand our purpose and realize that Copwatch is not the enemy.

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/a cme.html. 

The Albatross Jan. 31: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring. com. 

Anna’s Bistro Jan. 31: Jason Martineau & Dave Sayen; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Jan. 31: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

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

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers; The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com. 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be featured soloist with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616. 

Dance 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

"Human Nature" Feb. 16: 8:30 p.m., X-plicit Players, $15; Art-A-Fact, 1109 Addison St., 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.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. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” 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.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

The Richmond Art Center Through Mar. 16: “The Art of Living Black 2002: The sixth Annual Bay Area Black Artists Exhibition and Art Tour,” group exhibition of 81 artists; “Introspección Dual: Recent Painting by Verónica B. Rojas and Santiago Gervas”; “Transmutations: Recent work by Tim Jag”; “The NIAD` Family,” Artwork from the National Institute of Art and Disabilities; “Still Here,” collaborative art project about AIDS in the 21st century; “Girls in the Hall,” artwork by girls incarcerated in the San Francisco juvenile justice system; Tues. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; The Art of Living Black Art Tour Weekend: Mar. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 2540 Barrett Ave., 620-6772, www.therichmondartcenter.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

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; $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. 

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. - 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.  

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

Thursday, Jan. 31

Backpacking the Diablo Trail 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seth Adams will share slides and information on backpacking this newly completed trail that stretches for 30 miles from Walnut Creek to Brentwood. 527-4140 

Permaculture in Africa 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Tim Krupnik presents a slide show highlighing his recent travels in Africa to learn about local sustainable agriculture. This event is a benefit for the Fambidzanai Permaculture Center in Zimbabwe that trains rural farmers in organic farming techniques. $5-10. 548-2220 x233, soilfirst@tao.ca.  

Falling in Love in the Golden Years 

7:30 p.m. 

North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 

1170 The Alameda 

A lecture discussing finding and keeping love in later life. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl 

Storytelling Workshop for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Stagebridge 

2501 Harrison St. 

A workshop instructing seniors how to tell traditional and personal stories to elementary-age children. 444-4755 

BirthWays 25th Anniversary 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen’s 

2005 Berrymen St. 

Parish Hall 

BirthWays welcomes all parents, future parents, birth support professionals and members of the community to celebrate its 25th anniversary. $20. 869-2797, http://www.birthways.org/. 

Berkeley-Cuba 

Sister City Meeting 

7 - 9 p.m. 

City Hall 

6th Floor Conference Room 

2180 Milvia St. 

Be a part of this project to form a Berkeley sister-city relationship with Cuba. rebeccada@earthlink.net.  

Friday, Feb. 1

Benefit for the Chiapas  

Peace House Project 

7 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists 

1606 Bonita 

Live music, DJs and homemade baked goods. Sliding scale. 

Hungarian Jewry 

7:30 p.m. 

Temple Beth El 

2001 Vine St. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj of Budapest, Hungry will present discuss his life in Hungry and his effort to bring Judaism inside the iron curtain. 848-3988 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress. com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

“Communities in Action”  

Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Church Women United 

Berkeley /Albany Chapter 

9:30 a.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

This will be the preparation day for the World Day of Prayer. 526-4303.  

A fledgling political movement that is aiming to shake up Berkeley city politics held its third meeting at the Shattuck Hotel Tuesday night. 

There, the Berkeley Party, a coalition of neighborhood activists allied with the Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations, made initial plans to run and support candidates in this year’s City Council elections.  

Members expressed their hope that the new party would eventually be able to wield the same kind of clout currently enjoyed by Berkeley Citizens Action (BCA), which has supported the “progressive” alliance on the City Council, and the Berkeley Democratic Club (BDC), which has supported the “moderates.” 

“The Berkeley Party is not about progressives and moderates,” said treasurer Tim Hansen. “It’s about a fair process and respect for neighborhoods.” 

The party’s co-founder, Carrie Olson – who ran against Councilmember Miriam Hawley for North Berkeley’s District 5 seat in 2000 – said the party aspired to support candidates who rose above traditional politics. 

“I don’t want a third force – I want a non-force,” she said. “I don’t want a City Council that’s constantly bickering. 

“We’re supposed to be an educated town. We’re supposed to love our city. But the fact is that most people here tune out of local politics.” 

Members of the party – which include a number of members of prominent city commissions as well as neighborhood activists – named transparency in city government and development as their top priorities.  

The Berkeley Party platform includes an endorsement of a ballot initiative that would place strict height limits on new buildings in the city.  

Olson said the city should discourage population growth, seeing as how it is already very crowded. 

“Berkeley is the third-densest city in Northern California,” she said. “We’ve done our growth.” 

“I believe that if we never have another building boom from here on out, we’d be doing just fine.” 

The party platform also supports a proposal by urban planning gadfly Howie Muir, which would require the city to support consistency between its General Plan and the zoning ordinance, which tells developers what can be built where. 

No specific endorsements were made at the meeting. However, several party members said the party should consider running neighborhood-friendly candidates in the upcoming election.  

“We hope the Berkeley Party will be interested in encouraging people to run, and supporting them when they do,” said Olson. 

Elliot Cohen, a member of the city’s Peace and Justice Commission, said current party politics prevented Berkeley from fulfilling its “historic role” as a trendsetter. 

He cited the Free Speech Movement and the campaign against apartheid in South Africa as two social movements that began in Berkeley. 

“We haven’t had many ideas lately that have spread across the nation lately,” said Cohen. “Why? Because the Council is too busy bickering.” 

Olson said that at its next meeting, which has not yet been scheduled, the party will formalize its procedures for endorsing candidates. 

The Berkeley Party’s Web site is www.berkeleyparty.com.

Editor: 

As a regular reader of the Berkeley Daily Planet, I am shocked by the printing in its pages yesterday of a libelous anonymous letter, “South Berkeley resident speaks out on Cop Watch.”  

Publishing anonymous letters to the editor is unacceptable journalistic practice in violation of your printed policy.  

What is yet more unacceptable is the inflammatory statement that “the author’s name has been withheld from this letter for her safety.”  

Why would the editor allow this libelous statement to accompany a libelous letter directed at Copwatch?  

There are two possibilities: 1. Oversight; or 2. Intentional libel Which is it? 

Lisa Pascopella 

Berkeley

The Berkeley High Lady Yellowjackets basketball team steamrolled the visiting Richmond Oilers Wednesday night, 82-15. 

From the outset it was difficult to determine which was colder: the frigid Berkeley gymnasium or the glacial Oiler offense. The ‘Jackets held Richmond scoreless throughout the first quarter, 14-0, and for another two minutes into the second quarter before the Oilers finally managed to reach the scoreboard. At that stage the Yellowjackets had already scored 18 points, more than enough for their eventual victory. 

“We had a rule, five passes before a shot,” said Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura of the blowout. “We’re just trying to learn. Pass the ball, teamwork, and try to get through the game as quickly as possible.” 

Berkeley, which started and finished the game with its second string on the floor, was led by 5-foot-0 freshman guard Danisha Wright, who poured in 21 points. Wright had 13 straight points to close out the fourth quarter for the ‘Jackets, including a pair of 3-pointers. 

“(Wright) had a very strong first quarter, and a very strong fourth quarter,” Nakamura said. “She’s getting better every day.” 

Wednesday’s runaway victory came without the services of another key freshman, starting center Devanei Hampton. The 6-foot-3 Hampton, nicknamed “The Hammer” by her teammates, watched the game on crutches due to a strained knee ligament. Interviewed after the game Hampton said that she was looking forward to getting back on the court. 

“I love it,” Hampton said. “I want to play college, hopefully, if I don’t go to the NBA. I don’t want to play in the WNBA.” 

Hampton intends to return to the Berkeley frontcourt next week, strengthening an already formidable Yellowjacket team. 

Richmond was sadly overmatched even before tipoff. The Oilers suited up seven players for the contest, facing a Berkeley roster consisting of five starters and nine uniformed reserves. Even the Berkeley cheerleading staff, boasting nine uniformed cheerleaders not including the giant Yellowjacket mascot, had the Oiler squad well outnumbered. 

Natasha Bailey and Michi Yamamoto each added 10 points for Berkeley, and ten Yellowjackets scored in the game.

The Berkeley Police Department presented the City Council with a crime status report Tuesday, which showed the city’s crime rates are at a 30-year low, despite three recent homicides and a general perception of higher crime. 

The report primarily focused on crime trends during the last seven years, which show that major crimes in Berkeley have declined along with the rest of the state.  

Robbery, however, is bucking the downward trend, according to the report. Robbery increased during 2001 from the previous year and occurs at a higher rate in Berkeley than the rest of the state. 

“This is a mixed message were getting,” Mayor Shirley Dean said. “We have some problems, but we also have some bright spots.” 

Dean requested the report in October after numerous UC students said they were worried about their personal safety during a public hearing on redistricting. Dean said she also requested the report in response to an a recent newspaper article that described Berkeley as having the state’s second-highest crime rate among cities with populations of more than 100,000. 

But despite three recent homicides and the recenmt article, the police department report shows that three of the four violent crimes, homicide, rape and aggravated assaults, are below the state average. Only robbery, which is defined as the taking of property through force or threat of force, is higher than the state average.  

Police Chief Dash Butler pointed out that the Dec. 30 murder of Charlotte Ortega was the first in 15 months. Although he said the double homicide of Noel Turner, Jr. and Rammar Johnson on Jan. 22 in south Berkeley has him “very concerned.” 

According to the report, since 1995 Berkeley has seen a 90 percent decrease in homicides, a 32 percent decrease in rape and 43 percent decrease in aggravated assaults. Even Robbery, which occurs in Berkeley at a greater rate than the state, has dropped by 42 percent.  

The state robbery rate for 2001 was 180 robberies per 100,000 people. In Berkeley, the robbery rate during the same year was 320 per 100,000. 

The report also showed that among 11 California universities, UC Berkeley had the third highest rate of violent crime behind UCLA and UC Irvine in 2000. UC Berkeley had 22 incidents of violent crime during the year including 10 robberies, 4 rapes and 8 aggravated assaults . The campuses with the fewest incidents of violent crime was UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis, which both had six incidents of violent crime. 

UC Berkeley is patrolled by the University of California Police Department, which is completely separate from the Berkeley Police Department.  

“There are some categories of crime that we have to take a look at,” Butler said. “We are currently considering a number of options to deal with robberies including some task force approaches.” 

Dean said there was some good news in the report although she thinks the city has a lot of work to do to reduce crime and the perception of a high crime rate further. 

“I have been going to neighborhood meetings all over the city and people are saying we have a crime problem,” Dean said. “Safety in our homes and in our streets has to be our number one concern. People have to feel safe and they have to feel their children are safe.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said now, while people are concerned about crime, is a good opportunity for the city to support residents getting involved in their communities.  

“Certainly the statistics show that Berkeley is doing a very good job in limiting the frequency and severity of crime,” he said. “But when a serious crime occurs, it makes people very afraid and while people are paying attention, we have to leverage that into community crime prevention efforts.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio asked Butler if there was a significant relationship between a downturn in the economy and an increase in crime.  

Butler said there is only anecdotal evidence that an economic downturn effects crime rates and that he is “unconvinced there’s a connection.” 

Police Captain Douglas Hambleton said that a positive aspect of the economic downturn is that the quality of police applicants increases.  

“There are now more people who are interested in becoming cops,” he said. “We have 375 applicants for a test this Saturday. We have not had that many in about 15 years.” 

Hambleton added that the September 11 terrorist attacks and a concerted recruitment effort have also added to the high application rate.  

Butler agreed. “We’re recruiting from a very broad base of the community,” Butler said. “We are advertising in newspapers we never did before as well as going to events that appeal to all segments of the community.” 

Editor: 

The second tallest structure in Berkeley—-surpassed in height only by the Campanile on the UC campus—-was recently built in a residential neighborhood.  

No neighbor had been shown a plan for it. No public meeting had reviewed such a plan. Its developer had no permit to build it. It has lowered neighbors’ property values. Its appearance has offended virtually everyone. 

This architectural monstrosity and renegade, this monument to the blatant violation of those standards of public taste and process that Berkeley nurtures so proudly, is our new Public Safety Building communication tower on McKinley Street. Purchased out of a catalog and slammed together over a weekend, it has to be seen to be believed. Citizens who value Berkeley’s thoughtful land-use standards are joining the outcry to dismantle the thing and insist that its replacement receive public review. 

Rob Browning 

Berkeley 

The trial of Lazarus Ortega, the 21-year-old man who stands accused of killing his adoptive mother, was again delayed on Wednesday. 

Attorneys for Ortega, who were scheduled to enter his plea in the case at the Berkeley Courthouse, asked the court to reschedule the hearing for Feb. 27. 

Deputy District Attorney Jason Sjoberg said that both sides are awaiting the results of several forensics tests related to the crime. 

The body of Ortega’s mother, Charlotte Ortega, was found floating in the bay near the Berkeley Pier on Dec. 30. Lazarus Ortega was arrested in connection with the case later that day.

