Hundreds of demonstrators flocked to Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley Monday to protest proposed federal immigration reform and to shore up support for immigrant rights. 

Students and representatives from several campus groups mounted the steps of Sproul Hall with flags and banners splayed, demanding “amnistia,” amnesty, for all immigrants. The demonstration was part of a nationwide Day of Action spearheaded by a grassroots organization based in Washington, D.C. 

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) also staged a protest Monday. SJP initially reserved the plaza to commemorate the 1948 massacre of Palestinians in Deir Yassin, but joined with immigrant-rights activists when they learned of the national movement, an SJP member told the Daily Planet. 

“We were both supportive of each other’s causes so we decided to combine,” said Zaynah Hindi. 

Immigrant rights demonstrators chanted in Spanish and English and wielded signs that said “No anti-immigration/Jim Crow laws,” “We are all Americans” and “No human being is illegal.” 

After an initial microphone snafu, speakers denounced the proposed bill, which would reinforce U.S.-Mexico border security and usher in a worker permit program.  

“There is no such thing as an illegal,” said Hatem Bazian, UC Berkeley instructor in Near Eastern Studies, who spoke at the rally on behalf of Palestinian and immigration rights. “At one point, all of us in this country were illegals.” 

Yael Martinez, a native of a Venezuela and a UC Berkeley graduate student in social work, echoed his concern. 

“Immigrants make up a large portion of the workforce and without them our economy would crumble. We’re all immigrants,” she said. “I’m an immigrant and I feel we should have better laws to protect all human rights.” 

Monday’s protest attracted UC Berkeley students, teachers, employees, and unaffiliated supporters including 9-year-old Pablo Hijuera, who held a sign that said, “Immigrants are not criminals” and told the Daily Planet he was fighting for his rights. 

Oakland, Concord, San Francisco, Sacramento and cities nationwide also hosted protests. At press time, the New York Times estimated that hundreds of thousands of protesters came out in more than 100 cities. 

In December, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would make it a felony both to live in the country illegally and to abet an illegal immigrant. The bill also green-lighted 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.  

A less draconian version of the legislation stalled in the Senate Friday, despite bipartisan agreement over multiple amendments including a guest worker program that would create 325,000 new visas for unskilled laborers—a measure backed by President Bush—a track for immigrants to earn U.S. citizenship and tighter border security.  

Many protestors said they support amnesty and nothing less.  

“Everyone who’s here should have the right to stay here,” said Yvette Felarca, California Coordinator for the affirmative action group By Any Means Necessary, in a phone interview Monday. “What the Congress has been debating is a new form of racism and we’re not going to stand for that.” 

Several demonstrators came out in favor of the DREAM Act, a bill introduced in the Senate in November that would facilitate the ease with which immigrants gain access to higher education.  

A handful of counter-protestors made an appearance at Sproul Plaza Monday. Several members of the Berkeley College Republicans brandished signs calling illegal immigrants “criminals” and beseeching President Bush to crackdown on immigration. 

“This is about protecting our borders and protecting our national security,” said Andrew Quinio, news editor of the conservative campus publication the California Patriot and BCR member. “Legal immigration is absolutely necessary. We can’t give special passes to people who have broken the law. I support a wall.” 

The peaceful protest was topped off by a march, intermittent drizzles notwithstanding. 

Felarca said another demonstration is scheduled for May 1. 

U.S. legislators will not consider proposed immigration reform over the next two weeks because they are on recess. 

With South Berkeley residents complaining of threats against their lives following an appeal hearing in their Small Claims Court “drug house” lawsuit last week, questions are again being raised as to whether such lawsuits should be handled by city officials rather than by neighbors.  

Last January, Alameda County Court Commissioner Jon Rantzman awarded $5,000 apiece to 14 South Berkeley residents who had sued Oregon Street homeowner Lenora Moore in Small Claims Court, arguing that Moore allowed family members to operate a drug house out of the premises over a period of several years. 

Moore did not dispute the drug charges against several of her children and grandchildren, but claim-ed that she had little control over her offspring and was not involved in any drug dealing herself. 

Last weekend following an appeal hearing in the case, Oregon Street resident Sam Herbert circulated an email saying that three men made separate visits to a neighbor’s house, asking her to “deliver a message for me. She was told that I am ‘as good as dead,’ and describing me as a ‘Dead Woman Walking.’” 

Herbert concluded that “both of us took the threats seriously, and literally, as death threats.” 

Another plaintiff in the case, Laura Menard, told the Daily Planet in a telephone message that the Oregon Street neighbors were forced to represent themselves in Superior Court last week after they were turned down by six separate attorneys. 

“All of them said they were concerned about reprisals,” Menard said. 

In a telephone interview, Berkeley journalist Paul Rauber, the lead plaintiff in the case against Moore, called the threats “pretty serious.”’ 

Asked if such threats against the neighbors made it more desirable for the city to take the lead in such legal action rather than citizens themselves, Rauber said, “Oh, yeah. We’re already working on [city officials] to act on a declaration of a public nuisance against the Moore house.” 

Rauber said neighbors were continuing to take legal action against Moore “because [the city] is not doing it. It’s their job. That’s what we have city government for, to take care of situations like this. Guys with uniforms and guns should be handling these problems, not amateurs and neighbors like us.”  

The Oregon Street neighbors were advised in their small claims legal action by Neighborhood Solutions, an Oakland-based nonprofit that specializes in helping citizens bring nuisance abatement lawsuits. Neighborhood Solutions does not have attorneys on staff, and the Oregon Street neighbors represented themselves in Small Claims Court. 

But while Rauber said that Berkeley residents have been left to pursue legal action virtually on their own against what they call “drug house nuisances,” without City Hall help, Oakland residents are getting direct assistance from the office of the Oakland City Attorney and city councilmembers. 

On Saturday, residents of Oakland’s Fruitvale district held a street party celebrating the reclaiming of their block from drug dealers, in part because of lawsuits filed by City Attorney John Russo’s Neighborhood Law Corps. The law corps, a special collection of deputy city attorneys, filed lawsuits against three problem drug houses in the area. 

According to an article in the Sunday Oakland Tribune, Russo said that the law corps was able to do much more in the courts than residents can with a small claims nuisance lawsuit. 

“I can’t recommend that Berkeley citizens try to get the city to declare these problem properties a nuisance,” Rauber said, commenting on the differences between Oakland’s actions and Berkeley’s. “I would if [Berkeley] would do its job. But until they prove whose side they’re on, we’re going to have to take on the job ourselves.” 

Meanwhile Moore, a 74-year-old grandmother, has appealed the small claims court decision against her, and last week Superior Court Judge Wynne Carvill heard the case from scratch, listening to two days of testimony from Berkeley police officers and a collection of plaintiff neighbors describing drug dealing activities surrounding the Moore house. 

A ruling on the appeal is expected within days. 

The Superior Court hearing was not a half-hour old when plaintiffs won their first victory, with Moore’s attorney, Oakland lawyer James Anthony, dropping a portion of the appeals in eight of the cases. 

Anthony told the court that the arrest of one of Moore’s children on her premises on drug possession charges “created a nuisance per se under the law. I can’t argue that there wasn’t a nuisance created for the neighbors living closest to the house.” 

But Anthony continued the appeal against neighbors in the 1700 block of Oregon Street, a block away from the Moore dwelling, saying that “they would have to prove a nexus between the problems they experienced and any activities coming out of Ms. Moore’s house.” 

In addition, Anthony argued that all 14 of the cases should be thrown out because contrary to Small Claims Court procedures, the neighbors failed to make a monetary demand of Moore before bringing their action in court. 

“We aren’t too worried about that,” plaintiff Rauber said by telephone this week. Rauber said that plaintiffs took their demand letter to the lead attorney for the Small Claims Advisor Program of Alameda County. 

“She cleared it,” Rauber said. 

While using the Small Claims Court to put pressure on nuisance properties has generated considerably controversy in recent months, the practice is gaining popularity throughout the state. 

The cities of Fairfield, Santa Rosa, Concord, Vallejo, and Modesto all post web pages promoting citizen small claims court nuisance abatement lawsuits against alleged drug houses, with detailed instructions as to how citizens can take those actions. Some of the websites even provide telephone numbers for city staff members who can assist citizens in filing the suits. 

But the website for the Beat Health Program of the Vallejo Police Department, perhaps inadvertently, points out the contradiction in such programs that encourage citizens to participate in law enforcement activities. The web page notes that Beat Health “is a unit of the Vallejo Police Department designed to supplement traditional law enforcement and approaches to drug and gang-related problems in Vallejo,” calling it a “nationally recognized program which started in Oakland.” 

A notation on the page says that “neighbors are a main source of information” about drug and gang-related nuisance properties that come under the jurisdiction of the Vallejo Police Beat Health Program, adding that such citizens “can remain anonymous. They are thus shielded from retaliation, both physical or legal.” 

But the Vallejo Police website then goes on to say that “neighborhood groups can also be of assistance if property owners do not take any action to abate the nuisance or are not willing to cooperate.… [N]eighborhood groups can sue property owners in Small Claims Court for allowing a public nuisance to emanate from his/her property.” 

How such neighborhood groups can sue, but still remain anonymous and be shielded from physical and legal retaliation, is not explained in the Vallejo Police Department website. 

Meanwhile, Lenora Moore’s attorney is saying that citizen use of the Small Claims Court for nuisance abatement is not what troubles him about the Oregon Street situation. Anthony says he is more concerned about state law that blacklists a property once any amount of drugs is associated with it. 

“You find one joint or one baggie on the premises and bang!—it’s tied to the whole property,” he said. 

Anthony, who used to work as an attorney for the City of Oakland, said he left the city after suing a 94-year-old North Oakland grandmother in a similar drug nuisance case. 

He now belongs to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (www.leap.cc), a nationally based organization made up of current and former members of law enforcement who support drug regulation rather than the current drug-banning laws. 

“We’re now seeing the vicious, dirty underbelly of the war on drugs,” Anthony said by telephone. “After throwing a teenager in jail for drug possession, we’re now going after the house of the grandmother where the teenager lived. Those laws are very problematic.”

After two years of labor strife between employees and Library Director Jackie Griffin—and growing discontent with the director from a citizen’s group—Berkeley’s Board of Library Trustees met Saturday behind closed doors to discuss possible litigation threatened by the library director’s attorney, were she to be terminated. 

This information suggests what employees and citizens have suspected—that the Library Trustees are considering terminating the embattled director. 

A memo from the city attorney’s office, first obtained last week under California’s open meeting laws by Councilmember Kriss Worthington, revealed that Jonathan Siegel, Griffin’s attorney, had a telephone conversation with two deputy city attorneys at the end of March.  

“During that conversation Mr. Siegel threatened to file a lawsuit against the board. Mr. Siegel stated that if the board terminated Ms. Griffin, he would file a lawsuit on her behalf alleging wrongful termination,” the memo stated. 

Library Trustees came to no final conclusions at Saturday’s closed-door meeting that lasted some two hours. Because they made no decisions, the trustees are not obliged to share their deliberations with the public. 

And that leads to speculation about the status of the director. 

Among the possible outcomes is that the library director will keep her job, that as an at-will employee, she will lose it, or that she can leave her $131,494 (plus about $66,000 annually in benefits) job with a negotiated settlement.  

“I don’t believe in golden parachutes,” commented Gene Bernardi, a member of SuperBOLD, Super Berkeleyans Organizing for Library Defense—a group that first came together to protest Radio Frequency Identification, chips that, despite community objections, Griffin had imbedded in books. 

Speaking for herself, Bernardi said she thought the director should get “adequate notice and severance pay.” 

If there are settlement negotiations, they must be held behind closed doors, according to Acting City Attorney Zach Cowan. But Bernardi argued that, if such negotiations occur, they should be in the light of day 

“If it’s negotiated in public, we could avoid a golden parachute,” she said. 

Union shop steward Andrea Segall wasn’t thinking about whether the director would be fired or get a negotiated settlement. She said she was simply glad that signs seemed to point to the director’s exit and the end to antagonistic relations with employees, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 535. 

The conflicts began when the director carried through with her proposal for the more-than-$650,000 Radio Frequency Identification program, an expense that resulted in staff layoffs. 

The union has alleged that there was administrative retaliation against employees who have engaged in union activities and spoken out against library policies, exacerbating the conflict. 

“There’s been a climate of incredible fear in the library—now people are afraid to challenge (the director),” Segall said. 

“Our perspective is that we have tried over almost two years in five different venues to affect change,” Segall said. “That cost the city quite a bit of money in staff and consultant time.” 

Anes Partridge, senior field representative with SEIU 535, underscored that the union will keep the pressure on at the library until the personnel files of people disciplined unfairly have been cleared. 

A call to Griffin was returned by Community Relations Librarian Alan Bern, who said the director “can’t comment at this time on internal issues.” A message on the answering machine of her attorney, Jonathan Siegel, said he was away from the office until April 14..

Proposed development on San Pablo Avenue described by one resident as resembling “someone who squeezed into a pair of pants two sizes too small and is bursting at the seams” was narrowly granted a use permit by the Zoning Adjustments Board Thursday. 

The board approved a permit, 5-3 with one abstention, for developer Jim Hart, who plans to erect a five-story, 29,665-square-foot building with 30 condos—including six affordable units—and up to five commercial spaces at 1201 San Pablo Ave., at Harrison Street. 

The site, currently a vacant lot, was formerly used to sell Christmas trees. 

Additional features include an interior, open-air courtyard measuring approximately 20 feet by 103 feet that would provide pedestrian access to residential units, a rear 5-by-130-foot landscaped yard and a 38-space parking garage.  

On the heels of a rigorous 13-month design review process, many residents say they’re glad to see the lot developed. The proposed structure, they say, however, is simply too big.  

“This is a terrible site for a project of this scale,” said Terry Dillon, who lives in the neighborhood, predominantly comprised of one- and two-story homes, in addition to commercial properties, including an auto shop and a Church’s Chicken fast food restaurant on the opposite side of San Pablo. The area is zoned for commercial structures. 

Residents also complained about projected parking problems brought on by 30-plus new neighbors and shop visitors. 

To offset parking shortages, architect Don Mill will install 34 of the 38 spots as electronic lifts, which will stack cars on top of each other. Resident John Arnold fears tenants will park on the street anyway,  

“The lifts are a great solution but they’re inconvenient and residents won’t use them until parking on the street is inconvenient,” he said. 

Traffic congestion was an additional concern. A report prepared by the Oakland-based traffic consultant Dowling Associates found that the proposed development would generate an extra 426 vehicle trips a day, invariably increasing traffic and parking demands. 

However, congestion at studied intersections—San Pablo at Gilman Street and San Pablo at Harrison—would not be “unacceptable,” the report says. 

Many residents begged to differ, insisting that traffic will affect nearby side streets like Stannage Avenue and Kains Street, both north of San Pablo. 

Others worry that the building will set a standard for large-scale development in the San Pablo corridor. The proposed structure on San Pablo is only the second mixed-use housing development proposed in the area. A similar building, under construction at 1406 San Pablo, is three stories tall. 

“This giant building, I feel, is going to set a precedent on San Pablo,” said Susan Cohen. “I think it’s really going to change the nature of the neighborhood and I’m concerned it’s going to turn into something much less pleasant.” 

Resistance to the project is not unanimous, though. 

“Now this vacant lot is going to be a well-designed building, a place that I think will encourage more small businesses,” said Steven Donaldson. Five or six individuals living in the neighborhood share his sentiment, he said in a correspondence to the board last year. 

Some board members who voted in favor of the use permit agreed with residents’ opposition to the project, but could not find grounds on which to reject the proposal.  

“The density is too much for the neighborhood, but we’re not the planning commission, it’s simply not our role to say that,” said board member Bob Allen. “I’m going to have to support the project knowing I’m going to lose some friends in the audience.” 

Allen joined with Jesse Anthony, Rick Judd, Christiana Tiedemann and Peter Levitt in favor of granting a use permit. David Blake, Carrie Sprague and Dean Metzger opposed the project. Andy Katz abstained. 

Opponents have 14 days after the board mails its official decision to appeal to the Berkeley City Council. 

Resident Erika Lamm said neighbors plan to file an appeal. 

Cheryl Chinn received a special delivery Friday: a Tupperware filled to the brim with an oily, murky liquid, and an accompanying note handwritten in marker.  

“Dear Mrs. Chinn,” the letter said. “This is salad dressing for you. It has herbs from the garden. Room 17.” 

Such is a day in the life of Chinn, veteran principal of Malcolm X Arts and Academic Magnet School, where, in an average week, students are planting strawberries, producing full-length musicals, pirouetting in dance class and throwing fresh, campus-grown ingredients into a gourmet salad dressing that Chinn only too gladly taste tests. 

It’s all part of the school’s distinctive blending of arts and academics, an approach to education that has not gone unnoticed.  

In the next week, State Superintendent Jack O’Connell is expected to name Malcolm X a Distinguished School, an honor conferred on schools that display excellence in academics, special programs, community outreach, professional development and other arenas, and meet state and federal testing goals. 

More than 2,000 schools were deemed eligible for the award and fewer than 1,000 applied. Of those, 368 scored high enough—including Malcolm X—to merit visits from a state review team charged with validating applications. Final awardees will be announced by April 18. 

Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) last reaped a Distinguished School award in 2001 with Martin Luther King Middle School. The year before, both Malcolm X and Berkeley Arts Magnet earned the recognition. 

“We’re really pleased that Malcolm X is going for their second award and that in doing so they’re really representing all of Berkeley’s schools,” said district spokesman Mark Coplan. 

Designation as a distinguished school proffers neither money nor glory, only validation, Chinn said. “It’s validation for the people who are working at the school, that their hard work isn’t overlooked,” she said. 

Malcolm X, a school with 377 students and about 20 teachers, was accorded magnet status in 1998 with a $650,000 federal grant distributed over three years for construction, teacher training and arts program development. 

At every grade level, students are exposed to each of the major art forms: visual art, dance, music and drama/creative writing. A kindergartner’s foray into fine art may involve painting stick figures. By fifth grade, she’s experimenting with lighting design.  

“We believe kids learn in different ways,” Chinn said. “Some are strong in academics, others do well in arts. The idea is to educate the whole child.” 

The concept seems simple enough but as standardized testing mandates along with ever-dwindling budgets to divert attention away from the arts, Malcolm X occupies a unique niche, some parents say.  

The school offers “a different way of learning things,” said Terry Young, whose two sons attend Malcolm X. “Geometry comes through in art, or in gardening, there’s math and literature.” 

At Malcolm X, Young’s eldest discovered he likes to dance. Her younger son is taking a shine to cooking class. Typically a picky eater, he now entreats his mother to purchase beets (“beets!” she said) and gives recipe suggestions to boot.  

“The kids love the program here,” she said. “Stuff like this is so important.” 

Malcolm X was abuzz Friday, the last day of school before spring break and the date when state assessors were scheduled to visit. Fifth-graders had just completed a production of the musical School House Rock and were regrouping to perform again that evening. A break in the rain allowed students to run around outside, while others stayed indoors cooking up a carrot soup replete with fresh ingredients. Sarita Johnson’s second-graders were shopping for books and other goodies with fake money, a weekly activity that gives students a hands-on method for counting change, Johnson said. 

Before class let out, Johnson led her students down to the school garden, where they picked up pots of strawberries they had planted a week earlier in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. 

The garden, with mustard plants, fava beans, sour lettuce and other edible plants, is built, planted, maintained—and eaten—by students, said Rivka Mason, Malcolm X garden teacher and coordinator for 10 years. 

Community members also contribute to the garden, she said. The cob greenhouse where students left their strawberry plants to grow was assembled with the help of local architect John Fordice. 

“The crucial part of any school is the collaboration of teachers, principals, the parents, the community,” Mason said. “As a unified, diverse school, we all come together. I just feel honored being here.” 

Photograph by Suzanne La Barre 

Clara Monk, a second-grader at Malcolm X, shows off strawberry sprouts she planted a week earlier in honor of Cesar Chavez Day..

The battle between a developer and neighborhood preservationists in the city’s Sisterna Tract Historic District continues, in part because city staff failed to date a key document. 

The struggle has pitted developer Gary Feiner and architect Timothy Rempel against property owners who live near two Sixth Street projects within the new district. 

The dispute landed back on the agenda of Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Thursday after neighbors discovered that Feiner’s contractor had demolished the roof and most of the walls of a Victorian cottage he is turning into a multi-unit residential building at 2104 Sixth St. 

Though Feiner wasn’t at the meeting, Rempel told commissioners a contractor had “innocently removed the roof as a safety hazard.” 

The old roof has been replaced with a steel-framed roof, he said, and the walls will be replaced with materials that match what was removed. 

“We will restore it with historically appropriate siding and trim and bring all the period detailing back to where it should be,” he said. 

Rempel was accompanied by attorney John Gutierrez, who lamented that “Gary Feiner’s progress through this body and the Zoning Adjustments Board has been one of the most tortuous activities anyone has ever had to go through.” 

Neighbors scoffed, and urged the commission to recommend that the Zoning Adjustment Board deny Feiner approval of a retroactive demolition permit that would regularize his project. Under the city’s Landmark Preservation Ordinance, the LPC rules on alteration permits but is not able to deny applications for permits to demolish historic resources. 

But the commissioners couldn’t act on this matter at all because it was not legally before them—the city’s Planning Department had failed to date the Initial Study and proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration included in their packets, which ordinarily would be submitted to the LPC for recommendations to ZAB. 

“Just say no,” said Elise Blumenfeld, who with her spouse and fellow psychotherapist Neal is co-owner of the Victorian at 2112 Sixth St. 

Neighbor Sandy Kasten said that Feiner had removed exterior features that had been singled out for preservation in the landmarking document. 

“All that’s left is part of the exterior siding on the north side,” she said. Approving the demolition, she said, “would be a slap in the face” to neighbors. 

While Rempel denied knowing about the demolition until after it occurred, neighbor Sarah Satterlee called the claim ridiculous. “He lives and works a block away, and his wife is project manager.” 

Rempel angrily declared that his wife was only briefly in charge of the project, but Satterlee produced a Dec. 28 e-mail which seemed to contradict him. 

Neighbor Jano Bogg charged that Feiner had removed the fence that separates the home from his property and replaced it with one higher than city code permits. 

“He claims he didn’t know his contractor had inadvertently knocked down my fence,” said Bogg, who described himself as an outraged neighbor. 

Rempel said the building permit called for replacement of some sections of the fence. 

Planning Director Dan Marks said that “because an ongoing project is being delayed, there is some interest to see it moved forward as quickly as we can.” 

But he also realized the commission couldn’t act because the document in question hadn’t been properly submitted. 

Marks said the corrected declaration would be mailed out the following day. 

Once the document is issued, the commission will have 21 days to comment— but because their next meeting isn’t until May 4, it could reach the Zoning Adjustment Board before the next LPC meeting. 

LPC members then voted to allow their project subcommittee to comment on the document and submit their remarks to ZAB. 

While some commissioners voiced their unhappiness with the developer, member Gary Parsons said he believed the demolition had been an honest mistake. Several of the neighbors shook their heads at the comment. 

The demolition marks merely the latest twist in a project that has been colored by considerable acrimony and delays. It was Feiner’s plans for a much larger pair of projects that triggered the move to create the historic district, which commemorates a working-class neighborhood from the city’s earliest years. 

The project was scaled down after the district was formed and the designs altered to fit in better with the Victorian streetscape, despite Feiner’s protests.  

New landmark 

The commission voted unanimously to declare the house at 2667-69 Le Conte Ave. as Berkeley’s newest landmark. 

Designed by John Hudson Thomas, the building is the architect’s only creation sided with wooden shingles. 

The structure has been sitting vacant, and several windows are broken, much to the dismay of some commissioners..

City landmarks commissioners took up matters concerning construction at UC Berkeley twice Thursday night—once as a pitch about a massive new project at and around Memorial Staduim and again to set a hearing on landmarking the Bevatron. 

University officials, led by Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Physical and Environmental Planning Emily Marthinsen, faced some tough questions and comments from members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and from audience members as well. 

The university plans to spend nearly a third of a billion dollars on new buildings near the stadium and on a retrofit of the stadium itself that will include a “tiara” of press and luxury sky boxes that will add 50 percent to the height of the venerable structure’s western side. 

Also planned is a 186,000-square-foot athletic training center at the base of the western wall, a multi-level semi-underground parking structure to the northwest, a new building combining functions of the law and business schools and work on the Piedmont Avenue streetscape. 

The university came to the LPC because the project calls for demolition of landmarked houses on Piedmont and will impact the streetscape, which is itself a landmark designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York’s Central Park and the founder of American landscape architecture. 

Memorial Stadium, designed by Berkeley architect John Galen Howard, is also the subject of a current national landmark application, written by preservationist John English, who was the first to speak in the public comment session following the UC presentation. 

“There’s something terribly wrong with the whole approach” to the stadium project, English said. “They are trashing the historic character of the stadium.” 

English cited the university’s own historic structures report of 1999, which declared that “no additions or alterations should project above the historic rim.” 

As a result of the addition of skyboxes on the western side and other additions on the east run, many historic elements would be obstructed or severely altered, he said, as would be views from nearby neighborhoods. 

Gary Parsons, an architect and one of the commission’s newest members, said he was troubled by the renderings presented by the university. 

“They are misrepresentations,” he said, which were not done to scale or dimension. 

Views of the stadium itself either failed to include the above-the-rim sky and press boxes or did so using only dashed lines, he said. 

“In other hearings, it’s been described as a tiara,” he said. “I get a little worked up about being shown things not as they will be.” 

Robert Johnson, who was elected to chair the LPC later in the meeting because Jill Korte had finished her statutory maximum of two years at the helm, said he was shocked by the stadium plans. 

“It scares me,” he said, noting that modern additions had destroyed the historic character of Soldier Field in Chicago. 

“Do we really need something that adds 50 percent to the height of the stadium?” he asked. 

“In my mind, this project trashes the historic environment,” said LPC member Lesley Emmington. 

Commissioner Steven Winkel said he wanted to see the alternative projects spelled out in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the project, a document that UCB Principal Planner Jennifer Lawrence said should be ready by the beginning of May. 

Emmington said the commission would need more than the 30 days allotted for comments to prepare a response to the EIR—especially if the document wasn’t ready in time for the commission’s next meeting May 4. 

Lawrence said she would take up the request for an extension with university officials, but offered no promises. 

LPC members then voted to appoint a subcommittee consisting of Parsons, Emmington, Carrie Olson and Fran Packard to work on a response to the EIR. 

Other audience comments focused on traffic impacts, the addition of increased density in the town’s most densely inhabited sector and the wisdom of adding massive new construction immediately atop or adjacent to the Hayward Fault.  

Bevatron 

L.A. Wood and Pamela Shivola presented the commission with the latest draft of their application to landmark the Bevatron at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a structure that housed the equipment for the experiments that won four Nobel Prizes for university faculty. 

Operating between 1954 and 1993 in Building 51 at the lab, the Bevatron contraction from “billion electron volts”—smashed subatomic particles together at speeds high enough to shatter them into their previously undetected subcomponents, such as the anti-proton, the particle discovered by Owen Chamberlain and Emilio Segre in a Nobel-winning discovery. 

Chamberlain, who died Feb. 28, was a passionate advocate of preserving the Bevatron and Building 51. 

Shivola told commissioners that Shivola told commissioners that Chamberlain hoped the building could be converted into an educational and historic resource. “It’s unique in the world,” she said. 

Built between 1949 and 1954, the particle accelerator and the surrounding structure are slated for demolition by the lab, which is a U.S. Department of Energy facility. 

Critics of demolition consist of those who fear the public health consequences of the demolition and removal of a building loaded with asbestos, lead and radionucleides and those who say that the massive structure is both a testament to groundbreaking research and to the legacy of the government-sponsored “big science” of the Cold War era. 

So large is the structure, Wood said, that most of Memorial Stadium could fit inside its walls. 

The commission will consider the landmark application during their May meeting. 

The application, with links to historic documents and photos, is available at Wood’s website, berkeleycitizen.org. 

Rad Hotel 

While she didn’t mention the project during the meeting, Shivola later faxed reporters a message to call their attention to one of the projects listed in the lab’s environmental assessment on the demolition project, which lists projects planned in the area of the building. 

Page 88 of the document reports that the lab plans to build a 60-room guest house for visiting scientists near the structure, to provide low-cost accommodations for scientists and students visiting the lab’s facilities—which include the Advanced Light Source, the National Center for Electron Microscopy, the lab’s cyclotron facility and the soon-to-be opened Molecular Foundry. 

The facility, which Shivola dubbed “the Rad Hotel,” would encompass 25,000 square feet in the three-story building. 

As currently planned, construction would begin in February 2007 and be completed in June 2008. 

A crowd gathered Thursday on Bancroft Way outside UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law to denounce the United States’ role in torture, the centralization of federal power in the executive branch and Boalt Hall Professor John Yoo, the man protesters condemn as the author of these policies. 

“Some of you know that John Yoo, who is on the faculty here at Boalt Law School, is the primary legal architect of the torture policy and of the policy that the president is above the law,” said Graduate Theological Union instructor Taigen Leighton, speaking at the vigil and teach-in that drew more than 30 people. 

Although Yoo is away on sabbatical for the spring semester, protesters have held vigils weekly since early February to remind the campus community that the former Bush advisor works among them, organizers said, underscoring that they seek to challenge Yoo’s ideas, not to limit his academic freedom. 

The Daily Planet was unsuccessful in attempts to reach Yoo by e-mail for comment. Calls to the dean of the law school and the law school public information office were not answered before deadline.  

Yoo, who joined the law school faculty in 1993, is known for the “torture memo” he wrote when working at the Department of Justice in 2002, arguing that fighters captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan are not covered by the Geneva Conventions, which make mistreatment of prisoners of war illegal. 

George W. Bush has also relied on Yoo’s legal advice to argue that wiretap laws do not apply to the president. 

Speaking at the vigil, American Civil Liberties Union attorney Davis Riemer said that Bush’s move to consolidate power in the executive, “if left unchallenged, will leave a legacy that will fundamentally alter the balance of power in our constitutional democracy.” 

A strong judiciary is required in questions of surveillance, he said. 

Warrantless wiretaps “sound like the George against whom we fought the Revolutionary War, not like the George we would elect in a democratic process,” he said. 

Most of the protesters Thursday were affiliated with one of the organizing groups—American Friends Service Committee, The World Can’t Wait, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Code Pink, St. Joseph the Worker Social Justice Committee and others.  

Few students stopped to listen to the speakers or view the images of torture victims. Ima Davis, with The World Can’t Wait organization, said she was demoralized “passing out flyers and people just passing by. I’ve been noticing that these people, who are my peers—because they’re just about my age—are not taking flyers and just walking by, or even acknowledging that torturing is going on or stopping to find out what is happening right now. 

“It will keep on happening if people don’t come out and speak out against it. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Davis said. 

The Thursday protests continue through May. On April 14 Andres Contera, on the staff of the radio news magazine “Democracy Now!,” and whose family was tortured in Uruguay, will speak at 4:30 p.m. about United States’ torture in Latin American and the relevance to Bush’s torture policy today. Information can be found on the Buddhist Peace Fellowship web site. 

Photograph by Judith Scherr 

Craig McClaeb is among protesters Thursday at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall condemning Professor John Yoo, whose legal advice to the president has permitted torture of prisoners.

Responding to Mayor Tom Bates’s proposal to weaken the city’s landmarks ordinance, Berkeley preservationists say they’ll be taking the issue to the voters. 

Computer security consultant Roger Marquis told the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Thursday that he’ll present them with a copy of the initiative at their meeting May 4. 

“Right now we’re calling it the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance 2006 Update Initiative,” said Marquis, who is spokesperson for the committee preparing the measure. 

Meanwhile, Planning Director Dan Marks told the commission his staff is drafting a formal version of the mayor’s proposal, which will also be presented to the council in May. 

Marks said either he or Deputy City Attorney Dan Marks would make the presentation. 

“The mayor has prepared revisions that would significantly weaken the ordinance,” Marquis told the commission. “We are preparing an initiative to put an updated version of the current ordinance before the voters.” 

Marquis said the initiative would include an ordinance similar to the proposal drafted by the LPC. Another version had been drafted by the Planning Commission, and the mayor’s version incorporated features of both. 

Mayor’s revisions 

Marks said his staff is preparing two versions of the ordinance offering different treatments of the city’s most controversial landmark category, the structure of merit. 

These are typically buildings that have been significantly altered since their construction but which still contain significant features of the original. The other category, landmark, is usually bestowed on a more pristine structure. 

In one version of the ordinance Marks is preparing, the structure of merit designation and the protections it carries could only be applied within designated historic districts. 

That version is strongly backed by developers and attorney Rena Rickles, who frequently appears to argue their cases before city commissions and the council. 

A second version would continue the present law’s practice of allowing its application anywhere in the city.  

In both proposals, a landmark category of designation could be named anywhere in the city. 

Marquis said his version will also allow its applicability throughout the city, a position backed by the LPC majority. 

Both the landmark and structure of merit designations carry protections under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

Marks said the mayor’s ordinance would also include a third, new form of designation called a “neighborhood point of interest,” which would carry no CEQA protections. 

The mayor’s proposal also calls for the creation of a new city post, Historic Preservation Officer, who would also serve as the LPC’s secretary. Marks said current LPC Secretary Janet Homrighausen would be well-qualified for the post. 

The mayor’s proposal also creates a new process called a Request for Determination, which would allow owners to determine if their properties might be potential landmarks.  

LPC member Carrie Olson had few kind words for the mayor and his proposal. 

“It was worthy of Tom Delay,” said Olson, comparing Bates to the now discredited House GOP leader. “At the very last minute he added structures of merit only in historic districts. There was no opportunity for public comment ... this guy learned his craft well in Sacramento”—referring to the mayor’s years in the state Assembly. 

Initiative proposal 

Marquis said his group’s initiative “basically updates the current ordinance with a few changes to reference the state Permit Streamlining Act and its timeline, and incorporates a few other changes recommended by the state Office of Historic Preservation.” 

The current ordinance was adopted in 1974, a year after Berkeley voters approved the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance that mandated the landmarks ordinance (LPO). 

The initiative, which will require 2,007 valid signatures of Berkeley voters to qualify for the November ballot, will preserve the existing structure of merit category, he said. 

“Structures of merit are basically local resources that may or may not be eligible for the state or national registers (of historic places), but they are important elements of the neighborhood context,” Marquis said. 

The LPO proponent said he didn’t want to get into more specifics of any changes in the proposed initiative until the committee’s attorneys had finished vetting the draft, which should happen later this week. 

Marquis said the initiative will include a call for a survey to identify potential landmarks, something the mayor has also called for. 

“The mayor and the planning department say they want a survey but the city already lost out on a $25,000 grant to conduct a survey because they didn’t apply on time,” said Marquis.  

Marquis said proponents expect to face an intense campaign against the initiative, financed by developers—who are largely critical of the existing ordinance, and especially of the structure of merit. 

“Fortunately, Berkeley voters tend to take the time to look behind the rhetoric,” he said. 

Marquis said the ordinance would concentrate new development on vacant sites, including the locations of old gas stations, rather than on sites occupied by 19th-century Victorians and other historic structures..

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of interviews with local elected officials. 

Daily Planet: Where were you born and where did you grow up, and how does that affect to how you regard the issues in Berkeley and in your district? 

Kris Worthington: I was in foster homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey at a very early age, until I was 11 years old when I was adopted. And that was in Bucks County Pennsylvania, a place where at the age of 11 I knew that I was a Democrat and I was very much in the minority. ... I knew that if you believed in things and you’re fighting for things that it doesn’t matter whether you’re a majority or a minority you just work for the things that you believe in. 

I think that being a foster child has influenced the way I see the world, it influences my sympathy for people who are in difficult situations. ... I think supporting social services and putting money into social service programs to support young people is one of the most important things in the world. That is a major dynamic in Berkeley in terms of our budget. 

We’ve been cutting important social services in Berkeley unnecessarily with the excuse that we don’t have money. At the same time we have millions of extra dollars rolling in from the transfer of property tax being way over budget. But that goes to special designated things at the same time that we’re cutting very precious valuable human services. 

