The Berkeley Federation of Teachers union has announced what amounts to a work slow-down in response to Berkeley Unified School District’s latest contract proposal. 

Flanked by a phalanx of red-armband-wearing teacher representatives from each of the district’s schools, a visibly angry BFT president Barry Fike told district directors and Superintendent Michele Lawrence at this week’s board meeting that beginning next week, teachers would work the exact hours called for in their contracts, but no more. 

Fike called the action a “scale down,” and gave no timetable as to how long the job action would last. He said that following the district’s presentation of its latest contract proposal at a Wednesday afternoon meeting, the BFT executive committee met in executive session to reject the proposal. 

In a chant delivered in unison following Fike’s presentation, teachers said the red armbands “show our anger and our passion. We want the contract to be completed so only our passion remains.” 

Lawrence said, following the meeting, that because the district had not received formal notification of the BFT executive committee action, the district considers its proposal “still under consideration.” She called the union’s board presentation “a statement of their dissatisfaction, but I haven’t heard a formal rejection yet.” 

Berkeley teachers have been without a contract for two years, and contract negotiations between BFT and the district are currently being held through a state-appointed mediator. Fike said that the union and the district are at an impasse over pay raises, payment for health benefits, and class sizes. 

Fike also said that teachers normally work many hours outside the normal teaching day, including before and after school and weekends. 

“This is the type of activity that will cease by those teachers who choose to honor our call,” he said. The union was drawing up a list of school activities that would possibly be affected by the scale down, which it would release later this week, he said. 

At Wednesday night’s board presentation, Fike said it was “duplicitous, conniving, and exploitative to imply that the need to give consideration to the district’s classified employees, or the lack of state funds, keeps you from fairly compensating teachers. You ask us to come back next year after you attend to all your other spending priorities. Your call would be laughable, if it weren’t so deadly serious.” 

BFT received announcements of support from BUSD’s two other employee unions. Berkeley Council of Classified Employees president Ann Graybeal said that the district’s classified employees “stand with the BFT in the action they are choosing to take; we know that they are asking for no more than their fair share.” 

Business Representative Stephanie Allen of Stationary Engineers Local 39, which represents district food service workers, custodians, and bus drivers, made the most heated charge of the night, calling Superintendent Michele Lawrence by name and saying, “you have one of the most anti-union administrations in the history of the district; it’s time for you to clean up your act.” 

Lawrence was low-key in her rebuttal, calling it “completely understandable that our teachers are frustrated. Teachers ought to be rewarded. But we don’t have the ability to give our employees raises as long as we have the current budget situation. The responsibility of the superintendent and the board is to ensure that the district does not go belly-up. If that is considered to be anti-union, so be it. I consider it to be pro-labor as well as pro-children when we meet our fiduciary responsibility.” 

Director John Selawsky was less diplomatic, saying that the charge that the district administrative was anti-union “is a cheap, uncalled for shot. I resent that comment.” 

Selawsky suggested that teachers were going after the wrong target, saying that they should “contact our local representatives and the governor and tell them that we shouldn’t lower Prop 98 funding.” 

Director Joaquin Rivera said that he had either sat in on or received reports from each of the negotiating sessions with BFT, and could “assure the community that this board and this administration has approached negotiations in good faith. But we don’t have the money and you can’t negotiate what you don’t have. It troubles me that teachers haven’t had a pay raise in two years. But it troubles me more that classified employees, who are our lowest-paid workers, haven’t had a raise for longer than that.” 

“It’s not like the district is pocketing money and putting it in stocks,” said Student Director Lily Dorman-Colby. “Sometimes the people who come here don’t understand that for everything we add to the budget, something has to be cut. It’s a lose-lose situation. It pains me if we can’t pay our teachers enough. But it also pains me when we have to cut programs.” 

›

All four colleges of the Peralta Community College District are in danger of losing their accreditation if deficiencies are not corrected within two years, according to a warning by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). 

Peralta Federation of Teachers (PFT) president Michael Mills charged that Peralta was “being singled out” for punishment for infractions that are being overlooked in other community colleges. 

Jeff Heyman, Peralta spokesman, said that while the warning letters were “obviously something of concern to us,” the district administration and trustee board were still analyzing the letters, and did not yet have a formal response. Written progress reports to WASC are due by October. 

The four warning letters were sent on Jan. 31 to the presidents of Laney, Merritt, Alameda, and Vista colleges following a Jan. 12-14 meeting of WASC’s Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, with a similar letter going to Peralta Chancellor Elihu Harris. The letters were signed by Accrediting Commission Executive Director Barbara Beno. 

Beno has a history with Peralta. She was Vista College’s president for 12 years, and before that served as director of research and planning for the Peralta Community College District. 

The letters cite each of the four Peralta colleges for three identical deficiencies, all of which involve the district administration rather than the colleges themselves: the failure of the Peralta District to implement a districtwide strategic educational and financial plan, the failure of the district to implement a plan to fund the district’s long-term health care benefit liability, and interference of the district’s Board of Trustees in the day-to-day operation of the district. 

In addition, the letter to Merritt College President Dr. Evelyn Wesley included the recommendation that Merritt “identify the most effective ways to assure that its institutional research and evaluation processes, policies, and practices are developed and implemented within a timely and efficient manner.” 

The letters are a follow-up to reports on the colleges made by WASC accrediting evaluation teams last November. The letters cite “the district’s failure to satisfactorily address the recommendations made to it” in those earlier reports. 

In a telephone interview, PFT president Mills said that the infractions listed in Beno’s letters did not warrant a warning. “WASC should have just alerted us to the problems,” he said. 

“The unfunded health care liability sticks in my craw,” Mills said. “They’re asking the district to have the money on hand to meet all present and anticipated future medical costs for its employees, but public agencies typically don’t have that kind of funding.” 

Mills added that the district has “gone to great lengths to reduce our health care costs. We switched all of our current retirees so that Medicare is their primary health care provider. In addition, all new Peralta employees hired since last July are not guaranteed lifetime medical benefits. It pains me as a labor leader to have to say this, but that’s a concession we had to give up in order to ensure the fiscal health of the district. Why the Accrediting Commission did not take this into account is beyond me.” 

Mills said he knew of at least 10 WASC-accredited colleges who were in the same health care funding situation as Peralta and who have not been issued similar warnings. 

Mills also said that because four of the seven Peralta trustees were newly-elected last November, the district should have been informed about possible problems with the previous board, but not cited. 

He said that the only legitimate concern of the Accrediting Commission was the lack of a strategic education plan. “The district needs to do that,” he said. 

Public Information Officer Heyman agreed that the unfunded health care liability issue was “unfair.” 

“With health care costs skyrocketing, nearly all public institutions are going through the same problem,” he explained. Heyman added that it was “a little unclear” what WASC meant by its “micromanaging” charge against the trustee board. 

But he concluded that “there’s nothing in the warning letters that are difficult or impossible to comply with. We’re working on it.”›

Berkeley has $3.5 million more than it had anticipated, but $7.5 million less than it needs to get its recurring expenses in line with its recurring revenues, city officials reported at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. 

A booming real estate market, producing a higher than expected return on property transfer taxes, is responsible for the windfall, but City Manager Phil Kamlarz has cautioned against spending the bulk of the money to spare city programs slated for cuts. 

Even though the appearance of $3.5 million effectively cuts the city’s deficit to $4 million, Kamlarz is still calling it a $7.5 million deficit since he proposes spending the windfall to buy new items rather than patching holes in the budget. 

“We want to be responsible,” Kamlarz said at a media briefing Thursday. He feared that by allocating the money to save city programs endangered by the looming cuts, the city would merely be delaying inevitable cuts in future years. “It’s good budgeting to get recurring revenues and expenditures in balance. We might as well deal with this sooner rather than later.” 

On Tuesday, the council delayed a vote until next week on Kamlarz’ proposal to devote $2.4 million of the windfall toward the purchase of a police and fire dispatch system. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington raised the loudest objection to the city manager’s plan to immediately set aside most of the $3.5 million for a new dispatch system. 

“Just because we have $3.5 million more than we are budgeted for doesn’t mean we have to spend it right away,” said Worthington, who wants to delay action on the city manager’s recommendations until this spring when the council considers the entire budget. 

Currently Berkeley Police use a 13-year-old computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) that police brass says keeps them from providing accurate and timely information to the public. CAD data is based on information received in the initial call to police, not the final report. If the incident differs from the dispatch call, police must manually correct the data into their records system, which Captain Doug Hambleton previously told the Daily Planet could take weeks to months. 

Police thought they were finished with CAD three years ago when they acquired a $700,000 dispatch program, but the system never worked, and the city has since returned it for an undisclosed refund. 

Kamlarz stressed that the city must act quickly to replace CAD because its manufacturer will no longer service it after next year, but although most councilmembers appeared to support the purchase they were wary about buying another faulty system. 

“I assume it is necessary, but we have to figure if we have to spend that much money and how we can avoid getting another bum system,” said Councilmember Dona Spring. She requested that city staff produce a report detailing the price and performance of dispatch systems purchased by neighboring cities over the last 10 years. 

On Thursday, Kamlarz said the city had not yet settled on a new dispatch system and would request bids from manufacturers later this year. 

Kamalarz also proposed spending $500,000 to help close the deficit in a fund for transportation improvements, $250,000 to fund a lawsuit against UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan, $30,000 for a solar bond fund match, and $300,000 for technology to improve customer service. The council also postponed the manager’s request to provide feedback on consolidating and reducing meeting sessions for city commissions, which Kamlarz estimated could save $120,000. 

The council, which focused solely on the budget Tuesday, did authorize Kamlarz to confer with unions over a plan to save money by shutting down non-essential city services one day a month beginning in July. 

Rising labor and benefits cost and declining revenues plunged the city in to the red three years ago, and appear likely to dent future budgets as well. City officials project a $3.4 million deficit in fiscal year 2007 and a $2.4 million deficit in 2008 and 2009. 

With more available money this year than anticipated, a battle is already afoot over how to spend it. Neighborhood leaders and fire department members urged the council Tuesday to restore a department ladder truck it took out of service part-time last November to help balance this year’s budget. 

“Money should not have been a reason to reduce the hours of operation of the fire truck in the first place,” said Dean Metzger, president of the Claremont Elmwood Neighborhood Association. “Now in our opinion even the money issue is moot.”  

Cutting funding for fire department overtime that helped staff the truck company—one of two in Berkeley—hasn’t kept the truck out of service every night as anticipated, according to fire department officials. Over the last 89 evenings since the cutback, the company was in operation 28 nights when the fire department was fully staffed and didn’t need overtime to man the truck. 

Under the current deficit reduction plan, the fire truck is slated to be eliminated beginning in July. Other positions slated for cuts include school crossing guides, and seven vacant police officer jobs. 

While the council debates how to spend the unanticipated revenue, it must also determine how to extract concessions from employees to help balance the budget. By an 8-1 vote (Worthington, no) the council authorized Kamlarz to begin discussions with city unions about closing non-essential city services one day a month to save $1.2 million in the general fund.  

Last year the city realized the same savings by striking a deal with all of their unions except the firefighters to defer scheduled salary increases. As part of that deal, however, the city surrendered its right to compel the unions to take pay cuts for the remainder of their contracts. Kamlarz said Thursday that union leaders have indicated they won’t entertain similar concessions this year. 

Before Tuesday’s meeting, the council met with union representatives, who councilmembers said were angry over the proposal because police and firefighters were immune to the cuts since public safety is considered an essential service. 

“It’s grossly unfair to only be negotiating with certain employees when some of the highest paid employees are untouched,” Worthington said. 

According to a staff report, most city departments are on budget for the current fiscal year. The one department significantly over budget is the fire department, which due to high numbers of employees on workers compensation and paid leave is projected to be $510,000 over budget.  

During Tuesday’s meeting department officials also revealed that the city pays to keep an engine above Memorial Stadium on UC Berkeley football game days. 

The tax on property transfers is forecast to be $4.5 million more than the city had budgeted. On the flip side, several revenue sources have come in below budget, with the poorest performer remaining parking fine revenue, slated to fall $400,000 short of projections. 



Oakland diocese officials, under tough questioning from a crowd numbering over 250 at Berkeley’s St. Joseph The Worker Church, this week clarified earlier statements that allegations of sexual misconduct against Pastor George Crespin were “credible.” 

Church officials explained that the term meant that the allegations were only possibly true, rather than likely, as many of the parishioners had assumed the term meant. 

“I apologize on behalf of the diocese if we used that word and gave the wrong impression,” said the Rev. Raymond Breton, the diocese expert on canon law, to loud applause. 

Two weeks ago Crespin, 69, abruptly retired from the parish upon learning that a former parishioner had accused him of sexual abuse 30 years prior while Crespin was a priest at Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City. Crespin has worked at St. Joseph’s since 1980, and served as pastor for the last 10 years. The diocese has not revealed the accuser’s identity. 

Diocese policy calls for a priest faced with a “credible” allegation of sexual abuse to be placed on administrative leave. Although Breton told parishioners Tuesday that, legally, “credible” meant the accusation had the potential to be true, churchgoers contested that the language had unfairly tainted the investigation. 

“It was outrageous,” said Tom Fike, an attorney and longtime St. Joseph’s parishioner. “If any judge had commented that an allegation was credible, that judge would have been recused from the case.” 

Tuesday’s forum at St. Joseph’s, conducted in both Spanish and English, was meant to both heal wounds and answer questions about the sexual misconduct allegations. 

Parishioners gave a standing ovation and stomped their feet after a clergyman delivered a prayer honoring Crespin for “having given his life to the good of the church and the dignity of the community.” 

Crespin, who in a written statement has denied the charges, is scheduled to return to Berkeley this weekend after spending the past week with family in New Mexico, said acting parish administrator Father Jayson Landeza.  

Throughout the investigation, which Breton guessed would last six months, Crespin is prohibited from dressing as a priest, conducting public mass and being alone with anyone under the age of 18. 

“It’s not a punishment,” Breton told parishioners. “It’s the only way we can protect everybody involved.” 

The Oakland Diocese, which serves Alameda and parts of Contra Costa counties, currently has 44 pending cases of sexual misconduct against clergymen. In the case of Crespin, the charge is too dated for criminal charges to be filed, although if the accusation is substantiated, the diocese could be liable for monetary damages. 

During a question and answer period, parishioners charged that the church had prejudged Crespin.  

Asked why church officials were not giving the benefit of the doubt to the accused, Breton replied, “For too long in the church the pendulum was on the side of the priest and deacon. This was done to give more credibility to the church to respond to the crisis of sexual abuse in this country.” 

When a second parishioner asked about whether the diocese was looking in to rumors that the accuser is mentally ill, Breton said that even if that were the case, it didn’t mean that the allegation was unfounded. 

“The [mental illness] could be a result of an experience when you were younger,” he said. 

Upon the completion of a preliminary investigation, Crespin will have the right to a church attorney, Breton said. Should Oakland Bishop Allen Vigneron find after the investigation that the sexual misconduct probably occurred, Breton added that the bishop would order a more thorough investigation, whose findings Crespin could appeal the Vatican. 

With Crespin now officially retired, Rev. Raymond Zielezieski, the diocese vicar for priests, said the parish would soon form a 10-person transition team, headed by Landeza, to search for a new pastor. Landeza, who attended St. Joseph’s as a child and now serves as pastor at St. Columba in Oakland, will not be a candidate to replace Crespin, he told the Daily Planet after the meeting. 

Although Crespin faces diocese-imposed restrictions during the investigation, he will still be able to meet with parishioners in groups and in their homes, Breton said, responding to a boy who wanted to know if he could talk to Crespin in person. 

Landeza, when prodded by a parishioner, offered his support for holding a retirement party in Crespin’s honor while the investigation proceeded. 

After the meeting a number of parishioners interviewed all proclaimed their trust in Crespin’s innocence, but split on the performance of diocese officials in answering their questions. 

Elvira Rose, who has attended mass at St. Joseph’s for over 35 years, credited the officials for a good presentation.  

But Carolyn Scarr, a Methodist, who worked with Crespin in the interfaith peace movement, faulted the officials for not adequately explaining the investigation process. 

“What is the standard of proof? Will he be able to cross examine his accuser? Can he get a change of venue? They didn’t answer any of those questions,” she said. “This might be Catholic due process, but it doesn’t sound like real due process.”?

A group of six African-American women who are Emeryville city employees have accused city management of discriminating against them based on their race. 

According to their union, the women have been harassed on the job and unfairly disciplined for the past four months. At least three of them said the city began targeting them after they confronted a white city employee they say made racial slurs. 

“No one likes to talk about race, but we are very concerned that what is going on is racism,” said union representative Larry Hendel during public comment at the Emeryville City Council meeting Tuesday night. 

According to Hendel, who works for the Service Employees International Union local 790, the employees have filed internal complaints with the Human Resources department, union grievances as well as a complaint to the state Fair Employment and Housing Commission/Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If the issue is not resolved, the union has also threatened litigation. 

“We don’t want [litigation],” said Hendel. Instead the employees and the union hope the City Council will step in. 

At least one of the women has once before been involved in a discrimination case with the city. Leslie Pollard, who works in the planning department, won $125,000 several years ago. Since then she said she has continually been a target. 

While addressing the City Council Tuesday night she had to pause several times because she was overcome with emotion. 

Pollard and two other employees were the ones who confronted the white employee who is accused of making the racial comments.  

Pollard was called into a meeting with the employee after both sides filed internal complaints. After the meeting the city asked her to see a psychiatrist who determined she was unfit to work. She said she was immediately told to clear her stuff out of her office and was placed on paid family medical leave. Last week she was told she was being fired after 27 years on the city staff. 

Pollard said the city has refused to tell her what she was diagnosed with and why they won’t let her work.  

“No one has ever told me what the mental disorder is,” said Pollard. “Yet I have to stand here and convince [the City Council] there is nothing wrong with me.” 

Rose Flippan, another city employees who said she was offended by racial slurs, also said she has continually been a target since addressing the issue. 

“When I went to speak to my boss [about the slurs] I was told I was the problem because I was the one who was complaining,” said Flippan.  

Flippan said she’s also been disciplined unfairly for minor infractions. 

Charles Bryant, director of planning and Pollard’s boss, would not comment when contacted by the Daily Planet. Emeryville City Manager John Flores said he could not comment either but forwarded the following statement as part of press release issued by the city. 

“The City of Emeryville’s policies and practices dictate that we not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or because she or he is a disabled veteran….. The city’s implementation of these policies has achieved the diverse workforce we have today—and we are proud of that diversity.” 

The press release also said the city is “obligated to maintain confidentiality of employment related matters involving our employees, and therefore responding to specific questions regarding employment actions is inappropriate.” 

“It’s the policy of the council not to discriminate and it’s the policy of the staff not to discriminate,” said Richard Kassis, the mayor. “I’d be shocked if any of it turned out to be true.” 

Kassis said even though the City Council is being asked to intervene, it will likely let the city management handle the case. 

“It’s not our role as policy makers to insert ourselves into the personnel process,” he said. “We have confidence in our city manager,” whose job it is to address the issues. 

City Councilmember Ken Bukowski said he would like to investigate the case more but is prevented by city law from contacting any of the women directly.›

Plans for a new Berkeley Bowl at Ninth Street and Heinz Avenue hit a stumbling block at the last Planning Commission meeting and have forced the developer to submit a revised project application. 

Senior Planner Allen Gatzke declined to comment Thursday on the reasons for the amended proposal—because planning commissioners had yet to see a copy—but the Daily Planet has learned that a zoning conflict is responsible. 

During a Feb. 9 planning commission hearing and workshop on the project, a project critic noted that Bowl owner Glen Yasuda’s plan called for demolition of a working warehouse on the site. 

According to existing city codes, any functioning warehouse space demolished on West Berkeley land zoned for manufacturing and light industrial (MU-LI) use must be replaced somewhere else within that zone, a provision not provided for in Yasuda’s application. 

But an even more serious glitch was acknowledged by Planning Director Dan Marks. 

To build the new supermarket, planning commissioners must first rezone the site from MU-LI to commercial—and therein lies the rub. 

City zoning codes prohibit warehouse construction on commercially owned property, and Yasuda wants to use the facility to store food for both the new store and the existing Bowl on Shattuck Avenue. 

“A warehouse is not allowed in CW (commercial) zoning,” Marks observed. 

Planners and the public can see how the developer and city staff resolve the momentary crisis when the new application is released this morning (Friday). 

The application goes to the planning commission Wednesday night, where another hearing/workshop had been scheduled on the earlier proposal. 

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.

BARRD, the RPA—and a capacity crowd in council chambers—want DTSC, UCB doesn’t, CSV wasn’t saying and the Richmond City Council’s working it out. 

Though two versions of Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin’s resolution calling the state to hand control of toxic cleanup at two controversial South Richmond properties failed to win majority support Tuesday night, the battle’s far from over. 

Councilmembers who turned thumbs down said they didn’t oppose McLaughlin’s idea for a regulatory switch on the Campus Bay waterfront and at the adjacent UC Berkeley Field Station—only that they wanted some more answers. 

Their other concern was the second part of resolution, which called for a halt to all cleanup activities on both sites, pending a full review by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). 

Councilmember Maria Viramontes said she wanted to hear from Contra Costa County Public Health Director Dr. Wendel Brunner before she voted, a point echoed by others on the council. 

When it came time to vote, Mayor Irma Anderson and Councilmembers Nathaniel Bates, Mindell Penn and Richard voted no on the resolution, Viramontes and colleague John Marquez abstained, leaving only McLaughlin, Tom Butt and Vice Mayor Jim Rogers in favor. 

Loud boos from the audience followed. 

Rogers immediately moved the passage of an amended resolution, leaving out the call for an immediate work stoppage. Penn said she was appalled at the move. “I’m not going to have it rammed down my throat,” Penn said. “I don’t want any part of this.” 

More boos. 

“This is also about councilmembers learning to work together,” declared Viramontes. “This could have probably passed if some people had been willing to work with other members.” 

More boos. 

“This issue, this item is over,” said the mayor to still more boos. 

City Attorney Everett Jenkins stopped Anderson, reminding her that she couldn’t declare the item over because a motion and second were on the table. 

Cheers. 

But this time the abstainers joined the naysayers and Rogers’ motion failed 3-6. 

More boos. 

But the resolution wasn’t dead. Viramontes, Anderson and others said they’d be happy to reconsider—but only when they’d received input from Brunner and Jenkins’ office—the latter worried about the measure’s potential for sparking lawsuits. 

Tuesday’s meeting hinted at a shift in the opposition to Campus Bay and the toxics cleanup at both sites. 

Previous protests drew only a few members of Richmond’s large African-American community, while Tuesday witnessed a a much larger turnout. 

Following the two defeats of McLaughlin’s resolution, the council paid honors to the project’s most outspoken opponent, African-American Ethel Dotson, for her role in creating a DTSC Community Advisory Group (CAG) to serve during the DTSC-supervised cleanup. 

The body, which has no official power to act, serves both as a conduit for community views to reach the DTSC and for DTSC information to reach the concerned public. Dotson presented the DTSC with 80 signatures from area residents, 30 more than required. 

The fight for McLaughlin’s resolution isn’t over. 

A member of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA), McLaughlin has championed the cause of Bay Area Residents for Responsible Development (BARRD), the activist group which has led the fight to oust the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board from oversight of cleanup of Campus Bay and the field station. 

Heavily contaminated by a century of chemical manufacturing, both sites are targeted for development by Cherokee Simeon Ventures (CSV), a joint venture between a Marin County developer and a multinational venture capital firm which specializes in development of restored hazardous waste sites. 

Critics say the water board is incapable of providing adequate oversight. The board’s director admitted to a legislative hearing four months ago that his agency doesn’t have a toxicologist on its staff. 

The DTSC, a statewide agency well-stocked with toxics experts, assumed jurisdiction of most of the Campus Bay site in December, but the regional water board remains in control of the waterfront and the full UCB site. 

Mark B. Freiberg, director of the university’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety, told the Richmond council before the vote that the school intended to run its own cleanup under water board supervision. 

Tuesday evening, Freiberg told the council that “there is confusion in the public mind between the two sites,” noting that 60 UC staffers were involved in a $30 million ongoing cleanup effort at the university-owned property. 

“I am very proud of the way that the university has approached the cleanup with a very aggressive stance” to remove contaminants from the site, he said. 

Russ Pitto of Simeon Properties left the comments to Doug Mosteller, the project manager for Cherokee Investment Properties, which is bankrolling the Campus Bay development. 

“I am here to state that we have been and will continue to work with DTSC,” Mosteller said. “We are currently working under an order from DTSC, and Cherokee supports the formation of a (DTSC) Community Advisory Group.” 

As Freiberg noted, Cherokee Simeon Ventures is the university’s pick to transform the field station into Bayside Research Campus, a joint academic/corporate research park with more than two million square feet of new construction. Unlike at Campus Bay, the developer would have no role in the ongoing toxic cleanup. 

For Padgett and the other critics of the water board’s handling of the site, the mission statements of the two agencies reflect a profound difference in focus. 

The website of California Water Resources Board, parent of the local boards, carries this statement from Chair Arthur G. Baggett Jr.: “The State Board's mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California's water resources, and ensure their proper allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations.” 

The DTSC’s statement reads: “The Department's mission is to restore, protect and enhance the environment, to ensure public health, environmental quality and economic vitality, by regulating hazardous waste, conducting and overseeing cleanups, and developing and promoting pollution prevention.”?

The Oaks Theater hadn’t even officially changed hands Thursday when the projectionists’ union announced a labor action at the 1875 Solano Ave. movie house. 

Pickets will go up today starting at 2:30 p.m., an hour ahead of the day’s first screening. They will leave after the evening’s last showing begins at 8:30. 

At issue is the fate of the theater’s two projectionists, both members of one of the oldest unions in show business, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (CQ), Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE). 

Jason Mottley, business agent for IATSE Local 169, said the Oaks has been a union shop since the theater first opened in 1925. 

Longtime operator Allen Michaan has said his Renaissance Rialto is severing its lease because the small, East Bay operation didn’t have the economic clout to win major first-run films. 

Metropolitan, based in Los Angeles, is a larger operation with 15 screens across North America and specializes in art films. 

Mottley said Metropolitan wants to change to a non-union shop and has said it will dump one of the union projectionists and keep the other for a year while he trains their replacements. 

That concession would allow him to work until his scheduled retirement at a 25 percent cut in wages and a 33 percent cut in hours. 

Under the current agreement, projectionists are paid $15.49 an hour 

“One of the projectionists has been there 26 years and the other’s been there 24 years,” Mottley said. 