Editor: 

I’m intrigued by the recent article and follow-up letter to the editor with regards to the political fundraising by the three candidates for the 14th Assembly District. This led me to examine the official report of the Secretary of State where I found information that did not quite jive with what I read in the planet. 

What I did see was that when we exclude loans like the $72,000 to Loni Hancock1s campaign ($67,000 from she and her husband), Mr. Ramsey has been able to raise 63% more for his campaign than Ms. Hancock ($257,364 to $157,526).  

I might also mention that Ms.Hancock1s husband recently boasted at a public gathering that when his wife wins, he1s going to make the unions pay off her debt. 

Ms. Hancock1s treasurer (Mal Burnstein) wants people to believe that Ms. Hancock has far more contributors than Mr. Ramsey but the records show that she has only 34 more contributors (out of a combined total of 879).  

He also wants people to believe that the working men and women of organized labor are as supportive of her campaign as they are of Mr. Ramsey’s.  

Once again the records would indicate otherwise as Mr. Ramsey shows endorsements from organized labor from all over the state and shows that he has received contributions from representatives of workers almost eight times more often than Ms. Hancock. 

The article pointed out that elected officials like Assemblywoman Dion Aroner had contributed to Ms. Hancock but the records show that of the eight contributions from elected leaders ($13,500) not a penny came out of their own pockets. They dipped into their campaign coffers to take money contributed by others (like labor unions) to help their old friend. 

As many of us are, I’m concerned when members of a campaign try to bamboozle the public by twisting the truth. And I really become concerned when these purveyors of misinformation make up the team heading to Sacramento to represent our interests. 

Don Gosney 

Richmond

Women decieved by the church awarded by jury  

SALT LAKE CITY — A jury awarded $290,000 to two women who said they were deceived by a fundamentalist church whose leaders promised to produce Jesus Christ in the flesh. 

The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of the Saints of the Last Days was ordered Monday to pay $270,000 to Kaziah Hancock and more than $20,000 to Cindy Stewart for fraud, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

As a condition of church membership, Hancock gave 67 acres of her farm and shares of water rights to the church for redistribution among members. Stewart contributed money from her retirement plan, attorney Don Redd said. 

In return, church founder Jim Harmston promised payments on other property, membership in heaven’s elite and the chance to meet Christ on earth, Redd said. 

The eight-member jury threw out complaints of racketeering and unjust enrichment against the church and Harmston. 

Harmston refused to comment and referred questions to his attorney, Mark Middlemas. Middlemas did not return calls Tuesday. 

Harmston’s wife, Elaine, told The Salt Lake Tribune that she was disappointed with the verdict, adding: “God’s people have always been persecuted and right now is no different.” 

Brown-bag lunch  

EBENSBURG, Pa. — A man who brought laxative-laced brownies to work to get back at co-workers who were eating his bagged lunches is being sued by one of the men who ate them. 

John R. Anthony Sr. is seeking unspecified damages from Raymond Jastrzab for the pain and embarrassment he suffered when he ate the brownies. 

Jastrzab was fired from OMG Americas in Johnstown following the Jan. 27, 2000, incident and has been denied unemployment compensation after the Commonwealth Court in Harrisburg ruled that he was guilty of willful misconduct and “evil design.” 

Jastrzab admitted to baking the brownies because co-workers had been eating his lunches, the company said. 

Anthony ate the brownies only after they had been left on a table in the plant’s dining room, said his attorney, Terry Graffius. It was an unwritten rule of the plant that food left on the table was available to anyone, he said. 

Jastrzab stood by and watched Anthony eat them, Graffius said. 

Anthony suffered nausea, diarrhea, cramps and dehydration which required medical attention after eating the brownies. 

Jastrzab has an unlisted number and could not be reached for comment. 

——— 

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Adam Zaretsky knows what it’s like to live in a fish bowl: He’s on exhibit at the zoo. 

Zaretsky’s known as “Zed, species Homo sapiens,” in the “Workhorse Zoo” exhibit. His home is an 8-by-8-foot glass room he shares with albino frogs, families of mice, microscopic worms and yeast. 

Zaretsky, a 33-year-old San Francisco conceptual artist, says the display is a combination of art and science. He hopes it will get people thinking about their relationships with other living things. 

“I’m actually trying to blur the boundary between what is human culture and what is reality,” Zaretsky said, while stretched out on an ambulance gurney that he uses for a bed. 

Julia Reodica, who was Zaretsky’s teaching assistant while he served as a visiting professor at San Francisco State University, is the zookeeper. 

“As a serious researcher, I am finding Zed temperamental and unpredictable,” observed Reodica, clad in a Boy Scout uniform with long, zip-up black go-go boots. “When agitated, he throws rubbish against the windows.” 

Zaretsky received a $20,000 grant to stage his weeklong exhibit. 

——— 

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Less than 24 hours after their home-state teams advanced to the Super Bowl, chief executives of Missouri and Massachusetts engaged in what has become a gubernatorial tradition — a little good-natured trash talking. 

Acting Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift kicked off the round on Monday, warning St. Louis that her state’s New England Patriots shouldn’t be overlooked by the Rams, already 14 1/2-point favorites for Sunday’s title game in New Orleans. 

“Being an underdog has suited the Patriots just fine this year,” Swift said. “The Rams are going to find out very soon that these underdogs have a very painful bite.” 

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden took the high road, calling Swift an acquaintance and “very nice lady.” 

“We’ll let the players on the field do the talking,” Holden said. “The Rams are gonna win.” 

OAKLAND – Thousands of Bay Area commuters now have a new card to carry in their wallets or purses – the TransLink universal transit-fare card. On Friday, Feb.1, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and a half-dozen transit operators will kick off Phase One of a six-month pilot program of the TransLink electronic fare payment system. 

During the public demonstration phase, TransLink cards will be tested on selected routes and at certain stations of six of the region’s largest transit agencies: AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, San Francisco Muni and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. In preparation for the public launch, MTC and the TransLink Customer Service Center earlier this week mailed out TransLink cards to approximately 4,300 program volunteers. Every card has $3 loaded in TransLink Electronic Cash (e-cash). 

“Ambassadors” from MTC and the participating transit agencies will be stationed at key transit locations around the region during the first business days of the pilot program. The ambassadors will be available to answer questions from customers as needed, troubleshoot problems that might arise, and distribute information about the TransLink program. 

Announced at a late 2001 ceremony keynoted by Federal Transit Administration chief Jennifer Dorn, the public pilot program is a major milestone for TransLink and a significant step forward in the effort to create a seamless regional transit network.  

“We’re excited that so many Bay Area transit riders will have a chance to experience for themselves the hassle-free fare payment that TransLink makes possible,” said TransLink Project Director Russell Driver of MTC.  

The six transit systems participating in the TransLink pilot program offer a sampling of the Bay Area’s diverse modal mix, everything from ferries to streetcars to buses to commuter rail. Altogether, 18 rail stations, 31 bus lines, three ferry terminals and two light-rail lines have been outfitted with specialized TransLink card-reader equipment. The 4,300 volunteers who have received the cards were recruited because they routinely travel on these TransLink-equipped routes.  

The TransLink system uses “smart card” technology. Transit riders will use a plastic card embedded with a computer chip that they load with a dollar value, stored rides or monthly passes. 

They then need only tag the credit-card-sized card – without even having to remove it from their wallets or purses – at an electronic reader device located on transit vehicles, in stations or at fare gates, and the correct fare value will be deducted automatically from the card.  

TransLink will factor in a host of variables when calculating fares, including different fare structures for every transit operator, transfers, routes, lengths of trips, time of day and discounts for youth, elderly and disabled riders.  

To get ready for the public test, several hundred transit agency employees have been testing the TransLink card during their regular commutes to and from work in recent months. This smaller-scale “pre-test” gave participating transit agencies and the TransLink project staff a chance to get some hands-on experience in operating the new fare-collection system before it goes live for the public volunteers this week. 

“This is still a pilot project,” explained Driver. “The volunteers may occasionally find that some of the equipment is not working correctly, so we’re advising them to always be prepared to pay with cash, or a ticket or pass.” Information sent to the pilot program volunteers includes tips for using the TransLink on each of the six participating transit agencies.  

Participants in the TransLink pilot program can load value onto their fare cards at self-serve Add Value Machines in transit stations and some 40 retail locations throughout the Bay Area (including select Albertson’s, ACE Cash Express, Check Center and News Spot locations), or by calling the TransLink® Customer Service Center. Add Value Machines accept cash, debit cards, and 

Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards. TransLink® users can reload value automatically by subscribing to the TransLink® Autoload Program. 

….continued next page 

After the success of the pilot program is determined, MTC and the participating agencies plan to install TransLink® equipment on all 21 Bay Area transit systems, which together carry in excess 

of 1.6 million riders a day. 

MTC has contracted with Motorola, Inc. and ERG Limited to implement and operate the TransLink® fare-collection system. MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing 

agency for the nine-county Bay Area.  

For more information about the TransLink® program, visit the TransLink® Web page at www.translink.org. 

The Bay Area housing market, in decline for months, will not rebound until late 2002 or 2003, according to a new study conducted by UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

The study, “The Bay Area Housing Market: A Buyer’s Market,” finds that Alameda County home values have held up better than its neighboring counties, but reports a decline nevertheless. 

According to the study, written by real estate professor Kenneth Rosen and research associate Amanda Bishop, the median price in Alameda County was $350,000 for a single family home as of November 2001, matching the December 2000 median but marking a 5.9 percent decline from the June 2001 peak price of $372,000. 

The median price in Marin County, by contrast, dropped from a peak of $669,000 in April 2001 to $571,500 in November 2001. Marin’s 14.6 decline was the worst in the Bay Area, followed by 13.9 percent and 11.7 percent drop-offs, respectively, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. 

Bishop says Alameda County fared better than its neighbors because it was less dependent on the Internet-boosted economy, and therefore, was not hit as hard by the dot.com bust. She added that the county’s market was more affordable during the boom, meaning it did not feel the pinch of dramatic price drops for luxury homes when the recession hit.  

Some local realtors, while acknowledging that Bay Area prices on the whole have declined, say the local market is healthy. 

Arlene Baxter, an agent at Berkeley Hills Realty, cites statistics recently released by the Berkeley Association of Realtors, which show that in 2001 the average price for a single-family home in the city rose 2.4 percent above the 2000 average.  

“What we as agents are seeing in the market differs dramatically from what Mr. Rosen sees,” said Baxter. 

Rosen was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon. But Bishop, the co-author of the study, said the figures cited by Baxter, which focus on Berkeley in particular, do not necessarily clash with the numbers in the university study, which reflect the housing market countywide.  

She also warned that average home prices, like those compiled by the Berkeley Association of Realtors, are not as reliable as medians, like those included in the UC Berkeley study. Average figures are skewed by particularly expensive or cheap sales, while medians are not, she said.  

George Oram, owner of ERI Better Homes & Gardens, a real estate agency on College Avenue, took a darker view than Baxter. He said the declining economy has limited the number of houses on the local market, and depressed values, particularly for high-end luxury homes. But, he said there is a significant silver lining.  

“Prices have fallen,” Oram said. “But there are still multiple offers on any decent house, because there aren’t many houses listed.” 

He added that he expects the housing market to pick up in coming months when the weather improves and more people go house-hunting. 

According to the UC Berkeley report, the economic growth of the mid-to-late ’90s dramatically drove up prices in the Bay Area. In San Jose, for example, home values soared by 110 percent between 1994 and 2000, rising 30 percent in 2000 alone, in the midst of the technology boom. 

The dot.com bust, which contributed to a 117,000-person surge in Bay Area unemployment between December 2000 and November 2001, led to the fall-off in home prices, the report says. 

The number of home sales in the region also declined, according to the report, dipping 25 percent between December 2000 and November 2001. 

The seriousness of the decline, the study suggests, will mean a lengthy recovery period.  

“Due to the recent increase in unemployment and drops in home prices and home sales,” Rosen and Bishop said in the report, “we believe the prevailing opinion that the Bay Area economy, along with the housing market, will rebound in 2002 is overly optimistic. 

“The Bay Area economy,” the report continues, “will not reverse course until late 2002 or 2003.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Widening concerns about shoddy accounting practices are casting a spotlight on the gray areas that allow companies to keep debt off their books and dress up their earnings for the stock market. 

The intensifying scrutiny seems likely to pressure even more companies to explain the often-befuddling information that largely has been buried in the footnotes of financial statements. 

While the most jarring revelations of accounting mirages have been made by Enron Corp. and other energy traders engaged in byzantine transactions, companies in more conservative industries may even find their accounting practices under fire, experts said. 

That’s partly because credit rating agencies caught off guard by the Enron debacle are asking tougher questions throughout corporate America, forcing executives to own up to questionable accounting practices, said Matt Johnson, an economist with Thom Weisel Partners in San Francisco. 