What is your educational background, and how did that help prepare you for being a councilmember? 

KW: When I graduated from high school I took courses at Wilmington College, a Quaker school in Wilmington, Ohio. I didn’t graduate from Wilmington College and I moved to Cambridge and took extension courses at Harvard which were the most demanding and the most educational of any courses I ever took anywhere. 

There are things about the practical real world that nobody ever teaches you. Like when I first got elected I guess I was really shocked to find out that elected officials do not read their packets. That is not said in any way to disparage anybody on the City Council. Now I understand that it’s not just in Berkeley but all over the country and probably all over the world elected officials do not have the time or take the time to read the stuff they’re voting on. It’s just not done. 

And, in fact, one of the mayors from another city nearby laughed at me when I admitted that I actually read our council packets. He thought it was a joke. I like to know what I’m voting on. So there are certain little things like that no education is going to prepare you for. 

I guess my education also didn’t prepare me to understand the personal animosity and political in-fighting. .... You can’t just have a good idea and put it out there. You have to be really persistent and push and push and push in order to get even popular ideas accomplished. 

I guess I feel that my volunteer activities with all the different non-profit groups and political groups that I volunteered with, like my volunteering with the Sierra Club and with neighborhood associations and The National Organization for Women and NAACP, groups that I’ve been a board member of for many years and an activist for many years, that prepared me for City Council a thousand times more than any or all of the classes that I ever took anywhere.  

What are the top three most pressing issues facing your district? 

KW: One, is affordable housing. The costs of rents is outrageously high in Berkeley. No matter how many times Gordon Wozniak lies and says things are great for tenants and that we should take away the tenants’ protections because everything is so wonderful it is tough to get an affordable place to live in Berkeley ... People who work in Berkeley would love to live in Berkeley but they are not even poor. They are middle class. They can’t afford to live here. So I would say that the affordability of housing, both rental and ownership, is one of the most important issues that affect people in Berkeley and what the quality of life is in Berkeley. Right now Berkeley has policies that if you build condos none of your units have to be affordable: at 30 percent, 50 percent, 80 percent or even 100 percent AMI (Area Median Income). It is outrageous that Berkeley, a supposedly progressive bastion, has worse policies on this than most other cities in the state. And we allow developers to say ‘Oh well, I can’t make enough profit so I need to charge 120 percent AMI for my (so called) affordable units’. I think it’s a stretch to say 80 percent units are actually affordable. What we desperately need is units at 30 percent and 50 percent Area Median Income. At least when we had a law where there were 80 percent units it could help the lower middle class. A hundred percent AMI is a lot of money. I think that’s one of the glaring outrages. 

The other two biggest things are traffic and transportation issues and public safety. People feeling it’s dangerous to have speeding cars going down the streets. The volume and velocity of the vehicles. Also, how much money is going to go in traffic and how much is going to go in highways. 

Do you agree with the direction the city is heading in. Why or why not? 

KW: That depends on what subject you look at. I think Berkeley has a lot of wonderful people that are working for the city doing really good things... 

There are some issues where we are stumbling or falling backwards. It’s rare now that we’re the first city to do progressive things. ... We should have solarized every public building we own by now and we are not even close. The tree ordinance: Certainly there are many, many cities that have a better tree ordinance than Berkeley. 

I think the single biggest glaring problem with city government is land use. Anyone that has to deal with land use is being thrust into an insane situation. And this is whether you’re a developer trying to build something or whether you’re a home owner trying to do something for your house. The process is absurd. You’re supposed to show up at this meeting at 7, like the zoning board, and sign a card in order to speak at 10 or 11 or sometimes public hearings start after 12. You can leave and come back. Either we make you make two trips or we make you sit there for hours and hours and hours listening to cases that have no interest to you. That is so undemocratic. 

And then within land use, I see it as corruption, because of campaign contributions to certain politicians, the city has illegally and or immorally approved certain projects or given them special treatment. I think it’s unfair to the other developers that one developer gets told ‘Oh, you don’t have to follow the rules. We will let you not do your environmental review. We’ll take the low income money and give it to you for projects that are not low income.’ And we have a history of that happening here in Berkeley. ... 

We have so little money for low income housing. How can you justify stealing the low income money to support higher income housing? If you want to create a pool of money to fund middle class housing I would vote for that, but don’t steal the money from the low income housing fund in order to give it to the middle income housing.... 

Even the Downtown Plan recently, which was staffed with pro-growth, built lots of things and didn’t get students’ perspectives and minority peoples’ perspectives or poor peoples’ perspectives. Even those people, the elitist big name people, all agree that the most important thing in planning is to have consistency. You can’t have favoritism for certain developers. I believe that all four panelists agreed with that concept, that you really need to have consistency. And what Berkeley has is a consistency that certain big campaign contributions corruptly get favoritist treatment. I think that is a major problem that we need to fix and it’s going to affect the whole future of Berkeley because when people are upset over land use things that are done corruptly, then they vote against ballot measures to fund things that they actually support... 

The integrity of our planning process has got to be restored. That’s one of the reasons why I support public finance of elections to take away some of the stench of certain developers and corporate interests. In Berkeley, even though the developers’ campaign contribution is only $250 and that developer can only give $250, we have had cases where one developer gets many thousands of dollars to a councilman. Are those councilmembers going to turn around vote against that developer? It could happen but it makes it a lot harder. I see that as one of our big problems that’s affecting the faith and confidence of the people in the city.  

What is your opinion of the proposal to develop a new downtown plan and the settlement with the University of California over its Long Range Development Plan? 

KW: From a taxpayer point of view I think it’s outrageous that the university, which is clearly legally obligated to pay us over a $1 million for sewers, is being allowed under this agreement to pay $200,000 for sewers. So the taxpayers of Berkeley have to subsidize somewhere between $1 million to $2.4 million dollars that pretty much every lawyer agrees that the university has to pay. 

From a taxpayers’ point a view this settlement is outrageous. ... It makes no logical sense to take less money for everything than you’re owed for one thing. Separate from that is the whole factor of the secrecy. There is no legal requirement that this deal had to be kept secret ... It is a horrible violation of open government that one or two people behind the scene are going to make this secret. I think the secrecy is more outrageous then the agreement. One of the ironies of this is , and I haven’t seen this publicized in any newspaper, is that Chancellor Bergineau offered the city in writing basically as much money as this offer before the lawsuit even happened. So if the City Council was to settle for this pathetic pittance that doesn’t even pay the legal bills the university actually owes us, why would they get anybody in an uproar?... 

The priorities that could have and should have been fought for that affect the quality of life in Berkeley. ... We could dedicate one half of one percent of a project budget as transportation mitigation and provide free public transit to every single UC employee. Even if it only got 5 percent of employees from driving their cars it would dramatically reduce the need for parking. It would improve public transit. And it would benefit UC’s employees. This could have been a wonderful thing that benefits the neighborhoods by reducing traffic.... 

This secret settlement let down the students, let down the employees and was a giant disappointment to the neighborhood people who were promised by Tom Bates repeatedly that they would get to see this agreement.... It will be hurting the taxpayers of Berkeley for many, many years to come. 

How do you think the mayor is doing at his position? Are you considering running for mayor, and if so, what changes would you try to make? 

KW: I can’t answer that question here in this building. 

Has Berkeley’s recent development boom been beneficial for the city? What new direction, if any, should the city’s development take over the next decade? 

KW: Building more housing is a good thing to do. But to the extent that much that has been built is so expensive, it’s not very helpful. And because of our policies, This whole thing of allowing them to do 120 percent AMI, these hundreds of hundreds of condo units that are coming in effectively have not one affordable unit. So I don’t think this benefits the city an awful lot to have hundreds of hundreds of really expensive condos.... 

We need to strongly support our industrial area because we have the West Berkeley Plan. That means we’re providing frequently union or union scale salaries to a bunch of people who don’t have to have college degrees. So, we’re giving working class people the chance to have a good salary by keeping our manufacturing.... 

We need to make a real priority for affordable housing. Fund the housing trust fund. Fund the general fund. We have to give the one or two affordable housing projects that come through the City Council enormous support and help them to succeed. And we’re not doing that sufficiently from my point of view. 

I think affordable housing projects should be moved to the front of the line. There are so few of them. We really need to fix the chaos and confusion of our whole land use process. The very first item on the agenda should be the land use public hearing. 

How would you characterize the political climate in Berkeley these days? 

KW: The political climate in Berkeley among the people is great. There are a lot of progressive people providing leadership to local, state, national and international campaigns and issues. We have people in Berkeley that are rocking the world and the nation. The whole MoveOn campaign is the most prominent example that mobilized and organized tens of thousands of people all over the country. ... There are many activists that are doing a phenomenal job. The climate among City Council is not reflective of the people of Berkeley and that’s sad. 

What is your favorite thing about Berkeley? 

KW: My favorite thing about Berkeley is its diversity and its creativity and progressiveness.  

What is your least favorite thing about Berkeley? 

KW: There are two things that are equal and I don’t know which is worse. The corruption in land use decisions and favoritism to certain developers. And [the other is] the hypocrisy in city government.?

Eye check-ups topped the list of “to-do things” for homeless kids attending Berkeley’s “Youth Connect” event at the Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel (YEAH!) on April 3. 

Piper, a regular at YEAH!, had attended the event primarily for the free eye check-ups and the glasses that were to follow on Friday. 

Out of the more than 20 who got their eyes checked for free that evening, 11 of them received free glasses from Lens Crafters last Friday morning.  

“Our Executive Director Sharon Hawkins Leyden went and picked up the glasses on Friday morning and the kids got them at 10 a.m. They were all very happy to receive new glasses and are wearing them right now,” said Terri Fletcher, case manager and supervisor for YEAH!  

Minors who were present for check-ups at the Berkeley Mental Health booth that day have also been assigned case managers for weekly check-ups. Out of the 60 kids who attended the event, six will be receiving free weekly check-ups. 

Robert Myers, who receives housing vouchers to stay in an Oakland hotel through a mental health program, had his prescriptions refilled at the medical clinic and received new lenses last week. 

The free day passes picked up from the YMCA will now help kids to access the gym when they want to.  

Those who were deemed eligible to receive bus passes under AC Transit’s disability or youth quotas had their passes mailed to YEAH! last week. They now need to take their passes to AC Transit in downtown Oakland and pick up the pass stickers before they can start using them.  

Medical appointments were made at Lifeline Clinic in Berkeley. 

Alameda County’s general assistance program is giving out government aid in the form of food stamps and cash to minors who signed up for it.  

“Many housing programs require a percentage of your income in order to become eligible. Since most kids don’t have any kind of income the cash helps them to take care of it,” Fletcher told the Planet. 

Although the amount does not usually go over $450, it is need-based and varies from person to person. The follow-up for this kind of government public aid to the kids will be carried out this week, added Fletcher. 

Berkeley Library cards were also handed out that day. 

Julie Sinai, senior aide to Mayor Tom Bates and one of the event co-ordinators, told the Planet that the ultimate goal for the Youth Connect event was “to follow up on the services performed that day.”  

“We want to utilize this opportunity to connect with as many service providers as possible,” she said. “This is the first tIme we are all coming together under one roof. Instead of having to go to each of these providers, the providers are coming to the kids. This is the first of its kind in Berkeley.” 

“We got to connect, to see the faces behind the names, to know who’s doing what,” said Marcela Smid, a UC Berkeley grad student and a volunteer for the Suitcase Clinic. “The three most important things were perhaps vision, HIV, and dental check-ups. Veternary care for the kids’ pets came a close second.” 

The idea for Youth Connect originated when Bates visited YEAH! last January. 

“After talking to kids, Mayor Bates realized what their concerns were, what it was that they wanted to see,” Cisco De Vries, chief of staff to the mayor, told the Planet. “Needs such as veterinary care for the kids’ dogs is often overlooked. But we talked to service providers and made sure that all these things were included. We plan to host Youth Connect at least three to four times a year. The service providers are very enthusiastic about it and we might even include new services next year. We will continue talking to young people to learn how things worked out for them and how we can help them even more.” 

Mayor Bates’ office coordinated with YEAH!, the Suitcase Clinic, Fred Finch Youth Center and the City of Berkeley departments of Housing, and Health and Human Services to set up the event. It was co-sponsored by assemblywoman Lori Hancock and Supervisor Keith Carson. 

Youth Connect is modeled on a San Francisco-based youth connect program. YEAH! is also working with Mayor Tom Bates’ office on a project called “Homeward Bound,” which reunites homeless kids with their families if it is deemed appropriate to do so.  

Monday was a sad day for YEAH! as it marked the end of the winter shelter program that had housed almost 40 street kids every night since last November. 

“Some of the kids will be seeking shelter at Dwight Way Women’s Shelter, the others at the Fred Finch Youth House, and a few more at Harrison House,” Fletcher told the Planet. 

Although arrangements were being made to provide long-term housing services to kids at YEAH! for sometime now, the Youth Connect event played an important role in providing placements to those who wanted it. 

Carjacked 

A pair of brazen bandits robbed a 28-year-old Berkeley man of his wallet and took his car on a two-block joyride before abandoning it to flee further by means unknown. 

It was just before 1:20 a.m. Saturday and the Berkeley man had just pulled up to park across the street from his home in the 2300 block of Derby Street, when two young men walked up to his car. 

One yanked open the driver’s side door and pulled him out as the other yelled “Gimme your wallet!” 

The man complied, and the pair then leapt into his car, a Toyota Scion, and sped off. 

Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Ed Galvan said the car was recovered two blocks away. 

Two men matching the bandits’ descriptions—young men, one in a black hoodie and the other wearing a brown one— were apprehended, but the victim was unable to make an ID, Galvan said. 

Armed robbery 

A armed robber brandishing a small folding knife pulled two separate capers minutes apart in the Telegraph Avenue district early Saturday morning, according to UC Berkeley Police Chief Victoria Harrison. 

The first incident was reported at 4:05 a.m., when Berkeley police were called to the intersection of Dwight Way and Hillegass Avenue. They found a man who said he’d just been robbed of his valuables. 

A minute later, Berkeley police were called again, this time by a woman who reported being robbed of a small sum of cash by the fellow near the corner of Dwight Way and Telegraph. 

The suspect is described as a short (5’4” to 5’6”) African-American man in his early 20s sporting a light-colored stone in an earring in his left ear who wore a gold jacket and carried an umbrella. 

Bogus bill 

When a 30-year-old Oakland man tried to pass a bogus $100 bill in Thalassa Billiards at 2367 Shattuck Ave. this weekend, an alert employee spotted the fake and called police. 

The counterfeit C-note passer was booked on suspicion of hanging bad paper and for violation of his parole, Galvan said.

Day-glo netting mounted atop galvanized steel pipes along the property line separating a popular Ashby Avenue discount gas station from an unfinished apartment building proves yet again that good fences don’t make good neighbors. 

The netting—along with the tarps covering the side of the three-story apartment building—testifies to a feud between two men, both immigrants and engineers, that continues without resolution. To complete construction, the owner of the apartment building must have access from the gas station lot, permission that the station owner has refused to grant. 

For Athan Magannas, a native of Athens, the barrier is all that prevents him from completing the building at 2076 Ashby that has cost him over a million dollars to date. 

For Shahzad Khan, a native of Pakistan, the fence is a means of protesting what he calls both a violation of city ordinances and a menace to public safety. 

Getting permission to build the structure with its 11 apartments and ground-floor commercial space, wasn’t an easy task, said Magannas. 

“About five years ago, I started going around the neighborhood and telling people about my plans to replace a burned out apartment building on the site,” said Magannas. 

His original plans called for a four-story building with parking on the ground floor, but after numerous meetings with neighbors and city officials, the Zoning Adjustments Board finally issued permits for a design for a building with three floors and no parking by architect Marcy Wong. 

ZAB member Dave Blake strongly opposed the permit, partly on the grounds of the lack of parking, but the proposal was supported by Planning Director Dan Marks, who said that the close proximity of bus and BART transit made the lack of parking permissible. 

“It was one of the neighbors who came up with the idea,” said Robert Lauriston, a neighborhood activist who often takes a leading role in land use issues. 

“There was an eight-unit apartment on the site previously that had burned down, and it had no parking” he said. “Given the crazy traffic on Ashby, it seemed reasonable,” he said. 

But Khan, a mechanical engineer born in Pakistan, says the issue is the law. 

Pointing to photocopies of the city’s zoning ordinance, he argues, “How can they build something without the yards it says they have to have? They violated every single one of their own guidelines.” 

How also can they build apartments without parking and so close to the openings of his underground gasoline storage tanks, Khan asks. 

Khan has been operating the gas station at 3000 Shattuck Ave. since 1996, and has owned the property since March, 2003. 

The gas station owner also said that Magannas’s building extends onto his own property by a foot—something Magannas denies, pointing to the surveyor’s marks scratched into the concrete at what he says is the property boundary. 

Magannas also cites the certified surveyed he conducted prior to building and which he said he filed with the city. 

Blake said he doesn’t understand why Magannas is being blocked from building his project. “Once something is approved, you have to provide reasonable access,” he said. 

Magannas said he appealed to Max Anderson, the city councilperson who represents the district, but Anderson said there’s not much he can do. 

“I talked to both sides, and it’s actually beyond the point where the city can do much. Each side claims it has issues,” Anderson said. “I don’t know where they can go from here. 

“Some of the stuff is in dispute. The boundary line is in dispute, and there’s some dispute about whether it [Magannas’s building] conforms to setbacks and side space. It’s kind of murky right now, and that’s about all I know,” said Anderson. 

But there’s no doubt that the city issued Magannas a building permit, and work is continuing on the building—though not on the eastern wall, which is covered by tarps on Magannas’s side and blocked by the pipe-suspended webbing and a parked truck on Khan’s side. 

“This is completely corrupt,” said Khan, who also makes darker allegations that would be libelous for a reporter to put into print. 

Brad Rudolph, the city building inspector who’s been overseeing the project, said the problem isn’t his concern. “It’s between the two of them. They’re working it out,” he said. 

“It’s a private matter,” said Principal Planner Debra Sanderson, who is assigned to work with ZAB. “It’s not a city responsibility.” 

Berkeley City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque has refused to get involved in the issued, writing to Magannas on Dec. 13, that she did not “believe it appropriate for the city to take a side in this private matter,” and faulting Magannas for failing “to plan for the development of this project. He cannot expect the city to intervene on his behalf when it turns out he did not do so.” 

Meanwhile, work has continued at Magannas’s building—although not on that all important eastern wall, and the developer said he’s ready to take the final step, which involves court and lawyers. 

Fire threat? 

Khan said Magannas’s building poses one threat so extreme that the only solution is for the city to demolish Magannas’s buildings. 

“Trucks park right beside the building twice a day when they come to deliver gas,” said the station owner. “If someone was in the apartment and threw a cigarette out the window, it could create a spectacular fire that people would remember for centuries to come. This is a killer. It could kill the whole city of Berkeley.” 

Not so, said Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth, “in my professional opinion.” 

First, he said, gasoline delivery trucks are required to capture the vapors given off when tanks are filled. 

Second, and more important, “gasoline requires an open flame to ignite, not a cigarette.” 

And, despite what Khan said, Magannas’s building does meet the fire code, Orth said, though “he really pushed the envelope” when it came to planning escape access.  

And the building it replaced really did burn down because of a gasoline fire almost 20 years ago—but only because the arsonist who set it was dumping out gas near a heater with a pilot flame that ignited the vapors. 

“It blew him right out the window. He landed on the roof of a car, brushed out the flames and ran away,” said Orth, who was a lieutenant at the time and almost stumbled over part of the torch’s stash of gas cans. 

The owner, it seems, was locked in a bitter dispute with tenants, and had called them out for a make-up brunch one Sunday. A half hour later the arsonist snuck inside to do his dirty deed, only to become an inadvertent victim of his own “insurance lightning.” 

As for Magannas, Orth agreed with Albuquerque that better planning might have avoided the problems he now faces. 

“As it is, he may have to pay the guy something,” said Orth..

After almost 20 years in education, Hosanna Kitzenberger leaves her job as a reading resource specialist—a position she says has brought her great joy—with a tinge of bitterness. 

Kitzenberger is one of 57 Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) employees who do not meet the higher education standards required of para-professionals by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and are on track to lose their jobs, following a unanimous vote by the Berkeley Board of Education Wednesday. 

“I’m overly qualified for this job,” said Kitzenberger, who offers reading and math support to slow learners and at Malcolm X and John Muir elementary schools. “I’ve just begun to see that you do a great job and at the end of the year, you get a layoff notice.” 

As a result of No Child Left Behind, a federal education initiative signed into law by President Bush in 2002, instructional assistants, technicians, specialists and interpreters for the deaf at Title I-funded school districts must earn an associate’s degree, a higher education equivalent, or pass a test displaying advanced competence in reading, writing and math. 

Layoffs affect those hired before 2002, when higher education was not a requirement of the job.  

Paraprofessionals who do not come into compliance by June 30 will find themselves out of work. Those who do not meet the deadline may work as day-to-day substitutes if they so choose, said Superintendent Michele Lawrence. 

Between March 1 and April 5, almost 20 employees passed the test, provided documentation demonstrating compliance or announced retirement. 

According to Ann Graybeal, president of the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees, which represents the district’s 376 teacher’s aides, library aides, secretaries, accountants and after-school program coordinators, many employees don’t have time to go back to school or to attend district-subsidized tutoring sessions aimed at passing the test. 

Others, like Kitzenberger, who was scheduled to retire in a couple years, oppose the mandate on principle.  

“I’m not taking any test,” she told the Daily Planet in March. “I know how good I am.” 

Board of Education directors insist their hands are tied.  

“It’s reprehensible that we have to do this, but we have to uphold the law,” said Vice President Joaquin Rivera. 

The council maintains that the district could have explored other options to enforce the NCLB requirement, such as evaluating on-the-job skills, but chose not to. 

The district rejected an evaluation-based alternative citing legal roadblocks. 

Graybeal voiced her frustration with the arrangement. 

“I’m embarrassed for the board. Employees deserve better,” she said, telling the Daily Planet that if paraprofessionals must meet additional requirements per No Child Left Behind, the district should consider increasing their compensation. 

Pink slips and promotions 

At Wednesday’s school board meeting, directors also issued additional pink slips for classified employees and instituted two high-paying managerial positions. 

Director of Certified Employees Patricia Calvert takes leave of the district June 30, and will be replaced with an assistant superintendent slated to earn $134,931. 

Director of Educational Services Neil Smith will get promoted to assistant superintendent of curriculum and instructional services, and his old position will be eliminated. He will also earn $134,931. 

Together, the new titles cost the district an extra $30,847, but shifting resources will prevent encroachment on the general fund, Lawrence said. 

Directors voted unanimously in favor of the new positions. They also agreed unanimously to eradicate or cut the hours of more than a dozen classified employees, including bilingual assistants, arts specialists and a health coordinator. The decision was unrelated to the No Child Left Behind policy discussed earlier. 

Rather, the cuts come about because the district does not know whether classified staff will receive financial support until the state, the primary source of funding for California schools, finalizes its budget this summer. Some positions may eventually be spared, but by law, if layoffs are to occur, employees must receive 45-days notice. 

Given the unpredictable nature of K-12 revenue in California, the issuance of pink slips is something of an annual ritual, Graybeal said, but this year’s coupling with raises for administration is particularly disturbing for the council.  

She said, “If management is receiving increases at the same time classified staff is being laid off, that’s obviously a great blow to morale.” 

Ward Street: it’s 6 in the evening, and the roads are sepia tinted, the pavement is wearing a jaded look. It looks like your everyday neighborhood—until you come across house number 2122.  

As the lights go up in number 2118 next door, anyone passing by can now see a property disclosure sign warning them to steer clear of the house at number 2122. A dozen reasons for staying away from the property have been listed on the sign, including “3 deaths on property,” “no gas service,” and “bad foundation.”  

What is even more arresting is the graffiti adorning the walls of 2122 itself. The word “thief” screams out in bold black letters from above the garage door and “don’t buy this house” and “stolen by fraud” are scrawled all over the front porch with the help of home-made stencils. 

The vandalism is a result of a feud over the ownership of 2122 Ward St. Jim Hultman, the former owner, claims that his house was stolen through fraud by his mortgage company—Fairbanks Capital Corporation. Loren and Jeff Toews, who bought the property through foreclosure sale, say that they are now the legal owners of the property. 

For the past couple of weeks, the graffiti has appeared mysteriously at night and after getting promptly cleaned up, reappears the following day. Apart from the graffiti, the house has also been covered in paintballs and has had its windows broken and doorbell ripped off on numerous occasions. 

Lorian Elbert, a photojournalist and a resident of Berkeley, said she first noticed the graffiti a few weeks ago. 

“My dog led me to it,” she said. “I’ve never seen this kind of graffiti on a residential house before.” 

Elbert photographed the house every time fresh writing appeared on it. 

“It goes through a phase. I saw ‘scum’ written on it last Tuesday and it disappeared on Wednesday. And nobody seems to know whose doing it,”  

However, the story does not end there.  

Five houses on the block have displayed signs on their windows and front porches reading, “Don’t Buy 2122 Ward St.,” and “It’s Just Wrong.”  

When the Daily Planet asked a homeowner who had a sign up on her window why the neighbors were doing this, she said that the signs were there to show support for “Jim and Brett”—the former owners of the property.  

“Jim Hultman was like the mayor of our street,” the neighbor said. “He was so active in the community. We really want him to get his house back.” 

She said that many of the neighbors were concerned that people from outside the neighborhood were buying old houses such as 2122 Ward St. through foreclosure sales. 

“It could be my house next,” she said. 

Meg Veitch, a freshman at Berkeley High said that she supported the sign which her parents had put up on their window because she “loved Jim and Brett and wanted them back.”  

In an interview with the Planet, Hultman said that the house on 2122 Ward St. had been in his family for 90 years. 

“I had been making mortgage payments on a small loan to Aames Home Loans when the company sold the servicing rights for the loans to Fairbanks Capital Corporation (now Select Portfolio Servicing) in 2003,” he said. “I never missed a payment and was never behind on my mortgage.” 

Hultman said he had no warning that his house was being sold at a foreclosure auction in July 2003. 

“I found out at 9:30 the morning of the sale,” he said, “when I returned home to let my dog out and found one of the buyers, Jeff Toews, in my back yard. I asked him who he was and what he was doing in my back yard and he told me that he was buying my house at an auction that day.” 

Hultman said that he has still never received anything from the mortgage company informing him that his house has been sold. 

“They continued to take my payments and cash my checks for five months after my house was sold,” he said. “To not inform someone you sold their house and continue to accept and cash their mortgage payments is indisputably fraud.”  

Select Portfolio Servicing (formerly Fairbanks Capital Corp.) was contacted by the Planet but was unable to offer comment regarding 2122 Ward St. because of privacy issues. 

Fairbanks Capital Corp. was involved in a class action lawsuit in May 2004 as a result of charges of misconduct against Fairbanks in servicing its customers’ mortgage loans which resulted in the court approving a $55 million settlement. 

“Substantial changes in Fairbanks’ business practices and a default resolution program to limit the imposition of fees and foreclosure proceedings against Fairbanks’ customers” was also established as a result of the settlement, according to information on the website of Lieff Cabraser , the law firm which served as nationwide co-lead counsel for the homeowners.  

Steve Barton, director of the Berkeley Housing Department, told the Planet that incidents of fraudulent transactions and predatory lending practices are not uncommon and are more frequent in the case of the elderly or the disabled. 

Toewes, the current co-owner of 2122 Ward St. and former Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker, told the Planet that he and his brother Jeff (former Miami Dolphins football player) had bought the 2122 Ward St. property at a public auction. The brothers are real estate agents, although Jeff said that the Ward Street property was not currently on the market.  

“We responded to a public announcement and had nothing to do with the lender (Fairbanks Capital Corp.) or the borrowers,” said Loren. 

Towes added that he had reported the graffiti problem to the Berkeley police but had no idea who was behind it. 

“We understand that the neighbors are angry with us but their anger is misdirected,” he said. 

Graffiti referring to Toews has also appeared on the house, such as: “Pittsburgh house stealer” and “Loren and Jeff Toews, how can you sleep at night?” 

Hultman said, “the Toews don’t care how this happened to us or if what my mortgage company did was legal.” 

Towes told the Planet that he had had no problems with Hultman so far and that all their conversations had been cordial. 

Fresh graffiti continues to appear on 2122 Ward St. every other day. The Berkeley police say they are as clueless as the owners about who could be behind it. 

Officer Spencer Fomby, Area 3 coordinator of the Berkeley Police Department, told the Planet that Jeff Toews filed a vandalism report on March 16. 

Fomby added that it was the property owner’s responsibility to inform the police if vandalism was taking place regularly on private property. Only after that can the police take further action against the perpetuators. 

Photo by Lorian Elbert 

Vandalism at 2122 Ward St.  

›

A website dedicated to exposing the supposed mistreatment of Foster Farms’ chickens is under attack for allegedly infringing on intellectual property and defaming the company’s name. 

A lawyer representing Foster Farms, a family-owned American poultry company since 1939, ordered the operators of fosterfacts.net to turn over the domain and “refrain from any libelous or slanderous activity toward Foster Farms” or risk legal retribution. 

Fosterfacts.net details alleged health violations such as unsanitary living conditions and inadequate veterinary care uncovered in surreptitious investigations of Foster Farms facilities. The website is owned by the East Bay Animal Advocates (EBAA), an animal rights group based in Martinez. 

In a letter dated Feb. 24, Foster Farms attorney Bobby Ghajar accuses the advocacy group of using the domain “fosterfacts.net” to promote its own views and agenda, and intentionally misusing the “Foster” trademark, which could cause visitors to mistake the EBAA website for a legitimate Foster Farms website. 

He further argues that EBAA attempts to tarnish the company’s image by drawing blanket conclusions about labor and animal treatment practices based on questionable evidence, like an alleged interview with a Foster Farms employee who claims he’s forbidden to use the restroom at work. 

“EBAA has made sweeping and misleading allegations about Foster Farms’ trade practices,” Ghajar writes. “This is a deceptive and irresponsible attempt by EBAA to injure Foster Farms’ image and goodwill.” 

Vicki Steiner, a pro bono attorney for the animal rights group, said the First Amendment grants EBAA the right to post information about the company online. 

“Obviously Foster Farms doesn’t want us putting this information out on the Internet, but the First Amendment protects our right to do that,” said EBAA Director Christine Morrissey. 

Steiner further dismisses allegations of defamation, arguing that photographic and videographic evidence of animal cruelty posted on fosterfacts.net speaks for itself. The website depicts photographs of dead and injured chickens, said to have been taken at a Merced County Foster Farms broiler operation, where poultry is raised. 

In a March 10 response to Ghajar, Steiner declines a request to dismantle the website and challenges Foster Farms to allow an EBAA expert to conduct unannounced, videotaped inspections of the company’s facilities. 

The EBAA, which formed in May 2003 and has developed a reputation for conducting “rescues,” or liberating farm animals headed for the slaughterhouse, has never been sued, Morrissey said. 

Fosterfacts.net was the group’s first foray into targeting a major corporation. Other large poultry operations exhibit similarly grim business practices, Morrissey said, but the EBAA hones in on Foster Farms because it is the largest poultry production in the Western United States. 

A representative for Foster Farms did not return multiple calls for comment. 

Foster Farms paints a far prettier picture of its poultry treatment on the official website fosterfarms.com. Chickens are “taken to a local ranch with optimal conditions to promote natural growth,” the website says. “Each ranch has a ‘buffer zone’ of empty land all around. The climate is ideal. The chicks’ environment is kept comfortable and sanitary, and is monitored around the clock.” 

In 2001, the British medical services firm Huntingdon Life Sciences successfully quieted an animal rights group when it instructed a Pittsburgh-based web service provider to shut down two websites attacking the company.  

At press time, Ghajar said the company had not filed a lawsuit. He declined to comment further, saying he was “not at liberty to talk about this case, because it’s ongoing.” 

Regardless of Foster Farms’ next move, EBAA will continue speaking out against animal rights’ infringements, Morrissey said. “The mission of our organization is to reveal cruelty of agriculture in California, and we’ll continue to do that.” 

!!

As the words “Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know” from Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” echoded through the UC Berkeley Wada Tower multipurpose room on Wednesday evening, you could see five excited pair of eyes in the last couple of rows. 

They belonged to ten new students. These students were UC Berkeley Housing and Dining custodians who were enrolled in Vocational English as a Second Language class taught as a special project by Laney Community College. 

They were guests that evening at UC Berkeley’s “Poetry for the People”—the popular poet-in-residence program which focuses on poetry as a means of social action.  

According to Jarralynne Agee, CALS Project coordinator, “merging the classes together with the custodians and the Cal students will give a new approach to helping service workers build their English skills on campus. It is a dream for us to be sitting in a class with UC Berkeley students.”  

Close to 70 percent of service workers on the UC Berkeley campus speak English as a second language, including a very large number of those who have limited English proficiency, Agee told the Planet.  

The custodians received credits for their vocational English class at Laney for attending that evening. Laney professor Sonja Franeta and UC Berkeley staff member and Laney lecturer Candace Khanna instruct the custodians every week. They are supported by CALS Project interns Alyce Ford Gilbert and Ann Linsley. UCB students Bryant Park and Jennifer Chang assist with multi-level classroom needs.  

“It’s a great way to break down borders,” said Franeta of bringing the custodians to the UC Berkeley event. “Everyone gets to learn from each other. We really need student volunteers who would help my students with their spoken English conversations.” 

As the class unfolded, around a dozen of the 150 undergraduate students read poetry which covered topics as diverse as odes to daddies, human rights, and the twin hurricanes down in New Orleans. The word of the day was “magnificent” and the subject “odes.”  

Francisco X. Alarcon, a visiting professor from UC Davis, read aloud from his original work. A professor in UCD’s Spanish for Natives Program, Alarcon praised the idea of bringing the custodians into the classroom that day. 

“Borders don’t exist,” he said. “The more windows you have, the more access you have to the universe. It’s O.K. to be who you are—dark, latino, Chicano, Mexicano. Poetry is a universal form bridging all the borders. This was a wonderful way of showing that.” 

Kim Lang, a cook at Berkeley’s International House, told the Planet at the end of the class that he had enjoyed Alarcon’s readings. 

“It was definitely more difficult than what the students were reading out, but I still found it very interesting,” he said. 

Richard Huang, who waxes and cleans on campus, admitted to liking Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to an Onion.” 

“I hope we get to come for these classes more often. I love interacting with students. It helps brush up my English,” he said smiling.  

Francesco Azuara, who works at the Zellerbach Theatre, and Daniel Pizano, who works in dining services at the International House said they were still shy when it came to conversing freely with students. 

“We need to practice more English grammer,” Francesco said pointing to his Grammar 3—Step by Step book. 

Poto by Riya Bhattacharjee  

Daniel Pizano, who works at the I-House, and Francesco Azuara, a custodian at the Zellerback Theatre, listen to poetry with UC Berkeley students Wednesday.

It’s not secret that California’s public school libraries have plenty of room for improvement.  

With one librarian for every 4,541 students, the state ranks 51st—behind the other 49 states and Washington D.C.—in the ratio of library media teachers to students. Collections carry about 16 books per student compared with the national average of 22 books per student, and the average tome is 15 years old. 

Funding is in short supply, too. Between 1998 and 2003, state financial support of school libraries plummeted 92 percent, according to the California Department of Education. Currently, California allots 73 cents per student for books. 

The trend is unsurprising in an educational era that places the utmost importance on standardized testing, and finds the link between flourishing school libraries and test scores too fuzzy to expend much energy on improving resources. 

Be that as it may, the recipe for successful media programs is quantified. Based on research conducted over the last 13 years, solid school libraries are comprised of large, varied, up-to-date collections, credentialed librarians, active, knowledgeable staff members who teach information literacy, and flexible hours. 

Berkeley Unified School District is on its way there, said District Library Coordinator Pete Doering. 

With an average copyright year of 1990 and about 21 books per student, the district’s collection is slightly older and smaller than the national average. 

