The 80 or so people that packed a sunny south Berkeley backyard Thursday morning didn’t seem to need convincing that Phil Angelides, 53, would be their pick for governor on Nov. 7. 

Angelides spoke after accolades by Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, Rep. Barbara Lee, (D-Oakland-Berkeley), Robert Reich, former secretary of labor under Bill Clinton and now Berkeley resident and professor at UC Berkeley, and Mark Coplan, Berkeley schools spokesperson but here acting as a private citizen, in whose backyard the event took place. 

The Democratic candidate drew rounds of applause as he linked the Terminator, still popular in some parts of the state, to the president, whose popularity continues to sink according to polls. 

“Bush and Schwarzenegger have the same agenda—some refer to it as the B.S. agenda,” quipped Angelides. 

Presently state treasurer, Angelides said that, like Bush, Schwarzenegger wants to grow the economy for the wealthy. 

“The economy is good for only some,” he said pointing to the oil companies, which he says are profiting at $350 million each day. 

Angelides would plug up the corporate loopholes for corporations such as oil companies and HMOs and, while cutting taxes on those earning less than $100,000, raise taxes on the very wealthy. 

He would also tax the oil companies on oil they extract in California. “We are the only jurisdiction in the world that does not tax for taking oil out of the ground,” Angelides said. “Our economy is being devastated over the long-term by the pernicious drain on our wealth.” 

The new money would go to schools, universities and public libraries, he said, noting that under Schwarzenegger a state university degree costs $2,000 more and a University of California degree costs $5,000 more than it did under the previous governor. 

On the question of support for the war in Iraq, Angelides was clear: “I oppose the war. I have never been for it.”

Fourteen-year District 1 Councilmember Linda Maio might have thought she’d breeze through the fall election without a challenge: She’s off on vacation without having put a penny into a campaign account. 

But political gadfly Merrilie Mitchell—the same activist who slipped Shirley Dean’s name into the pre-election fray by taking out preliminary candidacy papers for the ex-mayor without informing her of it—tossed her name into the District 1 mix just a week before the nomination period was to close. 

District 1 is roughly west of Grant Street to the Bay and North of University Avenue to Albany. 

“Linda used to be my role model and friend,” Mitchell said in a phone interview, adding that was in the 1980s when Maio chaired the Council of Neighborhood Associations. 

“When trees were cut wrong in the flatlands, Linda helped,” Mitchell said, underscoring Maio’s community work before she got on the council.  

But then Mitchell said Maio joined forces with those who want to overdevelop the city. Most recently, Mitchell said, Maio voted for a measure that permits parking in side yards, something Mitchell opposes. “It would remove the greenery. It’s outrageous,” Mitchell said. 

With Maio out of town and unavailable for an interview, her aide Brad Smith stepped in to defend the councilmember’s work in the community.  

“Linda sees herself as a neighborhood person,” he said, pointing to her role mediating between dog park users and residents living next to the Hearst Avenue park. 

Maio “worked with staff, the community and dog park users to make up a set of rules that accommodated all,” he said. “It was a long process.” 

Smith offered another example of Maio’s work with the community. The neighborhood wanted to develop a walkway/bikeway on the former Santa Fe right-of-way between Delaware Street and University Avenue. But some neighbors wanted to be sure there was a gate that could be locked in the evening so that drug dealers would not hang out in the passage way. Maio worked with neighbors to get the gate approved, he said. 

Local activist and Berkeley newcomer Willi Paul had threatened several months ago to run for the District 1 seat because of what he said was Maio’s lack of action around putting an end to the noxious emissions produced by West Berkeley foundry Pacific Steel Castings (PSC). He has since decided not to run in order to devote more of his time to his business. But he continues to have strong criticisms of Maio. 

“Maio is a non-leader, causing others to step up,” said Paul, who founded the Clean Air Coalition to fight aggressively against PSC. “She was sitting on the fence.” 

Smith argued, however, that Maio has worked for a solution to the odors emitted by PSC. Some people, however, wanted to get rid of the plant altogether. “She’s rejected that position,” he said. 

Paul said Maio is a council ally of Mayor Tom Bates, whom he accused of trying to develop Berkeley into a “megalopolis.”  

But Smith argued that Maio subscribes to development along transit corridors, which is consistent with the General Plan. “Building along transit corridors is protecting the neighborhoods,” Smith said. 

In her campaign statement, Mitchell calls herself a “whistle-blower” and “do-gooder.” Speaking to her strengths, she said: “I tend to see details and put them together. If something is wrong, I’ll go to bat for the people.”

A book scheduled to be released next month revives decades-old charges that California attorney general candidate and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown had close ties with individuals related to organized crime during Brown’s tenure in the 1970s as governor of California. 

Written by respected investigative journalist Gus Russo and published by the American division of British publishers Bloomsbury, the book, Supermob—How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America’s Hidden Power Brokers, charges in part that during the 1970s, Brown took campaign contributions from mob figures and, in return, granted them political favors. 

Russo has written several books on organized crime, including The Outfit: The Role of Chicago’s Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America, Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK, and Gangsters and Goodfellas: The Mob, Witness Protection, and Life on the Run.  

It is unclear what effect the release of the book will have on the November state attorney general’s race, where Brown has a comfortable lead both in the polls and in fund-raising over Republican challenger state Senator Chuck Poochigian. It does not appear that Bloomsbury is attempting to capitalize on the Brown allegations to sell the book; mention of Brown does not appear anywhere in the publisher’s publicity releases. 