The anticipated trouble ahead also reflects a deepening belief that a large number of companies have been pushing their accounting practices to the legal limit to boost their stock prices. 

“A big part of the problem is that the diversity and complexity of financial transactions in today’s business world is outpacing the ability of the accounting standard bearers to come up with new rules,” said Reuven Lehavy, an accounting professor with the University of California’s Haas School of Business in Berkeley. 

The gray areas aren’t limited to derivatives, the financial instruments widely used among energy traders — an industry regarded as a mine field of potential accounting bombshells. 

Even more mundane industries such as retailing polish their balance sheets with the way that they account for their leases, said Brett Trueman, another University of California accounting professor. 

Retailers frequently account for the rent at stores as operating leases — a legal technique that lets them keep the obligations off their balance sheets, Trueman said. If they were forced to account for those obligations as capital leases, retailers would have to recognize the future payments as debt on their balance sheets. 

In many cases, the definition of what qualifies as an operating lease and a capital lease is a fine line, but the distinction can make a balance sheet look healthier than it actually is, Trueman said. 

In banking, the way loans are classified also can make earnings look better than they really are, said Michael Stead, portfolio manager of the Sife Trust Fund, a Walnut Creek mutual fund specializing in financial services stock. 

A loan “held for sale” must be carried on the books at its current market value — a standard that can result in write-offs that reduce earnings. By classifying a loan as “held for maturity,” a bank has more leeway to carry the asset at its original cost even if it has diminished in value. 

“All those loans should be accounted for the same way,” Stead said. “We need to restore confidence in corporate financial statements.” 

All the second guessing has raised doubts about the reliability of the major accounting firms that audit corporate financial statements. 

Arthur Andersen, Enron’s auditor, is facing accusations of looking the other way while the energy trader fabricated earnings. 

KPMG LLP missed an accounting mistake that prompted Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to own up to a $1.08 billion swing in its third-quarter fortunes. 

Ernst & Young is the auditor for Williams Co., which has delayed its fourth-quarter earnings announcement to re-evaluate $2 billion in potential debt and other lease obligations. 

“It looks like we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg so far,” Lehavy said. “It seems like a major overhaul is due. Hopefully, this crisis will end up giving investors the information they need to determine which companies are applying the accounting rules aggressively and which ones are using them conservatively.” 

LOS ANGELES — A Global Crossing vice president questioned his superiors about aggressive accounting practices less than six months before the telecommunications provider filed for bankruptcy, the company confirmed Wednesday. 

Roy Olofson, vice president of finance at the time, sent a letter to the firm’s top lawyer in August, advising him that the company was using misleading accounting techniques, specifically inflating revenue and cash flow, to enhance the appearance of results. 

Olofson asked then-general counsel Jim Gorton to exclude chief financial officer Dan Cohrs and Olofson’s own boss, Joe Perrone, from any investigation. 

Gorton left the company just days after receiving Olofson’s letter and Olofson was laid off three months later. 

Global Crossing said Olofson’s charges were baseless and that Gorton’s departure was unrelated. 

“This is a situation we are very familiar with, which has been thoroughly investigated both internally and externally and is without merit,” said Dan Coulter, a company spokesman. 

Global Crossing also said Olofson threatened to make his allegations public if the company didn’t pay him to keep quiet. 

Olofson’s lawyer, Brian Lysaght, did not immediately return calls seeking comment. 

Global Crossing, which spent billions of dollars over the last five years building a global fiber optics network, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. The Beverly Hills-based firm listed $12.3 billion of debt and $22.4 billion of assets, in what amounts to one of the largest bankruptcy cases in U.S. history. 

Craig Shere, a telecommunications analyst for Standard & Poor’s in New York, said that Global Crossing’s accounting practices were particularly aggressive, even in an industry known for pushing accounting boundaries. 

In one instance, the company bought some $300 million of network space from its own customers. 

That swap led Shere to believe one of two things: either there was insufficient demand for capacity, or the demand was there, but customers couldn’t pay for it. 

Shere compared the practice to failed Internet companies booking millions of dollars of revenues for running each other’s ads. 

“It left me kind of queasy,” he said. 

Other debt rating firms agreed that Global Crossing used aggressive accounting practices. 

Egan-Jones Ratings Co., a Wynnewood, Pa., firm that provides credit ratings and research for institutional investors, downgraded Global Crossing debt to junk status in late September. 

“The company had a need to show revenues and show a profit as early as possible and therefore had every incentive to push the envelope as far the accounting practices are concerned,” said Sean Egan, managing director. 

But Randolph Beatty, dean of accounting at UCLA’s Marshall School of Business, warned against developing “hindsight bias” toward Global Crossing. 

He said asset swaps between a company and its customers can be perfectly legitimate in many cases.

Former President Bill Clinton urged the United States to invest in health care, education and economic development in the Third World as an antidote to terrorism during his speech before a packed house of 2,000 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall Tuesday afternoon. 

“We could do America’s fair share of economic empowerment of poor people,” Clinton said, “for more or less what we would spend in a year on the conflict in Afghanistan.” 

Clinton’s speech came amid a campaign-style swing through California that included fund raisers for U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Gov. Gray Davis. 

Davis and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl provided introductory remarks before Clinton spoke, and California luminaries from San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin were present.  

Clinton, who spoke only hours before President George W. Bush gave his first State of the Union address, emphasized that he is in favor of the war on terrorism.  

“We need more of it,” he said.  

But, the former president warned that poverty and disease fuel terrorism, and he argued that America must work to help the billions of people worldwide who have not benefited from the economic boom of the post-Cold War era. 

“Half the world was left out of the economic expansion,” Clinton said, noting that 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day, 1 billion “go to bed hungry every night,” and 1.5 billion don’t drink clean water. 

The former president urged the United States to increase debt relief for poor nations, provide microloans to entrepreneurs in the Third World, play a major role in the worldwide war on AIDS, and buy more products from struggling countries. 

“It will create a world with more partners and fewer terrorists,” he argued. 

Clinton said that, ultimately, a world view which emphasizes everyone’s common humanity must prevail over the “extreme, exclusive” view of figures like Osama bin Laden who believe they possess the “whole truth,” and target those who do not subscribe to that truth. 

After Clinton’s speech, which was warmly received by the audience, Orville Schell, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, engaged the former president in an on-stage, question-and-answer session. 

During the session, Clinton argued that most Americans are surprised to learn about how little the nation spends on foreign aid, and how effective foreign aid dollars can be. He said a sustained campaign to educate the American public could make his proposals a reality, particularly in the wake of Sep. 11. 

The former president also discussed global warming at length. He said that many in the industrialized world believe they cannot create wealth unless they are allowed to emit heavy doses of greenhouse gases. Clinton said environmentalists face an uphill battle in overturning such a “deeply imbedded” notion. 

The former president also spoke at length about the media, praising journalists for informing the American public about the Muslim world in the wake of Sep. 11, but warning that a saturation of media outlets has led journalists to produce stories quickly, and stretch for their own spin on a story. 

“I think that...it is difficult for the media to do a fair and balanced and accurate and even truthful job,” Clinton said. 

Audience members gave Clinton good marks after the speech and interview session. “He was able to address complex social and global problems in language...that was immediately accessible to people,” said Genaro Padilla, a Berkeley resident who attended the speech. 

“He seems so relaxed, and he was funny and knowledgeable, and it was great to see him that way,” said Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean, adding that the former president made a compelling argument for more foreign aid. 

Clinton was the eighth president to speak at UC Berkeley, and the first since John F. Kennedy, who addressed 90,000 people at UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium in 1962. 

The event was recorded by a San Francisco organization called City Arts & Lectures, and will be re-broadcast on National Public Radio. KQED, a Bay Area NPR affiliate, will air the event April 19 at 1 p.m. and April 21 at 8 p.m. 

Kamani Hill scored his sixth hat trick of league play as the Berkeley High boys’ soccer team beat a game De Anza squad, 5-0, on Tuesday in Berkeley. 

The win kept the ’Jackets (11-2-1, 10-1 ACCAL) in first place in the ACCAL, with upcoming games against Alameda and Richmond likely to decide the league’s participant in the North Coast Section playoffs. 

“We’d better be ready when we go to Richmond on Thursday,” Berkeley head coach Janu Juarez said. “We’ll be champs or we’ll be chumps.” 

Berkeley beat Richmond earlier this season, but then took a surprise loss to Alameda, leaving them tied with Richmond in first place. 

Hill, a sophomore, now has 30 goals in Berkeley’s 11 ACCAL contests, making him by far the league leader. His first two goals on Tuesday came off of corner kicks, the first a header from a Chris Davis service. The second came off the foot of William Vega, with Hill flying through a crowd of players to volley the ball into the net. 

Hill’s final goal came when he passed the ball to Vega on the right side. Vega beat his man and took the ball all the way to the end line, where he passed the ball back to Hill for an easy score. Liam Reilly and Davis also scored goals for the ’Jackets. 

De Anza (8-6, 5-6) never really got a shot on goal from open play, but they nearly scored in the final minutes of the game, when Berkeley defender Sam Geller was called for a foul in the box. But Joao Ferreira’s penalty kick wasn’t good enough to break the shutout, as Berkeley goalkeeper Alex Goines dove to his right to save it. 

The first meeting between Berkeley and the Dons was a 4-0 Berkeley win in a mud pit in Richmond. Juarez said he wasn’t surprised De Anza was able to give his team some problems, despite the final score. 

“They have a new coaching staff over there, and they’re getting better every time we see them,” he said. “They’ve had time to scout us, so we can’t go out and score 10-12 goals every game.”

Editor: 

In the Jan. 17 article on tree hazards, Mr. Jerry Koch, forestry supervisor for the City of Berkeley is quoted as inferring “I try to tell people what trees to plant on their own property,” which is not true. 

I do believe that citizens should be fully informed on the long-term problems with different trees and that the city should take a very active part in such decisions by distributing basic material describing those problems. I feel city staff is doing a poor job in many ways with trees. We should not have tall trees in the city for all kinds of reasons. 

In my own ways I am trying to educate people about the problems of those tall trees. I will be putting a packet of material on trees in local libraries for people to examine at their convenience. 

I am proud to say I was the instigator of the Berkeley City Manager’s Directive in 1967 that local reports of all sorts should be filed in libraries for ease of access by the public. I urge the citizens of Berkeley to ask librarians for any local reports they would like to see. 

Charlie Smith 

Berkeley

Wednesday, Jan. 30

Baby Bounce and Toddler Tales 

7 p.m. 

Public Library, West Branch 

1125 University Ave. 

A participatory program for families with children up to age 3. Stories, songs and fingerplays as entertainment and as a way for parents to learn some new material to share with their young ones. 981-6270. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley BART Station 

A peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to U.S. bombing of Afghanistan. Ends at MLK Civic Center Park. www.indymedia.org. 

American Political History  

Seminar 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

109 Moses Hall 

Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will be talking about his new book, “The Best of Times: America in the Clinton Years.” 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu:8880/. 

Debtors Anonymous 

6:30 - 7:45 p.m. 

Mandana Community Recovery Center 

3989 Howe St., Oakland 

Weekly Meeting. 415-522-9099. 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

Thursday, Jan. 31

Backpacking the Diablo Trail 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Seth Adams will share slides and information on backpacking this newly completed trail that stretches for 30 miles from Walnut Creek to Brentwood. 527-4140 

Permaculture in Africa 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Ecology Center 

2530 San Pablo Ave. 

Tim Krupnik presents a slide show highlighing his recent travels in Africa to learn about local sustainable agriculture. This event is a benefit for the Fambidzanai Permaculture Center in Zimbabwe that trains rural farmers in organic farming techniques. $5-10. 548-2220 x233, soilfirst@tao.ca.  

Falling in Love in the Golden Years 

7:30 p.m. 

North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library 

1170 The Alameda 

A lecture discussing finding and keeping love in later life. 649-3913, www.infopeople.org/bpl 

Storytelling Workshop for Seniors 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Stagebridge 

2501 Harrison St. 

A workshop instructing seniors how to tell traditional and personal stories to elementary-age children. 444-4755 

BirthWays 25th Anniversary 

6:30 - 9 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen’s 

2005 Berrymen St. 

Parish Hall 

BirthWays welcomes all parents, future parents, birth support professionals and members of the community to celebrate its 25th anniversary. $20. 869-2797, http://www.birthways.org/. 

Friday, Feb. 1

Hungarian Jewry 

7:30 p.m. 

Temple Beth El 

2001 Vine St. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj of Budapest, Hungry will present discuss his life in Hungry and his effort to bring Judaism inside the iron curtain. 848-3988 

Experimental Music Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Tuva Space 

3192 Adeline 

The Cardew Choir announces three public experimental music workshops led by visiting composer and poet Joseph Zitt. Free and open to the public. 204-0607, www.metatronpress.com/artists/cardewchoir/. 

“Communities in Action”  

Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Saturday, Feb. 2

“Communities in Action”  

Conference 

All day. 