But staffwise, BUSD is on a roll. This year, Measure B of 2004 earmarked $1.34 million for school library employees including two full-time librarians and a clerk at the high school, a credentialed librarian and a part-time clerk at each of the middle schools, library technicians who work six hours a day in the elementary schools and a new district-wide coordinator who oversees general library operations.  

Staff additions have been a boon to library employees, some of whom were at their wit’s end following significant district cutbacks a few years ago.  

“We have 3,200 students and over 150 teachers. I love what I do, but there’s no way I could collaborate with every teacher and help every student [before],” said Ellie Goldstein-Erickson, who has worked at the Berkeley High School library for 10 years. 

As of February, she is assisted by an additional full-time credentialed librarian and a part-time clerk, and works in a newly erected facility where she estimates there are more than 30,000 books and seating for 150-plus. 

The facility is “the most beautiful library in a public high school,” she said. 

“Now, we’re able to give a lot more service than we were in the past,” she said. “We’re virtually always busy. When we open at 7:30 a.m., people are waiting.” 

Deborah Howe, the library technician for Rosa Parks Elementary School, agreed that more staff time spells better service for students and a less stressful workplace for her. Howe’s hours recently grew from three to six hours a day. 

“Before, I had to cut back a lot on classes that I saw,” she said. “And also, I had to work a lot of overtime. I still do, but before, I couldn’t get everything done.” 

Howe sees every Rosa Parks class at least once a week for half an hour to 40 minutes. Students can pick up encyclopedias, cookbooks, contemporary recreational reads or peruse the library’s special display; most recently it featured farm worker books in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. 

Howe touts the importance of exposing students to books and libraries on a routine-basis, but fears library services are at risk of losing support. 

Measure B sunsets in 2007, as does the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project, which has contributed $410,000 to K-12 library materials this year. The average cost of a book in 2005 was $20.52, an increase of 14.4 percent over the last five years. 

The school district is considering a replacement measure for the November 2006 ballot, but the question arises: Will it be enough to make school libraries great? 

Despite extended hours for elementary school library employees, facilities still aren’t open before and after school. Additionally, those sites lack a fundamental feature: trained librarians. Library technicians aren’t certified to teach, an expertise administrators believe students need to reap the full benefit of media centers. 

Librarians can train students on how to look up books, how to turn raw information into a well-researched paper, and how to conduct fruitful Internet searches—rather than grant gospel status to the first Google hit that comes up, like many kids do, Doering said. 

BUSD also lacks a standard curriculum that would transcribe those teaching points into a districtwide policy. The district is in the process of developing such a program, which would include annual library orientations, storytelling, book talks, author visits and access to online resources for all students.  

“I’d like a K-12 curriculum to become a vital part in every school,” said Doering, “and that every kid leaves our high school knowing how to do the research to be in a university.””

In Berkeley, when it rains, it floods. 

“During any moderate rainstorm, there are currently over 500 trouble spots throughout the city that have continual problems of blockages, failures, or flooding,” City Manager Phil Kamlarz wrote in his 2006 Budget Report. 

The city’s storm water system, built 80 years ago or so, can’t direct all the rain water to the bay as it was designed to do. The often-abused and sometimes broken system is “undersized and undercapacity,” according to Claudette Ford, interim Public Works director. 

There’s only one definitive solution, said Councilmember Linda Maio: new taxes must be raised to overhaul the system. 

In her flood-prone West Berkeley council district, people working on Second Street paddled canoes in the street during a December storm, Maio said. 

The March rainy season, which dropped 9.42 inches of intermittent rain on Berkeley, caused the storm drains to back up, but in a less dramatic fashion.  

“It’s our turn now to step up and pass a measure to fund the rehab of storm drains,” Maio said. 

The system is made up of 78 miles of pipes, manholes, about 2,000 catch basins that trap the water and direct it through pipes to the Bay and some 4,000 storm drains that catch the water and direct it through culverts that move the water underground to the other side of the street. The water exits the outlets and descends along the street to storm drains that take it to the Bay. 

The system backs up when the old pipes break and because the pipes are too narrow to handle the quantity of water. People further reduce the system capacity by clogging the drains—pouring motor oil, sweeping leaves and throwing plastic bottles into them. 

The city and county try to educate the public to be better storm drains stewards by distributing literature and talking to people at fairs and festivals. They also advertise and make presentations at schools. Thirty-one people have signed up for the city’s adopt-a-drain program, where volunteers clean out drains near their homes. 

Businesses also pollute the storm drain system. Restaurant workers sometimes pour grease into the drains or allow garbage into the system. 

About a year ago, the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a violation to the city, demanding that it do a better job policing its restaurants. Since that time, the city’s improved in this area, according to Dale Bowyer, senior water resource control engineer, with the RWQCD. 

Another part of the solution is street sweeping, which removes debris from the streets, which would otherwise go into storm drains. The sweeping takes place only in the flatlands. 

However, “the last budget cuts caused the Public Works Department to cut one of the street sweeper positions,” according to Public Works Commissioner Carlene St. John.  

onsequently, they stopped sweeping in West Berkeley, she said, adding, “The Public Works budget keeps getting squeezed.”  

Also, Maio pointed out that the city owns “only one vacuum unit to get the gunk out” of the drains. At times, they contract for additional help. 

Another reason the system doesn’t work is asphalt. As the city has built up, and roads and other surfaces have been paved, there is less soil available for rain absorption. 

“The more asphalt there is, the more the water goes into the storm drain system,” St. John said. 

The city needs a new way of looking at the storm drain problem, said Jennifer Pearson, co-chair of Friends of Strawberry Creek. That approach would go beyond fixing a broken culvert here or cleaning out a pipe there. The city needs to address storm drain needs in the context of protecting the watershed—its groundwater, creeks, soil and the Bay. 

Whatever the specifics of the solution, it will be expensive. Berkeley residents already pay a storm water fee of about $17 for the average homeowner with a 1,900 square-foot home. 

The city manager’s budget report said that reconstructing the system would mean obtaining $1 million annually from new taxes. That would cost the average homeowner an additional $25 each year. 

“We’ve been trying to get the council to put (a storm water tax) on the ballot the last three elections,” said Commissioner St. John. “It isn’t a lot of money.” 

Maio said she’s ready to call on the council to support putting the tax before the voters. It would have to be passed by a two-thirds majority..

Hungry for a place to shop for food but fearful that the proposed West Berkeley Bowl complex will worsen the area’s already snarled traffic, several dozen nearby people came to the Planning Commission’s Wednesday evening public hearing on the project, held at the North Berkeley Senior Center.  

The hearing—to elicit comments on a revised draft report projecting the development’s traffic impacts—was part of a formal process leading to the Planning Commission’s public hearing on the Final Environmental Impact Report, expected May 10. 

The final report will include consultants’ responses to community concerns expressed at various public hearings or submitted to the Planning Department in writing by April 24.  

The City Council’s eventual acceptance or rejection of the project is expected in June or July. 

Speaking at the public hearing, where he called the proposal “the entry into Berkeley of the big box,” West Berkeley artisan John Curl cautioned commissioners to “think carefully of what we’re getting into.” 

The proposed project at Ninth Street and Heinz Avenue would comprise two buildings: one, of about 84,000 square feet would be a supermarket, with a second story of offices; it would include a 109-space underground parking garage. A smaller building of about 7,000 square feet would have prepared food, seating, and a community room on the second floor. There would be 102 surface parking spaces. 

Mary Lou Van Deventer of nearby Urban Ore and Gary Robinson of Meyer Sound echoed Curl’s comments.  

“We’ll be one and one-half blocks from a mega-store,” Van Deventer said. Acknowledging the desire of West Berkeley residents for the market, she added: “I’m in favor of the store if it is scaled down.”  

Residents of the area, which includes no supermarket, spoke out strongly in favor of the project. 

“Most people in my neighborhood cannot believe there’s any opposition,” said Michael Larrick, who lives a few blocks southeast of the proposed store. “Most people are aware that there’s going to be more traffic. They’re willing to deal with that.” 

One resident of the San Pablo Park area told commissioners she had collected 50 signatures from her neighbors in an hour and a half in support of the market, with only two in opposition. 

“The Berkeley Bowl is a ray of sunshine for everybody who lives in south Berkeley,” said David Snipper, whose residence is close to the proposed project. “We’ve waited for the Berkeley Bowl project to go through.” 

He expressed fear, however, that his residential neighborhood and the French American School would be overwhelmed by traffic. 

“We want some protection for Eighth Street, Ninth Street and Tenth Street,” he said. 

There’s more to alleviating traffic tie-ups than re-engineering streets and signals, said Nancy Jewel Cross, representing Clean Air Transport Systems. 

“In Emeryville, there are free shuttles,” she said. “Berkeley needs to think about access other than bicycles and cars.” 

To accommodate the project, the area’s light industrial zoning will have to be changed. Rick Auerbach suggested the city come up with new zoning that would allow only grocery stores. 

“It it goes out of business, we’ll still have a grocery store,” Auerbach said. 

Copies of reports on the project are available at the Permit Service Center at Milvia and Center streets or on line at www.ci.berkeley,ca.us/planning/landuse. Submit comments on the project to the Planning Commission, c/o Aaron Sage, 2120 Milvia St., Berkeley Calif. 94704 or email to asage@ci.berkeley.ca.us..

Updating the Creeks Ordinance, the project a task force has been struggling with for about 18 months, is aimed at maintaining the city’s natural waterways and surrounding habitat. 

But it is no less about people’s property rights—how close to a stream can a property owner build and how high? What if a structure is destroyed—how is it to be rebuilt? And does one look at open creeks in the same way as those encased in concrete culverts? 

Although the Creeks Task Force finally presented its “completed” recommendations to the Planning Commission Wednesday night, the 15-member body will continue to tweak its proposals. And community groups will keep vigilant. The Planning Commission will vote on the final Creeks Task Force recommendations April 26. The vote is advisory to the City Council. 

The commission’s discussion of the task force recommendations seemed to raise more questions than answers. 

Planning Commissioner Gene Poschman wanted to better define what a ‘creek’ is. 

“The definition of ‘creeks’ is fuzzy,” he said. There are swills, depressions and other ways of referring to them, he added, which could impact how the creeks and building around them are regulated. 

“What’s the definition of a culvert?” he asked. And what is the difference between a storm water culvert and a creek culvert?  

Furthermore, Poschman wanted to know if building on an open creek is more restrictive than on a culverted creek, what is the incentive for homeowners to daylight their creeks? 

One of the most contentious questions is how close to an open creek one can build. The task force is recommending the existing law’s mandate for new buildings —30 feet away from the creek. 

However, speaking at the Planning Commission’s public comment period, Barbara Allen, a member of Neighbors on Urban Creeks, said the proposal fails to address the steepness of the banks and the shape and size of the lot. 

The building rules should be “on a case by case basis,” she said. 

Planning Commissioner Harry Pollack noted the 30-foot setback is same in the hills and flatlands, though conditions are different.  

Other Creeks Task Force recommendations include: 

• The city ahould look for funds to help homeowners with costs related to maintenance and repair of creeks and creek culverts. 

• Creek culverts should be regulated similarly to storm water culverts. 

• Rebuilding a structure after a loss on the same footprint is permitted. 

• An environmental analysis is necessary if building higher.  

Former Mayor Shirley Dean, also a member of Neighbors on Urban Creeks, raised the question of the homeowner who unknowingly buys property with a culverted creek, which had happened to her. The regulations would put this homeowner at a disadvantage, she said. 

Planning staff argued that the city had notified some 2,000 homeowners who live on open and culverted creeks. A property list appears on the Planning Department web site. 

During the public comment period, one person challenged Planning Chair Helen Burke, a member of the Creeks Task Force, saying she had a conflict of interest and shouldn’t serve on the body, because her home is on a creek. Another person challenged two unnamed members of the task force, saying they are professionally involved with creeks and able to profit from their recommendations. 

Planning Director Dan Marks responded, saying because task forces are advisory, their members do not have the same conflict of interest regulations as commissioners. 

“I’ll double check with the city attorney,” he promised..

The landscape for California school bonds has changed radically since the Peralta Community College District last asked local voters for money. 

Peralta officials hope the new state school bond structure, set up by the passage of Proposition 39 in 2000, will be helpful both in the passage of the $390 million Measure A bond on the June ballot and in the impact on the district if the measure is approved. 

In 2000, close to 80 percent of Peralta district voters approved Measure E, the $153 million construction bond measure. A major portion of that money was used for the construction of Berkeley City College (formerly Vista College), scheduled to open its new downtown Berkeley campus this year. 

But even with its large approval percentage—far in excess of the two-thirds vote needed—and its success in bringing the new Berkeley City College campus into being, problems plagued Measure E both before and after its passage. 

Measure E came under the authority of the old Proposition 13, which limited expenditures to school construction but gave districts leeway as to what construction projects they were going to work on once the money was approved. 

Prior to the vote on Measure E in November of 2000, Berkeley politicians sought written assurances from Peralta officials that at least $25 million of the bond money would be spent on a new Vista College campus, with the Daily Planet reporting Councilmembers Kriss Worthington and Dona Spring threatening to pull their political support for the measure if it did not. 

“I hate to issue ultimatums, but Vista College has been burned in the past by [the Peralta Trustee] board, and before we support such a measure, we want to make sure we have a guarantee, in writing,” the Planet reported Worthington as saying a month before Measure E went before voters.  

“It’s already designated in the budget if the measure passes,” then-Peralta Chancellor Ron Temple told the Planet. “The commitment is there. We’ve bought land, we’ve hired an architect, we have a plan.” 

Temple also said that Peralta trustees had already passed a resolution committing a portion of the potential Measure E funds to the Vista construction, an action which didn’t satisfy the two Berkeley City Councilmembers.  

Peralta eventually honored their commitment to Vista, but squabbles over other Measure E expenditures have surfaced over the past year, with Peralta trustees complaining that there is no comprehensive list of proposed Measure E construction projects. During the recent debate over approval of the Laney athletic field renovations, for example, some trustees said that they had no idea of what needed construction projects might be left out when new construction projects were requested. 

In part, that comes from the fact the leeway the old bond measure laws gave districts in spending the construction bond money, allowing them to spend it on any school construction project so long as it met state law and the parameters of the bond itself. 

But during the same election in which Peralta District voters approved Measure E, California voters approved Proposition 39, amending the California Constitution to allow changes in school bond measures. 

One such change, outlined in the League of Women Voters election guide of that year, involved a requirement for a list of proposed projects to accompany the bond measure on the ballot. It read, “Taxpayers want to know how their money will be spent before they vote on local school bonds. Proposition 39 requires local districts to list in advance the projects that will be paid for . . .” 

The new Peralta bond measure on the June ballot, written under the authority of Proposition 39, will now contain a detailed list of all of the specific projects authorized under Measure A. 

Just as significantly, while Prop 39-authorized bond money cannot be spent on administration or salaries, it adds equipment purchase and some forms of training to the types of allowable expenses. 

“It’s incorrect to call Measure A merely a ‘construction bond measure,’” Peralta Chief Financial Officer Tom Smith told a League of Women Voters Measure A forum in Albany this week. 

Peralta officials, however, have not yet come up with a short phrase which describes the measure. 

At the same forum, Peralta Trustee Nicky Gonzalez Yuen explained one example of the Measure E construction restrictions in the Vista College project. 

“We could spend Measure E money on facilities within a classroom, but only if those facilities were considered permanent,” Yuen said. “Chairs and a lectern could be purchased, but only if they were bolted down as part of the classroom structure.” 

Yuen said this created an artificial barrier that prevented flexibility in construction. 

The new bond measure, if passed, will also allow for such non-construction items as new computer purchase and technology upgrades throughout the four-college district, items which are particularly needed at Laney College in Oakland, the district’s oldest facility. 

Proposition 39 had another significant impact on school bond measures in California: while under Prop 13, such measures had to received two-thirds voter approval, Prop 39-mandated bonds now only need 55 percent voter approval. 

Still, Peralta officials are scrambling to build support for the measure, with a clear campaign strategy and team not yet in place. The effort is complicated by the short time between now and the June election. 

According to trustee Yuen, the district had originally envisioned the bond measure going on the November ballot, but moved it up to keep it from being voted on in the same election as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed California infrastructure bond. 

Peralta officials were concerned that the governor’s massive infrastructure bond would overshadow the Peralta measure, dragging the Peralta measure down to defeat either because the governor’s measure was so unpopular or because voters were only inclined to give money to one major project on the ballot. 

The Albany City Council Monday approved creation of a burrowing owl habitat at the base of the Albany Bulb and extended a ban on cannabis clubs for another year. 

Both measures passed on 4-0 votes. Councilmember Jewel Okawachi was not present for Monday’s meeting. 

The owl habitat was mandated as a condition of approval of the Gilman Playing Fields, a joint project of several East Bay cities on park land within Berkeley city limits. 

An endangered species, the burrowing owls had been spotted nesting on the site, and constructing the new habitat was a condition of the mitigations spelled out. 

The Albany Council also approved $20,000 to prepare a ballot analysis of the potential impacts of a proposed November ballot measure that would limit development on the city’s waterfront. 

The funding will kick in only if initiative sponsors turn in enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot, said City Administrator Beth Pollard. 

The initiative, sponsored by environmentalists and park activists, would pose a threat to plans by Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso to build a themed shopping mall on the northwest parking lot of Golden Gate Fields. 

Caruso and Magna Entertainment, the Canadian racetrack firm that owns the Bay Area’s last remaining horse racing venture, has also partnered with Caruso on a similar project in Southern California. 

The other Bay Area track, Bay Meadows in San Mateo, has been approved for conversion into a condominium development. 

The proposed Albany measure targets 102 acres including the race track and the parking lot site. 

The proposal also calls for creation of the Shoreline Protection Planning Process, and the implementation of a citizen task force to draft a specific plan limiting development outside the 500-foot shoreline ban now in effect. 

A coalition of groups is gathering signatures to place the measure on the November ballot..

According to a notice received at our deadline (4:54 p.m. on April 6), and too late to appear in our Berkeley This Week Calendar, a special meeting of the Library Board of Trustees will be held on Saturday, April 8 at 10:15 a.m. at the South Branch Library, 1901 Russell St. The meeting will include a public comment period from 10:15 to 10:35 a.m., followed by a closed session conference with counsel on Anticipated Litigation. For information call 981-6195 (Voice) or 548-1240 (TDD). `

As he embarks on a fifth career—teaching—while avidly pursuing his fourth—writing—one-time presidential contender Gary Hart came to Berkeley Wednesday to discuss his latest book and talk about the subjects of his first and third careers, religion and po litics. 

Recently retired from his second career—law—Hart is best known as the 1988 Democratic presidential candidate whose campaign foundered aboard a ship called Monkey Business. 

He came to Berkeley this week stumping for his latest book, God and Caesa r in America. 

The slender (86-page) paperback resembles in form the political tracts of an earlier era that began with Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, a 46-page call to action that eventually reached almost every American reader during the Revolutionary War. 

God and Caesar examines the nature and consequences of the capture of the Republican Party by the religious right. 

It’s one of four books Hart has written in a span of 16 months. A prolific writer, Hart has penned both serious tomes and political thri llers.  

Unlike Bill Clinton, whose rock star presence set fans beaming during his Cody’s book signing appearance in July 2004, Hart was more professorial than charismatic when he addressed fans at the store Wednesday afternoon. 

Between an on-air intervi ew at KPFA and his talk to fans at Cody’s Books on Telegraph, Hart took an hour to talk to a reporter over a cup of tea at the Caffe Mediterraneum. 

Popular message 

The former Colorado Senator’s message is a popular one in Berkeley, a ringing endorsement of the separation of church and state and an exposition of the activist Christianity of the 1960s that marshaled behind the civil rights and anti-war movements. 

Like former President Jimmy Carter in his recently published Our Endangered Values, Hart cal ls for a resurgence of a Christianity based on the compassionate values of the Sermon on the Mount. 

“The Fundamentalists are Old Testament people,” he said. “They are not New Testament. The same people who fought to keep Terry Schiavo alive are for the d eath penalty. You don’t find any of that in the gospel of Jesus. It’s impossible to believe Jesus would’ve supported the death penalty.” 

Hart said he blames himself for not writing about the issue five or 10 years ago, and notes that his book is one of s everal recently or about to be published on the subject by liberal writers. 

“When I was getting involved in politics, you didn’t talk about religion,” he said. 

Later, during his talk at the book store, he recalled that John F. Kennedy—whose activism Har t said had inspired him to abandon the ministry for a secular career—had been reviled from the pulpits of his home town. 

“Preachers said that if he was elected, the Pope would be in the White House,” he said. As now the current occupant of the White House consults clergy before making Supreme Court nominations. 

Contradictions  

For the author of a book that makes a powerful argument for the peaceful and pietist Jesus, the pacificist Christ of the Sermon on the Mount, Hart is coy about his own beliefs. 

“I have no affiliation,” he said. “I’m eclectic. I don’t find any specific doctrine or creed that meets my needs. Like a lot of Americans—including Ronald Reagan—I create my own religion.” 

Born into a “dirt poor” family in a small farm town in Kansas, Ha rt first felt his calling was the ministry, the legacy of his upbringing in the Church of the Nazarene, a strait-laced sect that split from the Methodists and teaches that obedient Christians can live in a state of absolution from original sin. 

Hart attended the a church college in Bethany, Okla., graduating in 1958, and followed up with a Yale divinity degree in 1961. That same year he shortened his birth name from Hartpence to Hart and enrolled in Yale Law School. 

He began his legal career with the U.S. Justice and the Interior Departments, then entered private practice in Colorado. In 1972, he burst onto the national scene as the manager of Democrat George McGovern’s presidential campaign against Richard Nixon. 

Two years later, in his first run for office, Hart was elected to the Senate from Colorado, where he served two terms. 

He lost out to Walter Mondale in his first presidential campaign in 1984, and was considered the front runner four years later when rumors of adultery began to reach the ear s of the press. 

Monkey Business 

What followed still clearly rankles 22 years later. 

When New York Times reporter E.J. Dionne raised the question during an interview, the journalist wrote that Hart responded, “Follow me around. I don’t care. I’m serious. If anyone wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They’ll get very bored.” 

Two Miami Herald reporters who were doing just that uncovered a clandestine rendezvous with a part-time model 21 years younger than the 50-year-old contender. Then a photo surfaced of Hart and his inamorata aboard a yacht called Monkey Business. His campaign never recovered. 

“It wasn’t a challenge,” Hart said of his remarks to Dionne. “I said, ‘I’m a senator running for president. I’m a very busy man. I don’t have any free time and you’re welcome to join me on my daily rounds.’ And I was being followed before it ever got into print. I was not stupid. I was elected two times to the Senate. 

“I don’t think any candidate was ever staked out before, and no one has done it since. What if I’d dared them to kill me? Would they have taken me up on it?” 

Civil formality 

Commentators have repeatedly described Hart as formal, and sometimes as distant, and he decries what he perceives as the lack of formality and civility in contemporary cul ture. 

“People are not civil any more. You see it when you’re driving, and going in and out of doorways at stores. People will knock you down. Sometimes I don’t know where I am any more,” he said. “Certainly not in Kansas. 

The often vitriolic comments ma de on his posts at the huffington.com blog are another sign of the lack of civility that so concerns him. “About of third of them are vicious,” he said.  

Where he does find comfort is in small towns, which is one of the reasons he has chosen to live in K ittredge, Colo., a hamlet of just over 800 souls that reminds him of his farm town childhood. 

“Everybody knows each other, and maybe that’s a corrective. It kept people in line. People didn’t want to be perceived in a negative light,” he said. 

A reporter born in an even smaller Kansas farm town nine years later and a hundred or so miles to the west might be inclined to agree. 

New career  

In the fall, Hart will take up his newest career—teaching—as the occupant of an endowed chair at the University of Colorado named for his senatorial successor, Tim Wirth. 

Will it be his last career? 

“No,” he said. “I’ve got something else to do, but I can’t figure out what it is yet.” 

Another run for office, perhaps? 

“No, no more runs,” he said. “Been there, done that.” 

God and Caesar in America, Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, CO, $9.95. 

Photograph by Richard Brenneman 

Assaulted 

A 45-year-old Oakland man was beaten early Monday morning in the 1500 block of University Ave., and police are listing the incident as an assault with a deadly weapon—although just what the weapon was remains a mystery. 

The incident was reported by the manager of the Capri Motel at 1:38 a.m. 

The injured man was taken to the emergency room at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, reports Berkeley Police spokesperson Officer Ed Galvan. 

Stick, then knife 

A former boyfriend broke into the home of a woman in the 1200 block of Haskell Avenue Tuesday morning, armed with a stick and making lethal threats. 

He later replaced the wooden weapon with a knife, and continued the threats as he held the woman captive in her bathroom. 

After she was finally freed, the woman called police, who captured the 28-year-old suspect and booked him on suspicion of kidnapping, burglary and making deadly threats. 

Rolex robbery 

A gang of three men, one a gunman clad in a black hoodie and packing a black pistol, and two equipped with hammers, burst into Gold Palace Jewelers at 1085 University Ave. at 1:45 Tuesday afternoon. 

While the gunman held store personnel captive, his accomplices started smashing jewelry cases. Once they had scooped up between 20 and 25 high-ticket timepieces, the trio fled. 

Gang attack 

A gang attack across the street from the city Mental Health Department, 2640 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, resulted in minor injuries to one of two young men attacked by others late Tuesday afternoon, said Officer Galvan. 

The suspects, also young men, stopped their cars—a black Honda Civic and an older model Cadillac—then attacked the hapless duo. 

One of the assailants was carrying a baseball bat and struck one of the youths in the chest. The attackers were gone by the time police arrived, and the battered youth refused medical attention. 

Police are seeking the attackers on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon carried out as a street gang crime. 

Roxie robbed again 

The often-robbed Roxie Food Center at 2250 Dwight Way was hit again Wednesday by a ski-masked gunman who walked into the store with a gun and walked out with the gun and the content of the store’s till. 

The robbery, which was reported at 9 :57 p.m. Wednesday, marks at least the fourth time a heist has been reported at the market this year.h

It’s been an established tradition on these opinion pages that we print almost everything we get that’s borderline literate. We accommodate even those correspondents who are spelling or grammar challenged, bringing their output up to normal print standards for the pleasure of our readers. We do have a few correspondents who, though literate enough, are so obsessed with one topic that they run the risk of boring the audience to death.  

This is the situation with regard to two or three writers who are fervent partisans of the state of Israel, and who have decided that Berkeley in general and the Berkeley Daily Planet in particular have major responsibilities for the woes now besetting that nation. We imagine our readers have somewhat limited tolerance for repeated charges that Hamas won the recent Palestinian election because of something done by judicious, mild-mannered Berkeley Councilmember Linda Maio. Ms. Maio might hope to be firing shots heard round the world from Berkeley’s Old City Hall council chambers, but an intelligent analysis would suggest that the Hamas electoral victory might also have something to do with Israel’s actions. We’ll leave that to our correspondents to discuss, which we have no doubt they will do at exhausting length. They’re already starting in this issue.  

What we’d like to address instead are the out-of-bounds attempts in various arenas to squelch discussion of the controversy. A recent issue of The Nation documented two instances of pressure from pro-Israel quarters being applied to artists in connection with the planned New York Theatre Workshop appearance of the long-running Royal Court Theatre of London’s production of “I Am Rachel Corrie,” which resulted in its cancellation (euphemistically called “postponement.”)  

Theaters in the Bay Area, perhaps even those in Berkeley, ought to rally round their Royal Court colleagues and offer them the chance to stage their production here instead. Of course the economic outlook wouldn’t be as bright here as it would have been for a New York run. And perhaps local theaters are worried about getting the same kind of pressure that they received in New York. But if any of them have the guts, even a jointly-sponsored staged reading of “I Am Rachel Corrie” would make the point that whatever you might think of Israel, Palestine and/or the current or past governments of either or both, censorship-by-pressure of a dramatic production with a particular point of view on the controversy should be out of bounds. It would also be cricket to throw in a staged reading of some anti-Palestinian work if such can be found, just for balance.  

This week is called “Holy Week” by many Christians and it also marks the start of Passover for Jews. Seders traditionally end with the phrase “next year in Jerusalem,” which has been the subject of a good deal of philosophical discussion now that Israel controls the city itself. A clergyman of my acquaintance, trying to interpret the phrase for his own Christian congregation, suggested that “next year in Chicago” would do as well, that its deep meaning expresses the universal human desire to reconnect with absent or estranged friends and family.  

Would-be commentators on the deplorable relationship between those who call themselves Palestinians and those who call themselves Israelis should remember that they are jointly custodians, along with miscellaneous Christian sects, of what people of all the desert monotheistic religions call “the Holy Land.” Even more, they are jointly and severally members of what used to be called “the human family.” The recent Israel elections offer some hope that reasonable people might be ready to start trying to make peace again. There’s been enough blood shed by all parties already. Eventually, sooner rather then later, they’ll all have to sit down around a table somewhere. How about, perhaps, “next year in Jerusalem”? 

—

In the olden days, back around 1960, I first heard Dylan Thomas’s recording of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” on one of the Pacifica stations, in the period when they were not afraid to celebrate sectarian holidays like Christmas. 

“Were there Uncles like in our house?” Thomas asks in his child’s voice. And the adult’s answer: 

“There are always Uncles at Christmas. The same Uncles... Some few large men sat in the front parlors, without their collars, Uncles almost certainly, trying their new cigars, holding them out judiciously at arms’ length, returning them to their mouths, coughing, then holding them out again as though waiting for the explosion…” The Uncles popped up a few more times in the tale, jumping and rumbling and “breathing like dolphins.”  

Of course, I thought, from the sophisticated vantage point of my 20 years, Uncle Tom and Uncle Fritz. Uncles loomed large in the Christmases of my own then remote-seeming St. Louis childhood of 10 years before. Uncle Fritz was always good company at a party, unmarried then and helping out however he could, telling jokes to the children and getting drinks for the adults. But Uncle Tom was another matter entirely.  

“Waiting for the explosion” is an apt description, though not of Uncle Tom but of the expectations of the rest of the group when he showed up. I eventually ended up with 18 first cousins, but in 1950 I was the only pre-war kid at the Christmas party, in my own opinion light-years older than the flock of post-war boom babies who were following me. At 10 I was starting to listen to the adult conversation and to join it occasionally.  

Most of the adults in the family had not much interest in politics in those days, though many were the kind of genteel liberal Republicans who were quietly pleased when General Eisenhower beat out the more conservative Senator Taft for the 1952 presidential nomination. But Uncle Tom! Uncle Tom Schwarz, a smart young lawyer who had married my mother’s sister Mary Lucille while he was in the Navy during The War, was a mouthy, opinionated hereditary Democrat, and he viewed the family gathering as an ideal arena to set doubters straight on any and all contemporary political topics. Like Dylan Thomas’s Uncles, he was a smoker who used his cigarettes and cigars as props, punctuation for his speeches. He was one of nature’s contrarians, always loudly on the side of the underdog, and never afraid to tell you why you were wrong. 

He’d moved his growing family to the suburbs like many in the post-war period, though in my culturally conservative family leaving the city was viewed as dangerously radical. He designed his own suburban house without benefit of architect, and it was, the in-laws said politely, “unusual.” He loved his pretty good-humored wife and his six lively children extravagantly, but pretended to order them around with much bluster, though they were seldom fooled.  

He’d show up at the Christmas or Thanksgiving gatherings in those days with the three or four oldest, all still under 5, and declaim, as likely as not with a baby or two on his lap. Sometimes someone would engage him in argument, especially his father-in-law, who still thought of President Roosevelt as “that man in the White House”, but the challenger would inevitably be blown away by his sharp wit and cutting logic. My mother now claims that she was a Democrat too then, and maybe she was, but it was Uncle Tom who made the big noise about it. Watching him, I learned that ideas matter, that politics is important, and that there is more to life than Republican pieties. And that arguing could be fun. 

He taught the same lessons to his own children, who grew up knowing that it was up to them to stand up to injustice wherever they found it. The oldest was held up as an example to my own sixties-born children, who lived too far away by that time to get to know their St. Louis cousins, as “Your Cousin Elsa Who Marched at Selma.” I never knew the younger ones well, because my family moved to California when I was in high school, but I’ve been delighted to see various offspring of the next generation, Uncle Tom’s grandchildren, turning up in Berkeley, still bent on saving the world if they can. 

Of course Uncle Tom himself, contrarian to the end, moved to Florida and turned Republican in his old age. Much to my liberal mother’s horror, he even claimed to have voted for one or more Bushes, but he might have said that just to shock her. He also had sarcastic comebacks for those who taxed him with the health pieties of the ’80s and ’90s—he smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish, and became a gourmet cook specializing in high-cholesterol delicacies. And pretty much got away with it.  

He died on Monday at 86, still doing as he pleased, wisecracking until the end. They finally persuaded him to go to the hospital, which he hated, the day he died. My aunt told my mother afterwards that as she sat next to his bed holding his hand a young nurse came in. He opened his eyes one more time and asked the nurse “Am I dead yet?” She fled, not knowing what to say to this, a common reaction for many confronted with one of Uncle Tom’s quips.  

I’ve been thinking it over, and I think the answer is no. As long as there are still some of us around—and there are a lot of us now—who remember what we learned from him, that it’s important to care passionately about what’s happening in this world, Uncle Tom’s not dead yet, even though his body is being buried today.  

BERKELEY BOWL WEST 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

After listening to the speakers at the public hearing on the Berkeley Bowl project, I think I see the main problems. 

The proposed new store is far too big for a neighborhood grocery. Its location near the freeway facilitates access by out-of-town shoppers, all of whom will arrive by car. There will be a big traffic impact, which neighbors won’t like. Smaller businesses in the area will have their deliveries obstructed. Many slow-moving cars will add to our air pollution. The parking lot will be bumper-cars, worse than it is now at Whole Foods. 

The new Bowl will probably be successful, but if it is not, the proposed re-zoning will allow in a “big box” store like Wal-Mart. If the new Bowl is really needed, there should be a zoning variance made for it. We should not allow this one project to destroy the zoning planning that went into the West Berkeley multiple-use light-industrial (MULI) district. I don’t think we want to throw out the small businesses and the artists. 

Steve Geller 

• 

BRING IT ON 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I’d like to weigh in on the Berkeley Bowl’s proposed second location on Ninth and Heinz. As a 20-year resident of Ninth Street, I say bring it on! We need a grocery store in this area, and I believe lots of the folks who are my neighbors agree. The little old ladies who walk to the liquor store every morning for a loaf of bread, the kids who want a quick snack, the Latina moms and grandmoms who push strollers to the bus stop, and us folks who get sick of driving uptown to Safeway, will benefit. As for the vocal opposition coming from the French American School at the intersection of Ninth and Heinz, voicing concern for the increased traffic in the neighborhood, I say: Take a look in the mirror! How much traffic do they bring to that corner every day? How many miles a day do they drive to bring their kids to that fancy little school? The idea that these people, who don’t live in Berkeley and don’t pay city taxes are crying “Not in my back yard!” makes my blood boil. It’s not their backyard at all, it’s ours, and there’s a heck of a lot of us neighborhood folks who can’t wait to shop at the new Berkeley Bowl.  

Rachel Crossman 

• 

MEGASTORE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We live two blocks from the proposed Berkeley Bowl “Megastore” and we are totally against such a store in our neighborhood. We already have too much traffic and pollution at Ashby and San Pablo to want to invite shoppers from all over the Bay Area to drive to this location. What we really need is a smaller produce market with reasonable prices, more like Monterey Market.  

Berkeley Bowl is OK—especially since they finally allowed the employees to have a union. It’s well within biking or even walking distance from our house. Usually we ride our bikes and our side bags are adequate because we like to eat small amounts of fresh food. If we need to stock up more, we use a laundry cart. We would far rather walk or ride the eight blocks to the current store than put up with the pollution, traffic and parking nightmare that would come with this proposed megastore. It’s healthier to get a little exercise.  

