The attorney for the Oakland man briefly arrested for the 1970 slaying of a Berkeley police officer says a composite drawing made of the suspected killer at the time of the murder “has no resemblance to the way Styles Price appeared during that time. These are not minor differences. They are major.” -more-

For several Berkeley political watchdogs this has been their summer of discontent. -more-

The most improbable thing in a most unlikely place Sunday was a giant wooden clock, an intricate creation resembling nothing so much as a Walt Disney design on LSD. -more-

Trees are dying around two controversial sites in Richmond, and highly regarded UC Berkeley plant pathologist Dr. Robert Raabe thinks toxins are to blame. -more-

Berkeley officials granted Iceland a one month extension Friday to install a temporary cooling system and pump out 4,200 pounds of potentially toxic ammonia. -more-

The Flying Cottage has landed again, this time on the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting of the Zoning Adjustments Board. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers at Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. -more-

After a year that saw a months-long teacher contract protest, budget uncertainty, and construction disputes, the Berkeley Unified School District Board of Education returns this week from an August recess. -more-

Registered nurses voted Thursday to settle their strike with the Alta Bates hospital in Berkeley and Summit Alta Bates in Oakland. -more-

The Nabolom bakery will cease operations as a cooperative Sept. 1, but one cooperative member has made an offer to keep the ovens running as a private business. -more-

http://www.jfdefreitas.com/index.php?path=/00_Latest%20Work0 -more-

FAMILY HOUSING -more-

A few years ago, the 7-Up soft drink company ran a successful ad campaign branding itself the “un” cola. This defied the conventional advertising wisdom that argued one could not successfully define a product in the negative—by focusing on what it is not. The paradoxical success of the 7-Up campaign offers a ray of hope for the Democrats, who either by skillful design, or bumbling accident, have defined themselves as America’s “un” political party. The only thing that voters understand about Democrats is that they are not Republicans. -more-

Our summer houseguest has departed and I can’t say that I’m terribly sad about it. Fifteen-year-old Jernae spent the past nine weeks vacationing on our third floor and volunteering at the Emeryville Recreation Center. It was a learning occasion for everyone, including me. -more-

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This November, UC Berkeley students will be voting to extend the successful Class Pass program for another seven years. -more-

Admired and emulated across the U.S. and in Canada, Romania and Japan, Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission was established almost 20 years ago. It has furthered Berkeley’s proud tradition of activist democracy, standing up to human rights violations in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Iran, Mexico and apartheid South Africa. We have championed citizen authority over transnational corporate power and vindicated the rights of women, workers and voters in the U.S. Residents bring concerns to volunteer commissioners who organize background information and formulate recommendations for the City Council, according to our mandate. We save city employees valuable time. Those of us who craft the approximately 10 recommendations per year put in countless research hours. Our preparation is arduous, so the City Council usually adopts our recommendation with little discussion. We help people reach for their highest ideals. Using the democratic process to address concerns “constructively, creatively” is healthy for the community and for individuals. -more-

The Friday, Aug. 5 article in the Daily Planet, “Library Workers, Patrons Denounce RFID System,” has several omissions and distortions. -more-

Michael Stephens of Chicago in his Aug. 16 letter to the editor says Rabbi Sara Schendelman “tells it exactly like it is” when she states that we in Berkeley “are the most intolerant place in the U.S. when faced with a differing view.” -more-

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23 -more-

The feral or rock pigeon doesn’t have a lot of fans. True, these birds add a touch of nature to the urban jungle; when I worked in San Francisco, I looked forward to the occasional pigeon visit to the window ledge outside my cubicle. But I still harbored a grudge against the one that guano-bombed me in the Piazza di San Marco in Venice years ago, and tended to think of them as feathered vermin. -more-

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23 -more-

Diversity is not just a lofty abstraction: It tastes great, and you can dance to it. -more-

Like many Berkeley dog owners, Tracy Koretsky and Ken McMillan would rather have their shepherd-airedale mix Jezebel by their side than stuck indoors at home or tethered to a pole when they’re about town. -more-

Hello, my name is Cassie Norton, and I’m a college student. -more-

One pleasant surprise when I moved here from Pennsylvania was being able to garden year-round. You’re arriving just in time for planting season. -more-

The Bay Area, with its wealth of regional, state, and national parks and wildlife refuges, is a great place to discover the natural world. This is true even in late fall and winter, when the hills begin to green up, mushrooms emerge, newts migrate to their mating ponds, and manzanitas start to bloom. But hiking in the rain can be a drag, and even on dry days it can get seriously mucky out there. Fortunately, there are options for getting in touch with nature during the wet season. -more-

Access to art shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, or even an ear. Many Bay Area museums follow the enlightened practice of waiving admission for one day every month—sometimes more often. And a handful are always free. -more-

On Friday, Aug. 5, Cal head coach Jeff Tedford and his coaching staff hosted the second annual Cal Women’s Football Huddle from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in Memorial Stadium. As advertised on the official Golden Bear Athletics website, the event—“for women only”—would “interactively teach participants about the ins and outs of football, from officials’ signals to individual position responsibilities.” More than 300 women had signed up in 2004; many more were expected this year. -more-

After the ritual stop at the Lawrence Hall of Science parking lot for the view of the bay, you might want to show your parents around your new home. -more-

Approaching the Berkeley Marina along University Avenue one is greeted by multicolored flags moving enthusiastically in the wind. They’re waving you forward, eager for you to join in. Each color—teal, goldenrod, lime and forest green, tangerine, violet—represents different choices awaiting you. -more-