UC Berkeley, Clark Kerr Campus 

The Conference will feature the work of community groups, youth, and researchers who are using popular education and participatory research to empower and transform their communities. Call for times: 642-2856, or cpeprconference@yahoo.com.  

Sunday, Feb. 3

Religious Fundamentalism in Islam and Judaism 

1 - 5 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A course that explores the ways in which some Jews and Muslims have reacted to the challenges of the modern world. $35, $30 members. 845-6420, www.Lehrhaus.org 

Monday, Feb. 4

National Organization for Women 

6:30 - 8 p.m. 

6536 Telegraph Ave. 

February meeting of the Oakland East Bay Chapter of NOW. 287-8948. 

Writing an Ethical Will  

Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Writers of ethical wills hope to convey what they have learned in life. All writing levels and native languages welcome. $30. To register call: 848-0237 X127. 

Wednesday, Feb. 6

Get Connected: The Magic of Mingling 

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches mingling strategies for social occasions. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Bringing Shabbat to Life: A Shabbat Workshop 

9:30 - 11 a.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

A workshop that teaches how to bring fun and peaceful family time to Shabbat through crafts, creative ideas and family projects. $5, $4 members. 848-0237 x127 

Institute of Government  

Studies 

12 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gregory Curtin lectures on “Transforming Local Government – The Impact of the Internet and New Information Technology”. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Thursday, Feb. 7

Backpacking in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Veteran backpacker, Eric Rorer, shares slides and information on his recent adventure in the Refuge’s Franklin Mountains. 527-7377 

Saturday, Feb. 9

Earthquake Retrofitting Class 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St. 

The Office of Emergency Services offers a free class to show how to strengthen a wood frame home by installing expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware.  

924 Gilman Feb. 1: American Steel, Pitch Black, Fleshies, The Blottos, Sexy; Feb. 2: Dead and Gone, Black Cat Music, The Cost, The Frisk; Feb. 8: Divit, Scissorhands, Rufio, Don’t Look Down, Fenway Park; Feb. 9: Pansy Division, Subincision, The Fadeaways; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. 

ACME Observatory Contemporary Performance Series Feb. 3: 8 p.m., Gail Brand from London, Carlo Actis Dato from Italy; $0-$20 TUVA Space, 3192 Adeline, http://sfSound.org/acme. html. 

The Albatross Jan. 31: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 2: Paul Schneider; Feb. 5: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 6: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 7: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 9: 9:30 p.m., Tipsy House Irish Music; Feb. 12: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 14: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 18: Paul Schneider; Feb. 19: Carla Kaufman and Larry Scala; Feb. 20: Whiskey Brothers; Feb. 21: Keni “El Lebrijano”; Feb. 23: 9:30 p.m., Dave Creamer Jazz Quartet; Feb. 26: Mad & Eddie Duran; Feb. 28: Keni “El Lebrijano”; All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless noted. 822 San Pablo Ave., 843-2473, albatrosspub@mindspring.com. 

Anna’s Bistro Jan. 30: Bob Schoen; Jan. 31: Jason Martineau & Dave Sayen; Music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., 1801 University Ave., 849-2662. 

Blake’s Jan. 30: Sunru, Slaptones, DJ Kurse, $10; Jan. 31: Electronica w/ Ascension, $5; 2367 Telegraph Ave., 877-488-6533. 

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

Jazzschool Feb. 3: 4:30 p.m., Art Hirahara, Todd Sickafoose and Scott Amendola Trio; $6-$12. 2087 Addison St., 845-5373, www.jazzschool.com. 

Jupiter Jan. 30: Joel Harrison Quartet; All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless noted. 2181 Shattuck Ave., 843-7625, www.jupiterbeer.com. 

The Starry Plough Feb. 1: 9:30 p.m., Tempest, Cyoakha Grace and Blind Land, $10; Feb. 2: 9:30 p.m., Banshees of Winter Festival: Jewlia Eisenberg, Faun Fables, Robin Coomer, Gene Jun, Jane Brody, Nicholas Dobsen, Leigh Evans, Jamie Isman, $6; Feb. 3: 8 p.m., The Starry Irish Music Session led by Shay Black, $ sliding scale; Feb. 4: 7 p.m. class, 9 p.m. session, Dance class and Ceili, free; Feb. 5: Open Mic, free; Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082. 

Tuva Space Mar. 21: 8 p.m., Blues Translation; Mar. 22: 8 p.m., Electro-Acoustic Quartet; Mar. 23: 8 p.m. Solo Guitar Performance, 9:30 p.m. Country, Folk, and Blues Standards. $8 All shows $8. 312 Adeline St. 649-8744, acme@sfsound.org 

Annie Nalezny, Piano Recital Feb. 3: 3 p.m., Beethoven's Sonatas "A Therese" & "Les Adieux," Bruce Nalezny's "Poeme & Finale" and Chopin's 12 Etudes op. 10. $12-$15 donation. Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste St. 

“Chamber Music Series” Feb. 3: 4 p.m., The Pacific Piano Quartet perform Brahms Piano Quartet in c minor and the Faure Piano Quartet No. 1, also in c minor. $10. Crowden School, 1475 Rose St., 559-6910 x110, jamie@thecrowdenschool.org. 

“Baroque Etcetera” Feb. 3: 7 p.m., Local baroque musicians perform instrumental and vocal works of Bach, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Corelli and Picchi. Church of Saint Mary Magdelen, 2005 Berryman at Milvia, 525-0152. 

“Asylum Street Spankers” Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., The Spankers are collective virtuoso musicians centered on vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Christina Marrs and Wammo. The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., 841-2082, www.asylumstreetspankers.com 

“Dance Festival” Feb. 8: 8 p.m., Feb. 9: 8 p.m., East Bay Dance Festival showcase concert highlighting a diverse mix of the East Bay’s best contemporary dance. Featuring: AXIS Dance Company, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance Collective, Dandelion Dancetheater and many more. $15, Students and Seniors $12. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 326-4245, www.katherinedavis.com/ebaydancefestival.htm 

Antonio Literes’ “Jupiter Y Semele” Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Feb. 10: 7:30 p.m., Presented by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with guest conductor Eduardo López Banzo. $34-$49. 415-392-4400, www.philharmonia.org.  

“Larry Schneider Quartet” Feb. 10: 4:30 p.m., Featuring: Matt Clark, Jeff Chambers and Eddie Marshall. $6-$12. Hardymon Hall/Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-4373, www.jazzschool.com. 

“Young Talent in a Young Century” Feb. 10: 4 p.m., 15 year old Shoshana Kay will be the featured soloist playing with the Community Women’s Orchestra. Also featuring: Katya Lopez, Rosanne Luu, Tomoko Momlyana and Catarina Sdun. Malcolm X School, 1731 Prince St., 653-1616 

Kun Shin Dancers celebrate the artistic traditions of mainland China and Taiwan. Intricate fan and ribbon dances, athletic sword dance, drum duet, courtship piece, peacock dance, and a hoop dance. $8-$10. Calvin Simmons Theatre in the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Ten 10th St., Oakland, 465-9312, www.danceforpower.org.  

“Merce Cunningham Dance Company” Feb. 1 and 2: 8 p.m., The engagment features a world premiere by Cunningham (as yet untitled), with music by Christian Wolff and costumes by Terry Winters. $24-$26. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Frogz” Feb. 8: 8 p.m, Feb. 9: 2 p.m., 8 p.m., A bevy of balletic frogs, poor-spelling sloths and other curious mischief-making characters roll, leap, and slink around the stage. $18 -$30. Cal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, 642-0212 

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@ 

berkeleydailyplanet.net,  

2076 University Ave., Berkeley 94704  

or fax to 841-5694.  

Theater 

Word for Word double bill Feb. 1: 7 p.m., Feb. 2: 5 p.m., Feb. 3: 2 p.m.: Julius Lester’s short children’s play “John Henry”; Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits.” Both children and adults will view John Henry together, then the children leave the theatre to participate in art exercises that help them enter the spirit of the play. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the theatre to view The Gilded Six Bits. $16 adults, $11 children. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., 845-8542, www.juliamorgan.com. 

“Unmasked!” Feb. 1: 8 p.m., Feb. 2: 8 p.m., Feb. 3: 5 p.m.: An evening of two short student-directed plays, “The Lesson” by Eugene Ionesco and “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theather, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany, 559-6550 x4125, theaterensemble@hotmail.com. 

“James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet” Feb. 5: 8 p.m., Originally conceived as a radio play, John Cage’s imagined conversations between 15 artistic and cultural figures, their dialogue, historical materials, and musings that Cage simply made up. Director Laura Kuhn, Composer Mikel Rouse. UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Hall, 642-0212, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. 

“Every Inch a King” Through Feb. 9: Thur. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m.; Three sisters have to make a decision as their father approaches death in this comedy presented by the Central Works Theater Ensemble. $8 - $18. LeValls Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. 558-138, www.centralworks.org.  

“Sisters” Through Feb. 16: Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., The Prozorov sisters look at the gap between hope and fulfillment in their lives. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattack, www.actorsensemleofbkerkeley.com. 

“The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” Through Feb. 10: Wed. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., playwright Naomi Wallace’s story about Dalton, a 15-year-old who dreams of escaping to college, and Pace, the town’s 17-year-old tomboy. Stuck in a town with no real prospects, the pair begins a deadly contest of chicken with the daily express train. Directed by Søren Oliver. $30-$35. Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 

“Night, Mother” Feb. 8, Feb. 15 - 16, Feb. 22 - 23: 8 p.m., A drama exploring one young woman’s decision to take control of her life with one furious and heartbreaking act. Directed by Bahati Bonner. $12, $8 seniors. La Val’s Subterranean Theatre, 1834 Euclid Ave. 496-1269 x1950, nightmother@onebox.com 

“Rhinoceros” Through Mar. 10: Check theater for specific dates and times. An absurdist tragic-comedy about a small provincial town whose citizens slowly but surely transform into large cumbersome rhinoceroses. Directed by Barbara Damashek. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison St. 647-2976 www.berkeleyrep.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. 

Film 

Pacific Film Archive Jan. 28: 3 p.m., The Jazz Singer; 7 p.m., Underground Kisses; Jan. 29: 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 2; Jan. 30: 3 p.m., The Nickelodeon; 7:30 p.m., New Arab Video 3; 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412. 

Parkway Theatre Jan. 29: 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Boom! The Sound Of Eviction, a Just Cause Oakland benefit screening. $6-$20. 1843 Park Blvd., Oakland, 464-1011. 

“Human Rights International Film Festival” Feb. 22 through Feb. 24: Nine provocative films will be shown, many followed by question and answer sessions with local and visiting filmmakers. Check theater for films and times. Pacific Film Archive, 2527 Bancroft Way, 642-1412  

Exhibits  

“Group 19 Exhibition” Through Jan. 27: A showcase of recent work by local artists. Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. special musical performance, Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Figtree Gallery, 2599 Eighth St., No. 42. 540-7843 

“Prints and Paintings by Liao Shiou-Ping” on view through Jan. 31; Tues. to Fri.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat.10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free. Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388-9th St., Suite 290, Oakland, 238-4491. 

“Rhythms” Through Feb. 2: Art installation of sculpture, neon, music and video projections by Kati Casida; Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., 845-5373 

Pro Arts: “Juried Annual 2001-02” Through Feb. 2: Exhibition of painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography and more by Bay Area and regional artists; Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., www.proartsgallery.org. 

“All Grown Up” Through Feb. 2: New paintings and drawings by Amy Chan. Thurs. 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Fri -Sun 1 p.m. -6 p.m., 21 Grand Ave., Oakland, 444-7263. 

“Water Media” Through Feb. 8: An exhibit by Christine “Caipirinha” Mulder. Capoeira Arts Cafe Gallery, 2026 Center St., 666-1349 for hours. 

“New Work by Dennis Begg and Steve Briscoe” Through Feb. 9: Dennis Begg’s sculpture. Steve Brisco’s paintings. Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Traywick Gallery,1316 10th St., 527-1214. 

“Enduring Wisdom: Artwork and Stories by Homeless and Formerly Homeless Seniors” 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.; Free. St. Mary’s Center, 635 22nd St., Oakland, 893-4723 x222. 

“Envisioning Ecology” Through Feb. 15: Paintings by Michelle Waters. Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., 548-2220 x233. 

“The Other 364 Days: A Day in the Life of the Queer Community” Through Feb. 16: An exhibit of black and white photographs by East Bay photographer Limor Inbar-Hansen. Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St., 644-1400, limor@indelible-images.com. 

“Adventures in La Land” Through Feb. 23: Installations by Suzanne Husky and Paintings by Amy Morrell. Tues. - Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 428-2349. 