Also, the Ecology Center has a great program to bring fresh organic produce into our neighborhood called “Farm Fresh.” Every Wednesday from 3:30 to 6 p.m.. they set up a table in San Pablo Park and offer fresh organic fruits and veggies at discount prices. The ideal would be to have this available every day at a smaller produce market like Monterey Market and perhaps have some other small stores that sell fish, bakeries, healthy restaurants etc. right on San Pablo at Ashby.  

What we have now are fast-food joints, auto body places that put out paint-fume pollution, and a giant dumpsite which was formerly a gas station. Leave the proposed Berkeley Bowl site light industrial. Bring in some smaller stores that truly “serve the neighborhood.” Don’t dump another ton of pollution on us.  

Alan Bretz and Helen Jones 

• 

DERBY STREET FIELD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I appreciate the BUSD board members’ final, official vote to ask City Council to close Derby Street to proceed with building the multi-use fields. It’s a strong indication of their obligation and commitment to put the best interests of the students first. Obviously, the board members considered the costs in their vote. Don’t ignore their decision. Or Parks and Recreation’s majority (unanimous) vote in favor. Or the Fire Department’s support and cooperation of the street closure. Or the Berkeley students’ spirited support at public meetings. BUSD has patiently allowed the vocal minority their say in the matter. Unfortunately, that has included a lot of errors regarding the closed-Derby design. 

BUSD’s original intent was to build a field for the baseball program, as well as any other sport that wanted to play and practice there. In other words, a true multi-use field for all sports. At that point it was fully funded. Current BHS freshmen were first-graders. To stall our park for over nine years and then promote an inferior park design that excludes the very sport the park was proposed and designed for in the first place is missing the point: Derby Park is foremost for the kids of Berkeley schools. 

I am a neighbor and I recognize that it should be designed and built for the students who will use it for generations to come. The rest of us, including neighbors, parents, community members and even the out of town farmers using the Park as a market a few hours a week, are being considered and will clearly benefit more from the closed-Derby design.  

Bart Schultz 

• 

BALLFIELDS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Doug Fielding is correct that the Gilman Street sports field complex is not a project of the Berkeley Unified School District, or of those of the other five participating local cities. My sources from several of these towns were incorrect and for that I apologize. The facility, funded by two state grants, has five sports fields including a regulation baseball field. These are available to school and private sports teams from Berkeley, Emeryville, Albany, Richmond and El Cerrito. The Berkeley High baseball team will have access to the regulation baseball field when it is completed this fall. At that time they will have two regulation baseball fields, Gilman Street and the San Pablo field they currently use to play their 10 annual games on. Mr. Fielding has not explained why the baseball squad can’t be satisfied with a fully functional practice field at Derby Street while sharing the field with other sports teams and avoid disrupting the Farmers’ Market, the residents and the neighborhood folks holding out for the last usable open space in that part of town. The Farmers’ Market does not need Mr. Fielding to speak for them and they fully support the open-Derby multi-use plan. This plan is the only plan that has guaranteed from the beginning that the field will not be dominated by baseball and available to other outdoor activity including other sports. This plan is the only plan that has guaranteed that the public will have access when not in use. This plan is budgeted, funded, publicly approved and has been held up too long by the baseballers.  

Mr. Fielding claims that the city’s general fund will not be saddled with the unknown additional millions required for the regulation baseball field, but he neglects to mention just where the funding will come from. As one of the school district directors points out, these cost estimates do not include the extra costs of excavating the new sewer line, pipes and wiring as required by law when a street is decommissioned. We all have seen what a multi-million dollar boondoggle the Harrison Street field has become when toxics were discovered subsurface and though it is unlikely, serious excavation always stands a chance of exposing a burial site or pollution pocket with even more costs.  

The only children who will be affected by leaving Derby Street open are the baseball players who will only be able to practice there. Involving low-income at-risk disabled children who are not on the baseball team and who will have guaranteed access under the open-Derby plan is a cheap gimmick and it’s proponents should be ashamed of themselves.  

Two regulation baseball fields is more than enough. Share the field and spare the budget. Keep Derby open.  

Mark McDonald 

• 

ECOLOGY CENTER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On behalf of the Ecology Center and the South Berkeley Farmers’ Market, I wish to respond to Ed Mahley’s recent letter, in which he asks the neighbors of the Derby Street playing field, including the Farmers’ Market, to let BUSD know what is needed for the site to work for everybody.  

The Ecology Center, which operates the South Berkeley Farmers’ Market on Derby Street, has repeatedly stated its seven basic needs to both BUSD and City Council. So far, BUSD has not shown any concrete commitment to meet these needs in either open or closed street scenarios. On the contrary, just last month the School Board president made a clear statement that the school district is not responsible for supporting community needs such as those at the South Berkeley Farmers’ Market. Statements like these reinforce concerns that the School Board does not see the Farmers’ Market as an educational asset in spite of the many ways we support its goals. Based on these comments, and prior history, there is little reason for the Ecology Center to believe that the School Board will truly support the South Berkeley Farmers’ Market should the market be forced to operate on school property in the future.  

We believe that if the district is to acquire community owned real estate for its own private use, existing community uses for that property should require a significant commitment from the school district.  

Linda Graham  

Program Manager  

Berkeley Farmers’ Markets  

• 

CREEKS ORDINANCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Clearly some members of Neighbors of Urban Creeks will never be satisfied with the Creeks Task Force unless the task force calls for the trashing of the Creeks Ordinance. But the past year and a half of open, public dialog between task force members and the public has taken the teeth out of their reactionary calls to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  

The task force’s areas of agreement- points on which they’re unanimous about- include allowing all current structures illegal under the Creeks Ordinance to stand, and for the automatic rebuilding of them after a disaster. Balance Hydrologics submitted a survey in late March to the task force (Attachment A, March 22 meeting on the city’s website) which points out that the vast majority of buildings and patios near creeks don’t conform to the Creeks Ordinance. The task force has worked out a compromise between property rights and the public good which everyone should applaud.  

Three other points of agreement: Culverted (i.e. buried) creeks should be treated differently than open creeks, and the city needs to find money to help pay for creek restoration, storm drain repair, and overall watershed management. The buried creeks are also to be treated like storm drains, therefore there’s a good chance that- depending on how current lawsuits work out- residents may be able to count on public money to help out with repairing private culverts.  

Finally, the rainy season again highlights the disaster-related issues often overlooked by the hills-heavy critics of the task force. Large areas of West Berkeley flood during the rainy season, causing property/economic damage and traffic hazards. It’s simple: concrete speeds water up compared to natural creek beds. Current storm water and creek culverts are crumbling and undersized for the amount of drainage our city needs as we remove absorbent soil and increase non-absorbent surfaces—mostly cement and asphalt.  

Anyone who is doubtful about the need for a Creeks Ordinance should walk to the end of North Valley Street, a tiny nub of a street off behind Allston and Acton and look down. Be careful though, as the street has been eroded by the force of the water shooting out of the crumbling culvert into the open section of Strawberry Creek behind the Strawberry Creek Lodge. As it has crumbled over the years, the culvert’s opening receded many feet, bringing it closer and closer to the private home that’s now just 15 feet away from it. Compare that with the meandering creek a half-block away in Strawberry Creek Park, where the water is not rushing pell mell out of a concrete corridor and eroding the creek banks. Our revamped Creeks Ordinance, thanks to the fabulously collaborative and reasonable task force and the City Council, will protect us from such jarring situations throughout this century and well into the next.  

Jesse Townley  

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I find Jesse Audette’s letter regarding annual windturbine raptor kills at Altamont a little disingenuous. He tells us only two birds per turbine are killed without mentioning the total number of turbines at Altamont are 6,000, most of them the old technology design, ie. the more lethal type. The wind farm is next to the largest golden eagle nesting area in the state. Approximately 116 golden eagles are killed a year. Three hundred red-tailed hawks, 380 burrowing owls, and 2,500 meadowlarks (grassland birds “being the most rapidly declining bird population in our nation.” ) An estimated total of 4,700 birds killed a year at Altamont. As for raptor collisions with cars, how many near misses have you had going down I-580? Birds have an amazing ability to avoid cars and I would guess jet turbines are much more of a hazard. Most of the people I know who are interested in birds and nature including members of Golden Gate Audubon from which the above figures are sourced in the June 2005 “Gull” are involved in local and international environmental issues. For the entire article and how the kill rate can be lowered if industry was willing, see the June and September issues at www.goldengateaudubon.org. 

Judi Sierra 

Oakland 

• 

OAKLAND VIOLENCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Once again, columnist J. Douglas Allen-Taylor presents the unsolved question of escalating violence in Oakland (“Oakland Fails to Deal with Violence Problems,” April 7). But this was different—a shocking reminder of the roots of violence. As I read the harrowing childhood tragedies, I am also reminded of those who promote only more punishment, more jails; and ridicule such history as “excuses.” 

How can children, without intervention, who are so cruelly abused, so severely wounded in mind and body, know how to live with respect for others or for themselves? I was hoping that Allen-Taylor would conclude his tragic accounts with at least a hint of some successes for these victims. But he only closes with a truth: “There’s work to be done.” 

I may have found a partial answer, ironically, on your letters page! James Hopkins writes that he is committed to finding work, and to “having power over his own future. Since his release from prison over two years ago, he has been continuously frustrated, in his searches, and even when employed, by “the indignity of abrupt dismissal when a background check is completed.” 

Would not Hopkins and other ex-prisoners, who have “experienced the day to day horrors of prison life,” have much to teach the desperate victims that Allen-Taylor speaks of? It would be ideal if these motivated prisoners were educated in this role while in prison, but as a start, there are Oakland churches, and there are Oakland homeless shelters, etc. which provide needed aid to such teens and young adults. In helping troubled young people to find new options and self-esteem, ex-prisoners may increase their own as well. 

James Hopkins is a gifted writer, who is determined to show his own son a righteous path. The public needs such reminders of the indignities and the waste of capable persons who have paid for their mistakes and may now ask only to be heard!  

Gerta Farber 

• 

HAMAS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

There are many items in the April 7 commentary by John Gertz that could be refuted, like “It is now universally acknowledged that Arafat was not a leftist.” We do know “universally” that he was a Christian and the PLO is a secular movement. Arafat can be explained by Jeffrey Blankfort or Edward Said’s writings, rather I will use Gertz’s rationale for his assertions as a counter argument since footnotes are not used in this matter. All is justified by the phrase it is “universally acknowledged.” Isn’t it “universally acknowledged” that General Sharon was shifting money to his son? Isn’t it “universally acknowledged” that the general was responsible for the Sabra and Chatila massacres? Isn’t it “universally acknowledged” M. Begin was a “terrorist” to the English when his underground group killed Brits and Palestinians?” Isn’t it “universally acknowledged that the Israelis helped the apartheid regime in South Africa, the dictator in Guatemala with military weapons and advice? Is it not “universally acknowledged” that the Bush neo-cons with 98 percent of the Democrats considers the preemptive attack on Iraq a good effort, and Iran should be next as both Democrats and Republicans state Israel is the closest ally and friend of the United States? Isn’t it “universally acknowledged” that this deadly cabal is likely to lead to more savagery in the name of theocracies here and in the Middle East? Isn’t it also “universally acknowledged” that the United States’ raptus religious right supports Israel’s religious right whose aim is to eliminate, kill or exile all Palestinians from Israel so the Second Coming can arrive? The last is so “universally acknowledged” that Gertz surely knows of this and is on line to be one of the 144,000 Jews who will be taken to heaven with the raptus folks. 

R.G. Davis 

San Francisco 

• 

BURROWING OWLS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Last Friday’s Daily Planet story about Albany’s City Council approving a burrowing owl habitat contained a couple of errors. Richard Brenneman, apparently attempting to provide some background on the owl, wrote, “An endangered species, the burrowing owls had been spotted nesting on the site, and constructing the new habitat was a condition of the mitigations spelled out.” In fact, the burrowing owl is not an “endangered species,” and there have been no observations of the bird “nesting” at the ballfield site. In 2004, Fish and Game rejected a proposal to add the burrowing owl to the list of threatened or endangered species. Burrowing owls “nest” in the spring and summer. Two nesting surveys in 2005 failed to detect any owls. This year, a winter survey observed one owl “present” at the site, but not “nesting.” Based on this it is not clear that Berkeley ever established the finding that the ball fields project had any impact on resident birds. 

More importantly, I think that the Daily Planet missed the real story here. A story about incredibly tenacious, organized, and politically connected environmental groups hijacking the Gilman Street sports fields CEQA process, and manipulating it to their own ends. Albany’s conceptual plan for the 20-acre plateau called for active recreational uses at the site. The rest of Albany’s upland portion of the park is already completely devoted to preservation or conservation. While the environmental groups objected to the plan for the plateau area, the record shows that the plan was developed through a very deliberative, public process. The owl habitat and utility road will now eliminate public use of more than half the plateau as recreation open space. Maybe, Albany residents should be grateful. The environmental groups originally proposed fencing off the entire plateau! 

Clay Larson 

Albany 

What a sad day. I returned my library book at my local branch, picked up the book I had reserved, and checked it out—all without speaking to a soul, much less a wise librarian.  

It is the stuff of legends—the alert librarian who reaches out to a distressed child, or a shy child, or an at-risk child and steers that child towards a love of books and from there to a life of possibility. Author Barbara Kingsolver celebrates every living librarian “on behalf of the souls they never knew they saved.” 

But today, in Berkeley, every library process is impersonal: We reserve books via computer, retrieve our reserved books from an alphabetized shelf, and check them out using an automated machine. 

Even returning books is solitary. As a child, one of my first—and most valuable—ethics lesson was given by a librarian: When you return books late, you pay a fine. However, now that we anonymously toss our overdue books through a silent slot and pay our fines at an unrelated time in the future (if at all), this simple lesson is lost.  

Are we hiding our librarians to save money? Certainly the wealthy Bay Area with its countless technological gadgets is wealthier than the little frontier communities that could afford a visible librarian. Is it to free the librarians for more important tasks? What is more important than guiding patrons towards a love of books? 

And who will support this new, unwelcoming library financially? Last time Berkeley successfully voted for a special library tax, I calculated that I could buy a brand new hardcover book every two weeks for what the new tax would cost me. However, I voted for the tax because I loved my library—and my librarian. 

Today, who will be inspired to become a librarian? Did beloved children's author Beverly Cleary become a librarian just to order and catalogue books out of sight? Did Benjamin Franklin? 

My library, the North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, has actually set up a barricade on the check-out desk to keep patrons from setting their books down on the counter. When I asked what it was for, I was told that “Books on the counter upset the reader.” In this new library the reader, it seems, is now the machine that checks out the books, not the person who curls up on the couch at home reading them. Well, guess what North Branch? I’m still the reader and I’m upset. 

Gail Todd is a 36-year Berkeley resident.›

Steven Donaldson’s commentary piece in this paper (“West Berkeley Bowl: Community Needs vs. Power of the Wealthy”) has unfortunately lowered the discourse on an important community issue through unnecessary personal attack, name calling, and by portraying misinformation and innuendo as truth. We feel it is necessary to offer objective information so that Berkeley citizens are able to make an informed decision. Mr. Donaldson asserts that those expressing their opinions and concerns about the Bowl (which he terms opposition) are “a small cadre of political ideologues” who are “ignoring the needs of the neighborhood, do not care about the working families of the neighborhood,” and are “funded by someone living in the Berkeley hills.” 

The simple truth is that there is no opposition to the Berkeley Bowl. There are only local residents, institutions, and businesses who believe that an appropriately sized grocery store (similar in scale to all Berkeley supermarkets) can fulfill the acknowledged need for good, reasonably priced food for West Berkeley without needlessly endangering safety, degrading quality of life, or threatening the economic viability of local businesses and their hundreds of workers. These residents, institutions, and businesses are from the Potter Creek neighborhood, the area immediately adjacent to the north of the project, and from businesses on both sides of the lower Ashby corridor. Individuals and two community organizations made up of various members of these groups are involved in the discussion. A number of the local business are working with WEBAIC (West Berkeley Artisans & Industrial Companies) to ensure that traffic and land use issues that may affect their continued economic viability are not overlooked. These businesses have joined together with residents of the Potter Creek neighborhood to form TASC (Traffic and Safety Coalition) to find reasonable solutions to traffic, safety, and economic concerns. These longtime West Berkeley families and businesses are the people Mr. Donaldson calls “a small cadre of wealthy ideologues who don’t care about working families in the neighborhood.” In a community as committed to intelligent, peaceful solutions as ours has historically been, and in an effort that asks for respect on all sides, Mr. Donaldson’s poisoning of the well of public discourse surely has no place. 

As to Mr. Donaldson’s claim that the property “has been vacant for over 50 years,” and that “the loss of industry has been going on in West Berkeley for 40 years,” the facts are that half the Bowl’s property was a functioning manufacturing facility until they purchased the land, and the other half was most recently an organic farm until the owner got caught with his coffee beans mislabeled and lost his business. Of course companies come and go and some larger ones have left only to be replaced by many that are smaller and mid-sized. There are upwards of 300 of these industrial companies providing 5,000-6,000 well-paying jobs in West Berkeley today.  

When the Bowl originally came to the Potter Creek neighborhood with a proposal for a 41,000-square-foot grocery store plus 14,000 square feet of warehouse for the Shattuck store, there was unanimous approval coupled with an awareness of potentially significant traffic issues. (The existing Berkeley Bowl is 42,000 square feet including warehouse, and all other Berkeley supermarkets are between 26,000 and 30,000 square feet.) After hiring a consultant from Los Angeles, the Bowl then declared that the project would be 91,000-plus square feet, two to three times the size of all other Berkeley groceries. Once Potter Creek residents understood the ramifications of the largest supermarket in the near East Bay locating on a small urban lot immediately adjacent, the vast majority signed a petition asking for traffic relief. The reasonable hope was that the local streets would not have to become congested freeways, endangering ourselves, our children, and degrading the air and quality of life. 

On the basis of the Bowl’s own traffic study (which calculated that traffic in 2004 at San Pablo and Ashby was less than in 1993), the city promptly gave the project a “negative declaration,” meaning that no environmental impact report (EIR) would be required since the project would create no “significant environmental impacts.” The conclusion that a development generating over 42,000 trips a week (TASC engineer says 56,000) through intersections already highly stressed would create no impacts worthy of study was a slap in the face of common sense. In order to determine the facts, several local businesses, institutions, and individuals joined together to hire an independent traffic engineer. Doing empirical traffic counts and analysis, this highly respected engineer identified the objective situation: a project of this magnitude would create “potentially significant environmental impacts” and clearly required an EIR. Faced with the facts, the city was forced to agree. If, in its rush toward approval, the city had not ignored common sense and standard procedure and had begun an EIR immediately, the entire process would be behind us. 

The latest version of the EIR identifies 13 “Project Objectives,” the main objective being to fulfill the West Berkeley Plan’s goal of “improving the level of neighborhood serving retail” by providing a supermarket with a range of fresh produce and groceries at competitive prices to West Berkeley. The EIR shows that two smaller versions of the project (both larger than the existing Bowl) would meet all thirteen objectives, while easing traffic. The folks down here would simply like a supermarket on a scale similar to those that work for all the other Berkeley neighborhoods. If the City and the Bowl want a regional megamarket and are willing to sacrifice local businesses and residents on that altar, then be honest, call it what it really is and make the decision consciously. But please don’t call it “neighborhood serving retail,” the stated goal of the West Berkeley Plan. The two EIR solutions, Alternatives C and D, would satisfy all the objectives of the city, the neighborhood, local business, and the larger community. They would likely have the added benefit of not requiring the planned underground parking and second story, the high costs of which are will undoubtedly make the food more expensive. But the Bowl has never been willing to negotiate this solution with the other stakeholders, and the city has never attempted to facilitate mediation. 

We strongly feel that in the spirit of community harmony, if all parties truly consider their neighbors’ needs, we can find a solution that works for everyone. Not perfectly (this is Berkeley after all, not heaven), but well. As we all heard it said so honestly and elegantly in a much graver situation, “Can’t we all just get along?” 

Rick Auerbach, resident/business owner (Grayson Street) 

John Curl, Heartwood Woodworking Cooperative (Eighth Street) 

David and Barbara Bowman, residents/business owners (Tenth Street) 

John Phillips, business owner (Grayson Street) 

Jeff Hogan, Ashby Lumber 

Susanne Herring, business owner (Grayson Street) 

Sarah Klise, Byron Delcomb & and Milo (Eighth Street) 

Mary Lou Vandeventer, Urban Ore 

Bob Kubik and Carol Whitman (Pardee Street) 

Morgan Smith, Tracy Schrider, Natalie and Ben, residents/business owners (Grayson Street) 

Maurice and Ed Levitch, Architects & Builders, residents/business owners  

(Heinz Avenue) 

Sally Swing (Grayson Street) 

Richard Finchm (Eighth Street) 

California Rose Catering (Grayson Street) 

Norman Potter, owner, The Tubmakers 

Barry, Donatella, Christoper Wagner,  

residents/business owners  

(Ninth Street) 

Rosa, Anette, Tom Mendicino (Grayson Street) 

Laurie Bright, D& L Engines 

David Snipper (Grayson Street) 

Andrew Fischer (Pardee Street) 

Dan Zemmelmen (Grayson Street) 

M

Although I can appreciate James K. Sayre’s concern over avian mortality resulting from wind turbines, I feel compelled to clarify several assertions made in his recent commentary, “Wind Turbines Will Kill Birds and Bats” (Daily Planet April 4).  

First, I don’t think Mr. Sayre or anyone else knows for certain whether the new wind turbine at the Shorebird Nature Center near the Berkeley Marina will kill birds and bats. This is precisely why the Golden Gate Audubon Society has strictly required the city to consult with a leading scientist in the field to determine final location of the wind turbine and establish a long-term monitoring plan for the site. Another clear contingency of Golden Gate Audubon’s approval is the city’s commitment, should any birds be killed by the turbine, to work immediately with a consultant approved by Golden Gate Audubon to avoid bird kills. Should we determine the number of deaths to be unacceptable and mortality cannot be mitigated, the city and all parties agree to remove the turbine.  

Golden Gate Audubon takes avian mortality from wind turbines very seriously. In fact, we are currently engaged in a critical effort to resolve the egregious bird kill at Altamont Pass, to which Mr. Sayre refers. Joined by four other local Audubon chapters, Golden Gate Audubon has filed a suit under the California Environmental Quality Act against Alameda County over permits issued to wind energy operators at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA). The highly contentious wind turbines at the APWRA kill up to 4,700 birds annually, including up to 116 fully protected golden eagles, and have been doing so for more than two decades.  

Golden Gate Audubon is also profoundly aware, however, of the severe consequences global warming on wildlife and habitat, and we are committed to finding solutions that support renewable energy while also protecting wildlife. Mr. Sayre himself suggests that we need to find “more passive ways to generate and conserve energy,” and includes solar energy as a means of doing so. The Shorebird Nature Center, which is to be the future site of the Berkeley wind turbine, already uses solar electricity, along with radiant heating, natural linoleum floors, sustainably harvested wood and recycled glass countertops, to limit their footprint on the Earth. They seek wind energy to further lower their impact.  

While it’s difficult to say for sure whether a single 1.8 kilowatt wind turbine with a combined height of 40 feet will have an impact on birds, the city has asserted this is unlikely due to poor food sources near the site and lots of human activity, including daily classes of 30-plus people at the site. And despite the implication that Berkeley has turned its back on its progressive roots of the 1960s and 1970s in favor of selling out for “corporate technology,” this is not is not the first time Berkeley has been open to the progressive idea of wind energy. In fact, there are already two small wind turbines in the Berkeley area—one built in 1982 on a 60-foot tower with 10-foot blades, and one built in Albany in 1998, with four-foot blades.  

The city’s proposed turbine at the Berkley Marina is simply not analogous to the more than 5,000 turbines built in the 1980s at the APWRA, squarely in the middle of a critical flight corridor for birds. Moreover, the new Berkeley turbine will allow the city to explore the feasibility of wind energy at this site with assurances that the turbine will be removed, if unacceptable bird mortality occurs.  

Finally, I believe Mr. Sayre is mistaken in his assertion that we are “just another large corporate entity with its own agenda, which does not always place protecting all bird life at the top of its priorities.” Golden Gate Audubon, an independent organization that is affiliated as a chapter of the National Audubon Society, has been a leader in protecting Bay Area birds since 1917. For nearly 90 years, we have played a critical role in protecting many Bay Area habitats—from Eastshore State Park to Oakland’s Arrowhead Marsh to vast acreage in the East Bay hills.  

With the threat of global warming looming, I hope Mr. Sayre will agree that Golden Gate Audubon can—and must—play a role in shaping the development of future Bay Area wind energy projects. If wind energy is to play a role in California’s effort to reach 20 percent renewable energy, we must find solutions that work for wind and wildlife. Golden Gate Audubon is perfectly situated to help negotiate this balance. 

Samantha Murray is the Golden Gate Audubon Society’s conservation director.

KATE DOWLING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Kate Dowling was born July 8, 1946 and passed on April 2, 2006. She was best known as the proud mother of James. For 17 years she worked at the Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley where she originated live jazz and the generous extra slice. She was also famous for her sumptuous chocolate truffles and wedding cakes. She was formerly the pastry chef at Bay Wolf Restaurant in Oakland. She was well loved by all who knew her and generous to a fault. There will be a celebration of Kate’s life from 6-11 p.m. April 8 at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. Donations may be made to the Kate Dowling Memorial Fund in care of Wells Fargo, account number 3012327494, 6304 Dana St., Oakland, CA 94609. 

Ina Clausen 

• 

CORRECTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

While J. Douglas Allen-Taylor’s March 24 article provided an accurate picture of the problems that have plagued the Kronos payroll system at the Alameda County Medical Center, I want to correct an error. 

Neither I nor Local 616 members blame the Medical Center’s CEO, Wright Lassiter, for the Kronos implementation problems. I’m sorry if I did not make that clear when I spoke with Mr. Taylor. In fact I got an earful from our members when they read that I blamed the CEO for escalating the problem. I can’t say who exactly “made the unilateral decision to go completely electronic,” but as noted in the article, ACMC has put the VP for human resources on administrative leave. 

Once Lassiter learned about the extent of the problems, which was brought to his attention at the caucus meeting with nurses, as noted in the article, he has worked to resolve the problems. We are meeting with ACMC representatives this week to review the payroll error report from the last pay period. While there remain some problems, we believe the Medical Center has made significant improvements. Mr. Lassiter has assured SEIU that if problems persist, ACMC will reintroduce the parallel electronic and paper time keeping systems while the bugs are resolved. 

Thanks for correcting this error. 

Bradley Cleveland 

Director of Communications 

SEIU Local 616 

• 

NOT FOR RUSSO 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I will never vote for Democrat Russo for state Assembly or any position except dog catcher, even though I am a lifelong Democrat and occasional voter for Green Party candidates. 

I have never met or talked with Russo but unfortunately attempted to deal with his staff when Russo was my district’s Oakland City Council Representative.  

I have never encountered such an unresponsive staff as Russo’s. 

I repeatedly called his office regarding an issue with a stop sign and another with street sweeping, but his staff never responded to my calls. Feeling like I was dealing with the customer service of a giant corporation or the DMV, I instead turned to our At-Large City Councilmember Henry Chang, whose staff not only returned my call within three days but investigated and fulfilled both of my requests within two weeks days by dealing with the relevant city agencies (agencies that hadn’t responded to my complaints spanning approximately six months).  

Russo is not fit to be a Democrat regardless of his top-down endorsements. 

1. Russo is infamously unresponsive to specific concerns from individuals (he seems more concerned with his next stepping stone to higher office than actually fixing something). He simply blows off calls from anyone lacking connections, a la Bush, in effect telling his constituents/customers they have no recourse. 

2. Russo approaches the role of serving the public in the same manner as the worst bloated, unresponsive high-tech corporation with overseas tech support.  

3. I cannot imagine Russo was good at being a lawyer or any other job requiring measurable performance. If he headed a company selling actual products, the company would probably go bust after pissing off its customers. 

4. While once complaining to neighbors about Russo’s unresponsiveness as city councilmember, a neighbor remarked that he’d watched Russo in City Council meetings on local-access T.V. and thought Russo had his head in the clouds, speaking about national issues and listening only to himself instead of addressing the matters associated with his job.  

Russo obviously doesn’t understand Tip O’Neil’s famous saying that “all politics are local.” 

I cannot believe Russo will improve education or anything since he can’t even improve a pot hole. As a dog lover, however, I would vote for Russo for dog catcher. 

John Gordon 

Oakland 

• 

KEEP DERBY OPEN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am writing in support of the folks in South Berkeley who want a multi-use field/park at Martin Luther King and Derby streets and who want to keep Derby Street open. As a long-time South Berkeley resident who lives near San Pablo Park I thoroughly appreciate and support open green space in neighborhoods. I am concerned and curious about whose interests are driving this proposal to close Derby Street. It is my understanding that many (or most) of the parents of the high school baseball team members and other residents who are pushing to close Derby Street do not live in our neighborhood. How can the school district and the City Council prioritize the desires of the baseball team over the real needs and concerns of a neighborhood? How would closing Derby Street affect the firefighters access to my neighborhood should there be a fire west of Milvia? What would be the long-term traffic and parking effects on the neighborhood? Where would the Farmers’ Market be able to move where there is such easy access and centrality in location? Why is there a willingness to develop an athletic park for the baseball team and not the same initiative and willingness to push to fix the public pools, fund after-school and nighttime sports programs, extend library hours and fund other socially thoughtful and comprehensive programs for the benefit of youth in all Berkeley neighborhoods? Voters said “no” to recent proposed bond measures, which would have provided needed services to all Berkeley residents. Where are the monies going to come from to hire new staff and provide specialized maintenance for this ideal baseball project? I think effort should be made to improve existing parks and baseballfields. Where is the long-term financial infrastructure going to come from to support this baseball filed project? There are not enough parks and recreation staff to adequately maintain the existing park. 

I support keeping Derby Street open and spending existing monies on existing needs and projects. I do not support plans to spend monies that are not in the school district budget on projects initiated by people who want to alter a neighborhood where they do not live. And should there be surplus in the school budget or the city budget, projects like this one to develop a contemplative baseball field could then be considered. 

Margaret Benson Thompson 

• 

GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Berkeley PTA Council has undertaken an audacious project—selling 8,000 information/coupon books called “Guide to the Good Life in Berkeley”—to raise $50,000 for providing diversity training and education for parents throughout our district during the 2006-2007 school year. With your help, we believe that together we can reach our goal—a goal that will benefit not just Berkeley parents but our children, schools, and community as well.  

Please endorse and promote the sales and purchase of “Guide to the Good Life in Berkeley” throughout our school district and city, across your professional, personal and electronic networks. Encourage your constituents and friends alike to take action in support of diversity and book sales by “spreading the word” and our intention, by purchasing and selling books, and by cheering on our students in doing the same. Understand that book buyers receive truly useful coupons that save many times more money than its $10 cost! Please do all that you can, as both an individual and as a vital conduit, to help us advance our movement. 

Like you, we recognize that each of us must work to build our individual and collective capacity to relate to one another in ways that enhance and ensure excellence, equity, and equality in our children’s education. In Berkeley and beyond, race and diversity lie at the core of all that we hold dear as a value and all that we recognize as responsible for what divides us. The Berkeley PTA Council, leading the parents of Berkeley Unified School District, intends to build strong, effective bridges between the peoples in our school communities. We intend to guide Berkeley to the bonafide “good life” and we ask that you join us! 

Thank you for all you do and are. 

The PTA Council Executive Board: Wanda Stewart, Ann Williams, Roia Ferrazares, John Penberthy, Cindy Tsai, Mark Coplan, Marissa Saunders,  

Lorenzo Blades 

• 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read with interest Marianne Robinson’s commentary “Affordable Housing: Reality or Myth,” and wanted to let her and the thousands of seniors who need and the thousands of seniors who need affordable housing know that the new senior housing going up on Sacramento, San Pablo and University will soon be open and is truly affordable. 

AHA’s Sacramento Senior Homes at 2517 Sacramento will offer 40 new apartments for seniors 62 and over, including seniors with disabilities and seniors that live with HIV and AIDS. All of the units have Project-Based Section 8, which means that no senior will pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income to rent—for example, if you live on SSI and receive $700 a month, your portion of the rent is $210. While some of the apartments in the building will be studio apartments, the majority of apartments will be one-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom apartments.  

On San Pablo Avenue, Resources for Community Development will soon be opening the Margaret Breland Apartments, a 28-unit apartment building for seniors. These studio and one-bedroom units will be available for rent at 30 percent of a person’s household income also. These apartments are available to seniors with annual incomes below $29,350 a year for a one-person household and $33,500 for a two-person household. 

Applications for these two buildings are available now at the Berkeley Public Library, the Berkeley Senior Centers, and Berkeley Housing Authority, among other places. While deadlines for submitting are upcoming, seniors are still encouraged to apply—waiting lists will be formed for both buildings. Early next year there will be another affordable senior housing development opening up—University Avenue Senior Homes by Satellite Senior Homes, which is currently starting construction. This development will have 79 units of affordable housing for seniors.  

For more information on Sacramento Senior Homes, please visit our website at www.ahainc.org. 

Kevin Zwick 

Director of Development 

Affordable Housing Associates 

• 

OPEN EXCHANGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for the reminder! (April 1st Brings Memories, March 31.) My first letter to you in April 2003 was a thank you for your new exciting publication, but also a complaint that the paper was now almost impossible to throw away! As a disabled senior, it has become my accessible “Berkeley Town Hall”—a welcome gift for my twice-a-week education and occasional personal opinions! 

Thus said, Becky O’Malley, I again honor your policy of open exchange. I certainly agree with most of the Berkeley treasures and frustrations you point out. But I was surprised to hear you say you are offended by those who are “more than willing” to risk the health of others so they “can have a cheap grocery store” in their own backyard. As I find the Berkeley Bowl as indispensable as your publication, I was very much hoping that this wonderful market could be in the West Berkeley area as well—after working out the usual glitches, of course.  

Have you considered that many of your neighbors probably use their cars to get to the “East” Berkeley Bowl now, or other desirable food outlets, polluting “our” area somewhat?  

By the way, Ashby Avenue would not have to be a narrow congested “highway,” toxic to scores of residents along the way (which is probably illegal, if not immoral) if many of our famous Berkeley diverters were removed, so that traffic could freely and fairly find other pathways, as it does in most other (dare I say) even more progressive cities! 

Gerta Farber 

• 

WIND ENERGY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a former Berkeley Energy Commission member, and a wind-energy developer, I was struck by the angry tone of James K. Sayre’s letter concerning Southwest Windpower’s gift of a wind turbine to the City of Berkeley. The turbine is very small and only 40 feet high. It would be very surprising if it kills anything more than some mosquitoes—certainly nothing compared to other sources of bird mortality in Berkeley, such as the nearby 880 freeway, downtown buildings with glass windows, housecats, etc. In the meantime, it is a very nice addition to a park intended to educate people about renewable energy. 

The wind turbines in Altamont Pass do not kill significant numbers of migratory birds. Local raptors collide with each turbine each year. They probably also collide with the cars on the 580 freeway. The overall bird population in the Altamont Pass has actually grown each year, due to constant loss of habitat to housing developments located all around. The Altamont Pass is one of the few remaining open spaces in the area. That raptors there collide with wind turbines is lamentable but basically unavoidable. 

Development, pesticides, and global warming are the major threats to birds, bats, and all life on earth. We need new sources of energy, like wind energy, on a BIG scale, to change the direction our planet is heading. Unlike other industries that impact birds, the wind energy industry has carried out dozens of studies of interactions between wind turbines, birds, and bats, over the years. Despite the very low levels of bird mortality these studies have shown (average of two birds/turbine/year, less than the average car typically kills), wind turbine designs have been substantially changed, and wind energy projects moved away from many windy sites, to further reduce bird mortality. 

People who are incensed about “wind turbines and birds” and “wind turbines and bats” never seem to be concerned, or active, about truly major threats to birds and bats. When I see a letter from someone who is systematically working on the greatest, most widespread and serious sources of bird and bat mortality, I’ll take it more seriously.  

