Protesters in SF advocate for medical marijuana, while the DEA raids Bay Area clinics and scares Berkeley patients 

Agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency swooped into the Bay Area on Tuesday, raiding medical marijuana facilities in Oakland and San Francisco and arresting four men. 

The raids, which occurred just as the federal government asked citizens to be on the highest alert for imminent terrorist attacks, set the stage for DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson’s long-planned speech at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club Tuesday evening. 

The raids have left local medical marijuana patients frightened, according to one caregiver, and the local clubs scrambling to ensure that their patients have access to marijuana in the event that the DEA conducts additional raids in Berkeley. 

California voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996, which legalized medical marijuana in the state. The federal government has not accepted the validity of the law, and conducted crackdowns on medical marijuana clubs in West Hollywood in October. 

The main raid occurred at San Francisco’s Harm Reduction Center, a medical marijuana facility on Sixth Street between Market and Mission streets. Agents took 630 marijuana plants from the site and arrested Richard Watts, the club’s executive director.  

Also among the arrested was renown marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal of Oakland, a long-time columnist for High Times magazine and the author of several marijuana-related books. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Rosenthal was charged with cultivating more than 100 plants.  

A second man, Kenneth Hayes of Petaluma, was arrested in Canada and charged with being Rosenthal’s accomplice. 

In a separate case, James Halloran of Oakland was arrested and charged with cultivation of more than 1,000 plants.  

It is unclear whether Rosenthal, Hayes and Halloran were connected with the Harm Reduction Center or any other medical marijuana club. 

DEA spokesman Richard Meyer told the Associated Press that the arrested were drug “smugglers.” 

“They all are connected with marijuana smuggling,” Meyer said. “We’ve said all along the cultivation and distribution of marijuana is illegal regardless of state or local law. Our job is to enforce federal law.” 

Debbie Goldberry of the Alliance of Berkeley Patients said that their club, which has offices on Ashby Avenue, has long had an emergency action plan in place, in the event of a DEA crackdown.  

“We’re very well prepared,” she said. “We have a phone bank, we have lawyers that are willing to represent the cause. Our main concern is that our patients do get their medication even if our offices are raided.” 

Goldberry said that medical science had long established that marijuana had medicinal properties, and that the federal government’s persecution of patients was obstinate and unjust. 

“The fact that they keep doing this despite the science, despite the will of the people, is absurd,” she said. “We’re getting a little bit fed up.” 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said on Tuesday afternoon that he would be going to a 5 p.m. San Francisco rally outside the Commonwealth Club. Most members of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors were expected to attend. 

“The U.S. government is facing budget problems just like everyone else,” Worthington said. “It’s a colossal waste of money to do what they’re doing.” 

Hutchinson’s Commonwealth Club speech, entitled “Let’s Don’t Punt on the Third Down,” was supposed to be on the future of the DEA and its relationship with drug enforcement in California. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

Despite some sloppy play and a short bench, the Berkeley High girls’ basketball team easily beat Encinal, 64-43, in a preview of next weekend’s ACCAL championship game. 

Senior Kalyca Seabrook led the ’Jackets with 15 points, also racking up 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Classmates Sabrina Keys and Angelita Hutton were also in the spirit of Senior Night, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively. 

Encinal, which has already clinched the ACCAL regular season title, will face Berkeley next Saturday for the league’s automatic North Coast Section playoff bid. The ’Jackets (17-7) were given “competitive anomaly” status before the season, allowing them to face each ACCAL team just once rather than the usual home-and-home series, with their games not counting in the league standings. The ’Jackets are essentially an independent team, much like the football team at De La Salle High. But they will still get a shot at the league’s automatic NCS bid after each season. 

After four minutes of play, the outcome of the game was nearly certain. The Jets spotted Berkeley a 10-0 lead, committing five turnovers before getting on the scoreboard with a Marquita Price 3-pointer. That was the only basket they would score in the opening quarter, with Berkeley senior Myette Anderson giving her team a 14-3 lead with a putback at the buzzer. 

Berkeley started to relax in the second quarter, and the Jets showed some firepower with 16 points in the quarter and went into the locker room with a 26-19 deficit despite shooting just 20 percent from the floor. It helped that the ’Jackets weren’t much better at 36 percent. 

“I was a little upset with the defense we weren’t playing in the first half,” Berkeley head coach Gene Nakamura said. “They weren’t driving and they had no inside game, but we were letting them shoot unguarded from the outside.” 

Encinal actually managed to cut the Berkeley lead to three points early in the third quarter, but the ’Jackets immediately woke up and put together a 10-2 run. Although Encinal’s Shafon Rollins hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, Berkeley had built a 47-33 lead that wouldn’t get any smaller in the fourth quarter. 

The Jets (18-7, 9-0 ACCAL) made their defensive strategy clear: don’t let Sabrina Keys beat you inside. The Purdue-bound forward was double- or triple-teamed nearly every time she touched the ball, and eventually resorted to heading outside for jumpers. She showed unexpected range, hitting two 3-pointers in the second half, and still managed to pull down 12 rebounds and deal out 4 assists. 

“I was getting triple-teamed all night. I didn’t have any choice but to pass or shoot from where I was,” Keys said. “But we’ll have Devanei (Hampton) back for the next game, so I’ll have more help down there.” 

Hampton,a 6-foot-3 freshman, has been out for three weeks with a knee injury. She had an MRI and has been cleared to practice later this week, but Nakamura isn’t counting on an immediate impact. 

“She’s been off her feet for three weeks. Who knows what kind of shape she’ll be in,” he said. “We’ll play with who we have at the time.” 

Nakamura’s squad, usually packed to the limit, is getting thin these days. He suited up just 10 players against Encinal, after having just eight players available for a game last week. Two players have been lost to grades, and another left the team because of scheduling conflicts. 

Encinal head coach Tanda Rucker, who played at Berkeley High in the early 1990s, said her team isn’t intimidated by Berkeley’s tradition. But she knows her team has a lot of work to do if they are to give the ’Jackets a better game next Saturday. 

“Their defensive pressure forced us into a up-tempo game, which isn’t our strength,” Rucker said. “We need to take care of the ball, and we need to box out on the inside to offset their height advantage.” 

With a spot in the postseason on the line and Hampton back in the middle, Encinal may need more than a better strategy to beat Rucker’s alma mater. 

“I feel like we’re already in the playoffs,” Keys said. “We just have to get comfortable with each other and play better than we did tonight.”

It was like his 1995 photograph of the railroad station in Bombay where a train had just pulled up: crowds of people anxious to get in. 

Only this was Wheeler Auditorium on the campus of UC Berkeley Monday night. More than 1,000 people waited for hours to hear Sebastiao Salgado, an award-winning photojournalist whose collection “Migration” is on exhibit at the Berkeley Art Museum until March 24. 

His sobering photographs of Rwandan refugees walking past bodies strewn along the road and Brazilian peasants seizing land have inspired a devoted worldwide following. The Brazilian-born Salgado spent six years traveling in 40 countries to capture the faces of the thousands crisscrossing the Third World. 

About 500 of the people standing in the lines that snaked around the hallways made it into Wheeler Auditorium. Another 100 filled three rooms upstairs where live video feeds were set up. The rest had to go home. Around 7:45 p.m., the UC Berkeley police showed up to clear out loiterers. 

The organizers didn’t expect so many to show up. Mike Hahn, a marketing intern at the Berkeley Art Museum, said that they had expected maybe 500 people to come.  

“This was not good planning,” he admitted. 

The good news is that there is another Salgado event. Tonight, Salgado will participate in a panel discussion in the Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall, at 4 p.m.  

The lecture will also be Webcasted on media.berkeley.edu. 

Organizers tried to appease the grumbling crowds that lingered after the doors to the auditorium had closed. They had handed out 100 free tickets to the screening, but were mobbed by outstretched hands.  

The hundreds who had to leave with nothing were very disappointed. Some who had been standing in line since 6 p.m. did not make it into the auditorium or get tickets to the movie. One woman came all the way from Sacramento and complained about having to wait hours for her husband to pick her up. 

Daffodil Anjemi had come from Burlingame to see Salgado. When she arrived in Berkeley at 7 p.m., she said it was “mayhem.” 

When she went upstairs to the extra rooms, she could not fit into them either.  

She sighed. “I’ve been following him since I saw his exhibit in Madrid last year.” 

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. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Bart Station 

Peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to war and the U. S. bombing of Afghanistan. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil.html.  

Debate on Prop. 45 

4 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

2050 Valley Life Sciences Building 

Dan Schnur, No on 45 spokesperson will debate Mary Bergan, president of the California Teachers on Proposition 45.  

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 

Exploring Old Neighborhoods in the East Bay and Marin 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

A slide presentation showcasing historic houses, beautiful gardens, parks, waterfalls and more. 527-7377 

Grandparent Support Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

Malcolm X School Arts and  

Academics School 

1731 Prince St., Room 105A 

For grandparents and relatives raising their grandchildren and other relatives. 644-6517. 

Valentine’s Day Party 

6 p.m. 

Berkeley Fellowship  

of Unitarian Universalists 

1606 Bonita Ave. 

Potluck dinner at 6 p.m.; open mike at 7:30 p.m.; dance music from 9 - 11 p.m. 540-0898, pubsol@pacbell.net. 

Fair Campaign Practices Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Discussions and Actions include: Regulation and Filing Manual language addressing procedure to retire campaign debt and redesignate surplus campaign funds to a new bank account for future elections; Annual Report to the City Council; Election of Chair and Vice-Chair. 981-6950, attorney@ci.berkeley.ca.us.  

Valentine’s Day Love-In 

6 p.m. 

Telegraph Ave. at Haste St. 

Come join into the street corner LOVE-IN, where friends, lovers, mates, and acquaintances will meet to embrace, kiss, and make-out, or watch the sunset and flirt in suggestive attire, contributing to the amorous feelings  

of Valentine's Day at dusk. 848-1985, www.xplicitplayers.com. 

People’s Park Community Advisory Board 

7:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Unit 1 Residence Halls Recreation Room 

2650 Durant 

Monthly meeting, community invited. The PP CAB reviews and makes recommendations on park policies, programs and improvements. 642-7860, http://communityrelations.berkeley.edu. 

Friday, Feb. 15

Berkeley Women in Black 

noon - 1 p.m. 

Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft 

Standing in solidarity with women in Israel and Palestine to urge the end of Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza. 548-6310, www.wibberkeley.org. 

Hip-Hop Music Workshop 

6 - 8 p.m. 

South Berkeley Community Church 

1802 Fairview Ave. 

Friday Night Art and Dinner Program for youths ages 5 to 14 years old. Hands on experience in various artistic styles. 6 - 7 p.m. art, 7 - 8 p.m. dinner. 652-1040. 

Still Stronger Women 

1:15 - 3:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Life of Isadora Duncan, plus film on contemporary creative, therapeutic dances. 232-1351. 

Saturday, Feb. 16

Puppet Show 

1:30 and 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health, Children’s Hospital Oakland 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Includes puppets from diverse cultures and with such conditions as cerberal palsy, blindness, and Down syndrome. Free. 549-1564. 

Launch Party for War Times 

4 p.m. 

Mandela Village 

1357 Fifth St., West Oakland 

A new national anti-war newspaper covering an alternative truth. 869-5156. 

BANA, Berkeley Alliance of  

Neighborhood Associations 

9:30 - ll a.m.  

Live Oak Park, Fireside Room 

l30l Shattuck Ave. 

Neighbors are welcome to network and connect on issues with groups across the city. 848-3l75, HCMuir@mindspring.com. 

Judi Bari Takes on the FBI 

7:30 p.m. 

Unitarian Fellowship 

Cedar and Bonita St. 

Benefit for the Judi Bari suit against the FBI. $5 - $15. 415-927-1645. 

Habitual Avoidance of Intimacy? 

5 - 6:30 p.m. 

Twelve-step meeting for sexual, social, and emotional anorexia. Open to anyone who wants to recover from habitual avoidance of intimacy. Call first, 548-1285. 

Fund Raiser for BHS Common Ground Costa Rica trip 

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

1924 Cedar St. 

Humongous multi-family Berkeley High School indoor garage sale. Marciagoodman@aol.com. 

Sunday, Feb. 17

Jewish Learning Seminar 

10 a.m. - noon 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

K’Tanim: A Celebration of Jewish Learning for Families with Young Children, Birth to 3. Family activities, songs, stories, crafts, and discussions. $10. To register call: 549-9447 x 104. 

Plant Meditations: Cultivating Your  

Relationship with the Healing Power 

of Herbs 

7:30 p.m. 

The Berkeley Psychic Institute 

2018 Allston Way 

Spend the evening exploring the many ways of communicating with the healing presence of the plants. $10 donation, 644-1600. 

Monday, Feb. 18

BART Operates Regular Saturday  

Service for “President’s Day 

Beginning at 6 a.m. until midnight on all five lines. 465-2278. 

The East Bay Coalition Against the War Movie/Speaker and Discussion Night 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Fellowship of Humanity  

390 27th St., Oakland 

We will show the Noam Chomsky Video on 9/11 and the War on Terror. Plus guest speaker, Denny Riley, Vietnam Veteran and a member of the Veterans Speaker's Alliance. The film and speaker will take about one to one and a half hours. The rest of the time will be devoted to small and large group discussion about our current struggle in response to "the war on terrorism." 

Tuesday, Feb. 19

Berkeley Garden Club  

Hosts “Crystal Palaces” 

1 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St. 

Ann Cunningham, author of “Crystal Palaces” will present slides of glass houses from the turn of the century to the present. Scott Medburry, Director Strybing Arboretum & Botanic Garden, will talk about the history of San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers including an update on its recent renovation. 524-4374. 

21st Century McCarthyism & The Rise of the Global Police State 

6 - 8 p.m. 

UC Berkeley 

Wheeler Auditorium 

The following speakers present their interpretations of Sept. 11 and its aftermath: Angela Davis, Diane Clemens and Jennifer Terry. Sponsored by the Departments of Women's Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, & Ethnic Studies, and Professors for Peace. xperales@uclink.berkeley.edu. 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Staying Connected: Building A Secular Jewish Life 

7:30 - 9:15 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

An evening of discussion and song with a Klezmer/Yiddish musician. $5. 848-0237 x 127 

Institute of Government Studies 

4 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gerald Gamm lectures as part of the Historical Institutionalism Seminar. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Colonial Courts, African Conflicts,  

and the End of Slavery in the French Souda 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level "C" 

A talk by Richard Roberts of Stanford University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Editor: 

I have been conducting an education survey by asking the average, taxpaying Californian; What percentage of the $100 billion state budget goes to public education? The answers are generally in the 5 percent to 15 percent range.  

When I inform them that the answer is 58.4 percent ( 46 percent K-12 and 12.4 percent UC system) the first reaction is disbelief and a demand of proof. After I produce the proof ( easily found on the Internet) they are usually speechless. I typically wait a few moments for the truth to sink in, and then add the fact that the 58.4 billion dollars does not include any Federal education funds or any of the many school bond measures or all the local parcel taxes that get passed each year! This is when they usually say “What the hell are they doing with all that money?” Good question. We should all be asking the same question. Perhaps Loni Hancock, who headed the Western Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton Administration could tell us. Perhaps Charles Ramsey, a member of the West Contra Costa Unified School Board could tell us why he wants to modify Prop. 13 and make it easier to pass local parcel taxes. For all our Billions of dollars, our education system is at the bottom of the heap. What the hell are they doing with the money! 

Michael Larrick  

Berkeley

Superintendent Michele Lawrence warned that the Berkeley Unified School District will layoff a significant number of employees next year, and she cast doubt on the fate of an under-enrolled City of Franklin School at a public forum Monday night. 

Lawrence, who is seeking $5 to $6 million in cuts in order to balance next year’s budget, added that everything from high school athletics to the number of periods offered at Berkeley High School could be on the chopping block. 

“This is big,” said Lawrence, who will propose an initial wave of cuts at the end of the week. “We all have to be prepared for it.” 

City of Franklin, currently a K-6 magnet school which is planning to extend to K-8 by 2003, has only 190 students enrolled, while other schools in the area like Jefferson, with 330, are overcrowded. 

Lawrence indicated that the district is considering a range of options for better utilizing City of Franklin and the surrounding schools. 

Joaquin Rivera, vice president of the Board of Education, got more specific. “Something has to be done in terms of either increasing enrollment, or possibly closing the school,” he said. 

Barbara Penny-James, principal of City of Franklin, declined to comment on the possible closure of the school but suggested that a scheduled June upgrade of the facility and the addition of a “dual-immersion” English-Spanish language program in kindergarten next year might attract more students.  

School board member John Selawsky said layoffs will happen across-the-board, including laborers, teachers and administrators.  

By law, the district must notify certain types of teachers and administrators by March 15 if it intends to lay them off next year. Because the extent of the district’s deficit did not become clear until January, Lawrence and her administrative team have been scrambling in recent weeks to pull together a list of layoffs.  

Lawrence said the district will hand deliver a significant number of notices by the March 15 deadline, but said she hopes to withdraw some of those notices by the end of the year, when the school board votes on the 2002-2003 budget. 

In order to withdraw the notices, the district would have to identify new savings between March 15 and the end of the year. Currently, the district is lobbying the state to forgive its remaining payments on a $1.1 million penalty for filing a staff development document late. 

But, Lawrence emphasized that the district is not counting on help from the state. “They’re not likely to easily forgive,” Lawrence said during Monday night’s meeting. 

Selawsky is also pessimistic, noting that the district has been trying to win forgiveness for months. 

“If it didn’t happen while the state economy was booming,” he said, “I have a hard time believing it’s going to happen when the state economy is not booming.” 

Lawrence floated several other ideas for cuts Monday night, including reductions in the high school athletic program and a cap on the number of periods that BHS students spend in the classroom. 

Science teachers and parents have expressed concerns about the cap, fearful that the high school’s successful, 60 year-old, double-period science program will suffer. 

In interviews Tuesday, Rivera, Selawsky and board President Shirley Issel said it would painful to cut double-period science, and Rivera said he hopes to retain the program at least a couple of days per week. But ultimately, all three said they would support the cap in order to reduce costs. 

School board members Ted Schultz and Terry Doran could not be reached by deadline. 

Members of the public who attended Monday’s meeting made plugs for various programs, from special education to music, offered to lobby the state on the fine forgiveness and expressed outrage at the district’s past fiscal management. 

Carole Bloomstein, librarian at Longfellow Middle School, said the district has been talking about the same financial problems, ranging from faulty payroll systems to improper management of its vacation system, for years and has not made progress. 

“I want to believe,” said Bloomstein, referring to hopes that the current administration will right the ship. “Why should we believe?” 

Lawrence said she will work to make the budget process more transparent so that the public can hold administrators more accountable. 

The superintendent will discuss the rationale for her initial wave of proposed cuts at the school board’s Feb. 20 meeting. The board will likely vote on the layoffs and a reorganization of the central office at its Feb. 27 meeting.  

Editor: 

Re: Developer Patrick Kennedy’s letter of Feb. 5, in which he invokes the NIMBY slur and disdains the Berkeley Party, Howie Muir and Carrie Olson. 

Since the NIMBY expression has often been invoked against our neighborhood near the proposed development for 2700 San Pablo Ave. other Berkeley neighborhoods facing inappropriate development, it might be helpful to be aware of its history.  

The expression of “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) had been a rallying cry for communities to defend themselves against the real peril of corporations dumping toxic contaminants into their communities.  

Typically these communities were blue collar, economically depressed and often predominantly minority. Starting around 1978, due to an alarming increase in miscarriages, birth defects and other significant health effects, the neighborhood of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, N.Y. came to realize that it was being exposed to the toxic waste of Hooker Chemical Co. (which had sold the land to the local Board of Education for $1 and a release from liability). The NIMBY defense appears to have originated with the Love Canal Homeowners Association started by Lois Gibbs. She believed that “people fighting for their own backyard is what democracy is about.” The petro-chemical industry, intent on locating oil, chemical and hazardous waste facilities in targeted communities, cleverly turned the acronym of NIMBY into a pejorative, portraying it as selfish protectionism. The grassroots environmental justice movement then changed their rallying cry to NIAMBY-Not In Anyone’s Backyard. 

I believe that most Berkeley residents desire the predominantly low-rise neighborhoods, to which they are accustomed, as well as a continuity of that scale over a period of time relative to their lives. This in large part is what gives Berkeley its appeal. There is no shame in attempting to preserve our existing quality of life while also attempting to accommodate and protect those who may be less fortunate in our society.  

These are not mutually exclusive endeavors and Berkeley preservationists recognize this. 

While self-proclaimed man-of-the-people Piedmont resident Patrick Kennedy now uses “NIMBY” in attempting to belittle and manipulate Berkeley neighborhoods into bowing to oversized development, the obvious irony should be pointed out that Mr.Kennedy can be assured of never facing a similar struggle as a protected member of his Piedmont enclave.  

For some reason the concept of “smart growth” doesn’t apply to the major traffic corridors of Piedmont. 

At least one other irony presents itself around Mr. Kennedy’s association with the dread NIMBY term and the oil industry. His proposed residential/commercial development at 2700 San Pablo Avenue, as far as is known, still appears slated to go onto a contaminated piece of land as documented by an attachment to the deed and a 1998 report on the results of soil and water sampling. The former gas station is listed as a L.U.S.T. (Leaking Underground Storage Tank) site and although it was certified “closed”, i.e. cleaned up, there is reason to believe this certification was premature.  

In July 2000, The Environmental Working Group issued a report, which details a failure of state regulators to order cleanup or take other legally binding enforcement action on more than 90 percent of the thousands of underground fuel storage tanks known to be leaking toxic chemicals into water and soil throughout the state. It further states that ... “‘closed’ cases don’t necessarily indicate cleanup or action to stop ongoing pollution. In the late 1990s, the state Water Resources Control Board fast-tracked sweetheart settlements for leaking tank sites, closing many cases without adequate review, cleanup, containment, or penalties for the responsible parties.” 2700 San Pablo may be one such example. 

Peter Teichner 

Berkeley 

The Planning Commission will hold the first public hearing tonight on the Southside Plan, the document designed to guide development in the area around upper Telegraph Avenue for about the next 20 years. 

Debate is expected to focus on whether the plan, which divides the Southside area into four separate zones for development purposes, allows for enough new housing to be built in the area. 

Andy Katz, director of city affairs for the Associated Students of California, said the ASUC had not yet taken a final position on the plan, but he did express some concern about whether it would increase the amount of housing in the area. 

“We’re going to have discussions before we come out with a final position,” he said. “The spirit of the plan is consensus, so we hope the city will work in good faith to make sure that they enact policies that alleviate the housing crisis.” 

John McBride, a Berkeley citizen who has followed the planning process closely, said that many of the properties that will become available for high-density housing under the plan are owned by the university. 

“The ball is in the university’s court,” he said. “Are they serious about housing? The sites are there.” 

Commission chair Rob Wrenn, author of the most recent draft of the plan said on Tuesday that the goal of the plan is to balance the concerns of the university, the students and local neighborhood groups. 

“We’re not trying to create as much housing as possible no matter what,” he said. “Under the plan, there’s the potential to increase the population by about twenty percent. I don’t think you can double the population without destroying the area.” 

The plan called for less dense development away from the high-density corridors of Telegraph and Bancroft Avenues. The goal, Wrenn said, is to “step down” from dense areas into existing single-family neighborhoods. 

The Planning Commission has made finalization of the plan, which has been in development for around eight years, its top priority in the upcoming months. 

The Planning Commission will meet at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave., at 7 p.m. 

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net

Theo Boguszewski, eighth-grader at Longfellow Middle School, is a little nervous. 

Boguszewski, who won first prize in the eighth grade life sciences category at her school’s fifth annual science fair last week, is headed to the 49th annual Bay Area Science Fair in San Francisco in mid-March. 

“I guess it seems like it’s going to be a lot of people doing really complicated projects, and that’s a little scary,” said Boguszewski, who conducted an experiment on the effects of light and heat on chicken reproduction. 

Boguszewski is one of 250 seventh- and eighth-graders at Longfellow who participated in last week’s science fair, judged by some 50 volunteers from Bayer Corporation, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Lab and elsewhere. 

Judges selected winners and runners-up in life science, physical science and social science categories, for both the seventh and eighth grades. First-place finishers will go to the Bay Area fair with a chance to advance to the statewide contest in Los Angeles in May.  

“We really encourage the kids to choose their own questions,” said Suzy Loper, a sixth-grade science teacher who helped organize the Longfellow fair. Loper said students get more excited about projects of their own choosing. 

Dante Williams, runner-up in the eighth grade life sciences category, agreed. “You can become more creative when you get to pick your project,” he said. 

Jonathan Cohen, seventh-grade science teacher, said middle school students are particularly interested in social issues, and that the social science category generates some of the most interesting experiments. 

This year some of the top projects in the social science field include a study of peer pressure, an examination of the reliability of eye witness testimony and a look into the effects of different types of dance on mood. 

“I dance numerous times a week and I knew my mood changed when I danced,” said Caitlyn Greene, an eighth grader.  

Greene, who conducted the study on mood at her dance studio, found that jazz dance makes people feel better and ballet makes dancers feel worse. But, she noted that there might be some methodological issues with her study. 

“If I went to a different studio that focused on ballet, the results would have been different,” she said. 

Annie Snow, a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at Longfellow, said these methodological lessons are some of the most important that a student can learn through a science project. 

“Students will say, ‘it didn’t work right,’” Snow said. “But it’s still a science project, and it’s still valid.” 

Stephanie Lowe, an eighth-grader who conducted a study on bicycle helmets and finished first in the physical sciences category, said she learned a lot through her project.  

But she has her eye on another benefit as well. “I think the Bay Area Science fair will be fun because we get to miss school and hang out,” she said.  

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 13, the 44th day of 2002. There are 321 days left in the year. This is Ash Wednesday. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 13, 1935, a jury in Flemington, N.J., found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap-death of the infant son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. Hauptmann was later executed. 

On this date: 

In 1542, the fifth wife of England’s King Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, was executed for adultery. 

In 1635, America’s oldest public school, the Boston Public Latin School, was founded. 

In 1914, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, known as ASCAP, was founded in New York. 

In 1920, the League of Nations recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland. 

In 1945, during World War II, the Soviets captured Budapest, Hungary, from the Germans. 

In 1945, Allied planes began bombing the German city of Dresden. 

In 1960, France exploded its first atomic bomb. 

In 1980, opening ceremonies were held in Lake Placid, N.Y., for the 13th Winter Olympics. 

In 1984, Konstantin Chernenko was chosen to be general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party’s Central Committee, succeeding the late Yuri Andropov. 

In 1988, the 15th winter Olympics opened in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

Ten years ago: Donna Weinbrecht of the United States won the gold medal in women’s freestyle skiing moguls at the Olympic games in Albertville, France. 

Five years ago: Discovery’s astronauts hauled the Hubble Space Telescope aboard the shuttle for a one-billion-mile tuneup to allow it to peer even deeper into the far reaches of the universe. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average broke through the 7,000 barrier for the first time, ending the day at 7,022.44. 

One year ago: A 6.6 magnitude earthquake shook El Salvador, killing at least 402 people one month to the day after another quake killed more than 800 people. Ivan Lendl was elected to the tennis Hall of Fame along with Mervyn Rose, an Australian star from the 1950’s. 

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Lyle Bettger is 87. Singer Eileen Farrell is 82. Former test pilot Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager is 79. Actress Kim Novak is 69. Actor George Segal is 68. Actor Bo Svenson is 61. Actress Carol Lynley is 60. Singer-musician Peter Tork (The Monkees) is 60. Actress Stockard Channing is 58. Talk show host Jerry Springer is 58. Singer Peter Gabriel is 52. Actor David Naughton is 51. Rock musician Peter Hook is 46. Actor Matt Salinger is 42. Singer Henry Rollins is 41. Singer Freedom Williams is 36. Actress Kelly Hu is 34. Rock musician Todd Harrell (3 Doors Down) is 30. Actress Mena Suvari is 23. 

WASHINGTON — One in four American Indians lives in California or Oklahoma, according to the 2000 census. Cherokee and Navajo are by far the tribes most often checked off on forms. 

A report being released Wednesday shows 4.1 million people claimed to be all or part “American Indian or Alaska Native.” In the 1990 census nearly 2 million people checked off that race, though figures are not directly comparable because of differences in the way race and ethnicity data are tallied. 

California led the nation with 628,000 people identifying themselves as members of the race, followed by Oklahoma with 392,000 and Arizona with 293,000. 

The Census Bureau used a massive advertising and outreach effort to improve its American Indian count, especially on isolated and hard-to-reach reservations. For many tribal governments, results are crucial to secure accurate funding from the federal government, said Louis Tutt, the Navajo Nation’s census liaison. 

The 2000 head count found 298,197 people who were all or part Navajo, a total that includes those people living off Navajo land. 

“We think we have reached 100 percent of the people for the first time,” Tutt said by telephone from tribal headquarters in Window Rock, Ariz. “The result of the count is very satisfying.” 

Among tribal groupings, only the Cherokee, numbering 729,533, surpassed the Navajo. Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller said that while his Tahlequah, Okla.-based government took an active role during census-taking, they think their population was undercounted. 

“The paradox is that there is an undercount here in Cherokee Nation because of its rural nature,” Miller said. The Census Bureau has considered releasing a second overall population count based on adjusted data, which many Democrats say would offer a more accurate count of minorities. But last year the bureau twice recommended against adjusted data. 

The bureau cited much lower undercount rates among minority groups — on American Indian reservations, for instance — among its reasons to stick with the raw head count for redrawing political lines and distributing federal funds. 

The latest report showed that 40 percent of those who selected American Indian or Alaska Native took advantage of a first-ever option to check off more than one race on their form. Because of a long history of intermarriage between American Indians and whites, demographers had predicted that American Indians would have one of the highest percentages of people who were multiracial. 

SACRAMENTO — A California Senate committee, convinced that bankrupt energy giant Enron has destroyed financial documents under legislative subpoena, voted Tuesday to seek criminal charges against the company for concealing evidence and conspiracy. 

Committee members also voted to ask the full Senate to find Enron in contempt of two legislative subpoenas — one issued in June seeking documents related to California’s energy market and the other for testimony about destruction of documents. 

The committee voted 5-0 to ask the district attorney from either Sacramento or Orange County to investigate whether Enron intentionally withheld documents from investigators or destroyed any relevant papers. 

Lawmakers investigating California’s power crisis asked Enron for thousands of documents in June, but the company’s destruction of documents and shredding done by its accountants may have violated that order, Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, said. 

Last month, Enron officials ignored a committee request to testify about which documents may have been destroyed. 

Enron officials didn’t attend Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Price Manipulation in the Wholesale Energy Market. Calls for comment were not immediately returned. 

Last week, Enron Vice President Richard B. Sanders wrote Dunn to say there was no reason for company officials to testify because Enron wasn’t “aware of anyone from Enron who made inquiries to Arthur Andersen regarding what documents were destroyed.” 

Andersen was the major accounting firm that audited Enron’s books; Andersen officials have said their accountants shredded some Enron-related documents. 

Larry Drivon, an attorney for the committee, recommended that prosecutors also investigate whether company employees conspired to withhold or destroy documents, which would elevate the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony. 

Enron has now invited investigators to search the company’s document repositories in Portland, Ore. and Houston, Texas, for trading and policy documents they subpoenaed last year, Dunn said. 

The committee also is preparing subpoenas for testimony from Andersen regarding destruction of some Enron documents. 

“I seriously doubt that Enron will ever send us anything more significant than a picture postcard from the Cayman Islands while I’m alive, much less any of the financial documents we are seeking,” said Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey. 

The committee has subpoenaed documents from a half-dozen energy companies as part of the investigation into the state’s power crisis last year, when energy prices soared. 

No company has complied fully with the subpoenas, Dunn said, but some have cooperated more than others. All have done more than Enron. 

The committee has reviewed millions of documents turned over by the energy suppliers, but hasn’t yet been given key internal documents, such as companies’ forecasts for power prices in California, he said. 

In the early 1990s, the energy industry touted deregulation as a way to cut consumer prices by increasing competition, Dunn said. But the committee investigators believe that energy companies’ internal price forecasts will show they were predicting huge revenue increases as California’s power market was deregulated. 

Last summer, the committee asked the Senate to find Enron in contempt for not providing documents. That request was withdrawn after Enron and Dunn reached an agreement  

to keep the documents confidential. 

If the full Senate votes this time to find Enron in contempt, sanctions could include fines, or stripping the company’s authority to do business in California, Dunn said. 

If the full Senate imposes sanctions against Enron, it will be the first time since 1929, when the Senate voted to jail reluctant witnesses during a committee investigation of price fixing and price gouging allegations involving cement sales to the state. 

SAN JOSE — Apple Computer Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Ericsson Telephone Co. said Tuesday they have teamed up to develop a system for bringing multimedia content such as movie clips to cell phones and other wireless devices. 

Analysts say the three companies are laying their stakes — and jockeying for position against rivals Microsoft Corp. and RealNetworks Inc. — in an emerging market for video applications in wireless services. 

Boosters of the technology envision also cell phone and handheld-computer users sending personalized video clips to each other instead of text messages. 

Dubbed the Ericsson Content Delivery Solution, the system will include Apple’s QuickTime streaming video application, content-distribution software from Sun and wireless infrastructure from Ericsson. Financial terms were not disclosed. 

Under the system, content providers could create video clips using QuickTime and not have to worry about reformatting it to run on different kinds of devices, said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. The content would be ready for wireless-network operators to send directly to consumer devices. 

“It’s a bridge from media organizations to the mobile networks,” said Patrick Kane, Ericsson’s vice president of strategic business and alliances. 

Kane said some wireless carriers have already shown interest, and he predicted consumers will see multimedia services offered by the end of the year. 

The cost of those services, however, remains unclear. 

“Are the services going to be affordable for consumers, and will the content be compelling enough so that consumers are willing to pay for it? It’s too early to tell,” said analyst Susan Kevorkian of International Data Corp. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.apple.com 

http://www.sun.com 

http://www.ericsson.com 

SAN DIEGO — A director of Enron was reappointed Tuesday to Qualcomm Inc.’s board over the objections of labor groups and some shareholder activists. 

At the company’s annual meeting, shareholders voted to appoint Frank Savage to another three-year term as a member of the board of directors of the San Diego-based wireless technology firm. Savage, 63, has served on the Qualcomm board since 1996. 

Qualcomm had been under pressure from shareholder activists not to reappoint Savage from the company’s board. He and other members of Enron’s board have been sharply criticized for failing to provide sufficient oversight to prevent the collapse of the energy trading company. 

Two Enron directors, Robert K. Jaedicke and Wendy L. Gramm, the wife of Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, recently resigned from the boards of other companies. 

Savage was elected along with five other nominees, including Brent Scowcroft, who served as a national security adviser in the administrations of presidents George Bush and Gerald Ford. 

Irwin Jacobs, Qualcomm’s chairman and chief executive officer, told shareholders he was aware of the opposition to Savage, but that he has been “an excellent and hardworking board member” and that company officials continue to support him. 

“I do have complete confidence in his integrity,” Jacobs said. 

Savage was not at the shareholder meeting where the vote was announced because of a previous commitment, Jacobs said. The other four nominees all attended the meeting. 

Several shareholders and representatives of labor organizations, whose members hold Qualcomm stock in their retirement plans, rose to challenge the appointment. 

“Do you want to be in bed with skunks like that?” one shareholder told Jacobs during the comment period. 

Eric Grant, 72, a Qualcomm shareholder and retired attorney from Jamul, said Savage and the other Enron directors failed to protect the interests of investors. 

“I don’t think they should put a man who is tainted on the board of directors of Qualcomm,” Grant said. “I think shareholders have a right to say we could do better with somebody else.” 

The exact vote tally will not be announced until Qualcomm’s next quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The newly appointed board members will serve until 2005. 

—— 

On the net: www.qualcomm.com 

Being the daughter of a famous writer, being a BI-coastal child to divorced parents, being bi-racial and being a “movement child” of the sixties has not been easy — being Rebecca Walker has not been easy. 

The intimate details and process of which she poetically unravels in Black White and Jewish, an Autobiography of a Shifting Self, she will tell you, has not been easy for either of her parents to swallow. 