“Transformations: Through the Eye of a Needle” Through Feb. 23: Two-person exhibition by Rebecca Bui and Linda Lemon including procelain and fabric dolls and mixed media works on handmade paper. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakland, 836-0831, www.artolio.com 

“Ton of Joy” Through Mar. 1: Group show of twelve painters and sculptors: Simone Anders, Susan Brady, Erin Fitzgerald, Karen Frey, Kei Hanafusa, Nancy Legge, Burke Rainey, Robin Sebourn, Kristen Throop, Clay Vajgrt, Whitney Vosburgh, Ann West; Mon. - Sat., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Hollis Street Project, 5900 Hollis St., Emeryville. 

“Celebrating the African Diaspora” Jan. 29 - Mar. 1: A Black History Month Exhibit celebrating the contributions of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; University of Creation Sprituality, 2141 Broadway, Oakland, 835-4827 x31 

“Ansel Adams in the University of California Collections” Through Mar. 10: A selection of photographs and memorabilia presenting a different perspective on Adam’s career as one of the leading figures in American photography; Through Mar. 24: “Migrations: Photographs by Sebastiao Salgado,” over 300 black-and-white photographs of immigrants and refugees taken by the Brazilian photographer. Wed. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4- $6. The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Feb. 1 - Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center will participate in this year’s The Art of Living Black, an Open Studios event for local African American artists. The Gallery features a retrospective show of the work of the late Jan Hart-Schuyers. Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat. 12 - 4 p.m., Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 3023 Shattuck Ave., 548-9286 x307, www.wcrc.org. 

“Average Female (Perfect)” Through Mar. 24: Manhattan-based artist Sowon Kwon projects footage of the first ever perfect-scoring gymnasts: Romanian, Nadia Comanece and Russian, Nelli Kim at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kwon superimposes over the gymnasts a hand-drawn outline of the “average” female body to direct the audience’s attention to the gymnasts’ movements throughout their performances. Wed. - Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., $4 - $6. University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

"Earthly Pleasures" assemblage and photographs by Susan Danis, Through March 30: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Mon. - Sat.; Sticks, 1579 B, Solano Ave., 526-6603.  

“Domestic Bliss” Through Apr. 4: Collection of abstract paintings and mixed medium by Amy St. George. Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, 524-9283. 

“The Legacy of Social Protest: The Disability Rights Movement” Through April 30: The first exhibition in a series dealing with Free Speech, Civil Rights, and Social Protest Movements of the 60s and 70s in California. Photograghs by: Cathy Cade, HolLynn D’Lil, Howard Petrick, Ken Stein. The Free Speech Cafe, Moffitt Undergraduate Library, University of California-Berkeley, hjadler@yahoo.com.  

“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, www.atelier9.com. 

“Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs” Feb. 2 through May 12: An exhibit displaying models of the sets and dinosaur sculptures used in the Jurassic Park films, as well as a video presentation and a dig pit where visitors can dig for specially buried dinosaur bones. $8 adults, $6, youth and seniors. Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Dr., above the UC Berkeley campus, 642-5132, www.lawrencehallofscience.org 

Readings 

Coffee With a Beat Feb. 2: Julia Vinograd, Shauna Rogan; Feb. 9: Sydney Bell, Debrale Pagan; All readings 7-9 p.m., free and followed by open mike. 458 Perkins, Oakland, 526-5985.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore Feb. 5: William Chapman presents slides and reads from his book, “The Face of Tibet”; Feb. 7: A panel of female travel writers read from their works published in “The Unsavvy Travelers”, a chronicle of hilarious tales of cathartic misadventures on the road; Feb. 19: Christopher Baker, author of “Costa Rica: Moon Handbook” presents a slide show demonstrating what makes the Central American country so appealing; Richard Sterling, author of Lonely Planet’s “World Food: Greece”, presents a culinary tour revealing the culture and character of Greece through the medium of her cuisine’s; Feb. 28: Terrence Ward reads from his book “Searching for Hassan: An American Family’s Journey Home to Iran”; All readings are free and start at 7:30 p.m., 1385 Shattuck Ave. at Rose, 843-3533. 

Poetry 

Poetry Flash @ Cody’s Jan. 30 Ralph Angel, George Higgins; Feb. 6: Adrianne Marcus, Diana O’Hehir; Feb. 10: Cathy Coldman, Judith Serin; Feb. 13: Murray Silverstein, Gillian Wegener, Helen Wickes; Feb. 17: Sharon Doubiago, Doren Robbins; Feb. 20: Linda Elkin, Steve Rood; Feb. 27: Stephen Kessler and John Oliver Simon; All events begin at 7:30 p.m., $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852. 

Tours 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623. 

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. 

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; $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. 

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. - 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.  

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, www.lhs.berkeley.edu. 

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

Half a block of the south side of University Avenue, between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, was evacuated Tuesday following a bomb scare at the California Department of Corrections office. 

The threat was called into the Berkeley Police Department around 10:30 a.m.  

Christine Moore, deputy regional administrator for the Department of Corrections, said that a parolee had come to the office carrying a strange bag. A correctional officer became concerned after talking with the parolee. 

“He was acting unusual and appeared somewhat disheveled,” said Moore. 

The correctional officer notified the BPD Bomb Squad, and the parolee was taken into custody by officers from the Oakland Police Department, who happened to be on site. 

Police arrived and emptied a number of businesses, stretching roughly from the parole office at 1950 University Ave., to the UC Berkeley Department of Capital Projects at 1936 University Ave., in the Promenade building. 

BPD officers closed off the scene and sidewalk to pedestrian traffic.  

A number of people gathered across the street to watch, while employees of the affected businesses hung out mostly along the edges of the crime scene, chatting with officers. 

The California Highway Patrol arrived to offer traffic control support, but University Ave. was never closed to automobiles.  

The BPD bomb squad entered the building through its back door on Addison St. after donning their puffy, bomb-proof suits. 

Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department said the suspicious bag, which had wires sticking out of it, proved to contain a computer and other items. 

Christine Shaff, communications manager for the UCB Department of Capital Projects office at 1936 University Ave., was standing with her office-mates at the corner of Addison St. and MLK Way. 

Capital Projects employees carried color-coded folders carrying instructions and questionnaires. 

“It’s nice to put our safety practices to the test,” she said. 

The building was cleared at around 2:15 p.m., according to Moore, and all everyone was allowed to return to work.

Thanks to their “competitive anomaly” status, the Berkeley High girls’ basketball team will face each of their ACCAL opponents only once this season. But for the De Anza Dons, one game against the Lady ’Jackets was more than enough. 

With two starters out of the lineup due to injuries, the ’Jackets still romped over De Anza, 87-24, on Tuesday. Every Berkeley player in uniform played extensive minutes as the ’Jackets quickly took control of the game and never looked back. 

The Dons actually led the game when Stacy Tanaka hit a bank shot on their first possession, and the ’Jackets looked so uninspired that head coach Gene Nakamura called a timeout before they could even get another shot off. But after the Dons tied the game at 4-4 after two minutes, the ’Jackets used their big size and quickness advantages to run off a 11-0 streak that essentially put the game away. They got offensive rebounds and easy putbacks from Kalyca Seabrook, Sabrina Keys and Shavajaie James, and steals that became layups from Seabrook, Michi Yamamoto and Joy White.  

When De Anza’s Erica Johnson hit a jumper to stop the streak, Berkeley answered right back with a 19-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters and resulted in a 34-6 lead. 

“They just didn’t have any size, and we also had a big advantage in quickness,” Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura said. “They just didn’t have enough firepower to play with us.” 

Every Berkeley player scored at least 4 points, with five players in double figures. Seabrook and Natasha Bailey led with 13 points each, while Keys pitched in 12 points in very limited playing time. Sophomores White and James scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. 

Johnson led all scorers with 16 points, but mostly because she hoisted up 16 shots, making only 5. No other Don scored more than 4 points. 

The stat sheet told the story of the game. Berkeley shot 50 percent from the field while taking 21 more attempts, while the Dons shot just 17 percent. The ’Jackets had a 47-28 edge in rebounds and an amazing 24 steals in the 32-minute game. 

Nakamura hopes to have both Angelita Hutton and Devanei Hampton back for his team’s showdown with Reno High on Saturday. Hutton pulled a back muscle picking up a child and was said to be “probable” for the game. Hampton, a 6-foot-3 freshman, suffered stretched ligaments in her knee during last weekend’s tournament at Amador Valley and is wearing a walking cast that should come off on Thursday. Nakamura said he wasn’t sure if she would be available against Reno.

Editor: 

Students claim that it is nearly impossible for them to get elected to the Berkeley City Council, and that they should receive preferential treatment via the creation of a student district (Berkeley Daily Planet Jan. 24). 

I would suggest that students take a cue from the Northern California black community which has no representation in the State Assembly. 

Instead of clamoring for their own assembly district, they are challenging the status quo with a viable candidate that has the support of both moderates and progressives such as Mayor Shirley Dean and council member Maudelle Shirek.  

He is Democratic candidate Charles Ramsey, an African-American who is running against Loni Hancock. 

The 14th Assembly District contains large – and growing – minority populations, but has been represented by white elected officials such as Dion Aroner and Tom Bates.  

Just like the African-American community in Assembly District 14, students need to field candidates for city council that are bridge builders to the community at large.  

Redistricting and gerrymandering have not been viewed favorably by the electorate as the recent referendum effort showed; what this city clamors for is good leadership, not balkanization in the form of enclaves with narrow political interests. 

Robert Cabrera 

Berkeley 

Four Claremont Resort & Spa workers, who are currently involved in union contract negotiations, were indefinitely suspended Monday for apparently handing out union leaflets at the entrance way of the exclusive hotel. 

The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 2850 has been negotiating a new union contract with the hotel, which is owned by the multi-billion dollar company KSL Recreation, since last September. The workers had been covered by an interim contract which was renewed on a daily basis. But according to union organizer Liz Oakley, the interim contract was canceled by the hotel on Jan. 18. 

In addition, 70 percent of the 140 spa workers who are not currently represented by the union, have said they want to join primarily to receive increased benefits, such as medical insurance. 

Last Saturday about 45 employees were handing out pro-union leaflets at the hotel. On Sunday, four of the employees who were handing out leaflets at the hotel’s main entrance, Yolanda Smith Leslie Fitzgerald, John Laane and Fidel Arroyo received telephone calls from the hotel’s management saying that they were on suspension pending further investigation. 

According to Arroyo, management did not give a specific reason for the suspension. 

Director of Marketing for the Claremont Denise Chapman hotel management does not comment on employee relations.  

“I can say that the hotel has been involved in good faith negotiations with Local 2850 since September,” she said. 

But Oakley said the suspensions are illegal.  

“There is no lawful reason for these suspensions,” she said. “Management has repeatedly threatened and intimidated the workers with suspensions. They’re running a really viscous anti-union campaign.”  

Arroyo, who became a father sixteen days ago, said his suspension has been particularly worrisome because his wife is on maternity leave. 

“I have been working there for eight years and my record is clear. I’ve never even come to work late,” he said. “They told me I was suspended and to wait for a call from human resources. I am waiting but the call has not come.” 

Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmember Linda Maio are supporting the hotel workers. Dean and Councilmember Linda Maio are writing competing recommendations that will appear on next Tuesday’s council agenda.  

Dean spokesperson Tamlyn Bright said Dean is “appalled” that the hotel is resisting the spa workers attempts to unionize. “The mayor is planning to offer her services as a mediator between management and the workers,” she said.  

Councilmember Linda Maio said hotel management has become harsh to the workers since the contract expired. 

“They’re playing hardball,” she said. “The management shouldn’t be fighting this. The workers are only asking for very basic things like healthcare.” 

Chapman said the hotel supports the spa workers unionizing. “The union would first have to petition for a ballot election and that has not occurred,” she said. “We support our spa employees unionizing but we believe it would be in their best interest not to unionize.” 

But suspended worker Leslie Fitzgerald said that since KSL Recreation took over the hotel in 1998 they have not respected the workers.  

“It’s the most expensive spa in the area and they pay the spa workers the least,” she said. “The first thing KSL did when they took over was to fire everybody in the spa and they only hired half of us back. It was humiliating and degrading.” 

Fitzgerald said that the workers who were hired back lost medical benefits and were also subject to a $3-5 pay cut.

Editor: 

I thought it might be helpful to share some information and thoughts with you about the direction that the traffic safety/traffic calming task force for the Willard/Bateman area seems to be going. 

This task force has met some five times now since the large meetings that again revitalized the process around the time after the College Avenue repaving. The primary focus of the meetings has been to address the safety problems at Ashby and Benvenue – apparently the worst nonarterial intersection for accidents in Berkeley. However, during the discussions many other issues come up – mostly dealing with traffic in the neighborhoods or merchant concerns such as parking and related traffic flow. 

People have been expressing concerns and meeting for years trying to get some improvement in the traffic situation in our area. 

Unfortunately, the traffic engineers have limited resources and seem to be essentially disabled when faced with modest levels of disagreement about potential solutions from citizens (residents, merchants, etc.). 

The step that seems to be now going forward is something that appears to cause the least controversy while seeming to at least provide a plausible means to improve the safety situation.  