Ace Smith, a campaign consultant for the Brown campaign, called the allegations “wacky and nutty” and “laughably idiotic.” When the Daily Planet offered to fax the Brown campaign copies of the passages from Russo’s book that make reference to Brown, Smith said, “I don’t need to see any passages from the book to make a comment. This is like talking about Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. These allegations have about as much credibility as Al Capone’s vault.” 

Kevin Spillane, a representative of the Poochigian campaign, had not heard of Russo’s book until called by the Daily Planet for comment. Spillane said that the Poochigian campaign “is declining comment at this time, until we’ve had time to take a look at the allegations and do our own independent research.” 

In his upcoming book, Russo repeats  

allegations that Brown ran for governor in 1974 with the help of several figures with alleged organized crime ties, including the powerful Hollywood attorney Sidney Korshak, whom the Bloomsbury book describes as “the underworld’s primary link to the corporate upperworld” and “according to the FBI, [the] player behind countless 20th century power mergers, political deals, and organized crime chicaneries.” 

Korshak, who died in 1996 and is described by Russo as a “pal” of Brown’s father, Governor Pat Brown, has a thick online file on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website that alleges extensive ties to organized crime. Russo writes that a 1978 report on California’s Organized Crime Control Commission issued by then-California Attorney General Evelle Younger called Korshak “the key link between organized crime and big business … A U.S. Justice Department official has described Korshak as a ‘senior advisor’ to organized crime groups” in several states, including California. 

“When Brown enlisted electronics mogul Richard Silberman … as his chief fund-raiser [for the 1974 campaign],” Russo writes in Supermob, “it quickly became apparent that the same Chicago money that had transformed California in the forties would continue to play a key role in the seventies. (Silberman would be convicted in a 1991 FBI drug-ring money-laundering scheme.) Thus, with a brilliant media campaign, massive contributions from the likes of Lew Wasserman, Jake ‘the Barber’ Factor, and later Sidney Korshak, Brown defeated [Republican State Controller Houston] Flournoy by 175,000 votes.”  

In return, Russo alleges in his book that Brown gave favors back to alleged mob figures, including appointing the brother-in-law of Teamsters union leader and Korshak associate Edward Hanley as one of the directors of the California Agricultural Association, which Russo says “named the concessionaires at all the state’s racetracks and county fairs.” 

Russo alleges that profits from these concessions were later “skimmed” off and sent to reported mob figures. In addition, Russo alleges that Brown once tried to close down the Hollywood Park racetrack as a favor to Korshak, who Russo says “was … trying to pave the way for an organized crime takeover of the facility.” 

The racetrack allegations were so widely reported in California at the time that they later became the subject of a series of Doonesbury cartoons by Gary Trudeau. In one Doonesbury strip reprinted in Supermob, Trudeau depicts a reporter talking on the telephone to a Brown associate only named “Gray,” a reference to then-Jerry Brown Chief of Staff Gray Davis. “Let me get this straight, Gray—who exactly did Jerry solicit the contribution from?” the reporter asks. “A guy named Sidney Korshak,” ‘Gray’ answers. “He’s the local low-life, an alumnus from the Capone mob.” 

Brown was quoted in Time Magazine in July of 1979 that he thought the Doonesbury cartoons were “false and libelous, but I’m flattered by the attention.” 

When Gray Davis ran for governor in 1998, the San Francisco Chronicle made reference to the old allegations, with political reporter Robert Gunnison writing that “Brown … appointed [Davis] to the California Horse Racing Board in 1979. It was a particularly volatile time for the panel. Critics said he was appointed to help Service Employees International Union clerks during a strike at Golden Gate Fields. The union’s lawyer, Sidney Korshak, was alleged by the state attorney general to be an organized crime figure.” 

In his upcoming book, Russo alleges that Korshak’s influence on California governors was not limited to Brown and his father, but also included Ronald Reagan. Russo also alleges that Korshak sought to help Brown achieve higher office past the California governship, writing that “Korshak’s Service Employees Union … dispatched workers and cars” to New Hamphsire in 1979 “to assist Brown’s effort” in the primary against Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. 

Some of Russo’s information concerning the allegations of the Brown-organized crime connection came from the Berkeley Daily Planet reporter Richard Brenneman, who wrote news articles on the issue in the 1970s while a reporter with the Santa Monica Evening Outlook. Brenneman is listed in the book as a source.

The Berkeley school board met Wednesday for the first time after summer vacation. Mateo Aceves took the oath of office as the new student school board director for the coming school year. 

Warm water pool 

Advocates of the warm water pool urged the board to work with the city manager’s office to build a new pool for the city. 

The City Council has authorized the city manager’s office to look at developing a project for the relocation of the warm pool to the Milvia Tennis Court site, which belongs to the school district. Superintendent Michele Lawrence said that she has given the city an outline of the steps the district must take before it can consider handing over the property to the city. 

Anne Marks, a user of the warm water pool in Berkeley, told the board that community members as well as users of the pool were ready to be part of the solution in order to prevent the pool from being demolished in the next two years. Tom Ross, a disabled advocate and user of the warm pool, read aloud a poem he had composed on the warm pool. 

Mark Hendrix told the board that he was concerned about rumors that said that the community might end up without a warm pool and requested the board to look into the financial issues involved. 

Terry Doran, board president, reminded the public about the school board’s vote for the improvement of the Berkeley High South Campus, which included half of the land on which the warm pool exists. 

“We want to build a stadium on the property and not touch any of the buildings, which includes the building that houses the warm pool,” he said. “But this is a three-step program and it will take time. We are currently in the second step where we need to hire an architect, get a budget and do all kinds of planning. However, there are other issues to this—such as the safety issues of the building which houses the warm pool and how stable it is— which need to be considered.” 