“It’s very difficult for parents to face the negative way their decisions affect their children,” Walker said of how her parents have accepted the release of her National Best-selling book. “No parent wants to hurt their child. It’s been tough. It’s been a challenge.” 

Both parents, Walker said, grew up with their own painful struggles and in a certain way have looked at the life they’ve attempted to provide for her and have wondered what on earth could possibly be wrong with your life? 

The Commonwealth Club, a public forum group, hosted Walker at Berkeley Hillel -The Reutlinger Center on Monday night where she read from her autobiography and took questions about herself and the Third Wave Foundation, a philanthropic group she founded after graduating from Yale University, Cum Laude, in ’92 for women between the age of 15-30. 

Walker’s has been a contributing editor to Ms. magazine since 1989. 

Historically her writing has engaged such topics as feminism, race, sexuality reproductive freedom and domestic violence and has been published in Essence, Mademoiselle, The New York Daily News, Harper's, Sassy, SPIN, The Black Scholar, and various women's and black studies anthologies including Listen Up (Seal) and Testimony (Beacon).  

Considered as a signature voice for the young women's movement, and named in ’96 as one of the 50 Future Leaders of America by Time magazine, Walker’s most recent writing appears to be taking a step back and inside to explore the duality of her existence — and reveals the insecurity of an adolescent who spent many years of her life looking at two cultures from the outside and longing to be apart of either. In Shifting Self she writes about what’s not so apparent about the successful, intelligent and beautiful woman the world sees.  

Years before her parents were separated, Walker details the resentment she experienced from darker-skinned black girls, setting the groundwork for her own self-discovery. 

“It does not occur to me that I’m doing something against the other dark-skinned girls.... It does not occur to me that I am somehow betraying them,” Walker writes about herself and a sense of entitlement that not being perceived as being black gave her. 

She also recalls the invisibility of not belonging and the confusion of living underneath the changing perception of others. 

“What I found in writing this book was that remembering was very painful. I found that in order for me to remember I had to let go... So it was through writing this book that I created a cohesive and surrogate Rebecca and that I was able to let go of experiences that have been so long etched onto my body,” Walker said of her book. 

Walker was born in 1969 in Jackson, Mississippi, to an interracial “movement” couple who married in defiance of Mississippi's anti-miscegenation laws — African-American novelist Alice Walker and white Jewish civil rights attorney Mel Leventhal. 

“Movement folk... In 1967, when my parents break all the rules and marry against laws that say they can't, they say that an individual should not be bound to the wishes of their family, race, state, or country. They say that love is the tie that binds.”  

But she also recalls with the same clarity and honesty the pain of her parents break-up and somewhere in the middle she says she learned when to break those rules in order to find her place in the world.  

In San Francisco her mother struggled to balance the demands of writing with the responsibilities of motherhood, and according to daughter Rebecca Walker it was at times they were so close it was difficult to discern the lines between mother and daughter and to know the limitations of being a child.  

In New York, however, her father had remarried to a more traditional homemaker and this environment she says left her feeling stifled. Walker chronicles the ambivalent relationship she has with her father's new wife, a woman whom she describes as her “white, holier-than-thou, Jewish stepmother,” but in her more vulnerable moments also calls “Mom.”  

Walker describes the paradox of these two existences in passages of the book. “...It is too hard to be the translator between two worlds," she writes. 

In addition Walker talks of difficult early years with her Jewish family, recalling a scene when her Jewish grandmother would occasionally “kvetches] about how ungrateful her daughters-in-law are and how tragic it is that she isn't ever going to have Jewish grandchildren because her sons married shiksas." And pages later revisits visiting her mother’s family in Atlanta and how that intimacy was tainted by discomfort.  

Walker writes, "How do I reconcile my love for my uncles and cousins with the fact that I remind them of pain?"  

In a recent interview, Walker elaborated on that discomfort. “It was painful for my [black] uncles to notice white attributes and characteristics in me. I brought them all this joy, but at the other end were traits [in me] that they thought were dangerous and repulsive. [On the other hand], my blackness reminds my father of a time in his life that is different from the time he lives in now. It reminds him of how committed he was to civil rights and how adamant he was about that work before he became a corporate litigator. One of the profound facts of my body is that it becomes a location, a reminder, particularly for my father, of what he lost romantically and politically."  

The Shifting Self is a story of change, of negotiating with social constructs and coming to the point where you’ve got the upperhand. 

contact reporter: 

devona@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

PARK CITY, Utah — This town knows how to host a party. 

Long before the Olympics, this mountain ski village east of Salt Lake City was one of the few places in Utah with name recognition. Three ski resorts and the Sundance Film Festival bring thousands of visitors every winter and concertgoers and arts festival patrons in the summer. 

Now, for its biggest party ever, Park City has unleashed all its practiced hospitality. Area resorts are hosting snowboarding, slalom and moguls events, with ski jumping close by at Utah Olympic Park. The city’s Old Town is hosting the fun. 

Park City is hipper, richer, smaller and cooler than its valley neighbors. With the state’s smallest percentage of Mormon residents, the former mining town has never followed Salt Lake’s conservative lead. 

Park City boomed in the 19th century — with many more saloons and brothels than churches — after silver was discovered in the hills, but it was a ghost town by the 1950s. It was revived in the 1960s when the city’s biggest mining company realized snow could be more lucrative than silver and opened a resort. 

Now, it’s one of the nation’s swankiest winter destinations. Average house prices are twice those in the rest of the state, and it’s probably the only place in Utah where Gucci bags and men in full-length fur coats don’t merit a second look. 

During the Olympics, Park City is capitalizing on its history, with entertainment ranging from dancing cowgirls to Budweiser horses trotting along historic Main Street. Sponsors hand out goodies and drinkers occasionally sneak beer out onto the street — a sight unknown in Salt Lake. 

Tight security is still evident; officers clad in yellow parkas roam everywhere. 

Tammy Smith, a police dispatcher from California here to work for the games, was in town to enjoy a day off with several colleagues. She said Park City residents and city officials have been enthusiastic. 

“They’ve made law enforcement feel very welcome. The people here are very gracious,” she said. “Everybody comes up and thanks them for being here.” 

Despite the scope of this party, most residents seem to be taking it in stride. There are crowds, but no bigger than for any other festival here. Perhaps because of the cold or the economy, the place hasn’t been overrun with hordes of visitors. 

Even this bastion of wealth shows signs of penny-pinching. Shops selling expensive wares are relatively quiet. Inexpensive eateries are packed, while upscale restaurants whose meals normally cost upward of $50 are selling pizza and pasta on the street for $6. 

“People, when they find out it’s a set menu at a certain price, would rather buy from street vendors,” said Ryan Wells, a manager at the hip Chimayo restaurant on Main Street. 

A Wasatch Brew Pub booth on Main Street featured the model who graces the company’s ads for St. Provo Girl Pilsner. Ingrid Liepnicks signed posters showing her in a revealing beer-garden barmaid outfit and saying, “I may be from Provo, but I’m no saint.” It was a tongue-in-cheek reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are supposed to forswear alcohol. 

A line of men drinking beer stretched toward the door. 

The busiest spot in town was the Roots shop, selling clothing made by the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic team. There was a line out the door on Sunday. 

Up the street, Salt Lake City resident Mike Christy was trying to sell T-shirts reading “Polygamy is better than monotony.” He said his other T-shirt idea, five linked wedding rings with the slogan “Utah Polygamy Association: Proud supporter of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games” would have gotten him in trouble with games organizers. 

“I heard the state of Utah was going to be distancing itself from polygamy during the games,” Christy said. “I thought to myself, maybe someone less noble could get in on that and make a dime.”

Editor: 

West of the intersection of San Pablo and Marin avenues you can see a small grove of conifers, behind which lie several acres of cultivated land and a small cluster of buildings. This is the undeveloped remnant of the Gill Family Nursery, which once extended west to what is now I-80. The entire property was subsequently gifted to the University of California (the UC Gill Tract) for research and environmental studies.  

UC is now preparing to redevelop 26 acres of this land, primarily as a mixed use of campus housing, retail commercial, administrative offices, etc., ignoring the history of the area and the original intent of the gift.  

The University is also overlooking the fact that 30 percent of the food grown in this country is produced in and nearby metropolitan areas. A nearby food source means reduced transportation costs and quite often fresher food. It makes sense to better understand and improve food production in the metropolitan area to assure that it is sustainable, and focuses on the optimal usage of the soil, water and energy resource.  

The Gill Tract is ideally positioned for just such a research focus – open land, soil free from pesticides and a supportive community and nearby labor source. A university-community research garden would allow faculty researchers a nearby experimental area and an excellent extension educational opportunity.  

But why limit the Gill Tract to experimental gardens. The now empty buildings could provide classroom space for workshops and demonstrations not only by university personnel, but also by local businesses and nonprofit groups, enabling them to exhibit, demonstrate and even sell products needed by the city farmer and gardener. This could include soil and garden mix suppliers, drip irrigation and other water conservation methods (low flush, low flow, etc), vendors of solar and photovoltaic equipment, beneficial insect suppliers (ladybird beetles, green lacewings, etc.) and least toxic pesticides and fertilizers to name a few. Rather than the usual commercial mall, the Gill Tract could become a one-stop ecological/educational mall where questions relating to gardening, food production, food storage and nutrition could be answered. The potential for benefiting the community and providing leadership for other metropolitan areas is exciting. 

The area already has groups that provide gardening and other ecological information, but these remain scattered and often overlooked – city of Berkeley Ecology Center, Bio Integral Resource Center (least toxic pest controls), Tilden Regional Park and University of California Botanical Gardens (information and sources of native plants), California Native Plant Society, California Rare Fruit Growers Society, San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners, among others.  

Is the life we live in our metropolitan areas sustainable, or have we already passed that point? We all agree that a proper mix of clean food, water, air and energy is essential, but how do we arrive at the proper blend on a local and regional level? The Gill Tract offers the university and community an excellent chance to answer these questions. 

Lloyd Andres 

Berkeley

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. 

Circles of Iron, Cloaks of Power: 

African Colonial Intermediaries in 

the French Soudan, West Africa,  

1890 - 1910 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level “C” 

A talk by Emily Osborn of Notre Dame University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Bruce G. Friedrich 

7:30 p.m. 

First Unitarian Church of Oakland 

Hamilton Hall 

685 14th St., Oakland 

An evening of food, ideas and discussion with the Senior Campaign Coordinator for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). 914-7131, colleen@justgive.org.  

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

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. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Bart Station 

Peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to war and the U. S. bombing of Afghanistan. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil.html.  

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 

Exploring Old Neighborhoods in the East Bay and Marin 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

A slide presentation showcasing historic houses, beautiful gardens, parks, waterfalls and more. 527-7377 

Grandparent Support Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

Malcolm X School Arts and  

Academics School 

1731 Prince St., Room 105A 

For grandparents and relatives raising their grandchildren and other relatives. 644-6517. 

Saturday, Feb. 16

Puppet Show 

1:30 and 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health, Children’s Hospital Oakland 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Includes puppets from diverse cultures and with such conditions as cerberal palsy, blindness, and Down syndrome. Free. 549-1564. 

Launch Party for War Times 

4 p.m. 

Mandela Village 

1357 Fifth St., West Oakland 

A new national anti-war newspaper covering an alternative truth. 869-5156. 

A man was wounded in the back when his Sacramento Street apartment was sprayed with about 10 bullets at 10:25 p.m. Friday. 

The shooting was the fifth reported in Berkeley in the last three weeks. 

Ramone Morales, 33, was sitting on a living room couch visiting with friends when gunfire erupted from the parking lot behind the small apartment building in the 2700 block of Sacramento Street. 

Paramedics took him to Highland Hospital in Oakland. According to hospital officials, Morales was released on Sunday after some minor surgery. 

Police said they are uncertain if the shooting was random or if the bullets were intended for Morales. 

“The case is under investigation, and right now we don’t know if Mr. Morales was the target,” Capt. Bobby Miller said adding that Morales’s was the only unit hit by gunfire. 

Miller said there were no witnesses to the shooting and currently there are no suspects. 

This incident follows a recent rash of shootings in the city. 

On Jan. 22, Rammar Johnson and Noel Turner, Jr. were found in a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds to the head at 63rd and King streets. Both men later died.  

In another incident, a man was wounded in the thigh during a domestic dispute on Jan. 28, and on Feb. 5, yet another man was wounded in the thigh by an acquaintance.  

“There is an increase in shootings from last year,” Miller said although he did not have last year’s figures immediately available. “We haven’t been able to distinguish a particular pattern or associate any of the other shootings. So far they appear to be independent of each other.” 

Miller said he was unaware if there has been a history of drug activity in the vicinity of Friday’s shooting. Councilmember Margaret Breland, who represents the neighborhood, did not return calls on Monday.  

Mayor Shirley Dean said she was alarmed to hear about the Friday shooting. 

“I’ve heard it’s possible that some of the shootings are drug related,” she said. “If that’s the case then this is a real wake up call.” 

Dean encouraged anyone who knows anything about the shooting to call the police. “The best way to fight this type of thing is with the help of the community,” she said.  

City Manager Weldon Rucker, who was on the scene of the shooting as police investigated the Friday night incident, said the recent shootings are an indication that there needs to be some changes in the neighborhood. 

“In addition to police we also plan to have City Services take a look at some of the businesses and blighted properties in the area that might be contributing to the problem,” he said.  

Editor: 

I would like to address points made by Paul Hogarth in his letter of 2/2/02. He implies that Charles Ramsey’s campaign is somehow tainted by the support of property owners whom he calls “crapacious and callous” these inappropriate comments send chills up the spine when one considers that Mr. Hogarth sits on a board which is supposed to make unbiased determinations on tenant-landlord disputes. He is a clearly and viscerally biased against property owners. 

Mr. Hogarth tries hard to portray Charles Ramsey’s support as one dimensional (real estate interests); but the standing-room-only Ramsey campaign kick off event two weeks ago told a different tale. If you wanted true diversity in Berkeley that is where you found it: African-Americans, Latinos, labor union representatives, property owners, members of the Berkeley fire department and families lined up to take their assignments to walk precincts. 

If Charles Ramsey is in the pocket of landlords and real estate interests as Mr. Hogarth would have you believe, how does he explain his endorsements by Maudelle Shirek and Barbara Lee, icons of progressive politics in Berkeley. 

Mr. Hogarth states that if any East Bay resident cares about the “housing crisis” they should vote for Loni Hancock. If my memory serves me well, it was Ms. Hancock who opposed the building of the Foothill dorms on UC property – she even went as far as standing in front of the bulldozers to prevent construction. 

Mr. Hogarth is not concerned about student housing, he merely wants more rent control. Here is the paradox: almost all of the rent control programs in the nation (including Berkeley’s started out as a response to inflation – not a housing crisis. That came later. 

Unfortunately, the more rent control a city has, the worse the housing crisis becomes, the more demand that rent control be expanded and enforced more severely (Mr. Hogarth’s and Loni Hancock’s true agenda). 

Playing the rent control card shows how out of touch with the voters the Hancock campaign is by relying on juvenile demagogues such as Mr. Hogarth.  

Mr. Charles Ramsey is a moderate with much more broad appeal in a district where Berkeley represents only one third of the electorate and where he has solid support not only from Mayor Shirley Dean, councilmembers Betty Olds and Maudelle Shirek, but from Berkeley police and firefighters as well. 

Charles Ramsey is ready to take the new 14th District into the 21st century by building bridges to the entire community, while Ms. Hancock wants to drag us back to the ‘60s with the politics of division. 

Robert Cabrera 

president 

Berkeley Property Owners Association

Licensed child care in Alameda County is both scarce and expensive, according to a report released last week by the California Child Care & Resource Referral Network, a statewide organization that conducts research on child care issues. 

According to the report, the third in a series of biannual statewide studies, the average cost of full-time care for an infant in the county is $9,501, or 19 percent of the median income. The figure rivals housing costs, falling just below the $11,050 fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit in Alameda County. 

The study, based on 2000 figures, also found that child care is available for only 32 percent of the children in the county who may need it, a 7 percent increase since 1998.  

Shelley Waters Boots, research director for the Referral Network, said the modest increase in child care availability, both in the county and statewide, is disappointing given the recent economic boom. 

“Our expectations were that, because of all the increasing demand, child care would grow to reach that demand,” she said. “But, even in the best of times, the market didn’t respond the way normal markets would respond.” 

Waters Boots said high rental costs, for commercial spaces and private homes that host child care, played a role in discouraging growth.  

Judy Kriege, resource referral counselor for Bananas, an Oakland-based group that helps parents in northern Alameda County find childcare, said low salaries also contributed to the problem. 

“Child care doesn’t pay well,” Kriege said, pointing to statistics from the Referral Network report which show that statewide the average salary for a pre-school teacher is $21,130 and the average salary for an assistant is $17,420. Entry-level public school teachers, by contrast, make an average of $25,433. 

Darlene Percoats, executive administrative director of the Child Educational Center, a child care center in Berkeley, said low salaries make it difficult to find qualified staff. But no matter what the pay scale, she said, it is simply difficult to find people with a passion for the work. 

“You can find a body,” Percoats said, “but quality people who are committed to what they’re doing is something else.” 

Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, director of the Bay Area Hispano Institute for Advancement, a 26 year-old child care agency in Berkeley, said it is particularly difficult to find qualified bilingual staff to serve the needs of her clientele. 

But more than anything else Leyva-Cutler said she needs more funding, both to boost salaries and secure more space. “We’d like to serve more children,” she said, noting that she has 60 families on her waiting list, “but we don’t have the facilities.” 

The city of Berkeley spends over $500,000 per year on child care services, and the state has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into early childhood development in California in recent years through Proposition 10, a 1998 voter-approved cigarette tax. 

Alameda County has received about $20 million per year. Over the course of 18 months in 2000-2001, through its Every Child Counts program, the county spent about $5 million on child care, including $4.1 million in stipends for child care workers who have spent at least nine months at a given center. Stipends range from $500 to $5,100, depending on a teacher’s education level. 

Percoats said the stipends have been helpful in retaining staff in the industry. But ultimately, with salaries still low, she said, it is commitment to children that keeps people in the job. 

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 12, the 43rd day of 2002. There are 322 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in present-day Larue County, Ky. 

On this date: 

In 1733, English colonists led by James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, Ga. 

In 1870, women in the Utah Territory gained the right to vote. 

In 1892, President Lincoln’s birthday was declared a national holiday. 

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded. 

In 1915, the cornerstone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, D.C. 

In 1924, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered in New York. 

In 1940, the radio play “The Adventures of Superman” debuted on the Mutual network with Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel. 

In 1942, painter Grant Wood, creator of “American Gothic,” died in Iowa City, Iowa, a day before his 51st birthday. 

In 1973, the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place. 

In 1999, the Senate voted to acquit President Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice. 

Ten years ago: Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton released a letter he’d written as a student in 1969 in which he said he had decided to give up a draft deferment in order to “maintain my political viability.” President Bush formally announced his bid for re-election. 

Five years ago: The highest-ranking official to flee communist North Korea, Hwang Jang Yop, asked for political asylum at South Korea’s consulate in Beijing. The Clinton administration gave permission to 10 U.S. news organizations to open bureaus in Cuba. 

One year ago: The NEAR spacecraft touched down on Eros, completing the first landing on an asteroid. Scientists published their first examinations of nearly all the human genetic code. A federal appeals court ruled the Internet service Napster had to prevent users from swapping copyrighted music without charge. A computer virus pretending to be a digital photo of tennis star Anna Kournikova overwhelmed e-mail servers in Europe and North America. 

Today’s Birthdays: Movie director Franco Zeffirelli is 79. Baseball Hall-of-Fame sportscaster Joe Garagiola is 76. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., is 72. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell is 68. Actor Joe Don Baker is 66. Rock musician Ray Manzarek (The Doors) is 63. Author Judy Blume is 64. Country singer Moe Bandy is 58. Actress Maud Adams is 57. Actor Cliff DeYoung is 57. Actor Michael Ironside is 52. Rock musician Steve Hackett is 52. Rock singer Michael McDonald is 50. Actress Joanna Kerns is 49. Actor-former talk show host Arsenio Hall is 47. Actress Christine Elise is 37. Actor Josh Brolin is 34. Singer Chynna Phillips is 34. Rock musician Jim Creeggan (Barenaked Ladies) is 32. Rhythm-and-blues musician Keri Lewis (Mint Condition) is 31. Actress Christina Ricci is 22.

An eye for an eye, a pig for a pig 

PAINESVILLE, Ohio — A man who called a police officer a pig has served his sentence with a sow. 

A lunchtime crowd — including his daughter — jeered and joked with Steven Thompson on Friday as he stood on a city sidewalk next to a 350-pound pig in a pen for two hours, with a sign reading, “This is not a police officer.” 

Painesville Municipal Judge Michael Cicconetti ordered the sentence instead of jail time following Thompson’s guilty plea to disorderly conduct. 

Thompson, 44, had used the word “pig” while shouting obscenities in a Jan. 28 confrontation with a city police officer. 

“I made a mistake, and now I’m sorry and I’m paying for it,” Thompson said in a speech next to the pen. 

His teen-age daughter and friends from her high school shouted, “Way to go, Mr. Thompson!” 

A farmer from nearby Perry loaned the city the sow, an award-winning Duroc purebred. Painesville is about 30 miles east of Cleveland. 

Occupation: criminal 

YORK, Pa. — When court clerks asked York County Prison inmate Greg Gould Jr. to list his occupation for a marriage license, he replied “criminal.” 

It was part of a ceremony Jan. 25 held in the basement of the county courthouse. 

“That was a joke. Did they write it down that way?” asked Gould, 30, who was escorted by sheriff’s deputies. 

“Well, he is a criminal,” said York County Sheriff Bill Hose. 

Gould married 27-year-old Valentina Marie Natasha Roberts, the mother of his two children. No family or friends were allowed in the courtroom where the wedding took place. 

Gould was convicted Jan. 10 of multiple robbery counts in a 1999 gas station holdup. His new wife is on probation until 2003; she pleaded guilty to supplying Gould and a co-defendant with handguns used in the robbery. 

Valentina Gould said “it isn’t tough” being married to someone in prison, and she’s standing by her husband. 

“I love him; the commitment’s there,” she said. 

Heading out 

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s former first lady — not the current one — soon will sit for an oil portrait that may hang permanently in the governor’s residence. 

Frances Glendening and Gov. Parris Glendening divorced in November. But the hanging of their official state portraits will go ahead as planned, said officials with the Government House Foundation. The foundation raises money to pay for the portraits and other improvements to the residence. 

The portraits traditionally are not hung until after a governor is out of office. It is not known whether Glendening’s bride, Jennifer Crawford, 35, a former deputy chief of staff, will request a portrait of her own. 

Mike Morrill, the governor’s spokesman, said, “They just got married. It’s not the appropriate time to ask.” 

The foundation so far is not raising money for a portrait for Crawford, said board chairman William Myers. 

The former first lady is known for her work promoting the arts in Maryland. She also initiated a Maryland State Archives research project that became an exhibit highlighting the state’s other first ladies. 

The governor, 59, and Frances Glendening, 50, were married nearly 25 years. He married Crawford, the state’s 56th first lady, last month. 

Frances Glendening said she looks forward to sitting for the portrait and plans to wear “something bright.” 

——— 

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Wanted: ornery felines. 

Researchers have begun recruiting 20 of the most foul-mannered cats in upstate New York for an experiment to see whether drugs will calm their nerves and stop fights. 

Behavior specialists at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine want to test the theory that the scrappy cats are really suffering from social anxiety. 

“We’re looking for 20 real bullies — the ones that start the fights — to see whether cat-to-cat aggression can be reduced with anti-anxiety medication,” said Tracy Kroll, a veterinary resident and researcher in Cornell’s Animal Behavior Clinic. 

The researchers will be using clomipramine, which is used in humans under the brand name Anafranil to treat panic and anxiety disorders. In dogs, under the brand name Clomicalm, it treats “separation anxiety,” when canines find the absence of their owners to be unbearable. 

“Some of the over-anxiety may be territorial or it may start when you bring a new cat into the house,” Kroll said. “Then there’s the so-called redirected aggression, when your indoor cat can’t reach a cat outside the window, so it fights with a sibling or other feline friend inside.” 

WASHINGTON — The FBI issued an extraordinary terrorist alert Monday night, asking law enforcement and the American public to be on the lookout for a Yemeni man and several associates who might be plotting a terrorist attack as early as today. 

The FBI scrambled to put the warning out after information emerged that one or more people were involved. Officials said the intelligence, while deemed credible, was not specific about possible targets. 

The alert identified one possible attacker as Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei, a Yemeni national born in Saudia Arabia in 1979. It listed about a dozen associates of al-Rabeei. 

The bureau planned to put photos and information on a Web site to help Americans identify the possible perpetrators. 

“Recent information indicates a planned attack may occurred in the United States or against U.S. interests on or around Feb. 12, 2002. One or more operatives may be involved in the attack,” the alert to 18,000 law enforcement agencies said. 

The alert asked police “to stop and detain” any of the named individuals in alert and that all “should be considered extremely dangerous.” 

Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis, said all state agencies were on high alert after the FBI issued its warning. 

“We’ve been advised of the specific names on the list,” Maviglio said. 

Law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alert was prompted by recent information from interviews of detainees in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where several al-Qaida operatives are being held. 

Law enforcement officials said there was no evidence that al-Rabeei had entered the United States. The alert did not say whether the attack was planned or that it involved Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network. Before Monday, FBI and Homeland Security officials had issued three general alerts urging all Americans to be cautious and on the lookout for possible terrorist activities.

Bay Area Briefs 

Surfers swept away in riptide 

SAN FRANCISCO — Ten surfers were plucked from the Pacific Ocean after an unusually strong riptide swept them out and kept them from returning to shore. 

Two U.S. Coast Guard boats training in a nearby area were diverted to the scene Sunday to rescue the surfers, said Coast Guard spokesman Darrin Wallace. 

Wallace said nine of the surfers were picked up off about 300 to 400 yards off the coast of Ocean Beach. One surfer was taken aboard a passing sailboat about half a mile from the shore. No one was injured. 

Wallace said the surfers preferred to be dropped off a few yards from the beach where they were able to swim to shore. 

The Coast Guard also dispatched a helicopter to scan along the coast but found no one else in distress. 

Oakland library sets them free 

OAKLAND — The Oakland Public Library has forgiven almost $120,000 in overdue fines and restored borrowing privileges for nearly 58,000 patrons. 

The amnesty program was mainly aimed at a large number of middle and high school students. Officials hope that forgiving fines will bring students back into the fold. Some 20,000 students had borrowing privileges revoked because of unpaid fines for lost or overdue books. 

Once a patron accumulates $12.50 in fines, library privileges are suspended. 

The Oakland Unified School District co-sponsored the program and publicized it with banners at local high schools. 

The foundation dilemma 

SAN JOSE — The public parking garage being constructed downtown already has a problem: Its foundation was built 5 feet from where it belonged. 

As a result, the project had to be redesigned — and 20 parking spaces disappeared, leaving 755 spaces. 

The seven-story structure was approved a year ago by the City Council. 

The foundation problem has delayed the opening of the project until December — seven months late. And the garage’s estimated cost, first pegged at $31.4 million, has increased to $54.1 million. 

The contractor, Hensel Phelps Construction Co., a national firm with an office in San Jose, blames the mistake on a survey company hired to lay out the foundation. 

Jon W. Ball, vice president of Hensel Phelps, did not want to name the surveying firm or comment on the issue, saying that both companies are in the middle of a disputed resolution. 

The council is expected to vote Tuesday on another $280,000 to pay for work related to the error. 

SAN JOSE — Stanford University will require some companies that perform campus work to pay their employees a “living wage,” but student activists who have insisted upon such a rule said Monday the plan falls short of what they wanted. 

Stanford President John Hennessy announced last week that the private university will require that some subcontractors pay workers at least $10.10 an hour with benefits, or $11.35 without benefits. California’s minimum wage is $6.75 an hour. 

The policy will apply to companies that have multiyear Stanford contracts worth more than $100,000 annually and use workers not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. 

Administrators are not certain how many workers would be affected, but Chris R. Christofferson, Stanford’s associate vice provost for facilities, estimated it could be about 100. 

Students on the Stanford Labor Action Coalition complained Monday that the plan does not cover enough Stanford workers. They also said they were not properly consulted on the decision and that the living wage is too low. 

Even people making well above $10.10 an hour in this exorbitantly expensive area struggle to get by, said Molly Goldberg, a Stanford freshman in the labor group. 

She and other Stanford students will ask Hennessy to impose a “prevailing wage,” based on the average pay of similar workers in the region, and ensure a range of other perks. That would go even beyond Harvard University’s recent announcement that it would raise several hundred workers’ pay beyond the “living wage” that its students had demanded during a three-week sit-in last year. 

“We want the university to agree to a code of conduct that addresses more than the wage issue,” Goldberg said. “We want to look at things like education and health benefits, and family leave policies that we also think are important to provide to workers.” 

Stanford’s Christofferson said students’ criticism was understandable but added that the living wage policy is still being finalized, and the minimum pay requirements could rise.

SAN FRANCISCO — City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s parent corporation Monday, accusing it of driving the utility into bankruptcy through unfair and illegal business practices. 

The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, asks PG&E Corp. to return as much as $5 billion to ratepayers. That includes $4.6 billion in dividends and stock purchases Herrera alleges were illegal, plus $663 million in tax payments made by the utility to its parent. 

“What we’re alleging is that PG&E essentially defrauded California ratepayers,” said Marc Slavin, deputy city attorney. The suit alleges the parent company ignored state regulations requiring it to keep the utility financially healthy. 

Greg Pruett, a spokesman for PG&E Corp. said the issues raised already have been reviewed and found to be invalid. 

“It’s unfortunate when such a great city as San Francisco resorts to political tactics by filing this type of a lawsuit as an attempt to obstruct Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s emergence from bankruptcy,” Pruett said. 

Slavin said the city’s suit complements another one filed a month earlier before by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. 

The utility filed for federal bankruptcy protection 10 months ago after soaring power prices drove it into debt.

SAN FRANCISCO — Jerry Roberts will step down as managing editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, the paper and Roberts announced Monday. 

No replacement was announced. Executive Editor Phil Bronstein appointed senior editor Narda Zacchino as assistant executive editor and Sunday editor Kenn Altine as associate managing editor. 

“Zacchino and Altine will assume many of Roberts’ responsibilities while the paper conducts a nationwide search for a managing editor,” the Chronicle said in a press release. The staff was notified Monday by memos sent by Bronstein and Roberts. 

Roberts’ departure is effective March 1, although Monday was to be his final day in the Chronicle news room. 

“The first thing I’m going to do is take a family vacation in Mexico, and then come back and take a good look at several opportunities that I’m lucky to have in teaching, writing and broadcasting,” Roberts said in his memo. 

Roberts, 53, joined the Chronicle in 1977 and served as reporter, political editor, political columnist and city editor before being named managing editor in 1997. In November 2000, the Hearst Corp., which previously owned the San Francisco Examiner, took control of the Chronicle and installed Bronstein as executive editor. 

Roberts’ departure follows that of Matthew Wilson, who resigned as vice president of news and associate publisher in July. Wilson was the Chronicle executive editor before the Hearst Corp. took over the paper. Sharon Rosenhause, who served as the Examiner’s managing editor under Hearst and as editor of Hearst’s afternoon Chronicle, resigned in March to become managing editor of South Florida Sun-Sentinel. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.sfgate.com 

SAN FRANCISCO — PayPal Inc. warned Monday its popular online payment service is about to be shut down in Louisiana by that state’s banking regulators, casting another cloud over the company’s widely anticipated initial public offering of stock. 

The imminent shutdown of PayPal’s service in Louisiana was disclosed in Securities and Exchange Commission documents. They detail the risks the Palo Alto-based company faces as it tries to overcome the stock market’s distaste for unprofitable Internet companies. 

PayPal had hoped to sell 5.4 million shares at $12 to $14 apiece last week, but a patent infringement lawsuit filed by CertCo Inc. threatened to short circuit the company’s online payment service. That prompted investment bankers to delay the IPO until this week. 

In a counterclaim filed Monday in Delaware, PayPal sought to invalidate CertCo’s patent claim and alleged the New York-based company waited until the last minute to file its complaint to disrupt PayPal’s IPO. 

The delay forced PayPal to disclose several new developments, including word that Louisiana regulators sent a Feb. 7 letter ordering the service to stop brokering payments between online buyers and sellers until the company receives a money transmission license. 

Monday’s bad news might pressure PayPal to lower its IPO price or pull the offering, said Kyle Huske, an analyst with IPO.com. 

“Obviously, you don’t want these kinds of negatives to come out in a panicky market like this,” Huske said. “It’s tough to say what will happen now. It’s all going to depend on the fortitude of the investors that they had already lined up for the IPO.” 

With the latest revisions to its outlook, PayPal now hopes to set the IPO Thursday, paving the way for the company’s shares to begin trading Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. 

At the current target price, PayPal’s IPO would raise more than $60 million. As of Sept. 30, the company had $138.6 million in the bank and its losses have been steadily diminishing over the past year. 

In its SEC filing Monday, PayPal said it will comply with the Louisiana order forcing it to suspend business in that state when management receives the notice. The company also said it may appeal the Louisiana order in an administrative hearing. 

PayPal’s Louisiana customers accounted for 0.9 percent of the service’s payment volume during the first nine months of last year, according to the SEC documents. The company makes its money by collecting a commission based on the dollar amount of most transactions completed on its e-mail service. 

Although Louisiana represents a small portion of PayPal’s overall business, the company’s regulatory problems in that state might not be isolated, management conceded in Monday’s filing. 

Besides Louisiana, New York also has notified PayPal the company is running an unlicensed banking business. The New York regulators still haven’t ordered PayPal to stop doing business there, which accounted for 6.4 percent of the payment volume handled by the company during the first nine months of last year. 

PayPal said regulators in nine other states and the District of Columbia have indicated the company needs a license to run its online payment service. Those states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas, Virginia and Vermont. 

The company said it has already filed, or plans to file, applications in those states and the District of Columbia. Based on management’s analysis, the company also has decided to seek money transfer licenses in Connecticut, Minnesota and North Carolina. 

PayPal already is licensed in Oregon and West Virginia. 

If state regulators determine PayPal has been running an illegal banking business, the company could face substantial fines dating back to when the service began with 24 users in October 1999. The service had ballooned to 12.8 million accountholders as of Dec. 31. 

——— 

On The Net: 

http://www.paypal.com 

http://www.certco.com 

SANTA CLARA — Intel Corp. introduced a family of microprocessors Monday that promise to improve the performance and increase the battery life of handheld devices such as cell phones and palm-sized computers. 

The Intel PXA250 and PXA210 processors will enable improved music, movies and games on next-generation gadgets, which are expected to become popular as wireless networks are upgraded in coming months. 

“We want to make this explode and be the next $100 billion market,” said Mark Casey of Intel’s handheld-computer division. “To make that happen, you need good clients and a fast wireless connection.” 

The PXA210 will run at speeds up to 200 megahertz and will be used in cell phones, entry-level handhelds and wireless devices. The larger PXA250 will run at clock speeds up to 400 MHz and be part of high-end handheld devices. 

Products built with the new processors are expected to be available by the middle of this year. 

The technology, which is called XScale, is based on the StrongARM architecture that Intel acquired as part of a settlement with Digital Equipment Corp. in 1997. 

Cambridge-based ARM Ltd. licenses its chip designs to semiconductor companies, which then manufacture the processors. 

Intel StrongARM processors are now found in most handheld computers using the Windows CE operating system. 

Most Palm OS-based systems use Motorola Inc.’s Dragonball processor. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Intel: http://www.intel.com 

ARM Ltd: http://www.arm.com 

LOS ANGELES — Shares of Toymax International Inc. were up 38 percent Monday after it agreed to be acquired by Jakks Pacific Inc. for more than $54 million in cash and stock. 

Shares of the Plainview, N.Y.-based toy company were up $1.17 to $4.22 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Shares of Jakks, based in Malibu, Calif., were down 24 cents to $18.56. 

Jakks announced Sunday it will pay $3 per share in cash and $1.50 in stock to acquire the 64 percent of Toymax controlled by its two founders. The remaining shares will be acquired from stockholders later in the year. 

There is no danger the deal could be in jeopardy if Toymax stock rises above the $4.50 purchase price, according to William Gibson, an analyst for Banc of America Securities, because Jakks signed a definitive agreement with the founders of Toymax. 