As a temporary measure (up to nine months to get experience with it) Reh-Lin Chen has decided to put in islands to force right turns when entering Ashby from Benvenue, Hillegass, and likely Regent from the north (not yet fully decided). Since the majority of accidents at Benvenue and Ashby involve a car trying to cross Ashby, this would on the surface seem to cut out a major set of the collision accidents at that intersection.  

The thinking has been that a similar treatment for the other two intersections will stop cross traffic from just moving to them. You can see the basic idea of this approach at: http://www.healthstart.com/traffic/berkeley/calm-3.gif (using Benvenue as an example). 

Like any compromise, this approach doesn’t really make anybody happy. I know that Paul Tuleja and others from the TACTC group have been pushing very hard to get partial barriers blocking the entry to Benvenue north - e.g. as: 

This group is also very concerned about right and left hand turns into Benvenue that tend to be accelerated by the Ashby traffic flow. The TACTC group circulated a petition and gathered some 60 signatures on a petition asking for such a partial barrier. Similar petitions were circulated on Regent and Florence streets. However, there was enough concern expressed by the merchants, people in Bateman and others (though I never heard any opposition from within the Willard area nearest Ashby) that Reh-Lin Chen felt he couldn't go forward with such an approach at this time. 

In the most recent meeting of the task force it was pointed out that the right turn only treatment for Hillegass and Regent south of Ashby will force all the people on the streets closest to Ashby to turn right when leaving their neighborhood – even if they want to go west or north. They will then have little alternative if they want to go west (e.g. to downtown Berkeley) but to turn left into Benvenue – thereby increasing traffic into Benvenue.  

There has also been discussion of blocking Benvenue at Woolsey which would exacerbate this situation. 

In the end, however, after seemingly endless discussion it was decided to try the forced right turn to make an effort to determine what its long term consequences actually would be. After the islands (and related signs) are put into place some traffic counts will be done to compare traffic on the various streets to what it is without the islands (e.g. counts that have been taken relatively recently). 

Also of course it will be possible to compare accident statistics. However, I expect the main feedback will be human from the people in the area - piping up at future meetings saying we like or don't like this or that about the effects of the islands. 

James E. [Jed] Donnelley  

for the TACTC group.

You can decide M&M’s new color 

NEWARK, N.J. — Seven years after blue became a part of its chocolate rainbow, the maker of M&M’s wants the world to decide on a new color from choices the Easter bunny might like. 

The maker of the multicolored chocolate candies will add either purple, pink or aqua M&M’s to the mix by August, said Bob Gamgort, vice president and general manager of chocolate for Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA. 

The company’s market research shows that these three colors are consumers’ top choices to add to the red, green, blue, yellow, brown and orange candies already in the bags, Gamgort said. 

Masterfoods said it was advertising in 78 countries and taking votes on its Web site to decide what the new color will be. The site and a toll-free telephone number will take votes from March 6 to May 31, and the company will announce the winning color June 19. 

Gamgort said the new color will be available in all flavors of M&M’s in August through the end of the year, when the company will decide whether to include it permanently. 

The company introduced the color blue in the same way in 1995. 

Man robs bank to stay out of jail 

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — A man arrested for robbing a bank said he only committed the crime so he could pay his bail bondsman and stay out of jail, police said. 

Donald S. Guthrie, 27, was arrested over the weekend in an armed robbery of the M&T Bank in Avis, about 70 miles north of Harrisburg. He was already facing criminal charges for an alleged burglary at a coin-operated laundry. 

Guthrie had written a check to his bail bondsman and robbed the bank to cover the check so he wouldn’t go back to jail, police said Guthrie’s friend told them. 

After allegedly robbing the bank of $9,000, Guthrie fled in his car until he hit a tree stump. A passer-by stopped to help and gave Guthrie a ride. 

Officers, who had seen Guthrie’s image on the bank surveillance tape, put two and two together after discovering that the time and location of the accident would have allowed him to rob the bank. 

Guthrie was charged with felony armed robbery, theft and receiving stolen property. He was charged with burglary, theft, and other charges in connection with the earlier burglary. 

A call to Guthrie’s court-appointed attorney was not answered Monday. 

——— 

BOSTON (AP) — A woman rummaging through papers in her attic has found a letter from a father — a founding father. 

Among the dusty documents was the two-page letter, dated Aug. 14, 1811, from Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, a former cabinet secretary. 

“Apparently it was just one of those classic moments where someone went poking into papers that had not been disturbed for 50 years in an attic and discovered Thomas Jefferson,” said Kenneth Gloss, who bought the letter recently from members of an estate in Belmont who wished to remain anonymous. 

The Belmont house in which the letter was found once belonged to a lawyer distantly related to Dearborn. 

In the letter, Jefferson, then two years out of the White House, criticizes Bostonians’ lack of appetite for the upcoming War of 1812. 

“The powers & preeminences conferred on them are daggers put into the hands of assassins, to be plunged into our own bosoms in the moment the thrush can go home to the heart,” Jefferson wrote. 

Also among the papers were letters from John Quincy Adams. Those were donated to the Massachusetts Historical Society. 

“A sensational little find,” said William Fowler, the society’s director. 

Gloss, owner of Boston’s Brattle Street Book Shop, said he expects to sell the Jefferson letter for more than $45,000. 

——— 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — It took nearly 60 years but Elbowoods High School has finally been recognized as North Dakota’s 1942 state Class B boys basketball champion. 

Elbowoods fell to Lakota 32-31 in the 1942 state championship game, but officials later discovered Lakota had used an ineligible player. 

The North Dakota High School Activities Association recognized Elbowoods as the champ in 1943 by default, but changed its mind a year later and decided that no team would be listed as champion. 

Officials said the ineligible player left the Lakota tournament games in doubt for that era, and a number of teams might try to claim their share of the crown. 

Since 1944, the phrase “No champion” has been listed next to 1942 in the state basketball record books. 

That changed over the weekend, when the High School Activities Association board voted to give Elbowoods the title. 

The whereabouts of the 1942 state championship trophy is unknown. The association took the trophy from Lakota after ruling the school ineligible. School officials do not know where it went. 

BOSTON — Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., has donated $1 million for scholarships to help students at his alma mater. 

The money will go to Salem High School graduates attending the University of Massachusetts. 

UMass president William M. Bulger announced the John and Grace Welch Endowed Scholarships on Tuesday.  

The fund is named after the executive’s parents. 

“My years at Salem and at UMass were a very important part of my life, and I hope these scholarships will allow other young people from Salem to realize their dreams, just as UMass helped me realize mine,” Welch said. 

Welch is on a promotional tour for his memoir “Jack: Straight from the Gut,” and won’t be attending the event. He retired last September after 20 years as GE’s top executive. 

Welch graduated from Salem High in 1953, and from UMass four years later. 

The class of 2002 will be the first eligible for the scholarships.  

Each year one man and one woman will receive the scholarships. 

In 1997, Welch paid for lighting for the school’s football field. 

——— 

ST. PAUL (AP) — Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has used his military record to deflect criticism and bash foes but has kept mostly mum on what he did during the Vietnam War, has disclosed for the first time that he did not see combat. 

“To the best of my knowledge, I was never fired upon,” Ventura said in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press for an article published Monday about his years as a Navy SEAL in the 1970s. 

Ventura had suggested in an interview with the Star Tribune of Minneapolis last year that he had “hunted man,” but wouldn’t give details then or now. And he has steadfastly refused to disclose much about his two overseas deployments, which totaled 17 months, saying his commanding officer gave their unit strict orders never to talk about what they had seen or done. 

Ventura had never specifically claimed to have fought in Vietnam. 

Based at Subic Bay in the Philippines, when he was still known as James Janos, Ventura earned the Vietnam Service Medal. It was awarded to 3 million servicemen and servicewomen who were in Vietnam, in surrounding countries or on ships off the coast. 

While Ventura often brags about his SEAL background and some of his exploits while training in the Philippines as a member of Underwater Demolition Team 12, he refused to say what he did to earn his Vietnam Service Medal. 

——— 

LONDON (AP) — Twin actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are stretching their multimedia tentacles across the Atlantic Ocean by launching their clothing line in Britain. 

The Mary-Kate and Ashley clothing already is a hit in the United States, where the 15-year-old girls rose to fame in the TV series “Full House,” which ran from 1987-95. Since then, they’ve built a multimillion-dollar empire that includes movies, TV shows, videos and books. 

The clothing will go on sale later this year at Asda, a subsidiary of U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart, which has an exclusive licensing deal with the twins. 

Robert Thorne, founder with the twins of Dualstar, the company that markets them, said Tuesday he expected the clothing line to take off rapidly among the tweens — girls between ages 8 and 12. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.marykateandashley.com 

——— 

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Actors Danny Glover and Felix Justice spoke the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and poet Langston Hughes in a free performance that packed Hancher Auditorium. 

“There is something about doing this that makes me feel like I’m a part of something much larger,” Glover, star of the “Lethal Weapon” movies and “The Color Purple,” said Monday night. 

“These are words we’re all capable of embracing,” he said. 

Justice said “An Evening with Martin and Langston” is an educational performance, and no one is more educated by the piece than they are. 

“There are nuggets in every performance,” he said. 

Glover drew criticism last fall for saying at an anti-death penalty rally that Osama bin Laden should be spared the death penalty if captured. 

He said he believes King, in statements about loving your enemy and putting the value of man before money, likely would have had much to say in the wake of Sept. 11. 

OAKLAND — The most recent economic forecast for the Bay Area from the Association of Bay Area Governments suggests reasons for the region to be somewhat optimistic about an economic recovery. 

Presenting the short-term outlook to governmental budget directors and to members of the business community in Oakland today, ABAG research director and economist Paul Fassinger said the Bay Area is expected to recover from the recession by the third quarter of 2002. The recovery will be accompanied by a slight growth in jobs and household income by the end of the year, he said. 

However, Fassinger noted that the recovery will not bring the Bay Area back to the fast growth that was experienced from 1997 to 2000, the heyday of the dot-coms. Instead, the growth rates will be slower, and similar to the pace experienced before the accelerated growth of the last few years.  

ABAG figures show that in the Bay Area last year, household income dropped by 2.5 percent from the previous year. This year, a growth of 0.2 percent is predicted, while in 2003, household income is expected to go up by 1.7 percent. 

Inflation, which was 5.4 percent in 2001, is expected to reach 2 percent this year and 2.5 percent in 2003. 

In 2001, there were 53,800 jobs created, while the number is expected to grow by 10,100 in 2002 and 40,000 in 2003. 

In its report, which covers the years 2002 to 2003, ABAG predicts that the Bay Area will recover at the same time as the rest of the country, a prediction not shared by analysts who say that the region's large number of high-technology industry businesses will lead to a slower bounce back. 

Fassinger notes that the high-tech sector is too diverse for anyone to lump all the businesses it encompasses together and take the data as an economic indicator. 

Fassinger also pointed out that not all of the Bay Area's downturn can be attributed to high technology. The downturn can also be attributed to drops in tourism and finance, and those businesses are expected to recover, he said.

Methadone stolen from addiction treatment center deliveryman 

A man stole four bottles of methadone from a delivery man on at 11 a.m. Jan. 22, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. 

The victim was making a delivery to Berkeley Addiction Treatment Services, a methadone clinic located at 2975 Sacramento St. Standing outside, near his truck, he loaded a small cart with drugs to be delivered to the clinic.  

As he headed toward the clinic with the delivery, he noticed a suspicious person across the street. The victim had nearly reached the front door when the suspect rushed up to him, grabbed a box from the cart and fled down Sacramento. 

The box contained four bottles of methadone, a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction. 

The suspect is described as a 21-year-old black male with a dark brown complexion, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He had a short afro hairdo, and was wearing dark pants and a black jacket. 

Woman robbed  

at knifepoint 

A woman was held up at knifepoint in west Berkeley also on the evening of Jan. 22, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victim had gotten off a bus at the corner of University Avenue and Sacramento Street and was walking west on Allston Way. After walking for a while, the victim said, she saw a man standing in the driveway of a house. The man reportedly said something to her, and she became frightened. 

The victim began to walk faster. Soon she felt a hand on her backpack. The suspect held a knife in front of her and demanded her money. 

The victim handed the suspect her wallet. He took the money out of it, dropped it on the ground and fled on foot. 

The suspect is described as a black male between the ages of 18 and 25. He was wearing a black ski jacket and a black knit cap. 

Foiled again 

A gunman who tried to rob to Foster’s Freeze on University Avenue was foiled by the building’s alarm system on Jan. 23, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victims, two employees of the restaurant, were closing up  

the business at around 11 p.m. They had just exited the rear of the building when they were approached by the suspect, who wielded a handgun. 

The suspect told the victims to go back inside. They began to comply, but the building’s alarm – which the victims had set prior to closing the shop – went off. The suspect fled. 

He is described as a black male between the ages of 20 and 23. He was between 5 feet, 9 inches and six feet tall. He was wearing a black jacket, dark pants and a black skull cap. 

Library construction crew burglarized 

The construction crew working on the Central Library was burglarized late last week, according to Lt. Harris. 