Metropolitan President David Corwin said his company had been negotiating with the union, and that the call from a Daily Planet reporter was the first he’d heard of the intended job action. 

“They had an agreement with the previous operator who had multiple screens in the area,” Corwin said. “None of the other theaters in Berkeley have union employees.” 

Not so, said Mottley. The union official pointed to union workers—including projectionists—at all but the UA 7 on Shattuck Avenue. 

As for the latter, “that’s because they’re part of Regal, which is the largest operator in the country and doesn’t have any union employees except in Chicago and New York,” he said. 

The IATSE local currently has 40 members in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa and Solano counties, he said  

While Corwin declined to comment on the specifics of negotiations, Mottley said the chain originally tried to get both projectionists to abandon the union. 

Pickets will return to the Oaks from 11 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday through Monday, he said. 

“They’ll remain indefinitely as long as we can get them out there,” Mottley said.

Berkeley Unified School District Directors approved this week a revamping of Berkeley High’s Academic Choice program, as well as the high school’s fourth small school. 

With directors asking numerous questions and expressing some concerns about both programs, and with one abstention apiece during the two votes, Wednesday night’s decisions were a far cry from the board’s unanimous, high-praise approval two weeks ago of the School of Social Justice and Ecology. 

The deliberations came in a marathon session that lasted until 1:30 a.m. Thursday. 

The new Arts and Humanities Academy (with an acronym pronounced by its supporters as the triumphant AHA!), is now scheduled to open this fall with a ninth-tenth grade enrollment of 120, projected to rise to 240 in all four grades by 2007. 

BHS Vice Principal Denise Brown, a member of AHA’s design team, said that the school was meant to supplement the high school’s existing arts program rather than supplant it. She said that at the point AHA grows to its full capacity of 240, 10 percent of the arts classes at Berkeley High will be filled by AHA students, while the remaining 90 percent “will serve all students.” 

And Berkeley High dance teacher and AHA lead teacher Linda Carr said that while AHA students will be expected to apply to sign up for the “highest levels of art classes” during their junior and senior years, they will have to audition for these classes in competition with all Berkeley High students. 

Board directors John Selawsky and Shirley Issel both suggested that AHA needed to increase its communication with existing arts organizations in both the district and the city at large, and Issel asked the board to put off a vote until the district prepares a pending strategic plan for the arts. 

After learning that the district’s eight grade students are scheduled to be introduced to Berkeley High’s programs at a March 3 meeting, Board President Nancy Riddle said that “Usually I honor a board member’s request to postpone a vote, but the time is so short that either we pass it tonight or put it off for a year. I think the concerns would have to be very severe to put it off that long.” 

After Student Director Lily Dorman-Colby amended the motion to require the AHA team to come back to the board following approval to answer questions and deal with the board’s concerns, the board approved the school with only Issel abstaining.  

The board also approved modifying the high school’s Academic Choice. It began in 2001 as an accelerated academic program that allowed sophomores, juniors and seniors to still participate in the high school’s elective classes. But it soon fell into controversy amidst charges that it was becoming a segregated, mostly-white conclave within Berkeley High. 

Under the revised plan approved this week, incoming students will be brought into the program with the same diversity mix as the high school as a whole, and the program will be expanded to include the 9th grade. 

Both Dorman-Colby and Director Joaquin Rivera expressed unqualified support for the Academic Choice proposal. 

“I’m very impressed, and those of you who follow board meetings know I don’t say that very often,” Rivera said. 

Dorman-Colby added, “Just months ago, I was not in support of Academic Choice, but because of the changes you’ve made, I’ve flipped my decision, and now I completely support it.” 

But Board Vice President Terry Doran, who later abstained on the vote, expressed doubts. 

“Does this lead to a better Berkeley High School or a better Berkeley High School for some students?,” he said. “That’s the challenge before this board.” 

Ã

Zoning Adjustments Board members gave their final approval to building plans that will transform a landmarked automotive showroom into a Buddhist studies center. 

The exuberant embodiment of Art Deco design, the Howard Automotive Building at 2140 Durant Ave., has been an official Berkeley landmark since 1983, when baseball great Reggie Jackson sold Chevrolets there. 

The structure’s origins are linked to yet another sporting legend, a remarkable race horse named Seabiscuit, owned by Charles Howard Stewart, who commissioned the structure in 1930 as part of his multi-state dealership empire. 

The building languished after Jackson closed his salesroom, and various plans for its development failed—although one did yield a meticulous restoration to its former state of glory. 

The Buddhist Churches of America bought the structure, and filed designs that call for the addition of a two-story residential and office addition over the former shop area on the southern flank of the building along Fulton Street. 

Landmarks Preservation Commissioners—who have final say over the designs—ordered modifications, which have been implemented by Emeryville architect Sady S. Hayashida. All that remains to be resolved is the color scheme for the addition. 

The structure will house offices of the church, facilities for the Institute for Buddhist Studies, a book store, living quarters for visiting scholars and an underground parking level beneath the existing lot on Durant. 

ZAB members voted their approval without discussion or public comment. 

They also gave their nod to Satellite Housing’s application to build a 79-unit senior housing complex at 1535 University Ave. 

The use permit will allow construction to begin later this year on the four-story, 80,501-square-foot project which has won praise from the Design Review Committee (DRC). 

If all goes as planned, the structure will be ready for occupancy in two years. 

The use permit ZAB approved calls for 16 units to be permanently reserved as low-income inclusionary units, and federal funding requirements and an agreement with the city housing department mandate that all the other 63 units be rented to low-income seniors. 

Wendy Alfsen, of Walk and Roll Berkeley, asked ZAB members to require a transportation plan with the city, while a project neighbor worried that the construction of four- and five-story buildings along University would destroy the sense of neighborhood. 

Alon Chaver, who owns a fourplex next to the project worried about the building blocking winter sun from his property and questioned the amount of parking. 

But the board liked the project, and voted their approval with only Dean Metzger in opposition. 

The project heads back to the DRC for final approval. 

The one remaining issue is the murals Satellite plans for the structure. The non-profit firm has asked local muralist Juana Alicia [see the Nov. 30, 2004 Daily Planet], whose colorful creations in the tradition of the great Mexican muralists evoked some concern from DRC member Carrie Olson, who hoped for works in the more staid Bernard Maybeck tradition.

SULLIVAN’S RANT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Ron Sullivan’s “rant” on landscaping is a classic (“Landscaping Fails When it Disregards the Real World,” Feb. 8-10). She should get a Pulitzer. 

I work as a landscaper, and I am shocked at what I see. 

On HGTV, I have heard the words “plant materials” hundreds of times. Never have I heard them referred to as “plants.” 

In college, I also heard them call “plant materials,” I never thought to question why we can’t call them “plants.” 

Would you call people any of the following: “person materials,” “personnel,” or “protoplasm units”?  

In many scary ways our human society is sick, weird, and confused. 

Richard List 

• 

DISCRIMINATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I couldn’t help noticing a recent article (“Feds Want City to House Students,” Feb. 4-7) that pointed out that “African-Americans comprise 74 percent of (Berkeley’s) Section 8 tenants” While equally low-income Asians, Hispanics, and Whites were vastly under-represented. I was greatly amused by HUDs solution to dealing with this clear-cut case of racial discrimination: “HUD recommended that Berkeley reach out to Asians and Latinos.” In other words, its still perfectly acceptable to these geniuses to discriminate against one race, white people. How brilliant. How utterly politically correct. How Berkeley can you get? 

Ace Backwards 

• 

SOCIAL SECURITY 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

As my income is cut by 46 percent by Social Security, and as the cost of fuel and rent nudge skyward, having good sidewalks for my manual wheelchair in my neighborhood, (and having new recreation nearby such a a casino) could grow increasingly important. I use my car less and less in warmer weather. Much work on several sidewalks nearby goes on now for which I’m grateful. (Watering the street trees with underground automatic system should prevent their roots from growing upward in their search for water, and heaving sidewalks upward in that process, in the future, again.) 

Building a hotel and casino at the tennis courts near Peralta on Hopkins might provide jobs for people like me whom can only work part time. It could be 10 floors and turn the neighborhood into a thriving business district for this past of town, which would be a place for kids to stop and learn math and card tricks, and maybe real but easy work, window-washing and so on. (Just a little, bad joke.) 

According to the chief actuary at Social Security, the administration’s privatization of accounts will necessitate cuts in checks to all current recipients of up to 46 percent, says an ad for moveon.org. The ad is being blocked in the media by (attempted) actions of attorneys for the RNC, according to Amy Goodman on KPFA Feb. 8. 

Tim Plume 

• 

WEST BERKELEY BOWL 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

Regarding Dale Smith’s piece on Berkeley Bowl’s planned expansion in West Berkeley on Heinz street. She states that even though he doesn’t live in this neighborhood—he knows what is best. 

I actually do live on Heinz street, down the street from the site. Anyone who has spent anytime on the street would see what a ridiculous idea it is to place it there. 

1. Every other large market in the area has ingress from at least two street (the current Berkeley Bowl can be accessed by the surrounding four street). Heinz is a small two-lane street. Across from the proposed store is Hustead’s Tow Yard, that side of the street is often blocked by a tow truck, reducing the street to one lane. Across from Hustead’s is Scharrfenberger’s, which has a healthy stream of patrons and, of course, large trucks on Heinz making deliveries, which again reduces Heinz to one lane. Kitty-corner is the French-American School, at three o’clock there is a long line of parents. The idea of a large store on this tiny street is nonsensical. 

2. This is not a “highly polluted manufacturing area”—it is light industrial/biotech, artists studios, yoga and dance studios, a factory that produces book binding equipment, a printmaking studio, a day care center, a gym—all with in a few blocks of where I live. The idea that the school should move is ridiculous. (If that were the criterion, then no poor area would have schools at all). 

3. No-one has addressed where the employees will park their cars. It’s already extremely difficult to find parking at my end of Heinz Street. 

I invite Dale Smith to try driving down Heinz at peak traffic time, take a left toward the freeway and enjoy the gridlock that occurs on that one intersection at rush hour. 

Claire B. Cotts 

• 

SETTING PRIORITIES 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

The cartoon in the Feb. 11-14 Daily Planet (“My Budget Sets Priorities!”) said it all... almost. The war money is depriving all sorts of people and other beings of what they need and deserve. “Cancel the war! Fund the Schools!” and “No Billionaire Left Behind,” to quote two of my buttons, express the same. Yet, I see a ray of light. The obscene priorities of this administration just might unite diverse groups of people into anti-war and anti-ridiculously-rich positions. 

There are two ways to power in this country: money and numbers. I think we need to work on unity.. Ask—demand— what your country can do for you. That’s what it’s for. 

All empires are evil—and expensive. 

Ruth Bird 

• 

SELF-CHECKOUT SYSTEM 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

So what happens when the state-of-the-art library checkout system breaks down? They do, you know. A few weeks ago the library’s entire computer system was down for a week and the staff had to write out all the info by hand. 

The central library has had two do-it-yourself checkout machines for years. Half the time they’re broken. 

Nancy Ward 

• 

ANDRONICO’S 

Editors, Daily Planet:  

As much as I appreciate the friendly and helpful employees at the University Avenue Andronico’s, I have to disagree with Mr. Charles Siegel’s characterization of Andronico’s as a neighborhood grocery in danger of being put out of business by the Big Guys. 

Andronico’s is a boutique grocery whose (presumed) endangered economic viability (and indeed, its current competitive edge) comes, essentially, from its virtual monopoly-style pricing rather than its inherent focus on service to the neighborhood. 

John Herbert 

• 

RADIATION RISK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Matthew Artz’s article on the controversy surrounding the planned introduction of RFID at the Berkeley Public Library (“Library’s New Technology Sparks Controversy,” Feb. 15-17) fails to mention one crucial element of this controversy: the potential risk to public health posed by the radiation used by RFID wireless scanners. There is now a substantial and growing body of scientific research showing biological effects from radio frequency radiation similar to that utilized by RFID technology. To give but one recent example, the so-called REFLEX study, majority-funded by the European Union and conducted by 12 research groups in seven European countries, reported findings in late 2004 that radio waves from mobile phones harm body cells and damage DNA in laboratory conditions. This study and others like it point to the need for a precautionary approach of prudent avoidance with respect to technologies such as RFID where viable, less potentially harmful alternatives are available. 

I must also note that it is ludicrous for Library Director Jackie Griffin to label the solidarity of concerned residents from across the bay with Berkeley library workers and users an exercise in Machiavellian carpetbagging while simultaneously trundling her own carpetbag, replete with RFID tags and scanners, from her former redoubt in Eugene, Ore. 

Doug Loranger 

• 

MORE ON RFID 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’m writing in response to the Feb. 15-17 article about RFID. One hundred and forty libraries out of 1,000 is a small drop in the bucket and so RFID is considered an experimental technology by privacy advocates like the ACLU who oppose its use in libraries. Oakland Public Library is implementing it in only one of 17 of its branches. The San Francisco Public Library tried to implement it last year but has been slowed by the controversy surrounding it. 

To this date there is no analysis showing its efficacy in reducing repetitive stress injuries. In the article, self-checkout numbers are used to show its supposed benefits, but nowhere in the article can it be said in a factual way that it is reducing RSI. So it is still not clear that RFID will reduce RSI. 

It is clear that the director of the Berkeley Public Library is a proponent of RFID. Just last spring she was in San Francisco at a Library Commission meeting pushing its theoretical benefits. As an intermittent director of Eugene Public Library she made sure it was implemented there before coming to Berkeley. Last spring she sold it to the Board of Library Trustees and they bought it. She left the public out of this decision and if you look at the Berkeley library’s website there is only a promise to inform the public on this controversial technology, something that might have been done before purchasing it. Well, it isn’t paid for yet. In a Feb. 11 Daily Californian article it is stated that the library still owes $500,000 and will be paying this off in the next five years. So the library may still be paying off this debt when it discovers that RFID does not reduce RSI. 

Jack Henry 

• 

1984 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was very interested to read the essay (“The War in Iraq: Roll Over, George Orwell,” Feb. 15-17) that compared our current times to George Orwell’s 1984. Unfortunately, the writer has missed much of the historical context of the novel, which was published in 1949. At that time, the Labour Party had been in power for four years, and was in the midst of consolidating it’s power, nationalizing industries, and standardizing school curricula. In truth, the novel is a reaction against places like Berkeley! 

What would Orwell have thought about the current war on terror? Consider this quote from Orwell’s Notes on Nationalism, written during World War II: “It is, I think, true to say that the intelligentsia have been more wrong about the progress of the war than the common people, and that they were more swayed by partisan feelings. The average intellectual of the Left believed, for instance, that the war was lost in 1940, that the Germans were bound to overrun Egypt in 1942, that the Japanese would never be driven out of the lands they had conquered, and that the Anglo-American bombing offensive was making no impression on Germany. He could believe these things because his hatred for the British ruling class forbade him to admit that British plans could succeed. There is no limit to the follies that can be swallowed if one is under the influence of feelings of this kind. I have heard it confidently stated, for instance, that the American troops had been brought to Europe not to fight the Germans but to crush an English revolution. One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: No ordinary man could be such a fool.” 

Bob Jacobsen 

• 

THE SPIRIT OF JERRY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a long time resident of Berkeley, I’ve been pleased to see some of the new buildings going up around the city. It began with the Gaia building, which seemed a thoughtful and much-needed addition to downtown. Since then I’ve noticed several other buildings of a similar ilk, and it’s only been in the past month that I’ve begun to appreciate the cumulative effect of these buildings on our city.  

Looking more closely, I note that many of them are the works of Panoramic Management, and I am writing to applaud that company’s efforts. Though it’s unusual to write a letter to a newspaper in praise of a developer, in this case, it feels warranted. 

I particularly appreciate the design aspects of the buildings, which feel rooted in the best of the city’s downtown architectural history. It seems that someone really gave a lot of thought to our city’s buildings—both the best and worst of them—and made some great choices. At seeing the newly opened building on University and Shattuck, for example, a visiting friend recalled fondly how she had often seen Jerry Garcia perform in that exact spot, how it had become an ugly drug store and how beautiful this building is adding her highest compliment—“It has Jerry’s spirit.” 

I, for one, am proud of our city’s new buildings, and hope this trend continues. 

Joel ben Izzy 

• 

CLEAN AIR ACT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Clean Air Act is under attack. The Bush administration again is proposing to cut back key provisions in this landmark legislation. For over three decades, the Clean Air Act has worked, reducing air pollution during a period of dramatic economic growth. 

The administration’s plan, the so-called “Clear Skies” legislation, would move the country backward. It delays deadlines to meet the health standards in the Clear Air Act while relaxing pollution reduction requirements for power plants and other major pollution sources. 

Under the proposed legislation, pollutants from smokestacks such as nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury would increase to dangerous levels. These increased levels result in more harmful air for those most at risk—the elderly, children, and people with asthma. All major health organizations support the Clear Air Act and oppose this attempt to weaken it. 

The new plan relies on ineffective voluntary approaches to reduce carbon pollution, which could allow carbon dioxide pollution to continue to increase. 

We call on Senator Barbara Boxer, who serves on the Senate’s Environmental and Public Works Committee, before which this legislation is pending, to oppose the Bush plan to increase pollution and to ask her to support the Clean Air Act. 

Sherry Smith  

President, League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville 

Correction  

In the Feb. 15 issue in the story “Library’s New Technology Sparks Controversy,” Berkeley’s annual cost for workers’ compensation for library workers was incorrectly stated as “just over $1 million.” A 2002 city report showed that the total incurred workers’ compensation cost for all causes by the Berkeley Public Library for the five years 1995-2000 was only $1,079,807. Of this, only $4,009 over the five years was attributable to repetitive strain injuries. Library-provided documents show the total cost of repetitive stress injuries of all kinds was $167,000 from 2000-2004, including zero claims in 2004. Peter Warfield, executive director of the Library Users’ Association, supplied the Planet with city documents supporting these figures, which he obtained in January in response to a request for information filed in December of last year. e

Click here to view the latest work by Justin DeFreitas 

Buddhist references to Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown tend to get stale from overuse. Still, you just can’t help saying that it’s karma when the man who sat on his hands and did nothing while the Oakland public schools were being seized by the state is now in danger of having his upcoming state attorney general candidacy put in some difficulty by a threatened federal court takeover of the Oakland Police Department. 

In early 2003, the City of Oakland settled with more than 100 residents who fielded a lawsuit claiming they had suffered serious mistreatment by Oakland police. Among the actions Oakland police were accused of were racially profiling African-American and Latino citizens, beating folks without legal justification, lying on the witness stand, and planting false evidence against suspects. The settlement is often mistakenly called the “Riders settlement” by the local press, after four West Oakland police officers who called themselves the “Oakland Riders,” and who were fired and faced criminal charges on some of these matters. But the Oakland police misconduct lawsuit, filed by attorneys John Burris and James Chanin, involved many more police than just the four Riders. 

Part of the 2003 police misconduct settlement was that the Oakland Police Department put systems in place to keep their officers from breaking the law. But OPD has been a little slow in complying, leading to a severely-critical report by the court-ordered Independent Monitoring Team last December. So this week, according to the Oakland Tribune, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson gave Oakland a stiff lecture, warning police and city officials in his courtroom that “unless the Police Department shows significant progress in the coming weeks, he will consider citing the city or city officials for contempt of court. The most serious sanction the judge could order [according to the Tribune] would be to strip the city of its power over the department and put a caretaker in charge.” Judge Henderson gave the city until April 25 to come up with significant progress. 

This is no idle threat. Henderson is the same judge who has been monitoring prison guard misconduct at Pelican Bay State Prison for years through a Special Master, forcing needed reforms, and recently warned Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that he would order the federal takeover of the entire California prison system if the state did not stop mistreating its prisoners. The judge has a reputation for being serious about making sure that law enforcement officials and officers don’t go outside the law. 

Knowing what probably was going to happen in Judge Henderson’s court this week may be at least one possible reason why Mayor Brown so suddenly reversed himself in naming an interim police chief. 

When Chief Richard Word left the Oakland Police Department last November, Brown refused to name a temporary replacement (a search for a permanent replacement is ongoing, but it may be delayed until after a new mayor is elected next year). Anyway, instead of immediately replacing Word, Brown chose to run the department himself through City Manager Deborah Edgerly, a command-and-control nightmare that left nobody in the ultimate decision-making position who had ever strapped on a gun and covered a police beat. 

One wonders why Jerry Brown would want to run the Oakland Police Department when, after all, he has shown little interest in working in the job at which we are actually paying him…running the City of Oakland. And, after the lessons of Oakland Parks chief Harry Edwards or Assistant City Manager George Musgrove as school superintendent, one would have thought he’d had his fill of the idea that just because a guy is smart in one area, you can put him anywhere, to run anything. 

(The sad experience of Harry Edwards is still fresh in Oaklanders’ minds, but people may have forgotten that in the days after Carol Quan was forced out as Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District, Mayor Brown had Mr. Musgrove moved over from the city manager’s office to run the school district, even though Mr. Musgrove had—um—no experience running a school district. The results weren’t pretty. Mr. Musgrove seemed generally surprised one afternoon when he received a storm of protest from teachers after he arbitrarily moved up the date for district-wide, state-mandated student testing. Not having ever run a school district, it apparently never occurred to Mr. Musgrove that thousands of people in the district might have been spending as much as year of preparation pointing toward the original test date.) 

Anyhow, none of those experiences seemed to faze Mr. Brown, who resisted—for two months—sometimes heated calls from the public, the Oakland Police Department, and Oakland City Councilmembers to appoint an interim police chief. Asked about his refusal by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Matier & Ross political columnists last December, the mayor gave one of his typical smart-ass answers to serious issues he wants to avoid, saying “Interim chief? What’s does that mean? In between? Everyone is interim—we’re all in between something.” (I’d put in a gratuitous Buddhist comment here but, like I said, those things can get quickly worn out.) 

One can only speculate that Mr. Brown—who has no experience as a practicing lawyer since passing the California bar many, many, many years ago—needed to buck up his qualifications for state attorney general by putting the “he’s had hands-on experience running a city police department” handle on his résumé. 

But Mr. Brown suddenly switched gears, this month naming retired Alameda County Assistant Sheriff Wayne G. Tucker as interim Oakland chief. And so it was Interim Chief Tucker (and not Mr. Brown) who had to stand in the courtroom and listen to the scolding from Judge Henderson, the judge stating “I haven’t seen anything like this in 25 years. This is contemptuous. I’m so angry at the slap in the face, the ignoring of this decree.” It was Interim Chief Tucker (and not Mr. Brown) who had to admit that the OPD suffered from a "failure of leadership" for not following the orders of the misconduct consent decree. And it was Interim Chief Tucker (and not Mr. Brown) who, according to the Tribune report, “promised it would not continue under his watch.” 

City Manager Edgerly made the trip over to San Francisco, but if Mr. Brown was even there—which is doubtful—it wasn’t mentioned in either the Chronicle or the Tribune reports. Not a good record for a man who wants to be able to tell voters he was tough enough to send cops out every day and night in harm’s way. 

Police Seek Serial Predator 

Berkeley Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the armed rapist who has struck twice in North Berkeley in the last two weeks. 

The first attack was reported on Monday, Feb. 7, when a woman was grabbed as she was about to enter her home in the 1900 block of Francisco Street. Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies described what followed as “a battery with sexual overtones.” 

The second attack happened just before 7 a.m. last Friday when a man matching the description of the first suspect confronted and raped a woman as she was walking along Delaware Street near the corner of San Pablo Avenue. 

The assailant is described as an 6’1” African American adult between the ages of 20 and 30 weighing approximately 175 pounds. He wore a black ski mask, a black, puffy nylon hooded jacket and dark pants. 

Okies said police have stepped up patrols in the area, and the department will hold a community meeting on the crime Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. in the West Berkeley Senior Center, 1900 Sixth St. 

Bus Fracas Suspect Cleared 

A spokesperson for the Alameda County District Attorney’s office announced Thursday that the agency has declined to press charges against an Oakland man arrested during a Jan. 16 disturbance in Berkeley. 

Police arrested Reuven Kahane following a fracas with a 14-year-old Palestinian youth at the exhibit of a bombed-out Israeli bus on display at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. 

The dustup apparently began when the youth charged Kahane, who was wearing a traditional Jewish kepoh, not realizing that the Oakland man was a supporter of Palestinian/Israeli reconciliation. 

Drugs Bust 

Acting on a search warrant, Berkeley Police searched a residence near the corner of Haste and Dana streets shortly after 4 a.m. Monday. 

They left with 22 grams of cocaine, one tablet of ecstasy, 16 grams of marijuana, packaging materials and three felony suspects, ages 36, 26 and 21.  

Subway Gunman 

A 20-something gunman wearing a Navy peacoat and a black knit cap walked into the 1105 University Ave. Subway outlet Tuesday night about 8:15 and demanded the contents of the till. 

His financial appetite temporarily sated, he then fled. 

Wallet, Keys Taken 

Two bandits confronted a pedestrian near the corner of Russell and Cherry streets at 8:28 p.m. Tuesday and persuaded him to hand over his wallet and keys. 

South Berkeley Gunshots 

As Berkeley officers were rolling in response to a “man with a gun” call in the 1500 block of Tyler Street, the dispatcher broke through with the announcement of “shots fired.” 

Officer Okies said that just what happened isn’t entirely clear, but witnesses reported that a pedestrian fired at a rapidly departing car, and at least one bullet struck a house in the neighborhood. 

There were no reports of injuries. 

First Responders Charity Game 

The folks who drive the black-and-whites will shoot hoops with the folks who drive the big red trucks tonight, with the proceeds from ticket and food sales to go to public safety scholarships and Berkeley youth programs, said officer Okies. 

The event gets underway a 7:30 p.m. in the Berkeley High School Donahue Gym, 2246 Milvia St. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students with a Berkeley High ID. 

Billed as “Berkeley’s Finest versus Berkeley’s Bravest,” the battle of the hoops pits Berkeley Police versus Berkeley firefighters. “Last year’s game was a great success,” said Officer Steve Rego, an event organizer and a member of last year’s police team. 

“All the participants had a good time,” he said, “and raised money for a good cause.” 

ô

Dale Smith’s column in the Feb. 11 Daily Planet grossly misrepresents Ecole Bilingue’s position on the proposed Berkeley Bowl expansion by implying that EB is trying to “derail” the project.  