Gibson said the purchase, which makes Jakks one of the country’s largest toy companies, was a good deal at a good price. 

“Jack doesn’t overpay,” Gibson said, referring to Jakks co-founder and chief executive Jack Friedman. “He buys right and he’s doing it again” 

Jakks announced Monday it has signed a deal with The Walt Disney Co. to develop arts and activities products and junior sports toys based on Disney characters, including Winnie the Pooh, as well as characters from new films.

College Freshman Derek Moser tried to capture a pose of the golden-brown King Cheetah lounging on a table in front of his anatomy and life drawing class.  

"I’ve drawn human models, cadavers," Moser said. "This is my first time drawing an animal. It’s different, it’s really neat." 

The brown-eyed Kgosi, handled by trainer Rob Dicely, sat for several minutes on the line of tables meant to elevate him. Then he rose and walked back and forth, licked his master’s palm and at times, just stared at the American flag outside the window. Moser’s job was to try to catch the almost three-year-old, 100 lbs, wildcat in action.  

"You have a pose, then they move," he said. "So, you kind of draw from imagination." 

As part of the class, students also had three other surprises in store for them – a Siberian lynx, a brown mountain lion, and a snow leopard cub, all courtesy of "Leopards Etc.," an organization that runs a wildcat compound in Sonoma county. 

Art instructor Catherine Firpo uses the animals once every quarter to pose for three of her classes. The exercise, she said, enables students to draw quickly, and capture the figure in action and right proportion. The exercise is also special on another level. 

"I want the students to understand the species and honor them," Firpo said. "We are detached from nature and this forces us to remember there is a world out there." 

To make sure this happens, Dicely and his wife offer a lecture while the students draw.  

On Tuesday, they learned the cheetah’s small ears and powerful muscles help him reach a speed of 45 miles per hour in two seconds. And, Dicely told them, the cheetah devours his prey in less than an hour and provides no defense for his food if it’s snatched by other wildcats. 

The Dicelys routinely show their animals at various schools and colleges to educate the public. They say the live climbing and leaping demonstrations help spread awareness about the animals’ plight. 

On a 22-acre compound in Occidental, the Dicelys have raised 24 cats in captivity. They include cheetah, blank panther, snow leopard, and lynx, among others. 

"I feel strongly that these are the ambassadors for the ones left in the wild," Barbara Dicely said. She said she doesn’t advocate raising wild animals as pets and added that her animals regularly help raise money for nonprofit organizations.  

Student Vonetta Patrice wasn’t too bothered by the captivity issue. Sitting in the back and moving her pencil in quick, short strokes, Patrice, just remembered the majesty of the wildcats.  

"The wildcat is really gracious and beautiful," she said. "Seeing it live, you get a better appreciation of the animal."  

Editor: 

UCB Transportation Director Nadesan Permaul is out of touch. UC Berkeley needs to work to replace single-driver cars with efficient, affordable, user-friendly public transportation for staff and faculty. UCB needs more student housing, not more parking lots. Berkeley's clogged and dangerous traffic and pollution result largely from dependence on cars for transportation to campus. We will all benefit if University staff and faculty leave cars at home and use public transportation. 

C. M. Woodcock 

Berkeley

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. 

Circles of Iron, Cloaks of Power: 

African Colonial Intermediaries in 

the French Soudan, West Africa,  

1890 - 1910 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level "C" 

A talk by Emily Osborn of Notre Dame University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Bruce G. Friedrich 

7:30 p.m. 

First Unitarian Church of Oakland 

Hamilton Hall 

685 14th St., Oakland 

An evening of food, ideas and discussion with the Senior Campaign Coordinator for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). 914-7131, colleen@justgive.org.  

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

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. 

Peace Walk and Vigil 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Bart Station 

Peace walk and vigil to demonstrate opposition to war and the U. S. bombing of Afghanistan. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil.html.  

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 

Exploring Old Neighborhoods in the East Bay and Marin 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

A slide presentation showcasing historic houses, beautiful gardens, parks, waterfalls and more. 527-7377 

Grandparent Support Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

Malcolm X School Arts and  

Academics School 

1731 Prince St., Room 105A 

For grandparents and relatives raising their grandchildren and other relatives. 644-6517. 

Saturday, Feb. 16

Puppet Show 

1:30 and 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health, Children’s Hospital Oakland 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Includes puppets from diverse cultures and with such conditions as cerberal palsy, blindness, and Down syndrome. Free. 549-1564. 

Launch Party for War Times 

4 p.m. 

Mandela Village 

1357 Fifth St., West Oakland 

A new national anti-war newspaper covering an alternative truth. 869-5156. 

Sunday, Feb. 17

Jewish Learning Seminar 

10 a.m. - noon 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

K’Tanim: A Celebration of Jewish Learning for Families with Young Children, Birth to 3. Family activities, songs, stories, crafts, and discussions. $10. To register call: 549-9447 x 104. 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church 

941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 525-3565. 

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Staying Connected: Building A Secular Jewish Life 

7:30 - 9:15 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

An evening of discussion and song with a Klezmer/Yiddish musician. $5. 848-0237 x 127 

Institute of Government Studies 

4 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gerald Gamm lectures as part of the Historical Institutionalism Seminar. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Colonial Courts, African Conflicts,  

and the End of Slavery in the French Souda 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level "C" 

A talk by Richard Roberts of Stanford University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Thursday, Feb. 21

Purim Lecture 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Discover the deeper meaning of Purim as Rabbi Alexander Sheinfeld uses the lens of Kabbalah to explore what Purim has to do with being Jewish and with being human. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Zimbabwe Wildlife 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Julie Edwards of Rhino Girl Safaris gives a slide presentation showcasing Zimbabwe’s remarkable variety of birds and mammals, and discusses the future of wildlife and the safari industry in Africa. 527-7377 

Travel Photography Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. 

An intensive workshop that focuses on travel photography, with an emphasis on film and equipment security, light and weather conditions, methods to make the most of well-known sites, and ways to approach and photograph strangers. $15. 843-3533 

Friday, Feb. 22

---

Grand Canyon Splendor: Rafting the Colorado 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Halfway through the third quarter on Saturday night at Contra Costa College, the St. Mary’s Panthers were digging themselves into the deep hole. They had already blown a halftime lead and were down, 42-38, to archrival Salesian. But St. Mary’s head coach Jose Caraballo still had an ace up his sleeve: DaShawn Freeman. 

Normally St. Mary’s starting point guard, Freeman missed the first half of the season with a stress fracture in his leg. He played only three minutes of the first half on Saturday after getting sick late in the week. But when his team needed him, he answered the bell. 

With Freeman back in the game directing traffic on offense and creating havoc on defense, the Panthers (22-2, 10-0 BSAL) ripped off a 19-0 run to take control of the game. When Freeman left the game after just eight minutes of action, St. Mary’s had turned a four-point deficit into a 62-46 lead, ensuring they would stay undefeated in BSAL play with an 70-57 win. 

“I felt it when I came in the game. We just got an energy surge,” Freeman said. “We were just in the moment, and it seemed like everybody was everywhere for us.” 

Saturday’s game was the fourth time the Panthers have beaten Salesian (14-7, 7-3) in the last two seasons, with each game a tightly-contested affair. 

Freeman played just over 12 minutes of the game, but he made the most of his time with 13 points, 4 steals and 4 assists. Backcourt mate John Sharper struggled from the field, shooting just 4-for-11, but made up for it by being perfect from the free-throw line. Sharper hit all 14 of his foul shots, giving him a game-high 24 points to go with 6 steals. He carried the Panthers in the first half, scoring the game’s first six points with Freeman saving his energy for the end, and was unusually aggressive against the Chieftans, resulting in his numerous trips to the charity stripe. 

“I didn’t even know I shot that many times,” Sharper said when told of his perfect effort. “I’ve never shot that many free throws in one game before.” 

The Panthers needed everything they got from their backcourt, because Salesian dominated the paint. The Chieftans won the rebounding battle 40-21 and held St. Mary’s big men Chase Moore and Simon Knight to a combined 11 points and 8 rebounds. But when Freeman came in the game for a four-guard setup, Salesian couldn’t match the speed of the Panthers’ defense. 

“We had a lot of speed in there, because we needed to change the tempo of the game,” Freeman said.” 

Sharper also did a superlative job on defense against Salesian star John Winston, who finished with just 9 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Sharper and Freeman both play on the same AAU team with Winston, so they had a special insight into how to slow him down. 

“They did a great job on John tonight,” Salesian head coach Bill Mellis said. “But they also stopped our other scorers, so I think John felt more pressure to put more on his shoulders.” 

Winston’s night was nicely summed up by a play with the game already decided. Down 14 points, Winston swiped the ball from the Panthers in the open court and had an easy score. But he tried to take his frustrations out on one dunk, and he bounced it off the back rim and all the way to center court, where St. Mary’s Moore calmly collected it. 

Salesian was led by Brandon Jones’ 13 points, with Kyle Lankford helping our with 11 points. 

Saturday’s game was held at Contra Costa College rather than Salesian’s tiny gym, but even with the extra room the crowd was standing-room-only, and the organizers were forced to turn people away after the game started. Saturday also marked the first appearance of “The Rock,” a golden basketball trophy that will pass between the schools with each year’s regular-season game. 

“It’s a great rivalry, and this was a good game,” Caraballo said. “We’ll probably see them again in the playoffs.” 

Berkeley, which has a long history of firsts in accessibility issues, is among the 10 finalists for the National Organization on Disability’s first annual Accessibility America contest. 

“Berkeley has been on the forefront of disability access issues for a long time,” said Mayor Shirley Dean. “We still have lots to do but if we keep doing a little bit every year, as we have been, we’ll get there.” 

Berkeley and nine other cities were chosen from 65 contest entries. The other cities include Irvine, Cailf., Eugene and Portland, Ore. and Houston, Texas. 

The NOD will present the mayor of the winning community with a check for $25,000, which will used for additional accessibility projects. A panel of five judges will chose the winner on Tuesday. Berkeley residents were among the first in the country to organize. 

Editor: 

Parents of today's teens and pre-teens may remember a children's television show with a similar title which aired for a few seasons in the mid-1990s. In that animated series, title character Carmen Sandiego, the world's greatest thief, was on the loose and it was up to the ACME Detective Agency to solve her clues and track her down.  

Most of the time, the wily thief managed to stay far enough ahead of the crime fighters at the detective agency where she formerly worked to elude capture. 

Today's version is not for children and certainly no laughing matter.  

The world's most wanted man, the man with bounties on his head in the tens of millions, and the man who plotted the murder of over 3,000 Americans has eluded capture. 

The most recent hope that bin Laden may have been struck was last week when a CIA-operated unmanned spy plane, armed with Hellfire missiles, scored what appeared to be a direct hit on three white-robed men in Afghanistan. CNN reported that one was believed to be a senior leader of al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization headed by bin Laden. 

However, the question on everyone's mind remained unanswered. 

“We just simply have no idea” if bin Laden was among those killed, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.  

President Bush last week praised the military for how much progress has been made in the war on terrorism. But in the same breath, he said defensively that the capture of bin Laden is not the prime barometer for success. His tune has changed since Sept. 17, when he said that bin Laden was “Wanted, dead or alive.” 

Despite the current public statements to the contrary, the Bush administration would dearly love to have the al-Qaeda leader in either condition. Like a fisherman focused on a prize catch, the collective U.S. consciousness is frustrated by the one that got away. Therefore, last week's report from CIA Director George Tenet that nearly 1,000 al-Qaeda operatives have been arrested or detained in 60 countries since Sept. 11 went largely unnoticed and unheralded. 

Tenet warned that despite the progress, “operations against U.S. targets could be launched by al-Qaeda cells already in place in major cities in Europe and the Middle East. Al-Qaeda can also exploit its presence or connections to other groups in such countries as Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia and the Philippines. 

“I must repeat that al-Qaeda has not yet been destroyed,” he said. 

Al-Qaeda's strength is fueled, in part, by its members' notion that its leader has been blessed by Allah. In their eyes, how else could one man elude the full effort and resources of the evil West, which has surveillance cameras capable of reading automobile license tags from space? It merely adds legendary and mythical qualities to bin Laden's image of never staying in one place long enough to become a fixed target. Even when it looked like he was trapped in Tora Bora in December, somehow he eluded capture. 

Characters of myth, legend and animation achieve more than mortal man. The U.S. has to knock bin Laden out of the former classification and into the latter as soon as possible. Each day that goes by without some determination of bin Laden's fate or location strengthens the belief and resolve of his followers. 

So when Bush, Rumsfeld, Tenet or any other administration official downplays the need to find bin Laden, know that in reality it remains job number one. He is a formidable foe and his eventual capture, dead or alive, will break the resolve of whatever active al-Qaeda cells remain. 

Tom Mitsoff 

Berkeley

Cal in four-way tie for third place in Pac-10 Conference 

Freshman Amit Tamir scored a career-high 39 points to lead Cal out of a deep hole and defeat Oregon, 107-103, in double overtime on Saturday night at Haas Pavilion. 

Shantay Legans also scored a season-high 22 for the Golden Bears as they rallied to knock off the No. 13 ranked Ducks, who held a 19-point lead in the first half. The win marked the Bears’ greatest comeback since they trailed Arizona State by 20 in a 95-78 win in 1994. 

The win improves Cal’s record to 17-5 overall and 8-4 in the Pac-10, while Oregon falls to 17-7 and 9-4 in conference. Cal is now in a four-way tie for third place – with Stanford, UCLA and USC – while Oregon falls behind Arizona into second place. 

The Ducks could still be in first if they could have held on their big first-half lead. Guards Luke Jackson and Frederick Jones were thorns in Cal’s side all night, scoring 29 and 23 points, respectively. Jackson and Jones kept bringing the Ducks back almost every time Cal threatened to win the game. 

But in the end, the Ducks’ duo was no match for Tamir and Legans. Tamir scored the first five points of the second overtime period and Legans the next eight to build a 102-95 lead for the Bears. Tamir capped the night with one more free throw and forward Joe Shipp stole the ball from Jones to finally put an end to the Ducks. 

“I’m so happy for our guys,” Cal coach Ben Braun said. “They work so hard. Oregon’s a terrific team. They showed you that. They worked so well in the first half. I give our guys credit because we had to withstand a furious assault from them.” 

Both teams shot well for the game, with Cal shooting 57.1 percent to Oregon’s 55.7 percent. 

Oregon held a 13-point lead at halftime, thanks to lights out shooting mainly from Jackson and Jones. Overall, the Ducks shot 66.7 percent in the first 20 minutes and made 7-of-11 three-point shots in the half. Jackson, a big guard who was a big matchup problem defensively for Cal and Joe Shipp in particular, led the Ducks with 13 points in the half, while Jones had 10. 

“[Jackson] is so effective off at getting off the dribble,” Braun said. “At the same time he gets the shot off, because he’s 6-7. He’s a tough matchup. Freddie Jones is a terrific player. He’s really improved his shooting. He’s so dangerous because he can knock down the three now. When you jam him, he’s an explosive a player as there is, because he can get to the rim as well as anybody in our league.” 

But Cal’s defense held the Ducks to just 42.9 percent shooting in the second half, while the Bears clawed their way back with 62.1 percent shooting. They slowed down Jackson and Jones, at least for a little while, by using different defenders against each and then went on a 23-8 run. Cal made a concerted effort to push the ball up court, which led to some easy baskets including layups for Legans and Shipp. A Ryan Forehan-Kelly three capped the run at the 12:22 mark and gave Cal the lead at 58-56. 

Tamir scored 19 of his points in the second stanza. His 39 points were the fifth-highest total in Cal history and the most since Ed Gray scored 48 points against Washington State in 1998, 

“Amit Tamir has a lot of experience,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “His body has been through a lot of games and he’s a veteran, experienced player that knows how to get it done. If Luke Jackson or Freddie Jones were his age, they would’ve had an easier time with him. Tamir stepped up with some big buckets tonight.” 

“As Oregon was pulling away,” Braun said, “Amit, I thought, very calmly but routinely, took some shots that were there and he made some big plays for us. He seemed to give our team confidence. He and Shantay generated a lot of enthusiasm and made the guys around them better.” 

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, came home to the most gorgeous weather – and the cheeriest group of well-wishers when she and Loni Hancock, a candidate for the state Assembly, appeared at their joint campaign office on Saturday. 

“I could not have wished for a better day to walk the streets of Berkeley,” said Patrick Campbell, a Hancock staffer and former Associated Students of the University of California president, as he exhorted around 40 Hancock and Lee supporters to spend the afternoon going door to door. 

The get out the vote effort was held at the joint Lee-Hancock HQ at 2472 Shattuck Ave. and was planned in coordination with a recent mailer called “the East Bay’s Progressive Team.” 

“This district is very important in terms of progressive politics,” Lee said. “We need to send a message to Sacramento and the rest of the country that we still prefer to build schools over prisons, health care over bombs.” 

“Loni will embrace this in the assembly, just as she has embraced it all her life.” 

Lee is heavily favored over Kevin Green in her 9th district congressional bid. Hancock, on the other hand, faces stiff competition from Charles Ramsey, an El Cerrito attorney and member of the West Contra Costa school board, and Dave Brown, former chief of staff for Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker. 

“This race is not going to be a slam-dunk,” she said. “I have two very well-funded opponents and only three weeks left (before the March 5 primary).” 

Hancock emphasized her commitment to progressive positions on education, the economy and the environment in a short speech to her troops. 

The County Board of Education and County Office of Education have the responsibility to educate the most at risk students in Alameda County.  

The students are either expelled from local schools or incarcerated. The overwhelming majority of them are African American and Latino.  

This is an awesome task. Yet for years, the County Board of Education refuse to provide Special Education services, used Special Education dollars to support other programs, and maintained a nine percent reserve in the budget, when only three percent is required by the State. The lack of Special Education services to students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) is a gross violation of Federal and State statutes, and worse yet, a violation of the students' civil rights to a free and equal public education. In addition, the use of Special Education funds to support other programs is fraudulent. Clearly, students have not been the focus for the Board. 

In 1999, the County Office of Education administration started to provide Special Education services to students in County programs and schools and comply with the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. 

When I was elected to the County Board of Education District 3 with 62 percent of the vote, my constituents gave me a mandate clamoring for change. 

Therefore, I was determined to have the Board focus on students. But since July 1, 2000, the Board's majority has consistently engaged in petty politics of division and intimidation to squelch any opposition. I am now even more determined to focus the Board on students after eighteen months filled with acrimony and receiving an e-mail message from Jerome Wiggins, Trustee Area 1, expressing his disappointment with my support for his opponent Jacki Fox Ruby. Trustee Area 1 covers Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, and North Oakland. 

The First Amendment grants us freedom of speech and association. We are free to support any political candidate and issue, and belong to any political organization. But Mr. Wiggins, a resident of Berkeley, the cradle of freedom of speech, has resorted to insults and intimidation to stop me from exercising my rights under the First Amendment. Clearly, he is out of touch with the communities he purports to represent. 

As a member of the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club, I have been active to gain votes for candidates I support for the March 5 election. Mr. Wiggins may disagree with my support for his opponent, but his uncivil demeanor is unacceptable.  

Enrique E. Palacios 

Trustee, 

Area 3 

Alameda County Board of Education 

Hayward

Today is Monday, Feb. 11, the 42nd day of 2002. There are 323 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 11, 1861, President-elect Lincoln departed Springfield, Ill., for Washington. 

On this date: 

In 1812, Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a redistricting law favoring his party — giving rise to the term “gerrymandering.” 

In 1847, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio. 

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed, with Italy recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City. 

In 1937, a sit-down strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union. 

In 1945, President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement during World War II. 

In 1972, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and Life magazine canceled plans to publish what had turned out to be a fake autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. 

In 1979, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power in Iran. 

In 1989, the Rev. Barbara C. Harris became the first woman consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, in a ceremony held in Boston. 

In 1990, South African black activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity. 

In 1993, President Clinton announced his choice of Miami prosecutor Janet Reno to be the nation’s first female attorney general. 

Ten years ago: Secretary of State James A. Baker III, on a tour of six former Soviet republics, visited Armenia, where he heard an appeal from the republic’s president for U.S. help in resolving a bloody feud with neighboring Azerbaijan. 

Five years ago: In a display of bipartisan unity, President Clinton and congressional leaders agreed to focus the new Congress on balancing the budget and other issues ranging from cutting taxes to solving the capital city’s myriad problems. Space shuttle Discovery was launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. 

One year ago: Two space commanders opened the door to Destiny, the American-made science laboratory attached the day before to the international space station. The East NBA All-Stars defeated the West squad, 111-to-110. Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh was demolished to clear the way for new separate baseball and football stadiums nearby. 

Today’s Birthdays: Author Sidney Sheldon is 85. Former Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen is 81. Actor Leslie Nielsen is 76. Actor Conrad Janis is 74. Actress Tina Louise is 68. Actor Burt Reynolds is 66. Songwriter Gerry Goffin is 63. Singer Bobby “Boris” Pickett is 62. Bandleader Sergio Mendes is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer Otis Clay is 60. Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt is 51. Actor Philip Anglim is 49. Actress Catherine Hickland is 46. Actress Carey Lowell is 41. Singer Sheryl Crow is 40. Actress Jennifer Aniston is 33.

Jean Chen is trying to teach a class about HTML, but there’s a DJ next to her and the music is getting louder by the second. Chen ignores the intrusion until her students can no longer hear her voice. "Could you please turn it down,” she shouts and then, without missing a beat, turns back toward her class of five teenagers.  

Surrounded by wall murals, the teens sit at a square table snacking on peanut butter sandwiches and cups of soup. Chen, dressed in baggy jeans and a t-shirt like her students, explains to them what the different HTML codes mean.  

“What do you mean, ‘a table within a table’?” asks a student. Chen draws it on a piece of paper and the student gets it.  

This is a typical afternoon at the Youth Radio headquarters where Chen trains students in Web site development. Before the dot.com bust, she worked at snowball.com putting together a teen Web site. “Here I have direct interaction with teens,” she said. “At snowball, interaction felt almost manufactured.”  

The Web design program is based on the radio classes where students go through a 10-week training program and learn how to report, write and produce their own radio shows. The only difference is that during this 10-week period, the students in Chen’s class learn how to create web pages.  

On a recent Thursday, the students were in their third week of design class, and the Web pages were simple. One showed a picture of the group, the team logo and a few links to favorite Web sites.”They’ve just started, give them some time,” Chen said. 

Once they graduate from the Web design or radio program, Cari Campbell, the DJ, Web radio and digital audio instructor, teaches the students studio techniques and how to record music onto a computer to be put on the web.  

The Web radio shows were started to absorb many of the 800 or so graduates of Youth Radio who wanted two things: to stay at the station and more music.  

Web radio was the answer and has been a part of the organization since July of 2001. Web radio allows for more students’ voices to be heard. The Youth Radio programs air about 5 hours a week total on KZQZ ,KQED, KCBS AND KPFB. 

“With the Web we always have an outlet,” Chen said. “No matter what, you can get your stuff out there.”  

Before they are able to record, students write a proposal outlining the type of  

Web show they want to produce. 

“It makes them think ‘what is my show all about?’” Campbell said.  

The students’ shows range from world music to the all-Michael-Jackson mix.  

The projects for the last class can be viewed at http://www.youthradio.org/webradio/index.shtml. 

When the students have recorded the show on the computer, they edit it together with Campbell, and once it’s finished it is put on the Web. The 30-minute shows stay up on the Web site for as long as possible. “People’s shows stay up until a new thing takes its place,” Campbell said. 

Web radio is now having the students record their own talk shows, where topics range from cell phones to relationships. 

“It’s like a round table,” Campbell said. “They have a topic. They write their show and they talk about it.” 

Eventually, Youth Radio would like to begin live streaming of their shows on the Internet, where listeners can log in and hear live broadcasts of shows, which is currently not being done. Broadcasting live, however, is expensive. “Mainly it’s about getting someone to donate the live servers,” Campbell said. “You need a connection of servers throughout the United States.” 

For Beverly Mire, Youth Radio Deputy Director, the most important thing is that the kids are enjoying it. 

“The kids are totally into it,” Mire said. “It will be one of my dreams for Web radio to be on the air live.”  

BERLIN — Marlene Dietrich was not the femme fatale she played in her films, but was an emotionally distant woman and a harsh disciplinarian with her only child, her grandson said Sunday. 

Yet this is not the side of the German-born actress and singer that her grandson, director J. David Riva, chose to explore in a documentary. 

“Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Story” focuses on her hatred of the Nazis and her passion for the Allied effort to defeat Hitler’s Third Reich. 

Germans have long seen Dietrich, who died in 1992, as a symbol of resistance to Hitler — or a traitor. 

A star in pre-Nazi Germany, the beautiful blonde whose father was a Prussian general symbolized the Nazi ideal of the “Aryan” woman. Her decision to become a U.S. citizen and work in Hollywood after the Nazis took power in 1933 was a blow to Hitler and his propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. 

Riva, 40, said he culled World War II footage of Dietrich to make a film he hopes will give a fuller picture, especially to Americans. 

SAN FRANCISCO — A strange relationship between a man and four women he lived with has been marred by tragedy. The five adults face a Monday arraignment on charges related to an infant’s death and the mistreatment of their 12 other children. 

Winifred Wright, 45, Carol Bremner, Mary Campbell, 37, Deirdre Wilson, 37, and Kali Polk-Matthews, 20, were arrested Friday for the November death of a 19-month-old baby. 

The 12 other children, ranging in age from 8-months to 16-years-old, were found malnourished at the Marinwood home. A majority of them suffered from rickets, said Marin County Sheriff’s detective Fred Marziano, lead investigator on the case. 

Wright, Bremner, Campbell and Wilson each face one count of second-degree murder and multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. Polk-Matthews faces one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of child endangerment, Marziano said. 

Police began investigating the large family in November after four women brought a baby to Kaiser Hospital in San Rafael, where he died from “severe malnutrition and neglect,” according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Department. Test confirmed that Wright had fathered all 13 children with Bremner, Campbell and Wilson, Marziano said. 

University of California Berkeley student Woody Hartman’s tic-tac-toe skills will be tested when he matriculates to Hollywood Squares as a contestant, beginning Tuesday, February 19.  

The nationally syndicated Squares can be seen locally each Monday-Friday at 7:30 p.m. on San Francisco station KPIX-TV (CBS). 

Hartman, a mechanical engineering major, participates in the University of California Rally Committee and is a member of the Associated Students of the University of California. In addition to his studies, Hartman enjoys snowboarding, camping, hiking and film making. 

The participating student contestants recently traveled to Hollywood’s CBS Television City to play the popular game, where each was paired off to compete against a student from a rival university.  

“Talking to the stars was the most rewarding thing about my Hollywood Squares experience," said Hartman. When it came to preparing for the fast-paced game, the UC Berkeley student noted, “I watched the show as much as possible and studied tic-tac-toe strategies.”

LOS ANGELES — Jakks Pacific Inc., which makes World Wrestling Federation action figures, is buying Toymax International, Inc., which makes kites, water toys and other products. 

Based on the number of Toymax shares outstanding on Sept. 30, 2001, the deal is valued at $54.7 million in cash and stock. 

The two-step transaction will give Jakks control of the company by the end of February, when Jakks acquires approximately 64 percent of Toymax’s outstanding shares from the company’s principal stockholders. 

Jakks will pay $3 per share in cash and the remainder in shares valued at $1.50 each. 

Toymax will become a wholly owned subsidiary in the second quarter of 2002, when the remaining shares are acquired. 

Jakks said it will trim some of Toymax’s products, but said no immediate layoffs are planned. 

Jakks has been growing steadily since it was founded in Malibu in 1995. Earlier this year, it bought Kidz Biz Ltd., a toy distributor based in the United Kingdom, for an undisclosed price, as the first step in a planned European expansion. 

The company’s highest-profile products are the dolls based on WWF personalities such as “The Rock.” But it also makes Remco die-cast vehicles and Child Guidance educational toys. 

Jakks’s Flying Colors division, which makes crafts and activity sets, just signed a deal with Miramax to make memo pads, portfolio folders, theme books and other products for “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams,” the sequel to last year’s successful “Spy Kids” movie. 

“We are still aggressively seeking new acquisitions,” Stephen Berman, Jakks Pacific president, said Sunday. “We hope that within the next three years, we will be a $1 billion company in terms of revenue.” 

Toymax makes “Go Fly a Kite” brand kites, Funnoodle pool and water toys and accessories, and markets toys such as “Creepy Crawlers” under the Toymax brand. Shares of Jakks were up $1.27 to $18.80 and shares of Toymax were up 43 cents to $3.05 at the end of regular trading Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

Hours after Governor Gray Davis released an advertisement slamming Richard Riordan, the GOP front runner in the gubernatorial race, for his shifting views on abortion issues, Riordan launched a counterattack of his own. 

“Enron’s Favorite Governor, Gray Davis,” Riordan said last Monday, calling for Davis to return the more than $15,000 accepted from Enron between 1996 and 2000.  

But many are still talking about Davis’ television ad, which broadcast segments of a 1991 Riordan interview, in which the former Los Angeles mayor told a reporter that he agreed with the Catholic Church’s stance on abortion.  

“Being fairly liberal-minded, I surprise myself at my emotions on the abortion issue,” Riordan said during the interview. “Because I feel very—I think it’s murder.” 

Some say he has already lost support among women voters. Female leaders gathered in Sacramento on Monday to question him about his stance on abortion. Riordan and his campaign staff insist that he is pro-choice, regardless of his personal views. Carolina Guevera, deputy director of communications of Riordan For Governor, yesterday called Davis’ ads “a carefully orchestrated attack.”  

She said Davis knows Riordan has won over people who usually support Democrats. 

“That conversation was over 10 years ago,” Guevera said of Riordan’s statement on abortion. “It was taken out of context. The mayor (was) expressing his views as a Catholic.” 

She said Davis’ early attack—a month before Riordan faces challengers Bill Jones and Bill Simon in the March 5 primary election—shows that the governor considers Riordan a strong threat.  

Guevera also said Davis is trying to distract Californians from unemployment rates, the deficit, and campaign contributions from Enron. 

But Roger Salazar, Davis’ press secretary, said the advertisement is merely a way to provide voters with the facts. 

“People should know what he has said,” Salazar said. “And whether his rhetoric now matches that.” 

Last month Davis released another advertisement attacking Riordan, which detailed thousands of dollars in contributions that Riordan made to anti-abortion groups. For example, he gave $10,000 to Americans United for Life, a group devoted to making abortion illegal. 

“Abortion is a violent deception that results in two victims: the child whose life is destroyed, and the woman who suffers devastating physical and psychological harm,” the group’s Web site reads. 

Davis supporters say Riordan has flip-flopped on death penalty and minimum wage laws as well. 

“There are a whole range of issues in which he’s changed his mind, or he’s just saying what he’s saying to get elected,” Salazar said. “Or maybe he’s just lost his marbles.”  

Riordan is one of many California Republicans who have struggled with the abortion issue.  

In California, a predominantly pro-choice state with the highest abortion rate in the nation, many anti-abortion Republicans now avoid discussing their beliefs This worries pro-choice activists. 

“We’re not in a position where we can comment on Riordan’s views,” Dunlap said. “We don’t have a record from him. He considers himself pro-choice, but there is documented proof of him donating to pro-life groups.” 

The group endorsed Governor Davis. Riordan is not considered “100 percent” pro-choice.  

Belle Taylor-McGhee, the executive director of CARRAL, said many candidates claim they oppose abortion, but promise to uphold the law if elected.  

“Our position is to make sure they don’t get that opportunity,” she said. 

SANTA CLARA — Digital photography is constantly improving, allowing, for instance, 3-megapixel cameras to drop in price from $1000 a year ago to under $500 today. 

Now Santa Clara-based Foveon Inc. hopes to shake up the digital camera industry with a new kind of image-sensing chip it claims could double the quality of pictures at either the same cost or less for camera makers. 

Foveon will announce Monday that its new X3 image sensors captures true colors as never before. 

If the breakthrough technology is ever widely used in products, analysts say consumers could one day see higher-performance cameras without paying more. 

The chip achieves a technological “holy grail in digital photography,” said Alexis Gerard, president of Future Image Inc., a digital imaging research consulting firm in San Mateo. “And it will simplify the design of digital cameras which will reduce their costs.” 

For the past few years, the camera industry has been racing to achieve higher pixels, which translates to sharper pictures. The highest-pixel point-and-shoot cameras are now at 5 megapixels. 

But until now, image sensors inside the cameras can only partially capture the three primary colors — red, green and blue. Except for high-end professional cameras which use multiple chips to carry out the task of achieving true-color capture, most digital cameras resort to using software to help it extrapolate the colors for the picture. 

Foveon claims its X3 technology attains higher quality for each pixel itself by capturing the three primary colors completely and all at once. It does so by stacking three photodetectors in the silicon at each pixel. 

Foveon’s first camera-maker customer will be Sigma Corporation, which will use the X3 chip in one of its professional camera models, due to be introduced later this month. 

But some analysts question whether the major camera manufacturers, such as Sony, Olympus, Nikon, Canon and Fuji, will want to invest in Foveon’s new technology. 

“Competitive market pressure will impede the penetration of the product,” said Chris Chute, a senior analyst of the digital imaging industry for the International Data Group market research firm. 

Camera makers are constantly churning out new models, and changing chip technologies will slow the production process, Chute said. 

The San Francisco Airport Commission wants the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution that authorizes the $19.3 million purchase of several explosive detection systems to improve the airport’s security.  

The money is coming from the city, but will be reimbursed by the federal government. 

Board president Supervisor Tom Ammiano said the resolution to spend the funds should take only a couple of weeks to approve. The airport has four CTX-9000 explosive detection systems in place now. These were purchased in May 2000, under a similar arrangement between the city and the federal government.  

The new machines will be in place by the end of the year.  

“It will take a minimum of six months to purchase and build, and then several more months to install, put on line and test,” said Ron Wilson, an airport spokesperson.  

Unlike the existing Stage 1 x-ray machines, which scan like a two-dimension x-ray, the new machine will automatically evaluate each bag for the presence of explosives and provide a more detailed x-ray.  

The machines comply with the increased security measures called for in the newly enacted Aviation and Transportation Security Act.  

“The reimbursement agreement for eleven additional CTX systems at SFO will allow SFO to meet 100 percent of the screening needs of all airlines operating at the international terminal, both present and in the future,” according to a letter written November 29, 2001 by Airport Director, John L. Martin. “This will allow the Airport to utilize 100 percent three dimensional CTX scanning in the new terminal.”  

San Francisco International Airport experienced a breach in security on Wednesday, January 30, when a rookie checkpoint screener’s mistake shut down the United’s terminal for approximately an hour and caused the evacuation of thousands of travelers. In that instance, an explosive trace detector was used to identify the presence of explosive materials, but due to lack of training, the screener failed to report the security breach quickly.  

In theory, scenes like that will be rare once the new machines are installed, Wilson said. “By the time the machines are installed, security screening will be managed by the Federal government,” he wrote in an email responding to questions. “They will be responsible for the training and hiring of screening personnel.”  

Loni Hancock and Dave Brown, candidates for the 14th District state Assembly seat, criticized rival Charles Ramsey for accepting a $3,000 PG&E campaign contribution and took him to task on his school board record during a Thursday night debate at UC Berkeley. 

Ramsey, who serves on the West Contra Costa Unified School Board, downplayed the PG&E contribution and talked of the school district’s “exemplary” financial record since he took office. 

Hancock, former Berkeley mayor, suggested that it is improper to take a PG&E campaign contribution while the utility company pursues a controversial bankruptcy settlement in the courts. 

Hancock raised particular concerns about PG&E’s effort, as part of the settlement, to transfer $8 billion worth of assets, including hydro-electric dams, to its federally-regulated parent corporation, escaping the reach of state regulators. 

Dave Brown, former chief of staff for Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker, also in the running for the Assembly seat, said he was approached by PG&E, but turned down the contribution. 

“I understand that people can take a donation and say ‘no,’ ” he said, “but I don’t want the appearance there.” 

“PG&E represents 1 percent of the contributions,” said Ramsey, who has raised a total of $300,000 according to his latest filings. The candidate added that he is willing to vote against the utility if elected to the state legislature. 