Jessie Audette 

• 

IMMIGRATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Letter-writer Marvin Charere erroneously sited the figure of 12 million illegal immigrants in this country. It is more likely that is there is approximately 30 million illegals in this country at any given moment. And that doesn’t even take into account the tens of millions of “anchor babies”—American-born babies of illegal immigrants who immediately qualify as U.S. citizens. 

The odd thing is, whenever I bring up the scope—and the disastrous consequences—of our insane level of mass immigration, both legal and illegal, the response from the heroic Berkeley liberals has been simply to toss the “race card” at me. Might I suggest that some of these liberals leave their safe, middle- class havens and spend some time living amongst the blacks in the inner city, like I have. Black Americans happen to have the strongest negative opinion about immigration of any segment of the American population (check all the polls if you don’t believe me). Why? Because they are precisely the ones on the front lines of this invasion and who are paying the biggest brunt of this problem. They are in fact getting displaced from their own inner-city neighborhoods to make room for the endless immigrant hordes. Now play the “race card” on that, Berkeley liberal. Instead, I suggest you check out an April 4 opinion piece in the San Francisco Examiner titled: “Illegal Immigration is Hurting America’s Poorest People.” Apparently, plenty of these middle-class Berkeley liberals—who already “got theirs”—can afford to be very magnanimous about this hideous process. Those on the bottom, who are struggling to keep a roof over our heads, do not find this nearly as endearing.  

Peter Labriola 

• 

GIRLFEST 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was distressed by Nancy Ward’s letter published in the Daily Planet’s March 31 edition. Ward took Diana Russell to task for picketing Girlfest, who held their two nights of entertainment at the Shattuck Down Low. Situated next door to the now infamous Pasand Restaurant in a building owned by Lakireddy Bali Reddy, a convicted sex trafficker in underage girls, the Down Low proprietor pays rent to members of the Lakireddy family. Nancy believes that Diana and the other picketers should not care where the events were held, but instead appreciate that Girlfest got it for free. 

What Nancy probably does not know is that Girlfest had been apprised of the inappropriateness of their choice of venue three weeks prior to the event by a concerned woman named Gina. When the Girlfest leaders made it clear to her that they would not change their venue, Gina posted this information to the general Community section of Craigslist. In response, Gina “was threatened with lawsuits, accused of ‘having ulterior motives’ and now, when I try to tell the people of Berkeley that a high-profile non-profit is making a mistake in holding their event on a property owned by people who prey on children for sex and labor, they [the Girlfest organizers] are flagging every post I put up...” Similarly, Women Against Sexual Slavery was also treated with hostility and threatened with a law suit.  

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who supported our protest, offered the organizers of Girlfest alternative locations to hold their concerts, at least one of which was also free. The Girlfest organizers declined these options. Ward is correct that Daniel Cukierman, the proprietor of the Down Low, generously offered this facility free of charge. However, this does not negate the contradiction in Girlfest’s use of property owned by a criminal pedophile. 

Ward concludes her letter by saying that, “I and many other feminists, wish that instead of picketing Shattuck Down Low that she [Diana Russell] and her supporters had been able to appreciate the nightclub’s generosity and also how much women would benefit. The money will help to prevent future Reddy-like crimes.” I say, education without heart is no education at all. Diana Russell actually deserves thanks from our community for making us aware that our actions should follow our awareness and that we should work to help all those who are in need and suffer and not be swayed by money and power. My beret goes off to her. 

Marcia Poole 

• 

WIND TURBINES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The April 4 commentary by reader James K. Sayre regarding wind turbines deserves a response. Mr. Sayre is incorrect in believing that the bird fatalities in Altamont Pass are typical of all wind turbine installations. Lessons learned in Altamont Pass, the world’s first large-scale windfarm, are now applied in siting wind turbines throughout the country, and nothing even remotely similar has occurred. Is Mr. Sayre serious in comparing the threat of a single home-scale (not industrial) turbine in the Berkeley Marina to the potential damage of a nuclear power plant? Does he realize how many birds, animals, and trees (not to mention humans) would be saved annually by eliminating the pollution associated with coal and other fossil-fueled power plants? Mr. Sayre may discount my opinion as easily as he does that of the Audubon Society, but as an engineer working in wind power for over 20 years, I can say that Southwest Wind Power is no corporate behemoth, and wind power is not something to be feared. Wind is the fastest growing source of energy worldwide and will play an important part in the search for solutions to our energy and climate change problems. Berkeley is correct to promote public education regarding wind power, and all renewable energy sources. 

Joseph W. Pasquariello 

Oakland 

• 

OUR TAX DOLLARS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As tax day on 17 April draws near, we need to remember that our tax dollars are paying for torture and death. 

They are paying for an endless war that is killing and maiming our troops and the Iraqi people. 

Our tax dollars are spent by Congress. 

Let our senators and representatives know we want the funding of an illegal aggression stopped. 

No more money for war! 

The Bush budget pays for war by cutting social services including veterans’ benefits. 

We can tax ourselves by sending a contribution to groups like Iraq Veterans Against War (www.ivaw.net), Veterans for Peace (coxschueler@igc.org) and Vietnam Veterans Against War (vvaw@vvaw.org). 

We can also join activities like the Grandmothers Against the War who plan to leaflet on April 17 outside the IRS in downtown Oakland at noon, and in front of local post offices. For more specifics call the Grandmothers at 845-3815 or e-mail bayareagrandmothers@yahoo.com. 

Pat Cody 

• 

PRISON LIFE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

My story is a plea to the public who has a tendency to lump all formerly incarcerated black men in one pot, and reject their efforts to find gainful employment. I am a black man pushing 40 years of age who has no desire to become a re-incarcerated statistical failure. I refuse to support prisons far away from my home that have become major economic boons for poor white communities in rural areas, e.g., Pelican Bay in the State of California. The price I’ve paid is unemployment for myself, and increased employment for white residents in these rural communities. In those instances when I have become employed, I’ve suffered the indignity of abrupt dismissal once my background check is completed. This situation has been going on since my release over two years ago. It has taken all the strength I have to suppress the seething anger and rage I feel when I’m let go, but far stronger is the firm commitment I’ve made to myself that I will not give up and become a contributor to an evil system that has no regard for my well-being. 

Inside, I’ve experienced the day-to-day horrors of prison life; the lack of privacy; the monotony of doing time; living en masse amongst strangers to whom I have no familial ties; watching my back to avert attacks; and perhaps the worst experience, listening to the voice of loneliness, my voice. When you are alone, you become in touch with the deepest part of yourself, the part that is concerned with your preservation. 

Outside, I’m no longer physically incarcerated, yet my mind is. I’m bound to a past from which I can’t seem to escape. I am thwarted in reaching my goal of being employed and having power over my life. My past remains an impenetrable, constant barrier to my future. My deepest wish is that employers will interview me and allow me to express myself by discussing the reasons for my past incarceration. I’m not expecting employers to be social workers, but I’m seeking to come out from under the label of “ex-offender.” I want to be a real father to my 18-year old son. I don’t want to leave a blueprint of prison as a life-path for him to follow. 

I write this for all black men who have been entrapped in the prison system. I know they will concur with all I’ve written, and I cling to the hope that collectively, we can come up with a solution to our problems. Despite the music videos, there is no glamour, no peace, no life, to be found within the total institution of prison. 

James Hopkins  

• 

LIFE AT BERKELEY HIGH 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

My son is a senior at Berkeley High now, and here’s what I’ve learned about what it takes to survive at this huge, wonderful, but sometimes alienating school: The kids who do well at Berkeley High are those who get involved in a sport, dance, theater, jazz band, Art Club, Barbecue Club. The kids who don’t often fall through the cracks and have problems in this big, daunting place. And for an activity to occur, the kids need a place to play, act or gather to do that activity. That’s the major reason why I support making Derby Field a baseball field. There are places for LaCrosse, soccer, jazz band, swimming, dance, theater... you name it at Berkeley High, but there’s no place for baseball except a field that’s overcrowded, inadequate and where Albany Little League teams have greater priority. The baseball team doesn’t have an adequate place to play their games, and shipping them to a potential Gilman Street site just doesn’t get the job done. These kids too, need a place to call home. This issue is and always has been about supporting our kids which Berkeley has a fine, long history of doing. 

I understand the neighbors worries from having listened to them one-on-one, and dealing with similar issues related to parks, religious institutions, s ores and other public places in my neighborhood. They raise issues that need to be analyzed and mitigated in a fair, thoughtful EIR process. Unfortunately, the dialogue about this baseball field has been more of food fight than the kind of reasonable discourse that should occur. An environmental impact report is a good way to start a healthier discussion, and I hope that the Berkeley City Council agrees to be a joint partner with BUSD in preparing an EIR. 

Dave Fogarty 

• 

MEDICARE DRUG BENEIFT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I write on behalf of the millions of senior citizens and people with disabilities confused and poorly served by the president’s disastrous privatized prescription drug Part D “benefit.” 

Part D does nothing to rein in out-of-control drug prices. It leaves millions of Americans worse off by requiring them to pay more for drugs than they currently do under Medicaid and allowing private plans to deny them drugs that were covered before. 

On top of that, the Part D disaster will cost taxpayers $800 billion more over the next decade than a direct benefit under Medicare with negotiated drug prices would. Part D is no benefit and it’s not Medicare—it’s just ineffective, inefficient, private insurance. 

If Medicare were allowed to directly negotiate drug costs, it would be possible to pay for all Medicare drugs—without premiums, deductibles or co-payments—at no additional cost. 

We need a real drug benefit under Medicare that gives seniors and people with disabilities access to the drugs their physicians prescribe. It’s up to Congress to provide one. 

Jean Pauline 

Oakland

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Planet is inviting all candidates for office in Berkeley to contribute regularly to our Commentary pages between now and the election. This is the only submission we have received so far; Mayor Bates’ aide Cisco DeVries says the m ayor will eventually submit a piece on this topic, but can’t do so until later in the month because he’s on vacation. Other candidates are encouraged to submit pieces when they can. 

Four years ago I worked hard to bring Tom Bates out of retirement. He p romised us “Berkeley at its Best.” What we got was Sacramento-style politics—backroom deals, cronyism and incessant spin.  

I’m not a career politician. I’ve never before sought public office. That I’m doing so now is a sign of how distressed I am about t he direction Berkeley is being taken. I know that many others share my concern.  

Our first and most urgent task is to restore the democratic character of our public life. Berkeley, of all places, should have a government that’s fair, open and accounta ble. I will ask the council to rescind the most egregious decision in Berkeley’s history—the disastrous secret settlement of the city’s lawsuit over UC expansion. To prevent further secrecy, I’ll push for a strong Berkeley Sunshine Ordinance—a law that gi ves citizens legal access to information about local government, and the right to sue the city if they think the law’s provisions have been violated by city officials. Imagine: Citizens wouldn’t need to file Public Record Act requests to find out what’s goin g on!  

Second, today out-of-control development is threatening Berkeley’s unique character and its quality of life. Nobody wants to live in a West Coast version of Colonial Williamsburg. But new buildings must enhance our neighborhoods and honor our arch itectural heritage.  

Our Landmarks Preservation Ordinance is under assault. I’ll lift the siege and then work with Berkeley’s preservation community to strengthen our protections for the city’s historic buildings. Those protections must include a st ructu re of merit designation with guts. What makes Berkeley recognizably Berkeley is an ensemble of the old and the new, the spectacular and the mundane. We need to care for the whole urban fabric.  

We also need to start asking: How much development can Berke ley take without losing its identity? To get an honest answer, we have to confront a powerful myth: The notion that if we want to stop gentrification, we have to build as much housing as possible. The fact is that only a fraction of the hundreds of new ap artments that have gone up over the past few years are even officially affordable. Let’s build truly affordable housing and stop using the myth of affordability to justify huge, market rate projects that are beyond the reach of all but the affluent.  

And let’s make sure that all development respects our neighborhoods. The city needs to stop foisting out-of-scale, out-of-character projects on Berkeley residents, and to start taking its cues from the people who are going to be directly affected by new deve lopment. I will meet with and support neighborhood groups who are working to make their community a place they want to live.  

Third, the University of California is the elephant in Berkeley’s room—a cultured and sophisticated elephant—but an ele phant nonetheless. I will do my utmost to defend the interests of Berkeley’s citizens against UC’s unbridled growth.  

After the settlement is rescinded, we’ll still be faced with the hard issues: traffic, and the university’s huge drain on the city’s bud get. The incumbent boasts that he got UC to pay the city $23 million for city services. What he doesn’t say: that’s $23 million over 15 years. A 2004 independent fiscal analysis estimated that providing police, fire and sewer services for UC’s existing an d expande d needs would cost the city of Berkeley $13.5 million a year.  

We’ve been repeatedly told that when the city settled, it got the best deal possible. But two months before the city sued the university, Chancellor Birgeneau offered somewhat bette r terms th an what we ended up with. We need to find out what the city could have gotten if it had pressed ahead with its original suit or a stronger one.  

Fourth, in a nation where independent business is an endangered species, thank goodness our neighborhood shop ping districts are filled with locally owned and operated stores. At a time when American industry is on the ropes, Berkeley has a vital manufacturing sector. San Francisco’s artists were devastated by the dot.com office boom; we still have a community of working artists and artisans.  

I will fight to uphold the zoning that keeps West Berkeley affordable to artisans and industry. Instead of shedding crocodile tears as artists are evicted from their studios by high-end developers, I’ll ask the city to hel p artists buy their own buildings. Instead of turning Gilman and Ashby west of San Pablo into strip malls on steroids, the city should be promoting our unique neighborhood shopping districts through creative, year-round marketing events. And we should fig ure out how to fund a free shoppers’ shuttle.  

Of all my goals, the fifth and last I’ll mention here is the most ambitious: delivering the highest quality city services. “The city doesn’t work”—I hear that complaint again and again, all ove r town. It’s n ot just the brushoffs at city hall. It’s the deplorable condition of our streets. It’s our crumbling sewers. The floods that happen throughout the city whenever there’s a hard rain. The decimation of our disaster preparedness office. It’s t he rolling blac kouts of our fire stations, the rising rate of property crimes, and the drug dealing and street violence that have left some Berkeleyans dead and made others prisoners of their own homes.  

We pay some of the highest property taxes in Cali fornia. We ought to be getting value for our money. The main reason we’re not is that the city manager and his colleagues are not getting proper direction from the mayor and the council. Last year, the council set Berkeley’s priorities by filling out a qu estionnaire. The budget process is another municipal embarrassment, a bureaucratic exercise conducted without meaningful council direction or public input. To make matters worse, last April, without prior notice, the council eliminated the Citizens Budget Review Commission.  

I’ll propose that at the beginning of each budget cycle, the council identify essential services, the priorities to be undertaken during that fiscal year, and a clear policy framework within which fiscal decisions will be made. These actions should guide the formation of the city manager’s budget. I’ll also ask the council to reinstate the Budget Commission and to give it adequate staff and political support.  

Finally, I’ll propose that each year the council evaluate the performance of the city man ager, the city attorney and other department heads. In 2000 the council directed the city manager to solicit on an annual basis each commission’s opinions regarding staff service. That directive has never been carried out; I’ll ask that it be put into eff ect in 2007. We also need to find ways for ordinary citizens to effectively express their opinions about city services. And we need to make sure that all these report cards aren’t simply filed away, but have practical consequences.  

My history in Berkele y goes back nearly 40 years. I first came here to attend the university. After graduating from Cal in 1970, I left town twice to go to graduate school and once to take a job. I spent most of the 1980s working as an English professor at UC Santa Barbara. I n 1990, when I moved back for the third time, I said: I’m here for good.  

Since 1992, I’ve been on the board of the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association. I was TONA president from 2000 to 2005. I served on the site committee that he lped plan the new Th ousand Oaks School. With my next-door neighbor Christine, I led the successful community effort to build the new tot lot at Thousand Oaks School Park.  

In 1997 I was appointed to the Berkeley Planning Commission. I served on the commission for almost sev en years and chaired it from 2002 to 2004. As a planning commissioner, I initiated and then helped guide the community-based process that led to Berkeley’s first new General Plan in 25 years.  

I also helped to start the Main Street Alliance, the West Ber keley Traffic and Safety Coalition, Neighbors of Ashby BART and the Northern Alameda County Sierra Club Group.  

A reporter recently asked me what I thought would enable me to win. I told him: “If people know what’s going on, they’ll vote for me.” I’m sure that’s true. But I’m also sure that our biggest challenge is going to be getting people to see the reality behind the spin. We’re going up against a powerful political machine.  

I’m running on the slogan, “It’s OUR City!” Please join me in making that claim a political reality.  

Zelda Bronstein is the former chair of the Planning Commission and a graduate of UC Berkeley.

At a March 21, 2006 press conference, when President Bush was pressed as to whether there would be a complete withdrawal of troops during his presidency, he repeated his common mantra, “I can only tell you that I will make decisions on force levels based on what commanders on the ground say.” He went on to admit that it would be up to a future president to decide when and if the troops should be brought home. He is clearly preparing the country for a war with no end. 

Bush has not listened to the American people who in poll after poll disapprove of his actions in Iraq. He claims to listen to the military leaders who know best because they are there. But does anyone expect that military commanders will actually challenge their commander-in-chief? 

Remember Army General Eric K. Shinseki? He was the general who was foolish enough to state that the United States would need several hundred thousand troops in postwar Iraq. Since this contrasted with the Bush regime’s rosy picture of a quick and easy victory followed by rapid re-construction paid for by Iraqi oil sales, the General was put on the road to retirement. Other commanders were duly warned by this example. 

But perhaps instead of listening to the “commanders on the ground” as he constantly repeats, Bush should listen to the troops on the ground who do the actual dying as a result of the Bush regimes decision to engage in pre-emptive war. 

A Zogby International poll which was released on Feb. 28 indicated that of the 944 military respondents to the poll, 72 percent think that the United States should exit Iraq within the next year. The 944 active duty troops were interviewed at various locations in Iraq and represented the various services, as well as regular and reserve troops. 

This poll has received surprisingly very little attention in the press. But it is quite revealing as to the thoughts of those in the military—not those who order others to die, but those who risk their lives to carry out the orders of the chicken hawks in Washington. 

Twenty-nine percent of those polled stated that the United States should withdraw immediately, 22 percent said troops should leave within six months, and another 21 percent said withdrawal should occur within six to 12 months. Only 23 percent stated to the pollsters that troops should stay as long as they are needed which appears to be the stated Bush view. 

Different branches of the military had somewhat varying responses. Eighty-nine percent of the reserves and 82 percent of the National Guard thought the troops should leave Iraq within a year, while 58 percent of the Marines agreed. Seven in 10 of those in the regular army supported withdrawal within the year. 

Part of the survey shows the extent of the success of pro-war propaganda. Fifty-eight percent of troops surveyed stated that the U.S. mission in Iraq is clear in their minds, while 42 percent say it is somewhat or very unclear. What do the troops think the mission is? Eighty-five percent say the U.S. mission is mainly “to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9-11 attacks” and 77 percent state that a major reason for the war was “to stop Saddam from protecting al Qaeda in Iraq.” Since even Bush admits that Saddam had no role in 9/11 and no credible source claims he was protecting al Qaeda this particular aspect is quite frightening. Given the extent of the Bush regime’s attempts to closely associate Saddam and bin Laden in the public’s mind it is not surprising that so many of those surveyed have been confused.  

But do not hold your breath waiting for the Bush regime to pay any more attention to this poll than those conducted among civilians. Bush, Cheney, Rummy and company lied to get the United States into this war and they will not voluntarily withdraw. Only by driving the Bush regime from power can we expect to see the United States exit this war. But the world can’t wait another three years to oust those who deceived the country into entering the Iraq war. 

Unfortunately they are now actively engaged in beating the war drums with similar tactics around Iran. If left unchallenged how long before we will attack Iran to keep the Iranians from using weapons of mass destruction and supporting terrorism? You do not think this is possible? The world can not wait to find out if the Bush regime will again use its well oiled propaganda machine to drag us into another war. We must force the regime from power now before it is too late. 

Kenneth J. Theisen is an Oakland resident.

The other day I heard a Hamas spokesman on BBC insist that their charter does not call for the destruction of Israel. Incredulous, I searched the text of this odious document and found that the phrase, “destruction of Israel,” indeed is not there. Instead, the term that is used is “obliterate,” as in this passage, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it.” The method of obliteration is clearly stated as “jihad.” Indeed, nothing in Mein Kampf is any worse than the words of Hamas’ charter, which, among other things, insists that the Jews control the world media, and in fact, the whole world, through their alleged organ of power, the U.N. (how’s that for a fantasy). The Hamas Charter even cites as definitive proof of Jewish nefariousness none other than the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the long discredited czarist forgery purporting to be the minutes of a Jewish plot for world domination. You can read the whole chilling document for yourself at www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm. 

Since the election of Hamas, I have been monitoring the pages of the Daily Planet for Palestinian propaganda or at least some juicy blame-it-all-on-the-Israelis letters to the editor. However, the Daily Planet, has been largely and uncharacteristically quiescent. Could it be that neither the Daily Planet nor the vast majority of Berkleyans can stomach what the Palestinians have done this time?  

Berkeley, in its small way, bears real responsibility for this debacle. The Daily Planet, the Peace and Justice Commission, and members of our City Council, Linda Maio, Donna Spring, and Kris Worthington sent a clear message to the Palestinians that it was perfectly OK to elect this theocracy of terror when they condemned Israel for imagined transgressions, while entirely overlooking the overwhelming evidence of the complete dysfunctionality of the Palestinian body politic.  

It has long been chic among Berkeley’s radical left to give adoring and utterly uncritical support to the Palestinian cause. But the radical left got this one all wrong. For years, Arafat was their darling. It is now universally acknowledged that Arafat was not a leftist. He was a kleptomaniac, a thug, a murderer, and a terrorist. Arafat diverted almost all of the billions of dollars of donor aid to his own pockets, to the pockets of his close cronies, and to the upkeep of his 17 separate security services. Courts remain functionally non-existent, and the rule of law null. Homosexuals are routinely murdered. Hundreds of women have been killed by their own family members in “honor killings” for such trespasses as refusing to marry the family’s choice or having premarital sex. Tragically, one young mother was even forced to blow herself up at a Gaza border crossing after she was caught in an extra-marital affair (and Israel is routinely blamed for stifling Gaza’s economy when border crossings are closed in response to innumerable Palestinian attacks upon them). Numerous and reliable polls of Palestinians have shown that a clear majority have favored suicide bombings. And the plain fact for all to see is that when given the opportunity to freely elect their leaders, they anointed none other than the suicide bombers themselves.  

So Berkeley’s radical left has been mostly silenced, perhaps dumbfounded, by Hamas’ victory, though the excuse is already making the rounds that given the choice between a kleptocracy and a theocracy, who can blame the Palestinians for choosing the latter. Let’s stop that nonsense right now. Instead, perhaps Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission and City Council should call the Palestinians to task for failing to build for their own future a civil society with any other options but these. 

Is the Daily Planet’s general quiescence a sign that Berkeley is finally sobering up from its heady fling with the Palestinians? Let us hope, because the Palestinians could use some tough love from their diehard friends. And if the Palestinians do not listen to their friends, perhaps the radical left should move on and devote its energies to Darfur.  

John Gertz is a Berkeley resident.

April is National Poetry Month and I unintentionally celebrated it last week with a visit to Manhattan.  

I go to New York often because I have many generous friends and relatives there. I always make a point of catching up with my childhood companion Jack and my former writing partner Karen while in town.  

Jack has lived and worked in and around Manhattan for the past 35 years. Karen moved there from San Francisco more than 20 years ago. I introduced Jack and Karen to each other because they both love writing, reading and listening to poetry. Now they see each other regularly. They share meals, ideas and gossip; they go to literary events together.  

During my visit, Jack and Karen were reading at A Gathering of Tribes Gallery on Third Street, between avenues C and D. I met them for dinner on the Lower East Side and we walked from Spring Street up to 3rd. The neighborhood grew grittier as we approached the gallery, and by the time we reached the stoop of the tenement where the event was taking place, I knew I could be in trouble. 

Poetry readings are not really my thing. I attend in support of my friends who have made this difficult art form central to their lives, therefore guaranteeing themselves an existence full of angst, disappointment, and very small apartments. 

Jack has been writing poetry since he was in junior high. He spends his daylight hours working for a pest control company located in Hells Kitchen. He pursues mice, rats, and creepy crawly things between the hours of 9 and 5. After work and late into the night he writes sharp, extraordinary poetry about ordinary, humdrum things.  

Karen is an editor and writer for Dance Magazine, and she pens beautifully crisp, stinging poems while juggling a hectic work week. Jack and Karen would prefer to spend their time writing verse, but life gets in the way. For Jack it’s fleas, ants, moths, and cockroaches. For Karen it’s ballerinas, rhythm tappers, tangoistas, and urban hiphop dancers.  

On the stone steps of 285 East Third St. we came upon two transients sharing a small bottle of booze hidden inside a paper bag. They apologized for being in our way, parted to let us walk between them, wished us a successful reading. 

Up to the second floor we trudged, to the home of Steve Cannon, a blind black poet famous for, among other things, his Friday night heckling activities at the nearby Nuyorican Poets Cafe. We entered the front room, found a seat among the folding chairs, and waited.  

Waiting at poetry readings is a big part of the action. You wait for the venue to be unlocked. You wait for someone to get you a chair. You wait for the MC to test the mike, and if it doesn’t work you wait for him or her to find the essential parts to get the damn thing working. Sometimes there isn’t a mike and so you wait for everyone to shut up so you can hear what the MC has to say.  

At this reading there was an audience of four who willingly paid the admission price of five dollars each. There were five readers and none of them went more than twenty minutes over the ten-minute time allotment. No one was obviously drunk or under the influence of illegal drugs. Steve stayed quiet in the adjacent room, smoking cigarettes and drinking herbal tea. There were no fights and no one left prematurely.  

Karen read from her chapbook One Foot Out the Door, and Jack read from his soon-to-be-published collection, Fun Being Me. I was glad to be there, delighted and humbled to hear my friends recite their hard-earned, remarkable words, happy to be celebrating National Poetry Month in the apartment of a strange blind heckler, and grateful that he did not heckle. 

Karen Hildebrands’ One Foot Out the Door can be ordered through Three Room Press at onefootoutthedoor.blogspot.com. Jack Wiler’s second book of poetry, Fun Being Me, will be available from Cavankerry Press this fall. He can be contacted at jackwiler.com.›

The more scientists learn about non-human cognition, the blurrier the boundary between the human mind and various animal minds seems to become. And I’m not just talking about tool-making, intention-guessing, empathetic chimps. Some remarkable findings have emerged from the study of birds—and not necessarily the kinds of birds you’d expect. 

Episodic memory—memory that encodes particulars of what, where, and when—used to be considered exclusively human. Your recall of where you were when you heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center is an episodic memory (in my case, waiting for the elevator in the lobby of my office building). 

So is your recollection of where you last left your car keys. Animals, even bright ones like the great apes, were not supposed to be able to store and retrieve this kind of information. 

But biologists working with corvids—birds in the family that includes jays, crows, nutcrackers, and magpies—began to wonder about that. Some corvid species are food-cachers: they hide stashes of acorns or pine nuts in summer or fall to sustain themselves during winter and early spring, when other food is scarce. 

When they returned to their cache, had they made a random search or had they remembered where the items had been hidden? Better-than-chance retrieval performance suggested that birds like western scrub-jays, pinyon jays, and Clark’s nutcrackers had a well-developed spatial memory. 

The brains of these species have a larger-than-average hippocampus, an area thought to be responsible for processing memory. 

Do their memories have a time dimension, though—a “when” associated with the “what” and “where”? Nicola Clayton, working with western scrub-jays at Cambridge, thinks so. In an ingenious series of experiments, Clayton allowed captive scrub-jays to cache perishable food items—mealworms—and relatively non-perishable items—peanuts—in the lab. When given the opportunity to retrieve the goodies right after caching, her jays displayed a strong preference for the mealworms. 

But she found that the preference changed over time. If a jay had recovered a worm that was past its prime, in a subsequent trial five days after caching it would go for the more reliable peanuts.  

To rule out the possibility that, for whatever reason, more worm memories were lost than peanut memories, Clayton “taught” some of her subjects that worms did not in fact go bad by substituting fresh ones in the caches. Those birds continued to choose the worms at the five-day mark. In another variation, she accelerated the apparent decay rate of crickets, and found this resulted in a preference for nuts within a shorter time frame. 

Clayton has been careful to call what she has observed “episodic-like memory”, to avoid equating the human and corvid thought processes. But it sure looks like her jays were recalling not only where they had stashed the different kinds of food but when they had done so. 

(She has also documented something very like a theory of mind in scrub-jays, the ability to put oneself in the mental space of another individual. Jays that are more prone to pilfer other birds’ caches are correspondingly more likely to move their own caches if they were observed in the act.) 

Corvids have relatively big brains for birds (and scrub-jays have large hippocampi even for corvids). If you’d expect any kind of bird to be capable of memnonic prodigies, it would probably be a scrub-jay. However, episodic-like memory may not be unique to jays. Very similar processes have now been documented in, of all things, hummingbirds.  

In a study that recently appeared in Current Biology, Susan Healy and Jonathan Henderson of the University of Edinburgh describe their fieldwork with rufous hummingbirds in the Canadian Rockies.  

(The rufous hummer is an early spring migrant through the Bay Area; its close relative, the Allen’s hummer, stays to nest). Healy and Henderson placed eight artificial flowers in an alpine meadow patronized by hummingbirds. Some of the “flowers” were refilled with hummer food at 10-minute intervals, others at 20-minute intervals.  

Tallying visits by three male rufous hummers, the researchers found the birds could distinguish between the 10-minute and 20-minute “flowers” and remember their locations and when they had last drained them. Over several days, they reliably returned to the “flowers” just after they had been refilled; once again, a matter of what, when, and where.  

It makes sense for hyperactive birds like hummers to maximize their foraging efficiency. Return to a flower too soon, and the nectar won’t have been replenished; too late, and a rival may have beaten you there. With a long migration route and a short breeding season, rufous hummers can’t afford to waste time and energy in the search for food.  

Healy and Henderson point out that their male hummers were able to track the timing of nectar supplies while defending their territories and courting females. So you have not only episodic (oh, OK, “episodic-like”) memory but serious multitasking, all with a brain the size of a grain of rice.  

I don’t know how large a hummingbird’s hippocampus is, absolutely or relatively. But the bird doesn’t have a whole lot of neurons to work with. It may turn out to be not the size of the brain that enables these kinds of mental processes, but the complexity of the wiring. Smaller does not necessarily equate to dumber: the minuscule brain of the hummer appears to have the bandwidth to do what it needs to do.

Unless Democrats win control of either the House or the Senate, nothing is going to change in Washington. There will be no meaningful shift in Iraq, ethics, or economic policy until there is real debate on Capitol Hill. The good news is that the Dems have a reasonable shot at winning a majority of House seats. 

According to veteran D.C. prognosticator, Charlie Cook, there are 36 House seats in play. In order to prevail, the Democrats will have to hold onto 11 shaky seats and win 15 of the 25 tenuous GOP seats. Here’s my look at how the Dems are doing in close races. 

Anti-War: Rather than treat all Democratic candidates equally, I’ve clustered them into two groups: anti-war and incomprehensible. To gain the BB anti-war rating a candidate must say something about Iraq such as, “I was always against the war” or “We need a detailed plan for withdrawal.” 

Francine Busby (California, 50th) is running for the congressional seat vacated by convicted Republican congressman Duke Cunningham. The special election is on April 11th and the runoff will likely be on June 6. This is a slightly Republican district and the race leans Republican (according to Cook). 

Joe Courtney (Connecticut, 2nd) is facing Republican incumbent Rob Simmons in a district that leans Democrat. This race is a toss up. 

Tammy Duckworth (Illinois, 6th) is competing for an open congressional seat, where incumbent Republican Henry Hyde is retiring. Duckworth is a retired Army pilot who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq. The district leans GOP, as does the race. 

It’s unusual for an incumbent Democrat, in a solid Dem district, to be challenged by a grassroots revolt. Nonetheless, in the September 12 primary, Congressman Albert Wynn (Maryland, 4th) will receive stiff competition from community activist Donna Edwards. Wynn voted for the invasion of Iraq and continues to support Bush’s position. Edwards just announced; she can be reached at Edonnafern@aol.com. 

Diane Farrell (Connecticut, 4th) is running against Republican incumbent Christopher Shays. The district leans Democrat, but the race leans Republican. 

New Mexico Attorney General Patsy Madrid (New Mexico, 1st) is running against ultra-conservative incumbent, Heather Wilson, in a slightly Democratic district. The race is a toss up. 

Lois Murphy (Pennsylvania, 6th) is running against Republican congressman Jim Gerlach in a district that leans Democrat. This race is a toss up. 

Joe Sulzer (Ohio, 18th) is one of a set of Democratic hopefuls running for the seat of embattled incumbent Bob Ney, who’s caught up in the Abramoff corruption scandals. The district leans Republican, but the race is seen as a toss up. The primary is on May 2. 

Incomprehensible: Turns out that it’s easy to garner the incomprehensible rating. The candidate’s web site simply avoids talking about Iraq, or says something so vacuous that I can’t figure out where they stand. I’ve listed the candidates involved in tight races alphabetically. 

In Georgia’s 12th district, Democratic incumbent, John Barrow, is running in a radically gerrymandered district. Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean (Illinois, 8th) faces well-financed Republican opposition in what has historically been a GOP enclave. Incumbent Chet Edwards (Texas, 17th) is facing his usual stiff opposition in a gerrymandered district that is more Republican than it was before. 

Popular local sheriff Brad Ellsworth (Indiana, 8th) is facing GOP incumbent John Hostettler in a district that leans Republican. Baron Hill (Indiana, 9th) is running to retake the seat he lost to Republican Mike Sodrel in a district that leans Republican. 

Ron Klein (Florida, 22nd) is facing GOP incumbent Clay Shaw in a slightly Democratic district. Nick Lampson (Texas, 22nd) is facing whoever the Repugs chose to replace the despicable Tom DeLay. 

In Georgia’s 8th district, Democratic incumbent, Jim Marshall, is running in radically gerrymandered district. In Colorado’s 6th district Ed Perlmutter is the likely Democrat to oppose Republican Rick O’Donnell in an open seat. In Colorado’s 3rd district incumbent John Salazar is favored in a Republican leaning district. 

Heath Shuler (North Carolina, 11th) is running against incumbent Charles Taylor in a District that leans Republican. Democratic incumbent John Spratt (South Carolina, 4th) is facing his usual tough fight in a district that leans Republican. 

In Ohio’s 6th district Charlie Wilson is the likely Democratic candidate for a seat now held by Democrat Ted Strickland in a slightly Democratic district. 

If your big issue is Iraq, then you should go to the websites for the eight anti-war candidates and take a look at them. If you simply want the Dems to win, then all the candidates merit your attention. 

In a couple of months, I’ll take another look at the House races. In the meantime, please let me know about candidates that I’ve overlooked or misplaced. 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer and activist. He can be reached at bobburnett@comcast.net.

For our 150th UnderCurrents column, let’s return to an old subject: the failure of the city of Oakland to address the problem of violence in an adult manner (I originally wrote “inability” instead of “failure” but crossed that out; inability means you can’t do something, while failure means you could, but don’t, for whatever reason; I also put “city” with a lower case “c” in order to make the point that we’re not just talking about the people at Ogawa Plaza as a source of this failure—it’s a citywide problem, not a city government problem). 

Let’s start with a story from the east coast. Ten years ago, New York Times reporter Fox Butterfield set out to discover why Willie Bosket was so violent. Bosket, as a New York teenager, had committed crimes so horrendous and horrific—his last was the murder of two robbery victims on Manhattan subways—that it eventually led to a change in the nation’s juvenile crime laws, allowing underage defendants to be tried as adults. 