The crew arrived on the job Thursday morning to discover that a piece of plywood used to secure the site had been pried open. They then found that the locks on their toolbox had been broken, and a number of tools were missing. 

The Central Library renovation project, which is some $5 million over budget, is expected to be finished before April. It was originally scheduled to be completed in October 2000. 

SAN QUENTIN— Stephen Wayne Anderson, described by his defenders as the poet laureate of the condemned and by prosecutors as a stone-cold killer, was executed early Tuesday. 

Anderson, 48, was pronounced dead from lethal injection at 12:30 a.m. PST after his request for a last-minute reprieve was turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Anderson was sentenced to die for killing 81-year-old Elizabeth Lyman after breaking into her house on Memorial Day 1980. Members of Lyman’s family, who had asked that Anderson’s sentence be commuted to life in prison without parole, chose not to attend the execution. 

Anderson’s attorneys had asked Gov. Gray Davis to spare Anderson’s life. They portrayed the Lyman killing as a mundane burglary gone wrong and argued that Anderson was the victim of a harsh childhood and incompetent trial lawyer. 

Prosecutors countered that Anderson was an escaped convict with a long criminal record when he broke into Lyman’s home. They pointed out that after shooting her in the face he ransacked the house, watched television in her living room and made himself a meal in her kitchen. 

Anderson would later confess to killing Lyman and two men in Utah, including a fellow prison inmate. He also confessed to six contract killings in Nevada, although there was no corroborating evidence of those murders. 

Predicting, correctly, that Davis would not grant clemency, Anderson’s attorneys fought an unsuccessful legal battle to get the clemency decision turned over to the lieutenant governor, claiming Davis was biased. 

The defense team also lost its legal challenges to the sentence, which included claims that Anderson got bad legal representation – two other clients of the same lawyer did get their death sentences overturned for that reason — and that he was jailed too long before being charged after his 1980 arrest. 

Anderson was the 10th inmate executed in California since voters reinstated capital punishment in 1978. 

In 1981, Anderson joined a death row that numbered fewer than 50 inmates. As of Tuesday, the count was over 600. 

Anderson left no official last words. But he did leave behind scores of poems that his supporters said showed a soul reformed. 

His lawyers quoted one, “Unchained Visions,” in a statement they released after the execution: 

“If no other misses you, I will:/I will sense the emptiness/where once you breathed.” 

“It has been a privilege to represent him. We will miss him greatly,” his public defender, Margo Rocconi, wrote. 

Rocconi was the last person to communicate with Anderson. 

As he lay on the gurney in the death chamber, she mouthed the words, “I love you,” three times to the condemned man. Witnesses said he responded: “Thank you.”

SACRAMENTO — Electricity deregulation could be “dead in the water” for a few years due to bad publicity from Enron’s bankruptcy, an energy market researcher said Tuesday. 

“For basically political reasons, no one is going to be pushing deregulation,” said Michael Reid, who follows the energy market for Platts, the energy market information division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. 

Enron, an energy marketer and trader, led the charge for deregulation of energy market, Reid said. “They were the biggest and the baddest. They were the company to beat.” 

The energy giant’s recent collapse is under investigation by several congressional committees, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission. California’s Legislature and the state’s attorney general have subpoenaed Enron documents in their investigations into possible price manipulation in the state’s energy market last year. 

Texas, which opened its energy market to competition this month, shows that deregulated markets can work, Reid said. Enron was expected to be a big player in that market, and despite its bankruptcy, their customers are being served. 

“It appears that the Texas market is working as planned,” he said. 

Still, he said, that probably won’t “carry much weight in the capitols of states that haven’t committed to deregulation.” 

California approved deregulation in 1996, but capped the rates retail customers would pay.  

When wholesale rates soared far above what customers paid, three utilities amassed billions of dollars in debts. The state had to step up to buy electricity when the utilities’ credit ratings were downgraded last January. 

Since that time, the state has moved further away from deregulation, even creating a state power authority that can build, buy or lease power plants to ensure that California has sufficient electricity supplies. 

Between Enron’s collapse and California’s failed attempt to deregulate, Reid said he doesn’t see any lawmakers willing to promote market restructuring. “They’ll be steering clear of this topic for a while.” 

The message consumers are getting from the coverage of Enron’s woes is that “Enron equals deregulation,” he said. “Enron equals trouble. So it’s just a short step to deregulation equals trouble.” 

Enron’s troubles could also deter investors from funding new power plants or distribution companies, further delaying restructuring since opening up the retail energy market depends on competition, Reid said. 

And Enron was “the most active and visible proponent” in pushing for more competition in energy markets, Reid said, adding that no other energy company was stepping up to do that work. 

While Enron was a dominant voice in the argument for deregulating electricity markets, it wasn’t the only one, said Jan Smutny-Jones, executive director of Independent Energy Producers. 

“There’s a large number of policy makers, economists and analysts who advocate the move to restructure the markets,” he said. “I don’t think we should confuse what happened with Enron with the wisdom of restructuring.” 

Bill Ahern of Consumers Union likes that state and federal regulators may be more cautious in deregulating energy markets. 

“It’s the reconsideration that’s badly needed,” he said. “All this restructuring needs to be rethought.” 

Before states open their electricity markets to competition, he said, they need to find a way to protect residential and small business customers. 

“They get bad information, prices are volatile and there are not enough energy providers eager to serve the small energy users’ market,” Ahern said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — The newly combined ChevronTexaco Corp. stumbled to a fourth-quarter loss of $2.5 billion as the company paid for the aftershocks of its merger and revised its outlook in the depressed energy market. 

The loss, which translated into $2.36 per share, stemmed from $3 billion in charges as the company lowered the projected value of some holdings and dealt with the costs of the October marriage between Chevron and Texaco. 

The fourth-quarter setback, announced Tuesday, contrasted with a profit of $2.04 billion, or $1.92 per share, in the prior year. That figure represents what the company estimates it would have earned had Chevron and Texaco been together in the final three months of 2000. 

This year, fourth-quarter revenue plunged 33 percent to $21.46 billion, down from $32.26 billion in the prior year’s comparable period, reflecting lower prices the company received for oil, gasoline and natural gas. 

Even without the special charges, the fourth quarter represented a letdown. 

ChevronTexaco said it earned $498 million, or 47 cents per share, excluding the fourth-quarter charges — a 78 percent drop from net income of $2.29 billion, or $2.15 per share, in the prior year. 

The dramatic decline was much worse than Wall Street had anticipated. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call expected earnings of 90 cents per share, excluding special charges. If not for gains from favorable currency exchanges, Chevron’s fourth-quarter operating profit would have been 36 cents per share, or $382 million. 

The company’s shares plummeted $3.70 to close at $85.17 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

“This was a pretty bad miss, but at this point, I think it would have to be considered a hiccup rather than something worse,” said industry analyst Tyler Dann of Banc of America Securities. 

ChevronTexaco’s fourth-quarter slump illustrated the drastic turnaround in energy prices. As natural gas and oil prices soared in 2000 and the first half of 2001, Chevron — then operating without Texaco — enjoyed the most prosperous period of its long history. 

But the boom ended with a thud in the fourth quarter. 

ChevronTexaco said it sold its refined oil products for an average of $24.25 per barrel in the fourth quarter, a 45 percent decrease from the prior year. Meanwhile, the company sold natural gas for an average of $2.27 per thousand cubic feet, a 60 percent decline. 

“A rising tide lifted these ships and now that the tide is receding, the ships are sinking,” said industry analyst Fadel Gheit of Fahnestock & Co. “It looks like they are going to start the new year off on the wrong foot, too. I don’t think we are going to see any good news from this company during the first half of the year.” 

ChevronTexaco CEO David O’Reilly called the fourth-quarter results “disappointing,” but reassured investors the merger is proceeding smoothly. 

The company remains on track to extract $1.8 billion in annual savings from the merger, O’Reilly said, but the cost of making the expense cuts will be $2 billion — about $500 million more than management anticipated. 

ChevronTexaco recognized $1.17 billion in merger charges in the fourth quarter, including $700 million for employee severance. The company expects to record the remaining $800 million in merger charges through 2003. 

The company also registered $1.85 billion in fourth-quarter charges as management reassessed the value of its assets and how much oil ChevronTexaco is likely to recover from its properties around the world. Nearly $1.3 billion of these charges related to lowered expectations at oil fields in California’s San Joaquin Valley and in Venezuela. 

For the full year, ChevronTexaco earned $3.29 billion, or $3.08 per share, on revenue of $106.2 billion. On a comparable basis in the prior year, the company said it would have earned $7.73 billion, or $7.21 per share, on revenue of $119.1 billion. 

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On The Net: 

http://www.chevrontexaco.com 

LOS ANGELES — Hilton Hotels Corp. said Tuesday that profit fell 93.5 percent during the fourth quarter from a year earlier, citing a severe slowdown in travel after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

The company reported net income of $4 million, or 1 cent a share, in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with profit of $64 million, or 17 cents a share, a year ago. 

“The fourth quarter was a tough one,” said Stephen Bollenbach, president and chief executive, who forecast that sales will continue to decline throughout the current year. 

The Beverly Hills-based hotel operator — whose chains include Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites and Doubletree — said the impact of Sept. 11 was felt by almost all of its hotels, with those in Washington, D.C., Honolulu and San Francisco taking an extra hard hit. 

Net income slightly exceeded expectations. The consensus earnings estimate among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call was for a break-even quarter. 

Revenue declined 24 percent to $662 million, as the occupancy rate at U.S. owned-or-operated hotels dropped 8.7 percent to 59.7 percent. Hilton also charged 11.5 percent less on room rent, an average $124.64 per room. 

“These numbers would have concerned me if you’d told me six months ago. But given the effects of Sept. 11, and the economic decline, these numbers don’t surprise me,” said Todd Jordan, an analyst with Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein Securities LLC in New York, who praised the company for paying down debt during the tough quarter. 

Bollenbach said he was “reasonably optimistic for this year,” but warned that “a significant recovery may be some months off.” 

The company said sales will decline 15 percent to 20 percent in the current quarter and end the year down 1 percent overall. But the declines will likely be offset by a 2 percent to 3 percent rise in revenue per available room, a key measurement for the hotel industry, the company said. 

Business travel should pick up in the third or fourth quarter, Bollenbach said. The biggest challenge in the interim will be controlling costs, which are under pressure from rising insurance and health care payments, he said. 

Despite weak results, Hilton added 35 new hotels to its franchise system in the fourth quarter. Another 130 properties are in the pipeline, Bollenbach said. 

The company also sold its Red Lion chain of 41 hotels to WestCoast Hospitality Corp. during the quarter, for an after-tax gain of approximately $5 million, or 1 cent a share. 

For the full year, Hilton posted a profit of $166 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with $272 million in 2000, or 73 cents a share. Revenue declined 12 percent to $3.1 billion from $3.5 billion. 

The groundhog’s shadow 

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil may have a hard time not seeing his shadow next year. 

Hoping to mirror the success of other public art displays such as Chicago’s cows, Cincinnati’s pigs, Los Angeles’ angels and New Orleans’ crawfish, officials in Punxsutawney are planning to place 30 facsimiles of the weather-predicting woodchuck around town. 

“When people come here they want to see things related to Phil and the weather,” said Marlene Lellock, executive director of the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce. 

Like in other places, Punxsutawney officials will ask people to sponsor the groundhog statues, which will be decorated by artists and named with an emphasis on — what else? — the weather. 

Artist David Seitzinger was given the job of designing the statutes of the furry forecaster. 

Seitzinger has three sketches of a possible statute, based on a chubby groundhog that lives near his studio and emerges to eat apples. 

Hitchcock’s birds 

EVERETT, Wash. — Officials here are hoping $4,000 will be enough to rid their six-story courthouse of noisy, smelly, dive-bombing pigeons and seagulls. 

Hundreds of birds have been roosting atop the downtown building in this town about 25 miles north of Seattle, often raising such a racket that workers said they couldn’t concentrate even with the windows closed. 

Dozens of birds took to swooping down for anything they could get from lunchtime leftovers, and nothing was safe from droppings. 

Foul odors from the birds permeated offices and courtrooms, leading to complaints of respiratory problems. 

“It’s been getting progressively worse over the last four or five years,” said Larry Van Horn, the county’s director of facilities. 

In the latest effort to make the birds take flight once and for all, the county recently bought a BirdXPeller, which broadcasts bird distress calls from a tiny microchip over two speakers. 

It’s OK to jog naked 

BANGOR, Maine — Female streakers: On your marks, get set, go. 

A judge ruled Wednesday that two undergraduates at the University of Maine did not violate the state’s indecent conduct law by jogging naked. 

Debra Ballou, of Island Falls, and Kathryn Mann, of Fayetteville, N.Y., won the case without hiring a lawyer and by asking just one question of the prosecution’s only witness. 

Maine law states that people are guilty of indecent conduct only when they “knowingly expose their genitals in public.” 