Doran added that although he would be stepping down from the board in November he would remain committed on working with the community on solving the warm water pool issue. 

Student issues 

Francisco Martinez, manager of enrollment and attendance, read aloud from a student assignment report and discussed with the board such issues as student assignment, residency requirements and permits. 

Recently there has been a lot of talk about students who are illegally registering as Berkeley residents to get into Berkeley Schools. 

“Berkeley schools are viewed by East Bay parents as one of the last opportunities for their children to succeed and so it’s understood why they want to send their children there,” said school board member Shirley Issel. “But it is not possible to give a child a successful education if it is based on lies. Registering your child illegally breaks the chain of trust among the parents, the child and the school itself. I urge everyone to be honest and to go through a legitimate process.” 

The school district has stepped up efforts to verify proof of Berkeley residency. Currently, the parent or guardian must submit three documents showing residency in the city out of the following four options: 

• a California Driver’s License or ID; 

• a current bank statement; 

• an action letter from Social Services, a letter from the State Office for Medi-Cal, a letter from the employer on company letter head or a paycheck stub; 

• a PG&E bill, phone bill (non-cellular), EBMUD bill, garbage bill or cable bill. 

Martinez informed the board that lease agreements were not accepted as proof as they are easily forged. He also added that asking for additional forms of proof proved to be cumbersome for a lot of parents in this electronic age since most made bill payments online which did not leave a paper trail. 

A district employee will look into whether students reside at the addresses where they are listed during the year. Superintendent Michele Lawrence said that while the school district did not want to be an INS-sort of system, it was important to maintain a balanced check on the students. 

“We do not respond to anonymous calls because we don’t want families to snitch on one another,” she said. “Only if the caller leaves her name with us do we follow up the case.” 

School board member Joaquin Rivera said that main problem was whether there was any kind of overdue strain on the system as a result of the illegal students. BUSD currently has around 400 approved inter-district students, of which a third go to Berkeley High School. District officials said there was no way of gauging how many students were attending city schools illegally. 

Other matters 

Barry Fike, president of Berkeley Federation of Teachers, urged the board to better regulate how teachers are paid. 

“Restoring the Reserve Fund in order to use any further new money for compensation of teachers would put to rest the suspicion that it was being used for discretionary funding purposes instead of teacher compensation,” he said. 

The board also passed a motion to authorize Board President Doran to sign ballot arguments for Measure A. Measure A involves the renewal of two existing special taxes in the November elections that fund a large number of Berkeley teachers as well as other school activities.

Photo I.D.s, brand-new textbooks and lots of good advice marked Tuesday’s freshman orientation at Berkeley High for the Class of 2010. 

The air was thick with anticipation as the students trooped into the community theater, some excited, others nervous. 

“I have been here for only 30 minutes but I can already vouch for the fact that it’s going to be a great school year,” said Alex Niemeyer, 14, incoming freshman. “I am really looking forward to joining the rugby team.”  

Thaxter Ransom, who was entering Berkeley High from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, listened as Dean of Students Alejandro Ramos informed students about the school’s cell phone policy. 

“Students can use cell phones before and after school and during their break,” Ramos told them. “If we find students talking on their phones during class hours then their cell phones will be taken away.” 

Cell phone use in Berkeley schools had been the topic of an earlier debate at the Berkeley school board, according to BUSD spokesperson Mark Coplan. A lot of parents feel students should be allowed to use cell phones during school hours. 

Ramos also advised students not to use iPods on the school premises since it was possible to lose them.  

Long registration lines were a thing of the past at this year’s freshman orientation, thanks to the student volunteers who helped the incoming students register quickly.  

Ivory McKnight, director of student activities, said this has been one of the smoothest registrations she has seen in years. 

“We have had more volunteers than ever before,” she said. “The kids have been just great.” 

Besides registering, students also had their freshman pictures taken and received their schedules, new textbooks, I.D.s, badges and organizers. 

“We used to do this on the first day of school,” said district spokesman Mark Coplan. “But after Principal Jim Slemp took over he did not want students to waste three precious hours on the first day itself. So we get done with all this on orientation day, which works out just fine.” 

The freshmen were also taken on a tour of the classrooms, food court, football field, gym, library and other sections of the campus. 

“We got to know all the different letters of the buildings,” said Rachel Cherwick. “Our seniors pointed out all the good bathrooms to us.” 

Cherwich, who comes to Berkeley High from Prospect Sierra middle school in El Cerrito, said she is excited about attending a public school. “I wanted a change from my private school. Berkeley High is one of the top public schools in the country and I am glad I came here.” 

Rachel Chazin-Gray, who had also attended Prospect Sierra with her, echoed her thoughts. “I wanted to be part of something bigger. I am excited that I have, like, 800 classmates. It was awesome meeting them all today. I can’t wait to start school on August 30,” she said. 

Caprice Haverty, mother of an incoming Berkeley High freshman, said she was proud to be a Berkeley High parent. 

“She’s my first child in the Berkeley public school system and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity,” Haverty said. “She will get to learn new social skills and navigate the different complex systems. I feel that this is part of the education that she was missing out on in a private school ... We want to be part of the system and participate in it. The BUSD Is like a city within a city and we want to support it, not break it down.” 

Mateo Aceves, Berkeley High’s new student school board director, encouraged the freshmen to take part in student activities. 

“I love Berkeley High,” he said. “What is so great about being in a public school is that if you want to do something, be it debating, dramatics or even student government, it’s all there for you. Students should make the most of the great jazz club we have here and take advantage of our excellent arts and sports facilities. If you sit back and let Berkeley High happen to you then you are going to miss out on a lot. It’s important to seize the moment.” 

