Dear Becky: -more-

TUESDAY, OCT. 28 -more-

PROPERTY TAX -more-

They call it the Shipyard, and it’s a lot like Jim Mason’s art—so grandiose and revolutionary that some people just don’t know quite what to make of it. -more-

TUESDAY, OCT. 28 -more-

A Berkeley resident of my acquaintance has a bullfrog in her garden pond. She’s not sure how it got there, but it’s been in residence for a couple of years. Usually she just sees its periscope eyes. Sometimes, though, it ventures out of the water, leaving wet frogprints on the pondside tiles. -more-

Fourteen of Berkeley’s 15 public schools scored higher on the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) standardized tests last year than the year before, but the laggard—Rosa Parks Elementary School—had the most to lose and may now face a major administrative shakeup. -more-

Our national political system is in the grip of big money interests who flood the political class with virtually unrestricted donations, effectively shutting out all other citizens who are not well-connected professionals, or, in California, successful action heroes. The exorbitant financial costs of national and state-wide campaigns are seeping into the comparatively low-cost democracy of Berkeley. As local races demand more and more fundraising, residents who wish to add a diversity of voices and experiences to our roster of elected officials are being systematically shut out. On top these already rising costs, City Council is considering adding more expenses for candidates of all financial levels. -more-

Berkeley Bowl workers and union organizers rallied outside the store Monday, joined by community supporters, elected officials and labor legend Dolores Huerta as part of the last push before Thursday’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) vote on unionizing the store. -more-

Recently we have seen several articles and letters to the editor about violence in our society. The issue is of paramount importance and as long as it exists it must be constantly addressed and discussed. Until justice, equality of opportunity and celebrations of diversity are a reality, violence will continue to haunt us. Violence should never be condoned, and I don’t believe it ever has, in my experience in Berkeley. -more-

The fallout has begun at Berkeley City Hall following last week’s revelation that two mixed residential-commercial properties developed and managed by prominent developer Patrick Kennedy are not currently being billed for City of Berkeley and Berkeley Unified School District property fees and assessments. -more-

If you can't get through this list without wanting to throw up, I'll understand. But pass it around anyway. This is the nail in the Iraq War's coffin for any sane, thinking individual, regardless of their political stripe (thanks to TomPaine.com and the Center for American Progress). To get some perspective, here are some real-life comparisons about what $87 Billion means: -more-

When UC Berkeley graduate student Helen Poynton became pregnant during her second year on campus, university housing officials gave her two options: She could move into to a brand new spacious apartment filled with modern amenities or she could rent a unit in a 1960s complex with smaller rooms, fewer amenities and a reputation for mold. -more-

A splendid Indian Summer afternoon couldn’t dispel the dark cloud hovering over Saturday’s harvest festival at the East Bay’s last urban farm. -more-

Road Rage Shooting -more-

The Berkeley Community Fund (BCF)’s annual dinner Nov. 4 will celebrate more than a decade of providing financial support for the kind of social and community programs for which the city is so well known. -more-

SAN JOSE—In the back of the San Jose airport, 30-year-old Farhan Kahn is handing out samosas to the other cab drivers sitting in lawn chairs waiting for their dispatcher to call. Kahn, cabby by day, world-music sitarist by night, is giving his explanation for the never-ending Bin Laden references drivers hear. “Even in the Bay Area people are ignorant,” he says. “They need to watch less movies and more PBS.” -more-

In the back of my closet hangs a dress that I last wore in 1972. It is a shapeless shift, made of crushed blue velvet with red, yellow and green embroidery embellishing a v-neckline. The same embroidery edges the flared sleeves and matches the ankle-length hemline. It has an East Indian motif. I imagine three decades ago a dark skinned Hindu woman sat at an ancient foot pedal sewing machine matching seams together and hand stitching the flowery trim. -more-

After working for the Albertson’s supermarket in Irvine, California for 16 and a half years, Susan, 52, has been shut out of her workplace after she and other workers demanded to keep their health care benefits and wages even though their contract was over. -more-

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City Manager Weldon Rucker’s presence in Berkeley’s government has been so consistent, reassuring and unflappable that when he announced his retirement as of Nov. 1, some city employees broke into tears and many reacted as if the foundation had been suddenly yanked from beneath Civic Center. -more-