Ballou, 20, asked the arresting officer whether he saw her genitals Nov. 2. 

“Not that I recall,” replied Orono police officer John Ewing. 

“That’s all I have,” Ballou told the court. 

Judge Jesse Gunther, of the 3rd District Court in Bangor, then ruled that a woman naked in the street is not an indecent act under Maine law because a woman’s genitals are primarily internal. 

Gunther grinned slightly as he said, “I would assume the Legislature will probably be addressing this issue.” 

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EDMONDS, Wash. (AP) — Carpet cleaner Jim Nelson thought he had found a sweet way to supplement his income when business was slow. 

For two Fridays in a row, he got up at 4 a.m. and drove the two-hour roundtrip to Issaquah to pick up dozens of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to sell in his store, Nelson Professional Carpet Cleaning, in this suburb north of Seattle. He even hung up a sign announcing their arrival. 

He raised the price and made a profit, selling a dozen for $12 instead of the usual $5.49 a box. 

“It seemed logical,” said Nelson, 50. “People didn’t stop when they saw a sign for carpet cleaning. But they sure stopped when they saw a sign for Krispy Kremes.” 

Krispy Kreme’s parent company, ICONN in Chicago, soon got word of the sweet venture, and told Nelson to stop. He complied. 

No one is authorized to sell the famous treats except Krispy Kreme, which has only one store in Washington state, in Issaquah, east of Seattle. 

Nelson isn’t the only guilty one, Krispy Kreme officials say. Coffee shops, espresso stands and cafes in the area are doing the same thing, said ICONN President Gerard Centioli. 

“We’re usually tipped off when someone calls to complain, or at our factory when a customer comes in on a regular basis to buy large quantities,” Centioli said. 

Pizza delivery  

robbers strike again 

Another pizza deliveryman was robbed while making his rounds Wednesday evening, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. 

The deliveryman was going to drop off six pizzas at an apartment building on the 1400 block of Seventh Street at around 6:45 p.m. Upon arriving, four young males emerged from some shrubbery. One wielded a semiautomatic handgun. 

The principal suspect put the gun to the victim’s neck and demanded his money. The suspects went through the victim’s pockets and took his cash, identification and other items, along with the pizza. 

The suspects are described as black males between the ages of 17 and 20. They were all wearing dark pants and dark, hooded, puffy jackets. 

On Jan. 17, three men held up a pizza deliveryman on the 1600 block of Parker Street at around 8:45 p.m. The suspects in this case – black males around the age of 21 – similarly hid in bushes before confronting the deliverer. They told the victim that they had a gun, but the victim did not see it. The suspects made off with the pizza, cash and the victim’s watch. 

Harris said that she did not know if the recent cases were related. 

On June 19, 2001, an deliveryman was robbed of two large pies by a shotgun-wielding man on the 1600 block of Harmon Street. 

Man held up at BHS 

A man was robbed at gunpoint on the Berkeley High School campus after hours on Monday, according to Lt. Harris. 

The victim was walking home along Milvia Street when a person came out of a driveway and asked him for a dollar. The victim said that he had no money, and kept walking. 

He turned to cut through the high school grounds. After getting about halfway across, he saw the man who had asked him for a dollar approaching with a large, black automatic pistol in his hand. 

The suspect pointed the gun at the victim and told him to hand over his money. The victim took his money out of his wallet and dropped it on the ground. The suspect then forcibly removed the victim’s backpack from him and told him to walk toward Martin Luther King, Jr., Way. 

The suspect fled on foot toward Milvia Street. 

The suspect is described as a black male in his late teens or early 20s. He was around 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed about 140 pounds. He wore a black stocking cap, a heavy, green, waist-length jacket and dark pants. 

Is Stephen King retiring for real? 

NEW YORK — Is Stephen King REALLY going to retire? 

The author recently stated that he had five more books to write and then, “That’s it. I’m done.” 

“You get to a point where you get to the edges of a room, and you can go back and go where you’ve been and basically recycle stuff,” said King, whose many best sellers include “Bag of Bones,” “Dreamcatcher” and “Hearts in Atlantis.” 

“You can either continue to go on, or say I left when I was still on (the) top of my game. I left when I was still holding the ball, instead of it holding me.” 

His comments appeared in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. 

But King, 54, has said he’d quit before and since 1997 has included a message on his official Web site.  

Under a link for “The Rumors,” King addresses the question, “Is it true that he has retired?” 

“That hasn’t happened yet,” he responds. “There are still books coming out through both Scribner and Pocket Books and plans to complete The Dark Tower series, so there will be new books for several more years to come.” 

His agent, Arthur Greene, was skeptical about King’s recent statements. 

“He’s spoken about retiring many times in the past,” Greene told The Associated Press Thursday. “In my own mind, I think it’s unlikely he’ll stop working.” 

A spokeswoman for King said the author had not yet read Sunday’s article and would have no immediate comment. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Official Stephen King Web site: http://www.stephenking.com. 

Lay’s wife gets p.r. makeover 

HOUSTON — The wife of ex-Enron Corp. chairman Kenneth Lay spent a week under the tutelage of a public relations expert before her teary-eyed appearance this week on NBC’s “Today” show, her sister-in-law said. 

Linda Lay defended her husband as honest and ethical and said she and her family were selling their possessions to try to head off personal bankruptcy. 

Kenneth Lay’s sister, Sharon, told the Houston Chronicle for Wednesday’s editions that she received a call from her friend, M.A. Shute, who had worked for the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton and represented Enron. When she called, Shute was sailing in the Caribbean with her husband. 

’“Get back here right now,”’ Sharon Lay said she told her. ’“We need your help.”’ 

“We wanted M.A. to give us some suggestions and insight as to how to handle all of this,” Sharon Lay said, complaining that frequent use of the words “arrogance” and “greed” in describing top Enron executives “would never have come to mind in describing my family.” 

Baby Madonna comes out 

LONDON — Madonna took the rare step of bringing her daughter, Lourdes, to a public event when she joined other stars to celebrate the opening of an exhibition by fashion photographer Mario Testino. 

Five-year-old Lourdes features in at least one of Testino’s photos of Madonna. 

The mother and daughter mixed with a host of other stars, including models Helena Christensen and Kate Moss and singer Natalie Imbruglia, at Tuesday night’s launch at the National Portrait Gallery in London’s West End.  

The exhibit, which runs Feb. 1-4, brings together more than 120 color and black-and-white pictures by Testino, who was Princess Diana’s favorite fashion photographer. 

Images taken of Diana shortly before she died in August 1997 will be shown alongside portraits of icons from fashion, film and music. Other sections are devoted to images of Madonna, Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

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On the Net: 

National Portrait Gallery, http://www.npg.org.uk 

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DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — U2 is giving way in a battle to save its Dublin recording studios from being pulled to the ground. 

After submitting written objections Tuesday to the redevelopment of their Hanover Quay site, the band said it would join in talks with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. 

“Although they are very happy in their present studio, and would very much like to stay, they appreciate that change is inevitable and often for the best,” the band members said through a statement. 

The millionaire rock musicians initially argued that the musical heritage of their Hanover Quay site should be enough to save it from being demolished to transform the area into a major new leisure development. 

They cited the multimillion-dollar record sales and musical heritage that have resulted from their use of the Hanover Street premises, in the south of the city, since 1994. They’ve recorded in the docklands area since the early 1980s. 

In its written submission to the planning board, the band argued that the studio deserved preservation as an element in the “recognized music-recording heritage of the area.” 

“The recording studio of an internationally acclaimed Irish rock band fits this profile and would complement any objective of the Authority to convert the area to an amenity space with leisure and entertainment uses,” U2 added. 

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BOSTON (AP) — Keith Lockhart says he’s a lapsed football fan, but on Super Bowl Sunday, the Boston Pops conductor plans to root for the New England Patriots. 

Lockhart will lead the orchestra when it performs a selection of American classics at the Super Bowl pre-game show. 

“Who could have known that the Patriots would have ended up as AFC champions?” Lockhart said Tuesday. “We’re glad we’re not the only team from Boston there.” 

Lockhart spoke from Salt Lake City, where he’s scheduled to conduct the Pops during opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. 

The 15-minute program at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans will feature Mariah Carey singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” accompanied by the Pops. 

The orchestra also will perform “America the Beautiful,” and two selections by composer Aaron Copland, “Fanfare for the Common Man,” and the “Lincoln Portrait,” which will feature four former presidents narrating — Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. 

The Super Bowl is expected to draw 130 million viewers in the United States and 800 million worldwide. 

U2 will perform during halftime. 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Ocean’s Eleven” co-star Andy Garcia is a father for a fourth time. 

Andres Antonio Garcia-Lorido weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces when he was delivered Monday at a Los Angeles area hospital, publicist Stan Rosenfield said Tuesday. 

This is the first son for the Cuban-born actor and his wife, Marivi Lorido Garcia. The couple have three daughters, ages 18, 14 and 10. 

The baby and mother are reportedly healthy. 

Garcia, co-star of 1990’s “The Godfather: Part III,” portrayed the sinister casino owner in Steven Soderbergh’s remake of the heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven.” 

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s No. 5 for Eddie Murphy and his wife, Nicole. 

Bella Zahra Murphy arrived Tuesday night at a Los Angeles area hospital weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces, publicist Arnold Robinson said. She joins three sisters Bria, 12; Shayne, 7; and Zola, 2; and brother Myles, 10. 

“We are overjoyed about this newest addition to our family,” the couple said in a statement that Robinson released. 

“Everybody’s doing great,” Robinson added, adding mother and child were healthy. 

Murphy is filming the comedy “I Spy,” and will next be seen with Robert De Niro in the cop comedy “Showtime.” 

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LONDON (AP) — Eighties pop star Boy George welcomed a new phase of his career with the launch of a musical based on his life. 

“Taboo” follows the former Culture Club lead singer’s journey from a wannabe pop star through his chart success, heroin addiction and discovery of Eastern spirituality. 

After the opening night Tuesday at London’s Leicester Square, Boy George admitted to being nervous but said he was delighted with the way “Taboo” had been received. 

“I was very quiet before the performance which is unlike me, but now it’s over I’m thrilled that everyone seems to have enjoyed it so much,” said the 40-year-old performer, who sang on hits including “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” and “I’ll Tumble For Ya” with Culture Club, and later performed the theme to the film, “The Crying Game.” 

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LONDON (AP) — The British girl band Atomic Kitten has signed a deal to promote Avon cosmetics. 

The trio will receive an undisclosed sum to endorse products from the “Color Trend” range, said a spokeswoman on Wednesday for New York-based Avon Products Inc., the world’s leading direct seller of beauty products. News reports said the sum ran to six figures. 

The band members will appear on packaging and feature in Avon catalogues, the spokeswoman said. 

The $5.7 billion company, which has built its business on direct sales, recently moved into retail with BeComing, a new, pricier cosmetics range. 

A handful of organizers from the Berkeley group If Americans Knew turned out Tuesday night to raise concerns about a new course and public lecture series being offered at UC Berkeley called “Issues in U.S. Foreign Policy After 9/11.”  

The course, which includes lectures by former Clinton White House officials, UC Berkeley professors and visiting scholars, does not include any speakers of Middle Eastern descent on its current roster. 

“That’s like holding a course on race in America, and having 14 speakers, and not including any African-Americans,” said Alison Weir, founder of If Americans Knew, a public education group, which is currently filing for nonprofit status. 

Harry Kreisler, executive director of the Institute of International Studies at the university, and coordinator of the lecture series, said Weir is taking the series out of context. 

The course is just one of several classes and events happening on campus this semester that will focus on the Middle East and the fallout from Sept. 11, he said.  

Kreisler said the university holds a similar course and lecture series on Afghanistan and its neighbors, which includes several Middle Eastern speakers, a class on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will host a panel discussion on the India-Pakistan conflict in February and a speech by Amre Mussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States in April.  

“The course has to be understood in the context of all that is happening on campus,” Kreisler said. “And, in that context, there is not an issue.” 

“The more the better,” Weir said, noting that she was happy with the wide range of offerings, “but I still don’t think that absolves them of responsibility.” 

Weir said the U.S. foreign policy course should include a diverse range of views, regardless of anything else that is happening on campus, because some might attend the lecture series and nothing else. 

Kreisler said one problem with Weir’s argument is that it fails to acknowledge that the course is covering much more than America’s relationship with Islamic nations. The lecture series will also examine relations with Russia and Europe, and larger issues of geopolitics, he said. 

“There are many, many topics we have to cover that are unrelated to our relations with Middle Eastern countries,” he said. 

The series is still a work in progress, he added. 

“The course is still evolving,” he said, “so in some way, these concerns could be included, in terms of the larger context of what is happening on campus.” 

A few speaking slots are still open for the course, which is held from 7 to 9 p.m on Mondays in Room 100 of the Genetics and Plant Biology Building. Kreisler said he would have to “wait and see” whether Middle Eastern lecturers might be tapped to fill the slots.