Mateo, a senior, also talked about some of the issues he wanted to take up as the student representative on the school board. “I want to discuss campus security, student accessibility and freedom of mobility.” 

Currently the policy at Berkeley High requires students to be either in the classroom or in the library, a counselor’s office or a specific area when not in class. Students are not allowed to hang around in public areas when they have no classes. 

Mateo said he also wants more gates to remain open during school hours. 

“Right now only the front gate on Allston and Milvia remains open after school starts in the morning,” he said. “More gates staying open would help in better mobility and allow students to enter from other directions as well.” 

Vincent Malmrose poses for his freshman class picture in the Berkeley High gym on Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Riya Bhattacharjee.

With hallways and classrooms still filled with construction tools and rubble and workers only taking a short break to make way for brief speeches and a hurried open house public tour, the Peralta Community College District cut the ribbon this week on the new $65 million downtown Berkeley City College campus a day before fall semester classes were scheduled to begin. 

“It’s been a long gestation process, burdened with broken promises, polemics and an awful lot of politics,” Peralta Trustee Cy Gulassa told a crowd of some 250 gatherers on a narrowed portion of Center Street blocked off for the continuing construction. “But at long last, thanks to the midwifery of a team of visionary leaders, Peralta has finally delivered.” 

Gulassa called the new college “one big beautiful baby, 65,000 square feet from head to toe and weighing thousands of tons, … ready to shout ‘I’m here!’ to the community and its big Berkeley sister just down the street.” 

With workers in hard hats listening as they lounged on nearby cranes, eating an early lunch, trustee Nicky Gonzalez Yuen paid tribute to “the men and women of the building trades field who put hand to stone, laid the tile, and poured the foundation. Keep those folks in mind as well as the dignitaries.” 

City College President Judy Walters, who recently received her doctorate and quipped that she can “now be called Dr. Judy,” said the opening “represents over 30 years of hopes, aspirations, obstacles, and dreams. The cutting of the ribbon symbolically releases all those energies.” 

Berkeley City Councilmember Daryl Moore, who served as a Peralta trustee during the time the Berkeley City College construction was being planned, said in an interview following the ceremonies that the opening was “an exciting event that was a long time coming. It’s too bad we had to fight that long. But we certainly feel vindicated.” 

Dale Bartlett, a former aid to Berkeley City Councilmember Maudelle Shirek and now a Peralta consultant, said the building was a tribute to Shirek, who he said was “really the spirit and force behind the school.” 

Bartlett said it was “too chaotic” to bring the elderly Shirek to the opening, but promised she would appear sometime at the end of the year for the planned grand opening for the new City College facilities and the naming of the auditorium in her honor. 

The genesis for the new building came several years ago when several Berkeley leaders, including Shirek and now-Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, threatened to split the college—then named Vista—away from the Peralta District because of allegations that Peralta was not funneling a fair share of resources into the college. A citizen lawsuit was filed containing the same allegations, and settlement negotiations between the plaintiffs and the district eventually led to the promise to build the new Berkeley campus. 

Bates told gatherers at the opening ceremony that he “took pleasure in sitting across the street in his office, watching the college rise beam by beam, day by day.” 

But despite the enthusiastic words at the opening, much work is left to be done at the college, with Walters telling the crowd that “we are not occupying all of the areas [of the college] at this time.” 

In the ground floor reception area, concrete dust still covered the unfinished floor, a wooden barrier with a notation “Stair Closed” blocked one stairway to the lower floor, and standing at the bottom of the central atrium, silver-wrapped heating ducts were clearly visible through the open ceilings of the floors above. Several shelves in the library were still empty of books, and in one computer laboratory, only half of the tables had been put up, with no computers in sight. Stepladders, extension cords, unattached molding, and boxes of construction equipment were strewn everywhere. 

In a side hallway off the reception area, a series of work tables with signs indicating “Financial Aid,” “Admissions & Records,” “Drop-In Counseling,” and “Assessment & Orientation,” were busy with students trying to sign up for the new semester. 

Computer instructor Carolyn Jarvis dropped in to survey the room, saying that she had a class scheduled there for 9 a.m the next morning. “I’m going to give a lecture,” Jarvis said. “Obviously, we won’t be able to use the computers.” 

Peralta Chief Financial Officer Tom Smith wandered in, and to a remark that the premises “seemed unfinished” replied that “you should have seen it last week. They’ve made amazing progress in a short time.” 

Even as visitors toured the computer lab, workers filed in behind them, picking up their tools and getting back to their work of assembling the desks and tables. 

Some people were upbeat and optimistic. Dolores Harshaw, a student worker, said that “I think [the new college facilities are] great,” adding that even with the disruption, the new college was a decided improvement “from where we were” in the old and crowded Vista College rented facilities a block away. 

Still, Harshaw conceded that “we haven’t been able to get into our offices, yet. I don’t even know if we’re going to be able to do it tomorrow,” the first day of class. 

In the bathroom, some teachers were decidedly more disgruntled, grumbling among themselves about the unfinished state of affairs, saying, “Judy’s [Walters] dreaming if she thinks this will be ready.” 

Flushing the urinal, one of the teachers remarked, “Anyway, at least one thing works.” 

At the UC Berkeley back-to-school media briefing on Wednesday, Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau made the announcement of a new position in the UC system—vice chancellor for equity and inclusion—deemed to be one of the first such cabinet level positions in the country. 