Butterfield traced Bosket’s family history back through a similarly-violent father and grandfather, a familiar story. The reporter also found that each era of family violence had its history in a previous generation. Bosket’s grandfather had fled from South Carolina during the era of anti-black lynchings that immediately preceded the civil rights times. Before that, Butterfield drew a direct link through Bosket’s family to the brutality of the Southern chain gangs, to the murders of black South Carolinians during the Black Codes era following the Civil War, back to the unspeakable brutality of slavery itself, then to the patriot-tory backcountry violence of the American Revolution (where lynchings became an American pastime), and then back across the Atlantic to the bloody British-Scots wars undertaken by the people who eventually settled in the American South. Butterfield’s book on the subject— All God’s Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence—is required reading for all who confess they can’t understand the impact of slavery and race in America and why things have turned so violent in this country. 

Butterfield’s study came to mind after I read recent newspaper accounts of our own East Bay brand of street violence. 

The first was the reports of the shooting death of Aderian “Dre” Gaines, the Berkeley father who was killed by a young man who Gaines had earlier removed from his daughter’s house party because the young man was acting belligerent and had a gun stuck in his belt. Reportedly, when Gaines’ wife hysterically confronted the shooter, he told her “shut up, bitch! I’ll smoke you, too.” According the Oakland Tribune report, witnesses then said the shooter and a friend “got into a car, cranked up the music and joyfully danced in their seats as they drove off.” 

Reports of the callousness surrounding the Gaines shooting, as much as it shocked local readers, was nothing compared to the accounts coming out of the trial of the first of the young men accused in the “Nut Case Gang” attacks. The “Nut Case Gang” was a group of young East Oaklanders who reportedly conducted a 10-week spree of violence at the end of 2002 (they are accused of five murders and 23 robberies during that period). According to a San Francisco Chronicle article at the time the men were arrested, “some of the Nut Cases bragged to investigators about driving up Oakland’s homicide rate and relishing the media coverage of their crimes.” The young men reportedly played the video game “Grand Theft Auto” by day and then roamed the city streets in a Buick at night, looking for random targets either to rob or to shoot. Oakland murders hit 113 in 2002, and local media coverage all that summer and fall stressed the rising murder rate, and the fact that Oakland murders could hit triple digits that year. 

Accused members of the “Nut Case Gang” were caught by Oakland police, one of them has been tried and convicted on four counts of murder, and others await trial. The accused murderer of the Berkeley father, West Oaklander Antonio Harris, has been caught and is in jail. The law enforcement portion of this story is either over, or running its course. 

But what role, if any, does that leave for the rest of us?  

No role at all, if we don’t want to have any. We can return to whatever we were doing when the news came on about the arrests or convictions, secure in the belief that the law is doing its job. 

But for those who are worried about escalating violence in our community, a deeper look is in order. 

We might start with last week’s Tribune article entitled “Cops: Party shooter leads a violent life” that begins with the sentence, “It was no surprise to Oakland police that Antonio Harris’ name quickly surfaced as a suspect in Saturday night’s shooting of a Berkeley man hosting a birthday party for teenagers at his home.” The article reports Oakland police describing the 18-year-old Harris as the member of a drug dealing gang centered around the Campbell Village Housing Project in West Oakland’s Lower Bottoms neighborhood. Harris’ group is suspected of being currently involved with a drug turf war with an Acorn Housing Project gang, and Oakland police suspect Harris himself of other murders. “Everybody I’ve interviewed, even in his gang, they’re all afraid of him because of his willingness to use violence,” the Tribune quotes an Oakland homicide sergeant. “Broad daylight, on video, it doesn’t matter. He’s a hard little dude.” 

What would lead a young man growing up in West Oakland to become such a “hard little dude?” 

Some clues, perhaps, come from across the city in East Oakland’s Brookfield Village, where the Nut Case gang was centered. 

This week, the Tribune reported on the penalty phase testimony of 21-year-old Demarcus Ralls, the young man convicted in the first of the Nut Case trials. “Ralls described a troubled, violent childhood spent moving from the homes of abusive family members to group homes,” the Tribune story said, adding that he had been born while his mother was in jail and then placed with his grandmother in Oakland, where he and two half-brothers were “whipped with brooms, pots, glasses ... anything [our grandmother] could get her hands on,” according to Ralls’ testimony. “His grandmother also disciplined him and his brothers by making them stand for hours on one leg with their hands in the air, never letting them go to the bathroom,” the Tribune went on to report Ralls as telling the court. “Often they would urinate on themselves, he added. When he was 5 years old, Ralls said, he and his 7-year-old half-brother got tired of being beaten, so they ran away. They went to a friend’s house and lived inside a car owned by his friend’s parents, stealing dried salami and chips from a local grocery store to survive.” 

If Mr. Ralls’ testimony is to be believed, he is not describing South Africa under apartheid, or the Gulag Archipelago of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, lower bottom London in the days of Dickens’ Oliver Twist, or conditions in the dungeons of Abu Grahib under either the regimes of Saddam Hussein or the American occupiers. This was a household in Oakland in the 1980s. 

Brookfield and Campbell villages are the forgotten part of Oakland, forgotten, at least, in the present grand plans for the future of this city, which presently center around the Forest City uptown project and the Oak To Ninth project, where much of the attention and the money is going in the last days of the administration of Mayor Jerry Brown. 

But the discussion of violence in Oakland and the East Bay must begin with a discussion of Brookfield and Campbell villages. These are the dark funnels through which the sewage of our social policies are being funneled. This is not where the violence was started. But to understand where it started, and how it can be stopped, Brookfield and Campbell villages are the places where our attention must now turn. There’s work to be done. 

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Nature as science or nature as art? There’s no need to choose. Left and right sides of the brain combine their efforts heralding California’s native landscapes and wildlife at the Oakland Museum. The Natural Sciences shine in the comprehensive Permanent Gallery, unique art exhibits and the museum’s multi-tiered outdoor gardens. 

The Oakland Museum has targeted the state of California for its collections in art, history and the environment. Each floor offers opportunities for hours of observation and enjoyment. Every tour leaves you with a deep appreciation of California’s past and present eras and artists, each significant to shaping the state in which we reside today.  

In need of an outdoor experience in spite of ever-present deluges, I focused my attentions on a recent visit to California’s natural world. Entering the Permanent Gallery exhibit, “A Walk Through California,” I was greeted with ceiling-high black and white photographs of diverse ecosystems and a series of quotes on nature above my head. The words of Voltaire, Emerson and Thoreau echoed environmental concerns of today. 

Immediately I was transported to the rugged coastline, listening to crashing waves amid the calls of sea birds and mammals. Dramatic photomurals, topographical models and dioramas set the scene, instructive and compelling. Traveling eastward I passed harbor seals at rest within a high coastal marsh and magnificent redwoods of the coastal mountains, so real I expected to see them extend beyond the roofline. A bird-egg treasure chest masqueraded as an innocuous filing cabinet, protecting over 500 eggs.  

The softness of mule deer hair belied its insulation qualities. A staged confrontation between coyote, marmot and wolverine looked ready to spring into action. In the desert I smiled at the gurgling mating call of a male sage grouse, hoping it would do the trick while I marveled at the quality of the exhibits. Dramatic in their size and lighting, life-size rocks, wildlife and interpretive panels created an accurate sense of place. The sounds of nature mingling with the excited voices of visiting school children vouched for the repeat value of this venue. 

The juried exhibit, “The Art of Seeing: Nature Revealed Through Illustration,” continued the theme of science as art while celebrating California’s biodiversity. “Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature.” As true today as when spoken by Cicero so long ago. How could one ignore the importance and beauty of a bristlecone pine or red fox after rendering them in pencil or watercolors? 

Fifty artworks representing forty artists are displayed. Some, like Lee McCaffree’s white trillium and Sharron O’Neil’s American robin, portray watercolor illustration at the highest level. Grace Smith’s miniature book drawings of Graceful Natives are exquisite. Lisa Holley reminds us of the predator-prey relationship in Osprey Packing a Lunch, her osprey-in-flight composite of finely detailed, pastel-hued fish. 

One of my favorite works were the beautifully carved and anatomically accurate grizzly bones in Joyce Clements’ All That Remains. The warm oak tones and smooth curves of skull and femur are ripe for touch. Texture is also explored in the weavings of George-Ann Bowers, her Madrone rich in yarns of red, rust, brown and beige. 

California’s unique landscapes are also well represented. Las Trampas, Elkhorn Slough, Marin Hills and Abbotts Lagoon in oils, colored pencils, pastels and acrylic in rich color- saturated tones remind us of the importance of preserving open spaces. 

Another display features the work of future environmentalists in a series of illustrated quilts created by Oakland elementary students. Using animal specimens supplied by the Lindsey Museum, photographs document the process students used, from pencil renderings, adding color and the final pen and ink biological illustrations formed into quilts. The rapt faces of the intent artists at work in their classrooms are worth the trip. 

Landscapes as seen through the lens of a camera, some using an f.64 aperture, are hung in the Art Special Gallery. “Edward Weston: Masterworks from the Collection” is an exhibit of fifty-eight photographs from one of the best in his field. Known for natural close-ups and nudes, Weston moved to Carmel in 1929 and, like myself, became enchanted with the coastal scenery. 

Point Lobos was the site of many of his darker, hard-edged and finely detailed photographs in black and white. Small in size but powerfully dramatic are his Rock and Hills and Whale Vertebrae. Sandstone Erosion resembles the fossil outline of a mythical sea monster while Cypress Detail displays the fine texture and sensuous curves of this organic form. 

Weston continued his portraiture of California landscapes in Crescent City, Stump On a Deserted Beach, the pastoral hills along the Eel River, the Bodega surf, Modoc Lava Flats and Oceano Dunes. His dunes series is luminous with sharp contrasts between light and dark and the surface so finely detailed that the ridges of sand stand out in sinuous curves. 

The ardor of his task is brought home in a portrait of his son and camera along a rocky shelf. While today we extol the convenience of digital cameras allowing hundreds of images, the size and heft of Weston’s box camera and wood tripod speak to the art behind individual shots carefully selected and timed for the perfect light. The beauty of Weston’s work inspires a return to the art of his craft. 

Landscape on a smaller scale is an integral part of the Oakland Museum’s outdoor gardens, terraces and patios, home to lush plantings. Unlike many urban museums, space and attention have been given to these outdoor environments as extensions of the galleries indoors. Concrete walkways between exhibit levels, some topped by marine blue awnings, showcase sculpture by California artists.  

Welded steel and cast bronze in works by David Anderson, Bruce Beasley and Peter Voulkos have weathered well as evidenced by rich surface patinas. Mature pines shade the Koi Pond, home to good size, multi-colored koi and sculptured hippos. Terraced gardens lead you from tier to tier, in a park-like setting, every pathway home to works of art, Oakland’s cityscape just beyond the walls. 

Search dioramas for camouflaged pigmy rabbits and whiptail lizards. Get up close and personal to a finely drawn grizzly and mountain lion. Stroll the garden and watch Alexander Calder’s red projections sway in the breeze. Sample a Bistro sandwich or Thai chicken salad from the Museum Café, listening to the quiet sounds of jazz or outdoors on the terrace. Celebrate the science and art of California’s rich natural diversity at the Oakland Museum.  

The Oakland Museum of California: 10th and Oak streets, 238-2200, www.museumca.org. Open Wed –Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m. Adults $8, seniors and students $5. Exhibits “Edward Weston” shows through June 11, and “The Art of Seeing” shows through June 4.  

Photo by Marta Yamamoto 

Sculptures by California artists share outdoor galleries with rich native plantings at the Oakland Museum..

Seth Paris Babson (1826–1907) was one of the most eminent Victorian architects on the Pacific coast. A native of Maine, he set sail for San Francisco a year after the discovery of gold in California. Having rounded Cape Horn, Babson arrived in the spring of 1850. 

A brief sojourn among the dissolute gold miners of Coloma so disgusted the temperate Babson that he soon decided to move to Sacramento. There, according to his youngest son, “he developed his native skill as a carpenter and eventually became a m ost capable architect and designed and constructed many of the homes of the pioneer families...” 

Among Babson’s still-standing landmark Sacramento buildings are the Leland Stanford Mansion (1857), the Crocker Art Museum (1869–1873, described as the “sing le finest Italianate building in the West, if not in America”), and the Stick-style Llewellyn Williams Mansion (1885). 

In 1874, when he was almost fifty, Babson married Juanita Josepha Smith (1855–1940), 30 years his junior. The following year, the coupl e moved their residence to Alameda, where their three children were born. Babson’s office was located in the Phelan Building on Market and O’Farrell streets in San Francisco. 

He was a major force in the establishment of the Northern California chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and served as its president in 1890 and again from 1896 to 1903. 

There are only two Berkeley buildings known or believed to have been designed by Seth Babson. One of those was the Southside home of Juanita’s si ster, Miss Eleanor Mary Smith, a teacher who over the course of 30 years taught at Emerson, Whittier Grammar, Dwight Day, Willard, and McKinley schools. 

Her simple brown-shingle house, with interior redwood paneling and a clinker-brick chimney, was const ructed in 1902 by Mr. Martin, an independent builder who is said to have ”lost his money through bad investment in an asbestos mine.” 

The retired Babson may have contributed to the design. 

Located at 2529 Hillegass Ave. on land now owned by the American Baptist Seminary of the West, the Smith house was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in January 1980. However, the designation didn’t protect it from demolition when ABSW wanted to create a parking lot where it stood. 

In 1893, Babson and builder R. Wenk erected for Bartine Carrington a house at 2323 Bowditch St., just south of Durant Avenue. This was a charming, raised-basement cottage clad in redwood shingles. An embodiment of the transition from the Victorian style to the First Bay Region traditio n, the cottage featured the roof-ridge ornaments and fishscale shingles of the former with the unpainted exterior of the latter. Box-like corner window bays with small panes lent it a picturesque aspect. 

A very similar cottage, essentially unaltered with the exception of a modified entrance porch, still stands at 2277 Vine St. in north Berkeley. 

Bartine Carrington (1871–1926), a clergyman’s son born in China, worked in real estate for many years and apparently built the house as an investment, for he never lived there. Next door at 2600 Durant Ave., Hiram Brasfield built a rooming house, where his family occasionally lived until 1911, when they moved into the newly-constructed Brasfield Apartments at 2520 Durant Ave. 

From 1906 to 1916, Hiram’s brother-in-law Jim Davis resided in the Carrington house. At the time, Davis was the manager of the U.C. Associated Students Store. By 1917, Davis had moved to 2525 Durant Ave., across the street from the Brasfield Apartments.  

It was probably during the Davis re sidence that the Carrington cottage was jacked up and gained a new ground floor. The enlarged house retained all its old charm, blending well into its village-like neighborhood of shingled homes set within flower-bedecked gardens. 

Over the ensuing decade s, the character of Durant Avenue and of the Southside gradually changed. In 1928, the six-story Hotel Durant replaced Brasfield’s rooming house. To the east, the nine-story U.C. Unit 1 dormitories went up between 1956 and 1959. 

A faceless apartment bloc k completed the scene just south of the Carrington house. Isolated on its block, the house was subdivided into apartments, the redwood shingles were painted white, and the small-pane windows replaced with aluminum. Neglect set in. 

As in the case of the E leanor Smith house, the Carrington house’s fate was sealed when its location was coveted by the hotel for a parking garage. In March 1982, the house was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark, structure of merit. 

The designation saved it from outright de molition but not from degradation. In the late 1980s, the upper story was moved to 1029 Addison St., just west of San Pablo Avenue. There it was insensitively “restored” and sold to a new owner, who doesn’t know that he lives in a designated structure. Th e house’s present appearance is testimony to the toothlessness of Berkeley’s preservation enforcement. 

Photo By Daniella Thompson  

What might have been—a cottage at 2277 Vine St. in North Berkeley looks very similar to one of Babson’s Berkeley houses th at has since been altered almost beyond recognition. 

Buying houses is an expensive proposition as anyone who has ever done it can tell you and it doesn’t stop when you pay the closing costs and put your boat in the backyard (you really have a boat?) 

So many houses I see folks buying these days truly qualify as fixer-uppers. It seems that in this buyer’s market (will I still be using this term in 6 months?), people will buy anything that doesn’t wobble too severely. I genuinely think that if the inventory, as they call it, were significantly higher, many of the dogs that get walked around the arena would get left at home and never even get those funny haircuts. 

The houses that would be up for sale would tend to be more select and less dicey. As it is, though, many, if not most have a large pallet of defects from which to choose. “Will Madam be having ze leaky dishwasher zis evening or peut-etre, le ground disposer de garbage (featuring le chanson de heavy metal)?” 

When faced with these potential trials, one wonders whether a Home Warranty might be the solution. Certainly it is worth considering. 

My friend Bonnie Ross, a realtor at Coldwell Banker in Montclair says that she regularly buys these for her clients because, as she says, “they haven’t got a penny left when they’ve bought the house so it can help them when things go wrong.” 

Bonnie says that the warrantee company she uses calls her (since she buys the policy) whenever a repair is called for by one of her clients. This has enabled her to track the usage of the policy and has found that most people use the policy at least once in the first year. She’s also noted that occasionally a client will use the policy as many as four times and few fail to use the service at all. 

She says “So its an insurance policy and I’m not crazy about insurance policies but it can help.” 

One of the problems inherent in this whole business is that you as the homeowner don’t have any say in who they’re going to send when you call in with a problem. 

Amongst the many anecdotes I’ve had shared with me over the years have been several about less than sterling workers who got sent to their homes. Scheduling is often cited as a problem but other deficiencies can attend as well. 

If you were an insurance company and wanted to try to retain as much of that $250-$300 that’s typically charged for a one-year policy, you’d be likely to find the cheapest plumber you could get your hands on to go over and fix Mrs. Mickiewicz’s leaky water heater. 

So what this means to you as recipient of one of these policies is that you might not be getting the best tradesman in town when you call in your claim. 

This is, of course, a generalization but I think that the logic is sound and that you’d do well to pay close attention to the workmanship and the decisions made for you by this person. I’m sure that your home warranty company does not want you to have a bad experience but they are sure to want to control costs. 

This also expresses itself in another form. Virtually all of these companies reserve the right to repair, rather than replace, any defective system. This means that you won’t be very likely to get a new furnace if the old one can be repaired enough to hobble one more mile. 

Again, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to get a substandard repair (although that can happen) but it does mean that the sort of decision you might tend to make when consulting with a paid tradesman might not be the chosen path when the warranty company is in the driver’s seat. You just won’t get a say in how it’s done. 

Now, that said, it is not uncommon for the person making the repair to try to sell you on some additional services once they have your attention. This is, of course, your choice but be sure that the argument seems sound and that you’ve called the warranty provider to be sure that they won’t cover the other option. 

When you call for help, you will generally pay a small “co-pay” or basic service call fee, which is usually quite reasonable and probably under $50 bucks. This helps cut down on people calling for any odd sound that comes out of the dishwasher. I think it’s fair. 

You also have a range of choices when buying such a policy. A basic policy will cover most of the following: Heating (and ducting with a forced air system), water heater, electrical system (what’s in the walls), plumbing, appliances such as dishwashers, disposers, built-in microwave ovens, stoves, garage door openers, central vacuums (not a lot of those around here but nice if you have one) and exhaust fans and door bells.  

If you want to pay an extra fee for an optional item, you call also cover things like washers and dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, pools and spas. Note that most of the big things are missing from this list, like foundations and roofs, although roof repairs are offered by some providers. 

The key is to read the policy carefully, ask a lot of questions when buying one (unless you’ve had one given to you) and to have reasonable expectations about what sorts of repairs you can expect when things go wrong. 

I would advise my client not be guided by the policy and to be prepared to pay for the right repair when the stop-gap offered by the warranty company isn’t really in their best interest. It IS nice to have this as an option but it’s important not to let that become the sole criteria for decision making when the facts about a faulty furnace or roof come to light. 

There is a Home Warranty Association of California (who knew?) and you can contact them with questions about a policy you have or one you are considering. HADD (Homeowners against Deficient Dwellings) an advocacy and watchdog agency also offers a report on Home Warranties that’s worth reading.  

Here’s a top-ten list that the Home Warranty Association of California has recently published of items they think consumers should consider: 

1. What is included in the basic warranty? 

2. What additional options are generally available? 

3. How much is the fee for a service call? 

4. What are the total dollar limits on the warranty, and what are the limits for individual items? 

5. Is the company licensed by the California Department of Insurance? 

6. Is there 24/7 customer service available for processing emergency claims? 

7. Will licensed insured contractors be used to make repairs? How long is the warranty on repairs or replacements? 

8. What is the typical turnaround time for a claim to be dispatched and completed? 

9. Can the warranty be renewed at the end of the first year? 

10. Is the company a member of the Home Warranty Association of California? 

If this list leaves you hungry for more info on the subject, you can call the HWAC and talk to Mark Lightfoot (901) 537-8020 or Art Ansoorian (805) 653-1648. 

I feel obliged to share one last anecdote before closing on this small subject and that is that I have occasionally (albeit rarely) heard someone say in the course of a home inspection that a Home Warranty could be used to address things that we found wrong during the inspection. 

“Just wait a couple of months,” they would say, “Then call it in and they’ll come and fix it.”  

Now, I have no great love of insurance companies but it seems to me that this is part of what’s wrong with our corporate culture. 

I suspect that we pay premiums that are too high due, in part, to this sort of behavior (would you tell your kids you did this?). So, if you hear someone say this, do as I have done (no joke) and take them aside and have a little talk with them on the subject of ethics. 

And may all your homebuying fears be truly unwarranted. 

?

Flowerland Nursery is the corner store of local plant shops. Evidently it’s been there for generations: the friendly worker there told me that that the current owner, Bob Wilson, has had it for some 30 years and the previous owners had run it “for, oh, 30 to 40 years” before him. 

It’s on lower Solano Avenue in a narrow slot between apartment/small office buildings and across the street from The Baptist Church on the Corner, and you don’t get more neighborhoody than that.  

It’s also, like the rest of us, been flinching a little at the protracted rainy weather. There was recently a note on its old-fashioned wooden marquee that the place would, for the time being, open only on sunny (or was it “dry”?) days. 

Even that seemed optimistic, I guess, and now it’s open almost daily for its regular nine-to-five hours, though, as that worker said, “When it’s raining, we don’t open till about 10 a.m. because nobody comes in before then.” 

That’s not such a puzzle. Back when I was a pro, Flowerland didn’t offer the locally customary discount for professionals, and it’s mostly folks in the landscaping business who get that early start and buy plants at 8:30 a.m. 

So most of the customers here must be home gardeners and weekenders, and even mad gardeners deserve to sleep in once in a while. 

I bought stuff there anyway sometimes, because I just kind-of liked the place, but my business practices tended toward the sentimental anyway. I never did get rich or even turn much of a profit, but I met some good people and plants and some of them were at Flowerland. 

That marquee alternates irregularly between inspirational messages and strictly informational notices like “Bareroot fruit trees are in.” Come to think of it, that’s a little like the marquee in front of the average Baptist church; maybe it’s a neighborhood theme.  

So what do you find here? The basics and standards: six-packs of alyssum, two-inch pots of veggie seedlings, four-inchers of bedding perennials, one-gallon New Zealand flax, five-gallon ferns, and a few slightly larger trees. 

Then, just for fun, there’s usually something different: a new cultivar of an old familiar plant, or something like black viola that you forgot you liked. There’s a half-price table with stuff that’s aged a bit in the pot, but I’ve had good luck with these pound puppies myself.  

Tools, pots, bagged soil amendments including some earth-friendly brands, and potted plants are inside and next to the shop. 

Spotted around the stock are some of those outdoor figurines that can be little-old-lady or edgily ironic, depending on context. The gulls nestled in the asparagus ferns looked odd, but then I’m a birder. I get upset when a movie has a California birdsong in a Dakota Badlands scene.  

In winter Flowerland switches over largely to Firewoodland and Christmastreeland. Other corner-store touches: three-packs for $1.99 (“Will cut inside”) like a half-dozen eggs; a handwritten card patiently explaining the difference between Sun and Shade, a homey potting table where plants get seeded into pots or moved up to larger ones. 

Ron Sullivan is a former professional gardener and arborist. Her “Garden Variety” column appears every Friday in East Bay Home & Real Estate. Her column on East Bay trees appears every other Tuesday in the Berkeley Daily Planet. 

Flowerland Nursery 

1330 Solano Ave., Albany 

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday 

526-3550

TUESDAY, APRIL 11 

CHILDREN 

Ventriloquist Tony Borders and his puppets in celebration of National Library Week at 6:30 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

EXHIBITIONS 

The Dirt Show 30 ceramic works created by members of Richard Shaw and Lesley Baker’s ceramic studio. Reception at 4 p.m. at the Worth Ryder Gallery, 116 Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. 642-2582. 

THEATER 

Shotgun Theater Lab: “Frankie & Johnny” Mon. and Tues. to April 18 at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10. 841-6500.  

Berkeley Rep “The Glass Menagerie” opens at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $59. Runs through May 31.647-2949.  

FILM 

Vantage Points: New Documentaries by Women “How Little We Know Our Neighbors” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Tim Flannery discusses “The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth” at 7 p.m. at 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. 845-7852.  

Daniel Alarcon reads from his novel “War by Candlelight” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

David Hollinger, author of “Cosmopolitanism and Solidarity: Studies in Ethnoracial, Religious, and Professional Affiliation in the United States” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Singer’s Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. 841-JAZZ.  

Todd Sickafoose’s Blood Orange and the Myra Melford Group at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, and the Devin Hoff Platform at 8 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. A benefit for the The Prisoners Literature Project Cost is $8, or $7 with the donation of a book in good condition. 208-1700. 

Debbie Poryes & Friends at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Jovino Snatos Neto at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 

THEATER 

The Marsh Berkeley “Faulty Intelligence”satirical songs by Roy Zimmerman, Wed.-Thurs. at 7 p.m. at 2118 Allston Way, through April 27. Tickets are $15-$22. www.themarsh.org 

FILM 

Film 50: History of Cinema “WR: Mysteries of the Organism” at 3 p.m. and Video: Recent and Strange at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Treasures “A Conversation with Ariel,” artist and set designer, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

Philip Lopate in Conversation with David Thompson on “American Movie Critics: An Anthology From the Silents Until Now” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. 

Beshara Doumani, editor of “Academic Freedom after September 11,” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

Café Poetry hosted by Kira Allen at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568.  

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. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, “Japanese Music” at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

Berkeley High Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

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

The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $18-$20. 525-5054.  

Famous Last Words, alt-rock and blues, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

John Scofield Quartet at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Small Tragedy” opens at 2081 Addison St. and runs Wed.-Sat at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $38. 843-4822.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Everyting I Know, I Learned in the Movies” Color photography by Ann P. Meredith. Reception at 5 p.m. at Muse Media Center, 4221 Hollis St. at Park Ave., Emeryville. 655-1111. 

FILM 

Brave Outsiders: The Films of Kim Longinotto “Pride of Place” at 7 p.m. and “Dream Girls” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Robert Hass will guide a walking tour of the Addison Street Poetry Walk. Meet at 6 p.m. at Half-Price Books on the corner of Addison and Shattuck. 526-6080. 

“Earthquake Exodus, 1906, Berkeley Responds to the San Francisco Refugees” with author Richard Schwartz, at 7:30 p.m. at Builders Boooksource, 1817 Fourth St. 845-6874. 

Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance WIlliams discuss “The Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroid Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Megan Lynch with Tony Marcus, Kelly McCubbin, The Uke Apocalypse at 8 p.m. at DaSilva Ukulele Co., 2547 8th St., Suite 28. 649-1548.  

Steve Gannon’s Blue Monday Blues at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Pete Caragher Band, 735 Institution at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. 

LoCura, music of Spain, Cuba and California at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$7. 849-2568. 

Showtime @ 11 Hip Hop at 10 p.m. at the Ivy Room, 585 San Pablo Ave. at Solano. 524-9220. 

Dave Bernstein Duo at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Elemental Harmonics, dub, house, funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

FRIDAY, APRIL 14 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “The Devil’s Disciple” by G.B. Shaw, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through May 6. Tickets are $12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Aurora Theatre “Small Tragedy” Wed.-Sat at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through May 14. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

BareStage “The Fantasticks” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. April 23 and 30 at 2 p.m., through April 30, at the basement of Cesar Chavez Student Center, UC Campus. Tickets are $8-$12. 642-3880. barestage.berkeley.edu 

Berkeley Rep “Culture Clash’s Zorro in Hell” at 8 p.m. in the Roda Theater. Tickets are $45-$59. Runs through April 16. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Berkeley Rep “The Glass Menagerie” at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $59. Runs through May 31. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Animal Crackers” at 8 p.m. Fri and Sat., and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Contra Costa Civic Theater, 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito, through May 20. Tickets are $12-$20. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

Masquers Playhouse “Relative Values” by Noel Coward. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through May 6. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

“Takashi’s Dream,” the story of Takashi Teanemori, an atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Shotgun Players “Bright Ideas” opens at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. and runs Thurs.-Sun. to April 23. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Remake/Remodel:Rebound” Studies of Transformation with ACCI artists Clayton Bain, Dina Gewing, Kate Kerrigan and Dobee Snowber. Reception at 6 p.m. at ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527.  

FILM 

Brave Outsiders: The Films of Kim Longinotto “Runaway” at 7 p.m. amd “Divorce Iranian Style” at 9:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Joel Primack describes “The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Chamber Music at noon at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Elephant Hunter, Angel of Thorns, DSEPD, Swamp Donkey at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Walter Savage Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Odile Lavault & The Baguette Quartette at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Sam Bevan, jazz, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Mitch Greenhill & Mayne Smith with Peter Spelman at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Glenn Walters Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

DJ and Brook, jazz, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Nels Cline Singers at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Funeral Shock, Blown to Bits, Fatality 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. 

Atman Roots, jazz, funk, and afro-cuban soul, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

John Scofield Quartet at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, APRIL 15 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Estela Knott & David Berzonsky, songs from the Americas, at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“From the Ground Up” Paintings and installation by Alena Rudolph. Reception at 6 p.m. at Union Art Gallery, 1232 19th St., Oakland. 444-0924.  

COMEDY 

Final Round of the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition at 8 p.m. at the Oakland Paramount Theatre, 2021 Broadway. www.BlackComedyCompetition.com  

FILM 

Brave Outsiders: The Films of Kim Longinotto “The Day I Will Never Forget” at 6:30 p.m., and “Sisters in Law” at 8:50 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Javanese Music and Dance at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10.  

Jazz at the Chimes with Melanie O’Reilly at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Donation of $15 requested for the artist. 228-3207. 

John Richardson Band at 9 p.m. at Circus Pub, 389 Colusa Ave., Kensington. Free and all ages. 

Robin Gregory & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Reggae Angels at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Los Boleros, traditional son montuno, son cubano, boleros, cumbia and merengue at 9:30 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Ross Hammond and the Jayn Pettingill/Debbie Poryes Duo at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Lost Weekend, classic western swing band, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Wits End, Sleep in Fame, Maxwell Adams at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Mark Levine Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Steve Heckman & Gini WIlson at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Sam Misner & Megan Smith, modern folk acoustic, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Howdy, The Bittersweets, Dame Satan at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Matt Heulitt Quartet, guitar, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Babyland, 8-Bit, Ninja Academy The Mormons at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 16 

FILM 

A Theater Near You “The Spirit of the Beehive” at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with The Five Fingers Review contributors Julie Carr, Jaime Robles and Meridith Stricker at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Ricardo Piexoto/Mark Little Duo at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Americana Unplugged, bluegrass and oldtime music showcase, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Urban Achievers, The Castrati, Built for the Sea at 5:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $8. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Eda Maxym and the Imagination Club with Stephen Kent on didjeridu at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MONDAY, APRIL 17 

THEATER 

Shotgun Theater Lab: muwumpin presents “Frankie & Johnny” Mon. and Tues. to April 18 at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Aurora Theatre “Sinker” a reading of the play by Ron Campbell at 7:30 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. Free. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Tessa Rumsey and others read from “Legitimate Dangers: American Poets of the New Century” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Juliet Eilperin talks about “Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship is Poisoning the U.S. House of Representatives” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

www.codysbooks.com  

Poetry Express with Linda Zeiser at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Zilberella Monday at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

TUESDAY, APRIL 18 

THEATER 

Shotgun Theater Lab: muwumpin presents “Frankie & Johnny” Mon. and Tues. to April 18 at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

FILM 

Vantage Points: New Documentaries by Women “The Joy of LIfe” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Richard Schwartz introduces “Earthquake Exodus, 1906” at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., followed by a reception at the McCreary-Greer House, 2318 Durant Ave. Tickets are $15. 841-2242. 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Bruce & Lloyd’s Tri Tip Trio at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Trombonga at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Brian Kane Duo at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

The following is an excerpt from Richard Schartz’s Earthquake Exodus, 1906: Berkeley Responds to the San Francisco Refugees. This is the third in a series of four installments from the book. The Daily Planet will run the last excerpt on April 18, the centennial of the 1906 quake. 

Law and order 

Providing food and shelter was at the forefront of everyone’s minds, but Berkeleyans were also concerned about criminals and con men trying to come into town and take advantage of the disruption. 

Berkeley Police Marshal August Vollmer had been on the job exactly a year and a week when the earthquake struck. He was painfully aware that his small band of policemen was no match for the thousands flooding into town. 

By the fourth day after the quake, citizens of Berkeley, led by UC English Professor Charles Mills Gayley, petitioned Governor George Pardee to institute martial law in Berkeley. 

The governor refused, insisting that the civil authorities should be able to “take care of their own affairs.” 

Vollmer set up six special police districts, most of them headquartered in real estate offices in the neighborhoods. He then asked for volunteers to help deal with the “large number of questionable characters” showing up in Berkeley. 

As many as a thousand citizens answered the call and worked largely in pairs on night patrols, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., to prevent fires and crime around town and in the camps. They were told to patrol “wherever there was straw,” referring to the straw used in the camps to make sleeping on the ground more comfortable. 

UC cadets who had not gone to San Francisco were summoned for guard duty, as were their comrades when they returned from the city. Hundreds of U.S. Army veterans were deputized. UC President Wheeler wrote to President Roosevelt that “splendid order prevails” in Berkeley only because “stringent measures” were employed. 

Parents were advised to keep children inside, a 10 p.m. curfew was imposed, and if an able-bodied male in the camps refused work or carried a weapon, he was told to leave town. Many men departed rather than perform forced labor. 

Vollmer stationed officers at train stations and ferry terminals to check incoming refugees and prevent known criminals from slipping into town. Hundreds of criminals and ex-convicts were deported before they had a chance to cause trouble. Officers also patrolled the relief camps looking for pickpockets and other thieves. 

As in any disaster, some people were determined to help themselves to a large serving from the public pot. To prevent undeserving people from receiving relief food, plans were made to deliver each order and have an inspector make sure the recipients were truly in need. 

One person caught absconding with relief supplies was Honora Bentley of 2429 Ninth St., a wealthy Berkeley woman in her sixties with property and cash assets valued at more than $60,000. 

Vollmer spotted her at the YMCA posing as a refugee under the alias of Mary Smith and taking food and clothing intended for San Francisco refugees. He arrested her himself. Although she could easily have posted the $1,000 bail, she let Vollmer escort her to the county jail. The story of her incarceration made front-page headlines. 

Stealing relief supplies became a persistent problem. At one point, Vollmer asked that several apprehended thieves be brought into his office. When the detainees entered, he acted angrier than he actually was. He told them that stealing relief supplies could be summed up in one word—looting. 

“For that there is only one penalty,” he declared. He turned his head away from the men and secretly winked at a deputy on one side of the room, then whipped his head forward and shouted, “Death!” Scowling, he told the deputies to take them away. Word of Vollmer’s threat spread, and the stealing of supplies came to a halt.  

Vollmer was also asked to investigate rumors of local grocers selling government relief food. The government’s practice was to trade its extra sugar and crackers for local grocers’ stocks of soap and rice, which were in short supply in government stocks. He was unable to find grocers who illegally possessed government goods, but did admonish storeowners to keep their prices reasonable. 