The school’s official position on the Berkeley Bowl construction (which has been sent to local papers, including the Daily Planet), is this: We are not opposed to the construction of a store, and we realize that many school parents and neighbors would welcome the convenience of having a grocery store—especially the Berkeley Bowl—in the neighborhood. However, we have specific concerns about the impact of store traffic on both safety and parking, and we want to see a traffic management plan that takes into account the presence of 400 children across the street from the store.  

We are asking that the city and the promoter adopt forward-looking traffic plans that address the anticipated problems. We feel strongly that a wait-and-see approach to traffic problems is not appropriate in this context where children’s safety is at stake. The liability created by such a position is great if an accident occurs. We are also asking that the Bowl be directed towards an application for a use variance rather than be granted a zoning change, so that issues surrounding the imposition of use conditions can be addressed.  

We object strongly to Smith’s contention that the school “should not be located in that area.” EB is located in a mixed use-residential zone where schools are a permitted use. We are only two blocks from the residential zone east of San Pablo Avenue and we are only one of several schools located in this neighborhood (Aquatic Park Preschool, Center for the Education of the Infant Deaf, Black Pine Circle, and Rosa Parks School). We trust that the city would not let schools and residents live in the area if it were such as described by Smith (“It is highly polluted by the manufacturing/industrial residents and exhaust from the freeway.”) Moreover, we have been at this location since 1977. We are stakeholders in the neighborhood, and committed to working with local residents and businesses to ensure that growth is managed in a way that reflects the interests of everyone here.  

Smith’s claim “Ecole Bilingue would occasionally complain about development in that part of town” is also misleading. By law, the Bay Area Air Quality Management Department (BAAQMD) informs our parent body of any new development applications with a potential for pollution and we in turn investigate the detail of such permit applications. Asking questions so that we can keep parents informed of projects that affect their children is responsible school management, not “complaining.” Luckily, Richard Brenneman’s article published on the same day presented a more informed and balanced view of the issue. 

Thank you for letting us set the record straight. 

Frédéric Canadas is the head of Ecole Bilingue.*

We need to create a new Voter’s Internet Party. With every passing day it is becoming painfully more obvious to all but the most fanatically partisan of us that the vast majority of the senators and representatives from both of the two major political parties are irrevocably corrupted by the unseemly influence of major corporations and the wealthy ruling elites. Therefore, we, the vast majority, who want clean honest open government, need to form a new political party that will serve our interests, and not those of the ruling wealthy corporate elites. Therefore, may I suggest that we create a new Voter’s Internet Party to honor the ideal of a traditional count-all-the-votes democracy.  

With widespread use of the Internet, we now have a relatively easy, inexpensive and efficient way to contact and organize the many millions of American voters that have been disenfranchised and disillusioned in the 21st century by the Bush and Co. theft of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. The brilliant example of the highly effective grassroots campaigns of the Internet-based MoveOn.org in the 2004 presidential campaign has shown that Internet-organizing can be a powerful tool for progressive social change.  

Orange. Since orange has been clearly identified in the mass media as the color of protest of election fraud first in the Ukraine and later in the United States, let us use the color orange to help identify our new Internet Voter’s Party.  

We need our new Internet Voter’s Party to help facilitate our country’s return to the exclusive use of traditional hand-counted paper ballots. We need to stage thousands of 21st century versions of the 1773 Boston Tea Party by dumping all of the computerized electronic voting machines and computerized electronic vote tabulating machines into the nearest body of water. As long as there are any computerized electronic voting machines and computerized electronic vote tabulating machines used in any voting precinct in the country, there will be Republican hackers, riggers and thugs who will find ways to rig, hack and steal future American elections.  

We need our new Internet Voter’s Party to demand that all future elections be administered by professional non-partisan state civil servants, not by partisan political hacks such as the 2000 Republican Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris and the 2004 Republican Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. 

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will not be accepting any corporate donations or contributions.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will be grass-roots based on small individual annual contributions not to exceed a maximum of $100 per year. Of course, individuals will be encouraged to donate their own time and energy to help build the new Voter’s Internet Party.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will thus avoid the corporate corruption, which has long been the hallmark and the curse of the two large political parties.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. 

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor and preserve our natural environment. 

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor social security, labor laws and privacy laws.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor a woman’s right to choose. 

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor international law, international treaties and international obligations.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor the working people of American with good working conditions and a living wage for all.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor the public’s right to control public airwaves and to thus require public interest broadcasting on television and radio instead of the current arrangement of allow greedy private corporations to dominate our airwaves.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will honor the right to universal health care and universal single-payer health insurance.  

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will return the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to its traditional watch-dog role of protecting the American consumer instead of its current practice of protecting and enlarging the obscene profits of greedy drug manufacturers. 

Our new Voter’s Internet Party will not torture anyone under any circumstances. Our new Voter’s Internet Party will consider the Golden Rule in regards to torture: If you don’t want it done to you when you are in legal custody, then we will not do it to anyone in American legal custody. 

James K. Sayre is an Oakland resident. 

0

I can’t suffer in silence anymore! I know there are worse problems in this world—the stupid war, tsunami disaster, starvation, AIDS, etc. etc., but right now I MUST say something about the stupid, even dangerous new buses AC Transit has unleashed on our streets. 

First of all, I am an urban walker, a native San Franciscan, transplant to Berkeley. I can’t imagine living any place where I’d have to step into a car every time I leave my house. I own a car but never use it within San Francisco or Berkeley during the day if I can avoid it. (We chose our house to be near a BART station for trips to San Francisco.) When I walk far enough in Berkeley to get very, very tired, I hop on a bus to come home. Since I’ve just turned 75, that weariness attacks me sooner. 

The first time I saw one of these new abominations lurching and rocking its way toward me, I thought “new driver?” but no, the thing just does that. Something odd about the springs. I stepped on, looking forward to swinging round easily and sinking into one of the front seats reserved for old and disabled. But, no! Those seats were a step up, like a Greyhound bus! Seeing the little “reserved for disabled and elderly” sign by them was like a bad joke, since getting up and down from those seats is a true hazard for anyone with mobility problems. Furthermore, the aisle was narrow, seats were few, hand-hole poles VERY few, none overhead, and with inconveniently placed buttons to signal that you want to get off (no wires along the windows to pull on). 

Since then, each time I get onto one of these buses, hoist myself up, or stumble down the aisle to one of few seats at floor level (where you can’t see out the windows!) I watch as a person my age or older struggles to get in and up to a seat, then down from a seat and out again. I watch young mothers with a couple of active pre-school kids trying to pay the fare, hold onto the kids, hoist them up into a seat before they fall a second time! 

I ask myself, with so many mothers with young children and so many old and infirm people using AC transit, poor people who can’t even own a car, what genius made the decision to choose this design? Or is this a fleet of buses rejected by every other country in the world? Or someone took a bribe, or jumped at a bargain the manufacturer wanted to unload? It seems too late to protest--they’re everywhere—but I am outraged anew every time I get on one of these awful things. And all I need to do is mention them to get a similar reaction from other people who use them. Of course, many will refuse to do so, if they can afford to drive. And isn’t that just what Berkeley was trying to avoid?—more cars driving and parking on our streets? 

Berkeley author Dorothy Bryant is a frequent contributor to the Daily Planet. 

When I think of my great-grandfather, Walter Gordon, two memories come to mind. One of them was when I was in the fourth grade attending Malcolm X Elementary School in Berkeley. Our class had planned a Grandparents Night and invited all of our grandparents to attend a potluck dinner and celebration. Before the event I had proudly told my teacher that my great-grandfather was the first black police officer in Berkeley. 

Well, on the night of the actual event, when Grandpa Walt and Grandma Sis arrived I introduced them to my teacher. She greeted them both and they started chatting. Shortly thereafter my teacher said to my great-grandfather, “Jonathan told me you were the first black police officer in Berkeley.” 

Once grandpa Walt heard this he immediately turned to me with a glare that I can still see very clearly. My first thought was that he had told me this under the assumption that I would keep it to myself, that I betrayed a secret he had shared with me. I felt ashamed. He then turned to my teacher and calmly but sternly said, “No, I was the first Negro police officer in Berkeley.” 

The other memory I have is one of our visits with Grandpa Walt and Grandma Sis. One thing Grandpa Walt would always do when my family visited was pick my brother and me up at the same time, me in one arm and Craig in the other and squeeze us tightly. This would oftentimes make me giggle. Well, this particular visit was different from others. He lifted both of us up, as usual, but the difference was that my great-grandfather had recently gone blind. Nevertheless, his hug was a strong as ever. 

He would say, “It’s not that I’m blind it’s just that my eyes can’t see.”  

I think both of these memories are good examples of the strength, dignity and pride of my great-grandfather, Walter Gordon, a local hero that I remember. 

Walter Arthur Gordon was born in Atlanta, Ga, in 1894. When he was 10 years old his family moved to Riverside, where he graduated from high school. His father was a Pullman porter and moved his family to California, like many Negroes at that time, looking for a better opportunity. 

Walter’s father greatly influenced him. Those who knew Walter said he was always quoting his father. When they came to Riverside and he and his brother Edwin went to school their father told them, “Now listen, you’re going to a school where there are whites and Negroes, and I don’t want either of you to come home crying to me, telling me that you’re not getting a square deal on account of your color.” 

In 1914 Walter entered the University of California, Berkeley. During his undergraduate years his scholarship was considerably above average. He was active in campus affairs. For example, he co-founded and was a charter member of the Alph Phi Alphi fraternity on campus, which is still alive today. He was an intercollegiate wrestler and boxer, winning the state championship in both. He played football with coach Andy Smith’s early teams, playing every position except center. In 1918, his senior year, Walter Camp selected him as All-American, Berkeley’s first. 

The 10 years after he graduated were unbelievably busy for my great-grandfather. Andy Smith chose him to be an assistant football coach, a position that he held for 24 years under four different head coaches. He was also chief scout for many of the great Cal football teams, one team in particular, the group labeled “The Wonder Team”—a team that went undefeated one year, thoroughly dominating its opponents en route to a Rose Bowl victory over Ohio State. 

August Vollmer, Berkeley’s chief of police at the time, invited him to join the police department, where he became the first Negro officer. He served on a full-time basis for 10 years. In addition to that he enrolled in Boalt Hall School of Law in 1921. 

I remember a time schedule that my great-grandmother used to show me which described his daily schedule. He barely had enough time to sleep, let alone study. In 1920 he married Elizabeth Fisher and they eventually had two sons and a daughter. One of the sons, Walter Gordon jr., is my grandfather. 

In 1923 Walter Sr. began a new career. After graduating from Boalt he passed the California bar and began private practice from an office above the Wells Fargo building at the corner of University and San Pablo in west Berkeley. Walter Gordon was also President of the Alameda County NAACP from 1923 to 1933. During a 10-day period he recruited 500 new members. 

Walter Gordon continued his private practice until 1944. During that time and after he did a number of things. He continued his coaching and scouting work. He was a member of the executive board of the University YMCA. For six years he was a member of the Oakland YMCA board. He was vice-president of the Lawyer’s Guild of San Francisco and a member of the Commonwealth Club of California. 

In 1943 California Gov. Earl Warren, a longtime friend, named Walter Gordon to the Board of Prison Terms, on which he served until the adoption of the then new California Adult Authority. 

Then, in 1955, President Eisenhower appointed him governor of the Virgin Islands, a position he held for three years. In 1958, he was named U.S. District Judge for the Virgin islands, and he served on that court until his retirement in 1969 when he returned to Berkeley. 

In 1991, The Walter Gordon Memorial Fund was established at Boalt Hall for summer internships. 

Jonathan Wafer is a writer and a member of the Berkeley Police Review Commission.

The 11th Other Minds Festival will present programs of new and unusual music, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 24-26, at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center—including a centennial tribute to 20th-century political composer Marc Blitzstein (best-known for his pro-labor 1937 musical, staged by Orson Welles, The Cradle Will Rock), and a 60th birthday salute to composer, long-time music director of KPFA-fm and co-founder of Other Minds—Charles Amirkhanian. 

Another 60th birthday celebration, on opening night, for English composer Michael Nyman (famed for scoring films by Peter Greenaway), will feature Nyman’s performance of his own work (including that from the Jane Campion film, The Piano, and his String Quartet No. 3, influenced by the music of Armenia, played by local group Del Sol). 

The program begins at 8 p.m. (after a panel discussion with the composers) with Phill Niblock’s “Sethwork,” performed on guitars with e-bow by Seth Josel (accompanied by films by the composer), and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain performing his String Quartet No. 4, “Angelou,” on electric violin with the Del Sol Quartet, and DJ Scientific sampling Maya Angelou’s poetry—a piece commisioned by Other Minds in its world premiere. 

Friday at 8 p.m. is the 60th birthday celebration for Amirkhanian—long familiar to Berkeley listeners as Music Director of KPFA, 1969-92. Amirkhanian co-founded Other Minds in 1992 and continues as its artistic director. His radiophonic tape piece, “Son of Metropolis San Francisco”—utilizing tapes of Bay Area ambient sounds, Synclavier synthesizer and organ chorale—will be performed. 

Following will be innovative British guitarist (and professor of compositional music at Mills College) Fred Frith with both solo improvisations and in duo with Berkeley resident Sudhu Tewari (on homemade electroacoustical instruments from discarded electronic equipment) as the group Normal. The program—which also opens with a composers’ panel—closes with Spanish composer Maria De Alvear singing the world premiere of her work “Gran Sol” with Italian singer Amelia Cuni accompanying in Indian Dhrupad vocal style, and Bay Area favorite Joan Jeanrenaud on cello. 

The centennial tribute to Marc Blitzstein (1905-64) begins at 11 a. m. Sat. with a showing of Tim Robbins’ 1999 film, a fictional recounting of the remarkable circumstances of Orson Welles’ staging of The Cradle Will Rock for (and against!) the Federal Theater Project—which at one point locked out the troupe performing this pro-labor musical. 

At 2 p.m., Sarah Cahill—first of a string of Berkeley residents performing—will play Blitzstein’s unpublished “Piano Percussion Music” (1929), followed by a recital of songs by Blitzstein on texts by Walt Whitman and e. e. cummings, and from his stage and concert works No For an Answer, Regina and The Cradle Will Rock. Vocalists, accompanied by Sarah Cahill, will be Amy X. Neuberg (of Berkeley), John Duykers and Eric A. Gordon, Blitzstein’s biographer (Mark the Music, St. Martin’s Press, 1989). 

Gordon, who will be staging a Blitzstein Centennial tribute Feb. 27 in Great Neck NJ (Blitzstein’s 100th birthday is Mar. 2), will close the program with a discussion of Blitzstein’s life and music after a screening of the 1927 experimental German film Hände (Albrecht Viktor Blum), with Blitzstein playing piano as sound accompaniment. Members of Blitzstein’s family will be in attendance. 

Saturday night at 8 p.m., following the composers’ panel, the closing Festival program will feature five movements from Alaskan composer John Luther Adams’ “Strange and Sacred Noise” (1997), devoted to different combinations of percussion instruments as played by So Percussion quartet—who follow with a performance of Evan Ziporyn’s “Melody Competition” (2000), based on west Balinese Mebarung, a “battle of the bands,” and will incorporate the sounds and techniques of gamelan. Jazz violinist—and Vietnam vet—Billy Bang closes the festival with selections from his “Vietnam Reflections” (released on disk last January), accompanied by a quartet including trumpet and horns, piano, bass and drums.  

Other Minds, in just over a decade, has presented an extraordinary array of both compositional and improvised musics from around the world, besides working with and celebrating eminent—if often neglected—composers, like the late Lou Harrison, Conlon Nancarrow and Ned Rorem. 

This year’s centennial tribute to Marc Blitzstein is a case in point: student of both Nadia Boulanger and Arnold Schoenberg (a unique distinction); documentary film composer; critic who predicted the integration of jazz with compositional concert music; influenced by both Dada and the political imperatives of Bertolt Brecht’s composer, Hans Eissler; WW II veteran and agitprop labor anthem tunesmith and lyricist, Blitzstein composed a great body of unusual—and unusually accessible work—that is long overdue for rediscovery. The 11th Other Minds Festival is determinedly furthering that historical process, as well as showcasing, premiering and commissioning new and recent work. 



Upon the death of Arthur Miller the American media began a steady repetition of the theme that has always been utilized to define and eviscerate the significance of Miller’s work: As the San Francisco Chronicle typically intoned in prose designed both to eulogize and pacify the power of Miller’s work, he “exposed the flaws in the fabric of the American dream.” A great many writers have condemned the American dream and it is not completely false to hold that Miller also exposed its pathology. But it is, nevertheless, extremely misleading. 

It is much like noting that a particular individual suffers a distorted sense of reality. The judgment may well be valid, but we do not understand the illusion until we learn how and why it was produced. What Miller exposed was not the dream as such, but the underlying social system that required the dream in order to obscure the true nature of that society and to make life within it bearable. That underlying system is, of course, American society, which must redefine itself so that it may appear human and decent to its members, lest they grasp its reality and succumb in terror and defeat. And in the early plays at least, at the heart of that American society is the structure of capitalism, driven by a virulent competitiveness and an invidious structure of power, masked by the verneer of the dream and its credo that the height of human fulfillment is monetary acquisition and that those who fail in this task are lost through their own personal failure.  

Anyone who have never seen Death of a Salesman on the stage has never really experienced the play. Both the film and the TV version are bound to fail, for the only device they can utilize to reveal the nature of time in the lives of the characters is the flashback, which unfortunately loses the anguished tension between the dream world of the Loman family at the time of Biff’s and Happy’s adolescence and Willie’s earlier forays into the jungle of salesmanship in the towns of New England, on the one hand, and the reality of the life that imposes itself on Willie, and drives him on to suicide, on the other. Willie’s being is stretched between two dimensions: his youth when the dream of success was alive and still possessed credibility, and present existence in which he can only legitimate his life by exchanging it for the value of the insurance policy that he believes he can realize with his suicide. 

The play is redolent with the contradictions of Willie’s mind between capitalist reality and liberal ideology: Biff is hardworking, but he is lazy; Willie is well liked, but they make fun of him; he is “vital in New England,” but he is no longer necessary; he will open the windshield of the car, but the Studebaker window doesn’t open; Biff’s stealing shows initiative, but Willie gives him hell for it; the refrigerator has the biggest ads, but it breaks down just when you have paid for it; “Business is bad, it’s murderous. But not for me of course.” These are the contradictions of Willie’s mind because they are the contradictions of Willie’s society, the contradictions between “murderous” reality and Willie’s fantasy that he will escape this destruction, that he will “come out on top.” 

Illusion alone did not defeat Willie; it was the reality of the real contradiction in himself that he imparted to Biff and Happy and the brutal and changing reality of American economic life, symbolized in the technical transformation of Howard’s new tape recorder that indicates the obsolescence of Willie’s once personalized form of salesmanship, useful though fragile, now on the verge of mechanization and complete human extinction 

In short, Willie’s illusion and growing hallucination is the story he must tell himself to keep from paralysis and despair. In the last climactic scene Biff, who alone is concerned to discover the reality that is destroying them, confronts Willie: “...you’re going to hear the truth-what you are and what I am!” And what is that truth? Simply, Biff declares: “Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you.” Some will succeed in this system—Bernard seems to be one —but the great majority of those who accept the fantasy of competitive achievement, will lie, at the end, broken in quiet desperation.  

In the introduction to his collected plays, Miller wrote of the character Joe Keller in All My Sons: 

He is not a partner in society, but an incorporated member, I am not merely speaking... of a literal corporation but the concept of a man’s becoming a function of production or distribution to the point where his personality becomes divorced from the actions it propels. 

This fits quite well Marx’s theory of alienation. 

One hundred and fifty years before Miller wrote Death of a Salesman, at the beginning of development of capitalism, Marx wrote: 

The demand to give up the illusions about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions. 

Criticism has plucked the imaginary flowers from the chain not so that man will wear the chain without any fantasy or consolation but so that he will shake off the chain and cull the living flower. 

The task of the writer is to shred the imaginary flower so that the chain can be destroyed and the living flower culled. 

Richard Lichtman is a distinguished scholar at the Wright Institute, previously professor of philosophy at UC Berkeley, and currently developing a degree program in critical theory. ›

FRIDAY, FEB. 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, “Seduced” by Sam Shepard Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at the Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck at Berryman, through Feb. 19. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Albany High School, “Oklahoma!” at 8 p.m. at Albany High Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany. Also on Sat. and 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $5-$10. 558-2575. 

Alchemy Works “The Wisdom of Eve” A tale of an ingenue understudy gone bad. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. Runs through Feb. 20. 845-5576. 

Aurora Theatre, “Dublin Carol” by Conor McPherson Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun at 2 and 7 p.m. through March 6 at 2081 Addison St. Tickets are $28-$45. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Repertory Theater, “Fetes de la Nuit” at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. Runs through Feb. 27. Tickets are $43-$55. 647-2949.  

“Bridge & Tunnel” workshop performances by Sarah Jones at 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 7 p.m. Sun. through Feb. 20 at Berkeley Repertory Theater’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $30-$40. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “The Mousetrap” Agatha Christie’s classic mystery Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Feb. 19 at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. Tickets are $10-$15. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre, “Othello” at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid. Thurs.- Sat. through March 19. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

Independent Theater Productioins presents three one-act plays, produced, directed and acted by Berkeley High students at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, Cedar St. Tickets are $5-$10. 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The Serpent” theater with movement, masks and puppetry, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., through Feb. 19, at the Eighth Street Studios, 2525 8th St. Tickets are $10-$20 sliding scale. 527-8119. www.raggedwing.org 

“Rhythm & Blues, with a Little Bit of Soul” A musical tribute of the contributions of African Americans to the art of music. A Longfellow Stars EDP Annual After School Scholarship Program Fundraiser. At 6:30 p.m. at Longfellow Middle School Theater, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $2-$7. 883-5258. 

FILM 

Film Preservation: “A Farewell to Arms” at 7 p.m. and “Paths of Glory” at 9:15 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

9th Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Finalists will go on the the Grand Slam Finals, Feb. 26th, at Herbst Theater in SF. Cost is $4-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

Robert Burns Celebration, his songs, his letters, his life, at 8 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave., at Curtis, Albany. Tickets are $10-$15.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Country Joe” McDonald at 7:30 p.m. at at the Fellowship Café and Open Mic, at Fellowship Hall, Cedar and Bonita. Suggested donation $5-$10. 841-4824. 

Groundation Celebrates Bob Marley at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“Sight Unseen” featuring size-diverse dancers from around the Bay Area at 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St., at Telegraph, Oakland. Free. www.bigmoves.org 

Judy Wexler at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Claudia Russell, Lowen & Navarro, contemporary acoustic folk, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50-$17.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

FourMinuteMile, Electric Badness, rock, at 9:30 at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $6. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Toychestra, Conspiracy of Beards, Hall Flowers, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Som’ma, Persian beat freedom concert at 8 p.m. at 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St., Oakland. www.sommamusic.com 

Shimshai & the Natural Mystiquensemble at 9 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $14. www.studiorasa.org 

George Kahn Quintet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Stephen Yerkey, singer-songwriter, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The People, Aphrodesia, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Hugh Schick Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Born/Dead, Deadfall, This Is My Fist at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Tribute to Jimmy Smith featuring Joey DeFrancesco, James Moody and others at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$22. 238-9200. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 19 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Gerry Tenney at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568.  

THEATER 

Central Works, “Enemy Combatant” opens at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Performances are Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through March 26. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

Independent Theater Productioins presents three one-act plays, produced, directed and acted by Berkeley High students at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, Cedar St. Tickets are $5-$10. 

FILM 

Film Preservation: “No Way Out” at 7 p.m. and “Counsellor at Law” at 9:20 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Morrie Turner, cartooning legend, celebrates his 40th year as a syndicated comic strip artist at 1 p.m. at Dr Comics and Mr Games, 4014 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland. 601-7800. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Philharmonia Baroque “Mighty Samson” by Handel at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $28-$62. 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

“A Night with Ustad Shujaat Khan,” North Indian classical music, at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Theater. Tickets are $10-$50, available at the door only. www.juliamorgan.org 

Kotoja, Afro-Beat, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

TOK, Jamaica’s dancehall artist at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $20. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Yair Dalal, Israeli composer and oud player at 7 p.m. at Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave., Piedmont. Tickets are $11.50-$16.50. 415-276-1511.  

Scarth Locke, singer-songwriter, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Frank Wakefield Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Ghost Next Door, The SIck, The Rivals hard rock, punk, at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Ben Goldberg at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com  

Moot Davis with Pete Anserson, The Cowlicks at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Sara Leib Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Times 4, jazz-funk quartet, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Allegiance, Life Long Tragedy, Go It Alone at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 20 

EXHIBITION 

“Interpolations,” works by Jennifer Foxley at the Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery 1249 Marin Ave., Albany, to April 29. Reception for the artist from 4 to 5 p.m.  

THEATER 

“Beowulf” The epic translated and performed by Philip Wharton at 7:30 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid. Sun. nights through Mar. 20. Tickets are $10-$15. 415-608-9683. 

FILM 

Film Preservation: “The Scarlet Letter” at 3 p.m., “Vitaphone Shorts” at 5:30 p.m. and “The Second Floor Mystery” at 8 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ross Tobia, El Cerrito author, introduces his new book, “Grand Unified Theory, Physics for a New Age” at 1 p.m. at Shutter Café, 10064 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito. 

Poetry Flash, poetry and dance with Alan Bern and Lucinda Weaver & Richard Beban at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Philharmonia Baroque “Mighty Samson” by Handel at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $28-$62. 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

Chamber Music Sundays presents San Francisco Symphony musicians and friends at 3:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $7-$19 at the door. 415-584-5946. 

Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26 available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Markus James and The Wassonrai, music and a film from northern Mali, at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12. 525-5054. 

Ace of Spades acoustic series at 1 p.m. at MamaBuzz Cafe, 2318 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. fFee for all ages. 289-2272. 

Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir celebrating black history month at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $14-$16. 849-2568.  

Mingus Amungus at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Todd Denman, Leo Rickard & Patrick Sky, uillean pipers, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Facing New York, Desa, rock, at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $5. 848-0886.  