Dan Borenstein, political editor of the Contra Costa Times, and debate panelist, stirred up more controversy when he raised concerns about alleged financial mismanagement of a construction bond by the West Contra Costa Unified School District, and asked why voters should approve a new $300 million construction bond on the ballot in the next election. 

“We have not mismanaged any money,” Ramsey said, in a vigorous defense of the district, citing an audit by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, a state agency, which approved the district’s handling of its bond program. 

The candidate added that the district has balanced its budget nine years in a row, avoided the financial troubles plaguing local districts like Berkeley and Emeryville and has an A- bond rating from Standard & Poor’s. 

Both of Ramsey’s rivals declined to comment on the fiscal health of the school district and Hancock voiced support for the new bond measure.  

But Hancock and Brown said the public schools in Richmond, one of the municipalities in the West Contra Costa Unified School District, are low-performing and need more attention. 

“I think it’s unfair that the other two are blasting me,” Ramsey responded, noting that the Richmond schools serve many children who come from difficult circumstances. “Instead of attacking and harassing, let’s help each other.” 

When the debate shifted from Ramsey’s record, candidates took time to lay out some of their legislative priorities. Ramsey said he would push for universal health care and Section 8 housing vouchers for college students. 

Brown said he would focus on education and transportation. He said extending BART service in the East Bay and breaking ground on new lanes for the Caldecott Tunnel connecting Oakland and Orinda would be top priorities. Brown said he wouldn’t seek higher office if the state failed to break ground on the Caldecott Tunnel during his term as a state Assemblymember.  

Hancock said her campaign is focused on the “three e’s,” education, the environment and the economy. Hancock said she would work to expand the state’s university system and improve public transportation to reduce pollution. She said there should be one pass that works for all modes of local public transportation. 

While Berkeley is noted nationally, even internationally, for its turn-of the twentieth-century architects such as Bernard Maybeck, and their creative and innovative residential designs, Berkeley also has a large number of housing types that could simply be referred to as common.  

The house pictured here is such a house and it was common style across the country from around 1895 through the 1920s. The style is referred to by several different names: Classic Revival, Edwardian, Neo-colonial Revival, Classic Box and in the mid-west the American foursquare.  

These two-story houses are noteworthy for their rectangular shape, often a square, a hipped or pyramidal roof that often had a single dormer in the center, closed eaves and a covered entry porch. In Berkeley rows of Classic Boxes line the streets along or near early electric streetcar lines and across the country they are associated with early streetcar suburbs.  

Inspired by the Classic styled architecture of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, early examples of these houses had Classical detailing such as engaged Ionic or Corinthian columns at the corners or free standing columns supporting the entrance porches. Sometimes there were dentils under the eaves or a three-part Palladian styled window. There are numerous variations on the theme and some are large and designed by architects, while others were copied from design books. In Berkeley and Oakland there are many fine examples of the more elaborately decorated variations because the style was popular here between 1895-1910.  

As a housing type, the Classic Box is substantial and has a very flexible floor plan easily adaptable to contemporary life styles. Many have been converted to duplexes, and some to commercial uses such as restaurants like Chez Panisse.  

However, just because a house is ordinary does not mean that the building may not have interesting associations. For example, this house was built in 1903 for retired army officer John T. Morrison, his wife Henrietta and their daughter May. Capt. Morrison fought Geranimo in the late 1800s and served on the Berkeley Town Council. Before moving here the family had lived on Addison Street and May graduated from Berkeley High School in 1895 and the university in 1914. May T. Morrison was an accomplished painter and teacher who is listed in several anthologies of California painters. The Morrison House is located on Benvenue Avenue and was designated a Berkeley Landmark, Structure of Merit in 1990.  

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

Editor: 

I'd like to add one correction to the story "California voters can kiss open primaries goodbye" in the February 8 Daily Planet. It is not just "decline to state" voters who can participate in the Democratic, Republican, etc., voters, but also those voters registered as "other" or "miscellaneous" (independent, Peace & Freedom Party, etc.).  

Those parties have adopted rules allowing anyone who is not registered in another ballot-qualified party to vote in their primaries. 

This means that Peace & Freedom Party registrants, in particular, should maintain their registration to help us in our ongoing campaign to regain our ballot status. Greens who might want to participate in another party's primary can do so by registering Peace & Freedom. (Many of the registration forms currently available don't have a box for P&F, so they must check "other" and write in "Peace & Freedom".) 

Tom Condit 

Berkeley 

Shades of California, edited by local resident Kimi Kodani Hill and published by Berkeley’s Heyday Books, is billed as “California’s Family Album.” If this is accurate, then we are dancers; sentimental siblings and parents, highly charged lovers experts at offering the enigmatic and ever-compelling come hither glance; goofy and adorable children and assorted loners who stare with wordless passion into a camera lens.  

The Shades of California project grew out of the Shades of L.A. Project, which was started in reaction to the discovery that, in 1990, there was only one image of pre-1965 Watts – an important and largely African-American neighborhood of that city – in the Los Angeles Public Library’s 2.5 million photographic collection.  

It became clear to Carolyn Kozo Cole, curator of the L.A. Public Library’s photographic collection, that little media attention had gone into recording the history and personal experience of people of diverse races and backgrounds who lived in early Los Angeles neighborhoods. She and many others embarked on a massive photo collection effort to enrich and diversify the historical record. 

During “Photo Days,” people were encouraged to bring in their personal family photos. These photos were then copied on the spot and entered into California’s Public Library collection. Soon the program was extended to include Shades of Monterey, Shades of California and other such efforts. 

Shades of California includes more than 350 photographs from throughout the state. These are intimate images from personal histories: first communions, prom days, wedding days, the first day with the new car, parents looking down at their newborns, sisters with arms at each other’s waists, brothers with arms over each other’s shoulders, children kidding around together while on the hood of a car or happily playing dress up, hesitant types frightened at being stunned by a sudden camera flash and quite sociable others whose expressions reveal that they know just how fabulous they’re going to look when the picture comes out.  

The depth of emotion portrayed in these photos is haunting. There’s a huge range of subject and setting, and the subjects are truly diverse. The only thing the photos have in common is that important private moments are being observed.  

Introduction writer Robert Desaler expresses his wonder at the often astonishing beauty of the largely unknown subjects whose experiences have been so artistically captured by amateur photographers. Both the photographers and the photographed are people who, as Desaler describes, "in the usual scheme of things, leave scant traces of themselves."  

I was most moved by the fact that the subjects of these photographs are almost always gazing into the eyes of their photographers with love. Rare and beautiful. An excellent book. 

Music 

924 Gilman 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. 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. 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. 9: 9:30 p.m. Don Carlos, Reggae Angels, $15; 1317 San Pablo Ave., 525-5054, www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s 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. 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 

Club Jjang-ga Feb. 9: King St. Crossing, Noiz, Kiss the Girl, Swoll; Feb. 16: Deducted Value, Dopesick, Luxt, Karate High School, Forcing Bloom; Feb. 23: Cheapskate, Eddie Haskels, Resiteleros, Dead Last; 261-1108, savageproductions1@yahoo.com. 

Jupiter 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. 

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. 

Old First Concerts Feb. 16: 8 p.m., The Duke and The Lady-Faye Carol, $12; Feb. 17: 4 p.m., Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth, $12; Old First Church, 1751 Sacramento St., 415-474-1608. 

The Rose Street House of Music Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Joanne Rand, June Millington; Feb. 14: 7:30 p.m., “Escape-from-V-day Musical Extravaganza,” with Rebecca Hart, Nicola Gordon, Marca Cassity, Christene LeDoux, Helen Chay, Eileen Hazel, Irina Rivkin; 1839 Rose St., 594-4000 x687, www.rosestreetmusic.com.  

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 

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 

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 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” Through Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center “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. 

Trillium Press: Past, Present and Future Feb. 15 through April 13: Works created at Trillium Press by 28 artists. Tues. - Fri. noon - 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, www.kala.org.  

“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 

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 

Cody’s on Fourth St. Feb. 15: Nuala O’Faolain talks about “My Dream of You”; Feb. 19: Tracy Hogg will tell “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers”; Feb. 21: Dan Bessie discusses Alvah Bessie’s Spanish Civil War Notebooks; Feb. 27: 6 p.m., Rodney Yee brings “Yoga: The Poetry of the Body”; Feb. 28: Rosemary Wells talks about children, children’s books, and the importance of reading; All events begin at 7 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 1730 Fourth St., 559-9500, www.codysbooks.com.  

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Feb. 7: Mark Kurlansky considers “Salt: A World History”; Feb. 11: Edward O. Wilson discusses “The Future of Life”; Feb. 12: Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé offer “Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet”; Feb. 15: Cindy Engel describes “Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them”; Feb. 19: Robert Cohen reads from “Inspired Sleep”; Feb. 22: “The Whole World is Watching,” a panel discussion with Harold Adler, Leon F. Litwack, Charles Wollenberg, Hollynn D’Lil, Ronald J. Riesterer and Cathy Cade; Feb. 25: David Henry Sterry describes “Chicken: Self-portrait of a Young Man for Rent”; Feb. 26: Carter Scholz reads from “Radiance”; All events begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

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. 

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 

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, www.codysbooks.com.  

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.

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 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. 

Youth Career Faire 

9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Chinese Community Church 

2117 Acton St.  

All youths are invited to come learn about different careers from those in the field. 548-5259. 

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. 

Young People’s Chamber Orchestra  

20th Annual Winter Concert 

4 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

All-strings orchestra consisting of girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 14. $5 for adults, $1 students. 527-8624. 

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 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 

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 

Public Forum regarding the  

Berkeley Unified School District Budget 

6 - 9 p.m. 

District’s Administrative Offices 

Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

District staff and the FCMAT (Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team) will make a budget presentation and respond to questions from the audience. 644-6174. 

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. 

Circles of Iron, Cloaks of Power: 

African Colonial Intermediaries in 

the French Soudan, West Africa,  

1890 - 1910 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level “C” 

A talk by Emily Osborn of Notre Dame University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

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 

Exploring Old Neighborhoods in the East Bay and Marin 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

A slide presentation showcasing historic houses, beautiful gardens, parks, waterfalls and more. 527-7377 

Grandparent Support Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

Malcolm X School Arts and  

Academics School 

1731 Prince St., Room 105A 

For grandparents and relatives raising their grandchildren and other relatives. 644-6517. 

Saturday, Feb. 16

Puppet Show 

1:30 and 2:30 p.m. 

Hall of Health, Children’s Hospital Oakland 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

Includes puppets from diverse cultures and with such conditions as cerberal palsy, blindness, and Down syndrome. Free. 549-1564. 

Launch Party for War Times 

4 p.m. 

Mandela Village 

1357 Fifth St., West Oakland 

A new national anti-war newspaper covering an alternative truth. 869-5156. 

Sunday, Feb. 17

Jewish Learning Seminar 

10 a.m. - noon 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

K’Tanim: A Celebration of Jewish Learning for Families with Young Children, Birth to 3. Family activities, songs, stories, crafts, and discussions. $10. To register call: 549-9447 x 104. 

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Staying Connected: Building A Secular Jewish Life 

7:30 - 9:15 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

An evening of discussion and song with a Klezmer/Yiddish musician. $5. 848-0237 x 127 

Institute of Government Studies 

4 p.m. 

119 Moses Hall 

UC Berkeley Campus 

Gerald Gamm lectures as part of the Historical Institutionalism Seminar. 642-4608, www.igs.berkeley.edu 

Colonial Courts, African Conflicts,  

and the End of Slavery in the French Souda 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level "C" 

A talk by Richard Roberts of Stanford University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

Thursday, Feb. 21

Purim Lecture 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Discover the deeper meaning of Purim as Rabbi Alexander Sheinfeld uses the lens of Kabbalah to explore what Purim has to do with being Jewish and with being human. $10, $8 members. 848-0237 x127 

Zimbabwe Wildlife 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Julie Edwards of Rhino Girl Safaris gives a slide presentation showcasing Zimbabwe’s remarkable variety of birds and mammals, and discusses the future of wildlife and the safari industry in Africa. 527-7377 

Travel Photography Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. 

An intensive workshop that focuses on travel photography, with an emphasis on film and equipment security, light and weather conditions, methods to make the most of well-known sites, and ways to approach and photograph strangers. $15. 843-3533 

Friday, Feb. 22

Grand Canyon Splendor: Rafting the Colorado 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

Guidebook author and former river guide, Tyler Williams, presents the dramatic beauty of the Grand Canyon in his slide presentation on rafting the Colorado. 527-7377 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

Berkeley boys get NCS playoff spot 

The Berkeley High boys’ soccer team won their first-ever ACCAL title by the skin of their teeth on Friday, scrambling for a 2-2 tie with Richmond. 

Berkeley finished the league season with a 12-1-1 record, beating the 11-1-2 Oilers for the title and claiming an automatic bid to the North Coast Section playoffs next week. 

Sophomore Kamani Hill scored the final goal of the game on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute. The referee called a Richmond player for a shove away from the ball on a Berkeley corner kick, prompting outrage from the Richmond crowd. The call certainly seemed to be a makeup for a Richmond penalty kick earlier in the second half, as one of the linesmen called a handball on a Berkeley player. 

“I thought the ref might give us a call after he gave them that penalty,” Berkeley midfielder Liam Reilly said. “They were both trash calls. It should have been a 1-1 game.” 

Regardless, Hill sent substitute goalkeeper Alejandro Mercado the wrong way to tie the game. The goal was Hill’s 35th of ACCAL play, by far the league leader, and probably the biggest of the season. Hill missed a penalty kick on Thursday against Alameda, but said that wasn’t a worry for him on Friday. 

“I was a little nervous, but yesterday I just tried to be fancy,” Hill said. “I always take the same shot when it matters.” 

The ’Jackets needed the late goal to hold off the Oilers because they had allowed two second-half goals after taking an early 1-0 lead. Reilly hit a cross to forward Giovanni Garcia-Perez, who took the ball off his chest and slammed a left-footed shot into the back of the net in the 22nd minute.  

Since Berkeley only needed a tie to win the title, they started to sag back and play bunker defense, what head coach Janu Juarez called his “Italian defense.” But the plan backfired as Richmond scored on the penalty kick just after halftime, then again in the 55th minute. An errant Berkeley cross came too far out, and Richmond midfielder Jose-Luis Arias launched a clearance that found the feet of teammate Jorge Rodriguez. Rodriguez slipped between two Berkeley defenders before launching a beautiful shot past Berkeley goalkeeper Alex Goines for a 2-1 lead. 

The final whistle set off a wild celebration by the Berkeley players, a release of the frustration of being left out of the regionals despite tying for the league title with the Oilers. The win gave Juarez his first league championship in five seasons as Berkeley coach, and gave his senior class something to remember. 

“After four years it finally came down to this game,” senior Chris Davis said. “It wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done and got the title we’ve been waiting for.”

Union organizers say they are “outraged” at Gerson Bakar & Associates, the company that manages the office building at 1947 Center St., because of a contract signed with a second non-union janitorial company since canceling the services of a unionized company in December. 

The primary tenants of the five-story building are the state of California, UC Berkeley and the city of Berkeley. 

Service Employees International Union organizers said the new, non-union contract is “outrageous.”  

Councilmember Kriss Worthington agreed. He said he is currently drafting a recommendation asking the city manager to explore possible ways to break a $2.5 million lease agreement the city recently signed with the property management company.  

Gerson Bakar President Kathleen McCormick did not return calls to the Daily Planet Friday.  

Last December, Gerson Bakar & Associates canceled a 13-year contract with the unionized Universal Building Services. UBS, which paid its employees $10 an hour and provided medical benefits, was replaced by CALJANEX, a non-union company based in Oakland. 

CALJANEX subcontracted to another company, which paid its janitorial staff $7 per hour and offered no medical benefits. 

“This type of sub, sub contract is a real problem because everytime you sub contract it means lower wages for the person who actually does the work,” SEIU Local 1877 organizer Alyssa Giachino said. 

Giachino added that the property management company “obviously” made the change strictly for economic reasons.  

“This sort of thing frequently happens to Unionized janitors.” she said. “And during an economic downturn, we see a lot more if it.” 

On Jan. 24 a contingent of SEIU workers appeared unannounced at the property manager’s San Francisco offices. Giachino said the workers met with McCormick and pointed out unspecified “irregularities” with CALJANEX’s hiring practices. 

According to Giachino, the property management company canceled its contract with CALJANEX shortly after the meeting. 

Giachino said the property management company then hired yet another non-union company, Trinity Services, which is based in San Bruno. 

At this point Worthington said Gerson Bakar & Associates had a chance to do the right thing and go back to a union janitorial service. 

“They have obviously made a big mistake worse,” he said. “They should either go back to the first company or hire one of the many unionized companies that are available.” 

The city signed a $2.5 million, five-year lease with Gerson Baker & Associates last year for 18,000-square-feet of office space, which is used as administrative offices for the Department of Public Works.  

Worthington said a recommendation asking the city manager to consider breaking its lease with the property management company will be on the City Council’s Feb. 19th agenda. 

Deputy City Manager Phil Kamlarz examined the lease last December and said the city has no influence over what type of janitorial company Gerson Bakar & Associates contracts with. 

Meanwhile the three UBS employees, Aldalberto Mendoza and Maria and Leon Munoz, who worked at 1947 Center Street for 13 years are still looking for employment.

Editor: 

I for one am long since fed up with the arguments with which L. A. Wood regularly fills the op/ed pages of local papers, but I must say I'm grateful to him for finally laying on the table what has always been his objective — not the protection of the local environment or the health of local children, but the relocation of the city's Corporation Yard.  

Those of us who have watched him do his thing at city council and commission meetings over the years, standing virtually in lone opposition to the creation of a city park at Fourth and Harrison, are relieved to have him say this so bluntly, as he did in the statement you published on February 6. 

But it's time for him to dispense with his pretense of concern over our childrens' health. 

As he has innumerable times in the past, Mr. Wood raises the specter of putative ill effects the respiratory health of children using the new park as a reason the park should never have been developed. He doesn't mention that in a study just published in the British medical journal The Lancet (Feb. 2, 2002), it was high concentrations of ozone (which is not found in high levels at the new park), and not particulates (which were found in recent studies done at the park), which were found to have an adverse effect (in the form of increased relative risk of new diagnoses of asthma among children playing outdoor sports) on the health of children in the study. Indeed, while the study's authors conclude that "the incidence of new asthma diagnoses is associated with heavy exercise in communities with high levels of ambient ozone," they point out that "no effect of sports on asthma was seen in communities with high concentrations of pollutants other than ozone." 

Even if there had been conclusive proof of an adverse effect on children playing at this site, there's another key point to keep in mind. As the city's own public health officer, Dr. Poki Namkung, stated at a Park & Rec Commission hearing concerning the new park (when it was still being proposed) some years ago, any increased risk of respiratory illness that might result from sports activities at the site would have to be weighed against the obvious and pervasive increased benefit of having a great number of children exercising on a regular basis--which, happily, now takes place year-round at the park. 

I must say I'm perplexed at Mr. Wood's references to the citizens who advocated the development of a park at the Harrison Street site as a "special interest" group. From where I sat it looked like something a lot simpler and less dastardly: citizen activism. The plain fact is that a great many people in our community wanted the park to happen, whereas very few people wanted the site used for as a new location for the Corporation Yard.  

Lastly, I would like to express my dismay at the Planet's (and in this case, Mr. Wood's) repeated references to the playing fields at the park as the "Harrison play fields" and the like.  

In 2000, the city council, acting on the recommendation of its Park & Rec Commission, officially named the fields after my son, Gabriel ("Gabe") Catalfo, who played soccer, baseball, and many other sports all over Berkeley, and who died in 1998 at age 15 after struggling for half his life against leukemia.  

For reasons unknown to me, there are still no signs at the park making this clear, but the fact remains that they are officially named Gabe Catalfo Fields, as both you and Mr. Wood should be well aware. As I pointed out at a city council meeting years ago, given the terrible illness which claimed Gabe's life, I would be the last person on earth to want to expose my neighbors' children to untoward health risks. It is precisely because I have always believed that this park--which, when I was among those working to create it, I hoped to see Gabe and his brother play at one day, not have named after him — would enhance the health and spirit of Berkeley's kids that I worked so hard alongside so many other Berkeley parents to help make it happen. Notwithstanding the problems that have attended its development, the fact that the park exists today is a great victory for the kids of Berkeley, and the city council, commissions, staff, and everyone else involved in the effort.  

Phil Catalfo 

Berkeley 

It was a problem of preparing for the worst, and then the worst got worse. 

Last fall when the Cinemayaat – Arab Film Festival screened at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, there were concerns about security problems stemming from Israeli-Palestinian tensions. The festival was scheduled to come to Berkeley beginning Sept. 12 but was cancelled as the unexpected attacks hit and America’s attention suddenly narrowed on one fugitive Arab figure in particular. 

Since then, America’s relations with Arab nations have become the focus of unrelenting media attention. Cinemayaat, programmed last summer, is popping up now in a very different world, post-9/11. We’ve learned more about Afghanistan’s tribal politics then we had ever thought we would need in the past. As Berkeley staged prayer vigils and Rep. Barbara Lee voted against giving presidential carte blanche to ride into Afghanistan like a cowboy posse, our fear, anger, and sorrow mixed with computer-graphic diagrams of tunnel warfare and a pixilated video images of the enemy Osama bin Laden dispatched from an undisclosed location.  

Once the festival might have been a window onto different cultures and political imperatives, and now functions as a collection of films allowing us to ponder America’s perceptions of and reactions to the Arab world. 

The festival even offers a set of tools with which to do this. "Derrida’s Elsewhere" (Sat. 1:15 PM) is a documentary, of sorts – really a platform upon which its subject, philosopher Jacques Derrida, can espouse ideas – wherein he applies Deconstruction ideologies to himself and to his environment. The principle founder of Deconstructive thinking – a textual strategy usually applied to literature but can be expanded to other pursuits which analyses the way a text comments on itself through language – was raised in Algeria under French colonial rule. He says he has been figuratively (and doubtlessly literally) circumcised by the particulars of his own history, and the film implies his thinking and writing have been marked by the spatial and cultural remove of a colony from its ruler.  

Writing and, by extension, language, says Derrida, must come from crossing a frontier. The "elsewhere" of the film’s title refers to his interior or intellectual landscape that requires a tension – a boundary to be crossed. He insists this internal frontier cannot be a completely foreign boundary, because "if it were elsewhere, it wouldn’t be elsewhere." 

This kind of seemingly circular thinking runs through "Derrida’s Elsewhere" and can be very frustrating to the uninitiated. Indeed, the film assumes its viewers are already familiar, however perfunctorily, with Derrida. Watching the man run on and on about philosophical ideas, one might wonder if this film wouldn’t be better suited as a written article. 

But filmmaker Safaa Fathy has exploited her visual media by placing Derrida in physical environments and documented his reaction. In a mosque he responds to the transitory nature of site-specific worship; the Algerian synagogue he went to as a child was once a mosque, which became, in turn, a mosque again after colonial independence. In front of an aquarium exhibit he ponders something he cannot know: the way the fish placidly floating in the tank perceive time. Whenever he stared eye to eye with an animal, he says, he is struck by the tension of close proximity and infinite distance between.  

It isn’t too great a leap to recognize in us a similar fascination with the Taliban soldier from Marin County, John Walker. 

Derrida’s methods turning around the elements of text or media or politics to complicate matters is meant to arrive at a multifaceted understanding of phenomena, and the film takes a similarly inconclusive tack. Another documentary in the festival takes a very different approach to its thesis. "Invisible War: Depleted Uranium and the Politics of Radiation" (Fri. 7PM) is a more conventional documentary with a clear agenda. 

During the Gulf War in Iraq, American soldiers used ammunition made of depleted Uranium, an unnatural by-product of nuclear processing that is not nearly as radioactive as the type of Uranium used in nuclear reactions. It is very dense, moreso than iron or lead, which makes it useful as ammunition designed to pierce armor and make minced meat of tank turrets in spectacular displays of destruction (which the film delivers in richly colored video images – melted corpses and all). 

The problem with depleted Uranium is that it is somewhat radioactive. How benign or how dangerous depends on who you talk to: U.S. Army officials defending the use of their fantastically efficient weapons or doctors and Army veteran advocates reporting illness and birth defects associated with patients’ proximity to the weapons. The film clearly distrusts the men in uniform. 

Using photo stills and video imagery as exhibits of visual evidence, the documentary shows how a depleted Uranium artillery shell vaporizes upon impact, and the dust of UD settles on whatever, and whomever, is nearby including U.S. soldiers on patrol and local children snooping through the wreckage. 

The film sets out to uncover the U.S. Army’s deceit and negligence not only to the countries it invades but to it’s own soldiers. It divides its screen time with the "Gulf War Syndrome" radiation illnesses the soldiers brought home from the front and passed onto their newly conceived children, and children’s hospitals in Iraq where horribly disfigured children – some simulataneously shriveled and bloated – lie in beds waiting to die. The film features a seemingly endless montage of medical grotesqueries to emphatically make its point.  

By turning the actions of the U.S. on foreign soil into an angry indictment on America, "Invisible War" uses an Iraqi situation to comment on America. Another documentary in the festival, "The Dream" (Sat. 3PM), is a Palestinian film about homegrown morbidity seeded in the subconscious of Palestinians in Lebanon. This was shot before the Isreali invasion in 1982, and here is a generation of Palestinians who have been born and raised in violent tension where "martyrs" are common in many families. "The Dream" is a document of their dreams. 

A boy dreams of an air raid and being shot in the chest. A young woman dreams of being beaten in a prison. A young man sees a vegetable market bombed and the strawberry man "in pieces." Casually interviewed in their homes, kitchens, and bedrooms, the subjects of the film recount subconscious visions of surprise meetings with martyred loved ones, or running into heads of state. 

The interviews are spaced with buffers of music, singing about desolation and hopelessness. We also see images of a slaughterhouse, and a morgue, and a printing press cranking out posters of the mourned. Death, the film is saying in it’s loose, impressionistic way, is the way of life for many Palestinians. 

Everything was going as planned on Friday night for the St. Mary’s High girls’ basketball team. They were way ahead of St. Elizabeth, up by 39 points at halftime and even more in the third quarter. Then disaster struck. 

Leading scorer Shantrell Sneed went up for an easy layup, but was bumped on her return to the floor. Sneed landed awkwardly on her right leg, and she immediately crumpled to the floor in obvious pain. Although the Panthers still managed to hang on for an 83-31 victory, their post-season hopes may be in jeopardy. 

Sneed, just a freshman, is averaging nearly 20 points per game, and her presence has helped the Panthers to a 10-1 record in BSAL play and the No. 2 seed heading into next week’s playoffs. But when she fell to the court and didn’t get up, the St. Mary’s hopes may have gone with her. 

“Losing Shantrell would be a huge blow, but I think we can survive without her if we have to,” St. Mary’s head coach Don Lawson said. “We have others who can step up. We have three others players who average more than 10 points a game.” 

Lawson didn’t know Sneed’s prognosis after the game, saying they may not know the extent of the injury until next week. 

As for the game, it was clear right away that the visiting Mustangs had no chance at a win. It took Sneed all of 43 seconds to score the game’s first six points without St. Elizabeth (3-24, 1-10 BSAL) managing to get the ball into the frontcourt. Sneed scored again on a free throw, and Nateanah Fripp hit a 3-pointer for a 10-0 lead. The lead ballooned to 17-0 four minutes into the game, and Heide Spurgeon converted a steal into a layup as the last St. Mary’s starter to score for a 19-0 lead. Another Spurgeon steal and layup later, reserve Aisha McDaniel got into the act with a jumper to complete the 23-0 start. Latanzia Brooks finally scored for the Mustangs with a minute left in the quarter, and the Panthers led 28-2 at the first break. 

Lawson put his starters on the bench to start the second quarter, and the Mustangs actually outscored the St. Mary’s reserves, 5-4. But back came the starters to steamroll their way to a 15-0 run, leaving with a 47-7 lead. 

Sneed finished the game with 20 points, with Fripp adding 14. A good sign for the Panthers was the strong play of senior center Kamaiya Warren, who scored 13 points and blocked 4 shots. If Sneed is out for any period of time, Warren will have to step up her inside presence if St. Mary’s is to get through the league playoffs and into the North Coast Section mix. 

“Kamaiya has very good presence inside,” Lawson said of the 6-foot-1 all-state shot-putter. “She was a go-to player for us last year, but Shantrell’s presence has taken away some of her touches.” 

There was more excitement to come. During a scramble for a loose ball in the fourth quarter, St. Elizabeth’s Tracy Rosalio came up swinging, going so far as to bounce the ball off of a St. Mary’s player’s head with all her might. The officials ordered a double-technical, and Rosalio was done for the night. 

“Hey, I guess we needed some more excitement,” Lawson said with a grin.

His organization under fire, Michael Dukakis, acting chairman of Amtrak, called for massive federal investment in the rail service during a speech at UC Berkeley Friday afternoon. 

The day before his speech, the Amtrak Reform Council, a federal oversight commission formed in 1997, issued a report calling on Congress to break Amtrak into three new agencies and privatize some its rail service. 

A week earlier, Amtrak, which accumulated $1.1 billion in losses last year, said it would cut long-distance service in October, including the Oakland-Chicago Zephyr line, unless it received $1.2 billion in federal funding for the 2003 budget year. President Bush has proposed $521 million for the rail service. 

In 1997, Congress imposed a December 2002 deadline for Amtrak, a chronic money-loser, to become a profitable entity, a deadline that Amtrak officials admit they won’t meet. 

But Dukakis, former governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate, said Amtrak cannot turn a profit unless Congress invests adequate funds in trains and other infrastructure. 

“There’s no way this system can be operationally profitable,” he said, “unless we commit a modest, but consistent amount of capital development to the system.” 

Dukakis said Congress needs to spend 5 percent of the $45 billion it spends annually on highway and airport infrastructure on rail. 

“I hope nobody will tell us that we don’t have any money,” he added, arguing that Congress would do better to spend money on Amtrak than on tax cuts. 

But Deirdre O’Sullivan, public affairs specialist for the Amtrak Reform Council, says that more money is not the answer, noting that the rail service has continued to lose money, even though Congress has poured billions into Amtrak since 1997. 

O’Sullivan said partial privatization is the answer. “Private companies provide, historically, better service for less money than the government can,” she said. 

But Dukakis raised doubts about the Reform Council recommendation during his Friday speech, pointing to the recent failures of privatized rail service in England. 

Elizabeth O’Donoghue, spokesperson for Amtrak West in Oakland, called the privatization plan unrealistic, noting that private companies would probably be unwilling to take on the heavy infrastructure costs associated with rail service.  

Dukakis also objected to a council recommendation that the federal government strip Amtrak of control over the “northeast corridor” that runs from Boston to Washington D.C., arguing that it represents Amtrak’s most successful route.  

The council’s report says that proper maintenance of the corridor, estimated at a cost of $800 million to $1 billion per year, is too expensive for the financially-strapped Amtrak, which spent only $71 million on corridor maintenance over the last three years. 

O’Donoghue attributed the meager spending to inadequate funding from Congress. 

Editor 

Much as we all want "safer" roads and highways, I urge voters to read the text of Proposition 42 before being convinced of its merits.  

Only 20% of the revenues of this "motor-fuel" tax would be dedicated to public transit, and it restricts all of the proceeds of this sales tax to transportation, even though the proceeds go to the state's general fund. Many teacher and health care organizations have legitimate concerns that this restricted use of the tax revenues will potentially reduce available general fund money for education, health care and other public services. If this proposition is defeated it is likely a better, more equitable initiative will be placed on the ballot for voter approval in November 2002 that will more fully and fairly address transportation needs for all Californians.  

The Green Party of Alameda County and Berkeley Citizens Action urge a No vote on Proposition 42. 

John Selawsky 

Berkeley 

Professional cowboys from Canada and the United States will slap on their spurs to compete in the Olympic Command Performance Rodeo this evening – despite the best efforts of the Berkeley City Council. 

On Jan. 22, the council unanimously approved a proposal from the Citizens Humane Commission, which put the city on record as opposing the inclusion of the rodeo as part of an Olympics Arts Festival. 

The city clerk’s office sent a letter to Mitt Romney, president of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee, on Jan. 28. 

“We believe the Olympic Command Performance Rodeo scheduled for Feb. 9 through Feb. 11 is not only an unappealing event, but one fraught with opportunity for animal abuses,” it read. 

“The Berkeley City Council asks that you do not include rodeos, which involve the abuse of unwilling animal participants, as part of the Winter Olympics in keeping with the true spirit of the Olympics.” 

Cindy Schonholtz, animal welfare coordinator for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, said on Friday that she had not heard about the city’s position. 

“I find it interesting that they would address those types of issues without contacting us,” she said. 

Schonholtz also said that the PRCA requires that veterinarians be present at all rodeo events, and that animals are rarely hurt seriously. 

“The people that want to get rid of rodeos are those that believe that animals have rights, and we don’t have the right to use them,” she said. “The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association believes that we do have the right to use animals, as long as we provide proper care and treatment.” 

The Olympic Command Performance Rodeo will run through Monday. The events will include bull riding, steer wrestling and calf roping. 

It is the latter which particularly irks Councilmember Dona Spring, who serves as liaison between the council and the Citizens Humane Commission. 

“You can’t tell me that calves roped at high speeds don’t suffer from bruising and skin lacerations around their neck,” she said. 

Spring said that she would have preferred the Olympics not to have allowed their name to be used by organizers of the rodeo, as it gave the event a legitimacy it did not deserve. 

“The public is unaware of how cruel these rodeos are to animals,” she said. “It’s certainly a bad example to set for the children of America.” 

George Roffman, director and founder of the Oakland-based Black Cowboys Association, said that he did not believe that cruelty to animals occurred often in rodeos. 

“I’ve never seen abuse of animals in the rodeo,” he said. “I hope no one practices any such thing.” 

Other Olympic Arts Festival events include a performace by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a showing of “E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial.” 

Rodeos have been held in connection with the Olympics once before – at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. 

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net.

Today is Saturday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2002. There are 325 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 9, 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an American victory over Japanese forces. 

On this date: 

In 1773, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, was born in Charles City County, Va. 

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. 

In 1861, the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis president and Alexander H. Stephens vice president. 

In 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau was established. 

In 1942, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II. 

In 1942, daylight-saving “War Time” went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward. 

In 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, W.Va., Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., charged the State Department was riddled with Communists. 

In 1962, an agreement was signed to make Jamaica an independent nation within the British Commonwealth later in the year. 

In 1971, the Apollo 14 spacecraft returned to Earth after man’s third landing on the moon. 

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov died at age 69, less than 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was succeeded by Konstantin U. Chernenko. 

Ten years ago: The government of Algeria declared a state of emergency to quell spreading Muslim fundamentalist unrest. Magic Johnson returned to professional basketball by playing in the NBA All-Star game. (Johnson was named most valuable player as his side, the Western Conference, defeated the Eastern Conference 153-to-113.) 

Five years ago: Best Products closed the last of its stores, a victim of the diminishing allure of the catalog showroom concept of retailing. The East beat the West in the NBA All-Star game, 132-to-120. 

One year ago: A U.S. Navy submarine collided with a Japanese fishing boat off the Hawaiian coast, killing nine men and boys aboard the boat. 

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Kathryn Grayson is 80. Television journalist Roger Mudd is 74. Actress Janet Suzman is 63. Singer-songwriter Carole King is 60. Actor Joe Pesci is 59. Singer Barbara Lewis is 59. Author Alice Walker is 58. Actress Mia Farrow is 57. Singer Joe Ely is 55. Actress Judith Light is 53. Rhythm-and-blues musician Dennis “DT” Thomas (Kool & the Gang) is 51. Actor Charles Shaughnessy (“The Nanny”) is 47. Country singer Travis Tritt is 39. Actress Julie Warner (“Family Law”) is 37. Country singer Danni Leigh is 32. Actor David Gallagher is 17. Actress Marina Malota is 14.

Sosa brothers robbed 

CARACAS, Venezuela — Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa was robbed of $20,000 that he and his brother left on a desk in a Caracas hotel lobby, a newspaper reported Friday. 

Sosa and his brother, Jose Antonio, had the cash in a plastic bag wrapped inside a towel as they sat talking in the lobby of the Caracas Hilton last Saturday, El Universal said, citing unidentified police sources. 