Chancellor Birgeneau said that the new post would “enhance significantly” his administrative goal. He added that unlike high-level equity advisers at other colleges and universities who often have no staff or authority, Berkeley’s new vice chancellor would have minorities, people with disabilities and the LGBT community as “tools to enhance access, climate, and inclusion.” 

“We need to prize our diversity and learn from it and to appreciate people for being part of the whole but also for what they as individuals bring to Berkeley.” Birgeneau said. 

The chancellor is currently in the process of putting together a committee to begin a national search for the vice-chancellor position after Labor Day. No candidates have been short-listed so far, according to Janet Gilmore, UC Media Relations. 

The chancellor also announced a consortium, led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), that will respond to the U.S. Department of Energy’s call for bio-energy proposals. 

According to Lynn Arris, spokeperson for LBNL, the project is called the Joint Bio-Energy Initiative (JBEI).  

“The Joint BioEnergy Institute is a proposal in response to the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement that it will provide $250 million in funding for two new Bioenergy Research Centers,” he said. “The goals of JBEI are two-fold. First is to develop the science and technology needed to convert cellulose into fuels, especially ethanol for transportation; the second goal is to explore and develop other means of producing biofuels. The lead institute for JBEI is Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Other partners will include UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco and UC Davis, Stanford University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory.” 

The JBEI proposal is led by Jay Keasling, director of Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division, and a professor of chemical engineering with UC Berkeley’s Chemical Engineering Department. Keasling is regarded as a pioneer and one of the world’s leading authorities in the field of synthetic biology.  

Chancellor Birgeneau also announced that the campus had raised just under $348 million in gifts and pledges in the past year. It is “by far the largest amount ever raised at Berkeley” and “at or very near the top” among public universities (excluding medical-school contributions), he said. He described this accomplishment as “frankly extraordinary.”  

The chancellor, however, added a caveat with respect to the increasing burden that financially disadvantaged students have to bear, which is usually more than $30,000, supplied through work and loans by the time they earn their bachelor’s degree. 

He said that he was hoping that the state would come up with a new financial-aid program that looks at a mix of private and public funds and added that he was holding discussions about this with interested parties in Sacramento. 

The chancellor also talked about a “slow but sure” rise in under-represented minorities in the incoming class of 2010; he explained that over the past several years the percentage of under-represented minorities had been “creeping up” from 12 to 16 percent in incoming classes.

While the Democratic Party tent might be big enough for hawks such as Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton and radicals like Cynthia McKinney and Maxine Waters, there’s no room for people of other political stripes, most notably Green Party members. 

Locally, most Democratic clubs refuse to endorse non-Democrats. (One exception is the Cal Berkeley Democrats who endorse Greens in non-partisan races, according to club president Suzanne Reucker.) 

Most local clubs welcome Green contenders to their candidates’ events but will not endorse them.  

“State Party bylaws say you can only endorse Democrats,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington, president of the East Bay Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Democratic Club. 

“There have been no heated debates over the issue” in the LGBT club, Worthington said. 

One Oakland-Berkeley-based club, however, may challenge party rules. The Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club has invited to its Sept. 7 endorsement meeting. Oakland District 2 incumbent Pat Kernigan, a Democrat, and challenger Aimee Allison, a Green. 

In keeping with the club’s tradition of hearing from Democrats and non-Democrats, both candidates will address club members. Then, according to Jack Kurzweil, one of the club’s seven co-coordinators, the members could opt to endorse one or the other candidate. Kurzweil believes that many will wish to endorse Allison, though others—even supporters—will not. He predicts that a debate will ensue over whether or not to challenge the party rules and endorse a Green. 

If the club were to endorse the Green candidate, Kurzweil says that among the Wellstone members, “there are many political judgments as to the possible consequences,” including revocation of the club charter. 

And some people believe this is not the right fight to pick with the Democratic Party, Kurzweil said. The decision will be made collectively: “We are a ‘small d’ democratic club,” he noted. 

While most of the Democratic Clubs endorse strictly Democrats, individuals are free to endorse whomever they choose, according to Jack Lucero Fleck, newsletter editor for the John George Democratic Club. In fact, attorney Walter Riley, who co-chairs the John George club, has been devoting much time and energy in recent months to campaigning for Allison. 

Similarly, LGBT Democratic Club president Worthington is endorsing Green Party stalwart Councilmember Dona Spring, his most consistent City Council ally; he has also endorsed Allison in the Oakland race. 

While they don’t endorse non-Democrats, many clubs, such as the affiliated clubs that put on candidates’ events together—John George, the LGBT club, the Niagara Democratic Movement, and others—invite candidates from other parties in the non-partisan races to speak. Whether to do so is a question debated among East Bay Young Democrat members, said Edie Irons, president of the club that serves people mostly in their 20s and 30s. 

“We’re still figuring out how to get an accurate picture of the races,” Irons said. 

Allison said she appreciates being asked to appear at Democratic club endorsement meetings. “The high murder rate among young people, the lack of affordable housing—these are bread and butter issues that transcend party issues,” she said.  

Allison is supported by traditional Greens such as Spring and former Oakland Councilmember Wilson Riles. But she also points to her support among Democrats such as Board of Supervisors President Keith Carson and Berkeley Councilmember Laurie Capitelli, as well as organizations that traditionally endorse Democrats such as the Alameda Council Central Labor Committee and the Sierra Club. 

Spring criticized the Democratic Party endorsement rules: “It’s absurd for clubs to have a rule (to endorse Democrats only) for the non-partisan races,” she said. “All these Democratic Clubs are shut to me. What really counts is someone’s politics, not their political affiliation.” 