MONDAY, FEB. 21 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

PlayGround, readings by emerging playwrights, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $15. 415-704-3177. www.PlayGround-sf.org 

Bill Hayes discusses “Five Quarts: A Personal and Natural History of Blood” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Elizabeth McKenzie reads from “Stop That Girl: A Novel in Stories” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Poetry Express with Diana Q and Paradise, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trovatore, traditional Italian songs, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Songwriters Symposium at 8:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$12. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, FEB. 22 

FILM 

Alternative Visions: “The Future is Behind You” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Laxmi Hiremath introduces “The Dance of Spices: Classic Indian Cooking for Today’s Home Kitchen” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Gator Beat at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson with Diana Castillo at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Solas, Irish folk ensemble, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50- $23.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

James Colley, Grant Langston and the Supermodels, Toshio Hirano, Americana country, at 9:30 p.m. at The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $5. 444-6174. www.storkcluboakland.com 

Danny Caron, solo guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Chris Von Sneidern, Adrianne Serna, Kyle Vincent, singer, songwriters, at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $5. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Vital Information at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Wed. Cost is $10-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Randy Craig Trio, jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23 

THEATER 

“Bright River” A hip-hop retelling of Dante’s Inferno, every Wed. through March 16 at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Tickets are $12-$35 available from 415-256-8499. www.inhousetickets.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Haiga Paintings” and “Photographs of Japan” by Kazumi and Kim Cranney at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. www.giorgigallery.com 

FILM 

Cine Contemporaneo: “Cenizas del Paraíso” by Marcelo Piñeyro, at 7 p.m. in the CLAS Conference Room, 2334 Bowditch St. In Spanish with English subtitles. 642-2088. www.clas.berkeley.edu 

Film 50: History of Cinema: “My Darling Clementine” at 3 p.m. and Video Games and Contemporary Art Practice at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kala Fellows Talk with Kin Kwok, Gwen Meyer, and Katherin McInnis at 7 p.m. at Kala Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

Natalie Robins describes “Copeland’s Cure: Homeopathy and the War Between Conventional and Alternative Medicine” at 7:30 p.m. at at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Andrew Schelling reads from “Erotic Love Poems from India: A Translation of the Amarnshataka” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryplough.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with In Black and White, music by Jorge Liderman, at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Ned Boynton Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Dhol Patrol with SoulSalaam, Bhangra/Pan-Arabic beats, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Salsa Caliente All Stars at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Brian Girard Soul Jazz Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Le Flange Du Mal, underground music, at 10 p.m. at The Ivy Room, 858 San Pablo Ave. at Solano Ave. 524-9220.  

Fabulous Disaster, Oc Toons, Riot A Go-Go, punk, at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $5. 848-0886.  

The Tuna Helpers, God of Shamisen at 9:30 p.m. at The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $5. 444-6174.  

THURSDAY, FEB. 24 

FILM 

Films of Nicholas Philbert: “To Be and To Have” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Melissa Boyle Mahle discusses “Denial and Deception: An Insider’s View of the CIA from Iran-Contra to 9/11” at 7:30 p.m. at at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

“Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America” with editor Pooja Makhijani and contributors at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Word Beat Reading Series at 7 p.m. with featured readers Leah Steinberg and Lavender Fogg at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985. 

“Academy Awards Night” with film historian Harry Chotiner and film producer Ron Yerxa at 7:30 p.m. at College Prep School, Buttner Auditorium, 6100 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $5-$10. 658-5202. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bill Tapia, 97-year-old ‘ukulele maestro at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Randy Paufve Dance at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Michael Wilcox Duo at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Kronkite, Big Band, Lesser Lights at 8 p.m. at The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $5. 444-6174.  

Goapele at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $16-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com

Unless you’re a graduating fifth grader, it’s hard to find a compelling reason to leave Oxford Elementary School. 

It’s the kind of school where people tend to stick around. Kathleen Lewis, the principal, has been here 17 years, and a few of the school’s 17 teachers have been here almost as long. Lewis says stability is part of what makes Oxford great. 

“Right now we have a good mix of younger people who have been around a few years, and people who are veterans,” says Lewis. “People stay a long time.” 

Families tend to stay around Oxford too. A tradition of parent involvement makes the school a welcoming place. Julia Perkins is the mother of two Oxford kids, one beginning the 2nd grade, the other a recently graduated sixth grader. She’s involved in the PTA, and has helped in classrooms. This year, Principal Lewis asked her to come to Oxford to work as the school’s secretary. 

“Every parent wants to feel good about their school and connect with that school,” says Perkins. 

Events throughout the year, like a Harvest Fair and a Winter Fair, bring the school’s families together. In the spring, the PTA holds a raffle, which raises funds for special staff like music teachers. 

While pupils at Oxford are encouraged to speak their mind—they even have “community meetings” once a week—there’s a strong emphasis on appropriate behavior. Staff at the school credit vice principal Albert Williams for that. Williams keeps kids in line in the school’s hallways and playground, intervening whenever a situation looks as if it might escalate into tantrum or tussle. 

“A lot of times a kid has a problem, he takes care of it, and no one even knows,” says Lewis.  

The small school is housed in two modern buildings, discreetly situated on a tree-lined block of Oxford Street, north of Eunice, in the Berkeley hills. Although the current structures date from 1965, the school is one of the oldest in Berkeley—kids have been learning here since 1910. 

The walls are posted with the word “WALK,” written in blue tape. In the school’s rear yard, ball courts and equipment lockers are freshly painted, and the small, terraced garden waits to be tilled by a new crop of students. Black and white photos showing kids working in the garden are proudly displayed near the front door. The school was in some danger of losing money from the district that supported its garden two years ago, but PTA and staff saved it by getting parents to pledge financial support. 

Like all elementary schools in Berkeley, Oxford serves kids who live all over the city, not just those in the neighborhood. The families of the school’s 316 pupils range from homeless to wealthy. 

Rita Davies teaches a combination class of second and third graders at Oxford. Originally from England, Davies has 40 years of teaching experience, and has taught at Oxford for the last 10 years. Typically, her second graders go on to be her third graders, and she gets to watch them develop over two years.  

The theme of her class, “Caring and Sharing,” is strung up in bright red letters above the blackboard. With tables and chairs arranged in small groups and a big green couch, her classroom looks comfortable enough to be somebody’s living room—albeit someone with a surfeit of awfully small chairs. 

When asked what’s special about Oxford, she too mentions the high level of parent involvement.  

“The essence of a good school is the people,” says Davies. “Kids like to come to this school—it’s a place people care about them.” 

This is the tenth in a series profiling the Berkeley elementary schools. The reports are written by students of the UC Berkeley Journalism School.

FRIDAY, FEB. 18 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Edward Norse, Prof., UCB, on “The Promise of Fusion and Solar Power.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

Berkeley Fire Dept. vs. Berkeley Police Dept. Charity Basketball Game at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley High School Donahue Gym. Tickets are $5, $2 for BHS students with i.d. Proceeds will go to scholarships and youth programs. 981-5506. 

Malcolm X: Living Martyr A 40th Year Commemoration with Amir Abdul Malik Ali, Fred HamptonJr., and Shaykh Hashim Ali Alaudeen at 7:30 p.m. in 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Graduate Minority Student Project. 

“Judaism in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe” with Johannes Heil, visiting scholar at the Erasmus Institute at the Univ. of Notre Dame at 4 p.m. at the Badè Museum, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 415-451-2876. 

“Drought and Corruption in Northeastern Brazil” with Nicholas Arons discussing the impact of drought and the phenomenon of drought politics at 4 p.m. in the Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall, UC Campus. 642-2088. www.clas.berkeley.edu  

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 7:15 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

“Three Beats for Nothing” meets at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center to sing for fun and practice, mostly 16th century harmony. 655-8863, 843-7610. dann@netwiz.net 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 19 

Historical and Botanical Tour of Chapel of the Chimes, a Julia Morgan landmark, every third Sunday at 10 a.m. at 4499 Piedmont Ave. at Pleasant Valley. Reservations required 228-3207. www.chapelofthechimes.com 

Kids Garden Club For children 7-12 years old to explore the world of gardening. We plant, harvest, build, make crafts, cook and get dirty! From 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $5-$7, registration required. 525-2233. 

Sushi Workshop Learn the natural history and how to make seven types of sushi. From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $25-$40. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Help Bring Back the Wild Join the Bayshore Stewards as we restore a rare tidal marsh on the UC Richmond Field Station, near the Bay Trail in Richmond, from 9 a.m. to noon. We will provide tools, gloves, rain gear and refreshments. We will also provide some instruction on planting and an overview of the project. Heavy rain will cancel the event. For more information call Elizabeth 231-9566. 

Water is Life Workshop on water problems and solutions for a sustainable future, including water pollution in the Bay Area, creek restoration, and greywater systems. Sat. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Free.548-2220, ext. 233.  

Explore the Alternatives of Demanding, Thirsty Lawns with Gail Yelland on ecological and turf free ground coverings at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens Nursery, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. www.magicgardens.com 

Berkeley Historical Society Photography Workshop on how to make a Life Magazine-style photo essay, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center St. in the west wing of the Veterans Memorial Building. 848-0181. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc 

“War and Fleece: How Economic Shock Therapy Backfired in Iraq” with journalist Naomi Klein, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St., in a benefit for the Middle East Children’s Alliance. Tickets are $20 or $50 including reception with Naomi. No one turned away. 548-0542.  

“The Mystery of the Heart” Community drumming and chanting at 7 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. Donation $10-$20. 528-0304. www.unityofberkeley.org 

West Knitting Group for all levels and ages at 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, West Branch, 1125 University Ave. 981-6270. 

Intercollegiate Bhangra Competition at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Community Theater, 1930 Allston Way. Portions of the night’s proceeds will be donated to The American Red Cross to help the victims of the tsunami tragedy. For registration details and ticket information see www.dholdiawaz.com  

Emergency Response Training Class on “Fire Supression” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fire Dept. Training Center, 997 Cedar St. To register call 981-5606. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html 

California Writers Club with Madeline DiMaggio speaking on “Selling Your Story to Hollywood” at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. www.berkeleywritersclub.org 

Pre-School Storytime for ages 3-5 at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext.17.  

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets at 9:15 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Sproul Conference Room, 1st Floor, 2727 College Ave. www.berkeleycna.com  

SUNDAY, FEB. 20 

Early Morning Bird Walk to look for early spring arrivals. Meet at 7:30 .m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Glorious Mud For ages 7 to 11 to explore the soggy grounds, identify animal tracks. Come prepared to get dirty. From 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Community Peace Labyrinth, on blacktop next to the gardens at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. Enter by the dirt road on Derby. Free. Wheelchair accessible. Sponsored by the East Bay Labyrinth Project. 526-7377.  

“Parrot Care 101” A free class on the care, feeding and daily play needs of your parrots, at 1 p.m. at Pet Food Express, 6398 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Please do not bring your bird to the class. Donations to the Oasis Exotic Bird Sanctuary accepted. www.squawkandhowl.com 

“African American Veterans: Voices from the Vietnam Experience” a panel discussion at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“California African American Jazz” a family exploration afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Celebrate Black History Month with African textile collage at Habitot, 2065 Kittredge St. Cost is $5-$6. 647-111.  

Haiku and Renga: Poetry and Nature Walk around the park with stops for creative writing of Japanese-inspired poetry. From 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Cybersalon “TV Goes Online” with panelists from LinkTV, INdTV, Google, Yahoo, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation at 6 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10. 527-0450.  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park, Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Jack Petranker on “Milking the Painted Cow” a new book by Trathang Tulku, at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, FEB. 21 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people 60 years and over meets Mondays at 9:45 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Join at any time. Cost is $2.50 with refreshments. 524-9122. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, FEB. 22 

Early Morning Bird Walk Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Inspiration Point to look for birds of the grassland and chaparral. 525-2233. 

Return of the Over-the-Hills Gang Hikers 55 years and older who are interested in nature study, history, fitness, and fun are invited to join us on a series of monthly excursions exploring our Regional Parks. Meet at 10 a.m. at Briones. Registration required. 525-2233.  

Bird Walk on the Martin Luther King Shoreline from 3 to 5 p.m. Dress for rain and wind. 525-2233. 

“Sea Kayaking in the Bay Area and Baja” a slide presentation with Mitch Powers, at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

El Cerrito Democratic Club “The Social Security Debate” with Prof. J. Bradford DeLong, Economics Dept., UCB, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of the Northminster Presbyterian Church, 545 Ashbury Ave., El Cerrito.  

The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society Low Cost Spay/Neuter Day, in recognition of the 11th Annual Spay Day. Spay/neuter costs are $5-$10. 845-7735. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

“Christianity, Islam and Ecology” Forum with Rosemary Radford Ruether and Ibrahim Farajaje at 7 p.m. at the Richard S. Dinner Boardroom, Graduate Theological Union, Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. Part of The Graduate Theological Union’s Theological Roundtable on Ecological Ethics and Spirituality. 649-2560.  

Black History Celebration with a showing of “Roots” at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

Reverse Annuity Mortgages with Cherisse Baptiste from ECHO Housing at 1:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

School Age Storytime for ages 5 and up at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext.17.  

Family Story Time at the Kensington Branch Library, Tues. evenings at 7 p.m. at 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Organic Produce at low prices sold at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon Streets from 3 to 6 p.m. This is a project of Spiral Gardens. 843-1307. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org  

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll search for amphibians from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Wildlife Careers for Teens with information on zoo keeping, wildlife biology and wildlife education, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo. Free, but reservations required. 632-9525, ext. 202. www.oaklandzoo.org 

The Oakland Bird Club “Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide” with author Jack Laws at 7:30 p.m. at Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, Upstairs Meeting Room, 5366 College Ave. Free and open to the public. 444-0355, 654-4830. 

Great Decisions 2005: “Russia” with Jordan Gans-Morse, Grad student, Political Science, UCB, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. Cost is $5, $40 for the series. The Great Decisions program will meet for eight Wednesdays. Briefing booklets are available. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

“South Berkeley Expo” from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Staff from Public Works, Police, Fire, Parks, and Health and Human Services will present information on community services and opportunities for residents to work together. 981-7071. 

“Indictment: Bush and Company’s Violations of the Constitution” with Doris Walker, attorney with the National Lawyers Guild at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Sponsored by the Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

“American Dictators” A documentary of Alex Jones and the staged “election” of 2004, at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390  27th St., midtown Oakland. Free, $5 donation requested. 910-0696. 

Bayswater Book Club meets to discuss “The Templar Revelation by Picknett and Prince at 6:30 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble Coffee Shop, El Cerrito Plaza. 433-2911. 

AARP Free Tax Assistance for taxpayers with middle and low incomes, with special attention to those 60 years and older. From 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Appointments must be made in advance. 526-3720, ext. 5. 

Winter Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Artify Ashby Muralist Group meets every Wed. from 5 to 8 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, to plan a new mural. New artists are welcome. Call Bonnie at 704-0803. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, FEB. 24 

Early Morning Bird Walk Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Golf Course Road turnout, Tilden Park, to look for nuthatches. 525-2233. 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! We’ll search for amphibians from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Tilden Explorers An after school nature adventure for 5-7 year olds who may be accompanied by an adult. No younger siblings please. We’ll search for amphibians. From 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

District 2 Town Hall Meeting with Councilmember Darryl Moore at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Youth Alternatives, 1255 Allston Way. Come discuss current neighborhood issues and concerns. 981-7120. 

Black History Celebration with dance, poetry, skits and light refreshments, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Frances Albrier Community Center, 2800 Parker St. 981-6640. 

Community Forum on Soft Story Builings and Reducing Risk, with presentations by local and national experts, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7406. TDD 981-7474. 

“Devastation for Democracy” The Future of the Iraqi People, Culture and Politics, with Dahr Jamail and Medea Benjamin at 7 p.m. at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Donation $10, no one turned away. www.vituous.com 

“Confronting Empire: Hope, Fear & U.S. Intervention in El Salvador’s Presidential Elections” A documentary screening followed by discussion, at 7 p.m. at Changemakers, 6536 Telegraph Ave. 415-648-8222. 

“Rhetorics of Holy War” a conference covering contemporary Islam, the crusades, contemporary evangelicalism, Buddhism, medieval Byzantium, and more. Thurs. and Fri. at 9:30 a.m. at the Graduate Theological Union, 2400 Ridge Rd. 415-451-2876. ocker@sfts.edu 

Easy Does It Disability Assistance Board of Directors Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, Classrooms A/B. Meeting is accessible and open to the public, with time for public comment. 967-4003. 

Older People United, a discussion group for elders over 75 at 1:30 p.m. at the Gray Panthers, 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping in Berkeley Public Schools at 1:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Caleb and Ting Tango Classes Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Tango Studio. Cost is $20 for one class or $60 for four. To register call 655-3585. stellatango.com. 

“Gaza Strip” A free film screening at 6:30 p.m. at the 3rd flr. Community Meeting Room, Berkeley Public Library Central Branch, 2090 Kittredge St. 

ONGOING 

Collect Cleats for All Feet Donate your cleats and other sports equipment to Sports4kids Swap Shop, which works to make sports equipment available to all children who want to play. Donation barrels for cleats at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. Other locations at www.sports4kids.org 

“Half Pint Library” Book Drive Donate children’s books to benefit Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland. Donations accepted at 1849 Solano Ave. through March 31. 

All Net Basketball for boys and girls ages 9 to 11, begins Tues. Mar. 8, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and runs for five weeks. Fee is $10-$15. For information call Berkeley Youth Alternatives, 845-9066. sports@byaonline.org 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Seeks Host Gardens The tour, which will be held in the spring of 2005, will showcase Alameda and Contra Costa County gardens that contain at least 30% native plants, don’t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and provide habitat for wildlife. To be added to the mailing list, or to receive a host application, contact Kathy Kramer at Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net or 236-9558.  

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., Feb. 22, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Citizens Budget Review Commission meets Wed., Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7041. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/budget 

Civic Arts Commission meets Wed., Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Mary Ann Merker, 981-7533. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/civicarts 

Disaster Council meets Wed., Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. William Greulich, 981-5502. www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/commissions/disaster 

Energy Commission meets Wed., Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/energy 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed. Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Kristen Lee, 981-5427. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/welfare 

Planning Commission meets Wed. Feb. 23 at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Janet Homrighausen, 981-7484. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/planning 

Police Review Commission meets Wed. Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/policereview 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs. Feb. 24, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. www.ci.ber 

keley.ca.us/commissions/zoning  ›

Beneath its tranquil surface, the Berkeley Public Library is rife with tension. 

With management moving full speed ahead to install a controversial automated checkout system at the same time it has proposed laying off 12 mostly low-level employees, privacy advocates fear Big Brother will soon be lurking behind the checkout desk and library workers are wondering if they will have a place in the fully automated library of the future. 

“The library is a place for people to connect and communicate,” said Nick Nastick, a Berkeley library assistant for the past 16 years. “If we lose that we become just another industrial machine.” 

Nastick is one of several librarians who doesn’t know if he will have a job come July when the layoff proposal, now before the library’s board of trustees, would take effect. 

Facing a $1 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year and having reduced operating hours last year, Library Director Jackie Griffin has suggested overhauling Berkeley libraries. To cut down on workers compensation claims and close the deficit, Griffin has proposed layoffs targeted primarily at library aides and assistants—the employees who spend the most time checking out books and stacking them on shelves. 

Griffin assumes that check-out staff will be in low demand thanks to the introduction of Radio Frequency Identity Devices (RFID), scheduled to be implemented in July.  

Nearly every day for the past several months library employees have sat behind glass doors on the third floor of the main branch sticking palm-size antennae on the library’s 500,000 volume collection. 

When the roll-out is complete, instead of waiting for an employee to swipe each book through a barcode detector, patrons will be able to check out their items in one simple motion by sweeping them over a table top reader. 

“It’s state of the art,” said Doug Karp of New Jersey-based Checkpoint Systems, the largest producer of RFID technology to libraries and the supplier to Berkeley and about 140 other libraries worldwide. Checkpoint products use proprietary technology, only functional with Checkpoint systems, meaning that Berkeley could face risks if the company raises prices or goes out of business. 

And hi-tech doesn’t come cheap. Berkeley is paying $650,000 for the system at a time when budget constraints are being blamed for lost jobs. 

The library, which operates independent of the city administration, has seen the cost of employee benefits surge. And after voters rejected a tax hike on the ballot last November, there is little hope for a sudden infusion of revenue. 

“The intent of RFID was never to take people’s jobs,” said Griffin. “People don’t want to hear this, but the reality is either we cut staff positions or cut back the book budget, those are the only things that are left.” 

Without RFID to improve workplace efficiency, Griffin added, the library would still have to lay off employees and further reduce hours. 

RFID, first used by farmers to track cattle, has been around for over 30 years. However, the recent mushrooming of applications, including tagging prisoners in Michigan, luggage on airplanes, merchandise in Wal-Mart warehouses, and possibly middle school students in Sutter, Calif., has sparked concerns from privacy advocates. 

“We don’t argue that the use of RFID right away is a humongous privacy invasion. We are worried about the society we will end up with 20 years down the road when the technology is ubiquitous,” said Lee Tien, a staff attorney with the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation.  

RFID tags encode items that can then be tracked by specially made devices. In libraries, the system speeds up checkouts and makes inventory easier, library officials say.  

Proponents of RFID say that privacy concerns about the systems are exaggerated. They argue that the reading devices function only if they are within about a foot of the tag and that even if someone managed to read the tag all he would see is an insignificant serial number. 

“The number is meaningless,” said Mark Roberti, editor of RFID Journal, an independent publication. “Unless you have access to the library database and know what book corresponds to the serial number, there is no privacy breach.  

But Tien and other opponents including the American Civil Liberties Union, fear that once a patron leaves the library, authorities could use the tag to track them instead of the book. Someone with a powerful reader, even if he doesn’t know the title of the book, Tien postulated, could follow the patron to other locations with reading devices, like Wal-Mart, the airport or an ATM, and gather more information about the patron. 

Tien also questioned industry claims about the limited power of reading devices and fears that future devices will have longer range. 

“The trajectory of the technology is what we ought to be concerned about,” he said. 

Peter Warfield, head of the Library Users Association in San Francisco, fears that if progressive cities like Berkeley and San Francisco move ahead with RFID, the industry will use it to deflect concerns of privacy advocates. 

“They want to push their way here so they can turn around and tell other cities, ‘Look, there’s no need to worry,’” he said. 

The battle against RFID in San Francisco led the Board of Supervisors to hold up that city’s purchase of an RFID system. Now with the issue returning to the fore this week as the Library Commission reviews its budget for next year, Berkeley’s Griffin thinks out-of-town privacy advocates are using Berkeley as a proxy in their battle to keep RFID out of San Francisco. 

“They’re trying to discredit Berkeley before San Francisco votes,” she said. “For Peter Warfield and Lee Tien, the real issue is the San Francisco Public Library, not us.” 

Griffin, who was library director in Eugene, Ore. when that city started down the road to RFID, pushed, with the backing of a volunteer employee committee, for Berkeley to adopt the system two years ago as it was opening a larger central branch with no money for new hires.  

Griffin has high hopes for Berkeley’s system. She expects self-checkouts to jump from 15 percent to 90 percent and worker’s compensation claims to decline. 

While library directors who instituted the system in other cities rave about its performance, the results have varied. In Santa Clara, which in 2000 became the first city on the West Coast to switch to RFID, but has not yet attached tags to CDs and DVDs, Library Director Karen Saunders said they have achieved a self-checkout rate of 45 percent.  

In Eugene, Ore., which like Berkeley has RFID installed on all its items, self-checkout rates hover just below 100 percent, said Margaret Hazel, the library’s technology manager. 

Neither library laid off workers when it implemented RFID. “What we did in Eugene was reallocate the staff to give them more challenging tasks and more interaction with the public,” Hazel said. 

As far as reducing workers’ compensation claims for repetitive stress syndrome, neither Eugene nor Santa Clara had significant claims prior to implementing RFID, their managers said. In Berkeley, however, Griffin maintains that workers’ compensation claims have costs the library and the city roughly $2 million every five years. 

A 2002 city report lists the library’s year total workers’ compensation costs at just over $1 million. Repetitive motion injuries accounted for three of the 130 claims, while 66 claims were listed as caused by the cumulative impact of various tasks, according to the report. 

Griffin insisted the report only accounts for direct costs and that the library faced an extra million in indirect costs to replace the injured workers. 

Under her reorganization plan, Griffin has called for eliminating positions held by 31 employees and replacing them with 22 new positions, most of which will be filled by current staff now holding the eliminated positions. 

The goal, she said, was to create a more flexible workforce by training several of the remaining library aides and assistants to do more varied work that involved more personal interaction with patrons. 

Eventually, Griffin would like to see the library buy a conveyer belt system that uses RFID technology to intake books and move them to the proper stack for shelving. The system, also made by Checkpoint, is already in place in Santa Clara and Eugene.  

To save jobs, the library workers’ union, SEIU Local 535, has offered to accept mandatory and voluntary time off and reduce a full work week from 40 to 37.5 hours. 

Nastick fears that with 12 fewer employees, the library, currently staffed by 157 full- and part-time workers, will struggle to serve those patrons not wired for the digital age. 

“Now if someone wants to reserve a book we encourage them to do it through the computer,” he said. “It seems like a small thing, but it’s part of the human touch.” 

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Freedom of information advocates got a boost this week when national media company Bloomberg Financial Markets joined the Berkeley Daily Planet’s action to unseal California Wal-Mart records filed in a class action lawsuit. 

In what is described by the law.com website as “the biggest single [class action] case in the nation,” a group of Wal-Mart workers are suing the giant retailer, in Savaglio v. Wal-Mart Stores, for denying pay for missed lunch and rest breaks to 204,000 current and former California employees. 

Last August, the Daily Planet joined the action as an intervenor after it learned that many of the documents filed by Wal-Mart in the case had been placed under “conditional seal,” making them unavailable to the public. The Planet is being represented by the Oakland law firm of Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld in its motion to open all of the Wal-Mart documents to the public. 

Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld attorney M. Suzanne Murphy said that Bloomberg would bring “considerable clout” to the lawsuit. Bloomberg formally entered the case Friday. 

On Monday, a Bloomberg representative sat in the back of an Oakland courtroom and took notes as Daily Planet attorneys argued against a tentative ruling by Superior Court Judge Ronald M. Sabraw that some of the Wal-Mart documents would remain under wraps. 

At issue are nine volumes of documents filed by Wal-Mart which include labor guidelines, pay and incentive guidelines, timekeeping system records, and store operational reviews. 

On Monday morning, Judge Sabraw listened to Murphy and attorney Jessica Grant of the Furth Firm, representing the Savaglio plaintiffs, try to convince him of the defectiveness of his preliminary order that at least one of those nine volumes remain sealed. At times the proceedings resembled more of a conversation than a hearing, with Sabraw breaking into the attorneys’ presentations to ask devil’s-advocate questions or counter their assertions. At one point, the judge apologized to Murphy for “continuing to interrupt your argument.” 