The brothers forgot the bag when they left to eat at a hotel restaurant. Remembering it, they rushed back to the lobby but the cash was gone, the newspaper said. 

Hotel management refused to comment on the report Friday. Caracas city police in charge of the district where the hotel is situated said they had no information and could not comment. 

El Universal said Sosa reported the robbery to police and asked hotel management to review hotel security camera videotapes. Management told him the cameras weren’t working, the paper said. 

The robbery occurred after Sosa attended a Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico Caribbean Series game, El Universal said. 

Kicking off Fashion Week 

NEW YORK — Actress Angie Harmon, in a sleek, tiered brown leather skirt, tan turtleneck sweater and stiletto-heel boots, looked the part of fashion ambassador as she helped open New York Fashion Week on Friday. 

Did she put a lot of thought into her outfit? 

“Of course,” she told The Associated Press. “I chose this last night after I tried on a million different things.” 

Harmon and her husband, New York Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn, stood with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and dozens of fashion designers at Bryant Park, which becomes Fashion Central for eight days as fall collections are previewed for editors and retail buyers. 

Unlike previous seasons where most shows were staged at Bryant Park inside giant tents, only about half of the 100 men’s and women’s collections will be shown there this time around. The rest have gone to smaller sites throughout the city. 

Spring previews were cut short after Sept. 11, causing a financial blow to the industry. 

“The best memorial to those we lost is to go forward,” Bloomberg said. 

The mayor, dressed in a gray suit, pink shirt and blue tie, said Fashion Week is when all the top designers and models are in the city — “which is just another day in New York.” 

This year, sponsor Mercedes-Benz added a philanthropic element to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Designers and celebrities decorated miniature cars to be auctioned on eBay. 

Harmon and Sehorn’s car has a football theme. But pointing to the red heart painted on the trunk with “J+A” written on top, Harmon said “it was a team effort.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.mercedesbenzfashionweek.com/ 

http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/egpaf 

——— 

GARY, Ind. (AP) — Deion Sanders has made the transition from football to baseball to CBS sports analyst. Now, “Prime Time” moves into prime time as host of the Miss USA pageant. 

Pageants officials said Thursday that the flamboyant and outspoken Sanders will be the host of the March 1 show. CBS will broadcast the event from Gary’s Genesis Convention Center. 

Donald Thompson, pageant coordinator for Gary, said he hopes Sanders will help boost ticket sales. Already, sales for pageant events, including the presentation show, coronation ball and the pageant finals, have equaled last year’s total, when William Shatner was the host. 

Sanders, whose nickname is “Prime Time,” spent 13 seasons in the NFL and played briefly for the Cincinnati Reds. He won Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994 and the Dallas Cowboys a year later. 

——— 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A judge put jailed actor Brad Renfro into a three-month substance abuse treatment program and told him he faces a nine-month sentence if he fails it. 

The 19-year-old, who starred in the 1994 film “The Client,” was jailed Jan. 31 for violating his probation for trying to steal a yacht. He violated probation when he was arrested Jan. 14 and charged with driving without a license and public intoxication near his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. 

“I’m going to put you into this program, which I think will have some reasonable probability of success,” Circuit Judge Ronald Rothschild told Renfro on Thursday. “I’m going to ask you to put some energy into this.” 

Renfro’s aunt, Julie Pyshzka, whispered to him across the courtroom and said afterward, “He says it’ll be very good for him.” She said his problem was running with the “wrong crowd” and having “too much, too soon.” 

Renfro’s credits include “Bully,” “Ghost World,” “Sleepers” and “Telling Lies in America.” 

SAN FRANCISCO — There’s no better way to get a feel for nautical history than on the water, and there may be no better place to do it than San Francisco Bay. 

The bay offers dozens of floating museums from the behemoth USS Hornet aircraft carrier in Oakland to tiny, century-old fishing vessels in San Francisco. 

Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco has one of the largest collections of historic ships in the world, including a popular, relatively new arrival, the USS Pampanito, a World War II submarine. 

“I believe ours is the largest collection in the world,” says Darlene Plumtree of the Maritime Park Association. “No matter how you measure it — by tonnage or number of vessels — I’m pretty sure the Hyde Street exhibit is the biggest anywhere.” 

At the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf, the exhibit has more than 100 ships and boats. In addition to the Pampanito, the Maritime Park’s large attractions include the Balclutha, an 1886 full-rigged sailing ship, schooners, ferries and tugboats from the late 1800s. 

San Francisco may have the largest collection, but Oakland has the biggest boat. 

The USS Hornet, an Essex-class aircraft carrier docked at the former Alameda Naval Air Station, is a floating community, staffed by 3,500 sailors during its working years, now a combination museum, dance hall and public meeting house in its retirement. 

The Hornet played a part in three of the most significant events of the 20th century: World War II, the Apollo space mission and the Vietnam War. 

The USS Hornet is the eighth warship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name Hornet, a tradition that started in 1775. 

On the main visitor level not far from the museum entrance a sign says: “Neil Armstrong’s first footsteps on earth after walking on the moon.” 

On July 24, 1969, the Hornet scooped the Apollo 11 space capsule and the first men to walk on the moon, Armstong and Buzz Aldrin, out of the sea when they returned to earth. 

Several aircraft are on display on the hangar deck and occasionally make it to the flight deck aboard the only working plane elevator remaining on an Essex-class carrier. The Hornet stages living ship demonstrations during which former crew members show what life aboard a working ship was like. 

During its working days, the action on the Hornet centered in two spots — the flight deck where planes were catapulted into the air and landed again, and the combat information center, the dark nerve center that kept track of the action. 

“This room could generate a lot of tension,” said Bill Lewis, a pilot who flew off similar carriers during World War II and now volunteers as a docent on the Hornet. 

“The CIC was really the heart and the brains of what these carriers were trying to accomplish,” Lewis said. 

During World War II, the first Hornet aircraft carrier served as the stage for Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle and 16 B-25 bombers that bombed Tokyo in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Hornet was sunk six months later at the Battle of Santa Cruz. The next and current carrier Hornet was commissioned in 1943 and launched bombers and fighters during World War II. 

In Vietnam and during the Cold War, the Hornet served more as a submarine tracker and intelligence gatherer. 

Visiting the Hornet is like a walk on the wide open plains, plenty of fresh air, room to stretch. 

The Navy’s counterpart in terms of room to stretch is the USS Pampanito sub. 

“It’s a little cramped, it always smells of diesel, and when you’re under way it’s extremely noisy, but you talk to sub vets and you’ll hear them say that’s really the only way to go to sea,” said John Scalzi, who served on a boat similar to the Pampanito in the Vietnam war. 

The Pampanito is one of the last diesel-powered subs. Modern boats are powered by nuclear reactors. 

Scalzi, who served six years on diesel subs in the 1960s and ’70s, said his time underwater was the most significant time in his life. 

In addition to veterans like Lewis on the Hornet and Scalzi on the Pampanito, whose experience lends credence to museum tours, many boats offer audio and video programs as well. The Pampanito’s self-guided audio tour is excellent, with interviews of crew members woven artfully between music and radio broadcasts. 

————— 

If You Go ... 

GENERAL AND TICKET INFORMATION: 

— San Francisco Maritime Museum, 900 Beach Street, at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf. The museum is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park that includes the fleet at Hyde Street Pier. SF Maritime National Historic Park: (415) 556-3002 

— USS Pampanito, World War II submarine, and SS Jeremiah O’Brien, last active survivor of 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe, Pier 45, Fisherman’s Wharf. USS Pampanito: (415) 561-6662. SS Jeremiah O’Brien: (415) 441-3101. 

— USS Hornet, moored at Alameda Point, formerly Alameda Naval Air Station, Oakland. USS Hornet: (510) 521-8448. 

ON THE NET: 

— San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park: www.nps.gov/safr 

— USS Pampanito and other vessels: www.maritime.org 

— SS Jeremiah O’Brien: www.ssjeremiahobrien.com 

— USS Hornet: www.uss-hornet.org 

LOS ANGELES — The number of California households able to afford their own home increased in December to 34 percent, up from 32 percent a year ago, an industry study released Friday said. 

The improvement was driven by low mortgage interest rates, which continued to offset rising property values in December as they had throughout the year, the California Association of Realtors said. 

The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California rose 13.8 percent to $276,940 in December, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to CAR’s report. 

At the same time, the average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage declined to 7.28 percent in December, from 7.58 percent a year ago, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer loan information. 

During all of 2001, 33 percent of California households could afford to own their own homes, up from 32 percent in 2000, according to the CAR report. 

But the improved annual state numbers mask a widening gap between what Californians can afford compared to the rest of the country. 

Nationwide, more than half, or 57 percent of American households, could afford to buy their own home in 2001, up from 55 percent in 2000, CAR reported. 

Regionally, Merced, Fresno and Stanislaus remained among the most affordable counties in the state, where 59 percent, 52 percent and 46 percent of households, respectively, could afford to own. 

The San Francisco Bay Area, meanwhile, remained one of the most exclusive home markets in California. Still, the region showed a significant increase in the number of residents who could afford to own housing during the year. 

In San Francisco County, where the technology bust has cooled the once red-hot property market, only 15 percent of households could afford to own in December, up from just 10 percent a year earlier, CAR’s numbers show. 

Percentage of households in various counties that could afford to buy a medium-priced home in December 2001,  

along with comparison figures for December 2000: 

• Alameda, 25 percent, 18 percent. 

• Contra Costa, 18 percent, 14 percent. 

• San Francisco, 15 percent, 10 percent. 

• San Mateo, 20 percent, 14 percent. 

• Fresno, 52 percent, 54 percent. 

• San Joaquin, 37 percent, 39 percent. 

• Stanislaus, 46 percent, 45 percent. 

Source: California Association of Realtors

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal bankruptcy judge rejected Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s request for a pre-emptive, blanket exemption from state laws and regulations it claims will prevent it from paying off thousands of creditors. 

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali said federal bankruptcy code does not expressly permit PG&E’s reorganization plan to override dozens of state laws and regulations — including state control over how much it can charge for the electricity it generates. 

Montali said in his decision released late Thursday that California’s largest utility was overreaching with its “across-the-board, take-no-prisoners” strategy to move more than $8 billion in assets beyond the reach of state regulators. 

Given the strenuous opposition to what he described as PG&E’s “full-scale attack on any state law that interferes with the plan,” Montali said he could not approve the utility’s legal strategy. 

However, he invited PG&E to appeal, saying he would allow the plan to move forward if PG&E can prove the pre-emptions would not compromise Californians’ public safety. He also would require the utility to convince him that dodging state oversight is the only way to return to creditworthiness. 

PG&E said Friday it would prove that being freed from state oversight is key to its survival. 

“While the court did not accept the utility’s argument that federal law automatically pre-empts state law, the ruling does provide that pre-emption is possible, if necessary to confirm the utility’s plan of reorganization,” PG&E said in a statement Friday. 

PG&E Corp., the utility’s parent company, made a motion Friday to transfer a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bill Lockyer from San Francisco Superior Court to the bankruptcy court. 

In January, Lockyer sued the parent company alleging it transferred $4.6 billion from the utility, driving it into bankruptcy. That means the case relates to the bankruptcy filing and should also be heard by Montali, said PG&E Corp. spokesman Greg Pruett. 

“Who is he making this claim on behalf of? Not the people of California,” Pruett said. “He’s making it on behalf of the debtor, PG&E the utility.” 

The case was immediately transferred to the federal venue. The AG’s office will challenge that move, said Sandra Michioku, spokeswoman for Lockyer. 

“This tactic by PG&E Corp. was expected. It would be good to remember that PG&E Corp. is not in bankrupt court, only the utility is,” she said. 

Lockyer’s suit was for unfair business practices “in which the corporation siphoned off more than $4 billion from the utility and broke promises to California ratepayers,” Michioku said. 

If the utility’s reorganization plan is approved, state officials vow to stall it for months in appeals court. 

Gary Cohen, the PUC’s chief counsel, said in a news conference Friday he doubted PG&E could meet Montali’s requests. The PUC is scheduled to present an alternate plan next week. 

The state Assembly’s point man on energy issues, Democrat Fred Keeley, said the ruling was a substantial victory for consumers, making it “much more difficult for PG&E to use ratepayers’ money to accomplish a regulatory jail break.” He emphasized, however, that PG&E’s plan is not dead. The utility now has a guide showing it ways to gain approval. 

This potential has kept some creditors hopeful the utility will fulfill its promise of paying all its debts. 

“The creditors committee continues to support the plan fully,” said Paul Aronzon, lead counsel for the committee. However, he said the group is “really looking forward” to hearing the details of the state’s alternate. 

PG&E wants to transfer its power plants, hydroelectric dams, transmission networks and thousands of acres of land in the Sierra Nevada to its federally regulated parent corporation. 

PG&E says federal regulation allows it to borrow more than $4 billion against the assets to pay creditors. Under its plan, the utility said all creditors would be paid in full and there would be no electric rate increase. 

The PUC, consumer advocates and several federal agencies vehemently oppose the plan. Though PG&E says it would provide 12 years of stable power prices from its plants, the opponents say it means higher electric bills in the long term and a loss of local control over PG&E’s actions. 

If PG&E transfers its property, state Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey and energy committee chairwoman, said she will push for the state to use eminent domain to keep the plants under California’s oversight. 

Environmentalists and state officials worry that without state oversight, the land — home to endangered species as well as potentially lucrative timber — will be sold to businesses interested more in profits than protecting habitats. 

Legal experts say the case could set a precedent for future utility bankruptcies because PG&E’s would be the first to dodge state regulation with a federal judge’s approval. 

Linda Ekstrom Stanley, the U.S. Trustee in the case, said Montali’s decision “is giving a clear message that PG&E really has to revamp its plan and tell specifically the laws it wants to pre-empt.” Stanley monitors federal bankruptcy cases in Northern California. 

The PUC has not revealed the fine print about its alternate plan, though in previous hearings it has said it would urge PG&E to use its $4.9 billion available cash to pay creditors. 

PG&E slid into debt while a rate freeze prevented it from passing the full cost of soaring wholesale electricity prices on to its 4.6 million customers. It claims it owes more than $13 billion to thousands of creditors. 

Until PG&E becomes creditworthy, the state must continue buying power. California has spent roughly $10 billion since January 2000 buying power for customers of PG&E and other utilities. 

Shares of PG&E’s parent corporation fell 92 cents to $20.93 Friday. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Pacific Gas and Electric Co.: http://www.pge.com 

Bankruptcy Court: http://www.canb.uscourts.gov 

Public Utilities Commission: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov 

—Incorporated: 1905, in California 

—Lost creditworthiness: Jan. 16, 2001 

—Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection: April 6, 2001 

—Debts: Claims it owes $13.2 billion to thousands of creditors. 

—Top 5 creditors: 

The Bank of New York, $2.2 billion 

California Power Exchange, $1.9 billion 

Bankers Trust Co., $1.3 billion 

California Independent System Operator, $1.1 billion 

Bank of America, $938 million 

—Customers: 4.6 million natural gas and electric customers; 14 million Californians served 

—Territory: 70,000 square miles throughout Northern and Central California 

—Employees: 18,400 

—Plan for reorganization: 

Would transfer $8.3 billion in assets to its parent corporation to create three new, federally regulated subsidiaries. 

Assets include: Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, other power plants, electricity and natural gas transmission systems, hydroelectric dams and hundreds of thousands of acres of Sierra Nevada lands. 

PG&E would borrow against those assets to raise $4.35 billion to help pay its debts. After the transfers, PG&E estimates its utility would be worth $9.5 billion. 

ETrans, the proposed electricity transmission subsidiary, would be worth $1.6 billion. GTrans, the proposed gas transmission subsidiary, would be worth $1.4 billion. Gen, the proposed electricity generating subsidiary, would be worth $5.3 billion. 

These new subsidiaries would assume significant amounts of the utility’s debt: ETrans, $1.1 billion; GTrans, $900 million; Gen, $2.4 billion. 

The plan must be approved by its creditors, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and potentially the state of California before it can go into action.

SFSU multicultural center  

vandalized 

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco State University’s multicultural center has been vandalized for the second time in two weeks, according to campus police. 

Officials on Wednesday discovered vandals had urinated and smeared fecal matter in the main room of the Richard Oakes Multicultural Center. The vandalism occurred against the backdrop of the university’s new slogan “Love is Stronger than Hate,” which emerged after Sept. 11. 

“I don’t know whether this was intended as a hate crime, though the choice of the multicultural center does raise the question,” said university President Robert Corrigan. 

There are no suspects, and there was no apparent forced entry into the room, which is usually kept locked, Sgt. Jerry Trobaugh said. The incident apparently occurred between the close of the student center at 10 p.m. Tuesday and 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, when police were called. 

On Jan. 23, students found offensive graffiti on the room’s dry erase boards. They erased the remarks and did not contact police. 

Airports to get new security firms 

SAN FRANCISCO — New security firms will take over San Francisco and Oakland airports in two weeks. 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta decided Wednesday that his department will not longer do business with Argenbright Security when the federal government takes over airport security. 

The company provides about 40 percent of the United State’s airline security. And about 340 guards at San Francisco International Airport and 40 screeners at Oakland International Airport work for Argenbright. Another firm, ITS, contracts with San Jose International Airport. 

Airport officials said most employees won’t lose their jobs. At SFO, ITS will become the airport’s new domestic security firm and will hire all Argenbright workers, airport spokesman Ron Wilson said. 

In a statement Argenbright said executives anticipated losing airport contracts when Congress passed the airline security act last fall. 

The Atlanta-based company is now owned by the British security conglomerate Securicor. 

SAN FRANCISCO — As de-facto mayor, police chief and reluctant figurehead of the remarkably successful www.craigslist.org, Craig Newmark says he’s “living la vida Dilbert.” 

Newmark is a balding bachelor and self-described nerd who once worked as a computer programmer at IBM and Schwab — but shows no symptoms of the comic strip’s trademark cubicle-dwelling stress. 

He works from home, chasing down spammers and flamers as he nurtures a sort of cyber-commons, one of the best places in the Bay Area to land a job, find a roommate, join a discussion, announce a demonstration or unload a futon. 

The job pays enough for Newmark’s flat-screen TV, hybrid car and the latest digital gadgets, while allowing him to stay true to his philosophy of keeping things free, simple and decidedly uncommercial. 

“We are a platform where people can help each other with everyday stuff,” said Newmark, who has never taken banner ads, won’t sell user lists and spurned at least one buyout offer. 

For Newmark, the dot-com boom was a “mass hallucination.” 

So why is he buying trouble by expanding internationally, to 14 other cities at last count, that include places like New York, Los Angeles and Boston? 

“The real vision is that we have craigslists around the world, giving people a voice, making the Web a democracy,” he said. 

So far, expansion costs have been nil, beyond more server space and work for his staff of 17, which operates out of a house in the city’s Inner Sunset neighborhood and earns from $30,000 to $100,000 a year. 

The staff reviews postings for obscenity and other problems, deals with customer complaints and keeps the servers running. But the site largely runs itself, growing organically with each free posting. 

Craigslist had more than 400,000 unique hits in December, according to NetRatings Inc. — a mere speck compared to Yahoo’s 69.5 million unique visitors, but a major destination in San Francisco, a city of 777,000. 

The site charges for job listings, at $75 apiece in the Bay area, far cheaper than the $300 per posting on the leading for-profit career site, Monster.com. The listings for other cities — reached through links on www.craigslist.org — are still growing to a critical mass, so help-wanted ads there are still free, for now. 

The site started in the early 1990s as a list of happenings Newmark e-mailed each week to his friends. He wanted to call it “sf-events.” 

“People said, ’No, let’s keep this personal and quirky.’ So we kept calling it craigslist,” he recalls. “It’s kind of embarrassing.” 

Charlene Li turned to craigslist when she moved from Boston to San Francisco last year and wanted to sell her high-quality moving boxes when she arrived, instead of throwing them away. Her boxes sold within 30 minutes. 

“It’s a way to move things you can’t sell on eBay,” said Li, an analyst for Forrester Research. 

Craigslist has a decidedly local, Seinfeldian charm, found in the random postings, touches of humor and personal interaction. 

For example, on the “Missed Connections” category, more than 50 people a day post messages like this one, addressed to “The girl at Kinkos mission/1st (at) 9:45 p.m.: 

“Hey, The girl with the ski hat. I didn’t get a chance to get to talk to you. ... I had a back pack and some boxes. Anyway, I want a chance to say hello.” 

A few couples have been forged thanks to the missed connections category, Newmark said. 

Craigslist has also proved a great source of microeconomic data.  

Apartment listings are up to 5,000 a week from 1,000 a year ago in San Francisco, reflecting the sudden drop in demand in what has been the nation’s costliest rental market. 

“We have seen apartment postings soar in the past 10 months,” he said. “That tells us a lot of people have moved out of the area probably because of the job situation.” 

After Sept. 11, job postings dropped off 30 percent, while some personals categories grew from 2,000 to 4,000 postings a week. 

Recent postings also suggest the worst may be over for the job market, which fell as much as 40 percent in 2001. Job listings hit 7,000 in January, up from 5,000 in December. 

Monster has reported as many as 400,000 job postings in a month, while craigslist has had no more than 8,000. Yet craigslist was rated the nation’s most efficient job-recruiting site in a 2000 study of 50 recruiters by Forrester Research. 

“It’s a place to uncover the hidden gem, the job that isn’t on the big job lists,” said Li. 

Becoming a big player in other cities will be difficult, said Jim Conaghan, a vice president of the Newspaper Association of America. “Newspapers are already the established brand and they have more salespeople on the street,” he said. 

But craigslist seems to be taking off in New York, where site use is 10 times greater than a year ago — the expansion began in 2000. 

It helps that the site doesn’t need huge cash infusions to succeed. 

Besides, getting a bigger slice of the nation’s $1 billion online career business market is not the highest goal for Newmark. 

Instead, his latest passion is rallying other entrepreneurs to donate to his foundation’s teacher wishlist program, which sends jump ropes, erasers, gluesticks and other supplies to classrooms nationwide. 

“As a Ma-and-Pa shop with a nonprofit foundation, we’re not going to make a lot of money at this,” he said. “But running things this way couldn’t be more gratifying.”

Concerned about another negative media blitz, the City Council put the brakes on a letter-writing campaign to elected officials and major news organizations on Tuesday. The letter called for an end to the “attack on the First Amendment” resulting from Sept. 11. 

The Peace and Justice Commission recommended the letter-writing campaign in response to several government and media actions taken since the terrorist attacks. According to the recommendation, some of those actions include erosion of the right to privacy by the United States Patriot Act and an agreement by five television networks to voluntarily censor inflammatory statements related to the attacks. 

“In the wake of this tragedy our leaders have repeatedly reminded us that the terrorists are seeking to destroy our way of life,” the commission’s letter reads. “Indeed, the best way we can show true patriotism is to protect and defend the constitution.” 

The council voted 7-1 to approve City Manager Weldon Rucker’s opposing recommendation to have the commission work with city staff to develop a measured approach for distributing city policies. Councilmember Kriss Worthington cast the only vote in opposition. 

The commission asked the council to send letters to the United Nations, the president, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland and senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein. The commission also wanted letters sent to major news media organizations including CNN, CBS and the New York Times. 

“The commission’s report raises several important issues that the council should respond to but we must take responsible action in that response,” the city manager’s recommendation reads. “A more targeted distribution of communications from the city to federal officials is a more prudent and responsible approach.” 

Worthington said city officials are concerned that sending the letter to major medial organizations might ignite another media blitz similar to last October’s. Berkeley was thrust into the national spotlight last October as a result of a council-approved recommendation calling for a speedy end to U.S. bombing in Afghanistan. 

“Staff wants to spend another six to eight weeks coming up with safe ways to express the message,” he said. “To force the Peace and Justice Commission to add so much additional time to this letter seems very bureaucratic and unproductive.” 

Chief of Staff to the City Manager Arretta Chakos said it is true that the city wants to avoid “inaccurate” media attention.  

“The city received thousands and thousands of telephone calls, some of which were death threats to city officials,” she said. “And we got those calls largely because of misinformation in the media.” 

Peace and Justice Commissioner Elliot Cohen was disappointed with the council’s decision. 

“We are willing to work with city staff but I do agree with what Councilmember Kriss Worthington said that this is a slap in the face of the commission,” he said. “It’s a shame the city in which the free speech movement was born does not have the courage to stand up for the First Amendment without a conference with the City Manager’s Office.” 

Contact reporter John Geluardi at johng@berkeleydailyplanet.net

Editor: 

I saw (Berkeley City Traffic Engineer’s) name mentioned in Henry Lee’s article about the use of little flags to “protect” pedestrian safety.  

Please advise your supervisors and fellow city workers that if Berkeley employees observed the traffic laws, perhaps the citizens would as well.  

Specifically, I am speaking of police officers.  

Every time I have traversed Berkeley city streets in the last month I have seen Berkeley police and meter “maids” running red lights. Not as if on the way to a crime but carefully looking to see if there is oncoming traffic before violating the lights.  

I try not to drive in Berkeley and I refuse to shop downtown because the meters kill the pleasure of shopping, but if I have seen five city workers breaking the law, maybe others have seen them as well. If city representatives have no respect for the laws, how can they expect respect from citizens?  

Tina Juarez 

Berkeley 

The group Culture Clash consists of three 40-ish male Latino performers who write and perform political sketch comedy. They did their first gig nearly 18 years ago in a San Francisco Mission District gallery that sponsored political work. 

Since then, a successful career has taken them to many prominent theaters around the country. In 1991, they created 30 episodes of a half-hour television series for Fox called “Culture Clash.” 

In 1990, Berkeley Repertory Theater commissioned from Culture Clash “The Yo, Frankie! Show,” a satire about commercial television that toured schools in Northern California. Three years ago, the group returned to the Rep with a bizarre adaptation of Aristophanes’ “The Birds.” 

And now, as of last Wednesday, they’re back, opening a third Berkeley Rep engagement “Culture Clash in America.” 

“Culture Clash in America” takes material from earlier gigs and combines it with new material—some of it about Berkeley — creating a 90-minute show the group sees as a retrospective of its work in political comedy. 

Performed by Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza – and directed by Berkeley Rep artistic director Tony Taccone – “Culture Clash in America,” is a somewhat uneven evening of short playlets, monologues and lots of sociological and political observation. Generally it gets better as the show progresses. 

The three members of Culture Clash go out into the world and find interesting and eccentric people and interview them, and then develop sketches around these short oral histories. Much of the material in "Culture Clash in America" is taken from such interviews, creating a potpourri of personalities and issues in the American landscape. 

Highlights include the portrayal of an elderly Jewish resident of Miami, a theater publicist turned public relations guy of some kind. His salty, four-letter-laced speech is sort of an oral history of 50 years of Miami show biz and ethnic history. 

Later there is a short and very funny segment featuring an Asian homeboy from San Diego, fluent in Black-inflected ghetto-speak, followed by a hilarious, inane segment featuring three stoned surfers. 

There are many drag segments. One of the evening’s most interesting features a transsexual health educator from the Mission telling taboo secrets of homosexuality and bisexuality in the Latino community. She describes in graphic detail the archeology of her upcoming male-to-female genital surgery. 

Elsewhere, two female boomer hippies smoke a joint, drink Chilean wine from Trader Joes, and spoof the Berkeley pot-head lifestyle. 

` Other segments are less effective. The evening goes up and down. Some of the biggest laughs are the obscenity words. There are lots of jokes about race. The show definitely took a while to get going opening night. 

Certain segments built on Latin ghetto street humor didn’t catch fire for the opening night audience. At those times it seemed like Culture Clash was playing to the wrong crowd. 

Some of the bits (such as street life on the lower east side of New York) felt old and familiar and lacked an edge. The newer segments were fresher and better. One segment about prison inmates blaming the system needed something more than rage. 

"Culture Clash in America" ends with two segments about Berkeley. In one, Shirley Dean makes her pitch for the new Berkeley with its nice restaurants and "hundreds of hate-free zones." 

Then a mysterious, wheelchair-bound vet living in People’s Park smokes a joint and reveals, somewhat mystically, the best Chicano poem ever written. So the evening ends, true to its theme, with culture clash in America. 

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

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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 

Club Jjang-ga Feb. 9: King St. Crossing, Noiz, Kiss the Girl, Swoll; Feb. 16: Deducted Value, Dopesick, Luxt, Karate High School, Forcing Bloom; Feb. 23: Cheapskate, Eddie Haskels, Resiteleros, Dead Last; 261-1108, savageproductions1@yahoo.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 

Jupiter 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. 

Old First Concerts Feb. 16: 8 p.m., The Duke and The Lady-Faye Carol, $12; Feb. 17: 4 p.m., Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth, $12; Old First Church, 1751 Sacramento St., 415-474-1608. 

The Rose Street House of Music Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Joanne Rand, June Millington; Feb. 14: 7:30 p.m., “Escape-from-V-day Musical Extravaganza,” with Rebecca Hart, Nicola Gordon, Marca Cassity, Christene LeDoux, Helen Chay, Eileen Hazel, Irina Rivkin; 1839 Rose St., 594-4000 x687, www.rosestreetmusic.com.  

The Starry Plough Feb. 6: 8:30 p.m., Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik, $5; Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; Feb. 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. 

“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 

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 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” Through Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center “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. 

Trillium Press: Past, Present and Future Feb. 15 through April 13: Works created at Trillium Press by 28 artists. Tues. - Fri. noon - 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, www.kala.org.  

“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 

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 

Cody’s on Fourth St. Feb. 15: Nuala O’Faolain talks about “My Dream of You”; Feb. 19: Tracy Hogg will tell “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers”; Feb. 21: Dan Bessie discusses Alvah Bessie’s Spanish Civil War Notebooks; Feb. 27: 6 p.m., Rodney Yee brings “Yoga: The Poetry of the Body”; Feb. 28: Rosemary Wells talks about children, children’s books, and the importance of reading; All events begin at 7 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 1730 Fourth St., 559-9500, www.codysbooks.com.  

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Feb. 7: Mark Kurlansky considers “Salt: A World History”; Feb. 11: Edward O. Wilson discusses “The Future of Life”; Feb. 12: Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé offer “Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet”; Feb. 15: Cindy Engel describes “Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them”; Feb. 19: Robert Cohen reads from “Inspired Sleep”; Feb. 22: “The Whole World is Watching,” a panel discussion with Harold Adler, Leon F. Litwack, Charles Wollenberg, Hollynn D’Lil, Ronald J. Riesterer and Cathy Cade; Feb. 25: David Henry Sterry describes “Chicken: Self-portrait of a Young Man for Rent”; Feb. 26: Carter Scholz reads from “Radiance”; All events begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

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. 

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 

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, www.codysbooks.com.  

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.

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 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. 

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. 

Youth Career Faire 

9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Chinese Community Church 

2117 Acton St.  

All youths are invited to come learn about different careers from those in the field. 548-5259. 

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. 

Young People’s Chamber Orchestra  

20th Annual Winter Concert 

4 p.m. 

St. John’s Presbyterian Church 

2727 College Ave. 

All-strings orchestra consisting of girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 14. $5 for adults, $1 students. 527-8624. 

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 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 

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 

Public Forum regarding the  

Berkeley Unified School District Budget 

6 - 9 p.m. 

District’s Administrative Offices 

Council Chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way 

District staff and the FCMAT (Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team) will make a budget presentation and respond to questions from the audience. 644-6174. 

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. 

Circles of Iron, Cloaks of Power: 

African Colonial Intermediaries in 

the French Soudan, West Africa,  

1890 - 1910 

4 - 6 p.m. 

UC Berkeley  

3335 Dwinelle, Level “C” 

A talk by Emily Osborn of Notre Dame University. Sponsored by Department of History, Department of African-American Studies, and Center for African Studies. 642-8338. 

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 

Exploring Old Neighborhoods in the East Bay and Marin 

7 p.m. 

Recreational Equipment, Inc. 

1338 San Pablo Ave. 

A slide presentation showcasing historic houses, beautiful gardens, parks, waterfalls and more. 527-7377 

– Compiled by Guy Poole 

The season ended abruptly for the St. Mary’s High boys’ soccer team on Thursday, as the Panthers slipped and slid around their own field in a 2-1 loss to Berean Christian. 

Forward Andrew Jacobsmeyer scored both goals for the No. 4 Eagles, bringing his team back from an early 1-0 deficit to move on to the BSAL final. St. Mary’s, the second seed, has now lost to lower seeds in the playoffs for the last two seasons. 

“Jacobsmeyer made his mark today, just like he has all season,” St. Mary’s head coach Teale Matteson said. “We didn’t make a lot of mistakes, but the ones we did make cost us.” 

Berean Christian’s first goal was more a matter of luck than anything else. Parker Gustaveson put a ball skipping through the St. Mary’s box, and it was headed right for Panther goalkeeper Nick Osborn. But the ball took a funny hop and somehow ended up behind Osborn, and Jacobsmeyer pounced to put the ball in the back of the net to tie the game 1-1 after 16 minutes. 

Jacobsmeyer’s second goal came under more normal circumstances, as Ross Crown put him through with a flick header. Osborn had no chance as Jacobsmeyer slammed the ball past him, and the Panthers couldn’t answer back in the remaining 20 minutes of play. 

“None of the goals today were real pretty,” Berean Christian coach John Hunt said. “The water affected pretty much everything and slowed the game down.” 

St. Mary’s went ahead in the 5th minute when Andrew Nackerud chested home a free kick by teammate Stephon McGrew. But although the Panthers would get plenty of other chances, they couldn’t convert. Berean Christian goalkeeper Miguel Schiapappietra seemed to be a magnet for the ball, making 12 saves as most of the St. Mary’s shots went right at him. 

“It was to his credit that he held on to all of those shots. That’s not easy in these conditions,” Matteson said of the Eagle goalie. 

It looked as if the Panthers had equalized late in the second half when a scrum broke out in front of the Berean Christian goal. St. Mary’s defender Sean Rogan nudged the ball over the line after nearly every player on the field had taken a hack at it, but the referee ruled Rogan had kicked the ball out of Schiapappietra’s hands negating the goal and giving the Eagles a free kick. 

Matteson refused to second-guess the call, complimenting the officiating. 

“Officiating was not a factor in the outcome of today’s game,” he said. “Of course you want a couple more calls to go your way, but he called what he saw.” 

The St. Mary’s attack was slowed not only by the field conditions, but by a saavy defensive plan by the Eagles. Hunt’s plan was to limit McGrew’s touches in the midfield and keep him from getting shots with his left foot. As a result, the Panthers were forced to attack down the wings rather than up the middle, and getting accurate crosses off in the mud proved an impossibility. 

Matteson said he plans to go to the North Coast Section seeding meeting on Sunday to apply for an at-large berth for the Division IV playoffs. He didn’t attend the meeting last season after losing to St. Joseph in the BSAL playoffs and later found out the Panthers likely would have won a spot, so this year he isn’t taking any chances. 

“I didn’t think we’d make it last year, but we would have,” he said. “So why not go and try again this year?”

The City Council sent the new Public Safety Tower back to the drawing board after neighbors complained that the 170-foot structure is too unsightly for a residential neighborhood. 

Neighbors also complained that tower’s design, which they dubbed the “oil derrick,” never went through the city’s normal approval process. The tower, which provides radio communication for the city’s emergency services, will be fully operational while new designs move through various commissions. The process is expected to take between two and three years. 

The tower was erected in November, 2000 even though its design was never approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board, Design Review Committee or the Landmarks Preservation Commission. 

City officials estimate dismantling the existing tower, which is behind the Public Safety Building at 2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and constructing a replacement could cost between $300,000 and $500,000. 

The council approved Councilmember Dona Spring’s resolution with a 6-2 vote. Councilmembers Polly Armstrong and Betty Olds voted against the resolution and Councilmember Miriam Hawley was absent.  

“I’m glad there was council support for this resolution,” Spring said. “I’m really thankful for the mayor’s leadership in making the motion that the city will commit to an environmental review and public design process.” 

Dean said she would vote for the redesign process provided there were no gaps in tower radio service. She also insisted any new design be as effective in supporting radio communication as the existing tower. 

Armstrong, who voted against the redesign, said the estimated cost of replacing the existing tower was too high. 

“I’m sympathetic with the neighbors. If this tower was in my neighborhood I would be here complaining too,” she said. “But our job as City Councilmembers is to look at what’s good for the entire city and the $300,000 to $500,000 cost is not responsible.” 