Lorin District residents, responding to complaints of “extortionate prices,” met and formed their own committee of 47 members to deal with the problem. One law enacted in Berkeley after the earthquake penalized merchants and express-wagon men who overcharged customers or refused to remain open for business. The penalty for violators was confiscation of the store or wagon, which was then given to someone who could run the business responsibly.  

As both Berkeleyans and refugees began to adjust, many wished they could escape at night to the West Berkeley saloons, which had been ordered to close early, at 8 p.m., the evening after the earthquake. 

In May, as Vollmer was trying keep order and prevent criminal activities, frustrated workingmen clamored for allowing the saloons to remain open late. Others, however, spoke out just as loudly that the saloons should be closed entirely. The initial request to restrict the saloon hours to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. had been made by the San Francisco Relief Council.  

At a May 26 meeting of the Berkeley Board of Trustees (the city council), the trustees were presented with a petition to close the West Berkeley saloons entirely, signed by 170 people. The same issue was about to be discussed by Oakland’s City Council. 

Some Berkleyans believed that it would be useless for the city to close its saloons if Oakland did not do the same. Marshal Vollmer told the trustees that he had not noticed an increase in arrests for drunkenness and did not see that San Francisco men came to Berkeley to drink. He assured the trustees that restricted hours were being enforced. 

One trustee moved that the saloons be closed until those in San Francisco reopened. The motion carried, but was overturned within weeks, when attorneys representing the saloon keepers threatened action. Everyone realized that the Oakland saloons were open for business anyway. 

Earthquake Exodus, 1906 is available at local bookstores. See www.richardschwartz.info for speaking dates. 

On April 18 at City Council Chambers, the public is invited to a 3:30 p.m. ceremony at which Richard Schwartz will present Mayor Bates with a Certificate of Honor to the citizens of Berkeley from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Also, following the ceremony, BAHA will sponsor a lecture on the 1906 Berkeley Earthquake Relief effort and the book at the Berkeley City Club at 7:30 that night. Contact BAHA for tickets, at 841-2242. 

Photograph from the book Earthquake Exodus, 1906, with permission of the author, Richard Schwartz. 

Interior of the Stedge Saloon near Berkeley. The early town of Stedge straddles what are now the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond.m

“He was her man/But he done her wrong.” That’s about all for motivation in the lyrics of that old chestnut of popular song, “Frankie and Johnny.” 

Mugwumpin, the young experimental troupe based in San Francisco (where they’ve been in residence at Exit Theatre downtown), proposes not just to flesh out the story of a murder of passion on stage, but to investigate it theatrically, literally turn over the material, in the Shotgun Lab presentation of their work-in-progress, Frankie Done it 29 Ways, playing at the Ashby Stage Mondays and Tuesdays through April 25. 

Mugwumpin doesn’t so much open up the show as slide into it. Entering the theater, the spectators are confronted with the performers doing something like what the great Soviet stage director Meyerhold called “pre-acting,” riffing off the song and whatever hook that gets them moving. 

“Frankie And Johnny” is founded on historical incident—or, the song made what was a more-or-less routine incident historic. 

On Oct. 15, 1899, Frankie Baker, a young black prostitute, shot her procurer in their Targee Street crib. “And the gun went rooty-toot toot.” 

She was tried and acquitted for acting in self-defense. But the song got minted, and pursued her with the legend of the jilted whore whacking her pimp that had so quickly sprung up around her. 

The “true story,” or what we know about it, isn’t a rarity in America, certainly not as the record of a crime of passion—or as a popular arts rendering of it. Other examples spring to mind, notably, writer-director Samuel Fuller’s first onscreen outing (in 1949), I Shot Jesse James, which featured actor John Ireland as “that dirty little coward,” Robert Ford, Jesse’s pal who plugs him in the back, and then can’t collect the reward or escape the ballad about the deed that’s flung in his face everywhere he goes, until his own shooting death, and confession that he loved only Jesse. 

Like the Bob Ford legend, like the many other stories of ordinary Americans suddenly flung into the public eye who lose their way, “Frankie and Johnny” and its afterlife, a melange of mythic overlay and factual backwash, is like a prehistoric trash dump for cultural archaeologists. And Mugwumpin mines that site, dancing around and through it in a kind of new ritual, at once skeptical and sympathetic, teasing out what can be performed of a collision between the banal and the epic, fame and anonymity. 

First of all, of course, the songs. Besides the codified rendition, that of many stanzas and hypnotic (or irritating) syncopated chorus, there’s the old Charlie Patton version, “Frankie and Albert,” which Christopher White stands still for, Walkman in his ears, replicating for us in slurs and growls as best a young white urban or suburban guy can, this Delta Blues original we can’t hear. Elvis is even present. 

The deadly, prosaic fate of the jilted, acquitted heroine is relentlessly picked over and dressed up (as it’s been in legend) with a kind of theatrical phenomenology that works and reworks tableaux and vignettes in different accents and opposite takes: the self-declared “real” Frankie acted out in succession by each Mugwumpin player, asserting his/her authenticity, while exchanging glances, attitudes, even voices—interrupted by, “You don’t own this!” 

Elvis’ “cute little bootblack” becomes an ironic play on words, as the historical Frankie Baker plies her new trade in shoeshine, tired from work and apprehensive of recognition, hazed by men who show up one by one and bait her, asking “aren’t you ... ?” 

Mugwumpin channels the juice of performance into the sloughs and sluices of the unsaid and half-said, the subliminal and the taken-for-granted. It’s absorbing, nothing but theatrical—and therefore hard to describe. A catalogue of possible influences and parallels wouldn’t do them justice. What they serve up in bits and pieces at the Ashby Stage just whets the appetite for the as-yet unrealized opus, strung along from “Frankie and Johnny.” 

Shotgun Lab presents Frankie Done It 291 Ways, created by Mugwumpin at 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays through April 18 at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. $10. For more information, call 841-6500 or see www.shotgunplayers.org.

The more scientists learn about non-human cognition, the blurrier the boundary between the human mind and various animal minds seems to become. And I’m not just talking about tool-making, intention-guessing, empathetic chimps. Some remarkable findings have emerged from the study of birds—and not necessarily the kinds of birds you’d expect. 

Episodic memory—memory that encodes particulars of what, where, and when—used to be considered exclusively human. Your recall of where you were when you heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center is an episodic memory (in my case, waiting for the elevator in the lobby of my office building). 

So is your recollection of where you last left your car keys. Animals, even bright ones like the great apes, were not supposed to be able to store and retrieve this kind of information. 

But biologists working with corvids—birds in the family that includes jays, crows, nutcrackers, and magpies—began to wonder about that. Some corvid species are food-cachers: they hide stashes of acorns or pine nuts in summer or fall to sustain themselves during winter and early spring, when other food is scarce. 

When they returned to their cache, had they made a random search or had they remembered where the items had been hidden? Better-than-chance retrieval performance suggested that birds like western scrub-jays, pinyon jays, and Clark’s nutcrackers had a well-developed spatial memory. 

The brains of these species have a larger-than-average hippocampus, an area thought to be responsible for processing memory. 

Do their memories have a time dimension, though—a “when” associated with the “what” and “where”? Nicola Clayton, working with western scrub-jays at Cambridge, thinks so. In an ingenious series of experiments, Clayton allowed captive scrub-jays to cache perishable food items—mealworms—and relatively non-perishable items—peanuts—in the lab. When given the opportunity to retrieve the goodies right after caching, her jays displayed a strong preference for the mealworms. 

But she found that the preference changed over time. If a jay had recovered a worm that was past its prime, in a subsequent trial five days after caching it would go for the more reliable peanuts.  

To rule out the possibility that, for whatever reason, more worm memories were lost than peanut memories, Clayton “taught” some of her subjects that worms did not in fact go bad by substituting fresh ones in the caches. Those birds continued to choose the worms at the five-day mark. In another variation, she accelerated the apparent decay rate of crickets, and found this resulted in a preference for nuts within a shorter time frame. 

Clayton has been careful to call what she has observed “episodic-like memory”, to avoid equating the human and corvid thought processes. But it sure looks like her jays were recalling not only where they had stashed the different kinds of food but when they had done so. 

(She has also documented something very like a theory of mind in scrub-jays, the ability to put oneself in the mental space of another individual. Jays that are more prone to pilfer other birds’ caches are correspondingly more likely to move their own caches if they were observed in the act.) 

Corvids have relatively big brains for birds (and scrub-jays have large hippocampi even for corvids). If you’d expect any kind of bird to be capable of memnonic prodigies, it would probably be a scrub-jay. However, episodic-like memory may not be unique to jays. Very similar processes have now been documented in, of all things, hummingbirds.  

In a study that recently appeared in Current Biology, Susan Healy and Jonathan Henderson of the University of Edinburgh describe their fieldwork with rufous hummingbirds in the Canadian Rockies.  

(The rufous hummer is an early spring migrant through the Bay Area; its close relative, the Allen’s hummer, stays to nest). Healy and Henderson placed eight artificial flowers in an alpine meadow patronized by hummingbirds. Some of the “flowers” were refilled with hummer food at 10-minute intervals, others at 20-minute intervals.  

Tallying visits by three male rufous hummers, the researchers found the birds could distinguish between the 10-minute and 20-minute “flowers” and remember their locations and when they had last drained them. Over several days, they reliably returned to the “flowers” just after they had been refilled; once again, a matter of what, when, and where.  

It makes sense for hyperactive birds like hummers to maximize their foraging efficiency. Return to a flower too soon, and the nectar won’t have been replenished; too late, and a rival may have beaten you there. With a long migration route and a short breeding season, rufous hummers can’t afford to waste time and energy in the search for food.  

Healy and Henderson point out that their male hummers were able to track the timing of nectar supplies while defending their territories and courting females. So you have not only episodic (oh, OK, “episodic-like”) memory but serious multitasking, all with a brain the size of a grain of rice.  

I don’t know how large a hummingbird’s hippocampus is, absolutely or relatively. But the bird doesn’t have a whole lot of neurons to work with. It may turn out to be not the size of the brain that enables these kinds of mental processes, but the complexity of the wiring. Smaller does not necessarily equate to dumber: the minuscule brain of the hummer appears to have the bandwidth to do what it needs to do.

TUESDAY, APRIL 11 

“How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth” at 7 p.m. at 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. 643-7008. 

“China Syndrome: SARS and Globalization” with Karl Taro Greenfeld, former editor of Time Magazine Asian edition, at 5:30 p.m. at North Gate Hall Library, Hearst at Euclid. 

“Kayaking 101” a class with Brad Bostrom at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to come join us the 2nd and 4th Tues, of each month, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. to sing(any voice will do), help plan our next gig, or write outrageously political lyrics to old familiar tunes, and have fun at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St., in Andronico’s mall. 548-9696. 

“Utilizing California’s Water Supply Efficiently and Effectively” with Tom Birmingham, General Manager, Westlands Water District, at 5:30 p.m. at the Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 250. Corner of Hearst and LeRoy. www.westlandswater.org 

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” Film showing in a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at 9:15 p.m. at the Parkway Theater, Oakland. Tickets are $7.  

“Introduction to Judaism” Class on Tues. evenings through June 6 at Lehrhaus Judaica, 2736 Bancroft Way. Cost is $90-$100. To register call 845-6420. 

Stress Less Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Infant Massage at 10:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Free Handbuilding Ceramics Class 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Also, Mon. noon to 4 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Materials and firing charges not included. 525-5497. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association Lecture with Sener Akturk on “Turkey” at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Cost is $5. 526-2925. 

Native Plant Nursery Wetlands Restoration We need your help to prepare native seedlings for future plantings along The Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline and Damon Slough. From 1 to 3 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland. RSVP required. 452-9261 ext. 109. www.savesfbay.org  

“Arsenal of Hypocrisy” a film about the space program and the Military Industrial Complex, and “Battle for America’s Soul” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation of $5 accepted. 

Volcanoes Explore the fire beneath the earth’s crust from noon to 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

“Climbing Mt. Shasta: Tips for the Novice and Expert” with Chris Carr of Shasta Mountain Guides at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Animal Communication at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Linda Elkin, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library ,1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters welcomes curious guests and new members at 7:15 a.m. at Au Coquelet Cafe, 2000 University Ave. at Milvia. 435-5863.  

Entrepreneurs Networking at 8 a.m. at A’Cuppa Tea, 3202 College Ave. at Alcatraz. Cost is $5. For more information contact JB, 562-9431. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

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. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Sing your Way Home A free sing-a-long at 4:30 p.m. every Wed. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720.  

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. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/ 

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 

Cooking Demo and Book Signing for “GRUB: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen” with essays by author Anna Lappé and menus, musical playlists, and cooking tips from chef Bryant Terry at 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Farmer’s Market, Shattuck and Rose. In case of bad weather the event will move to Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Richmond Southeast Shoreline Area Community Advisory Group Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Richmond Convention Center, Bermuda Room, 403 Civic Center Plaza at Nevin and 25th Sts. 540-3923. 

Teach-In and Vigil on U.S. Torture Policy, every Thurs. from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. outside the classroom of Prof. John Yoo, Boalt Hall, UC Campus. Weekly speakers. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and other organizations. www.bpf.org 

“Defend Science: The Attack on Scientific Thinking and What Must be Done” A panel discussion with Kevin Padian, Phil Plait and Michael G. Hadfield at 7 p.m. at 1 LeConte Hall, next to Campenile, UC Campus. 384-1816. www.defendscience.org 

Quakes and Shakes Do some heavy shaking to learn about earthquake engineering at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

American Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at East Pauley Ballroom, UC Campus. Also on Fri. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-GIVELIFE. www.BeADonor.com 

East Bay Mac User Group presentation on .Mac at 6 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound, Emeryville. http://ebmug.org 

Healthy Eating Habits Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne St. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Ask a Union Mechanic every Thursday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., at Parker and Shattuck, until the strike is settled. They will offer advice on all makes of car. 

Historical & Current Times Book Group meets on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1249 Marin Ave. 548-4517. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, APRIL 14 

Creepy Crawlies Insect-inspired activities for ages 3-7 from noon to 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

Clean Up Wildcat Creek Join Verde Elementary School students and the North Richmond community in cleaning up the creek for Earth Day. From 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Verde Elementary. 412-9290, ext. 26. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Ian Mckinlay, architect on “Why the Twin Towers Fell” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, 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 Critical Mass Bike Ride meets at the Berkeley BART the second Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m.  

Yuri’s Night Celebrate the anniversary of Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s historic first flight into space, from 8 tp 11 p.m. at Chabot Space & Science Center Tickets are $0-$15. 336-7373. 

Berkeley Chess School classes for students in grades 1-8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A drop-in, rated scholastic tournament follows from 7 to 8 p.m. at 1581 LeRoy Ave., Room 17. 843-0150. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

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

SATURDAY, APRIL 15 

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 

Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute Benefit and tribute to Ann Fagan Ginger at 5 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Donation $15-$30. 848-0599. www.mcli.org 

California Native Plant Sale Explore the garden, and buy some plants to take home. Please bring boxes to carry home your treasures and an umbrella if it rains. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Wildcat Canyon Rd. & South Park Dr., in Tilden Park. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Mt. Wanda Wildflower Walk in the hills where John Muir took his daughters. Meet at 9 a.m. in the Park and RIde lot at the corner of Alhambra Ave. and Franklin Canyon Rd., Martinez. Wear walking shoes and bring water. 925-228-8860. 

Natural Egg Coloring Learn to make dyes from beets, red onions and coffee grounds, at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature CEnter, Tilden Park. Please bring your own hard-boiled eggs. Fee is $3, registration required. 636-1684. 

The Sydney B. Mitchell Iris Society Show and Sale from 1 to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. 277-4200. 

Restore Marsh and Grassland Habitats in Richmond from 9 a.m. to noon at the West Stege Marsh. To register, and for directions call 665-3689. www.thewatershedproject.org 

Oakland Restoration Project Join Save the Bay to help remove invasive ice plant and wild radish from 9 a.m. to noon at Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland. Please register on line. 452 - 9261. www.savesfbay.org 

Monitor Water Quality at Baxter Creek Learn how to monitor basic water quality using an electronic probe. Help us assess the success of a recent restoration on Baxter Creek by collecting data on the creek’s dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, temperature and flow. From 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Canyon Trail Park, El Cerrito. Please pre-register. 665-3686. apple@thewatershedproject.org 

From Frybread to Fuel Tank Send-off of a tour to bring bio-diesel to Native America at noon at the Inter-Tribal Friendship House, 523 International Blvd., Oakland. 

Vegetarian Cooking Class from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St. at Castro. Cost is $45. 531-COOK. www.compassionatecooks.com 

California Writers Club meets at 10 a.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square, Oakland, to discuss “Border Country: Erotica or Erotic Romance.” 420-8775.  

Stress Relief Class at 4 p.m. at Pharmaca, 1744 Solano Ave. 527-8929. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 16 

Springtime in the Ponds See babies dragonflies, phantom midges and maybe even newts, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m., Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377. 

The Sydney B. Mitchell Iris Society Show and Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. 277-4200. 

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 “World Without Limits” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, APRIL 17 

“Perspectives on Berkeley: Past and Present” Chuck Wollenberg’s Berkeley history class. John McBride of BAHA and John Steere of Livable Berkeley will speak on “A City of Neighborhoods: Preservation and Development” at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Meets Mon. evenings through May 22. Free. 981-6150. 

Grandmothers Against the War will demonstrate on Income Tax Day to denounce military spending for the Iraq war and to call for an end to the war and occupation, at noon at the IRS/Post Offices, Ron Dellums Federal Building, Clay St., between 12th and 14th Sts., Oakland. 845-3815. 

Tax Day Action & People’s Life Fund Granting Ceremony and Potluck at 6:30 p.m. at 1550 5th St. at Henry St., Oakland, around the corner from West Oakland BART. Outdoor Anti-War Slide Show and leafleting West Oakland Post Office 1675 7th Street, Oakland at 8:15 tp 10 p.m. Sponsored by Northern California War Tax Resistance. 843-9877. www.nowartax.org 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group for people 60+ years old meets at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave, Albany, on Mondays at 10:15 a.m. through June 19th. Cost is $2.50 per week, includes refreshments. 524-9122. 

Gay Men’s Health Collective 30th Anniversary Gala with entertainment and a reception at 8 p.m. at the Roda Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $25-$150. For reservations visit www.gmhc30.org 

Quakes and Shakes Do some heavy shaking to learn about earthquake engineering at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

“How to Expand Your Mind- Body Connection with Self Hypnosis” at 5:30 pm. in the Rose Room at Mercy Retirement Center, 3431 Foothill Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $30 or $120 for the entire series. 534-8547, ext. 666. 

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

ONGOING 

Free Tax Help—United Way’s Earn it! Keep It! Save It! program provides free filing assistance to households that earned less than $38,000 in 2005. To find a free tax site near you, call 800-358-8832.  

Albany Library Free Drop-in Homework Help for students in third through fifth grades, Mon. - Thurs. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Emphasis is placed on math and writing skills. No registration is required. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is seeking volunteers who will spend a morning or afternoon greeting tour participants and answering questions at the free native plant garden tour, featuring sixty-four gardens located throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties on Sunday, May 7, 2006. Volunteers can select the garden they would like to spend time at by visiting the “Preview the 2006 Gardens” section at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net 

Public Art Opportunities Request for Entries The City of Berkeley is looking for artists for the 2006 Civic Center Art Competition and Exhibition. Entries are due April 18. For details contact the Civic Arts Program, 981-7533. 

Find a Loving Animal Companion at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society Adoption Center (open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday). 2700 Ninth St. 845-7735. www.berkeleyhumane.org  

Medical Care for Your Pet at the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society low-cost veterinary clinic. 2700 Ninth St. For appointments call 845-3633. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., April 12, at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/policereview 

Waterfront Commission meets Wed., April 12, at 7 p.m., at 201 University Ave. Cliff Marchetti, 981-6740. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/waterfront 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., April 13, at 7 p.m., at the West Berkeley Senior Center. Iris Starr, 981-7520. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/westberkeley  

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board meets Mon. April 17, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Pam Wyche, 644-6128 ext. 113. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/rent 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. April 17, at 7 p.m. the North Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/planning/landuse/Creeks/default.html 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. April 17, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

citycouncil/agenda-committee 

City Council meets Tues., April 18, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Berkeley Housing Authority meets Tues., April 18, at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. ww.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/housingauthority 

FRIDAY, APRIL 7 

CHILDREN 

Stage Door Conservatory Children’s Musical Theater presents “Into the Woods, Jr.” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $15-$20 sliding scale, for adults, $10, children. 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “The Devil’s Disciple” by G.B. Shaw, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave. at Berryman, through May 6. Tickets are $12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Berkeley Rep “Culture Clash’s Zorro in Hell” at 8 p.m. in the Roda Theater. Tickets are $45-$59. Runs through April 16. 647-2949.  

Masquers Playhouse “Relative Values” by Noel Coward. Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through May 6. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

Shotgun Players “Bright Ideas” opens at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. and runs Thurs.-Sun. to April 23. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Inside Out” Detail in Dress from 1850 to the Jazz Age. Reception at 6 p.m. at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, 2982 Adeline St. 843-7178. 

“Books Open, TV Off” An exhibition to promote reading. Reception at noon at Richmond Health Center, 100 38th St. (enter at 39th and Bissell), Richmond. Sponsored by ArtsChange. www.artschange.org 

“Headache New Work” Figurative sculpture and line drawings by John Casey and Lucien Shapiro. Reception at 7 p.m. at Boontling Gallery, 4224 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.boontlinggallery.com 

“Organics 3” Cibachrome prints by Kiyo Eshima. Reception at 6 p.m. at Fertile Grounds Café, 1796 Shattuck Ave. Through April 30. 548-1423. 

“Gigantic” A group show exploring scale, proportion, and impact in a variety of media. Reception at 7 p.m. at auto3321art gallery, 3321 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 593- 8489. 

FILM 

65 Seconds that Shook the Earth Commemorating the 1906 Earthquake “Earthquake” at 8 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

2006 EarthDance: Short Attention Span Environmental FIlm Festival at 7 and 9 p.m., with receptions at 6 and 8 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California. Cost is $8. 238-2200. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

J. California Cooper reads from her collection of short stories, “Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Iris Stone, violin, and Eva-Maria Zimmerman, piano, at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. Cost is $12. 848-1228.  

Chamber Music at noon at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 

“Music in the Dharma, Dharma in the Music” Songs of the teachings of Buddha, at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Ave. 845-2215. 

Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet “Swan Lake” at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68. 642-9988.  

Future Action Villians, Coin Operated Machine, Stereo Chromatic at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Monk’s Bones at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Rami Khalife & Kinan Azmeh, Arabic, jazz, contemporary and classical music at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568.  

Helene Attia/Owen Davis Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums with Ms Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

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

Del Rey & Steve James, Eric & Suzy Thompson, traditional American music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Jon Steiner Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Nate Cooper and Jack Irving at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Oddua, Diamond Moodie, Judea Eden Band at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Brutal Knights, Tamora, Rabies at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Shotgun Wedding Quintet, Felonious at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

Stolen Bibles at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Joey DeFrancesco with George Coleman at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $15-$22. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, APRIL 8 

CHILDREN 

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

Stage Door Conservatory Children’s Musical Theater presents “Into the Woods, Jr.” Sat. and Sun. at 5 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Tickets are $10-$20. 

EXHIBITIONS 

The Crucible Student Art Show and Open House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1260 Seventh St., at Union, Oakland. www.thecrucible.org 

“Paul Robeson: The Tallest Tree in Our Forest” A multi-media exhibition. Reception at 6 p.m. at the African American Museum and Library, 659 14th St., Oakland. Exhibition runs through July 8. www.oaklandlibrary.org 

Nancy Backstrom watercolor show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. at the Terrace Cafe, 5891 Broadway Terrace, at Clarewood, Oakland. 482-9602. 

FILM 

65 Seconds that Shook the Earth “Disaster at Dawn” at 7 p.m. and “Flame of the Barbary Coast” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“How Poetry Can End Global Warming, and Other Dilemmas” with Robert Aquinas McNally at the Annual Poets’ Dinner at noon at Spenger’s on Fourth St. Tickets are $25. 

Traditional Chinese Opera Lecture and demonstration with Grace Wang, Roger Lin, and Mark Kuo at 1:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge. 981-6136. 

Rhythm & Muse All Open Mic at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893.  

California Society of Printmakers annual business meeting and public program with Larissa Goldston, Pam Paulson and Renee Bott, from noon to 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

American Bach Soloists, with soloist Mary Wilson, at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $18-$40. 415-621-7900.  

Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet and Orchestra “Swan Lake” at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68. 642-9988.  

African Music & Dance Ensemble at 8 p.m. in Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$10. 642-9988. 

Claudia Schmidt at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Larry Stefl Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. 

Yancie Taylor Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ.  

Son De Madera at 8 p.m. at at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12-$15. 849-2568.  

Gary Wade at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7 per family. 558-0881. 

The Highway Robbers, The Devil's Own, The Wiggle Wagons at 10 p.m. at The Ivy Room, 858 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $7. 524-9220.  

Jai Uttal & The Pagan Love Orchestra at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$18. 525-5054. 

Last, Nasty Habits, Aliplast at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Dick Conte Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Evan Raymond and Splintered Tree at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Tarnation, Last of the Blacksmiths at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Hostile Takeover, Annihilation at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

CV1 at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 

ARCHITECTURE TOUR 

Oakland Museum of California Tour of the building and gardens, designed by architect Kevin Roche and landscape architect Dan Kiley. Meet at 1 p.m. at the koi pond on the first level. 238-2200. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Berkeley Treasures Series 1 Opening Reception at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

The Crucible Student Art Show and Open House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1260 Seventh St., at Union, Oakland. www.thecrucible.org 

FILM 

65 Seconds that Shook the Earth Commemorating the 1906 Earthquake “The Night the World Exploded” at 6 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Laura Sims, Danielle Pafunda and Geraldine Kim, poets, at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Joanna Fuhrman, Donna De La Pierre and Joseph Lease will read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

“Selections from the Collection” A gallery talk by Peter Selz with Timothy Dresser at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum. 642-0808.  

Poetry Flash with Phyllis Stowell and Elaine Terranova at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet “Swan Lake” at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $36-$68. 642-9988.  

Trio Tangria at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Grupo Folklórico, Reflejos de México at 2 and 4 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$7. 849-2568.  

Bill McHenry Trio at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Willy Porter, guitarist and songwriter, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Flamenco Open Stage with Adela Clara & La Monica at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Philips Marine Duo at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe. 595-5344.  

Americana Unplugged at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

MONDAY, APRIL 10 

THEATER 

Shotgun Theater Lab: “Frankie & Johnny” Mon. and Tues. to April 18 at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10. 841-6500. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Kawase Hasui & His Era: Masters of the Japanese Woodblock Print opens at the The Schurman-Scriptum Gallery, 1659 San Pablo Ave. 524-0623. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Palmer and Douglas Blazek read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

“Strictly Speaking” with New York Times associate editor Frank Rich at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $20-$32. 642-9988.  

“The Art of Gaman” Arts and crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps at 7 p.m. at the Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion, 1798 Scenic Ave. 

Poetry Express with Akelah Atumeril at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Zilberella Monday at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Parlor Tango at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Brubeck Institute Quintet at 8 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10. 238-9200. 

TUESDAY, APRIL 11 

CHILDREN 

Ventriloquist Tony Borders and his puppets in celebration of National Library Week at 6:30 p.m. at the Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

EXHIBITIONS 

The Dirt Show 30 ceramic works created by members of Richard Shaw and Lesley Baker’s ceramic studio. Reception at 4 p.m. at the Worth Ryder Gallery, 116 Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. 642-2582. 

THEATER 

Shotgun Theater Lab: “Frankie & Johnny” Mon. and Tues. to April 18 at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. Tickets are $10. 841-6500.  

Berkeley Rep “The Glass Menagerie” opens at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Tickets are $59. Runs through May 31.647-2949.  

FILM 

Vantage Points: New Documentaries by Women “How Little We Know Our Neighbors” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Tim Flannery discusses “The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth” at 7 p.m. at 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. 845-7852.  

Daniel Alarcon reads from his novel “War by Candlelight” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

David Hollinger, author of “Cosmopolitanism and Solidarity: Studies in Ethnoracial, Religious, and Professional Affiliation in the United States” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Singer’s Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. 841-JAZZ.  

Todd Sickafoose’s Blood Orange and the Myra Melford Group at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, and the Devin Hoff Platform at 8 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St., Oakland. A benefit for the The Prisoners Literature Project Cost is $8, or $7 with the donation of a book in good condition. 208-1700. 

Debbie Poryes & Friends at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Jovino Snatos Neto at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 

THEATER 

The Marsh Berkeley “Faulty Intellegence”satirical songs by Roy Zimmerman, Wed.-Thurs. at 7 p.m. at 2118 Allston Way, through April 27. Tickets are $15-$22. www.themarsh.org 

FILM 

Film 50: History of Cinema “WR: Mysteries of the Organism” at 3 p.m. and Video: Recent and Strange at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Treasures “A Conversation with Ariel,” artist and set designer, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 

Philip Lopate in Conversation with David Thompson on “American Movie Critics: An Anthology From the Silents Until Now” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. 

Beshara Doumani, editor of “Academic Freedom after September 11,” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

Café Poetry hosted by Kira Allen at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568.  

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. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Wednesday Noon Concert, “Japanese Music” at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864.  

Berkeley High Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

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

The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $18-$20. 525-5054.  

Famous Last Words, alt-rock and blues, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

John Scofield Quartet at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $12-$24. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Small Tragedy” opens at 2081 Addison St. and runs Wed.-Sat at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $38. 843-4822.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Everyting I Know, I Learned in the Movies” Color photography by Ann P. Meredith. Reception at 5 p.m. at Muse Media Center, 4221 Hollis St. at Park Ave., Emeryville. 655-1111. 

FILM 

Brave Outsiders: The Films of Kim Longinotto “Pride of Place” at 7 p.m. and “Dream Girls” at 8:45 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Robert Hass will guide a walking tour of the Addison Street Poetry Walk. Meet at 6 p.m. at Half-Price Books on the corner of Addison and Shattuck. 526-6080. 

“Earthquake Exodus, 1906, Berkeley Responds to the San Francisco Refugees” with author Richard Schwartz, at 7:30 p.m. at Builders Boooksource, 1817 Fourth St. 845-6874. 

Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance WIlliams discuss “The Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroid Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Megan Lynch with Tony Marcus, Kelly McCubbin, The Uke Apocalypse at 8 p.m. at DaSilva Ukulele Co., 2547 8th St., Suite 28. 649-1548.  

Steve Gannon’s Blue Monday Blues at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Pete Caragher Band, 735 Institution at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. 

LoCura, music of Spain, Cuba and California at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$7. 849-2568. 

Showtime @ 11 Hip Hop at 10 p.m. at the Ivy Room, 585 San Pablo Ave. at Solano. 524-9220. 

Dave Bernstein Duo at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Elemental Harmonics, dub, house, funk, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

?

All too often, films about the mentally ill descend into preciousness, romanticizing the drama and pain of madness. But The Devil and Daniel Johnston, a fascinating documentary opening today (Friday) at Shattuck Cinemas, does not fall into this trap. 

For this is not the story of a mentally ill man who happens to be talented, but rather the story of a great artist and the trials he faces in pursuit of his art—the most significant among them being manic depression. 

Daniel Johnston may be the best living artist you’ve never heard of. At one point the film places him alongside Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf and Lord Byron. This may seem like hyperbole, but the comparison is appropriate; Johnston is truly a unique artist. 

Yet the word “artist” does not accurately convey his talents, for Johnston is more than that. He is a fine artist, a cartoonist, a filmmaker and a singer/songwriter. And he excels in each field.  

Johnston’s journey from suburban Boy Scout to cult legend has all the trappings of folk music mythology. Like the story about Robert Johnson making a deal with the devil at the crossroads, his life is full of archetypal imagery: devils and demons, divine revelations, wayward road trips, traveling carnivals, mental breakdowns, plane crashes, a “lost year,” falls from grace followed by triumphant resurrections. Johnston’s odyssey zigs and zags through wellness and illness, through the South, the Midwest and New York City, through folk music, MTV and early ’90s grunge rock. 

His story is one of salvation through art. He believes he has lost his soul to the devil in pursuit of fame; he believes that he is damned, yet is actively and forever seeking redemption. Though the man has clearly been through hell in his lifetime, his current state is more or less a season in Purgatory as he continually tries to purge his demons. 

“True love will find you in the end,” he sings, and he is singing of the love of God as much as love of woman. 

Earthly love, however, is also a major theme, specifically his desire for Laurie, the unrequited love of his life whom Johnston met in college. She became his muse, the Beatrice to his Dante, “the inspiration for a thousand songs.” Her image is his guiding light, a symbol of youth and beauty with whom he hopes to one day be reunited.  

In 1985, a 22-year-old Johnston arrived in Austin, Texas, where the critics and musicians in the city’s burgeoning folk scene were stunned by the brilliance of the music pouring forth from this strange kid. Word spread and soon Johnston became something of a local celebrity. When MTV came to town to document the local music scene, Johnston wormed his way before the cameras, thereby planting the seeds for a nationwide cult following. He went on to win several Austin Music Awards, including best songwriter and best folk artist, beating such soon-to-be-famous musicians as Nanci Griffith, Timbuk 3 and the Lounge Lizards.  

A breakdown followed soon after, but he made a triumphant return to Austin a few years later. And that in turn was followed by tragedy. There seems to be something in him that won’t allow him to enjoy success, as if deep down he knows that salvation requires greater suffering. And if that anguish isn’t forthcoming, he’ll create some of his own. 

Johnston’s music is haunting. He has recorded 20 albums worth of stripped-down, no-frills songs and the film captures the context and drama of their creation. They are poignant and unadorned, their spareness allowing the listener to imagine the instrumentation and full production that might have accompanied them had Johnston had the means or ability to complete his vision. Though he can’t exactly sing and his guitar skills are rudimentary at best, he has a talent for piano and is a gifted and poetic lyricist, with an ear for melody and phrasing. His songs are powerful and his performances in the film are heartrending and raw. Much of his music is a lo-fi melding of blues and folk turned inside out. He was a quirky, geeky, white-boy deconstructionist before Beck even hit puberty. He has a knack for cleverly turned phrases and honest, soul-baring simplicity. 

The film effectively demonstrates that the power of Johnston’s art is in its immediacy. Every drawing and every song is a sort of exorcism, a method by which he continually divests himself of the tumult in his mind and heart. The creations themselves are not so important to him; he churns them out at an astonishing rate. He does not dwell on them; they are too many in number. Once the exorcism is complete, he is on to the next one. This is his most effective therapy. It is as if each day brings new demons that must be put down before dusk. “Do yourself a favor,” he sings, “become your own savior/And don’t let the sun go down on your grievances.” 

The Devil and Daniel Johnston is both inspiring and heartbreaking, a stylish yet simple and effective portrait of an extraordinary artist. The film leaves us with an image of Daniel and his parents in front of their current home in Waller, Texas. His parents are elderly and will not be able to support their son much longer. Though this seems to be a somewhat peaceful period in his life, it is clear that another life-altering change is just around the corner. One gets the feeling that the trials and tribulations of Daniel Johnston are hardly in the past. His most difficult years may still lay ahead. 

The Devil and Daniel Johnston 

Written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. 

Featuring Daniel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Marta Johnston, Louis Black, Jeff Tartakov, David Thornberry, Kathy McCarty 

Photo Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics 

Daniel Johnston has achieved a cult-figure status as an artist and singer/songwriter.›

“This week, she’s a nun—the one who gets captured by the Japanese!” 

As a young housemaid (Jennifer Carrier) tells the soap opera-ish cinema exploits of screen star Miranda Frayle (Emily Cannon-Brown) to the dour butler (Robert Taylor), the curious melange that makes up the style of Noel Coward comes to the fore in the opening minutes of Relative Values, onstage at Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond: a cross (or cross-eyed look) between comedy of manners and a deadpan, decorous campiness. 

Frayle’s coming from Hollywood to the precincts of the gentry served by the backstairs folk assembled; she’s the betrothed of Nigel, Earl of Marshwood, young nobleman with many past loves. 