Wal-Mart attorney William Edlund said he was satisfied with the judge’s preliminary ruling, and offered only token argument. He said that the amount of material to remain sealed “is only a small number,” and said that he would go through documents with Daily Planet attorneys to make sure any information was not “improperly redacted.” 

It was a feisty Grant who provided the only zinger of the hearing. In answer to the judge’s written ruling that many of the at-issue documents are protectable trade secrets, Grant said that “the documents show that Wal-Mart has a competitive edge because they’re breaking the law. They’re exploiting their hourly employees.” 

When Judge Sabraw admitted that he had not read many of the documents at issue but was relying on the affidavits of Wal-Mart officials that the requested documents were “confidential material,” Grant called the affidavits “boilerplate documents” that offered only the officials’ word, but no details as to how the documents were handled. She said that many of the requested documents were available to all Wal-Mart employees on the company website, and the company had not shown it had taken steps to keep employees from distributing that information. “Any one of these workers could download these same documents and pass it on to a newspaper,” Grant said. 

“All the court can do is control the documents in this case,” Sabraw replied. “The Daily Planet could get these documents off the Internet themselves and publish them, and as far as I’m concerned that would not be a violation of this order to seal.” 

Daily Planet attorney Murphy said in reply that this put the burden on plaintiffs to try to search for the documents. “Our office spent a tremendous amount of research time trying to determine if any of these documents were already in the public domain, either on the Internet or in cases in other states. We have the resources to do that. Many of the news outlets do not.” 

In the end, Sabraw told attorneys for both sides that “even if I seal these records, such an order is not necessarily permanent. It’s always possible to bring a motion to unseal the documents at another time, as circumstances dictate.” 

Sabraw left open the possibility that the sealed documents could still be introduced at trial, which is scheduled to begin in June. “At that point, I’ll rule again on whether the documents can be made public,” he said. “If not, I can order the courtroom closed during the time when those sealed documents are introduced and argued.” 

Murphy and Grant said they expected the judge’s final ruling on the sealed documents within a week.›

A Berkeley High School student accused of inadvertently bringing a gun on campus in her backpack is entitled to an expulsion hearing before the school board which could limit her punishment, expel her for a full year, or find her innocent, according to a youth rights expert. 

Two weeks ago, a BHS student, whose name has not been released, was detained by school safety officers and then arrested by Berkeley police after classmates saw the gun in her backpack. BHS Vice Principal of Discipline and Safety Denise Brown said that the student’s father told Brown that he had given the girl the gun for “safekeeping.” 

The gun had one bullet in the chamber, although the student told school officials she thought she had emptied the gun. 

Public Information Officer Joe Okies of the Berkeley Police Department said that the case is still under investigation. “No decision has yet been made on possible charges, or who is going to be charged,” Okies said. 

That left open the possibility that criminal charges could be brought against either the student or the parent. 

Abigail Trillin, managing attorney for the San Francisco-based Legal Services for Children, a non-profit law firm, said in a telephone interview that a principal can only recommend expulsion, but expulsion can only be ordered by the district school board after holding an evidentiary hearing. She said that the purpose of the board’s expulsion hearing is first to determine if the student is guilty of knowingly bringing a weapon on campus. 

“The standard is that she was knowingly in possession of the weapon,” Trillin said. “One question would be if she put the weapon in her backpack herself, or if it was put there by someone else. And if she did put the weapon in the backpack, there’s the question of if she actually forgot that it was there. That would be one of the issues of whether she ‘knowingly’ brought the weapon on campus.” 

And even though state law mandates that the school board uphold expulsion under the weapons possession statute, the board has wide latitude on the actual period of punishment. 

Trillin said that while the period of expulsion for a weapons possession charge is listed in state law as a year from the date of the occurrence, California school boards have the ability to shorten that time or, “if they find extenuating circumstances,” waive it altogether. In such a waiver, the student is expelled from school, but the expulsion is suspended.  

Trillin has not been in touch with the student or parent in question, but only learned the details of the case from the Daily Planet. 

BUSD Public Information Officer Mark Coplan said he knew of one such recent case in Davis, “where a student had been hunting over the weekend, left his rifle in the gunrack on his truck, and drove to school without realizing the gun was there. In that case, the district expelled him, but then immediately suspended the expulsion.” 

Coplan had earlier told the Daily Planet that the student had been expelled by BHS administration officials, but corrected that statement this week, saying that state law makes it mandatory that a student be recommended for expulsion if found with a gun on a public school campus. “It’s up to the board to make the decision on expulsion and punishment,” Coplan said. 

The board expulsion hearing must be held within 30 days of the date the expulsion was recommended by the school principal. 

Coplan said that Gerald Harrick of the BUSD Office of Student Services—who is in charge of district student disciplinary matters—met with the student and her father this week to discuss the situation. Harrick was not available for comment.›

Blocked from showing first-run art films by the collective clout of Berkeley’s two major theater operators, Allen Michaan has given up the Oaks Theater at 1875 Solano Ave. 

“Metropolitan Theaters of Los Angles bought out my lease, and they’re taking over as of Friday,” said Michaan, a Berkeleyan best known as the owner of the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland and the author of the pointedly political messages that adorn its marquee. 

“The Oaks is the best theater in Berkeley in the best neighborhood in Berkeley,” said Michaan. “The problem is that we were not able to get the first-run art films we wanted.” 

He said he was unable to get the movies he wanted in the Oaks because of the power Regal Entertainment and Landmark Theatres have over movie distribution in the city.  

Landmark Theatres, which bills itself as “the nation’s largest art house chain,” controls 204 screens in 14 states, including those at three downtown Berkeley locations: Shattuck Cinemas, the California Theater and Act 1 & 2.  

The chain also owns a near neighbor of the Oaks—the Albany Twin at 1115 Solano Ave. 

“Landmark has succeeded in dominating the art film market,” Michaan said, effectively shutting his four theaters out of the market for first-run features. 

Regal Entertainment, which owns the UA Berkeley 7 multiplex on Shattuck Avenue, also owns two other East Bay multiplexes, the UA Emery Bay Stadium 10 and the Regal Jack London at 100 Washington St. in Oakland. 

The 6,000-screen chain is the nation’s largest and wields tremendous clout in locking up first-run films. 

The Oaks’ new operators, Los Angles-based Metropolitan Theatres Corporation, have been a family-owned business since its inception in 1923. The firm is now run by David Corwin, the fourth generation of his family to serve as president of the firm. 

“We don’t plan any dramatic changes,” Corwin said of his Berkeley acquisition. “We have access to a bit more films that Allen did, and we hope to expand the offerings.” 

With 115 screens across North America, Metropolitan has its strongest presence in San Barbara County, home of its flagship theater, the Arlington in Santa Barbara, a 2,000-seat venue featuring live performances and films. 

“There are similarities in the marketplace and demographics” of San Barbara and Berkeley, Corwin said. 

“With better film offerings, we will be a very viable alternative to the more crowded Shattuck Avenue theaters,” he said. 

The Oaks will also include more family fare on its bill to draw in residents of the local neighborhood, he said. 

Michaan’s Renaissance Rialto, Inc., has been widely praised for restoring classic movie houses in the East Bay and was honored last year by the Art Deco Society of California “for preserving extant art deco theaters as first-run enterprises and creating a new repertory house to showcase vintage film.” 

The revival house, run from the base theater at the former Alameda Naval Air Station at 2700 Saratoga St., closed earlier this year due to small turnouts. Michaan retains the lease and uses the theater as an auction room for his Auctions by the Bay business. 

While the Grand Lake at 3200 Grand Ave. is Michaan’s best-known showcase, he also controls the Orinda at 2 Theater Square in Orinda and the Park Theater, which remains a single screen venue in Lafayette.  

Michaan said he will certainly retain control over the Grand Lake, but he was less emphatic about the other two houses. 

“Right now, I’m concentrating on the auction business,” he said. 

Michaan came to Berkeley in the late 1960s, showing classic films on the UC Berkeley campus and in the Berkeley High School Auditorium. 

He was 20 when he opened his first theater, the Rialto, in a vacant warehouse on Gilman Street in 1970. In the following years, he offered films in as many as 19 locations. 

He acquired the Grand Lake in 1980, and has turned the 1926 movie palace into one of the Bay Area’s best-loved theaters, repeatedly voted “Best Theater” by readers of the San Francisco Chronicle and named as one of America’s 10 great venues for classic films by USA Today in 2001.›

UC Berkeley Monday asked the Richmond City Council to derail a proposed council resolution that calls for stricter oversight of the ongoing toxic waste cleanup at the Richmond Field Station (RFS). 

Irene Hegarty, campus director of community relations, dispatched an e-mail Monday afternoon to the full City Council objecting to provisions in a measure on Tuesday night’s agenda. 

The resolution by Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin calls for a transfer of full oversight of both the RFS and adjoining Campus Bay site into the hands of the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. 

“We believe the university’s field station property is listed in the draft resolution as a result of confusion with the neighboring ‘Campus Bay’ (Zeneca) site—a separate and distinct site remediation project being conducted by others,” Hegarty wrote. “We request that the draft resolution be modified to remove the field station from its scope.” 

But it’s no mistake, said McLaughlin, whose resolution comes up for consideration at Tuesday’s council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in Richmond City Council chambers, 1401 Marina Way South. 

McLaughlin said she intends to push for the more stringent control which the DTSC can provide over the cleanup at both the university-owned field station and at Campus Bay. 

Both sites were under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board until critics of activities at Campus Bay triggered a state legislative hearing called by East Bay Assemblymember Loni Hancock that resulted in the water board ceding control of the upland portion of Campus Bay to the DTSC in December. 

The water board has limited scientific expertise because of funding cuts and the agency has no toxicologists on staff. The DTSC, on the other hand, is well staffed with toxics experts. 

Hegarty told the councilmembers that the university “is conducting an aggressive and closely monitored cleanup of contamination caused by historic industrial activities.” 

To date, UC Berkeley has spent $15 million on cleaning up RFS pollution, some of which stems from a century of chemical manufacturing at the Campus Bay site and some from the field station’s earlier incarnation as a manufacturing plant for blasting caps made of fulminate of mercury. 

Mercury is a dangerous pollutant linked to severe nerve and brain damage in fetuses and insanity in adults. 

“Our concern is that a change in the lead agency for this project could cause a significant delay in the remaining cleanup and eventual development of the field station with no added benefit to the university or community,” Hegarty said. 

She said the university will send an official to testify at the meetings, and offered to make officials available to councilmembers before the meeting. 

Richmond Councilmember Tom Butt issued his own reply to Hegarty, noting that the city has repeatedly attempted to open talks with the university about the future of the field station. 

“Unfortunately,” he wrote, “these discussions have met with little or no interest from UC Berkeley. 

“Now we have a major problem with our constituents who have uncovered negligence by the (San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board) in managing the cleanup of the Zeneca/Campus Bay site, and they are interested in not only Campus Bay but also the Field Station, since the two sites have much in common. 

“Perhaps this is a good time to reopen the discussions. . .about the Field Station so that there is some consideration of mutual interests.” 

Sherry Padgett, the most vocal critic of cleanup operations at the two sites, praised McLaughlin’s resolution. 

“We want DTSC to determine what the UC Field Station can or cannot be used for,” she said. “DTSC is the appropriate agency to determine if areas of the property should never have buildings constructed because the hazardous waste will never reach full remediation. DTSC is the agency to continue multiple lifetime monitoring. 

“UC will be better served over the long run if they welcome the top toxic cop to oversee their cleanup operations.” 

Just last week, DTSC issued a new order governing the Campus Bay site, ordering a new survey of toxins on site, removal of excavated soils dredged from a shoreline marsh and installation of a fence surrounding most of the property, replete with hazardous waste warning signs. 

Padgett and other members of Bay Area Residents for Responsible Development say they are also concerned that both sites are slated for development by the same firm, Cherokee-Simeon Ventures. 

UC Berkeley plans to turn the field station into a corporate/academic research park, to be known as Bayside Research Campus, while Cherokee-Simeon hopes to turn Campus Bay into a 1,330-unit housing project. 

›

Question: How can an election in which women are not allowed to run or vote, which is restricted to the municipal level and in which voters are allowed to elect only half of their city councils be vitally important?  

Answer: When it’s held in Saudi Arabia.  

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, will enter the history books as the day of the very first election in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a land that has been ruled with a tight fist by its namesake royal family since its establishment 80 years ago. Elections in the Palestinian territories and in Iraq last month did not in any way diminish the importance of the Saudi election. It was front-page news in the Arab press, including in Saudi newspapers, and was the subject of commentaries and columns throughout the region.  

A leading Saudi daily published in London, Asharq Al-Awsat, dedicated four front-page columns to a photo of a Saudi man holding up his son to drop his voting paper in the ballot box. Usually photos on this page are reserved for royal family members in routine acts of governing.  

In a commentary in the same paper, Amir Taheri called the election a significant historical day for the Kingdom on three levels. First, because it proved that people are capable of choosing for themselves. Second, because there was no public opposition to the election. And third, because the election gave a snapshot of the middle class in Saudi society, which is forging new cultural and social structures and overcoming the old tribal limits. Taheri concludes optimistically, predicting more reform and democracy in the near future.  

The Al-Watan daily in the capital city of Riyadh, where the first installment of voting took place, ran comprehensive coverage of the elections. Some of the headlines, stories, and comments could not have been published in a Saudi paper even just the day before. Along with the usual beat reporting, coverage included such reports as, “A Minister Couldn’t Vote When He Arrived Late,” “Candidates Blow Kisses to Get Votes,” “Candidates Picked for Wealth or Kinship, But Plans and Reputations Came First,” and “Mosques Became Campaigning Sites.” A reporter in the paper noted in his article that an election culture is beginning to “run in the blood of citizens.”  

The English language daily Arab News led its coverage with headlines such as, “High Hopes Abound for Fledgling Reforms,” “Saudis Vote in Historic Election” and “Women Can’t Be Left Far Behind.” Al-Hayat, another daily, reflected on the historic meaning of the municipal election.  

Beirut’s newspapers were no less excited. The headline in the Al-Mustaqbal daily, published in Beirut and distributed heavily in Saudi Arabia, called the elections a historic day passed in peace and order. As-Safir Daily wrote, “Saudi Arabia broke a psychological barrier with the ballot box.” But An-Nahar, Beirut’s leading daily, underscored the absence of women from the electorate, calling the elections “a first step waiting for the women’s vote.”  

In Kuwait, Al-Qabas’ headline read, “Saudis voted for reform in historic elections...and women are sad.” It quoted a Saudi official and member of the royal family, Prince Khaled Bin Sultan, who promised some form of national elections based on the success of the municipal one.  

However, the excitement was not enough to dismiss the forced absence of women. While most reports included some vague promises of women’s future participation, other columnists attacked the issue head-on. In her column titled, “For Men Only,” Sahar Ba’aseeri of An-Nahar Beirut called the election deficient and asserted that any reform that does not include women is doomed to fail.  

Karim Albedani of Al-Badeel in Baghdad, Iraq, labeled the election, “Men’s democracy of extremism.” He wrote that religion was no excuse for excluding women from the polls and saw this justification as pure dictatorial tactics.  

The municipal elections in Saudi Arabia will be conducted in three stages. The first was held in the capital Alreyad and the surrounding areas. The next election, on March 3, will cover the eastern provinces of the kingdom. The final stage will take place in the western regions on April 17.  

There were 1,818 candidates competing for 127 seats in yesterday’s elections.  

Veteran Arab journalist and New California Media associate Mohamad Ozeir is a former editor of the Arab American Journal. ›

Small schools, diversity, and the achievement gap between white and minority students—issues that have been driving Berkeley public school policy for several years—will be highlighted Wednesday at the Berkeley Unified School District board meeting. 

The board will consider proposals to refine and expand Academic Choice at Berkeley High and to add a small school for the arts to the BHS campus. In addition, the board will take a look at the state of the district’s finances, as well as respond to contract amendment proposals by its classified employees. 

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Old City Hall on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. 

The 600-student Academic Choice (AC) Program functions as a sort of hybrid small school-large school program at Berkeley High, with participants taking specialized, accelerated AC courses while also eligible for the high school’s diverse elective classes. The AC design team is asking for board approval to expand to the ninth grade—it currently operates grades 10 to12—and to address concerns that minority groups are poorly represented in the program. 

In his recommendation of the AC proposal, BHS principal Jim Slemp writes that the high school administration “believe(s) that diversity in (the) program along with the high academic expectations will help reduce the achievement gap at BHS.” 

Shortly before it considers the AC proposal, the board will be asked to approve Berkeley High’s fourth small school: the Arts and Humanities Academy (AHA). If approved, AHA will join the high school’s existing Communications Arts and Science and Community Partnership Academy and the recently-approved School of Social Justice and Ecology. 

In its proposal, AHA insists that it will not detract from Berkeley High’s “finely developed” Visual and Performing Arts program, and will create a “national model for small schools of the arts.” 

On the financial front, the board will consider a revised fiscal report that assigns a “qualified” status to the district: that based on current projections, Berkeley Unified “may not” be able to meet its financial obligations through fiscal year 2006-07. 

The “qualified” designation was expected, with board members in recent weeks saying that while the district is on the right track financially after several difficult years, they did not think it was out of the woods yet. 

After having discussed the matter during several weeks of closed sessions, the board will be asked to ratify responses to the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees’ proposals to amend its three-year contract with the district. BCCE presented its proposals to BUSD in early December. Superintendent Michele Lawrence has said that such amendment proposals are common within a three-year labor contract cycle.

The Berkeley City Council meets today (Tuesday) with a single-minded focus on how to deal with the city’s estimated $7.5 million deficit. 

As part of Mayor Bates’ strategy for attacking the deficit, every month until June the council will devote one full meeting a month solely to the budget, with the first such meeting this week. 

No city manager’s report to the council was available at press time Monday. City Manager Phil Kamlarz’s recommendations, as listed on the meeting agenda, include authorizing one-day-a-month closure of non-essential city services and beginning talks with city unions about layoffs and other strategies to save money. Last year, the city compelled most of its unions to give back a portion of their scheduled raises to help close a $10.3 million deficit. 

With $3.5 million in unanticipated revenue, mostly from higher than expected revenue from a city tax on property transfers, Kamlarz is proposing that the council approve using the money for capital improvements like repairing roads and one-time expenditures such as a new police dispatch system. 

Kamlarz is also seeking the council’s permission to allocate reserves from the city’s general fund to offset negative balances in special funds, and is asking for feedback on a proposal to streamline city boards and commissions and reduce the staff support they receive.  

Last week, in preparation for finalizing the budget, councilmembers ranked their top 25 priorities and projects in a paper poll. The non-binding results, compiled by Deputy City Manager Lisa Caronna, showed that the four highest vote getters, with votes from several councilmembers, included affordable housing, business retention, rebuilding the Center Street garage and updating the West Berkeley Plan.  

Receiving six votes apiece were the proposed downtown hotel and convention center, school-linked health services, creating an arts district in South Berkeley, improving the streetscape of San Pablo Avenue, increasing support for environmentally friendly buildings and improving the city’s ability to collect fines for parking violations. 

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A group of local environmentalists kicked off their bid Tuesday to pressure U.S. Congress and the Bush administration to ratify the Kyoto Protocol one city at a time. 

“Our hope is that people will step up as citizens and as city residents to do what the federal government refuses to do,” said Juliet Lamont of Kyoto USA. 

The group, founded last December by Berkeley residents Tom and Jane Kelly, has already won the support of the Berkeley City Council and friends in far away places. 

“Time is not on our side,” said Enele Sopoaga, United Nations Representative from the Island nation of Tuvalu, who flew in from New York for the Berkeley event this week. 

Sopoaga said that Tuvalu, a South Pacific island with 10,000 inhabitants, that rises no higher than four meters above the Pacific, has seen advancing sea levels, which he attributes to the effects of global warming, dump salt on its limited arable land. 

As the quality of its soil erodes from salt intrusion, Tuvalu has few options and has considered evacuating the island, Sopoaga said. 

“For us in Tuvalu and small island nations already suffering from climate change, this initiative is the best valentine that our global island and community could ever have,” he said. 

The Kyoto Protocol, which goes into effect Wednesday, requires signatories to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions that are believed to result in global warming. 

The U.S., responsible for 25 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, is joined by Australia as the only two major industrialized nations not to sign the accord. Both nations have expressed concern that the restrictions required by Kyoto could harm domestic industry. 

Kyoto USA asks cities to effectively implement the protocol by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by between five to seven percent. 

“By acting individually and collectively, we clean our air and water, improve our health, create economic activity and leave a vibrant place for all the world’s children,” Tom Kelly said. 

Berkeley has initiated numerous programs aimed at reducing the city’s consumption of greenhouse gases. Among them, the city has converted its entire fleet of diesel trucks to non-polluting bio-diesel fuel, installed energy-saving light bulbs that reduce the need for natural gas, implemented a car share program where residents can use city cars during non-business hours, and hired students to give free home energy saving installations that have eliminated an estimated 281 tons of greenhouse gases.

“Everything happened so quickly,” says Pradeep, a tall, trim real estate agent based in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, recalling his first nervous meeting with Madhu, his bride-to-be, at a four-star hotel in New Delhi on Christmas 2002.  

He didn’t feel entirely comfortable with her, at first, he says. “She just sat there, biting her nails.” But Pradeep was impressed by something she said. “I asked, ‘What are you looking for in a husband?’ and she said, ‘He should be nice and caring.’ Usually, they ask how much money you make!”  

Pradeep and Madhu were married three weeks later, and she came to live with him in California in May 2003. In some ways, their story is typical—an Indian man who settles in the United States, earns some money, and goes back to India to choose a bride.  

But what happened next illustrates a dark side of the Indian marriage story. Pradeep, 31, a naturalized U.S. citizen, says he became the victim of extortion, embezzlement and immigration fraud.  

Pradeep and Madhu returned to India in January 2004 at her insistence so that she could see her family. According to documents Pradeep filed with U.S. immigration authorities, once they arrived at her family’s house, he was drugged, held at gunpoint, and held captive for weeks in an attempt to extort $60,000 and help in obtaining visas to the U.S. for the rest of the family.  

Only after his family in the U.S. contacted the FBI’s office in New Delhi, the Diplomatic Security Services, and the New Delhi police, was he able to escape.  

Ajay, a 27-year-old H1-B high tech worker in New Jersey, told India-West in a phone interview that he met his bride on Shaadi.com, a leading matrimonial Web site. After two years of marriage in the United States, she said she wanted to return to India to be with her parents.  

Back in India, she accused him of demanding a dowry and filed a complaint against him under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. Commonly called “498A,” the section defines the offense of “matrimonial cruelty” and makes demanding dowry a crime.  

The law has been a lifesaver for women who have faced harassment or torture at the hands of their husband or his family. Offenders face up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine.  

But 498A has become a nightmare for many husbands as well.  

In some cases where the accused husband has left India, judges have refused bail unless his family deposits a sum of money in his name as a precondition to the grant of bail; some men say their parents have been taken into custody as well. Ajay says he has had to pay a total of $10,000 in legal expenses to keep his own parents in India out of jail.  

The number of false dowry claims against men is still overshadowed by the number of dowry deaths and other dowry-related crimes against women in India. A BBC report last year stated that Indian government statistics showed that nearly 7,000 women were killed in 2001 by their husbands and in-laws over inadequate dowry payments.  

But the abuse of anti-dowry laws has become serious enough that the United States Department of State has published a travel warning about “Dowry/Visa Demands” for travelers to India. The warning states in part: “A number of U.S. citizen men who have come to India to marry Indian nationals have been arrested and charged with crimes related to dowry extraction ... The courts sometimes order the U.S. citizen to pay large sums of money to his spouse in exchange for the dismissal of charges. The courts normally confiscate the American’s passport, and he must remain in India until the case has been settled.”  

The State Department cannot say how many false complaints are filed each year. However, “The fact that we issued a warning should be an indication of how widespread the problem is,” says John Peters, the department’s citizen services specialist for India.  

Still, as in any case where an American citizen is accused of breaking local laws overseas, there is not much that the State Department can do, says Angela Aggeler, a State Department spokesperson.  

Just as the U.S. State Department’s ability to get involved is limited, so too is that of the Indian Embassy here in the U.S. Akhilesh Mishra, deputy consul general for the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, told India-West: “The Consulate has no specific role or comment on the issue, which has to be addressed through usual legal means.”  

Many Indian men who immigrate to the United States would never think to be concerned over whether a “slim, fair” bride advertised in the Times of India or on a marriage website might try to extort money or visas out of him.  

Deepak is a 28-year-old computational engineer in the East Bay who has spent his life savings battling 498A legal woes.  

“I see these guys at the airport on their way to India, and I think, ‘They look like poultry going to be slaughtered,’” he says with a melancholy laugh.  

Lisa Tsering is a staff reporter for India West, a San Leandro, Calif.-based news weekly. The names of the men who were allegedly victimized have been changed for their protection. 

›

NIGHT LIFE DISTRICT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Elliot Cohen wrote in his commentary “Why Not Create a Berkeley Night Life District?” (Daily Planet, Feb. 4-7) of issuing 24-hour operations permits to businesses in downtown Berkeley and promoting the developme nt of bars and clubs. “A night life entertainment district will add vibrancy to our city [and] help grow and support locally owned businesses” he said. I agree with Cohen, there should be 24-hour spots in Berkeley. Bars and clubs would be okay in moderation, but what about a few spots for people who just want to get out of the cold or maybe do a little late night studying? There is a distinct absence of 24-hour cafes and diners in Berkeley with no good reason. Such businesses would generate more money in the local economy with little worry of the problems that may accompany bars and night clubs, and they would contribute to the “vibrancy”—as Mr. Cohen puts—it which is sorely lacking in Berkeley currently. 

Ben Ditch 

• 

DERBY FIELD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

T he only and last plan I saw for the proposed baseball field at Derby Street, the field orientation was not correct in relation to the batter/pitcher/sun relationship. If need be I will go to court (get it, sue) to enforce the proper orientation to protect the batter and the BUSD. 

Silly to build a new baseball field that is sub-standard. I only want the best baseball field that our public can buy. 

Richard Splenda 

• 

SAN PABLO CASINO 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I really don’t see what’s so bad about the San Pablo Casino. The only real problem is competition for the card clubs and Nevada. People want to gamble, so let them—and tax them. 