The recommendation asks the city manager to begin an environmental review of two potential options. One is to relocate the tower to the Transfer Station in northwest Berkeley. The other is to exchange the existing structure with two shorter, “flag pole” styled antennas. 

The three-legged, steel structure is designed to withstand a major earthquake and continue to provide critical radio communication support for police, fire and medical services. The council approved the tower’s activation on Jan. 22. 

Neighbors said they were pleased with the council’s action.  

“We are thrilled with the council’s vote,” Robin McDonnel. “We are very happy the mayor and the council listened to the voice of the community.”

Editor: 

Remember all those anti-gun rave reviews and sycophant media fanfare for “historian” Michael Bellesisles’ book, Arming America — even before they’d read it? His thesis was that very few Revolutionary era Americans owned firearms, and that any idea of an early armed citizenry was merely a Hollywood-spawned myth.  

A veritable host of academic and journalist critics challenged his accuracy and his “facts.” Many of his cited sources did not say what he claimed they said, and some even said the exact opposite. Now his employer, Emerson University, has demanded that he produce his evidence and respond to the critics -- or else. And he has advanced the “dog-ate-my-homework” argument, claiming (astonishingly, in the computer age!) that his notes were all paper notes, and that they were “destroyed in a flood.” Just another typical anti-gun bigot exposed for lying (and disgracing his profession) by manufacturing bogus data to further his irrational anti-gun phobic agenda.  

Fielding Greaves 

San Rafael

LOS ANGELES — “Moulin Rouge” and “A Beautiful Mind,” already recognized by the directors’ and actors’ guilds, were among the movies receiving nominations Thursday for Writers Guild Awards. 

The eclectic musical “Moulin Rouge,” written by director Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, is up for best original screenplay. 

Also competing in that category are Julian Fellowes’ script for the British murder mystery “Gosford Park”; “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” Joel and Ethan Coen’s black-and-white thriller; “Monster’s Ball,” by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, about an interracial couple in the South; and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” by director Wes Anderson and co-star Owen Wilson, about a family of failed geniuses. 

Akiva Goldsman’s script for “A Beautiful Mind” is among those nominated for best adapted screenplay. It’s based on Sylvia Nasar’s biography of the same name about John Forbes Nash Jr., the mathematician who battled schizophrenia and won the Nobel Prize in 1996. 

“It’s a solitary job and there’s something extraordinary about being appreciated by the people who do what you do ... sit by yourself, stare at the sky, stare at the keyboard,” Goldsman said. 

Four other films were nominated in that category: 

• “Black Hawk Down” by Ken Nolan, based on Mark Bowden’s book about the October 1993 mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, in which 18 U.S. soldiers died and 73 others were injured. 

• “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis, based on Fielding’s novel about a single woman’s dating adventures in London. 

— “Ghost World,” written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, based on Clowes’ graphic novel, about a teen-ager who befriends a reclusive older man. 

— “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson, based on the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy trilogy. 

“This is the writer’s moment. This is your little moment in the sun,” Walsh said. Boyens said they would celebrate with champagne, then get back to work helping with post-production of the next “Rings” movie, “The Two Towers.” 

Notably absent were “Memento,” writer-director Christopher Nolan revenge tale told in reverse, and “In the Bedroom,” the family drama that director Todd Field and Rob Festinger wrote based on Andre Dubus’ short story. 

Both films have won other honors for their scripts, but were ineligible for Writers Guild Awards because they were not produced under a writers’ guild contract. Both were low-budget films made outside the Hollywood studio system. 

The Writers Guild of America will give out its 54th annual awards on March 2 at simultaneous ceremonies in Beverly Hills and New York City. 

The Directors Guild Awards will be given on March 9, with the Screen Actors Guild Awards scheduled for the next day. The Academy Awards are set for March 24. 

——— 

On the Net: http://www.wga.org 

California shot a season-high 57.1 percent from the floor and held Oregon State to just 19 rebounds as the Golden Bears moved to 16-5 on the season with a 73-58 victory over the Beavers Thursday night in Haas Pavilion.  

With the win, Cal also improved to 7-4 in Pac-10 action, just one game out of first place in the loss column.  

Junior forward Joe Shipp paced the Bears with 18 points, including 12 in the second half, while freshman forward Amit Tamir added 14 points and five assists, and Brian Wethers had 12 points, all coming in the first 20 minutes.  

Cal spotted OSU a 7-4 lead in the opening minutes, then reeled off 12 consecutive points for a 16-7 advantage. The lead reached double digits at 19-9 on a Tamir

During opening statements in the Samson murder trial on Tuesday, the prosecution called Oct. 29, 1996 “a very dark day.”  

That was the day the district attorney said James Antony Daveggio, 41, and, his girlfriend, Michelle Lyn Michaud, 43, met and began calculating with precision and strategy how to assault, humiliate and take pleasure in their victims’ pain and death. 

In the murder of Vanessa Lei Samson, a 22-year-old community college student, Alameda County District Attorney Angela Backers said, “each member played an indispensable role.” 

Backers spoke from a podium facing the jury. She soberly presented all details, listing each heinous act the couple allegedly committed. 

Daveggio and Michaud are on trial at the Superior Court in Oakland for allegedly torturing, raping, killing then deserting the body of a Pleasanton woman near a Sierra highway. If convicted, they could get the death penalty.  

Editor: 

When I read in the media that the vast majority of Californians want the 20 year old John Walker Lindh given a harsh punishment -- life in prison or the death penalty -- I was reminded of words spoken a while back by a Jewish rabbi, healer (especially of emotional and spiritual problems) and excellent judge of character. He said, “those of you who show mercy will be happy, and mercy will be shown to you.” I wonder if that same Field Opinion Poll also indicates one reason why the vast majority of Californians are neurotic, depressed and not happy.  

Ian Johnson 

Berkeley

NEW YORK — Fire and police union officials expressed concerns Wednesday that former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s appearance at a screening of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new movie might appear to link a Sept. 11 charity to the film. 

“It saddens us any time a tragedy is used to promote anything like a movie,” said Peter Gorman, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. 

In “Collateral Damage,” which opens Friday, Schwarzenegger plays a Los Angeles firefighter who seeks vengeance against Colombian terrorists who killed his family. The movie had been scheduled for release in October, but Warner Bros. postponed it after the terrorist attacks. 

Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, said that while the union had nothing against Schwarzenegger or the movie, “We consider it exploitative and in bad taste to promote the film by associating it with the tragedy of Sept. 11.” 

Giuliani, who watched a screening of the film Wednesday with former Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, said union criticism is premature. 

“Let’s see the movie before criticizing it,” the former mayor said Wednesday night outside the Ziegfield Theatre. 

Giuliani said Schwarzenegger personally donated $1 million and helped raise an additional $4 million for families of rescue officials killed in the terrorist attacks. Schwarzenegger also attended Wednesday’s screening, but did not speak to reporters. 

Giuliani spokeswoman Sunny Mindel said tickets to the screening had been given to the Twin Towers Fund, which Giuliani established when he was mayor for the families of firefighters, police and rescue workers lost at the World Trade Center. 

Warner Bros. issued a statement Wednesday saying Giuliani and the fund’s staff were invited to the screening simply as guests. 

Concerns already were raised over the weekend by immigration and Colombian activists about the film’s Colombian characters. 

“There is a small percentage of people in Colombia involved in terrorism and drug activities,” said the Rev. Brian Jordan, a Franciscan priest and immigration activist. 

Appearing Wednesday on NBC’s “Today” program, Schwarzenegger said: “The bottom line is, you never can throw everyone in the same pot. This is a story about what America is doing to Colombia, and what Colombians, a few Colombian terrorists, are doing to America and what damage does it cause.” 

The Berkeley boys’ soccer team avenged its only league loss Thursday with a 3-1 win over Alameda. Today, the ’Jackets play Richmond for the ACCAL title. 

Berkeley has the edge in the game, which will be played at Richmond High at 3:30 p.m., with their 1-0 win over the Oilers in the first half of the season. Richmond also tied with Alameda, so Berkeley will take the title with a win or a tie today. 

Sophomore Kamani Hill scored two goals for Berkeley during Thursday’s rainy, physical match. The Alameda goalkeeper was sent off in the first half for a hard foul on Hill, and Berkeley’s David Ngov was given a red card with a reckless challenge in the second half. 

Hill put the ’Jackets ahead for good with his second goal, a breakaway in the 55th minute from an assist by Harris Cohn. Chris Altieri-Dove sealed the win with a goal in the 78th minute.

The March 5 primary election is approaching quickly but the Feb. 19 registration deadline is approaching even faster, and a recent change – essentially ending open primaries in California – may mean that many people will want to re-register. 

Open primaries – which were held during the statewide elections in 1998 and 2000 – are no more. 

In 1996, Californian voters approved Proposition 198, the Open Primary Act, by a 60-40 margin. The act allowed voters to choose any candidate listed on the primary ballot, regardless of party affiliation. 

But on June 26, 2000, in response to a suit brought by the state Democratic and Republican primaries, the US Supreme Court ruled that open primaries violated the First Amendment of the Constitution. 

In response, the California legislature rewrote the open primary law. Instead of an open primary, California voters will participate in what is known as a “modified closed primary system.” 

“If you register Republican, you can only vote for Republican,” said California secretary of state spokesperson Debbie Westlake. “If you’re a Democrat, you can only vote for a Democrat.”  

However, Westlake noted, people who are registered “decline-to-state” may request ballots from Democratic, Republican, Natural Law or American Independent parties when they go to their polling station. 

These parties agreed to let “decline-to-state” voters participate in their elections; the Green, Libertarian and other parties did not. 

The change may most deeply affect members of the about 5,000 Berkeley residents who are registered with the Green Party. 

In the past two statewide elections, Greens often cast their primary votes for Democratic candidate they found least objectionable – for Bill Bradley over Al Gore, for instance – even though they planned to vote Green in the general election. 

Molly O’Shaughnessy, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Loni Hancock, said that a number of Hancock volunteers were registered Greens, before they heard that they wouldn’t be able to vote for her in the primary.  

“We actually put up a sign in the office,” O’Shaughnessy said. “It said, ‘It ain’t easy being Green – Re-register to vote Loni.” 

When John Selawsky, member of the Berkeley School Board and an Alameda County Green Party County Council was asked who he supports in the assembly, his answer was immediate. 

“Loni Hancock,” he said. “I’ve already endorsed her.” 

But Selawsky allowed that he would not actually be able to vote for Hancock unless she makes it past Charles Ramsey and Dave Brown to get on the November ballot. 

Selawsky said that he did not believe that inability of Greens to vote for Hancock – who has been endorsed by the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations – would harm her chances. 

“What’s more significant in this race is the voter turnout,” he said, citing a recent poll saying that only around a quarter of California’s voters know that there would be an election on March 5. 

“It indicates to me that it really behooves candidates, first of all, to get the word out that there is an election, and second to turn out the vote,” he said. 

Citizens interested in registering or re-registering to vote may obtain forms at post offices, libraries and city offices. 

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net 

Editor: 

If your house was on fire or you just had a heart attack would you want firefighters and paramedics who were responding to be slowed by poor road conditions or detours around structurally deficient bridges?  

Of course not, but that can happen all too often in California today.  

You, however, can change that and improve response times by casting a vote for n all-important proposition on the upcoming ballot.  

Proposition 42 won’t just improve our roads and highways, it will make them safer. Improved roads lessen the likelihood of fatal accidents. And Prop. 42 reduces congestion without raising taxes because it requires that the sales tax we already pay at the pump go to transportation projects. It will fix potholes, widen interchanges, and make general road and safety improvements plus dedicate revenue to mass transit. All this with no new taxes. That’s one of the reasons Prop. 42 is supported by the California Taxpayers’ Association.  

You my have read that a new study by The Road Information Program (TRIP) found California has the nation’s most deteriorated roads. Improving those roads improves emergency response times and we all know what that could mean.  

Prop. 42 is supported by public safety officials including, Commissioner Dwight Helmick of the California Highway Patrol, Director Dallas Jones of the State Office of Emergency Services, the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs and the California Police Chiefs Association.  

Let’s make California safer by voting for Proposition 42.  

Dave Carlson, Fire Chief 

President Cal Chiefs

Girls’ Soccer – Berkeley 4, Alameda 0 

Annie Borton and Dea Wallach each score two goals to beat the Hornets. Berkeley finishes undefeated in ACCAL play, winning the league title and an automatic berth in next week’s North Coast Section playoffs.

Today is Friday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2002. There are 326 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 8, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated. 

On this date: 

In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War began. 

In 1915, D.W. Griffith’s silent movie epic about the Civil War, “The Birth of a Nation,” premiered in Los Angeles. 

In 1922, President Harding had a radio installed in the White House. 

In 1924, the first execution by gas in the United States took place at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City. 

In 1968, three college students were killed in a confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, S.C., during a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley. 

In 1973, Senate leaders named seven members of a select committee to investigate the Watergate scandal. 

In 1974, the three-man crew of the Skylab space station returned to Earth after spending 84 days in space. 

In 1978, the deliberations of the Senate were broadcast on radio for the first time as members opened debate on the Panama Canal treaties. 

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter unveiled a plan to re-introduce draft registration. 

In 1989, 144 people were killed when an American-chartered Boeing 707 filled with Italian tourists slammed into a fog-covered mountain in the Azores. 

Ten years ago: The 16th Olympic Winter Games opened in Albertville, France. 

Five years ago: President Clinton announced in his weekly radio address that he was releasing the first of a $200 million program of grants to provide schools with computers and Internet training. 

One year ago: A House committee opened hearings into former President Clinton’s last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich, with former prosecutors complaining that they hadn’t been consulted before the pardon was granted. President Bush sent his proposed $1.6 trillion, 10-year tax cut plan to Congress. 

Today’s Birthdays: Composer-conductor John Williams is 70. ABC News anchor Ted Koppel is 62. Actor Nick Nolte is 61. Comedian Robert Klein is 60. Country singer Dan Seals is 54. Singer Ron Tyson is 54. Actress Brooke Adams is 53. Actress Mary Steenburgen is 49. Author John Grisham is 47. Rock singer Vince Neil (Motley Crue) is 41. Rock singer-musician Sammy LLanas (The BoDeans) is 41. Actor Gary Coleman is 34. Actress Mary McCormack is 33. Actor Seth Green (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) is 28. Actress Karle Warren (“Judging Amy”) is 10.

Editor: 

This year, legislators face the challenging task of closing a 2-year budget gap of at least $12 billion dollars. This massive shortfall is a direct result of a state budget that has grown a whopping 37% over the past three years.  

The current budget crisis will undoubtedly impact California’s schools. State fiscal experts of all parties warn that, given the California’s current economic troubles, a sound and balanced budget with spending reductions is inevitable to prevent sever damage to the state’s outlook in the long term. However, the budget crisis should not give the state license to transfer its budgetary woes onto the backs of students. Efforts to close the gap in the current budget year should not favor statewide spending initiatives, which include programs not yet implemented or evaluated, at the expense of funding critical to our schools, teachers and directly impacting our classrooms.  

For example, among the budget reductions proposed by the Governor were significant state funds already committed to local schools. In turn, these schools based their budgets for the current school year upon these state commitments. Now, seven months later, with a substantial portion of these budgeted funds spent or committed, local educators face the bleak prospect of returning revenues to the state. Will doing so directly impact our classrooms? Sadly, the answer is yes.  

As a member of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for Education, I argued during the committee’s deliberations on SB 1XXX, the measure containing the Governor’s budget cut proposals, that it was possible for the Legislature to make responsible budgetary reductions and still minimize the impact to our schoolchildren. I urged my fellow subcommittee members to honor the commitment the state made last July to fully fund low-wealth school districts and restore money for higher energy-related expenses. I advocated instead that we find the necessary budget cuts from other, less proven, programs.  

Fortunately, a bipartisan majority of the subcommittee chose to completely restore funding for equalization, retirement offsets and educational categorical spending and to restore 30% of the funding for local schools’ energy-related costs. While a step in the right direction, this latter program has a greater impact on local school budgets than the other three programs. Unfortunately, my Democrat colleagues rejected my proposal on the Assembly Floor to fully restore this program’s funds with money earmarked for the Governor’s Performance Awards.  

No one doubts that additional spending reductions must occur for the next fiscal year. However, it is my sincere hope that as the Legislature deliberates on the 2002-03 State Budget in the pending weeks, the classroom instruction needs of our children will be placed well above any other consideration.  

Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher, Assembly District 72 

Friday 

Baseball – Cal vs. Gonzaga, 2 p.m. at Evans Diamond 

Boys Soccer – Berkeley vs. Richmond, 3:30 p.m. at Richmond High School 

Boys Basketball – Berkeley vs. Hercules, 7 p.m. at Hercules High School 

Boys Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. St. Elizabeth, 7 p.m. at St. Elizabeth High School 

Girls Basketball – St .Mary’s vs. St. Elizabeth, 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s College High School 

Saturday  

Baseball – Cal vs. Gonzaga, 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond 

Men’s Basketball – Cal vs. Oregon, 5 p.m. at Haas Pavilion 

Girls Basketball – Berkeley vs. Amador Valley, 6 p.m. at Berkeley High School 

Boys Basketball – St. Mary’s vs. Salesian, 7 p.m. at Contra Costa College 

Sunday  

Baseball – Cal vs. Gonzaga, 1 p.m. at Evans Diamond

Candidates for the 14th State Assembly District seat outlined competing visions on education and sparred over experience during a debate in a UC Berkeley political science class Wednesday. 

“We must rebuild what we had in the 1950s and 1960s,” said Loni Hancock, former Berkeley mayor, “a public education system that was the best in the country.” 

Hancock pushed for universal early childhood education, more reading programs at the lower grade levels and a boost in after school programs to combat violence and teenage pregnancy. 

Hancock, who headed the Western Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton Administration, also focused on higher education, saying she would work to minimize student fees and improve student housing. 

Charles Ramsey, a member of the West Contra Costa Unified School Board, tried to make a direct connection with students.  

“I have sat in your shoes,” said the UCLA graduate, “I was a UC student myself.” 

Ramsey focused heavily on student housing.  

“Paying that monthly rent is a bear,” he said, arguing that he would push for more money for student housing. 

Ramsey also called for a modification of Proposition 13, passed by voters in 1978, which would make it easier for communities to pass local parcel taxes boosting K-12 education spending. 

Dave Brown, former chief of staff for Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker, said he would focus on providing literacy support for low-performing schools. He added that class size reduction and higher pay for teachers would also be top priorities. 

Some of the students in the class said they were unimpressed with the candidates. “It seemed really disingenuous on the part of the candidates to say we really identify with the students,” said Ian Chaffee, a senior at UC Berkeley, singling out Ramsey in particular. 

Professor Alan Ross, who hosted the event in his “Election 2002” class, said voters are not paying attention to this year’s races, with the possible exception of the gubernatorial contest. 

“Beyond that, if you go lower down the ticket, no one that I know could even name the candidates,” he said, “and these are people in the know.” 

Given that reality, Ross said, the State Assembly race will come down to name recognition and candidates’ ability to get out the vote.  

“Loni, obviously, has a base in Berkeley,” Ross said, but he noted that much of the district is in Contra Costa County. “I don’t think Loni’s name identification is very strong out there.” 

The candidates also sparred over experience Wednesday afternoon, with all three claiming they have “rolled up their sleeves” and achieved results. 

Ramsey left the event early to attend a school board meeting, but with the younger Brown still in the room, Hancock said she has more experience in politics and better connections with key players.  

The former mayor said that, with term limits for Assemblymembers in effect, experience and connections will be vital in getting anything done in a short period of time. 

Brown said he would bring energy and focus to the job, and hands-on education experience as a former classroom teacher in Richmond.

Science teachers object to the superintendent’s proposed schedule 

By David Scharfenberg 

Daily Planet staff 

The Board of Education, despite reservations, voted unanimously Wednesday night to make school capacity the top priority in deciding whether to admit out-of-town students to Berkeley schools on “interdistrict permits.” 

The board also heard a proposal from Superintendent Michele Lawrence to move Berkeley High School from seven periods to six periods a day. Lawrence said the shift could save the district money, increase classroom time for each student and improve teacher-student ratios. 

But high school science teachers are worried that the proposed shift would reduce or eliminate double-period science courses, and harm student achievement. 

The interdistrict policy approved by the board on Wednesday is a general one. The board will not vote on the details of that policy for several weeks. 

One detail in particular has become a sticking point. Berkeley High School, by most accounts, is overcrowded and the new policy will likely prevent any out-of-town students from attending the high school in the near future.  

School board members Terry Doran and John Selawsky have argued that the 33 eighth-graders already in the system on permits should be exempted from the new policy because it may be too late, at this point in the year, to make alternate arrangements. 

“We’re a compassionate city and school district,” said Doran, arguing for the exemption. “We’re affecting the lives of young people.”  

But Joaquin Rivera, vice president of the school board, sharply disagreed.  

“Our first priority is Berkeley residents,” he said, arguing that the board must deal with overcrowding immediately. “If that means we may have to deny some of the current middle school students coming into Berkeley High, well yes, and I feel very strongly about that.” 

But Board president Shirley Issel, who has strongly supported the shift in policy, expressed sympathy. “I’m very moved by the idea of a panicked eighth-grade parent, and my mind is not shut on this issue,” she said, noting that the board will have some flexibility to include an exemption in the coming weeks. 

High school schedule proposal 

Under Lawrence’s schedule proposal, BHS would move from seven, 47-minute periods to six, 55-minute periods per day, aligning it more closely with the typical California high school. 

According to figures presented by BHS co-principal Laura Leventer, the change would result in 40 extra minutes per class each week or the equivalent of six extra weeks of instruction per year. 

Leventer also presented data showing that many students are taking more than the six periods of coursework per day that they are supposed to take. The extra coursework has contributed to an excess of 11.5 full-time employee positions at the school to cover the extra periods. 

Limiting students to six periods, and cutting the excess positions, according to the figures, could lead to a savings of $747,500 at the high school, at a time when the district is in financial trouble. If the district elected to retain certain support services, the savings would drop to $370,500. 

One result of moving to a six-period day could be a shift from double-period science, which has been in place since the 1940s, to a single-period program. 

“Our current program works phenomenally well,” said Aaron Glimme, a chemistry teacher at BHS, citing high student scores on the advanced placement and Golden State Exam tests. “We don’t understand how breaking something that is working so incredibly well makes sense.” 

Glimme said the extra period is necessary to conduct labs, and give students more time to understand complex scientific problems. He said this extra time has allowed the science program to enroll a full 20 percent of its students in advanced placement or honors-level courses. 

Lawrence said she understands the concerns of the science department, and is seeking a compromise. But, she noted that there are many high-achieving high schools with single-period science. 

The Superintendent also said a shift to more single-period science classes could lighten the load of teachers in other departments. A teacher with less students, she said, can spend more one-on-one time with those students. 

Dedicated judges spend two days  

jurying the  

250 projects 

Longfellow Arts and Technology Magnet Middle School is currently holding their fifth annual science fair. On display in the school theater are the products of 250 independent research projects on a variety of topics.  

An enthusiastic corps of scientist-volunteers from the Bayer Corporation, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, and elsewhere spent Saturday morning and all day Monday judging the students’ research projects.  

“Our judges are really dedicated. It’s great to see how carefully they study the students’ work. They take their job seriously,” says veteran science teacher Suzy Loper. 

This year’s fair features work from seventh- and eighth-graders grouped into social, physical and life science categories. The top projects from each category will be sent to compete in the Bay Area Science Fair in San Francisco. The science fair is supported by a grant from the Berkeley Public Education Foundation. 

The Longfellow Science Fair includes research on a variety of topics ranging from the best fertilizers to use for plants, the effects of food coloring and vinegar on electrolysis of water, how favoritism affects eyewitness memory, the influence of music on boys’ attitudes towards girls and which kind of pencil lasts the longest, to name a few. 

“It’s different than my day when you could slap together the old vinegar and baking soda volcano. We ask our students to pose a question they can find their own answer to, by trying it out for themselves.” says seventh-grade teacher Jonathan Cohen. 

The Longfellow science fair posters are on exhibit in the school theater starting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 6, with an awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

LOS ANGELES — The Enron debacle is increasingly center stage in the race for California governor, with the candidates accusing each other of ties to the bankrupt company while distancing themselves from the mess. 

On Thursday, Secretary of State Bill Jones held a press conference to expose what he called GOP opponent Richard Riordan’s “energy legacy” and to pound Democratic Gov. Gray Davis on the issue, too. 

Riordan aides dismissed Jones as “grasping at straws,” and issued a press release questioning whether Davis helped Enron in exchange for $119,500 in campaign funds the governor has gotten from the company and its employees since 1996. 

Davis spokesman Roger Salazar denied any quid pro quo with the fallen energy giant, instead accusing the governor’s Republican opponents of “espousing Enron-like policies.” 

The charges and countercharges will likely increase as the March 5 primary approaches, but whether they’ll stick is another question, said political scientist Jack Pitney of Claremont McKenna College. 

“Unless there was some misconduct on the part of any of the candidates it will end up being a minor issues in the gubernatorial race,” Pitney said. ”... Enron’s political connections were so far-reaching that it’s kind of hard for either side to get much traction.” 

The third major GOP candidate, Los Angeles businessman Bill Simon, has stayed mostly above the fray, though spokesman Jeff Flint said Thursday that Davis should give back the Enron donations. Davis aides said they don’t plan to. 

Jones on Thursday focused on $10,000 Enron donated in 1996 to an effort Riordan supported as mayor of Los Angeles to help the city’s Department of Water and Power compete in the state’s newly deregulated energy market. 

The donation was to a committee supporting three 1996 propositions — G, I and J — that allowed DWP to market excess capacity, invest more aggressively and hire more outside experts. All three passed. 

At the time Enron was competing for a contract with DWP that it didn’t get, and Riordan press deputy Matt Szabo denied Enron benefitted from its contribution. 

Jones also mentioned a $500 check Riordan got from Enron that he’s subsequently returned, and $100,000 Enron contributed for the 2000 Democratic National Convention, which Riordan was instrumental in bringing to Los Angeles. 

Though he produced no evidence suggesting Davis or Riordan were influenced by Enron, Jones charged they’re “two sides of the same coin” on the issue. Riordan and Davis both met with former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay, Davis on a handful of occasions and Riordan once in a group setting. 

“I am adverse to fielding a candidate out of our primary that cannot campaign against Gray Davis on this most important issue, and I think Mr. Riordan is basically disarmed on it,” said Jones, who’s lagging in polls behind Simon and Riordan, the GOP front-runner. 

Meanwhile, though Jones and Riordan have attacked Davis over his meetings with Lay, both demurred when questioned about similar conflict-of-interest allegations swirling around the Bush administration’s contact with Enron. 

“Dick Riordan’s running for governor. He’s focused on and concerned with the state of California,” Szabo said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court nullified part of California’s three strikes law Thursday, ruling it is cruel and unusual punishment to sentence people to life in prison for shoplifting. 

The ruling overturns 340 sentences for California defendants serving life terms for shoplifting under the three-strikes law and is expected to spark a wave of appeals by other inmates sentenced to life terms for other nonviolent offenses. 

Thursday’s decision by a three-judge panel of 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a major overhaul of the state’s get-tough-on-crime sentencing statute approved by voters in 1994.  

The ruling comes three months after a different three-judge panel from the same circuit ruled the three strikes law could produce unconstitutionally cruel and unusual sentences. 

That November ruling overturned a 50-year-to-life term for a San Bernardino County shoplifter. But that opinion – the first time any court declared a sentence unconstitutional under California’s three-strikes law – remained silent on the politically charged question of whether all defendants sentenced to life for shoplifting could be affected. 

The appeals court on Thursday clarified that question, expressly stating that shoplifters could not get a life term under the nation’s harshest repeat offender statute. 

“Our decision does not hold the California three strikes law unconstitutional, only its application to mandate a 25-year-to-life sentence for petty theft offenses,” Judge Marsha Berzon wrote for the panel. 

Erwin Chemerinsky, a University of Southern California legal scholar who argued the two cases decided Thursday said the decision will spark a flood of new legal challenges. 

“I think what you’ll see by the defense bar is lawyers arguing that other nonviolent crimes used for a life sentence is unconstitutional,” Chemerinsky said. “The punishment has to fit the crime.” 

The three-strikes law allows judges to sentence defendants to 25-years-to-life for any felony conviction if they have already been convicted of two serious or violent felonies. A serious felony could include burglary of an unoccupied house or shoplifting. 

State prosecutors can opt not to charge a third strike under the stiff sentencing guidelines. 

California prosecutors vigorously fought to uphold the sentences, arguing that the voters had approved the law and the defendants in the two cases decided Thursday had violent pasts. 

“It is a blow to the law, yes,” said Stephanie A. Miyoshi, a deputy attorney general who argued one of the cases. 

In the three-strikes case decided in November and the two cases decided Thursday, the judges did not indicate what sentence would be considered constitutional for shoplifting. That means more litigation will follow to determine what the appropriate sentences are for California’s 340 shoplifters serving life terms. 

“We can only guess,” Miyoshi said. The state is considering appealing the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, she said. 

California voters and lawmakers approved the three-strikes law in 1994 amid public furor over the 1993 kidnap and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas of Petaluma. Richard Allen Davis, a repeat offender on parole at the time of the kidnapping, was convicted of murdering Klaas and sentenced to death. 

Last month, some lawmakers and activists said they were considering floating a statewide voter initiative that would make third strikes only violent felonies. 

The cases decided Thursday involve Richard Brown, who was sentenced to life after being convicted of stealing a $25 car alarm in San Joaquin County. Brown’s first felony was for robbery in which he used a knife and injured a victim. His other conviction was for hitting a woman with a pistol. 

The other case involved Earnest Bray, who has four Los Angeles County robbery convictions, some of them with force. He was handed a life term after shoplifting three videotapes. 

The cases are Bray v. Ylst, 99-56197, and Brown v. Mayle, 99-17261. 

LOS ANGELES — Fewer Californian home owners defaulted on their mortgages during 2001 than at any time in the last decade, despite the recession, new data shows. 

The number of foreclosures declined 8.6 percent in 2001 to 81,000 from a year earlier, according to DataQuick Information Systems, a La Jolla-based research firm. 

That represents the lowest number in the 10 years DataQuick has compiled foreclosure data and is half the amount of defaults recorded in 1996. 

The strength of the real estate market has allowed many Californians to sell or refinance homes to avoid problems. As a result, they are holding on to their homes with greater security even as consumer debt soars and unemployment remains high. 

U.S. consumer borrowing rose by nearly $20 billion in November, according to data released by the Federal Reserve last month. The amount exceeded analysts’ expectations by fourfold, and represented the biggest monthly gain in almost six decades. 

Meanwhile, the state jobless rate hovered near a five-year high at the end of last year, with 1 million Californians out of work in December. 

But robust increases in California home values have offset other weak economic forces for homeowners, said John Karevoll, an analyst with DataQuick. 

“If they get in financial trouble, they can sell, pay off what they owe, and walk away with some money,” he said. 

The appreciation of real estate values in the state means the rate of foreclosure is between one-half and two-thirds the national rate, Karevoll said. 

Home values increased by an average of 10 percent across California in 2001 to $230,000. In the entry level market, where most foreclosures traditionally occur, values have grown even faster at a rate of 13 percent to 15 percent during 2001, he said. 

That’s a vastly different scenario from the last recession in the early 1990s, when home values fell due to high unemployment and a glut of new housing supply. 

“It doesn’t represent what you should see in a recession,” Orawin Velz, an economist with Fannie Mae in Washington, D.C., said of the latest California numbers. 

Foreclosure activity has reached about as low as it can go in the state, said Karevoll. 

“There are more people now with shaky finances,” he said. 

Fannie Mae, which owns or holds in trust 20 percent of all home mortgages in the country, said mortgage defaults have been on the rise nationally. 

“We haven’t seen the worst in foreclosures yet,” said Velz, who predicted the foreclosure rate will peak at 1.16 percent nationwide this quarter, up from 1.14 percent in the fourth quarter of 2001. 

Wall framing 

After more than a decade as a Boy Scout, one of our sons soon will achieve that organization’s highest rank — Eagle Scout. 

In order to attain that rank, in addition to many other requirements, a boy must earn certain merit badges and perform a service project in his community. Recently our families had an opportunity to participate in an Eagle project. It involved the construction of a windbreak wall and the extension of a roof on a small feed barn for horses at a nearby state park. 

We created a plan, made up the materials list and helped the boys measure, mark, cut and nail the wood that was used to create the wall and roof. It was a fulfilling experience for all involved — scouts and adults. Scouts learned about carpentry and the park ranger was thrilled with the completed work. 

When the boys learned that the walls in their homes were constructed in essentially the same fashion, they became even more interested. 

If you are planning to remodel or add on, you might find it helpful to know a bit about the ins and outs of wall framing. Perhaps you have visions of knocking down a wall between two bedrooms to create one larger room with a walk-in closet. Or, maybe you want to make an opening in an existing wall to install a door or window. 

A wood frame wall is a collection of vertical framing members called studs (2x4 or 2x6) — equally spaced (usually 16 inches or 24 inches on center) and sandwiched between top and bottom plates. The top plate can be either single or double. A double top plate or “doubler” is used to add strength and stability to the wall. The added strength of a doubler is especially important for a “bearing” wall — where the wall supports floor joists, ceiling joists or roof rafters. The joint in a doubler should be located at least 4 feet from any joint in the top plate. 

The bottom plate or “sole plate” is single thickness and is fastened to the subfloor. In the case of a concrete slab, the bottom plate consists of pressure-treated material to prevent rot. Aside from studs and plates, the other components of a wood-framed wall are headers, trimmers, sills, corner assemblies and diagonal bracing. A header is placed at the top of a rough opening where a window, door or archway will exist. A header can consist of one solid piece of lumber or it can be fabricated out of several pieces, depending upon the span and structural configuration. 

A fabricated header usually is made of two pieces of 2-by material with a half-inch spacer sandwiched between them. The spacer brings the width of the header to 3 1/2 inches — the actual width of a 2x4. 

A header is supported at either side of the opening by a “jack stud” or “trimmer.” The trimmer is nailed to the header and a “king stud.” The king stud is a full-height stud nailed to each end of the header. When the header is other than one solid member, short pieces of 2x material called “cripples” are installed between the top of the header and the bottom of the top plate. Cripples also are used below the rough windowsill and the sole plate. As with studs, all cripples must be installed on “layout” to ensure that manufactured material such as siding and wallboard will have backing at all joints. 

No matter how well-built a wall might be, without proper diagonal bracing (and structural shear where required), it can collapse like a house of cards. Diagonal bracing usually consists of a 1x4 that is cut into or “let in” to the wall framing. Metal straps nailed to the face of the wall framing have become increasingly popular in recent years. 

Corner framing requires special attention for two reasons — structural integrity and solid backing to form an inside nailing corner. There are two popular corner construction configurations — three studs and two studs with blocks. We prefer using two studs with short blocks between them. The end stud at the adjacent wall is then nailed to the sandwiched corner. 

While you might already have your hammer in one hand and a handful of nails in the other, we suggest that you first nail down a couple of issues before banging away. Don’t make any structural changes to your home without consulting an engineer. And be sure to check with your local building department to determine if a permit and inspections will be required for the work. A permit is for your safety and the safety of your family and neighbors. 

For more home improvement tips and information visit our Web site at www.onthehouse.com.

Yew finds its way into fine cabinetry, and Robin Hood allegedly used a branch of yew to make his longbow. 

By Lee Reich 

The Associated Press 

’Tis the season for saying “I love you.” Valentine’s Day or not, you might also say “I love yew” — the plant. 

You might love the way yew is so easy to grow. Just stick yew in any soil that is well-drained and yew’ll quickly develop and bear fruits. And what a pretty sight are the scarlet fruits of yews — each with a dark, brown seed peeking out its end. 

Yew tolerates winter cold and even polluted city air. Yew does not like full sunlight in howling, winter winds, but with a little shelter is otherwise happy in either sun or shade. And yew wood is rich, red, fine-grained, and strong, yet pliable. Yew finds its way into fine cabinetry, and Robin Hood allegedly used a branch of yew to make his longbow. 