Spring noted, on the other hand, that the Green Party endorsed Democrat Ron Dellums for mayor of Oakland and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland-Berkeley, for Congress. “The party affiliation is not as important as the candidate’s record,” she said. 

A member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, Maggie Gee, defended the rule that clubs endorse Democrats only. If the Democrats started endorsing people from other parties “we’d be all over the map,” she said. “If there are good Green candidates, we’d like them to become Democrats.”

August 26  

Black Women Organized for Political Action, East Bay Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual/Transgender Democratic Club, John George Democratic Club, Niagara Democratic Movement, Oakland East Bay Democratic Club 

Interviews with candidates. 

10 a.m., Prescott Joseph Center, 920 Peralta, Oakland. 510-436-7682 

August 31 

Berkeley Democratic Club 

Endorsement meeting for mayor, city council, EBMUD and school board 

7:30 p.m., Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 510-843-3219 

August 31  

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce 

Meet the Candidates: Council districts 1, 4, 7, 8 

Members $15 with RSVP; nonmembers $30 with RSVP; $40 at door 

8 a.m., Skates on the Bay, 100 Seawall Dr. 510-549-7000 

September 7  

Wellstone Club  

Discussion and vote on candidates and propositions not yet endorsed: 

• Berkeley: Council Dist. 8, auditor, rent board, mayor 

• EBMUD and Regional Parks boards 

• Oakland: Council Dist. 2 (discussion of endorsing a non-Democrat); Peralta Dist. 7 

6 p.m. potluck; 6:45 meeting. Humanist Hall, 390 27th St. 510-548-7645 

September 11 

East Bay Young Democratic Club 

Interview: Berkeley City Council District 7 and 8, Peralta  

7-9 p.m. Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline Ave. 510-334-1344 

September 17 

Berkeley Progressive Coalition Convention 

Debating and endorsing local candidates and measures and some state propositions. 

2 p.m. Washington School Auditorium, 2300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way; enter McKinley. 510-540-1975 

September 18 

East Bay for Democracy Candidate Night  

Interviews and endorsements for the following: Oakland auditor, Berkeley Mayor, Peralta Trustee Dist. 7, Berkeley City Council Dist. 7 and Albany City Council. 

6:30 p.m., pizza; 7 p.m., program. Redwood Gardens, 2951 Derby St. 

September 24 

Berkeley Citizen’s Action 

Endorsement meeting 

3 p.m. North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 510-549-1208 

September 28 

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce 

Meet the Candidates – mayor’s race 

Members $15 with RSVP; nonmembers $30 with RSVP; $40 at door 

8 a.m. Skates on the Bay: 100 Seawall Dr. 

510-549-7000 

October 19 

Le Conte Neighborhood Association 

Candidates Night  

7:30 pm. Le Conte School, 2221 Russell St.

By the time I finally learned how to pronounce Oakland documentary filmmaker Yakpazua Zazaboi’s name without stumbling over it, he had dropped out of sight and I lost contact with him for a couple of years. Yap, as he’s called on the streets, was the premier videographer of Oakland’s Sideshow Movement in the years between 1999 and 2004, recording hours of footage at the immense after hours gatherings at the Pac ‘N Save parking lot on Hegenberger and then, when the police chased the events into the neighborhoods, following them into the heart of the neighborhoods of Deep East Oakland.  

The Oakland sideshows gave birth to an entire video genre. Yap’s 2001 Sydewayz Volume I documentary was far and above the best of the group, an effort to both celebrate and explain rather than to sensationalize. The film captured the reality of the gatherings so well that once Oakland police played excerpts at a public meeting at Eastmont Mall set up by Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid to try to build public support for the first of a series of police and political crackdowns on the events. Yap didn’t so much mind the use of his footage without his permission as he did the fact that the police had shown only the provocative parts with drivers doing donouts in the middle of the street, while leaving out the portions that showed incidents of police misconduct, or the interviews of participants telling why they were out there. When Zazaboi objected to this slanted editing, he was hustled out of the meeting by police officers. 

That wasn’t the only time he met resistance from Oakland authorities for his efforts. At another meeting on the sideshows at Frick Middle School, Councilmember Reid publicly accused him of using his videotaping activities as a cover for drug dealing. Though Yap readily admits that he had once briefly slung dope while growing up in San Francisco—like many other young African-American men of this era—he had been out of the game for years, long ago giving up dealing crack for developing creative arts. For a while after the release of Sidewayz Volume I, however, he was forced to leave town to keep the heat off of him from the Oakland police. 

In this, Yap’s experiences were reminiscent of another Oakland journalist and creative artist a hundred years before, who made a living as a young man stealing oysters from the rich, privately owned beds up and down the bay, and was once arrested for making a speech endorsing socialism in the square in front of Oakland City Hall. That young Oaklander later went on to some fame as the novelist, Jack London, for which we named both a square and the tree in City Hall Plaza in front of which he was arrested. 

Like London, Zazaboi is both provocative, doggedly persistent, and a perfectionist. Despite the fact that Sydewayz Volume I was universally praised as a first effort and was good enough to win a Black Filmmakers Hall Of Fame award for community film, it wasn’t good enough for Yap himself. Around 2003 he began slowing down his shooting of raw footage, telling friends and supporters that he was spending time paring down his vast collection of sideshow videotape footage into a second volume that would be “of more professional quality.” He continued to perfect his editing as a student in the Media Department at Laney College, getting so good craft that teacher Oji Blackston eventually gave him the virtual run of the department and its equipment, often calling on Yap to help tutor other students who needed special attention. In the two years between 2004 and 2006, associates passed on the word that he was hard at work editing Volume II, taking so long because he wanted to get it right. 