If public morality is such a big issue, we then shouldn’t have so many liquor stores. We can’t even have a bus stop taking up in-and-out parking in front of a liquor store. 

At least the proposed casino will be on a main bus line. I’d be a big supporter of the casino if it paid a tax to support public transit, like the bridge tolls. I’d even ride the bus to play the slots onc e in a while. 

Steve Geller 

• 

LANDMARKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It seems that in Berkeley, the Landmark process is used to stop development of any kind. This cheapens the designation and is unfair to property owners. Many citizens appreciate the restoration of buildings of historic or architectural merit. However, Landmark designation should not be done without compensation to property owners that do not seek (and are saddled with additional costs) by it. It costs more to renovate landmark buildings (for seismic, ADA, building and fire code issues, etc.).  

If Berkeley truly values the landmarks it wishes to preserve, it should do several things. First, Berkeley should grant every property owner of a new landmark the right to sell the development rights that were taken as a result of the designation (i.e., a Transfer of Development Rights), a density bonus or other incentive. Secondly, Berkeley should provide not just the mandate, but also financial and technical assistance to rehabilitate such buildings. Lastly, Berkeley should institute a policy where the landmark process cannot begin after the development process on a property has begun (i.e., a credible project application). Absent these measures, the landmarks process will only be viewed as a tool of NIMBYs, rather than a tool for preservation.  

Ignacio Dayrit 

• 

CELIA’S  

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The story on the granting of “structure of merit” status to Celia’s restaurant contained one error, and the decision itself highlights the main problem with this little-understood provision of the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance.  

Contrary to what the story claimed, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has not recommended the elimination of this category in the forthcoming revised LPO. During the preparat ion of its recommendations for changes to the ordinance, the LPC deliberately ducked: It concluded that structure of merit was too “huge” a public policy issue even to be considered, and its proposal was therefore silent on the issue. However, the State H istoric Preservation Office, the Mayor’s Task Force on Permitting, and local group Livable Berkeley have all recommended that this “largely redundant” category of protection be eliminated.  

The actual Celia’s decision shows how structure of merit has con sistently been used to distort desirable landmarking processes. The ordinance says that if a structure “does not currently meet the criteria as set out for a landmark, but it is worthy of preservation as part of a neighborhood, a block or a street frontag e, or as part of a group of buildings which includes landmarks, that structure may be designated a structure of merit.” That language is not meant to establish structure of merit as a “consolation prize,” although that’s clearly what was done with Celia’s. A structure of merit must contribute to a scene or neighborhood containing landmarked or landmark-worthy buildings. The isolated Celia’s, sitting alone on an expansive parking lot, is not “part of” anything in the sense that the ordinance requires. The fact that such a politically motivated designation could be passed without regard to the ordinance’s requirements shows that the useful life of this portion of the LPO has clearly passed.  

Alan Tobey  

• 

WEST BERKELEY BOWL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I genuinely appreciate Dale Smith’s saying he respects my opinions, but I am afraid that I cannot agree with his arguments for the West Berkeley Bowl (“Weighing in on West Berkeley Bowl,” Daily Planet, Feb. 11-14). 

It is certainly true that many people have to drive to buy groceries, as Smith says, given the way that cities are now built. 

It is also true that many people cannot drive to buy groceries, because they cannot afford cars or because they are too elderly to drive. This group will become larger as the population continues to age.  

Both these groups are served by traditional-sized neighborhood supermarkets of 27,000 or 28,000 square feet, such as Andronico’s and Whole Foods. But the people who cannot drive are not served by freeway-oriented mega-marke ts.  

The West Berkeley Mega-Bowl obviously will draw many shoppers who now use the University Avenue Andronico’s, and it may threaten that store’s economic viability. That Andronico’s serves people who walk to it from Strawberry Creek Lodge, many of whom are too elderly to drive and would not have access to a supermarket if Andronico’s failed.  

Doesn’t Smith remember how hard it was to get a replacement for the Safeway that used to be at the current Berkeley Bowl site? The city almost gave up and let a McFrugals move in, which would have left the neighborhood without a supermarket permanently. That Safeway was economically viable for decades, but it failed because of competition from freeway-oriented stores—and its failure was a real hardship for poor and elderly people in its neighborhood.  

More freeway-oriented supermarkets will mean more failures of neighborhood supermarkets, causing more hardship.  

Trucks delivering groceries to neighborhood stores are a bit of a nuisance, as Smith says (though I expect this nuisance will diminish as hybrid diesel trucks replace conventional diesel). However, in environmental terms, it is much better for trucks to bring groceries to the neighborhoods where people live than it is for people to abandon local superma rkets and drive further to freeway-oriented supermarkets.  

The current Bowl is already a regional draw, as Smith says. But there will be a much bigger regional draw that will destroy more local shopping if we have two Bowls instead of one—with the second Bowl 25 percent larger than the existing one and right on the freeway, where it is most convenient to regional shoppers.  

Charles Siegel  

• 

BIKING TO THE BOWL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In discussing the traffic problems that might result from a new Berkeley Bowl in southwest Berkeley, Dale Smith says it’s not possible to use a bike for grocery shopping when you have a family of four. That’s not true. I’ve been shopping for years for a family of five using a bike, just like any able-bodied person can. You put a rack and two large baskets over the back wheel, and a basket on the handlebars, and use a backpack if needed. If you take these simple steps, you might even end up spending less time shopping because you’ll never get stuck in our city’s increasingly vile gridlock or sit there burning fossil fuel while you wait for a parking spot.  

It’s a damn shame that every time people want to construct a useful building in this town there’s a hassle about cars and parking. Quit driving everywhere and the whole problem evaporates, plus you do the environment a favor. And when you bike to the Bowl, remember those reusable bags.  

Bob Schildgen 

• 

LEFT-WING ROVE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

One evening, after a meeting of local Democrats, we adjourned to the coffee shop to discuss the question of why we Dems always seem to be responding rather than being on the offensive. 

By the second latte, we had it nailed. What we need is a Democrat version of Karl Rove. So we asked ourselves, “What would Karl Rove do in our present state of affairs if he were a Democrat?” Halfway through the third latte we had him analyzed and categorized. Here’s what we came up with. 

When there is a serious issue, like Social Security or the war in Iraq, pick a diversionary topic and go on the attack. Pick something salacious, with strong overtones of self-righteous morality, but at the same time something really quite trivial and inconsequential in the general scheme of things. Frame it as a question, and then go on an all-out offensive with i t. 

For example, “Why, unlike her predecessor Madeline Albright, has Condoleezza Rice refused to come out of the closet? Why doesn’t she support gay rights? What is she afraid of?” And then for a snappy closer, use something with the phrase “American peo ple” in it, like. “The American people have a right to know who their secretary of state is.” 

We think that’s Rove to a T. What do you think Karl Rove would do if he were a Democrat? 

James Ritz 

El Cerrito 

• 

DOMESTIC ABUSE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I grea tly enjoy your newspaper and am especially gratified by its sensible combination of critical thinking and political awareness. It is therefore with some disappointment that I saw an egregious error in the Feb. 4 issue by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor (“Mayor Br own Takes Wrong Turn with Parolee Curfew”). Admittedly, it was not the central point of his column, but it is nevertheless galling to read regarding domestic violence calls for assistance: “The report did not specify whether the victims of the violence were wives or children.” Let’s see now, who is the author missing here?  

Many human beings struck by domestic violence, in fact almost certainly the majority of adult victims are not “wives.” Non-married women can of course be victims of domestic violence. And, as the Department of Justice has acknowledged, males constitute a significant percentage of domestic violence victims. Exact figures vary, as they inevitably will, but somewhere between 36 and 60 percent of all adult victims of domestic violence car ry a Y chromosome. If there ever was an excuse for willfully ignoring male victims, it disappeared with the 1997 publication of Philip Cook’s seminal book Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence. Dr. Martin S. Fiebert, psychology professor at Cal ifornia State University, Long Beach, has tabulated no fewer than 155 studies documenting the substantial levels of male victimization in domestic violence.  

Sure, males are on average stronger than females, but there are many exceptions, and the elements of surprise and weapons can easily flip the advantage to a female against even the brawniest male. As best-selling author Dr. Warren Farrell has repeatedly, tirelessly pointed out, out of well over 50 studies using randomly chosen subjects and studying both male and female violence, not a single one has concluded that males commit a substantial majority of domestic violence. Most studies find that, when we compare male and female, violence is an equal opportunity atrocity. At the National Coalition of F ree Men, the world’s largest and oldest membership organization devoted to public education regarding gender discrimination against males, we deplore all violence equally. We only seek to set the record, and Mr. Allen-Taylor, straight. 

J. Steven Svoboda 

P ublic Relations Director 

National Coalition of Free Men 

• 

ENOUGH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Richard Brenneman, please, please stop your strained attempts at humor and cleverness in the Daily Planet’s Police Blotter column. Please. 

You appear to be trying t o self-consciously recreate the well-loved oddball tone of small-town crime reports (”woman reported man cooing like dove; when officers arrived, he was cawing like a crow; citation issued for disturbing the peace”) while at the same time giving your very considerable vocabulary and store of cop clichés a workout. That’s all very nice for you. 

But think of those who have been victims of the crimes you write about. It’s simply inappropriate to turn these items into little entertainment nuggets. (The curre nt crop of items (Feb. 11-14) includes several examples of what I’m talking about: “When Girlfriends Collide,” “Painful Pier Pounding,” ‘Assault with Deadly Phone.’ All are marked by an overdose of arch attitude and a dearth of basic facts). 

And think of your readers. The reason the small-town crime reports are well-loved is because less is more: The incidents are related in a straightforward way. The humor and irony in them, if there is any, lies in understatement, in letting the oddness of the facts sp eak to the reader with the minimum of editorial intervention. Beyond the matter of tone is the issue of substance: In a place like Berkeley where serious, big-city crime can and does happen, the police blotter has a serious role to play as a public service; that role is only undercut by well-meaning but misguided attempts to turn crime reporting into humor writing. 

Dan Brekke 

• 

THANKS FOR THE LAUGHS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am now firmly convinced that the high point of Richard Brenneman’s week is when he gets to write the headlines and details of the Police Blotter. This week, a “Painful Pier Pounding” and “When Girlfriends Collide” made for entertaining reading, reminiscent of old Rocky and Bullwinkel episodes. Thanks for the laughs! 

Tim Cannon 

• 

WAR M WATER POOL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

After fighting many battles for over a decade to retain and rehab the Berkeley High School warm water pool, the community finds the pool’s existence is in crisis once again. The warm water pool is used by students of B USD, Vista College and is prescribed by medical practitioners as physical therapy for the disabled and elderly. For the past decade, there have been attempts from various quarters to divest the Berkeley High School campus of the warm water pool. Even thou gh the BUSD board has previously voted to keep the warm water pool in the south campus of BHS and the Berkeley voters passed Measure R in 2000 which provided $3 million to rehab the warm water pool at its current location; there are now renewed attempts to derail the pool. 

The BUSD hired consultants to guide a BHS South Campus Master Plans planning process with a series of meetings over the past several months. The major proposed change for the south campus to emerge from this process was the relocation of the Berkeley warm water pool to the former tennis courts on Milvia St., which the district is currently using to park employees cars. In order to accommodate the parking spaces that would be displaced by the warm water pool facility, the consultants al so recommended a three-story parking structure. 

Problems with this scenario were articulated by myself and others at the meetings: 1) the City of Berkeley has conducted a study of the tennis court site for a parking structure and found that it was infeas ible even using the whole site (the BUSD consultants recommendation uses only half the site for parking); 2) the school district has no funding in the bond measure for construction of a parking structure which would only replace the same number of existing parking spaces on the site; 3) the cost to relocate the pool plumbing and utilities connection to a new location on Milvia Street could surpass the money allotted in the $3 million bond measure. 

Warm water pool users are not adverse to moving the warm water pool to the Milvia St. site; but is it a real proposal or is it a bait and switch proposal to allow the go ahead with the South Berkeley High School campus plan without the warm water pool and once it comes to actually putting the warm water pool on the Milvia Street parking lot it will be found to be infeasible and pool users will be left high and dry? All I know is I’m once again hearing from high-level people with the city and the BUSD that the YMCA could provide a warm water pool. (Every five years or so this idea is floated until it sinks.) The small pool the YMCA has for warm water use is not deep or large enough. The Y also has a long-term contract with multiple sclerosis groups for use of their pool at a considerably lesser temperature than what is needed by those who use the BHS warm water pool.  

Despite all the previous attempts by various parties to scuttle the warm water pool from the Berkeley High School campus, hundreds of pool users and their family and friends have managed (through petitions and attending meetings) to convince the Berkeley Board of Education that the pool should stay where it is. Two thirds of Berkeley voters solidified this decision in 2000 with Measure R. A majority of school board members are on record saying the y support the current location of the warm water pool.  

It’s critical that we move forward now without further delay in rehabbing the “Fred Lupke” warm water pool especially since we’ve already lost 15% of the value of the bond measure due to inflation i n the past four years of waiting. On Thursday, Feb. 17, the 2 X 2 Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. at 2180 Milvia St. in the sixth floor conference room and on its agenda is the South Berkeley High School campus plan. If members of the community would like to help on this issue, please send your name and phone number to me at dspring@ci.berkeley.ca.us . 

Councilmember Dona Spring?

Click here to view the latest work by Justin DeFreitas 

Í

Now that the movie Million Dollar Baby has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, and conservative groups and some members of the disabled community are openly criticizing the subject matter covered within the film, I think it’s safe to talk about its plot in this column. However, if you haven’t seen this flick and would like to be surprised by the ending, read no further. I’m about to disclose the final moments of the film and my reaction to it.  

My husband Ralph and I went to see Million Dollar Baby a few weeks ago, unaware of the entire storyline. We’d read the reviews and knew that the film was garnering acting and directing acclaim, including Golden Globe awards and Oscar nominations. Hilary Swank has a starring role in Million Dollar Baby and we think she’s a terrific actress. Last year we saw and liked Mystic River, a Clint Eastwood-directed film. We’re big fans of any movie in which Morgan Freeman appears. 

We knew that the movie was about female boxing and this interested us as well. The only person we know who boxes is our friend Rachel. For years she trained at King’s Gym in East Oakland before moving to New Jersey to attend Princeton University. We got together with Rachel’s parents, Harvey and Lynn, and made a date to view Million Dollar Baby together at the AMC Multiplex Theater in Emeryville.  

Million Dollar Baby begins like many boxing movies: seedy gym, crotchety trainer (played by Eastwood), determined, naïve young fighter (Swank), and wise, but down on his luck, former almost-champ-turned-janitor-turned-narrator, Morgan Freeman. The beginning of the movie reminded me of Rocky, except that it isn’t set in Philadelphia, Swank isn’t Italian, and she doesn’t run up the steps of the art museum to the sounds of triumph. Million Dollar Baby takes place in Los Angeles. Swank is Midwestern trailer park trash. She’s a waitress, a loner who saves money for boxing gear by eating other people’s leftovers. She jogs on the beach, rides city buses, and like Rocky, she has a heart of gold. 

Where the movie’s plot diverges from Rocky is that in the end Swank doesn’t win the big bout. In the last fight, in which she competes for the Women’s Middle Weight World Championship, she is knocked out by an illegal punch and ends up with a severed spinal chord, unable to breathe on her own, paralyzed from the neck down, confined to a hospital bed and wheelchair. 

Oh boy. Try going to a movie like this with a husband who uses an electric wheelchair, who is paralyzed below the shoulders and hooked to an oxygen tank at night. The film pushed some buttons with Ralph and me, and in the final scenes, when Swank begs Eastwood to kill her, I was uncomfortable and disappointed. This is the part of the movie that has disability rights groups upset, particularly those who represent people with spinal chord injuries, and those who take care of them. I understand why. Assisted death is not a happy topic. The young fighter’s decision to die sends a message to viewers that life with a spinal chord injury is not worth living. On the other hand, it broaches a topic that many quads and their caregivers have had to confront. My husband, of course, does not agree with the disabled boxer’s decision, and I don’t think I could do what the Eastwood character finally does. But this is Hollywood’s sanitized, sentimental version of the real thing. Swank gets her wish and dies a seemingly satisfied, peaceful, physically attractive woman. Eastwood walks stoically out of the hospital and off into the sunset, and Freeman inherits the gym. 

Million Dollar Baby is not at the top of my list as this year’s favorite movie. I prefer two other Academy nominated Best Pictures: Ray, because I loved the music, and Sideways, because it made me smile. I enjoy motion pictures that make me snap my fingers and laugh. I don’t need to think anymore about the issues examined in Million Dollar Baby. But that’s because I already have. ?

Do you think Strom Thurmond loved his baby mama? Did he love her gentleness, her sense of humor, the look of her luscious brown skin or the feel of her soft, cottony hair? Or was she just a booty call? No, those are generally consensual. And how could a poor, black, teenaged maid consent to have sex with her wealthy, white, adult employer in the 1920s, and in South Carolina, no less? If it wasn’t statutory rape, perhaps it was just another case of American family values, Southern Christian style. 

This was the South of many of my ancestors. I remember clearly my grandmother recalling her own grandmother, who had been a slave, stating emphatically that there was nothing on God’s earth lower than a man who would sell his own child. But, many so-called Christian American white men did just that. Strom didn’t sell his daughter but he did banish her from public view. She became reborn after his death, his “legitimate” family acknowledged that yes, she was their daddy’s outside chile. I wonder whether they would have claimed her had she not been so genteel, so fair-skinned, wellspoken and eddicated. Suppose Strom’s chile had been of a darker hue with wild, nappy hair, splittin’ verbs, on welfare, perhaps a baby mama herself. Would they have claimed her then?  

According to George Bush—well, according to his inaugural speech writers: “From the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and Earth.” 

Uh, excuse me? Hello? Are we invisible? Do we not count any more today than we did then? (Condi, are you hearing this?) 

The same Southern belles who sipped mint juleps, daintily dabbing sweat from their milky brows while reciting favorite Bible verses to their gentlemen callers, are the same “Christian” white women who packed plentiful picnic baskets lest their little darlings become cranky while attending community lynchings of innocent black men.  

Sometimes, those lynched were innocent black women. And sometimes, those women were pregnant. And sometimes, the fathers of those innocent unborn babies were white men exercising the rights granted to them by this country’s slave-owning Founding Fathers. Talk about family values. Talk about being pro-life. 

But that was then, you say. This is now. Get over it. I didn’t do it. 

Well, I haven’t committed any crimes either, yet brown-skinned Americans like me are routinely subjected to racial profiling whether we’re walking, shopping or driving and we are still denied equal opportunities when seeking jobs, financing, education, housing, health care, you name it. Do you object equally to that? Even saxophone blowin’, Harlem livin’ Bill Clinton couldn’t muster enough courage and honesty to lead this country in apologizing to African Americans for the holocaust on our soil and the continuing vestiges of American racism. Is the melanin in our skin so repellant? (Note to self: essay re tanning salons and how much is too much.) 

Bush did make one reference to racism which—coincidentally?—directly followed the sentence: “Americans…must always remember that even the unwanted have worth.” The reference was as follows: “…our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.” I would have loved to have heard exactly what Bush meant by “habits” and “baggage,” what he acknowledges is left over from slavery days. Apparently, fellow Southerner Trent Lott, loyal supporter of segregationist-by-day Strom Thurmond, doesn’t represent something left over, seeing as he was the honored emcee of Bush’s inaugural evening and all. 

Bush further stated that “(Our) public interest depends on private character, on integrity and tolerance toward others,” and that “America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one.” 

What? One of my father’s favorite Shakespeare quotes is: “Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” We are left to wonder exactly which Americans and whose family values, beliefs and interests are to be fully tolerated and by whom. I have to wonder if Jesus himself were alive today and had run for the presidency on the platform that because we are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of God, we are obligated to put first the needs of the poor, the sick and the outcasts, how many Christian-Family-Values-Republicans would have voted for him? 

This is my America. Some of my ancestors were caretakers of this stolen land. Some of my ancestors were thieves. (Although the writers of my children’s textbooks prefer the word “settled” to “stole.”) Some of my ancestors were kidnapped and raped. Some of my ancestors kidnapped and raped. It is all part of our collective history. We’re stuck with it and it’s high time we owned up to it, all of it, the good and the bad. 

We can’t move on until we do. 

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In 1984 George Orwell described a Ministry of Truth, which operated a system of mind control, Newspeak, used to keep the citizens of Oceania under the thumb of a totalitarian regime headed by the ubiquitous Big Brother. The slogans of the Ministry were: “War is Peace,” “Freedom is Slavery” and “Ignorance is Strength.” 

It’s not clear whether George W. Bush ever encountered 1984—he often appears to have read only the Bible and My Pet Goat—but Orwell’s ideas about mind control have found a home in the Bush administration. This is a regime that delights in its own version of newspeak, “Bushspeak.” Through its own Ministry of Truth, the administration parades a series of illusions before an ever more gullible public; for example, the same George Bush who was asleep at the wheel before 9/11 and who responded to the threat of Al Qaeda by diverting our resources into a disastrous war in Iraq, is portrayed as a strong leader who will keep us safe; the administration “balances” the budget by leaving out the cost of the war. 

Make no mistake, Bushspeak is working: The 2004 presidential exit polls revealed that Bush supporters believed that Iraq supported the 9/11 attacks (75 percent) and had weapons of mass destruction (73 percent). They saw the war in Iraq as directly connected to the war on terror, and they trusted President Bush to do the right thing to win. In a trenchant analysis in the New York Review of Books, UC Professor Mark Danner observed that in the election Bush voters, “faced a stark choice: either discard the facts, or give up the clear and comforting worldview that they contradicted. They chose to disregard the facts.” 

Cloistered in the bookstores and coffee houses of Berkeley, it is easy for many of us to dismiss these Bush supporters as witless lemmings eager to follow their leader into the abyss. But their sheer numbers, more than 60 million, makes them impossible to ignore. More critically, our security is tied to theirs; whether we like it or not, we have a stake in the outcome of the war on terror—whether an American is “blue” and “red” may be important distinctions to us, but not to jihadis. 

If we are to change the direction of the war in Iraq, take steps to increase our national security, it is vital that we understand the Orwellian system of mind control being used by the Bush administration, that we dissect Bushspeak, the system that has convinced so many that “Freedom is Slavery.”  

Operating out of the White House, Karl Rove and Karen Hughes skillfully coordinate the administration message. Once decided upon, a particular theme—for example, that the Iraqi elections must be held on Jan. 30—is relentlessly communicated through the network of conservative media outlets. Many Bush supporters believe that we are winning the war on terrorism, despite objective evidence to the contrary, because they are told this daily by commentators such as radio’s Rush Limbaugh and Fox TV’s Bill O’Reilly. (The documentary Outfoxed detailed the vital role that Fox News plays in disseminating Bushspeak. 

Although Americans take pride in having a free press, the media has generally been content to pass on the official Bush version of the status of the Iraq war. There are two reasons for this: The administration has relentlessly bullied the press by, for example, denying critical access to all but the most “loyal” reporters. And, the situation in Iraq is so dangerous that most U.S. correspondents can’t get anywhere near the actual fighting; in September, a Wall Street Journal reporter, Farnaz Fassihi, complained from Baghdad that her life, “is like being under virtual house arrest…[I] can’t look for stories, can’t drive in anything but a full armored car, can’t go to scenes of breaking news...” 

The Bush version of the Ministry of Truth is constantly in attack mode, ready to pillory anyone who disagrees with the administration, to question a critic’s sanity, patriotism, and manhood; it is commonplace for decorated veterans, such as Max Cleland and John Kerry to be ridiculed by the president and his advisers—none of whom have ever been in battle—and described as cowards, appeasers, or collaborators with Osama bin Laden.  

It’s not unique in American politics to disparage your opponent; dreadful mud slinging has been a characteristic of American politics since our first elections. What is different about the Bush administration is the discipline and coordination that characterize their negative campaigns, and their understanding of how to play to fear. Bushspeak works because those in charge of the Ministry of Truth are skilled and believe that their ends justify any means. 

The success of the Bush Ministry of Truth produced the paradoxical situation where, although a majority of Americans feel the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, they still expect George W. Bush to lead the nation to victory. Meanwhile, the rest of the world watches in astonishment as the U.S. swirls slowly down the toilet. Of course, foreigners haven’t fallen under the spell of Bushspeak, and therefore, don’t understand our new mottos: “In George we trust,” and “Ignorance is strength.” 

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Middle School Stoners 

Berkeley Police are looking for the 10 or so youths who hurled stones at a motorist just before 8:30 a.m. Thursday from the ground of Willard Middle School. 

According to Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies, the rocks shattered the vehicle’s rear window. 

The case remains under investigation. 

iPod Grabber Nabbed 

Police arrested a 20-year-old fellow on robbery charges early Thursday afternoon after he grabbed a pedestrian’s music player near the corner of Benvenue Avenue and Parker Street. 

Rape Under Investigation 

Citing an ongoing investigation, Officer Okies declined to offer details of a rape that occurred near the corner of Delaware Street and San Pablo Avenue just before 7 a.m. Friday. 

Signed Off to Jail 

A man wielding a wooden sign like a cudgel earned himself a hefty set of criminal charges following a Friday evening dustup outside the Nomad Cafe on Shattuck Avenue. 

Officer Okies said the fellow slammed the sign into the front of the cafe shortly before 9:30 p.m. 

When cafe employees stepped outside to investigate, the brazen basher charged them, swinging the sign. 

The workers retreated inside the eatery, calling police and barricading the door until officers arrived. 

Still the suspect refused to let go of his weapon of choice, earning him a charge of resisting arrest in addition to counts of assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism. 

Bottle Bashers 

Emergency room workers at Alta Bates hospital called Berkeley police at 1:44 a.m. Saturday after a young man arrived, bleeding from a head wound inflicted by a quartet of hooligans who accosted him outside his frat house at 2728 Bancroft Way. 

The victim said his assailants were all in their late teens to early 20s. 

Punched for Cell 

A young man in a dark hooded sweatshirt slugged a 33-year-old man in the head near the corner of California Street and Alcatraz Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday.›

MONTREAL— Before last year’s election, lots of blue-state Americans said they'd leave for Canada if Bush was re-elected. Then the unthinkable happened. But the word on the street is that few have left. 

I think that’s too bad, speaking as a U.S./Canadian dual citizen. (Binationality isn’t just for Ahnold anymore.) More Americans really should head north—at least for a few days’ visit. Canadians don’t brag as well as Texans, but they do some other things better. Run a country, for example. 