Yew can be tall and thin, tall and fat, short and thin or just spread out over the ground like a thick, green blanket. With all the species and hundreds of years of cultivation giving rise to many hybrids and varieties, you could find yews whose mature heights range from a mere 3 feet to more than 50 feet. 

Yew also tolerates pruning well. Shear yew a couple of times a year into a perfect sphere, clip back individual branches for a natural look or cut away lower branches to show off the trunk. Then, if you change your mind about your yew, you can brutally hack back the limbs and they will send out new sprouts — something most conifers will not do. 

Even the rose has its thorns; yew also has its shortcomings. Deer love yew. And almost all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans. (Offset this defect with the anticancer compound, taxol, recently isolated from yew.) Worst of all, though, and perhaps because the plant is so tolerant of site and pruning, yew too often is just planted against house foundations and sculpted into gumdrops and cubes. 

One more problem you might have noticed with yew is its name, which always needs to be followed by a qualifier. Your neighbor surely will give you a quizzical look if you say, “I’m going to plant yew,” unless you quickly add, “You know, the plant.” The plant sometimes goes by its botanical name, Taxus, but how does “I love Taxus” sound, especially now, with tax forms arriving in mailboxes? Not a bad time for “I love yew,” though.

KARACHI, Pakistan — Police have recovered e-mails linked to the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl from the computer hard drive of a suspect in the case, officials said Thursday. 

The discovery of the e-mails is a major breakthrough in the case, providing a link to the chief suspect, Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, a young Islamic militant and suspected member of a radical group linked to al-Qaida. 

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators traced e-mails sent by the kidnappers to U.S. and Pakistani media a few days after the 38-year-old journalist disappeared to a service provider in an apartment complex in Karachi. The e-mails included photos of Pearl in captivity. 

After a raid Sunday night, police detained three people and seized a laptop computer belonging to one of the residents, Farhad Naseem, according to police Inspector Qamer Ahmed. 

The inspector said the two e-mails were recovered from Naseem’s laptop. Naseem, who remains in police custody, admitted receiving the e-mails from Saeed, the Muslim militant. 

The owner of the service provider, Naeem Ahmad, said Naseem had erased his files and browser but had neglected to clean his hard drive, which contained the messages. 

Saeed remains at large but several of his relatives have been detained — a common tactic used by Pakistani police to pressure suspects into surrendering. 

Saeed, 27, who was born in the East End of London, has been linked to two militant groups — Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat ul-Mujahedeen. The United States considers both groups terrorist organizations with links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network. 

Saeed was shot during his 1994 arrest in India in connection with a Kashmir kidnapping, undertaken to demand the release of Islamic militants fighting Indian rule in the contested Himalayan region. The three British backpackers were freed unharmed. 

Although never brought to trial, Saeed spent the next five years in jail. India released him along with two other Islamic militants on Dec. 31, 1999, in exchange for passengers on an Indian Airlines jet hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan. 

Pearl was abducted Jan. 23 on his way to a meeting at a Karachi restaurant with Muslim extremist contacts. He was believed looking into links between Pakistani militants and Richard C. Reid, the Briton who was arrested on a Dec. 22 flight between Paris and Miami with explosives in his shoe. 

The kidnappers sent two e-mails with Pearl’s pictures on Jan. 27 and Jan. 30. After dismissing several other e-mails as hoaxes, Pakistani and U.S. investigators traced the two genuine e-mails to the Noman Grand City apartments in the middle-class Gulistan-e-Jahaur neighborhood of Karachi. 

Ahmad, the complex’s service provider, said investigators traced the e-mails to his telephone number. He provides internet services to 70 clients in the apartment complex, including Naseem. 

Investigators questioned each of the subscribers, Ahmad said, asking them to retrieve e-mails sent during the period when the kidnappers sent theirs. 

“They had to check on each and every system. They asked each user to retrieve every e-mail they sent at that time,” he said. 

Naseem denied sending any e-mails on those dates, Ahmad said, but records indicated otherwise. Naseem’s laptop was seized and a check of the hard drive turned up the e-mails, Ahmad said. 

The e-mails were sent in the name of an unknown group — the National Movement for the Sovereignty of Pakistan. They showed photos of Pearl in handcuffs and demanded that Pakistani prisoners being held at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, be returned to Pakistan for trial. 

The kidnapping has been embarrassing to the government of President Pervez Musharraf, which broke with Afghanistan’s former Taliban rulers after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and backed the United States in the war against terrorism. Last month, Musharraf banned five Islamic extremist groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat ul-Mujahedeen. Pakistani authorities hope to solve the case before Musharraf visits the United States next week. 

LOS ANGELES — More than 100 prospective jurors were chosen Thursday for the trial of a San Francisco couple accused in a fatal mauling of a neighbor involving their two large dogs. 

The jury will be chosen Feb. 15., when attorneys may exercise challenges to remove panelists without stating a cause. Opening statements are set for Feb. 19. 

It took three days and questioning of hundreds to form the final pool. Among the 105 remaining in the panel were people who have been bitten by their own dogs or whose friends have been attacked. One woman described her mother and a young nephew being cornered by a pit bull that snapped at them as it ran loose in the street. 

Another woman said her brother owned a pit bull and she believes the animals are not dangerous. 

“It depends on the people keeping it,” she said. “And it depends on the dog and how they raised that dog.” 

Attorneys Marjorie Knoller, 46, and Robert Noel, 60, are charged in the death of their neighbor, Diane Whipple, 33, who was fatally mauled in January 2001 when she encountered Knoller walking two big dogs in a hallway of their apartment building. 

SAN JOSE — The colossal slump in the fiber-optic network market — highlighted by the bankruptcy filing of Global Crossing Ltd. and other carriers’ woes — would seem all about too much supply for too little demand. 

After all, the price of bandwidth continues to plummet. 

But some analysts are questioning whether there really is a bandwidth glut. 

Fiber hookups to homes and businesses are still relatively scarce, they observe, and most long-haul routes between major cities are filling up rapidly with data and voice traffic that has been digitized. 

The problem, analysts believe, is that the upstart carriers sought growth at all costs. 

In the modern equivalent of the 19th century railroad rush, dozens of companies have laid nearly 40 million miles of fiber-optic cable in the United States, spending about $90 billion in the past five years alone. 

The light-filled threads of glass were supposed to be the foundation of the new economy, promising lightning-fast communications and big profits. 

But the companies that built out the network amassed massive debt. Prices were set to attract the next sale, not necessarily to maximize profits. 

“Enormous amounts of debt need to be serviced. To do that, you need cash flow,” said Russ McGuire, chief strategist at the consulting firm TeleChoice. 

But there wasn’t enough business from the core market of the Internet providers, large corporations and long-distance carriers. 

And the climate isn’t improving. Data transmission costs continue to plummet by as much as 80 percent annually. Last year, the price of a New York-London contract for transporting data shrunk sixfold, according to bandwidth brokerage RateXChange. 

The pricing is exacerbated by technological improvements that allow more data to flow through a fiber. A single strand that handled 625,000 simultaneous telephone conversations in 1996 can — at least in labs — now handle 150 million. 

In recent months, many optical network companies collapsed as their expectations of demand were obliterated. 

Two of the largest, Global Crossing and 360networks, have filed for bankruptcy protection. Level 3 recently said it might violate a bank covenant if sales remain weak. Williams Communications Group said it will not file for bankruptcy despite a warning from banks that it may have defaulted on terms of a credit agreement. 

Equipment makers also have been ailing. 

JDS Uniphase Corp., which makes network components, set corporate records last year when it posted a $56 billion annual loss. And Corning, the largest maker of the fiber itself, has idled its plants and laid off 12,000 workers. 

Is a glut from overbuilding to blame? 

One figure released by Merrill Lynch last year would seem to explain the industry’s predicament: Less than 9 percent of fiber worldwide is being utilized. 

But some analysts contend that proponents of the glut theory are counting unlit fiber that was laid for future use — so streets wouldn’t have to be dug up again. 

An assessment should really be based on the fiber on major transmission routes currently in use, they say. 

“There’s not enough lit capacity to meet the demand that’s out there,” said Nancee Ruzicka, an analyst at the Yankee Group. “If you look at the big carriers, some of those will have exhausted their fiber within the next three years.” 

Key to that prediction is how quickly businesses adopt faster networking technologies, such as gigabit Ethernet usage by large businesses, McGuire said. 

Home broadband, though still growing, is not much of a factor during overall peak usage hours, which occur typically during the day. 

Last year, TeleChoice looked at 22 major routes connecting the top 12 cities in the United States. Fourteen of those routes are at or above what is considered the optimal performance load for optical networks. 

“Only four of the 22 routes are anywhere close to a (bandwidth) glut situation,” McGuire said. 

Upstarts such as Global Crossing were particularly hard hit because they offered mainly data transport services that failed to differentiate their offerings from the competition. 

Williams Communications has had some success in moving from plain access to more specialized services, such as quickly setting up reliable, high-quality bandwidth to handle feeds from television networks. 

“Our business is not based on selling big fat dumb cheap pipes,” said Jason Martin, director of technology at Williams Communications. “You can easily be displaced by someone who sells a faster pipe. We want to become an integral part of a customer’s business.” 

The major carriers — including AT&T, Sprint and WorldCom — also benefit from the fact that even though their networks may not be the latest and greatest, they have built-in customers from their long-distance businesses. 

“There are other carriers out there that played the ’Field of Dreams’ game — ’If they build it they would come,’ ” said AT&T spokesman Dave Johnson. “We never played that game because our customers are already here.” 

SAN FRANCISCO — Online search engine provider Ask Jeeves Inc. reported a narrower fourth-quarter loss than expected Thursday but warned of a wider loss in the current quarter. 

Shares of the Emeryville-based company tumbled $1.23, more than 42 percent, to $1.67 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. 

The company said it earned $1.3 million, or 3 cents a share for the three months ended Dec. 31. In the year ago period, Ask Jeeves reported a loss of $62 million, or $1.74 a share. 

Excluding restructuring charges, gains on the dissolution of a joint venture and other one-time items, the company reported a pro forma net loss of $3.5 million, or 9 cents a share. That’s narrower than its year-ago equivalent loss of $18.7 million, or 53 cents a share. 

The operating results beat the consensus loss estimate of 17 cents per share among analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

Revenues were $15.4 million, down 33 percent from $23 million in the year-ago period. 

For all of 2001, the company reported a net loss of $425.3 million, or $11.48 per share, on revenue of $66.6 million. In fiscal 2000, it lost $189.6 million, or $5.51 per share on revenue of $95.7 million. 

For the current quarter, the company warned it expects a pro forma net loss of about $10 million, or 25 cents a share — wider than the loss of 16 cents a share Wall Street analysts were expecting. 

The company said it expects a pro forma loss of 50 cents a share for all of 2002 but expects to achieve a small operating profit in the fourth quarter. 

Company officials remain confident there’s enough money in the bank to last until it achieves profitability. The company said it expects to exit the year 2002 with more than $20 million of unrestricted cash. 

——— 

http://www.askjeeves.com 

Neighbors of an abandoned home in the Berkeley Hills scored a major victory on Friday, as a small-claims judge awarded them around $31,000 for “pain and suffering” resulting from the owner’s failure to clean up the property.  

The neighbors claimed that the home, at 1059 Euclid Ave., attracted vandals, homeless squatters and teen-age thrill-seekers, who would break into the place and hold illicit parties.  

The owner of the home, Pleasanton resident Don Sabin, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.  

Linda Kanat, who lives next door to the blighted home, said Sabin took possession of the home in 1991, and had not rented it since.  

Kanat said the owner had started to build on the house, but abandoned the project after being informed that he did not have the proper permits to do the work. 

“Without a permit, he cut a hole in the roof and was going to put a second story on the house,” she said.  

The hole stayed for years, Kanat said. 

Meanwhile, Kanat said, Councilmember Betty Olds was instrumental in marshaling the city’s resources to combat the blight.  

Olds succeeded in making the owner board up the home’s windows, and later encouraged city employees – including member of the Berkeley Police Department and the Building Department – to testify against the owners in court. 

“She put us in touch with people in the city,” she said. “When people were reluctant to testify, she encouraged them.” 

Neighbors filed a small-claims suit against Sabin in April. Commissioner Jon Rantzman of the Alameda County Superior Court’s Small Claims division heard the case in October, but did not rule on the case until last week.  

“He took a lot of time and effort to make it a good decision,” Kanat said. “He decided in our favor not on the basis of the loss of value of our property, but on the pain and suffering we experienced by living near the house.” 

Kanat said that the ruling meant that if the neighbors continued to experience “pain and suffering” as a result of the blighted property, they could sue all over again. 

Sabin has 30 days to appeal the decision. 

Olds said on Wednesday that the victory was one that should encourage Berkeley residents that find themselves living next to a blighted home. 

“I think that people will be very happy to hear about this,” she said. “Many people in Berkeley are dealing with a similar situation, but they give up. They say the issue starts to take over their lives, and they learn to live with it.”  

“We didn’t give up.”  

Ron Turner, community development project coordinator with the city’s housing department, is charged with maintaining a list of all blighted homes in the city limits. 

“We’ve had properties that have been on the list for over thirty years,” he said.  

Turner said that his department tries to bring owners of blighted properties and people interested in buying them together. 

“Based on our initiatives to prod the owners into selling them, some of these places properties have changed hands and have families in them now,” he said. 

Still, he said, too often there is little that the city can do. Blighted homes are still private property, and unless the owner breaks a law the city’s hands are tied. 

“I’m glad these neighbors went after (the owner),” Turner said. “It’s nice that they have the resources to do that – a lot of people in the flatlands don’t.”  

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net.

Jeff Tedford wanted athleticism and speed and got both in his first recruiting class as Cal’s head football coach. 

At a Wednesday press conference announcing his recruits, Tedford presented 19 recruits – 11 on the offensive side of the ball and eight on defense. He had a late start to recruiting due to his December hiring, but Tedford praised the holdover coaches, particularly Ron Gould, for handling matters until he was situated in Berkeley. 

“Without a doubt, you’d like to go through a whole recruiting process,” Tedford said. “But ... I feel very fortunate that the staff that we have did an excellent job making up for that lost time.” 

Tedford said that about nine of the recruits were already committed to Cal before he came aboard, and they stayed with their commitments thanks in large part to Gould. 

“Coach Gould did an excellent job of keeping this thing afloat while the transition was being made. He has a lot of key recruits who he worked hard on and never wavered on,” Tedford said. 

Tedford particularly wanted to improve the receiving corps and the secondary, and stayed local to shore up one of those areas. He pointed to McClymonds High (Richmond) wide receiver David Gray as the big star among his offensive recruits. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound player, rated the No. 5 wide receiver in the West and No. 25 nationally by Student Sports magazine, caught 23 balls for 710 yards, 10 touchdowns and a 30.9 yards-per-catch average in his final season at McClymonds. 

“I’m very, very happy about David Gray, that he’s staying in town,” Tedford said. “He’s a big-play receiver that is going to be a great addition to our program. David Gray is not your burner, but he’s fast enough. He will just get faster. He’s a big body guy, big play receiver with tremendous range. He’s a Terrell Owens type of receiver.” 

The Bears signed three other Bay Area recruits on Wednesday, including one that could carry on a Cal tradition: huge offensive tackles from Bishop O’Dowd High. Michael Gray, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound tackle, follows in the footsteps of Tarik Glenn and Langston Walker from the Oakland school to Cal. The Bears also signed De La Salle linebacker Andy Brining and San Francisco City College transfer Jonathon Makkonen, a wide receiver. 

Tedford followed through on his promise to concentrate on recruiting California first, with 18 of the 19 signees from inside the state. The only out-of-state recruit is quarterback Steven Levy, the Bergen Record’s North New Jersey Player of the Year from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. Tedford said that Levy has everything he looks for in a quarterback – such as athletic ability, intelligence and arm strength – but added that Levy won’t play much if at all in the upcoming season, since he’ll be a true freshman and has senior-to-be Kyle Boller ahead of him. 

Tim Mixon, Donnie McCleskey, David Beverly, Wale Forrester and Nick Banks are all speedy cornerbacks who should help a Cal secondary that was exploited often in the 2001 season. Banks, Beverly and Mixon, along with recruit Randy Bundy, a wide receiver, are also potential return men for the Golden Bears. 

Tedford has two scholarships to fill and may fill them by Thursday. He might be saving one for Marcus O’Keith, a star running back from Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., whose sister, LaTasha, plays for the Cal women’s basketball team. O’Keith gave a soft verbal commitment to the Bears last month, but is still choosing between Cal and Washington. Tedford could not comment on O’Keith at the press conference, though a video tape showing the assembled media footage of his recruits mistakenly included footage of O’Keith.

Editor: 

Next week, the House will vote on a campaign finance reform bill that truly changes politics and policy making in Washington. Sponsored by Congressmen Chris Shays (R-Conn.) and Martin Meehan (D-MA), the bill will put an end to soft money – the unlimited contributions from corporations, labor unions and wealthy individuals. 

Thanks to the courage of a bipartisan coalition who insisted on this vote against the wishes of the House leadership, we have a genuine chance to win this battle. But to reach our goal we must have the support of Rep. Barbara Lee. 

Last year in the first session of this Congress, the Senate passed the nearly identical McCain-Feingold bill. Now, as the House vote approaches, the Enron scandal has once again made clear how important it is to end the corrupting influence of big money. The unchecked power to influence legislation and public policy must be stopped. The momentum is with us now to do just that. 

I have admired Congress- woman Lee for the independence of mind shown by her vote in opposition to the use of violence in response to the attack on the World Trade Center. That respect will be nullified if she does not support campaign finance reform when it will make a difference. I urge readers to contact Lee’s office to urge her to vote FOR the Shays-Meehan bill. 

Robert Blomberg, Dr.P.H. 

Berkeley

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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 

Club Jjang-ga Feb. 9: King St. Crossing, Noiz, Kiss the Girl, Swoll; Feb. 16: Deducted Value, Dopesick, Luxt, Karate High School, Forcing Bloom; Feb. 23: Cheapskate, Eddie Haskels, Resiteleros, Dead Last; 261-1108, savageproductions1@ yahoo.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 

Jupiter 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. 

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. 

Old First Concerts Feb. 16: 8 p.m., The Duke and The Lady-Faye Carol, $12; Feb. 17: 4 p.m., Miriam Abramowitsch and George Barth, $12; Old First Church, 1751 Sacramento St., 415-474-1608. 

The Rose Street House of Music Feb. 9: 8 p.m., Joanne Rand, June Millington; Feb. 14: 7:30 p.m., “Escape-from-V-day Musical Extravaganza,” with Rebecca Hart, Nicola Gordon, Marca Cassity, Christene LeDoux, Helen Chay, Eileen Hazel, Irina Rivkin; 1839 Rose St., 594-4000 x687, www.rosestreetmusic.com.  

The Starry Plough Feb. 7: 9:30 p.m., Asylum Street Spankers, $12; Feb. 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 

“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 

“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. 

Pacific Film Archive 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  

“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 12 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; The UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, 2626 Bancroft Way, 642-0808, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. 

“A Retrospective Show” Through Mar. 13: The Women’s Cancer Resource Center “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. 

Trillium Press: Past, Present and Future Feb. 15 through April 13: Works created at Trillium Press by 28 artists. Tues. - Fri. noon - 5:30 p.m., Sat. noon - 4:30 p.m.; Kala Art Institute, 1060 Heinz Ave., 549-2977, www.kala.org.  

“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 

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 

Cody’s on Fourth St. Feb. 15: Nuala O’Faolain talks about “My Dream of You”; Feb. 19: Tracy Hogg will tell “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers”; Feb. 21: Dan Bessie discusses Alvah Bessie’s Spanish Civil War Notebooks; Feb. 27: 6 p.m., Rodney Yee brings “Yoga: The Poetry of the Body”; Feb. 28: Rosemary Wells talks about children, children’s books, and the importance of reading; All events begin at 7 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 1730 Fourth St., 559-9500, www.codysbooks.com.  

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Feb. 7: Mark Kurlansky considers “Salt: A World History”; Feb. 11: Edward O. Wilson discusses “The Future of Life”; Feb. 12: Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé offer “Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet”; Feb. 15: Cindy Engel describes “Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them”; Feb. 19: Robert Cohen reads from “Inspired Sleep”; Feb. 22: “The Whole World is Watching,” a panel discussion with Harold Adler, Leon F. Litwack, Charles Wollenberg, Hollynn D’Lil, Ronald J. Riesterer and Cathy Cade; Feb. 25: David Henry Sterry describes “Chicken: Self-portrait of a Young Man for Rent”; Feb. 26: Carter Scholz reads from “Radiance”; All events begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted and ask a $2 donation. 2454 Telegraph Ave., 845-7852, www.codysbooks.com.  

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. 

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 

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, www.codysbooks.com.  

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.

A group of local politicians were gridlocked Wednesday in talks with UC Berkeley officials about what is being called a traffic “crisis” at the university.  

During and afternoon press conference, City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, state Assembly candidate Loni Hancock and college students were all calling on the university to provide its employees with AC Transit passes. 

They also called for cheap parking for low-income employees and more safe places to lock up bicycles. 

“We’re going to force the university to do the right thing,” said Tanya Smith of the University Professional and Technical Employees union. 

Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley’s director of transportation, acknowledged the parking and traffic issues, but he defended the university’s current transportation program, noting that only 51 percent of faculty and staff drive alone to campus. The remaining 49 percent either car pool, walk, use public transportation or reach the university some other way, Permaul said. 

AC Transit passes would be too expensive to implement unless the university staff agreed to pay for the passes themselves, he added. 

Still, Hancock argued that UC Berkeley, UCLA and the city provides their staff with local transit passes and Cal can do the same.  

“I know it’s tight fiscal times,” said Hancock, who emphasized the environmental benefits of public transportation, “but if all these other places can do it, we can do it too.” 

But, Permaul said UCLA, with 22,000 revenue-generating parking spaces, has more funding at its disposal than UC Berkeley, with 7,100 parking spots. 

In respons, Worthington suggested the university should use 

mitigation funds attached to its Northeast Quadrant construction 

project, and several other projects in the pipeline, to pay for the 

transit passes. Mitigation funds are designed to lessen the impacts of a 

project on a local community, and the city and university are currently 

in negotiations over Northeast Quadrant funds. 

Marie Felde, director of media relations for UC Berkeley, said the 

environmental impact report for the Northeast Quadrant project, which 

will include the enlargement and replacement of several buildings on 

campus, found that the project will not have any significant impact on 

traffic. 

As a result, Felde said, the university isn't negotiating over a transit 

pass, or any other traffic-related issues, as part of mitigation talks. 

But, she noted that UC Berkeley is generally interested in working with 

the city to reduce traffic. 

Worthington said the university may not be legally required to spend 

Northeast Quadrant mitigation dollars on transit passes, but he said 

they should still consider it. 

"If they had a logical, good neighbor policy, and if they cared about 

their employees and their neighbors," he said, "it would make perfect 

sense (to pay for the passes)." 

Worthington said the mitigation dollars might only pay for passes for a 

year or two, but he said a pilot program would be important to get the 

ball rolling. After that, he said, employees could pay for the passes. 

The councilmember also made a plug for more safe places to lock up 

bicycles, arguing that some people have stopped riding to campus because 

of repeated theft. "It's a nice ride, but only if you can ride home 

too," he said. 

Permaul said the university has sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars 

into bicycle racks, subsidized locks and bike paths. 

Coalition members also made a push for sliding scale parking fees for 

faculty and staff. Fees currently stand at $71 per month. 

"No problem if the university decides it doesn't want to build any 

parking for awhile," Permaul retorted. The director of transportation 

said the university needs 3,500 to 4,000 more parking spaces, according 

to a study conducted two years ago. 

Permaul said UC Berkeley does not intend to build all those spots, but 

is looking to construct 500 to 600 in the coming years. The university 

will need to maintain its current parking fee revenues to meet this 

goal, he said, and if it gave low-income workers a break, higher-income 

staff would need to pay "exorbitant" fees.

Two St. Mary’s High football players signed letters of intent to play football in college this fall. Running back Trestin George signed with San Jose State after considering schools including Washington and USC, and wide receiver Courtney Brown signed with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Brown may also run track for the Mustangs.

Editor: 

I’m sure I speak for thousands of Berkeley residents in sending a hearty thank you to those members of the City Council who voted on Tuesday to initiate finally a process of public review of the McKinley Street tower. Constructed in a residential neighborhood without any of the conventional permitting plans or process that Berkeley requires even of a 7-foot fence, this 170-foot-high galoot has loomed too long over our Civic Center and the adjoining neighborhood. 

Councilmember Dona Spring has worked tirelessly to set the city on a fair course to ensure that our public safety needs are fully met (the tower carries police and fire antennae) without sacrificing those standards of public taste and process that Berkeley values. 

Councilmember Linda Maio contributed her usual sense of fairness and clarity in the effort finally to do this thing right. And Mayor Shirley Dean conscientiously crafted the core of the resolution that all but two councilmembers supported. 

Those two distinguished themselves with fatuous and short-sighted remarks. Characteristically daffy, Mrs. Olds remained oblivious to the utter lack of process represented by the tower and actually had kind words for the “beauty” of the thing. Mrs. Armstrong, with resounding illogic, acknowledged its shortcomings, expressed gratitude it isn’t in her neighborhood, and smugly supported doing nothing about it.  

Once again we’re grateful those luminaries are not in charge of planning Berkeley. 

I know the tower’s neighbors and other citizens are prepared to move forward with the staff finally to see that our public safety communication needs are met in a fashion of which Berkeley can be proud. 

Rob Browning 

Berkeley

A group of local politicians were gridlocked Wednesday in talks with UC Berkeley officials about what is being called a traffic “crisis” at the university.  

During and afternoon press conference, City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, state Assembly candidate Loni Hancock and college students were all calling on the university to provide its employees with AC Transit passes. 

They also called for cheap parking for low-income employees and more safe places to lock up bicycles. 

“We’re going to force the university to do the right thing,” said Tanya Smith of the University Professional and Technical Employees union. 

Nadesan Permaul, UC Berkeley’s director of transportation, acknowledged the parking and traffic issues, but he defended the university’s current transportation program, noting that only 51 percent of faculty and staff drive alone to campus. The remaining 49 percent either car pool, walk, use public transportation or reach the university some other way, Permaul said. 

AC Transit passes would be too expensive to implement unless the university staff agreed to pay for the passes themselves, he added. 

Still, Hancock argued that UC Berkeley, UCLA and the city provides their staff with local transit passes and Cal can do the same.  

“I know it’s tight fiscal times,” said Hancock, who emphasized the environmental benefits of public transportation, “but if all these other places can do it, we can do it too.” 

But, Permaul said UCLA, with 22,000 revenue-generating parking spaces, has more funding at its disposal than UC Berkeley, with 7,100 parking spots. 

In respons, Worthington suggested the university should use 

mitigation funds attached to its Northeast Quadrant construction 

project, and several other projects in the pipeline, to pay for the 

transit passes. Mitigation funds are designed to lessen the impacts of a 

project on a local community, and the city and university are currently 

in negotiations over Northeast Quadrant funds. 

Marie Felde, director of media relations for UC Berkeley, said the 

environmental impact report for the Northeast Quadrant project, which 

will include the enlargement and replacement of several buildings on 

campus, found that the project will not have any significant impact on 

traffic. 

As a result, Felde said, the university isn't negotiating over a transit 

pass, or any other traffic-related issues, as part of mitigation talks. 

But, she noted that UC Berkeley is generally interested in working with 

the city to reduce traffic. 

Worthington said the university may not be legally required to spend 

Northeast Quadrant mitigation dollars on transit passes, but he said 

they should still consider it. 

"If they had a logical, good neighbor policy, and if they cared about 

their employees and their neighbors," he said, "it would make perfect 

sense (to pay for the passes)." 

Worthington said the mitigation dollars might only pay for passes for a 

year or two, but he said a pilot program would be important to get the 

ball rolling. After that, he said, employees could pay for the passes. 

The councilmember also made a plug for more safe places to lock up 

bicycles, arguing that some people have stopped riding to campus because 

of repeated theft. "It's a nice ride, but only if you can ride home 

too," he said. 

Permaul said the university has sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars 

into bicycle racks, subsidized locks and bike paths. 

Coalition members also made a push for sliding scale parking fees for 

faculty and staff. Fees currently stand at $71 per month. 

"No problem if the university decides it doesn't want to build any 

parking for awhile," Permaul retorted. The director of transportation 

said the university needs 3,500 to 4,000 more parking spaces, according 

to a study conducted two years ago. 

Permaul said UC Berkeley does not intend to build all those spots, but 

is looking to construct 500 to 600 in the coming years. The university 

will need to maintain its current parking fee revenues to meet this 

goal, he said, and if it gave low-income workers a break, higher-income 

staff would need to pay "exorbitant" fees.

The young Cal pitching staff went through some serious growing pains on Wednesday as the Bears used four hurlers, including three freshmen, during a seven-run sixth inning by San Jose State that handed the Bears a 10-6 loss in their home opener. 

The Spartans took the Cal pitchers apart piece by piece during the big inning, using four singles, two walks and two hit batsmen to plate their runs. Cal senior Matt Payne got the worst of it, facing three batters and surrendering a single and hitting two batters. Freshman Jesse Ingram started the inning by loading the bases before giving way to Payne. After Payne came another freshman, Travis Talbott. Talbott started well, striking out Kevin Frandsen, but then gave up a walk and two singles sandwiched around a flyball out, letting in four more runs. 

Nine of Cal’s 17 pitchers this season are freshmen, with six of them fresh out of high school. With most high school stars not accustomed to relieving, it could take a while for the Bears’ bullpen to come together behind their solid rotation of upper-class starters. 

“We haven’t really defined our roles in the bullpen, because we’re so young out there,” Cal head coach David Esquer said. “You hate to lose games finding that out, but we are finding out who we can use in certain situations.” 

Esquer finally found a hot hand in freshman Brent Hale, who got the last out of the interminable sixth by striking out Adam Shorsher. Hale finished the game efficiently, setting down all 10 Spartans he faced, but the damage was already done. San Jose State senior Jahseam George threw the last 5 1/3 innings for the visitors, giving up just one run, a home run by Cal third baseman Conor Jackson. George, a 6-foot-5 fireballer, is a rarity in the college game: a hard-throwing left-hander. He overpowered the Bears with his explosive fastball and deceptive slider, striking out five. 

“You just don’t see a lot of guys like that at this level,” Esquer said of George. “He’s very much improved from last year. He’s controlling his pitches, which he didn’t used to do.” 

One bright spot for the Bears (1-3) was the continued hot streak at the plate by Jackson. The sophomore third baseman went 3-for-5 with a triple and a single to go with his second homer of the season, driving in three runs. Jackson is now hitting .529 and leads the club in home runs and RBIs. 

“Conor’s been swinging the bat very well for us,” Esquer said. “We may have to ride his hot bat for a while.” 

Cal lost despite getting more hits than the Spartans and not allowing an extra-base hit. 

The Bears got a quick start, chasing Spartan starter Frank Esposito before he could finish a full inning. Jackson got things started with a two-out triple to bring home leadoff man David Nicholson, and second baseman Carson White and designated hitter Matt Einspahr followed with RBI singles before Esposito was yanked with a 3-0 Cal lead. Shortstop Jeff Dragicevich flew out to deep right to end the inning. 

The Spartans (4-0) tied the game in the third inning, getting three unearned runs after Dragicevich threw away a Dino Quintero grounder to start the inning. Frandsen and first baseman Bryan Baker both had run-scoring singles off of Cal starter Joe Todoroff to tie the game. 

Ben Conley put the Bears ahead again an inning later, fouling off four two-strike pitches before driving a double to left-center to bring home Nicholson. Jackson followed with a two-out single to bring home Conley, but that would be the last Cal run other than Jackson’s seventh-inning round-tripper.

Editor, 

It’s really sad that L.A. Woods’ article in Tuesday’s Planet makes it clear he hasn’t seen the transformation that has happened as a result of city’s investment in 5th and Harrison. Nor does he really let the reader know why fields were built at 5th and Harrison rather than the Corporation Yard. Let’s get past the rhetoric. 

The reason why the Corporation Yard remains where it is has do to with money, not soccer moms and dads. It was estimated 10 years ago that moving the corporation yard would cost in the neighborhood of $20 million dollars. 

If the city had the political will and administrative desire to build a new facility they could have done this down at the old Colgate plant when it was available. They can still do this by purchasing the 8.5-acre American Soil property (which is twice the size of the Harrison parcel) just down the street from the current corporation yard. 

5th and Harrison was chosen over the Corporation Yard for several reasons. First, and most importantly, 5th and Harrison was vacant land. 

Putting fields at the Corporation Yard meant getting the council to agree to spend the $20 million to move the Corporation Yard before they could even consider fields. This is something they hadn't been willing to do years before playing fields were ever proposed for the Harrison site. Are soccer moms and dads and city staff to blame for recognizing that moving the corporation yard was not something high on the council’s agenda? 

Second, the city had and still had a pressing need for field space. When the fields at Harrison were opened up at a community meeting, every single available slot was booked within a half an hour and there are still waiting lists for field slots. It took almost five years of community process to get the Harrison parcel developed. It probably would have taken another five if moving the corporation yard had come first on the agenda. If L.A. Woods is angry that the corporation yard hasn't been moved, don’t put the blame on the backs of the people who helped expand much needed recreation space in this community. 

Third, having more lighted fields and available parking was a central element in determining sites. It was felt that because the 5th and Harrison site was in an industrial neighborhood the lighted fields would meet less resistance from the surrounding neighbors. Also field users would bring their cars at the same time the industrial users would be leaving work. So the problem of field users impacting neighborhood parking was much reduced. 

Fourth, the 5th and Harrison site was significantly larger than the Corporation Yard site and it was adjacent to two existing fields. The idea that city staff was breaking new ground by zoning or putting playing fields next to an industrial area is factually incorrect. 

L.A. Woods’ proposal that the fields and the Homeless Shelter complex would be an ideal combo at the Corporation Yard fails to recognize that this would result in a significant reduction in the amount of field space. Not to mention that the citizens of Berkeley have not exactly welcomed the expansion of shelters (homeless, AIDS, drug rehab, etc.) into their neighborhoods. 

Rather than railing at a decision that has delightfully transformed a neighborhood and provided much needed recreation space to the children and adults in our community, why doesn't L.A. Woods do something positive? Let him put his energy into trying to convince the City Council to spend the $20 million to acquire the American Soils property and spend another $20 million to build new public works facilities. Then he can raise another $10 million to move and expand the Harrison House facility on the old Corporation Yard. Makes Harrison look pretty cheap. 

Finally, I along with the 25,000 people who visit the Harrison Park facility each year, as well as a large number of the neighbors who surround the park, would like to thank city staff and city council members who had the common sense to recognize this important community need and put the money and the effort into helping to make Harrison Park a reality. 

Doug Fielding 

Association of Sports Field Users

Today is Thursday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2002. There are 327 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beatles began their first American tour as they arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

On this date: 

In 1812, author Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England. 

In 1931, aviator Amelia Earhart married publisher George P. Putnam in Noank, Conn. 

In 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt authorized a flag for the office of the vice president. 

In 1943, the government announced that shoe rationing would go into effect, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person for the remainder of the year. 

In 1944, during World War II, the Germans launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy. 

In 1948, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley. 

In 1971, women in Switzerland won the right to vote. 

In 1984, space shuttle astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk. 

In 1986, Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule. 

In 1999, Jordan’s King Hussein died of cancer at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah. 

Ten years ago: Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin and French President Francois Mitterrand signed a cooperation treaty in Paris. Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson testified at his rape trial in Indianapolis that his accuser, a Miss Black America contestant, had consented to having sex with him. 

Five years ago: The Air Force suspended all its flights in restricted training areas on the East Coast after a pair of close calls between National Guard jets and civilian airliners. Mindful of Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s ailments, President Clinton agreed to shift their March summit meeting from the United States to Helsinki, Finland. 

One year ago: The Senate voted to release $582 million in dues owed the United Nations. The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off on a trip to the international space station. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti’s president. Death claimed singer-actress Dale Evans at age 88 and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of aviator Charles Lindbergh, at age 94. 