Between Crestwell, the savvy butler, and Countess Felicity (Loralee Windsor), Lord Nigel’s doting mother, it’s hard to choose who’s the driest. When Crestwell considers the issue on everybody’s mind, Nigel marrying below his station, he muses, “Class . . . I’ve forgotten what that means. I’ll look it up in the crossword dictionary.”  

“Ever since the news came, you’ve been behaving like a tragedy queen!” Lady Marshwood’s personal maid, “Moxie” (Marilyn Hughes) does indeed look under the weather. Asking to leave Felicity’s service immediately, she refuses at first to tell exactly why she’s so upset. But, when the truth comes out, it seems there’s a more awkward kinship at hand than the wedding in the works. And the secretive, bend-over-backwards adjustments to cover for the embarrassments that could happen, make this a merrier melodrama than any Miranda acted out on the silver screen. Drawling Texan glamor-puss Don Lucas (Kevin Hazelton), her former leading man in more ways than one, arrives on set, evading the Girl Guides from the local village in the shrubbery, stalking autographs, and slips into the manor, palling up to servants and peerage alike, as he maneuvers to confront Miranda about her engagement. 

“I ran across a movie one afternoon called Relative Values,” notes Taylor, who also directed, “I began to think that it would make a wonderful play. While watching the credits, I was surprised and slightly embarrassed to see that it was based on a Noel Coward play . . . I found it in a collection of his later writings.”  

Relative Values may be a bit of a rarity, but Coward’s sophisticated comedies form a part of the usual repertoire of community theater troupes—and are a problematic choice, due to the difficulty of putting an amateur-semi-pro ensemble onstage that can sustain the tone and timing of Sir Noel strewing his gems. 

Which is why it’s a pleasure to watch the Masquers do just that, each player deftly parrying each comic thrust with appropriate repartee. Everyone holds his own in the cast. 

And the opening night audience was with the Masquers all the way—proof that the mission of community theater is community enjoyment. 

“It’s not the first time an English peer has married an actress; in the old days, they hardly stopped!” The quips and asides never stop, even slyly comparing the predicament to the best of English stage comedy—to Mr. Somerset Maugham (then a rival, later bosom friend of fellow-survivor Sir Noel). 

The last word is voiced by delightful Loralee Windsor, ever-poised as aptly-named Felicity: “You must pretend that nothing has happened—and when you analyse it, not very much has!” 

Masquers Playhouse presents Relative Values, Fri. and Sat, 8 p.m., at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through May 6. Tickets $15. For more information, call 232-4031 or see www.masquers.org. ?

Mondays At Moe’s features an unusual pairing of poets this coming Monday at 7 p.m. when Michael Palmer and Douglas Blazek split the bill at the popular reading series on Telegraph Avenue, programmed by Owen Hill. 

Blazek’s reputation for poetry, associated in the 1970s with Charles Bukowski and with Cleveland poet d. a. levy—as well as various other writers dubbed “The Meat Poets”—would seem at a considerable remove from Michael Palmer’s work, associated with older poets like Robert Duncan and Robert Creeley, as well as experimentation with language. 

But Blazek, who lives in Sacramento, has been long involved in an intense transformation of his own writing, and credits the example of Palmer’s as a source of inspiration for his changes. 

“I don’t think that I write like him at all, but his work helped me to turn some corners,” Blazek said. “By the theories he applies to his work, and some of the results in his poems, he—and others—gave me, at a crucial time in life, the permission to explore how language works. Not just a change in subject matter, or in the description of experiences in this world, but the language in poetry itself.” 

Blazek’s “restoration” of his work began a quarter century ago. 

“Somewhere in the mid-’80s, I started looking back,” he said. “I’d published hundreds of poems in hundreds of places. But they were lacking something, not as realized as they could be. I was going through a deep life transformation, slowly evolving into a considerably different person than the one associated with my older poems. I started to draw back, go into a cave. My appearances in periodicals dwindled, calculatedly, while I worked exceptionally diligently on the poems, rewriting a great many of my earlier poems, and drafting notes for new ones while rewriting.” 

Blazek has produced seven unpublished full-length manuscripts, besides the one he will read from Monday. 

From two unpublished poems: 

To fall out of step. 

To fall through the dance-thinned floor. 

No earth but a bonfire of light 

and the gesticulations of wind 

—from “Revision” 

“So what if winter 

scales down the hands 

we once entertained 

with the tree of our mind? 

Whatever wavering 

there is 

is change fitting 

together.” 

—from “Attendance Shifting Its Absence To Another Presence”  

Blazek says that reading with Palmer is “symbolic of how far I’ve departed from where I came from.” 

Palmer recalls that Blazek had seemed to disappear, to become “a voice from that curious past” of the ’70s. Then “he showed up at a reading I did with Eliot Weinberger at Cody’s last fall, and asked if I’d be willing to read with him at Moe’s in the spring.” 

Palmer said he hadn’t had any idea until then of Blazek’s self-recreation—and that he hasn’t seen his newer work. 

Palmer is a familiar figure to readers of poetry. He arrived in San Francisco in 1969 from Massachusetts, attracted by “the openness of culture,” he said. “For the kind of exploratory work I wanted to do, Cambridge was not so welcoming.” 

The scene in the Bay Area was then “sort of in between—the age of the S.F. Renaissance, of, say, Jack Spicer had ended a few years before,” Palmer said. “By the mid-’70s new poets had flooded into the area, with dual communities in San Francisco and Bolinas, which made for a very exciting, portentious time. It was a very supportive community, which kept me going.” 

His work has changed in recent years, he said, by “moving a little bit away from radical syntax into the mysteries of ordinary language, in the philosophical if not every day sense. It probably looks less unusual on the page. And I’ve been interested in the infinite, ingathering potential of the lyrical phrase—not confession, but the voicing of selves that make up the poetic self, from Greek lyrics to the Italians, to modern poets like Mandelstam. It’s a parallel development to empire, to materialism, but provides both a counter-voice and an echo chamber of other poets you’re overwriting. ‘Circulations of song,’ Dante called it in his homage to Rumi; voices that pass through us, rather than the notion of a singular psyche.” 

“Una Noche (after Bandeira),” from Company of Moths. 

Then El Presidente 

uncoiling his tongue, 

’You cannot stop time 

but you can smash all the clocks.” 

And so seeking Paradise 

we have burned down the bright house 

to the ground. 

A necessary act. 

We have invented glass 

and ground a dark lens 

and in the perilous night 

we continue to dance. 

The tarantella, the tango, 

the passadoble and the jig, 

the bunnyhop, the Cadillac, 

the Madison and the sarabande, 

mazurka and the jerk, 

the twist on tabletops, 

Roling our eyes, flailing our limbs. 

It’s how we keep time, 

our feet never stop. 

Michael Palmer and Douglas Blazek read Monday at 7p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave.e

Nature as science or nature as art? There’s no need to choose. Left and right sides of the brain combine their efforts heralding California’s native landscapes and wildlife at the Oakland Museum. The Natural Sciences shine in the comprehensive Permanent Gallery, unique art exhibits and the museum’s multi-tiered outdoor gardens. 

The Oakland Museum has targeted the state of California for its collections in art, history and the environment. Each floor offers opportunities for hours of observation and enjoyment. Every tour leaves you with a deep appreciation of California’s past and present eras and artists, each significant to shaping the state in which we reside today.  

In need of an outdoor experience in spite of ever-present deluges, I focused my attentions on a recent visit to California’s natural world. Entering the Permanent Gallery exhibit, “A Walk Through California,” I was greeted with ceiling-high black and white photographs of diverse ecosystems and a series of quotes on nature above my head. The words of Voltaire, Emerson and Thoreau echoed environmental concerns of today. 

Immediately I was transported to the rugged coastline, listening to crashing waves amid the calls of sea birds and mammals. Dramatic photomurals, topographical models and dioramas set the scene, instructive and compelling. Traveling eastward I passed harbor seals at rest within a high coastal marsh and magnificent redwoods of the coastal mountains, so real I expected to see them extend beyond the roofline. A bird-egg treasure chest masqueraded as an innocuous filing cabinet, protecting over 500 eggs.  

The softness of mule deer hair belied its insulation qualities. A staged confrontation between coyote, marmot and wolverine looked ready to spring into action. In the desert I smiled at the gurgling mating call of a male sage grouse, hoping it would do the trick while I marveled at the quality of the exhibits. Dramatic in their size and lighting, life-size rocks, wildlife and interpretive panels created an accurate sense of place. The sounds of nature mingling with the excited voices of visiting school children vouched for the repeat value of this venue. 

The juried exhibit, “The Art of Seeing: Nature Revealed Through Illustration,” continued the theme of science as art while celebrating California’s biodiversity. “Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature.” As true today as when spoken by Cicero so long ago. How could one ignore the importance and beauty of a bristlecone pine or red fox after rendering them in pencil or watercolors? 

Fifty artworks representing forty artists are displayed. Some, like Lee McCaffree’s white trillium and Sharron O’Neil’s American robin, portray watercolor illustration at the highest level. Grace Smith’s miniature book drawings of Graceful Natives are exquisite. Lisa Holley reminds us of the predator-prey relationship in Osprey Packing a Lunch, her osprey-in-flight composite of finely detailed, pastel-hued fish. 

One of my favorite works were the beautifully carved and anatomically accurate grizzly bones in Joyce Clements’ All That Remains. The warm oak tones and smooth curves of skull and femur are ripe for touch. Texture is also explored in the weavings of George-Ann Bowers, her Madrone rich in yarns of red, rust, brown and beige. 

California’s unique landscapes are also well represented. Las Trampas, Elkhorn Slough, Marin Hills and Abbotts Lagoon in oils, colored pencils, pastels and acrylic in rich color- saturated tones remind us of the importance of preserving open spaces. 

Another display features the work of future environmentalists in a series of illustrated quilts created by Oakland elementary students. Using animal specimens supplied by the Lindsey Museum, photographs document the process students used, from pencil renderings, adding color and the final pen and ink biological illustrations formed into quilts. The rapt faces of the intent artists at work in their classrooms are worth the trip. 

Landscapes as seen through the lens of a camera, some using an f.64 aperture, are hung in the Art Special Gallery. “Edward Weston: Masterworks from the Collection” is an exhibit of fifty-eight photographs from one of the best in his field. Known for natural close-ups and nudes, Weston moved to Carmel in 1929 and, like myself, became enchanted with the coastal scenery. 

Point Lobos was the site of many of his darker, hard-edged and finely detailed photographs in black and white. Small in size but powerfully dramatic are his Rock and Hills and Whale Vertebrae. Sandstone Erosion resembles the fossil outline of a mythical sea monster while Cypress Detail displays the fine texture and sensuous curves of this organic form. 

Weston continued his portraiture of California landscapes in Crescent City, Stump On a Deserted Beach, the pastoral hills along the Eel River, the Bodega surf, Modoc Lava Flats and Oceano Dunes. His dunes series is luminous with sharp contrasts between light and dark and the surface so finely detailed that the ridges of sand stand out in sinuous curves. 

The ardor of his task is brought home in a portrait of his son and camera along a rocky shelf. While today we extol the convenience of digital cameras allowing hundreds of images, the size and heft of Weston’s box camera and wood tripod speak to the art behind individual shots carefully selected and timed for the perfect light. The beauty of Weston’s work inspires a return to the art of his craft. 

Landscape on a smaller scale is an integral part of the Oakland Museum’s outdoor gardens, terraces and patios, home to lush plantings. Unlike many urban museums, space and attention have been given to these outdoor environments as extensions of the galleries indoors. Concrete walkways between exhibit levels, some topped by marine blue awnings, showcase sculpture by California artists.  

Welded steel and cast bronze in works by David Anderson, Bruce Beasley and Peter Voulkos have weathered well as evidenced by rich surface patinas. Mature pines shade the Koi Pond, home to good size, multi-colored koi and sculptured hippos. Terraced gardens lead you from tier to tier, in a park-like setting, every pathway home to works of art, Oakland’s cityscape just beyond the walls. 

Search dioramas for camouflaged pigmy rabbits and whiptail lizards. Get up close and personal to a finely drawn grizzly and mountain lion. Stroll the garden and watch Alexander Calder’s red projections sway in the breeze. Sample a Bistro sandwich or Thai chicken salad from the Museum Café, listening to the quiet sounds of jazz or outdoors on the terrace. Celebrate the science and art of California’s rich natural diversity at the Oakland Museum.  

The Oakland Museum of California: 10th and Oak streets, 238-2200, www.museumca.org. Open Wed –Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m. Adults $8, seniors and students $5. Exhibits “Edward Weston” shows through June 11, and “The Art of Seeing” shows through June 4.  

Photo by Marta Yamamoto 

Sculptures by California artists share outdoor galleries with rich native plantings at the Oakland Museum..

Seth Paris Babson (1826–1907) was one of the most eminent Victorian architects on the Pacific coast. A native of Maine, he set sail for San Francisco a year after the discovery of gold in California. Having rounded Cape Horn, Babson arrived in the spring of 1850. 

A brief sojourn among the dissolute gold miners of Coloma so disgusted the temperate Babson that he soon decided to move to Sacramento. There, according to his youngest son, “he developed his native skill as a carpenter and eventually became a m ost capable architect and designed and constructed many of the homes of the pioneer families...” 

Among Babson’s still-standing landmark Sacramento buildings are the Leland Stanford Mansion (1857), the Crocker Art Museum (1869–1873, described as the “sing le finest Italianate building in the West, if not in America”), and the Stick-style Llewellyn Williams Mansion (1885). 

In 1874, when he was almost fifty, Babson married Juanita Josepha Smith (1855–1940), 30 years his junior. The following year, the coupl e moved their residence to Alameda, where their three children were born. Babson’s office was located in the Phelan Building on Market and O’Farrell streets in San Francisco. 

He was a major force in the establishment of the Northern California chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and served as its president in 1890 and again from 1896 to 1903. 

There are only two Berkeley buildings known or believed to have been designed by Seth Babson. One of those was the Southside home of Juanita’s si ster, Miss Eleanor Mary Smith, a teacher who over the course of 30 years taught at Emerson, Whittier Grammar, Dwight Day, Willard, and McKinley schools. 

Her simple brown-shingle house, with interior redwood paneling and a clinker-brick chimney, was const ructed in 1902 by Mr. Martin, an independent builder who is said to have ”lost his money through bad investment in an asbestos mine.” 

The retired Babson may have contributed to the design. 

Located at 2529 Hillegass Ave. on land now owned by the American Baptist Seminary of the West, the Smith house was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark in January 1980. However, the designation didn’t protect it from demolition when ABSW wanted to create a parking lot where it stood. 

In 1893, Babson and builder R. Wenk erected for Bartine Carrington a house at 2323 Bowditch St., just south of Durant Avenue. This was a charming, raised-basement cottage clad in redwood shingles. An embodiment of the transition from the Victorian style to the First Bay Region traditio n, the cottage featured the roof-ridge ornaments and fishscale shingles of the former with the unpainted exterior of the latter. Box-like corner window bays with small panes lent it a picturesque aspect. 

A very similar cottage, essentially unaltered with the exception of a modified entrance porch, still stands at 2277 Vine St. in north Berkeley. 

Bartine Carrington (1871–1926), a clergyman’s son born in China, worked in real estate for many years and apparently built the house as an investment, for he never lived there. Next door at 2600 Durant Ave., Hiram Brasfield built a rooming house, where his family occasionally lived until 1911, when they moved into the newly-constructed Brasfield Apartments at 2520 Durant Ave. 

From 1906 to 1916, Hiram’s brother-in-law Jim Davis resided in the Carrington house. At the time, Davis was the manager of the U.C. Associated Students Store. By 1917, Davis had moved to 2525 Durant Ave., across the street from the Brasfield Apartments.  

It was probably during the Davis re sidence that the Carrington cottage was jacked up and gained a new ground floor. The enlarged house retained all its old charm, blending well into its village-like neighborhood of shingled homes set within flower-bedecked gardens. 

Over the ensuing decade s, the character of Durant Avenue and of the Southside gradually changed. In 1928, the six-story Hotel Durant replaced Brasfield’s rooming house. To the east, the nine-story U.C. Unit 1 dormitories went up between 1956 and 1959. 

A faceless apartment bloc k completed the scene just south of the Carrington house. Isolated on its block, the house was subdivided into apartments, the redwood shingles were painted white, and the small-pane windows replaced with aluminum. Neglect set in. 

As in the case of the E leanor Smith house, the Carrington house’s fate was sealed when its location was coveted by the hotel for a parking garage. In March 1982, the house was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark, structure of merit. 

The designation saved it from outright de molition but not from degradation. In the late 1980s, the upper story was moved to 1029 Addison St., just west of San Pablo Avenue. There it was insensitively “restored” and sold to a new owner, who doesn’t know that he lives in a designated structure. Th e house’s present appearance is testimony to the toothlessness of Berkeley’s preservation enforcement. 

Photo By Daniella Thompson  

What might have been—a cottage at 2277 Vine St. in North Berkeley looks very similar to one of Babson’s Berkeley houses th at has since been altered almost beyond recognition. 

Buying houses is an expensive proposition as anyone who has ever done it can tell you and it doesn’t stop when you pay the closing costs and put your boat in the backyard (you really have a boat?) 

So many houses I see folks buying these days truly qualify as fixer-uppers. It seems that in this buyer’s market (will I still be using this term in 6 months?), people will buy anything that doesn’t wobble too severely. I genuinely think that if the inventory, as they call it, were significantly higher, many of the dogs that get walked around the arena would get left at home and never even get those funny haircuts. 

The houses that would be up for sale would tend to be more select and less dicey. As it is, though, many, if not most have a large pallet of defects from which to choose. “Will Madam be having ze leaky dishwasher zis evening or peut-etre, le ground disposer de garbage (featuring le chanson de heavy metal)?” 

When faced with these potential trials, one wonders whether a Home Warranty might be the solution. Certainly it is worth considering. 

My friend Bonnie Ross, a realtor at Coldwell Banker in Montclair says that she regularly buys these for her clients because, as she says, “they haven’t got a penny left when they’ve bought the house so it can help them when things go wrong.” 

Bonnie says that the warrantee company she uses calls her (since she buys the policy) whenever a repair is called for by one of her clients. This has enabled her to track the usage of the policy and has found that most people use the policy at least once in the first year. She’s also noted that occasionally a client will use the policy as many as four times and few fail to use the service at all. 

She says “So its an insurance policy and I’m not crazy about insurance policies but it can help.” 

One of the problems inherent in this whole business is that you as the homeowner don’t have any say in who they’re going to send when you call in with a problem. 

Amongst the many anecdotes I’ve had shared with me over the years have been several about less than sterling workers who got sent to their homes. Scheduling is often cited as a problem but other deficiencies can attend as well. 

If you were an insurance company and wanted to try to retain as much of that $250-$300 that’s typically charged for a one-year policy, you’d be likely to find the cheapest plumber you could get your hands on to go over and fix Mrs. Mickiewicz’s leaky water heater. 

So what this means to you as recipient of one of these policies is that you might not be getting the best tradesman in town when you call in your claim. 

This is, of course, a generalization but I think that the logic is sound and that you’d do well to pay close attention to the workmanship and the decisions made for you by this person. I’m sure that your home warranty company does not want you to have a bad experience but they are sure to want to control costs. 

This also expresses itself in another form. Virtually all of these companies reserve the right to repair, rather than replace, any defective system. This means that you won’t be very likely to get a new furnace if the old one can be repaired enough to hobble one more mile. 

Again, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to get a substandard repair (although that can happen) but it does mean that the sort of decision you might tend to make when consulting with a paid tradesman might not be the chosen path when the warranty company is in the driver’s seat. You just won’t get a say in how it’s done. 

Now, that said, it is not uncommon for the person making the repair to try to sell you on some additional services once they have your attention. This is, of course, your choice but be sure that the argument seems sound and that you’ve called the warranty provider to be sure that they won’t cover the other option. 

When you call for help, you will generally pay a small “co-pay” or basic service call fee, which is usually quite reasonable and probably under $50 bucks. This helps cut down on people calling for any odd sound that comes out of the dishwasher. I think it’s fair. 

You also have a range of choices when buying such a policy. A basic policy will cover most of the following: Heating (and ducting with a forced air system), water heater, electrical system (what’s in the walls), plumbing, appliances such as dishwashers, disposers, built-in microwave ovens, stoves, garage door openers, central vacuums (not a lot of those around here but nice if you have one) and exhaust fans and door bells.  

If you want to pay an extra fee for an optional item, you call also cover things like washers and dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, pools and spas. Note that most of the big things are missing from this list, like foundations and roofs, although roof repairs are offered by some providers. 

The key is to read the policy carefully, ask a lot of questions when buying one (unless you’ve had one given to you) and to have reasonable expectations about what sorts of repairs you can expect when things go wrong. 

I would advise my client not be guided by the policy and to be prepared to pay for the right repair when the stop-gap offered by the warranty company isn’t really in their best interest. It IS nice to have this as an option but it’s important not to let that become the sole criteria for decision making when the facts about a faulty furnace or roof come to light. 

There is a Home Warranty Association of California (who knew?) and you can contact them with questions about a policy you have or one you are considering. HADD (Homeowners against Deficient Dwellings) an advocacy and watchdog agency also offers a report on Home Warranties that’s worth reading.  

Here’s a top-ten list that the Home Warranty Association of California has recently published of items they think consumers should consider: 

1. What is included in the basic warranty? 

2. What additional options are generally available? 

3. How much is the fee for a service call? 

4. What are the total dollar limits on the warranty, and what are the limits for individual items? 

5. Is the company licensed by the California Department of Insurance? 

6. Is there 24/7 customer service available for processing emergency claims? 

7. Will licensed insured contractors be used to make repairs? How long is the warranty on repairs or replacements? 

8. What is the typical turnaround time for a claim to be dispatched and completed? 

9. Can the warranty be renewed at the end of the first year? 

10. Is the company a member of the Home Warranty Association of California? 

If this list leaves you hungry for more info on the subject, you can call the HWAC and talk to Mark Lightfoot (901) 537-8020 or Art Ansoorian (805) 653-1648. 

I feel obliged to share one last anecdote before closing on this small subject and that is that I have occasionally (albeit rarely) heard someone say in the course of a home inspection that a Home Warranty could be used to address things that we found wrong during the inspection. 

“Just wait a couple of months,” they would say, “Then call it in and they’ll come and fix it.”  

Now, I have no great love of insurance companies but it seems to me that this is part of what’s wrong with our corporate culture. 

I suspect that we pay premiums that are too high due, in part, to this sort of behavior (would you tell your kids you did this?). So, if you hear someone say this, do as I have done (no joke) and take them aside and have a little talk with them on the subject of ethics. 

And may all your homebuying fears be truly unwarranted. 

?

Flowerland Nursery is the corner store of local plant shops. Evidently it’s been there for generations: the friendly worker there told me that that the current owner, Bob Wilson, has had it for some 30 years and the previous owners had run it “for, oh, 30 to 40 years” before him. 

It’s on lower Solano Avenue in a narrow slot between apartment/small office buildings and across the street from The Baptist Church on the Corner, and you don’t get more neighborhoody than that.  

It’s also, like the rest of us, been flinching a little at the protracted rainy weather. There was recently a note on its old-fashioned wooden marquee that the place would, for the time being, open only on sunny (or was it “dry”?) days. 

Even that seemed optimistic, I guess, and now it’s open almost daily for its regular nine-to-five hours, though, as that worker said, “When it’s raining, we don’t open till about 10 a.m. because nobody comes in before then.” 

That’s not such a puzzle. Back when I was a pro, Flowerland didn’t offer the locally customary discount for professionals, and it’s mostly folks in the landscaping business who get that early start and buy plants at 8:30 a.m. 

So most of the customers here must be home gardeners and weekenders, and even mad gardeners deserve to sleep in once in a while. 

I bought stuff there anyway sometimes, because I just kind-of liked the place, but my business practices tended toward the sentimental anyway. I never did get rich or even turn much of a profit, but I met some good people and plants and some of them were at Flowerland. 

That marquee alternates irregularly between inspirational messages and strictly informational notices like “Bareroot fruit trees are in.” Come to think of it, that’s a little like the marquee in front of the average Baptist church; maybe it’s a neighborhood theme.  

So what do you find here? The basics and standards: six-packs of alyssum, two-inch pots of veggie seedlings, four-inchers of bedding perennials, one-gallon New Zealand flax, five-gallon ferns, and a few slightly larger trees. 

Then, just for fun, there’s usually something different: a new cultivar of an old familiar plant, or something like black viola that you forgot you liked. There’s a half-price table with stuff that’s aged a bit in the pot, but I’ve had good luck with these pound puppies myself.  

Tools, pots, bagged soil amendments including some earth-friendly brands, and potted plants are inside and next to the shop. 

Spotted around the stock are some of those outdoor figurines that can be little-old-lady or edgily ironic, depending on context. The gulls nestled in the asparagus ferns looked odd, but then I’m a birder. I get upset when a movie has a California birdsong in a Dakota Badlands scene.  

In winter Flowerland switches over largely to Firewoodland and Christmastreeland. Other corner-store touches: three-packs for $1.99 (“Will cut inside”) like a half-dozen eggs; a handwritten card patiently explaining the difference between Sun and Shade, a homey potting table where plants get seeded into pots or moved up to larger ones. 

Ron Sullivan is a former professional gardener and arborist. Her “Garden Variety” column appears every Friday in East Bay Home & Real Estate. Her column on East Bay trees appears every other Tuesday in the Berkeley Daily Planet. 

Flowerland Nursery 

1330 Solano Ave., Albany 

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday 

526-3550

FRIDAY, APRIL 7 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Bernice Linnard & Dennis Kuby on “Why Shakespeare Matters” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925. 

Inspiration Point Walk Meet at 4 p.m. in the Inspiration Point parking lot for this walk with stunning views. Walk at your own pace. Rain cancels. Sponsored by Solo Sierrans. 925-376-4529. 

Poison Safety Day at 11 a.m. at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org  

“To Bethlehem and Beyond” A report-back with Jim Haber at 7:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 2125 Jefferson St. 482-1062. 

Fundraiser for Sacred Ride to Albuquerque to promote green energy in the Native community at 7 p.m. at Fellowship Hall, Cedar and Bonita. Cost is $10. zacharyrunningwolf@yahoo.com 

American Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MLK Student Union, 5th Floor, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-GIVELIFE. www.BeADonor.com 

Berkeley Chess School classes for students in grades 1-8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A drop-in, rated scholastic tournament follows from 7 to 8 p.m. at 1581 LeRoy Ave., Room 17. 843-0150. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

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, APRIL 8 

Yard Sale and Bake Sale to benefit the animals of the Berkeley Animal Shelter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1257 Hopkins St. http://share4shelter.org/ 

Berkeley Path Wanderers Association walk to explore the paths and gardens of the Claremont district. Meet at 10 a.m. at the historic plaque at the northeast corner of Claremont Ave. and The Uplands. Bring water and a snack. 524-2383. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Toddler Nature Walk to look for different animal habitats at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Especially for 2-3 year olds and their grown-ups. 525-2233. 

“Alternative Materials Cob and Strawbale” an introduction to two natural building materials from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $75. 525-7610. www.bldgeductr.org/seminars 

“Two Seas, Two Feet” with Andrew Skurka who walked the entire 7,778-mile transcontinental Sea-to-Sea Route, at noon at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

“Dilemmas of Getting Old: How Can We Cope?” A presentation by Nina Falk at 10:30 a.m. at Berkeley co-Housing Community Room, 2220 Sacramento St. Presented by OWL, Older Women’s League. 528-3739. 

Organic Vegetable Gardening Learn how to grow your own food from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UC Village Community Garden in Albany. Cost is $10-$15. Registration required. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Berkeley History Center Walking Tour: “Downtown! Culture and Character Before World War II” led by Steve Finacom, from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0181. www.cityofberkeley.info/histsoc 

Bird Walk on Mt. Wanda led by Park Ranger Cheryl Abel. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Park and Ride lot at the corner of Alhambra Ave. and Franklin Canyon Rd., Martinez. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water and binoculars. Rain cancels. 925-228-8860. 

Beyond Good Intentions Equipping the Ministries of LGBT Allies from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Rd. Free, but registration required. 204-0720. allytraining@gmail.com  

“Menopause: A Naturaopathic Perspective” at 4 p.m. at Pharmaca, 1744 Solano Ave. 527-8929. 

Preschool Storytime for 3-5 year olds at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Fasting Made Easy at 4 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

Jewish Literature Discussion Group on “The Centaur in the Garden” by Moacyr Scliar at 2 p.m. at The Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 

Garden Glory A walk through the native plant butterfly garden and a chance to lend a hand pulling weeds, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Green Sunday” on the The Criminalization of Our Culture with Mike Wyman, Green Party Candidate for Attorney General, at 5 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland. 841-8678. 

Steps for Peace: Peace Festival & Walk Around Lake Merritt Peace Social at 1 p.m., Peace Awards at 2 p.m., and Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. 625-0589, 336-3676. peacerising@sbcglobal.net 

California Horticultural Society’s Plant Sale, featuring thousands of unusual and rare plants and free lectures by gardening experts, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave., off Grand Ave., Oakland. www.calhortsociety.org  

Red Oak Victory Ship Pancake Breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Berth #6, 1337 Canal Blvd., Richmond. Cost is $6, children under 5 free. 237-2933. 

National Women’s Political Caucus Susan B. Anthony Award will be presented to the California Nurses Association at 4 p.m. at the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club, 1650 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. 549-2839. 

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 

Beat the Cycle of Stress at 1 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Feminism and Religious Dialogue” with Jewish scholoar Susannah Heschel at 11 a.m., brunch at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St. Cost is $5. RSVP to 848-0237, ext. 132. 

Passover Family Program: Feast of Freedom at 2 p.m. at the Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. For reservations call 549-6950 ext. 345. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Bob Russo on “Prayer Wheels for the West” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, APRIL 10 

Earthquake Day Make a house that keeps standing when the earth moves, from noon to 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

“Punishment and Redemption: The Death Penalty in America” with Judith Kay and Elisabeth Semel at 4:30 p.m. in the Richard S. Dinner Boardroom, 2400 Ridge Rd. Free and open to the public, but RSVP appreciated. 649-2420. 

Annual Review of the Presidency: Second Term Troubles - President Bush Struggles with War, Natural Disasters, and Politics. Panel discussion with Michael Barone, Janet Hook, Michael Kinsley, and Nelson W. Polsby, at 7 p.m. at 155 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. Sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Studies. 642-9429. 

“Perspectives on Berkeley: Past and Present” Chuck Wollenberg’s Berkeley history class at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Meets Mon. evenings through May 22. Free. 981-6150. 

Freedom From Tobacco A new series of free quit smoking classes, with the option of free hypnosis begins at 5:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, and runs through May 15th. To sign up call 981-5330. 

“End of Life Medical Issues” with Dr. McGillis at 10:30 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-5190. 

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, APRIL 11 

“How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth” at 7 p.m. at 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus. 643-7008. 

“China Syndrome: SARS and Globalization” with Karl Taro Greenfeld, former editor of Time Magazine Asian edition, at 5:30 p.m. at North Gate Hall Library, Hearst at Euclid. 

“Kayaking 101” a class with Brad Bostrom at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to come join us the 2nd and 4th Tues, of each month, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. to sing(any voice will do), help plan our next gig, or write outrageously political lyrics to old familiar tunes, and have fun at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St., in Andronico’s mall. 548-9696. 

“Utilizing California’s Water Supply Efficiently and Effectively” with Tom Birmingham, General Manager, Westlands Water District, at 5:30 p.m. at the Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 250. Corner of Hearst and LeRoy. www.westlandswater.org 

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” Film showing in a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at 9:15 p.m. at the Parkway Theater, Oakland. Tickets are $7.  

“Introduction to Judaism” Class on Tues. evenings through June 6 at Lehrhaus Judaica, 2736 Bancroft Way. Cost is $90-$100. To register call 845-6420. 

Stress Less Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Infant Massage at 10:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Free Handbuilding Ceramics Class 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Also, Mon. noon to 4 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Materials and firing charges not included. 525-5497. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association Lecture with Sener Akturk on “Turkey” at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Cost is $5. 526-2925. 

Native Plant Nursery Wetlands Restoration We need your help to prepare native seedlings for future plantings along The Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline and Damon Slough. From 1 to 3 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland. RSVP required. 452-9261 ext. 109. www.savesfbay.org  

“Arsenal of Hypocrisy” a film about the space program and the Military Industrial Complex, and “Battle for America’s Soul” at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation of $5 accepted. 

Volcanoes Explore the fire beneath the earth’s crust from noon to 2 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

“Climbing Mt. Shasta: Tips for the Novice and Expert” with Chris Carr of Shasta Mountain Guides at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Animal Communication at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Poetry Writing Workshop, led by Linda Elkin, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library ,1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters welcomes curious guests and new members at 7:15 a.m. at Au Coquelet Cafe, 2000 University Ave. at Milvia. 435-5863.  

Entrepreneurs Networking at 8 a.m. at A’Cuppa Tea, 3202 College Ave. at Alcatraz. Cost is $5. For more information contact JB, 562-9431. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

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. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Sing your Way Home A free sing-a-long at 4:30 p.m. every Wed. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720.  

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. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/ 

vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 

Cooking Demo and Book Signing for “GRUB: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen” with essays by author Anna Lappé and menus, musical playlists, and cooking tips from chef Bryant Terry at 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Farmer’s Market, Shattuck and Rose. In case of bad weather the event will move to Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

Richmond Southeast Shoreline Area Community Advisory Group Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Richmond Convention Center, Bermuda Room, 403 Civic Center Plaza at Nevin and 25th Sts. 540-3923. 

Teach-In and Vigil on U.S. Torture Policy, every Thurs. from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. outside the classroom of Prof. John Yoo, Boalt Hall, UC Campus. Weekly speakers. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and other organizations. www.bpf.org 

“Defend Science: The Attack on Scientific Thinking and What Must be Done” A panel discussion with Kevin Padian, Phil Plait and Michael G. Hadfield at 7 p.m. at 1 LeConte Hall, next to Campenile, UC Campus. 384-1816. www.defendscience.org 

Quakes and Shakes Do some heavy shaking to learn about earthquake engineering at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Lawrence Hall of Science, Centennial Drive. Cost is $7.50-$9.50. 642-5132. 

American Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at East Pauley Ballroom, UC Campus. Also on Fri. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-GIVELIFE. www.BeADonor.com 

East Bay Mac User Group presentation on .Mac at 6 p.m. at Expression College for Digital Arts, 6601 Shellmound, Emeryville. http://ebmug.org 

Healthy Eating Habits Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne St. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Ask a Union Mechanic every Thursday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., at Parker and Shattuck, until the strike is settled. They will offer advice on all makes of car. 

Historical & Current Times Book Group meets on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1249 Marin Ave. 548-4517. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

ONGOING 

Free Tax Help—United Way’s Earn it! Keep It! Save It! program provides free filing assistance to households that earned less than $38,000 in 2005. To find a free tax site near you, call 800-358-8832.  

Albany Library Free Drop-in Homework Help for students in third through fifth grades, Mon. - Thurs. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Emphasis is placed on math and writing skills. No registration is required. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is seeking volunteers who will spend a morning or afternoon greeting tour participants and answering questions at the free native plant garden tour, featuring sixty-four gardens located throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties on Sunday, May 7, 2006. Volunteers can select the garden they would like to spend time at by visiting the “Preview the 2006 Gardens” section at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net 

Public Art Opportunities Request for Entries The City of Berkeley is looking for artists for the 2006 Civic Center Art Competition and Exhibition. Entries are due April 18. For details contact the Civic Arts Program, 981-7533. 

Find a Loving Animal Companion at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society Adoption Center (open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday). 2700 Ninth St. 845-7735. www.berkeleyhumane.org  

Medical Care for Your Pet at the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society low-cost veterinary clinic. 2700 Ninth St. For appointments call 845-3633. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon. April 10, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Youth Commission meets Mon., April 10, at 6:30 p.m., at 1730 Oregon St. Philip Harper-Cotton, 981-6670. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/youth