Just after the State of the Union speech, in which Bush and his cohorts formally sharpened their knives to carve up Social Security and progressive taxation, I flew up here for a scheduled trip. In Canada’s centrist national newspaper, I found a column saluting Canada as “one of only three countries (the others are Britain and Australia) whose citizens can have full confidence that their pensions will be available for them.” 

“Canadian business and Canadian workers accepted that their payroll taxes were going to have to go up” in 1998, wrote the Toronto Globe and Mail’s John Ibbitson, “and now we enjoy both the security and the competitive advantage of a fully funded pension scheme. ... Good on us.”  

Even better when you consider that Canada’s payroll-tax rates are still a good deal lower than their U.S. counterparts. And they phase out at sharply lower income levels. (Canada’s equivalent of Social Security is actually several programs, some funded out of general tax revenues.) So even if the core Canada Pension Plan turns out not to be fully endowed through the Baby Boomers’ retirement, Canadian officials have plenty of room for relatively painless maneuver. 

While solving fiscal issues that seem insoluble in the U.S., Canada has also dodged U.S.-style circular culture wars. The country is about to legislatively extend marriage rights to gays in the same way that it permanently abolished capital punishment in 1976: with the support (active or tacit) of most national party leaders. Marijuana decriminalization is on a similar track. On global warming, Canada signed the Kyoto accord years ago. 

While U.S. broadcasters self-censor Saving Private Ryan lest the FCC fine them for a stray naughty word buried in the soundtrack, Canadian networks feel no pressure to snip incidental nudity out of prime-time movies. Late at night, lots of over-the-air stations show adult flicks. Public radio unblushingly runs risque spoken-word pieces. When Canada’s answer to CNN rehashes the Janet Jackson controversy from last year’s Super Bowl, it shows the “wardrobe-malfunction” footage again—unaltered and uncut. It’s basically Europe, eh? 

The cover girls on my Air Canada seat-back magazine were three mass-media sex educators. After the in-flight movie, where U.S. carriers would run cheesy network infomercials, we enjoyed Canadian-produced indie animation shorts whose tone ranged from edgy to pleasantly macabre. The weather report included Cuba, a popular vacation spot for snowbound Canadians. 

Mark Twain once wrote that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” And it’s our red-staters who really deserve a trip up north. 

Tens of millions of them fervently believe that government-run health care is unthinkable—despite living just south of a country where free, universal health care works pretty well, thank you. Canada’s national budget has been in surplus every year since 1998. 

Despite its liberal social policies, or because of them, Canada has a lower crime rate than the U.S. And it scores substantially better on most social indicators. 

U.S.-Canadian cultural differences can’t be reduced to simply abstemious versus unrestrained. While the U.S. diligently curbs sexual expression, it runs persistently huge budget deficits and maintains one of the industrial world’s lowest savings rates. The Canadian ethos is to tolerate higher income-tax rates, save up for your retirement, then get jiggy all you want (but please be careful). Who’s more responsible here? 

Canada certainly isn’t paradise, and red-state tourists deserve to see its lows as well as its, um, highs. GOP radicals who salivate about replacing the income tax with a national sales tax should experience first-hand the displeasure of paying Canada’s national “goods and services tax.” Combined with local sales taxes, it imposes a premium of up to 15 percent on everything from fun to funerals. 

Where Canadians dully do right, it’s not because they’re a nation of angels. Nor is there LSD in the water supply. Gay marriage and Kyoto have been—and remain—Canadian controversies. But you’ll find the same basic social tolerance and respect for public enterprise in Minnesota, Vermont, Sweden, or Norway. Cold weather tends to bring people together. 

Another influence on Canadians: If travel kills prejudice, so does migration. Canada’s percentage of residents born abroad is about twice that in the U.S., and Canada seeks out immigrants with advanced degrees. Those well-educated transplants help leaven a more cosmopolitan country. So does a higher urbanization rate. 

Canada is far from a classless society, but you have to look hard to find either the gated palaces or the crumbling slums that define U.S. cities’ extremes. You’ll look even harder to find the rigid segregation, deep despair, alienation, or lethal rage that afflict U.S. or European ethnic ghettos. 

I can’t make a good case for Californians to visit Canada this time of year for the weather. But Quebec City’s festive Winter Carnival certainly shows how to make lemonade from lemons (or at least ice sculptures from frozen water), with a backdrop of postcard-ready 17th-century architecture. 

Montreal is hosting an exhibition of Egyptian antiquities from the renowned British Museum. Ottawa and Vancouver museums have 1960s retrospectives. North of Vancouver, there’s world-class powder skiing at Whistler’s European-style resort. And plenty is always hopping in Toronto. 

So come on, all you would-be blue-state expatriates: Put your blue noses where your mouths are. At least for a few days. By the way, you’ll need about 10 years of Canadian residence to qualify for Canada’s Old Age Security Pension, so don’t put off requesting those threatened immigration papers too much longer. 

Michael Katz lives in Berkeley when he’s not soaking up the winter sun in eastern Canada. 

Saturday, Jan. 22 marked the 32nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which abortion rights supporters celebrated as necessary for women’s equality and well-being. Here in the Bay Area, a new Roe tradition began on that day—a first ever Walk for Life in honor of those whose lives were ended before birth, and in support of women and men who bear the scars of abortion.  

We who walked did not do so in judgment of any individual who has been through abortion; we walked for justice toward the most vulnerable members of our human family, calling our neighbors to embrace a better choice: Non-violent response to unplanned pregnancy. Together with Alice Paul, author of the original Equal Rights Amendment, we view abortion as “the ultimate exploitation of women.” 

As Bay Area residents, we know we represent a minority opinion on abortion. We are not surprised that abortion rights proponents were threatened by our incursion on their perceived territory. A local Planned Parenthood spokesperson fretted, “(w)e couldn’t believe that they had the nerve to come to San Francisco.” What did surprise us was that our own elected officials in San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland “unwelcomed” us in no uncertain terms by declaring our cities “pro-choice and proud.” Remarkably, those who otherwise celebrate diversity are unable to imagine any diversity of opinion on abortion.  

While “pro-lifers” may be a Bay Area minority—portrayed by abortion rights activists as exotic and fearsome creatures—we are everywhere. We’re behind you waiting to pay our bridge toll, on the mat next to yours at yoga class, ahead of you in line at the Berkeley Bowl or Farmers’ Market. We actually lead pretty normal lives, juggling work and home responsibilities. We send relief money to Asia and sponsor children in Africa. Some of us have worked in teen sexuality education or helped those experiencing unplanned pregnancy.  

We who pen this piece include a single, adoptive mother, two San Francisco natives (one of whom serves on the city’s fire department), and a homeless shelter volunteer. We were happy to march with farmers from Fresno, blue-haired grandmothers from Modesto, and students from UCSF, Stanford and UC Berkeley. None of us are outsiders in the cause of justice toward preborn children. 

For each of us our anti-abortion commitment represents part of a broader vision of social justice. We have agitated for health care and immigrant rights and demonstrated against wars, apartheid and the death penalty. It is natural for us publicly to oppose a violence carried out daily much closer to home, in medical facilities we pass on our way to work.  

Some of us have had abortions or paid for them. Many of us only realized the destructiveness of abortion after making the choice. Others have lost a sibling to abortion or were ourselves at risk of abortion due to the circumstances of our own conception. Understandably, we are uneasy with any assertion that our lives had value before birth only if someone else wanted us.  

Just 150 years ago the rhetoric of personal choice was employed to uphold the institution of slavery: slaves were judged to be the personal property of their owners—not unlike today’s judgment that preborn children are the property of their mothers, to be discarded if she or someone influencing her does not want the child.  

“Pro-lifers” are here to stay. On Jan. 22 we walked to challenge our neighbors to a higher ideal than that embodied by Roe. On the remaining 364 days of the year we will work in quiet, largely hidden ways, so that one day soon each and every child may be both protected by law and welcomed into life. 

Monika Rodman is a Berkeley resident. Her co-authors are residents of Oakland, San Francisco and Marin County, respectively. 

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Gov. Schwarzenegger has broken his promise to protect schools and students from harmful budget cuts. His recent budget proposals undermine the education funding protections California voters supported through Proposition 98. We cannot allow this to happen. Just in the last several years, California schools have suffered more than $9.8 billion in cuts. This means that schools across the state have had to shut down, increase their class sizes, layoff many wonderful teachers and support staff They suffer from a shortage of needed librarians, counselors, nurses, custodians, and grounds keepers. Gov. Schwarzenegger is content with California’s ranking 43rd in the nation for per-pupil funding. By under funding our education he is forcing our schools to go without basic supplies and instructional materials, cut art and music programs, extracurricular activities and, after-school programs.  

As the student director of Berkeley’s Board of Education, I know firsthand how difficult it is for California school districts to stretch ever shrinking state dollars and attempt to provide quality education to our students. Here in Berkeley we are fortunate that our community has been willing, time and time again to vote for local taxes to make up for some of what state funding has failed to provide for public education, but many communities are not so fortunate. 

California voters approved Proposition 98 to protect schools and students. The governor shouldn’t ignore the voters, our students or our schools. I am calling on everyone in the state to speak out in defense of public education funding, but I am calling most specifically on students across the state. We must stand up and be counted. Our educational resources continue to be taken away from us by both state and national politicians, who continue to call themselves supporters of education.  

Gov. Schwarzenegger has sent a clear message that he does not want to invest in our education and more importantly California’s future. Our quality of life is at risk and we cannot just stand by quietly while our right to a quality education is taken from us.  

Join me in sending a clear message to Gov. Schwarzenegger that we will not stand by while he fails to honor his promise, and that we will not be satisfied with the under funding of our schools. We must remind our governor that 930,754 California juniors and seniors will be of voting age by the next election, and we will make our first vote count. 

Before then there are many other things we can do. I urge all supporters of education to write letters to the governor and your state legislators. You can also meet with local officials, school board members, city councilmembers, and mayors and ask them to join us in confronting this state wide problem. What ever you choose to do, it is critical that you do it now.  

Lily Dorman-Colby is the student director of the Berkeley Unified School District’s Board of Education.›

When Rita Kimball became the principal of Washington Elementary School seven years ago, she says, it was an institution in crisis. Morale was low, test scores were down and teachers argued bitterly in staff meetings. 

“It was the most dysfunctional schoo l I’ve ever worked in,” says Kimball, an educator for 30 years in Albuquerque, N.M., and the Bay Area. In her first year, she let six teachers go. 

Since then, she has brought in a core of young and committed instructors. Of 15 teachers currently on staff, only two remain from before her tenure; no new teachers were hired this year.  

At the height of the state’s budget crisis two years ago, however, more than half of Washington’s teachers were slated to lose their jobs because they lacked seniority. 

After district-wide retirements and leaves were tabulated, all but one of the positions were restored.  

Nonetheless, Kimball says, after hiring a new staff, “it was rather a shock to think that we’d lose them all.”  

The crisis brought into sharp focus the investment in the school of those close to it. 

Marlene Cornelius, co-secretary of the school’s PTA, recalls marching to the school district’s headquarters after the layoffs were announced with other parents, students and school staff to demand that Super intendent Michele Lawrence restore the positions. 

Cornelius, a former teacher, says that the sense of community at the school, a boxy two-story structure at 2300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way with sun-drenched classrooms, is unique. Faustus, her third-grade son, asks to be taken to the playground after school and during the summer to be with his classmates. 

“You can’t buy that,” she says. 

Joel Scholefield, a second grade teacher hired by Kimball, agrees, saying that if the cuts had gone through, “everything Rita had done would have been lost.” 

Teachers now draw up lesson plans together and give each other ideas on what does and doesn’t work in the classroom. 

While federal funding for the communications and technology magnet program ran out this fall, the school remains a magnet, incorporating themes such as storytelling, drama and video production into the curriculum of all 310 students. 

Bruce Simon, who is in charge of curriculum at the school, says that one of the challenges Washington faces is teaching a diverse student body. 

Washington’s students are predominantly African American and Hispanic and come mainly from western and southern Berkeley. More than 56 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunches; district-wide, the average is 5 0 percent. 

Washington is also the only school in the district using the CARE program, which educates teachers on ways to make minority students more comfortable and successful in school.  

Although funding remains tight throughout the district, Kimball h as confidence that she will not again be faced with the prospect of mass layoffs at Washington. 

“Superintendent Lawrence will make sure it doesn’t happen,” says Kimball.  

Lawrence confirms that the district’s budget is now stable. 

While “everyone has b ought into Rita’s vision 100 percent,” Cornelius says, the reputation of the school among parents deciding where to send their children is lower than it should be, likely because of its troubled past. 

“If people took a better look at what was going on at the school,” Cornelius says, “they’d be happy with what they saw.” 

This is the ninth in a series profiling the Berkeley elementary schools. The reports are written by students of the UC Berkeley Journalism School. 

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The May Flower 

2156 University Ave. 

883-9788 

I frequent many of the restaurants in the Downtown/University Avenue area and I believe the May Flower is a top notch option but unfortunately not well known because of a very discrete store front set back a bit from the street. 

The May Flower has excellent quality ingredients, good variety on the menu, very affordable pricing and a very clean, friendly professional ambiance. You will really like the owners/staff, a Chinese immigrant couple working exceptionally hard (seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) to stay in America and provide their young children with an opportunity to better themselves. 

Nice story, nice people, very good restaurant that deserves some attention from local diners looking for very good quality at a very fair price. I frequent the place once or twice a week and really enjoy my meals and speaking with the couple that runs the place. 

—Roy A. Lettieri  

If you have a nomination for Berkeley’s Best, an occasional Daily Planet feature based on reader submissions, send it to: best@berkeleydailyplanet.com 

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Fledgling theater troupe Ragged Wing Ensemble has plucked a triumph from a famous exercise in physical theater in their first production, Jean Claude Van Itallie’s The Serpent, originally created for The Open Theater (Joe Chaikin’s group) in New York, 1968. 

True to the ensemble in their name, Ragged Wing has made a show that runs with a smooth yet ecstatic kinesis, gestures and voices falling into place, moving alongside and with each other like the pistons of a driving engine. 

The breadth and depth of what they’ve accomplished with this initial sally onstage involves measuring the clean, constantly moving lines of what they’ve delineated of The Serpent against the overtones of director Amy Sass’ comment, introducing the show, that the text—a collaboration between playwright, the Open Theater company and director developed during rehearsal from Van Itallie’s scenario—is overwhelmingly one of stage directions. 

It shows in the fluid staging Sass and the troupe have laid out for a story that’s “a collage” (in Sass’ words), from the miming of a firing squad to a spinal tap to look inside the skull of the victim (“the brain is cream-colored; if we press here, we get fear ... if the patient survives, she’ll live for weeks, or months—or years ... no limit to what the mind receives—or dreams”) to the JFK assassination, played and rewound and replayed from different angles (the President’s wife, reaching back to his shattered head, is Anna Schneiderman, co-founder of Ragged Wing—and production manager) while the chorus (recently masked in mournful tragic style) reacts, smiling and waving, or with horrified faces, curbside. 

“I no longer live in the beginning ... I’m in the middle ... Knowing neither beginning nor end ... Going away from the beginning towards the end.” The biggest surprise of the evening is perhaps that this freely-developed, associational text then settles down into the most linear of accounts, the chapters of Genesis immediately after the creation of man and woman: the temptation and fall and the first murder, Cain and Abel. 

Andrea Hart, Jeffrey Hoffman and Frank Turco form a tripartite well-oiled, provocatively hissing serpent—the title role!—insinuatingly questioning the original couple (“Is it true you may do anything in the garden you choose? Not even touch? Not touch? Why?”) until Eve gets the message and chews the fruit forbidden—and passes it on. “Then [Adam (Keith C. Davis)] began to examine his ears, eyes nose, mouth—his own mind ... He couldn’t spit out the fruit or swallow it.” Clearly, much for a contemporary audience to identify with. 

The dawn of time is thus recapitulated, with ‘60s soul-searching. Man blames woman, woman the snake (who asks God, “Why did they obey me and not you?”) Adam and Eve do an athletic ballet of “original sin.” The chorus recites the generations of Genesis from great tomes—which then snap shut. “If God exists, it is through me; he’ll protect me”; Cain’s murder of Abel is, like the Kennedy assassination, played over and over as Cain’s thoughts are intoned and echoed after his sacrifice is rejected: “It occurred to Cain the that world is ruled by arbitrary force ... And it occurred to Cain to kill his brother—but it did not occur to Cain that killing his brother would cause his brother’s death.” 

Saturated with schematic commentary and psychodrama, the script is more than a little faded. The fabulous aspect of these stories of origin were realized with greater artistry by some of America’s original tale-tellers: Hawthorne and Melville—and poet Emily Dickinson. All were sensitive to the antinomianism of modern moral speculations on Genesis—an adaptation of their stories would better frame the excellence of Ragged Wing’s precise energies in staging a show. Or what about that grandfather of Expressionism, and all modern “symbolic” drama, Strindberg’s Dream Play? This company could explore the expanses and intensities of such real stage poetry in depth, as well as with the brilliance they bring to the scales of The Serpent. 

For the real measure of their potential is how they’ve made Van Itallie’s somewhat passé text come alive with excitement—their own brand of excitement. A young troupe, they’re nonetheless veterans of a variety of projects and of seminal physical theater troupes (from Bread and Puppet to Dell’ Arte); they’re able to pool their talents for a collective effect that’s enhanced by the expression of each individual.  

The strongest image is saved till the end: after the waste of countless generations of strife is bewailed, and that old frontier number, “Wayfaring Stranger” is given a fine choral treatment, a saurian skull, ribcage, tailbones are borne out and joined together above the cast’s heads into a skeletal serpent (Sarah Samonsky, also a company founder, designed it) that glides to gasping, sighing, hissing sounds through the audience to where the masked chorus (Magi Belknap, Rose Cohen-Westbrook, Georgia Henley, Natalia Kaminska-Palarczyk, Mirit Markowitz) offer it the bundles of swaddling they’ve been holding to their breasts.  

It’s the inauguration of a new theater company with much promise. Their staging reenacts much of the history of modern physical theater style (mime, pantomime, Commedia revival, etc.) without surrendering to the glib clichés too often extracted from these pioneering efforts. They deserve support—and are already finding an audience. ›

TUESDAY, FEB. 15 

FILM 

Alternative Visions: “Empathy” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Brian Green describes “The Fabric of the Cosmos,” Einstein’s impact on science, in conversation with Dr. Moira Gunn, host of public radio’s “Tech Nation” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Brad Reynolds discusses “Embracing Reality: The Integral Vision of Ken Wilber” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“Word Tripping: Literature for the Quantum Age” with author Roy Doughty at 7 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. Cost is $10. 528-8844. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sauce Piquante, Cajun/zydeco at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson with Diana Castillo at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Gary Rowe, solo piano, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Madera Road, Motel Fresno, Bob Harp, Americana country, at 9:30 p.m. at The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $5. 444-6174.  

Bill Charlap Trio at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$14. 238-9200.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16 

THEATER 

“Bright River” A hip-hop retelling of Dante’s Inferno, every Wed. through March 16 at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Tickets are $12-$35 available from 415-256-8499. www.inhousetickets.com 

“Bridge & Tunnel” workshop performance by Sarah Jones at 7 p.m. Sun. at Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $40. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

FILM 

Film 50: History of Cinema: “The Love Parade” at 3 p.m. and Games People Play: “Westworld” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Elisabeth Robinson introduces her novel “The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Laura Splan Artist’s talk and slide lecture at 6:30 p.m. at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. 620-6772. www.therichmondartcenter.org 

Marc Sapir reads from his novel “The Last Tale of Mendel Abbe: Sonny Bush and the Wise Men of Chelm” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryplough.com 

Café Poetry with Paradise at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with the Chamber Chorus at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Del Sol String Quartet, contemporary chamber miusic, at 8 p.m. at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. 415-831-5672. www.delsolquartet.com  

Ned Boynton Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

La Verdada at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Wil Blades Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Balkan Folkdance at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $6. 525-5054.  

Carla Kihlstedt’s 2 Foot Yard at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Hobo Gobbelins, underground music, at 10 p.m. at The Ivy Room, 858 San Pablo Ave. at Solano Ave. 524-9220. www.ivyroom.com 

Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473.  

Mixed Signals, Mister Loveless, The Catholic Comb, indie rock, at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $6. 848-0886.  

Tribute to Jimmy Smith featuring Joey DeFrancesco, James Moody and others at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$22. 238-9200. 

THURSDAY, FEB. 17 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, “Seduced” by Sam Shepard special show at 8 p.m. at the Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck at Berryman. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

“Rhythm & Blues, with a Little Bit of Soul” A musical tribute of the contributions of African Americans to the art of music. A Longfellow Stars EDP Annual After School Scholarship Program Fundraiser. Thurs. and Fri. at 6:30 p.m. at Longfellow Middle School Theater, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $2-$7. 883-5258. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Remembering” an installation by Judy Spiegel. Reception at 6 p.m. at ProArts Gallery, 550 Second St., Oakland. The gallery is open Wed.-Sat. noon to 6 p.m., Sun. noon to 5 p.m. www.proartsgallery.org 

FILM 

Blind at the Museum: “Blue” by Derek Jarman at 5:30 p.m. and “A History of Color” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

NPR’s “Wait, Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!” will be taped before a live audience at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$42. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Cultura Brasileira Contemporanea” with Gilberto Gil, Brazilian Minister of Culture at 7 p.m. in Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. 642-2088.  

Masha Hamilton reads from her new novel “The Distance Between Us” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Alvaro Vargas Llosa discusses “Liberty for Latin America: How to Undo Five Hundred Years of State Oppression” at 7:30 p.m. at at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Roberta Johnson discusses “Struggle Against Corruption” at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 2352 Shattuck Ave. 644-0861. 

Word Beat Reading Series at 7 p.m. with featured readers Christina Continelli and Charselle followed by an open mic, at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley High Talent Revue with The Evans and Amy Farina at 7:30 p.m. at the Little Theater at Berkeley High. Cost is $5, benefits the arts programs at Berkeley High. mstahl@berkeley.k12.ca.us 

Palm Wine Boys at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $15.50-$16.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Art of Romance, music, dance and poetry from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, Harris State Bldg Atrium, 1515 Clay St. Free. 622-8190. www.oaklandculturalarts.org 

Jessie Brewster & His Band, Gentry Bronson & the Night Watchmen at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. Benefit of the East Bay Conservation Core Charter School. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Debbie Poryes and Charles McNeal at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Lonnie Tuck, r&b, at 7 p.m. at 17th Club, 510 17th St., Oakland. www.at17th.com 

Tribute to Jimmy Smith featuring Joey DeFrancesco, James Moody and others at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$22. 238-9200. 

FRIDAY, FEB. 18 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, “Seduced” by Sam Shepard Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at the Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck at Berryman, through Feb. 19. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Albany High School, “Oklahoma!” at 8 p.m. at Albany High Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd., Albany. Also on Sat. and 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $5-$10. 558-2575. 

Alchemy Works “The Wisdom of Eve” A tale of an ingenue understudy gone bad. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10-$15. Runs through Feb. 20. 845-5576. 

Aurora Theatre, “Dublin Carol” by Conor McPherson Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun at 2 and 7 p.m. through March 6 at 2081 Addison St. Tickets are $28-$45. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Repertory Theater, “Fetes de la Nuit” at the Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St. Runs through Feb. 27. Tickets are $43-$55. 647-2949.  

“Bridge & Tunnel” workshop performances by Sarah Jones at 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 7 p.m. Sun. through Feb. 20 at Berkeley Repertory Theater’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $30-$40. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater, “The Mousetrap” Agatha Christie’s classic mystery Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. through Feb. 19 at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. Tickets are $10-$15. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Impact Theatre, “Othello” at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Euclid. Thurs.- Sat. through March 19. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The Serpent” theater with movement, masks and puppetry, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., through Feb. 19, at the Eighth Street Studios, 2525 8th St. Tickets are $10-$20 sliding scale. 527-8119. www.raggedwing.org 

“Rhythm & Blues, with a Little Bit of Soul” A musical tribute of the contributions of African Americans to the art of music. A Longfellow Stars EDP Annual After School Scholarship Program Fundraiser. At 6:30 p.m. at Longfellow Middle School Theater, 1500 Derby St. Tickets are $2-$7. 883-5258. 

FILM 

Film Preservation: “A Farewell to Arms” at 7 p.m. and “Paths of Glory” at 9:15 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

9th Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Finalists will go on the the Grand Slam Finals, Feb. 26th, at Herbst Theater in SF. Cost is $4-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

Robert Burns Celebration, his songs, his letters, his life, at 8 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave., at Curtis, Albany. Tickets are $10-$15.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Country Joe” McDonald at 7:30 p.m. at at the Fellowship Café and Open Mic, at Fellowship Hall, Cedar and Bonita. Suggested donation $5-$10. 841-4824. 

Groundation Celebrates Bob Marley at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

“Sight Unseen” featuring size-diverse dancers from around the Bay Area at 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St., at Telegraph, Oakland. Free. www.bigmoves.org 

Judy Wexler at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Claudia Russell, Lowen & Navarro, contemporary acoustic folk, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $16.50-$17.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

FourMinuteMile, Electric Badness, rock, at 9:30 at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $6. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Toychestra, Conspiracy of Beards, Hall Flowers, at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Som’ma, Persian beat freedom concert at 8 p.m. at 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St., Oakland. www.sommamusic.com 

Shimshai & the Natural Mystiquensemble at 9 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $14. www.studiorasa.org 

George Kahn Quintet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Stephen Yerkey, singer-songwriter, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The People, Aphrodesia, at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $8. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Hugh Schick Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Born/Dead, Deadfall, This Is My Fist at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Tribute to Jimmy Smith featuring Joey DeFrancesco, James Moody and others at 8 and 10 p.m. through Sun. at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$22. 238-9200. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 19 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Gerry Tenney at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568.  

THEATER 

Central Works, “Enemy Combatant” opens at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Performances are Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. through March 26. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

FILM 

Film Preservation: “No Way Out” at 7 p.m. and “Counsellor at Law” at 9:20 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Morrie Turner, cartooning legend, celebrates his 40th year as a syndicated comic strip artist at 1 p.m. at Dr Comics and Mr Games, 4014 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland. 601-7800. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Unversity Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Philharmonia Baroque “Mighty Samson” by Handel at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $28-$62. 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

“A Night with Ustad Shujaat Khan,” North Indian classical music, at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Theater. Tickets are $10-$50, available at the door only. www.juliamorgan.org 

Kotoja, Afro-Beat, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

TOK, Jamaica’s dancehall artist at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $20. 548-1159. www.shattuckdownlow.com 

Yair Dalal, Israeli composer and oud player at 7 p.m. at Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave., Piedmont. Tickets are $11.50-$16.50. 415-276-1511.  