Today’s Birthdays:  

Actor Eddie Bracken is 82. Country singer Wilma Lee Cooper is 81. Author Gay Talese is 70. Blues singer-musician Earl King is 68. Actor Miguel Ferrer (“Crossing Jordan”) is 47. Reggae musician Brian Travers (UB40) is 43. Actor James Spader is 42. Country singer Garth Brooks is 40. Rock musician David Bryan (Bon Jovi) is 40. Comedian Eddie Izzard is 40. Actor-comedian Chris Rock is 36. Actor Jason Gedrick is 35. Actor Ashton Kutcher (“That 70’s Show”) is 24. Actress Tina Majorino is 17.

Editor: 

I would expect better of a man with a Harvard education than Patrick Kennedy’s latest name calling epistle. First he puts words in the mouths of those who would question him and then he calls them names, (NIMBY) for the words he put in their mouths. Certainly everyone should be entitled to express their concerns without being called names: students, renters, workers, and yes, even those who own their homes, and yes indeed, even developers who live in Piedmont, (a place not noted for its abundance of affordable housing). This is something my third grade teacher taught me and I don’t think she had a Harvard education. Patrick always wraps himself in the mantle of affordable housing while offering the bare minimum of affordable housing required by law in his developments! He even has opposed the requirement for any affordable housing in new developments. 

Yes, Berkeley has a history of embracing and initiating change – some of its most brilliant and lasting heritage is the livable neighborhoods designed by Maybeck and others. 

I vote for civil discourse and all opinions being honored. 

Bob Kubik  

Berkeley

A NASA satellite designed and built by scientists at UC Berkeley was placed into orbit Tuesday to study how solar flares are produced in the Sun's atmosphere. 

The 645-pound High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager was fixed inside a Pegasus rocket, attached to the belly of an Orbital Stargazer, and carried to 39,000 feet.  

The Pegasus was dropped at 3:56 p.m. EST and free fell for about five seconds, then ignited and climbed to 373 miles above the Earth and delivered the HESSI spacecraft into a circular orbit. 

The HESSI will be pointed permanently at the Sun to study the intense energy that accompanies solar flares and coronal mass ejections.  

The project was timed to coincide with the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, when the sun is most active with sunspots, solar flares and other activity.  

“A solar flare is an explosion that happens very close to the surface of the sun,” said Robert Lin, Professor of Physics, UC Berkeley, and Principal Investigator for HESSI. “With a coronal mass ejection a large hunk of matter gets thrown out into space, roughly a billion tons of ionized gas.” Lin compared that with a four foot fluorescent light, which has roughly one tenth of a gram of ionized gas.  

“It’s good to know how the sun works, it gives life and its close by,” said David Smith, spectrometer scientist for the project. “It stores up energy, gets twisted up like a rubber band and suddenly releases that energy. We want to know how and why.” 

The solar powered satellite will align its orbit with electromagnetic coils that push against Earth’s magnetic field.  

The $85 million project falls under the NASA Small Explorer program, which was instituted by NASA during the past decade with the rationale that smaller projects would be cheaper, more efficient, and carry less bureaucracy.  

For more information visit: http://hessi.ssl.berkeley.edu/, or www.nasa.gov.  

The City Council took a series of votes Tuesday related to the on-site disposal of approximately five liters of radioactive mixed waste at the recently closed National Tritium Labeling Facility. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington sponsored the resolutions at the urging of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste, a citizens group that is concerned the disposal process will release tritium, a low-level radioactive isotope used in medical research, into the atmosphere. 

The tritium facility is overseen by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

The council voted on nine resolutions, five of which were approved by 8-0 votes. Councilmember Miriam Hawley was absent. Among the resolutions approved were the reaffirmation of the city’s policy to oppose the operation of the tritium facility, a request that the LBNL guarantee in writing that no additional tritium waste will be disposed of and that LBNL notify the city of any further plans to dispose of toxic wastes. 

The council did not approve a recommendation to consider funding a lawsuit against the California Department of Toxic Substance Control for permitting the disposal process. Three other recommendations to send letters to various state agencies requesting the immediate halt to the disposal process also failed. 

Worthington said he put the recommendations on the agenda because the lab did not notify the community of its intention to dispose of the waste. 

“The main thing that motivated me was the lab’s secrecy in conducting this process,” he said. “They announced they were closing the facility and then behind the scenes sought a permit to dispose of this dangerous material.” 

The California Department of Toxic Substance Control issued the disposal permit in December. 

The disposal process, also referred to as a “treatability study” because of its experimental nature, heats the mixed hazardous waste through a process known as catalytic chemical oxidation. The heat burns off the organic hazardous materials leaving the tritium, which is captured in water. 

Once the tritium is isolated, it can be shipped to a low-level radioactive storage facility, where it is buried in sealed containers and allowed to decompose naturally. 

LBNL began oxidizing the mixed-waste materials in January and is expected to be completed in early April. 

LBNL Environmental Attorney Nancy Shepard assured the council that the oxidation process is safe, despite an accident that occurred in July 1998 during a similar procedure. That accident resulted in an unplanned release of 35 curries of tritium into the atmosphere. Normally the facility released 50 to 100 curries during the course of an entire year. 

“The Kiln process, which we were using in 1998 is no longer in place,” Shepard said. “We have taken measures to assure there will be any unplanned releases.” 

But members of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste remained skeptical and called for the immediate halt of the process. 

“The lab had a very significant problems that have not been addressed,” said CTTW member Pan Sihvola. “We do whatever we can to avoid another accident.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio said the on-site disposal process was the responsible thing to do. 

“I’m glad that we aren’t shipping our mixed waste off-site because the only other way it can be disposed of is by burning it in a fashion that will release all of the tritium into the atmosphere," she said. “This process will allow 97 percent of the tritium to be safely buried where it will cause no harm.” 

Contact reporter John Geluardi at johng@berkeleydailyplanet. net.

SACRAMENTO — Enron stood up a panel of state senators Wednesday who had subpoenaed the energy giant to testify about destruction of documents, and now could face contempt charges by the California Senate. 

Lawmakers investigating California’s power crisis sought thousands of documents from Enron in June, but an accounting firm’s destruction of some of the company’s financial documents may have violated that order, said Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana. 

Dunn, chairman of the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Price Manipulation in the Wholesale Energy Market, said Enron also hasn’t complied with the June summons, only sending “a handful” of relevant documents. 

In mid-January, Dunn summoned Enron officials to testify about which documents may have been destroyed, but Enron notified the committee Wednesday that it wouldn’t be sending anyone to the deposition. 

The committee also has subpoenaed testimony from Arthur Andersen LLP, Enron’s auditors, regarding destruction of some of the energy giant’s documents. The accounting firm has admitted it destroyed some Enron documents after federal securities regulators asked for information about Enron. 

Enron Vice President Richard B. Sanders said in a letter to the committee that the company isn’t “aware of anyone from Enron who made inquiries to Arthur Andersen regarding what documents were destroyed.” 

Sanders also said he wasn’t aware of any documents in Enron’s financial accounting department that dealt with the California energy market. 

The committee has subpoenaed documents from a half-dozen energy companies as part of the investigation into the state’s power crisis last year, when energy prices soared. 

The full committee will review Enron’s compliance with the subpoena for testimony and documents at a hearing next Tuesday. 

Oakland accepts foreign ID cards legally 

OAKLAND — Oakland has become the second city in the nation to accept cards issued by the Mexican government — and by other foreign governments — as legal identification. 

The resolution, unanimously approved Tuesday by the Oakland City Council, requests that the Oakland Police Department, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and other public service agencies recognize foreign-issued ID cards as official identification. 

The cards do not substitute for a driver’s license, or for a passport necessary to cross borders. They do not establish legal status in the United States, but will help police legally identify detainees. 

So far, the Mexican and French governments are the only ones to issue such cards, although any country could could do so. 

Last month, San Francisco became the first city to pass a resolution to accept the cards — although the Orange County Sheriff’s Association also approved a policy recognizing them last October. 

Playing with fire 

OAKLAND — A 13-year-old boy who admitted lighting a pit bull puppy on fire will be taken from his parents’ custody, a juvenile court judge has ruled. 

The ruling was made Tuesday at a closed hearing in Oakland after a psychological report on the boy showed intervention was necessary, said Assistant District Attorney Walter Jackson, who heads the juvenile division. 

Also present at the hearing was a 12-year-old boy who reportedly confessed to the same felony charge of maiming or torturing an animal. The younger boy’s disposition — a juvenile court term for sentencing — was postponed to Feb. 13, to allow time to complete his psychological evaluation. 

A third boy, 15, denied involvement in lighting the puppy on fire, but admitted to the felony charge of dog fighting. His disposition hearing will be Feb. 14. 

The puppy was 3 months old when set ablaze Jan. 8 in East Oakland. It is now in good condition after receiving treatment for burns over a quarter of its 19-pound body. 

‘City of Castro Valley’ hits stumbling block 

CASTRO VALLEY — Organizers of the campaign to transform Castro Valley into a city hit a major obstacle when a fiscal analysis showed that the unincorporated community doesn’t have the tax base to support itself. 

“It’s very disappointing and very surprising,” said Sal Tedesco, president of the pro-incorporation group, Citizens of Castro Valley. 

About 57,000 people live in Castro Valley, 13 miles south of Oakland. 

The analysis showed that a city would run budget shortfalls of about $1 million to $1.5 million over the first six or seven years of incorporation. 

The report said it would cost Castro Valley $12 million a year to maintain 67 police officers. All other city spending combined would amount to about $8 million annually. 

SAN DIEGO — Three months ago, Teresa Montemayor became one of thousands of workers in the tourism industry to lose her job. Soon, she faced losing her home. 

That prospect faded Wednesday with the opening of a new relief center for those hard hit by the state’s flagging tourism industry. The center gave Montemayor an emergency cash grant to prevent her eviction. 

“My landlord has given me three days to leave my apartment because I’m three months behind in rent,” Montemayor, 38, said as she collected the $1,400 check from the San Diego Tourism Industry Worker Relief Center, located in a union hall east of downtown. 

Officials estimate that thousands of tourist industry workers in San Diego and around the state are struggling after losing jobs or having their work hours cut because of the recession and decline in travel after Sept. 11. 

“This crisis is still unfolding here in California,” said Robert Ross, president of the California Endowment, a Woodland Hills-based foundation which donated $568,830 to open the center. The group has given grants for similar programs in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles. 

Between September and December, California lost 18,200 jobs from the air transportation, restaurant, and hotel and lodging sectors, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. The agency doesn’t track workers who had their hours reduced. 

In San Diego, where tourism is the third largest industry, after the military and manufacturing, between 20 and 30 percent of workers at hotels and other tourist-dependent venues were laid off in after Sept. 11, according to Reint Reinders, president of the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau. The region has yet to recover. 

“There’s no question about it. Thousands of people within our industry have been affected one way or another, and we’re not back to normal,” Reinders said. 

Signs of a turnaround are emerging slowly. Hotel occupancy rates — down to 54 percent in November — are at 60 percent, but have yet to return to pre-September levels of 70-75 percent. Employers are adding staff again, but instead of hiring back workers on a full-time basis, many are offering only part-time jobs while they await an economic recovery. 

That’s the case with Montemayor. Laid off from a full-time housekeeping job at the Handlery Hotel and Resort in San Diego’s Mission Valley area in November, she’s returned to part-time work at another hotel. Unlike in her previous job, where she received $8 an hour, the new employer pays her only minimum wage. 

“I still don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Montemayor, who has two daughters and is supporting an injured husband who cannot work. “It’s a very difficult situation.” 

San Diego officials are confident that the area’s tourism business will recover but they don’t expect things to be back to normal for quite some time. Until then, labor advocates and others say more needs to be done to help those who make up the foundation of such a vital industry. 

“Many of them were already struggling. But yet they’re changing the sheets, cleaning the toilets, making the lunches,” said Ralph Inzunza, a member of the City Council. 

“As soon as a crisis hits they’re always the first to get laid off.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Restaurant owners around Northern California are taking Chilean sea bass off their menus as part of an effort to save the fish from overfishing and eventual extinction. 

“There are plenty of other fish in the sea,” said Allen Vitti, chef de cuisine at Fringale restaurant in San Francisco, where he has served the white-meat fish from time to time as a special dish. 

Despite regulations set by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living — the international governing body that regulates Chilean sea bass’s annual catch to 18,000 tons — nearly 80 percent of the Chilean sea bass sold on the world market is illegally obtained, according to a report Tuesday by the National Environmental Trust in Washington. 

“For every ton legally caught of Chilean sea bass there are 5 or 6 tons caught illegally,” said the group’s spokesman, Eric Rardin. 

And in the United States, the restaurant industry accounts for 70 percent of all Chilean sea bass sales, the group said. 

John A. Drocco, owner of PJ’s Oyster Bed in San Francisco stopped serving the fish five years ago because of concerns about the status of the species, and hasn’t received any complaints from customers about the decision. 

”Customers ask for it, but I can’t remember the last time someone did,” he said. 

The fish became popular about 10 years ago when marketers came up with a more attractive name for the species than Patagonian toothfish. In 2001, it was named Bon Appetit magazine’s “Dish of the Year.” 

The toothfish — a family of fish found only in the southern seas — is particularly vulnerable to overfishing because it takes them 10 years to reach sexual maturity. 

Biologist Beth Clark, director of the international regulatory agency’s Antarctica Project, said anglers now catch Chilean sea bass measuring two feet long and weighing 10 pounds. Twenty years ago, researchers caught fish measuring five feet long and weighing 100 pounds. 

Advocates say that at current fishing levels the Chilean sea bass will be commercially extinct in two years. A complete catching moratorium, they hope, may allow the stock to stabilize in 30 years. 

“If we don’t allow Chilean sea bass to grow back to healthy sizes and numbers, soon there won’t be any left to catch,” agreed Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. 

More than 60 Bay Area restaurants — including such well-known destinations as Chez Panisse in Berkeley and the French Laundry in Yountville — have signed on to the “Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass” campaign, launched Tuesday in San Francisco. 

It will force chefs to be more creative. According to Vitti, the Chilean sea bass can have a rich flavor as well as serve as a neutral component in a dish. 

“You can use it with bold flavor, you can use it as the predominant flavor — it is a pretty unique fish because holds up to lots of different techniques.” 

LOS ANGELES — Former President Ronald Reagan, the longest-living U.S. president, turned 91 Wednesday with a low-key celebration that included his favorite chocolate cake at his Bel-Air home. 

Reagan, who recovered from a broken hip suffered in a fall in January 2001, has remained secluded at his home since announcing in 1994 he had Alzheimer’s disease. 

The disease has exacted its toll on the nation’s 40th chief executive. 

“He’s doing as well as can be expected,” said Joanne Drake, Reagan’s chief of staff. 

Reagan spent his birthday with wife Nancy Reagan and daughter Patti Davis. 

In Time magazine this month, Davis wrote emotionally about her father, acknowledging his birthday: “We will commemorate his birthday, speak of it, but the word ’happy’ won’t be put in front of it.” 

Maureen Reagan, the daughter of the president and his first wife, Jane Wyman, died of cancer in August at age 60. 

On Tuesday, son Michael Reagan accepted a Los Angeles County proclamation declaring Wednesday “Ronald Reagan Day.” 

The younger Reagan told CNN Wednesday that his father sleeps later each day and “he’s not able to really get up and walk and get around.” 

“Every day gets a little shorter for him and every day the world gets a little smaller for him,” Michael Reagan said. 

Asked how Nancy Reagan is holding up, the younger Reagan said: “They have so many memories but they’re not able to really discuss the memories ... It’s really a one-way conversation any more with my dad.” 

President Bush signed legislation Wednesday making Reagan’s childhood home in Dixon, Ill., a federal historic site. The private Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Foundation owns the house where Reagan lived in the early 1920s. 

The new law authorizes the Interior Department to acquire the site from the foundation, which would continue managing and operating it. 

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, about 50 miles northwest of the Reagan home, there was cake, cards, a book-signing by “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime” author Lou Cannon and a Japanese tree-planting ceremony. 

“We always consider his birthday a special day,” library director Duke Blackwood said. 

The 20 trees are courtesy of the America-Miyazaki Cherry Tree Association. 

“Cherry trees from Japan represent peace and friendship,” library spokeswoman Melissa Giller said. 

Last Oct. 11, Reagan eclipsed John Adams by living longer than any other U.S. president. Adams, who occupied the White House from 1779 to 1801, was born Oct. 30, 1735, and died July 4, 1826 — a life of 33,119 days. Reagan was born Feb. 6, 1911.

LOS ANGELES — Southern Californians want to look good, spending more on clothes and cars than the rest of the country but less on cigarettes and alcohol, according to a national survey. 

The study released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows how people in different parts of the nation spend their money. 

Southern Californians spend $7,701 annually for transportation, compared to the U.S. average of $7,215. They also like to buy clothes, shelling out $2,450 each year while the rest of the nation pays an average of $1,816. 

It probably comes as no surprise to Southern Californians that the average household spends $16,550, or 37 percent, of its annual expenditures on housing, more than a third above the national average of $12,188. The area’s growing population combined with a short supply of new housing are reasons for people to spend more money here, experts said. 

“Scarcity forces people to pay more,” said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development. 

But apparently wellness remains a priority for Southern Californians. They spend about $204 on tobacco products every year, compared with the U.S. average of $309. Only $337 is spent on alcohol, compared with $345 nationally. Wine-loving San Franciscans dropped nearly double the national average on alcohol at $771 annually. 

Southern Californians also have enough distractions to keep them from reading. Only $148 is spent every year on books here, compared with $153 nationally. 

“The weather is too nice to cuddle up with a good book,” said Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a social psychologist and management professor at the Claremont Graduate University.

SAN JOSE — San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales called for a crackdown on litter and touted a new initiative to improve child care in his annual state of the city address Wednesday. 

Gonzales said San Jose reduced graffiti by 92 percent in the past three years with aggressive law enforcement and teams of volunteers who quickly repaint walls. He pledged a similar approach to eliminating trash strewn on city streets, calling it “an eyesore that eats away at neighborhood pride.” 

The mayor has not yet determined whether new city laws are needed for the trash fight or whether existing ordinances need to be enforced more diligently, spokesman David Vossbrink said. 

Gonzales said the nation’s 11th-largest city suffers from a severe shortage of child care programs, and advocated spending $10 million on new centers and improved training for child care workers. 

Gonzales also asked for support of a local ballot measure that would fund a new 911 emergency hub and new police and fire stations. 

——— 

On the Net: 

City page: http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us 

SACRAMENTO — The battle over conditions at Nike Inc.’s overseas factories moved to the California Supreme Court on Wednesday, with the justices considering a lawsuit accusing the apparel maker of a consumer whitewash violating California’s false advertising laws. 

The case balances a corporation’s right to defend itself against bad publicity with the right of California consumers to be free from deceptive advertising. 

The highly publicized suit, which has been dismissed by a trial court and a state appeals court, claims Nike’s 1996-1997 campaign in defense of its wages, treatment of workers and health and safety conditions at Asian plants run by contractors was a misleading business practice. 

During an hour of oral arguments here, the justices teetered back and forth on whether Nike’s defense was “political speech” protected by the First Amendment or commercial speech subject to a California consumer protection law that is one of the nation’s least friendly to businesses. 

The same law was invoked in a suit against the Joe Camel advertising campaign on the grounds that it promoted illegal cigarette sales to minors. R.J. Reynolds denied the allegation but dropped the ads and settled the suit. 

Consumer attorneys seeking reinstatement of the case against Nike argued that the Beaverton, Ore.-based company defended itself against a huge public backlash in a way that promoted its products. 

“When the critics said you are running sweat shops and you should not buy Nike shoes, Nike said, ’No, no, no, these charges are false,”’ argued attorney Paul R. Hoerber. “In that context, the meaning connected to those statements: ‘You should buy shoes.”’ 

But some of the court’s justices were concerned that it would be impossible for a company to defend its actions — truthfully or falsely — without there being some type of financial motive. 

“You are reading into whatever they do as economic motivation,” Justice Janice Rogers Brown said. 

Not all the justices seemed sympathetic to Nike’s plight. 

Justice Joyce L. Kennard said: “The Constitution doesn’t give blanket protection to false and misleading statements.” 

And Chief Justice Ronald M. George said Nike’s image campaign was based on selling shoes. 

“Wasn’t the ultimate goal to sell more of the company’s products by making these statements?” George asked. 

“I do not think that is exactly correct,” replied Nike attorney David Brown. He said the company engaged in “classic political debate” protected by the First Amendment and added that “maybe the statements were true, maybe they were false.” 

A state appeals court found that Nike’s image campaign was not regulated by California false-advertising laws but was protected First Amendment speech in defense of its corporate reputation. 

The company issued press releases denying abuses and cited a favorable report it had commissioned by Andrew Young, former United States ambassador to the United Nations. 

The suit said Nike has falsely stated that it guarantees a “living wage” to all workers, that its workers in Southeast Asia make twice the local minimum wage and are protected from corporal punishment, and that it complies with government rules on wages, hours and health and safety conditions. 

Those claims are refuted by studies by labor and human rights groups, news media investigations and — most damaging of all — a January 1997 audit by the firm of Ernst & Young, commissioned by Nike, the suit said. 

Among other things, the audit found that employees in a large Vietnam shoe factory were exposed to cancer-causing toluene and suffered a high incidence of respiratory problems, according to the suit. 

The case is Kasky v. Nike Inc., S087859. The court is expected to rule within 90 days. 

SAN JOSE — Cisco Systems Inc. reported higher-than-expected profits and sales Wednesday for its fiscal second quarter, suggesting the networking giant may be slowly recovering from the economic downturn. 

For the three months ended Jan. 26, Cisco earned $660 million, or 9 cents a share, down 24 percent from earnings of $874 million, or 12 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. 

Sales were $4.8 billion, down 28 percent from $6.7 billion in the second quarter last year. 

Excluding special items, the company earned $664 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with profits of $1.3 billion, or 18 cents a share, a year ago. It was the second quarter-to-quarter increase in profits and revenues. 

Analysts were expecting profits of 5 cents a share on revenue of $4.5 billion, according to a survey by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

“This was a very solid quarter,” said John Chambers, Cisco’s chief executive. 

The company typically faces a slower third quarter, and executives predict revenue to be flat or increase in the low single-digit range.  

Analysts are expecting third-quarter sales of $4.6 billion, a 2 percent increase. 

Cisco makes routers, switches and other devices that direct traffic over networks. It was hard hit by the tech downturn and cutbacks in spending by telecommunications carriers and dot-coms. 

The company, which once boasted of hiring 1,000 employees a month, laid off 8,500 a year ago. 

“In our last conference call, we said our business had reached a plateau with a slight upward bias,” Chambers said. “Our financial results this quarter establish a second, slightly higher plateau.” 

Cisco jumped the gun on much of its second-quarter surprise, however. Late Tuesday, an executive inadvertently released a memo indicating its results surpassed analysts’ expectations. The company then issued a news release early Wednesday, but did not release specifics. 

Shares of Cisco closed 11 cents higher to $18.61 in Wednesday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market before the official earnings release. In after-hours trading, shares lost $1.37. 

For the first six months of fiscal 2002, Cisco reported profits of $392 million on sales of $9.3 billion, compared with earnings of $1.7 billion on revenues of $13.3 billion for the same period a year ago. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Cisco Systems: http://www.cisco.com 

A missing heart 

CORAZON, N.M. — The U.S. Census Bureau has missed a lonely heart in northeastern New Mexico. 

The bureau reported in February that there were only four communities in the nation with the word “heart” in their names. 

Corazon wasn’t on the list. 

Corazon — Spanish for “heart” — is in San Miguel County, about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas. 

But there isn’t much left of the community — mostly rubble and old wooden rafters. 

A book called “The Place Names of New Mexico” says Corazon had a post office from 1903 to 1909. 

“People in Las Vegas have heard about the ruins out there, but they don’t talk a lot about it,” said Gus Pacheco, an area resident. “And there are fewer and fewer old-timers around here. We have a funeral almost every month.” 

For the record, the four “heart” places listed by the bureau were Heart Butte, Mont.; Sacred Heart, Minn.; South Heart, N.D.; and Heartwell, Neb. 

Get the public out on their porches 

ERIE, Pa. — Fences may make good neighbors, but a city councilman says front porches make better neighborhoods. 

Jim Casey wants Erie to study whether the city should require all new homes to be built with front porches. 

“The public today, they’re all withdrawing into their homes because of television, computers and all these other sophisticated mechanisms we have,” Casey said. “We need to get out and meet our neighbors. If porches can help us get back to that good quality of living, then good.” 

Homes with porches look nicer and encourage neighbors to interact, Casey said. 

Erie’s City Council is expected to consider the idea Wednesday. 

One Erie builder called Casey’s idea “off-the-wall.” 

“We have enough regulations as it is,” said Charles Buckeye of Buckeye Builders. 

Porches should be a homeowner’s choice, he said, adding that each owner’s lifestyle is different.  

He’s got a porch, he said, but when he finds the time to sit down, it’s usually in the backyard. 

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LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) — It’s not your ordinary lawn ornament. 

Since 1947, Henry Marek has kept a World War I-era cannon in his front yard. 

Marek obtained the cannon in 1942 for $25 as scrap from the Work Projects Administration. Over the years it has become a Mason County landmark. 

But a Defense Department worker happened to notice the cannon last week, knocked on Marek’s door and told him that the cannon is government property. That means it could be seized and destroyed. 

That’s when Marek brought out his heavy gun — U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who has ridiculed the government’s sudden interest in the weaponry. 

“This cannon has been in the community for more than 50 years without a problem,” Hoekstra said Monday in a news release. “And the only problems surrounding this cannon now are being caused by the government.” 

Hoekstra said the cannon’s breech was welded shut and its barrel was cut, making it unusable as a weapon. His office contacted the Defense Department and expects a quick resolution to the matter. 

“At a time when the Defense Department is fighting a war against terrorism, it seems strange they would want to fight Mr. Marek over an 80-plus-year-old cannon that was long-ago disabled,” he said. 

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Take that, Osama bin Laden. 

A bill introduced Monday in the Minnesota House would put bin Laden’s image on a state lottery scratch-off ticket. Players would discover any winnings by scratching off “and thus obliterating,” as the bill notes, bin Laden’s face. 

Sixty percent of the proceeds — the maximum allowed under the state Constitution — would go to anti-terrorism efforts. 

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Rich Stanek, is a Minneapolis police officer who also is pushing for a broad new state security plan. It has a price tag of $25 million to pay for training and equipment, although a state budget deficit has made funding scarce. 

Stanek said he’s gotten nothing but positive reactions to the bill. 

“Can you imagine the guys sitting in the American Legion, how they’ll respond?” asked Stanek. “They might go out and buy 100 tickets.” 

If the bin Laden idea falls through, Stanek said he still wants a themed lottery ticket. Like what? “Three cruise missiles is a winner. I don’t care.” 

BEIJING — The Chinese-speaking world ushered in the lunar Year of the Horse with dancing dragons, caroling soldiers and all-night fireworks barrages. 

As midnight on Monday approached — and with it the year 2002 by the traditional lunar calendar — the growing crescendo of fireworks explosions in Beijing sounded like the unbroken roar of a jet engine. 

The night sky burst with red, yellow and green as residents set off private displays all over the capital, ignoring a ban that outlawed fireworks in all but a few public places. 

The celebrations picked up again Tuesday morning. In Longtan Park on Beijing’s south side, thousands beat drums and gongs while watching lines of red and blue-dressed dragon dancers. 

On Monday night, China’s leaders formally celebrated in the Soviet-style Great Hall of the People in Beijing’s central Tiananmen Square. The hall was decked in bright red — the traditional color of celebration and of the Communist Party. 

Menfro soil is salt of the earth 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Sen. David Klindt considers himself a down-to-earth type of guy. So much so that he thinks Missouri should have an official state soil. 

As a House member a couple of years ago, Klindt sponsored legislation to designate a variety of dirt called “Menfro soil” as Missouri’s official soil. The bill never came to a vote then, but on Thursday his proposal went before a Senate committee. “Menfro soil is one of the more widely known soils in the state,” said Klindt, a farmer from northwest Missouri. “In fact, the state Capitol sits on it, and it runs along the Missouri River bluffs.” Menfro is a deep, well-drained, moderately permeable soil found along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and their major tributaries.  

Great Olympic rip-off 

SALT LAKE CITY — If you’re going to the Winter Olympics, bring a warm coat — preferably with deep pockets. 

With the games opening Friday, prices in downtown Salt Lake City are soaring like an Olympian off the 90-meter ski jump. A pint of beer almost doubled to $6.25 at the Port ’O Call restaurant. A downtown parking garage is boosting its day rate to $30, from $5. And dinner specials at the Metropolitan are $95 a person — triple what its most expensive entree used to cost. “It’s called Olympic greed,” said Michael Taylor, who runs the garage, located two blocks from the Salt Lake Ice Center. “It’s all about making money.” While Olympic organizers have discouraged price gouging, Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce President Larry Mankin makes no apology for the dramatic markups. 

WASHINGTON — Emboldened by success in Afghanistan, some lawmakers are beating the drum for quick action to get rid of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. They take a different view of other nations singled out by President Bush as trouble. 

Saddam should be removed, and soon, of Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut said Sunday. “He is a time bomb.” 

An Iranian official, speaking for a government also labeled part of an “axis of evil” by Bush, bristled at the president’s threatening language but pledged cooperation in keeping al-Qaida terrorists out of his country. 

“What we have experienced in the past couple of weeks has been a great deal of U.S. rhetoric, outright animosity and hostility, that has been put by various U.S. officials against my country,” Javad Zarif, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for international affairs, said on “Fox News Sunday.” 

But he said al-Qaida terrorists are “enemies” of Iran and if any are found in his country, “we will return them to their own countries or to the government of Afghanistan.” 

Bush’s State of the Union speech, lumping Iran, Iraq and North Korea together as an axis threatening international security, continues to resonate — through Congress and around the world — almost two weeks after its delivery. 

North Korea called off a visit by a group of former U.S. ambassadors in reaction to Bush’s harsh words, two members of that unofficial delegation said on the weekend. 

The trip had been arranged at North Korea’s invitation as a way to expand informal dialogue. 

Lieberman, like many in Congress and apparently Bush himself, does not think all three “axis” countries pose equal threats or deserve the same response. There are “different gradations” of what the United States should do, the senator said. 

North Korea can be dealt with diplomatically, the Iranians “need us to be very tough” and in Iraq, Saddam can’t remain in power, he said. 

“We know that he has the means or the motivation to do us harm,” Lieberman said. “We know that he has weapons, chemical and biological weapons. We have reason to believe he is developing nuclear weapons.” 

Democratic Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, agreed, saying on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Saddam was an “evil force.” But he cautioned that the focus should remain on terrorism; otherwise America might lose coalition allies. 

Price tag on ketchup, mustard 

YORK, Pa. — York County Prison officials have set down a new policy for inmates: Condiments will cost you. 

Starting Monday, prisoners will have to purchase items like ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper and sugar if they want to spice up their meals. 

Warden Thomas Hogan said the policy is being implemented to save money, and because prisoners often trash the condiments. 

“They just throw them away,” Hogan said. “They’re wasted.” 

Hogan didn’t have a price list for the items, but a letter sent to The York Dispatch by prisoner Leroy Freeman and signed by 20 inmates said the prison will charge 8 cents for a ketchup or relish packet, 10 cents for a mustard or tartar-sauce packet, $2.10 for 100 sugar packets, 25 cents for 10 salt or pepper packets and 6 cents for an Equal packet. 

“Now the county is attempting to serve such a meal that my dog would refuse, without salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, and etc.,” Freeman wrote. 

The inmate called the measure a “blatant display of not recognizing our human rights.” 

Larry Frankel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Pennsylvania chapter, isn’t sure the inmates have a case. 

“I don’t think anybody has a right to condiments,” he said. 

Get on the love tram  

SINGAPORE — For Valentine’s Day, Singapore’s Night Safari is hoping local couples will go wild. 

Night Safari, a wildlife park that features nighttime rides through eight geographical zones with more than 1,000 nocturnal beasts, will offer a “love tram” for the Valentine holiday. 

The $163 Gourmet Safari Love Express package lets amorous nature lovers dine on a tram outfitted with candlelit tables for two as it trundles slowly past the wildlife. 

Recession-struck Singapor- eans may find the price tag a little steep. Of the 12 tables available, only eight have been reserved, said Robin Goh, a spokesman from the zoo. 

The handful of couples that board the love tram will cruise along a two-mile trail past sloth bears, swamp deer, one-horned rhinoceroses and screw goats, so named for their unique spiraling horns. 

The nocturnal animals will be taking part in their nightly rituals, which typically include eating, playing and grooming, said Goh. 

“If they do mate it’s a bonus for the couples, of course,” he said. 

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State Sen. David Klindt considers himself a down-to-earth type of guy. So much so that he thinks Missouri should have an official state soil. 

As a House member a couple of years ago, Klindt sponsored legislation to designate a variety of dirt called “Menfro soil” as Missouri’s official soil. The bill never came to a vote then, but on Thursday his proposal went before a Senate committee. 

“Menfro soil is one of the more widely known soils in the state,” said Klindt, a farmer from northwest Missouri. “In fact, the state Capitol sits on it, and it runs along the Missouri River bluffs.” 

Menfro is a deep, well-drained, moderately permeable soil found along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and their major tributaries. It makes for prime farmland for soybeans, corn, grains, hay and pastures. 

Klindt’s proposal is backed by the National Association of State Soil Scientists and the soil and water conservation districts, which promote soils nationwide. 

“It will be educational, talking to students about the importance of soil and conservation,” Klindt said. 

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — If you’re going to the Winter Olympics, bring a warm coat — preferably with deep pockets. 

With the games opening Friday, prices in downtown Salt Lake City are soaring like an Olympian off the 90-meter ski jump. 

A pint of beer almost doubled to $6.25 at the Port ’O Call restaurant. A downtown parking garage is boosting its day rate to $30, from $5. And dinner specials at the Metropolitan are $95 a person — triple what its most expensive entree used to cost. 

“It’s called Olympic greed,” said Michael Taylor, who runs the garage, located two blocks from the Salt Lake Ice Center. “It’s all about making money.” 

While Olympic organizers have discouraged price gouging, Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce President Larry Mankin makes no apology for the dramatic markups. 

“Free enterprise is a wonderful thing,” said Mankin. “You can charge what the market will pay. Isn’t this a great country?” 

The Berkeley Police Department is offering a $30,000 reward to anyone who can help solve a Jan. 22 South Berkeley double murder. 

Oakland residents Rammar Johnson and Noel Turner, Jr., were shot in the head at around 2:40 a.m. as they sat in their car, which was parked near the corner of King and 63rd streets. 

The BPD hopes that the reward, which will be paid to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators, will break open a case that has so far stymied investigators. 

At a Jan. 30 town meeting on the murders, BPD Homicide Detective William Badour told South Berkeley residents that although most murder cases that are solved are solved within 72 hours of the crime, he held out hope that someone may have information on the shooting. 

“In other cases like this that I’ve worked, there are people who have seen something but are reluctant to come forward,” he said.  

Anyone with information is asked to call the BPD Homicide Detail at 981-5741. 

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net.

The Berkeley Police Department announced Wednesday it has solved a months-old Berkeley rape case, with help from the California Department of Justice’s criminal DNA database. 

Last May 15, a woman was raped at East Campus, Berkeley High’s continuation school, on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and Derby Street. 

The woman was walking in the neighborhood early that morning when she noticed that two men were tailing her. The men forced the victim into an unlocked bathroom at the school and proceeded to rape and physically assault her. 

The victim knew one of the men, Marcel Jarvis of Berkeley. Jarvis was arrested soon after being identified. 

The second suspect remained unidentified until Oct. 1, when DNA samples left at the scene were compared with information in the California Department of Justice’s Convicted Felon data bank. 

The comparison resulted in a “cold hit.” The DNA sample found the crime scene matched the profile of Ronald Odell Coleman, also of Berkeley, a convicted sex offender then in custody at Santa Rita Jail. 

Another DNA test was performed on Coleman, and the results were confirmed. 

The Alameda County district attorney’s office charged Coleman with the kidnapping and rape of the woman on Jan. 22. 

Seventy-seven crimes have been cracked by Convicted Felon Data Bank cold hits since the bank was established in 1994, according to Manuel Valencia, spokesman for the California Department of Justice. 

Contact reporter Hank Sims at hank@berkeleydailyplanet.net.