On Tuesday night of this week, Yap showed up at the Grand Lake Theater and threw his newly-released Sydewayz—Get Hypy video on the screen to show what he’s been doing all these long months. It was worth the wait. 

Where Sydewayz Part I showed the potential of an up-and-coming local talent, Sydewayz—Get Hyphy is talent realized, a polished, professional, incredibly brilliant effort that does what every documentary filmmaker dreams of: it puts the viewer in the middle of a world—on its own terms, in its own words, with its own views and visions and pulsing energy—that most of us could never, otherwise, possibly enter. 

Backed by a driving, infectious soundtrack, the opening shot of the video shows the standard sideshow scene, a car doing intricate maneuvers in the middle of an East Oakland parking lot, tires squealing, yellow smoke all but obscuring a single young man who bounces and waves his hands in the air as he steps effortlessly in and out of the auto’s path. 

Seeing this scene—so similar to what we’ve watched in television news footage for the past five years—most adults will shake their heads and wonder “what the hell?” and “why?” 

Without lecturing, using the participants’ own words and impressive footage sometimes shot from inside the spinning cars themselves, Zazaboi’s new documentary shows how unnecessary and unanswerable that question really is. Sideshow driving—when done by the best performers—is a combination of bucking bronco riding and dancing, intricate, rhythmic maneuvering on the back of a powerful, wild animal. Why do people stop their cars in the middle of an intersection to spin a donut? You might as well ask why men become rodeo cowboys, or people dance the tango or do the electric slide. Sometimes, things are done for the thing itself, and for no other reason. 

For those who either don’t have the high-performance cars needed to perform the sideshow street maneuvers, or else don’t have the skills or “handles” to pull them off, there is the option of playing the matador, standing in the middle of the spinning circles and letting the bumpers miss you by inches. Sometimes the bumpers don’t miss, and the new Sydewayz video shows two spectacular pedestrian collisions. Dangerous? Certainly. Dumb? Some would say most definitely. But then, it is no more dumb and dangerous than the men who annually get out in the streets of Pamplona and run with the bulls, risking getting tossed and gored in an event celebrated in literature—Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises—and venerated as an example of Spanish culture. 

Sideshows are not part of Spanish culture, and that is part of the problem with why Oakland has not made a serious effort to find a place for them that satisfies their need for release and recreation and does not disturb our neighborhoods. Sideshows are not of Mexican origin, either, though many of Oakland’s Chicano youth have participated in the events and are some of the most proficient drivers. But shown through the eye of Zazaboi’s lens, you immediately see the distinctly African roots of the sideshow phenomenon, from the hyphy head-bobbing to the rhythmic car maneuvers reminiscent of the calling up of primeval beasts. And not the polite, Europeanized Africa so often seen in some of the larger, coastal cities, full of pretty prints and proper ways, but the heart of the continent, the deep bush, Congo Africa, what the author Joseph Conrad castigated as the heart of darkness, and what the rap group Public Enemy said made some people fear a black planet, but also the symbolic spot within where so many young African-Americans now retreat inside themselves to find form their own communities and find comfort and non-judgmental acceptance. It is the part of Oakland many of us—black, white, or other—don’t like to talk about, or even acknowledge. 

But the new Sydewayz video allows Oakland to stop, for a moment, the unproductive debate on whether or not we should allow sideshows on our streets, instead to focus on the incredible talent hidden in our midst. With the release of this video, Yakpazua Zazaboi has broken through that veil of obscurity and proven himself as a creative powerhouse. He’s on his way. But there are others out there, still nameless, passing us by in anonymous waves, staring at us out of deep, dark eyes, wondering when they will be noticed, and what they must do to be seen. We may find them annoying and even frightening and we may not like or even understand how they express themselves. But then, many of them probably feel the same way about us. 

Sydewayz—Get Hyphy is the opening sentence in a new Oakland dialogue. The question is, what will we say back?  

[For sake of full disclosure, I appear in the video in a small, non-driving role. I hope that doesn’t stop anybody from seeing it.] 

The men in the office slept on the floor, had to forego bathing and ate rations provided by the National Guard, but they were able to broadcast nonstop after the devastating hurricane. The men were five dee jays for 1540 Radio Tropical Caliente, some of the workers for the ethnic media of New Orleans that survived Katrina to provide first response services and eventually overcome financial blows and play a role in the rebirth of the city. 

Upon the one year anniversary of hurricane Katrina ethnic media shared their survival stories. 

After a two-day evacuation, the dee jays returned to their offices in New Orleans to provide critical survival information in Spanish and help Latino residents connect with loved ones. 

As business owners canceled ads, severely cutting the station’s revenue, radio host Azucena Viaz said people from the community came to their rescue. They donated gasoline for their generator, some even bringing it from Houston. Viaz said the station played a crucial role for the Spanish-language community. 

“We established a beachhead of good will,” she said. 

One day, Viaz and her editor, Ernesto Schweikert, received a call that 300 people, including children, were living in a warehouse with two bathrooms and no kitchen. 

When they reached the site that housed laborers, security guards were angry with them. Schweikert and Viaz argued that the laborers were promised $10 and were paid $7 and were living in these filthy conditions. 

Rather than risk further exposure, the security guards then told the people in the warehouse that immigration was coming, a de facto firing of all 300 workers. 

As the workers rushed out of the warehouse, Viaz was in tears. “What can you do now,” she asked some of them. But her station helped call attention to the situation of unequal pay. One of the workers told her, “Don’t worry. We are just happy you came and demonstrated that Spanish people are not alone.” 