Scarth Locke, singer-songwriter, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Frank Wakefield Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Ghost Next Door, The SIck, The Rivals hard rock, punk, at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Ben Goldberg at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com  

Moot Davis with Pete Anserson, The Cowlicks at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Sara Leib Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Times 4, jazz-funk quartet, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Allegiance, Life Long Tragedy, Go It Alone at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, FEB. 20 

EXHIBITION 

“Interpolations,” works by Jennifer Foxley at the Albany Community Center Foyer Gallery 1249 Marin Ave., Albany to April 29. Reception for the artist from 4 to 5 p.m. The gallery is open Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., to 5 p.m. on Sat.  

THEATER 

“Beowulf” The epic translated and performed by Philip Wharton at 7:30 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid. Sun. nights through Mar. 20. Tickets are $10-$15. 415-608-9683. 

FILM 

Film Preservation: “The Scarlet Letter” at 3 p.m., “Vitaphone Shorts” at 5:30 p.m. and “The Second Floor Mystery” at 8 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash, poetry and dance with Alan Bern and Lucinda Weaver & Richard Beban at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Philharmonia Baroque “Mighty Samson” by Handel at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Dana and Durant. Tickets are $28-$62. 415-392-4400. www.philharmonia.org 

Chamber Music Sundays presents San Francisco Symphony musicians and friends at 3:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $7-$19 at the door. 415-584-5946. 

Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26 available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Markus James and The Wassonrai, music and a film from northern Mali, at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Ace of Spades acoustic series at 1 p.m. at MamaBuzz Cafe, 2318 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. fFee for all ages. 289-2272. 

Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir celebrating black history month at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $14-$16. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Mingus Amungus at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazz- 

school.com 

Todd Denman, Leo Rickard & Patrick Sky, uillean pipers, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Facing New York, Desa, rock, at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $5. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com

It’s still mid February, but by some measures it’s already spring. The wildflowers are popping up—half a dozen species on the coastal bluffs at Point Reyes last week, and fetid adder’s-tongues and trilliums among the redwoods. I’ve seen reports of returning swallows in the East Bay: not just the predictably early tree swallows, but a couple of barn and cliff swallows as well. And some birds are well into their nesting seasons, the calendar be damned. 

Last month Daily Planet contributor Steven Finacom alerted me to a nesting Anna’s hummingbird in the courtyard of an office building on University Avenue. I found her as directed, on a branch of a Tibouschina bush in a well-trafficked part of the building, sitting tight on her small cup-shaped nest. January isn’t exceptionally early for an Anna’s hummer to be incubating eggs; some start in December. Along with the great horned owl, they’re among the first Bay Area birds to begin breeding. 

The female’s mate was nowhere in sight, of course. Male hummingbirds typically eschew nest construction, incubation, and child care. Hummer courtship is a brief encounter, males mating with multiple females attracted by their spectacular display flights. The males of some tropical hummers, like prairie grouse or birds of paradise, gather at display grounds called leks. But male Anna’s hummers have individual display territories, sometimes proximate to but not overlapping the nesting territories of females.  

I said “typically” because there’s always a counterexample. In 1970, a woman named Dale Peters Clyde was following the progress of an Anna’s hummingbird nest at her summer home in the Napa Valley. The female hummer disappeared—likely the victim of a predator—late in June, leaving two nestlings. After one fledgling had also left the nest, a hummer with the flashy red crown and throat of an adult male showed up and fed the remaining youngster. The interaction was interrupted by the chick’s fall to the patio below the nest, after which Clyde apparently tended it until it was able to fly away five days later. Granted, that’s just one anecdote; but along with scattered accounts involving tropical species, it suggests that male hummers are capable of parental behavior. 

It’s not unusual for a female hummer’s nesting activity to stretch from December or January into June. Multiple broods are insurance against the high mortality to which small birds are prone. Some overachieving females may build a second nest, lay their eggs and begin to incubate them while still feeding their first batch of nestlings.  

The nest is an impressive piece of avian architecture, a cup of plant down held together with spider silk. Like most Anna’s nests I’ve seen, the one on University had an outer coating of flakes of lichen; I had to wonder how far the bird had to go for them. 

A tiny bird that nests during the cold, rainy end of the year faces major thermoregulatory challenges. Hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rates among animals—12 times that of a pigeon, a hundred times that of an elephant. A hummer’s normal body temperature is around 104 to 111 F, its resting heart rate 250 beats per minute (the active rate can be 1,250). But in cold weather it can conserve energy by entering a torpid state, with heart rate dropping to 50 beats per minute and temperature to 55 F. This option isn’t available to nesting female hummers, though; they have to keep the eggs warm through the night. They manage this by an optimum combination of nest site selection, construction technique, and foraging behavior. 

In a study done 33 years ago, W. K. Smith at UCLA and S. W. Roberts and P. C. Miller at San Diego State rigged thermocouples to an Anna’s hummingbird nest in a Southern California oak tree in April to measure the nest’s microclimate, and monitored the female’s behavior at and around it. An overhanging limb provided protection from the cool night air (as would the walls of that building on University Avenue). The nest itself had been built to conserve heat, either by selecting material with low conductivity or by creating insulated air spaces in the nest walls. As the biologists measured it, the thermal conductivity of the nest material approximated that of polar bear fur. And the bird’s daily activity pattern included an intense bout of feeding from 2 to 6 p.m., to stock up energy reserves for the night’s expenditure of up to 2.5 kilocalories. All this enabled her to maintain an average nest temperature of 27.5 C (82 F) during the night. 

In addition to all the nectar she needs to power her metabolic furnace and the occasional insect, a nesting hummer has other cravings: females have been observed eating sand, mud, and campfire and barbecue ashes. The calcium in the shell of a hummingbird’s egg is likely borrowed from structural bone. Nectar feeders don’t get much calcium, so female hummers go for mineral supplements to replenish what is lost in egg-making. 

Very little that these improbable creatures do would surprise me. You’d expect hummers to live fast and die young, like shrews and other small mammals with high metabolic rates. But some hummingbirds have made it to the ripe old age of 12—a short span from the perspective of a 70-year-old albatross, but not bad for a little guy. 

›

TUESDAY, FEB. 15 

Early Morning Bird Walk on the Albany Bulb meet at the end of Buchanan St. at 7:30 a.m. 525-2233.  

Bird Walk on the Martin Luther King Shoreline from 3 to 5 p.m. Dress for wind and rain. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Garden Club “Aesthetic Pruning of Trees and Shrubs” with Bill Castellon, Instructor at Merritt Horticulture Dept. Meeting at 1 p.m., program at 2 p.m. at Epworth MethodistChurch, 1953 Hopkins St. 524-4374. 

The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society Low Cost Spay/Neuter Day, in recognition of the 11th annual Spay Day. Spay/neuter costs are $5-$10. 845-7735. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

“What’s Really Happening in Iraq” A report-back from the humanitarian aid mission that delivered over $650,000 in aid to Falluja refugees, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Suggested donation $5. 415-255-7296. www.globalexchange.org 

Embracing Diversity Films “Not in our Town II” A documentary on positive community solutions to hate violence and the resurgence of Ku Klux Klan activity. At 7 p.m. at Albany High School, 603 Key Route Blvd. Enter through the main doors on Key Route Blvd., turn left and walk down the hall to Room 109 on the right. Please arrive early as space is limited. Admission is free, donations are welcome. Screening will be followed by a facilitated discussion. 527-1328. 

“Adventure in Alaska: Climbing Denali & More” with professional photographer Jeff Pfluger at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

American Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Advance sign-up needed 594-5165. 

Black History Celebration with a showing of “Roots” at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 

School Age Storytime for ages 5 and up at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext.17.  

Family Story Time at the Kensington Branch Library, Tues. evenings at 7 p.m. at 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

Tap Into It Jazz and Rhythm Tap classes at Montclair Recreation Center, 6300 Moraga Ave., Oakland. Experienced at 6:30 p.m., beginners at 7:30 p.m. 482-7812. 

Berkeley Salon Discussion Group discusses “Love and Sex: A Valentine Special” from 7 to 9 p.m. at the BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Please bring snacks and soft drinks to share. No peanuts please. 601-6690. 

Teen Book Group meets to discuss “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson at 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, West Branch, 1125 University Ave. 981-6270. 

“Healthy Ways to Learn from Emotional Experiences” with Pete Walker, Marriage and Family Therapist, at 7 p.m. at the El Cerrito Library, 6510 Stockton Ave. 526-7512.  

Organic Produce at low prices sold at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon Streets every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. This is a project of Spiral Gardens. 843-1307. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

Sing-A-Long every Tues. from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic. All ages welcome. 524-9122. 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16 

Great Decisions 2005: “U.S. Intelligence” with Prof. Emeritus Marshall Windmiller, SF State, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. Cost is $5, $40 for the series. The Great Decisions program will meet for eight Wednesdays. Briefing booklets are available. For information and reservations call 526-2925. 

“Hands Off Social Security” with the Gray Panthers at 7 p.m. at 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

“Imaging the Voices of the Past” Using Physics to Restore Early Sound Recordings with Dr. Carl Haber, Senior Scientist, Berkeley Lab Physics Division at 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley High School Library, Allston Way at Milvia St. 

“Making Governments Provide Better Safety and Accessibility for Bicycle Riders” A panel discussion with the directors of all the Bay Area bicycle coalitions at 8:15 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 527-0450.  

“In The Beginning Were Stories, Not Texts,” with Dr. Choan-Seng Song exploring the idea that life begins with stories and that God is both the “story-teller and story-listener” at 7:30 p.m. in the Richard S. Dinner Boardroom, GTU, Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2420. 

Women’s Health Lecture on “Mood & Menopause” at 6:15 p.m. at the Claremont Resort, 41 Tunnel Rd. Cost is $10-$15. 527-3010. ww.afwh.org/about/ 

claremontlectures.htm 

AARP Free Tax Assistance for taxpayers with middle and low incomes, with special attention to those 60 years and older. From 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Appointments must be made in advance. 526-3720, ext. 5. 

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters meets at 7:15 a.m. at Au Cocolait, 200 University Ave. at Milvia. 524-3765. 

WriterCoach Connection Volunteer Training Help students improve their writing and critical thinking skills. Training session from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. To register call 524-2319. Other Trainings on Mar. 8, 15. www.writercoachconnection.org 

Winter Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Artify Ashby Muralist Group meets every Wed. from 5 to 8 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, to plan a new mural. New artists are welcome. Call Bonnie at 704-0803. 

Prospective Seminary Students Church Divinity School of the Pacific Open House Feb. 16-18 at 2451 Ridge Rd. To register call 204-0715. www.cdsp.edu 

Argosy University Information Sessions for degree programs in Psychology, Education and Business at 6 p.m. at 999-A Canal Blvd., Point Richmond. To RSVP or for directions to the school, call 215-0277. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch Bring your knitting, crocheting and other handcrafts from 6 to 9 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www. 

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, FEB. 17 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Susan Schwartz, head of Friends of Five Creeks, shows slides of new and upcoming nature restorations you can explore on city walks, at Berkeley Path Wanderers’ meeting at 7 p.m. at Live Oak Park Recreation Center, 1301 Shattuck Ave. 848-9358. f5creeks@aol.com 

LeConte Neighborhood Association meets with Councilmember Max Anderson of District Three at 7:30 p.m. in the LeConte School Cafeteria. 843-2602. 

School Choices at Berkeley High An informational night on the school and program choices students have. Current 8th-10th graders and families invited. At 7 p.m. in the Berkeley High Community Theater. 644-6320. 

“Winemaker’s Dance” a lecture by David G. Howell on the influence of the earth in producing good wine at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Golden Gate Audubon Society “Sights and Sounds of Kenya” Slides and sound recordings with Peter Headland at 7:30 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda, between Marin and Solano. 843-2222. 

“Contemporary Brazilian Culture” with Gilberto Gil, Brazilian singer and composer at 7 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Free, but tickets must be picked up at Wheeler box office beginning at 6 p.m. 642-2088. www.clas.berkeley.edu 

“Bridge to Babylon” Judeo-Arabic music in the Middle East at 7:30 p.m. at BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $20. 845-6420. 

FRIDAY, FEB. 18 

Berkeley Fire Dept. vs. Berkeley Police Dept. Charity Basketball Game at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley High School Donahue Gym. Tickets are $5, $2 for BHS students with i.d. Proceeds will go to scholarships and youth programs. 981-5506. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Edward Norse, Prof., UCB, on “The Promise of Fusion and Solar Power.” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020.  

“Judaism in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe” with Johannes Heil, visiting scholar at the Erasmus Institute at the Univ. of Notre Dame at 4 p.m. at the Badè Museum, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 415-451-2876. 

“Drought and Corruption in Northeastern Brazil” with Nicholas Arons discussing the impact of drought and the phenomenon of drought politics at 4 p.m. in the Geballe Room, 220 Stephens Hall, UC Campus. 642-2088. www.clas.berkeley.edu  

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 7:15 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

“Three Beats for Nothing” meets at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center to sing for fun and practice, mostly 16th century harmony. 655-8863, 843-7610. dann@netwiz.net 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. People of all traditions are welcome to join us. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 655-6169. www.bpf.org 

SATURDAY, FEB. 19 

Historical and Botanical Tour of Chapel of the Chimes, a Julia Morgan landmark, every third Sunday at 10 a.m. at 4499 Piedmont Ave. at Pleasant Valley. Reservations required 228-3207. www.chapelofthechimes.com 

Kids Garden Club For children 7-12 years old to explore the world of gardening. We plant, harvest, build, make crafts, cook and get dirty! From 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $5-$7, registration required. 525-2233. 

Sushi Workshop Learn the natural history and how to make seven types of sushi. From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $25-$40. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Help Bring Back the Wild Join the Bayshore Stewards as we restore a rare tidal marsh on the UC Richmond Field Station, near the Bay Trail in Richmond, from 9 a.m. to noon. We will provide tools, gloves, rain gear and refreshments. We will also provide some instruction on planting and an overview of the project. Heavy rain will cancel the event. For more information call Elizabeth 231-9566. 

Water is Life Workshop on water problems and solutions for a sustainable future, including water pollution in the Bay Area, creek restoration, and greywater systems. Sat. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. Free.548-2220, ext. 233.  

Explore the Alternatives of Demanding, Thirsty Lawns with Gail Yelland on ecological and turf free ground coverings at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens Nursery, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. www.magicgardens.com 

“War and Fleece: How Economic Shock Therapy Backfired in Iraq” with journalist Naomi Klein, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St., in a benefit for the Middle East Children’s Alliance. Tickets are $20 or $50 including reception with Naomi. No one turned away. 548-0542. www.mecaforpeace.org 

New Parents and Babies Community Center Open House from 1 to 3 p.m. at the PRAM Fieldhouse, 110 E. Richmond Ave., Point Richmond. www.pram.net 

“The Mystery of the Heart” Community drumming and chanting at 7 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. Donation $10-$20. 528-0304. www.unityofberkeley.org 

West Knitting Group for all levels and ages at 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, West Branch, 1125 University Ave. 981-6270. 

Intercollegiate Bhangra Competition at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Community Theater, 1930 Allston Way. Portions of the night’s proceeds will be donated to The American Red Cross to help the victims of the tsunami tragedy. For registration details and ticket information see www.dholdiawaz.com  

Emergency Response Training Class on “Fire Supression” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fire Dept. Training Center, 997 Cedar St. To register call 981-5606. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/fire/oes.html 

California Writers Club with Madeline DiMaggio speaking on “Selling Your Story to Hollywood” at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland. www.berkeleywritersclub.org 

Pre-School Storytime for ages 3-5 at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext.17.  

Berkeley Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meets at 9:15 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Sproul Conference Room, 1st Floor, 2727 College Ave. www.berkeleycna.com  

SUNDAY, FEB. 20 

Early Morning Bird Walk to look for early spring arrivals. Meet at 7:30 .m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Glorious Mud For ages 7 to 11 to explore the soggy grounds, identify animal tracks. Come prepared to get dirty. From 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center. 525-2233. 

Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Community Peace Labyrinth, on blacktop next to the gardens at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. Enter by the dirt road on Derby. Free. Wheelchair accessible. Sponsored by the East Bay Labyrinth Project. 526-7377.  

“Parrot Care 101” A free class on the care, feeding and daily play needs of your parrots, at 1 p.m. at Pet Food Express, 6398 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Please do not bring your bird to the class. Donations to the Oasis Exotic Bird Sanctuary accepted. www.squawkandhowl.com 

“African American Veterans: Voices from the Vietnam Experience” a panel discussion at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“California African American Jazz” a family exploration afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Celebrate Black History Month with African textile collage at Habitot, 2065 Kittredge St. Cost is $5-$6. 647-111. www.habitot.org 

Haiku and Renga: Poetry and Nature Walk around the park with stops for creative writing of Japanese-inspired poetry. From 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Cybersalon “TV Goes Online” with panelists from LinkTV, INdTV, Google, Yahoo, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation at 6 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10. 527-0450.  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park, Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Jack Petranker on “Milking the Painted Cow” a new book by Trathang Tulku, at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, FEB. 21 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people 60 years and over meets Mondays at 9:45 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Join at any time. Cost is $2.50 with refreshments. 524-9122. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

ONGOING 

Collect Cleats for All Feet Donate your cleats and other sports equipment to Sports4kids Swap Shop, which works to make sports equipment available to all children who want to play. Donation barrels for cleats at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. Other locations at www.sports4kids.org 

Beginning Tai Chi Class starts Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Large Assembly Room of the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. 415-864-0899. www.taichicalifornia.org 

“Half Pint Library” Book Drive Donate children’s books to benefit Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland. Donations accepted at 1849 Solano Ave. through March 31. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Berkeley Housing Authority meets Tues., Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. ww.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/housingauthority 

City Council meets Tues., Feb. 15, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., Feb. 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Katherine O’Connor, 981-6601. www.ci.berkeley.ca. us/commissions/humane 

Commission on Aging meets Wed. Feb. 16, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. William Rogers, 981-5344. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/aging 

Commission on Labor meets Wed., Feb. 16, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Delfina M. Geiken, 981-7550. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/labor 

Homeless Commission meets Wed. Feb. 16, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/homeless 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed. Feb. 16, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Kristen Lee, 981-5427. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/welfare 

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Prasanna Rasaih, 981-6950. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/faircampaign 

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., Feb. 17, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Peter Hillier, 981-7000. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/transportationÅ

We’ve gotten a lot of mail in the past few weeks about the Berkeley Public Library’s plans for introduction of radio frequency identification devices (RFID) in a time frame close to proposed staff reductions. Library managers contend that there’s not a causal link; Library Director Jackie Griffin sent the Planet a copy of a letter to someone who raised the issue in which she said “the reduction in hours is a financial reality given our budget deficit as is the reduction in staff. Reducing the staff is not caused by RFID nor was the decision made to purchase RFID taken with reducing staff as a goal.” On the other hand, the initial technology buy for RFID is at least half a million dollars, probably more, and the money has to come from somewhere. Proponents suggest that implementing this kind of mechanized system, which enables readers to check out their own books, will save money by reducing workers’ compensation costs, but they haven’t supplied data which backs up this hypothesis. It’s not surprising that there are still some skeptics out there. 

We dropped in on a recent meeting of the Library Board of Trustees at which this topic was discussed. Our first observation was that the meeting room at the South Berkeley Branch Library was dramatically too small for the number of people who wanted to attend. People were lined up 10 and 20 deep out of every door. Since one well-advertised feature of the lavish new Central Library building is big meeting rooms, the choice of the little room at the South Branch indicates that someone in a planning capacity is out of touch with public opinion on how important the upcoming decisions are for Berkeley. This information, coupled with the fact that for the first time in recent memory a library tax measure lost in an election, suggests that Library Board members need to do a better job of exploring exactly which cost-cutting measures are likely to meet with civic approval. The minutes of that meeting and previous meetings where the staffing cuts were discussed have yet to be posted for the information of those who couldn’t squeeze into the meeting room, unfortunately.  

Last Saturday night we attended a sold-out gala at the main library where patrons paid handsomely for a filet mignon dinner and the privilege of sitting at table with an author with a Berkeley connection. The evening’s theme was “Love the Library,” and the enthusiastic participation of both authors and patrons suggested that a lot of people do indeed love the idea of having a fine local library. But libraries without librarians, or at least with fewer humans in the mix, are not apt to engender the same amount of affection in the long run.  

When we looked on the library’s website trying to figure out what time the dinner started, we discovered that their computer system had been on the blink for several days. That reminded us of another problem with RFID, a principle we learned from 20 years in the software business: It never pays to be an early technology adopter. In the few minutes we were able to squeeze into the back of the room at the South Campus Branch we heard a dispute over whether 100-plus users of the chosen system worldwide was a lot or a few. The answer, of course, is “it depends.” It’s certainly not a lot, but is it enough? Is there published evaluation literature on the system’s robustness and efficacy? A quick check on the web found one librarian’s blog complaint about persistent malfunctions in the RFID system she was using. 

Then there’s the whole complex question of whether RFID technology is a long-term threat to privacy. The Electronic Frontiers Foundation, a very respectable, technologically savvy watchdog organization, certainly thinks so, as does the ACLU. Both are adamantly opposed to any large-scale implementation of RFID technology in libraries given the current state of the art. In a recently published paper, UC computer scientists David Molnar and David Wagner say that “current conventional wisdom suggests that privacy risks are negligible unless an adversary has access to library databases. We show this is not the case.” 

Berkeley Public Library management touts its adoption of what they call “best practices” for preserving privacy while using state-of-the-art RFID. However Molnar and Wagner looked at BPL’s best practices and concluded that while they are indeed the best available given today’s technology, they are not good enough to overcome the inherent privacy risks which still exist: They do not in fact prevent the “unauthorized reading of tag data” which many fear. 

All in all, it seems that leaping ahead with RFID implementation presents some big problems. Each controversial topic (staffing model, RFID costs/benefits, privacy) needs its own intelligent discussion. At a minimum, the Library Board of Trustees needs to hold a well-advertised public meeting in a hall big enough to accommodate everyone who has information to share or an opinion to contribute. Otherwise they’ll hear the voice of the people of Berkeley only when it’s too late, at the ballot box.  

—Becky O’Malley 

“This is the story of a thousand people drinking Shirley Temples and smoking candy cigarettes, and they all think they’re in a back room with their Scotch and cigars.” 

Today’s exemplary text, spoken by an unnamed cynic, is from a new book by Phillip Nobel, Sixteen Acres, Architecture and the Outrageous Struggle for the Future of Ground Zero. It refers to something called 21st Century Town Meetings, organized by a well-meaning non-profit called AmericaSpeaks, whose uplifting charter can be found on the Internet.  

Martin Filler includes the quote in a dispiriting piece in the latest New York Review about four books which try to explain what’s been going on—and hasn’t been going on—with the Ground Zero site. The bottom line seems to be, in the prophetic words of Ada Louise Huxable written less than a week after the World Trade Center was bombed, that the debate has led to a “solution” in which “principle is lost and an epic opportunity is squandered.”  

One such town meeting was put on by some well-meaning organization, perhaps AmericaSpeaks, in the Morrison Room on the UC campus not too long after the bombing. The room was filled, standing room only, with articulate and creative people, many of whom had wonderful ideas about what to do with the site. We got into a very stimulating discussion with San Francisco landscape architect Topher Delany, who has designed some successful memorial gardens in places like hospitals. Excellent ideas, deeply relevant, were exchanged, along with business cards. Nothing came of it. Nothing ever comes of meetings like this, as the anonymous cynic knows well. 

Such assemblies have become the 21st century’s substitute for real democracy. Jesse Unruh, once speaker of the California Assembly, used to say that “money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Now “town meetings,” “charettes,” “scoping sessions,” “workshops” and “task forces” have become the soy milk of politics, a more accessible metaphor for Berkeley types than Shirley Temples and Scotch. They look a lot like the real thing, satisfying a lot of people that they’re taking part in the political process, but in the end what used to be called “the interests” always get what they want. 

The struggle over Berkeley’s Seagate Building is a good local example. Many well-meaning (there’s that word again) citizens labored for years over the Downtown Plan, which among other things created design standards for downtown Berkeley. Many more labored over the General Plan, which among other things was supposed to limit building height. The final design, which flouts the rules for both, was shamelessly promoted by the staff of the Planning Department of the City of Berkeley and by Mayor Bates, who met privately with Seagate’s builders for more than an hour on at least one occasion, but seems to have discussed only the weather and the pennant race. Citizen activists appealed, and were ignored. It’s easy to be deaf to the voice of the people when serious money is on the table. 

Or how about UC’s Long Range Development Plans? The public is given a limited subset of UC’s agenda to chew over, and while they’re at the table the real action is going on elsewhere. It’s pretty clear now that there’s some kind of big deal being cooked up by the conjunction of the University of California, which owns the valuable bayfront acreage known the Richmond Field Station, and Simeon Properties, which owns the adjacent parcel now known as Campus Bay. It’s also obvious that these two parties have been colluding in some way to try to duck supervision of cleanup of the two polluted sites by the state Division of Toxic Substances Control, which makes a good faith effort to get citizen input. And residents who have been going to the meetings which are supposed to be discussions of UC Berkeley’s long range development plans were never even told about the bay site projects. Nor, for that matter, were they told about the lavish new football stadium being snuck in under the rubric of “rehabilitating” the old one. (If it goes through as planned the team will have to change its name from the Bears to the Trojan Horses.)  

On the national level, pro-democracy activists (yes, we have them, just like they do in Ukraine) see a ray of hope in the election of Howard Dean as chair of the Democratic National Committee. Dean’s presidential campaign had many of the trappings of a genuine citizen effort, and the fact that it was eventually squelched by the DNC’s official candidate led even cynics to think that it might have been for real. Does Dean’s ascendancy to DNC chair mean that there might be power for citizen activists at last?  

Or does it mean that Dean has decided that if you can’t beat the establishment you might as well join it? The big success of the Dean campaign was raising money, which is why he got the DNC job. Citizen meetings (or “meet-ups”) which give grass-roots people the chance to express their opinions are a great fundraising device, but do participants get a real chance to influence public policy? Are participants just drinking Shirley Temples and smoking candy cigarettes? We’ll have to wait and see what the “new” DNC does. 

—Becky O’Malley›