Viaz said the station is now doing great financially. She said the Hispanic community had grown substantially with new restaurants, discos, and stores opening. 

After fleeing to Atlanta, Terry Jones, publisher of the 40-year-old New Orleans Data News Weekly rounded up writers who lived in Atlanta, sent reporters down to New Orleans and found a printer in Atlanta to replace the one in New Orleans that was wiped out. With the help of associate Cheryl Mainor, he was able to go beyond CNN coverage to give information on the location of displaced people, salvaging property and dealing with FEMA. 

They called friends in Houston; Jackson, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Alexandra and arranged to ship the newspapers to New Orleans for distribution in shelters. They effectively became the “voice of the black diaspora” in the year following Katrina. 

Their crowning achievement came with the election season. With editors, photographers, sales people and reporters in a temporary office in New Orleans, they reported on the New Orleans election and facilitated the participation of displaced residents. 

The election was good for business but even better for people threatened by disenfranchisement while mired in temporary housing in distant cities. As one of the major conduits to the displaced, the Data News Weekly ran six and seven pages of ads with voting information paid for by the state of Louisiana. Jones put the entire newspaper online so that people could download it and stay informed about how to vote. 

“Everything was at stake,” said Mainor, “how the city was to be rebuilt and whether people were to be able to return.” 

With the information from the Data News Weekly, thousands displaced by natural catastrophe were able to vote. They came by bus to New Orleans to vote or faxed or mailed their ballots. 

Mainor said the future looks bright for the Data News Weekly. They are rebuilding in New Orleans and slowly regaining their ad base. 

The Vietnamese Americans displaced by the hurricane received essential information and support from the Vietnamese media. Thuy Vu, CEO of Vietnamese-language Radio Saigon Houston, said the day after Katrina hit, the station directed Vietnamese to a shopping mall in Houston where they could find food and shelter and other information in Vietnamese. 

The radio also went on the air to search for residents in Houston who could take in these displaced as well as provided a bulletin board to unite children with parents. 

Other ethnic media did not fare so well after the hurricane. The 21-year-old Vocero News of Kenner, Louisiana serving the Hispanic population of the Gulf Coast, New Orleans and Mississippi has ceased publication. The vibrant weekly had a circulation of 60,000. Their telephone service was disconnected and the last posting on their website was for their weekly of May 20-27, 2005. So too, the telephone service for the editors of Little Saigon News of New Orleans is disconnected. 

The Louisiana Weekly, a proud family-run newspaper since 1925, also had a difficult time. Executive Editor Renette Dejoie Hall, whose grandfather founded the operation, said the two days after the Katrina hit they returned to take down the server and computers and move everything to Houston. 

By Oct. 24 the Louisiana Weekly was publishing on-line and print editions. Unable to hire back her staff, Hall said people worked as volunteers. 

“They donated their time and effort while they had other jobs and were trying to deal with the quagmire,” she said. 

It took until this past Aug. 18 for Hall to make her first payroll in 11 months, down from 21 to four employees. 

Before Katrina, the weekly had a press run of 25,000. Hall said they were down from this but that the exodus of blacks from New Orleans was exaggerated by the mainstream press. She was hopeful for a regeneration of the black businesses and their ad revenue even though businesses have found it difficult to obtain loans. 

“Banking has not been forgiving. To get an FDA loan, they want the business owners to provide tax records back to 1993, but the records were under 10 feet of water and no longer exist,” said Hall. 

Diversity is not just a lofty abstraction: it tastes great, and you can dance to it. With the exception of the wet months, the Bay Area calendar is full of street fairs, music festivals, parades, and other events where you can hear everything from mariachi to taiko and sample endless variations on grilled-meat-on-a-stick. 

A sampling follows, and my apologies to anyone whose favorite event I’ve inadvertently omitted; write to the Planet if you have suggestions. Once again I tried really hard to find a local observance of Loy Krathong, the Thai celebration where you apologize to the spirit of the waters, but no luck. 

Oakland Chinatown StreetFest, Aug. 26-27: A pan-Asian event, bigger than anything in San Francisco; martial arts demonstrations, music, food. (510)893-8988. 

Art and Soul Festival, Sept. 2-4: A multi-block Labor Day weekend party in downtown Oakland. Rickie Lee Jones headlines. http://www.artandsouloakland.com 

Scottish Gathering and Games, Sept. 2-3: Watch out for the caber! Food (haggis at your own risk), music, dancing, sheep dog trials, falconry exhibits. Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton. www.caledonian.org 

Arab Cultural Festival, Sept. 17: Food, dance, crafts, with a side of politics. San Francisco County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. (415) 664-2200. 

How Berkeley?! Parade and Festival, Sept. 17: Is Berkeleyan an ethnic group? A philosophy? A cult? You decide. The parade down University Avenue ends at Martin Luther King Park with more entertainment (hip hop, samba, and cosmic rockabilly), Interactive Theme Villages, and a beer festival. 644-2204. 

Ardenwood Cajun/Zydeco Festival, Sept. 23: Local and Louisiana talent perform at Fremont’s historic Ardenwood Farm. Zydeco matriarch Queen Ida Guillory heads the bill. There’ll be gumbo and crawfish, of course. www.ebparks.org/events/zydeco_06.htm 

Sebastopol Celtic Festival, Sept. 21-24: Mostly music—Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Celto-Spanish, Cape Breton, Quebecois—in a great outdoor venue. Sebastopol Community Center. (707) 823-1511. 

Reggae in the Park, Oct. 1-2: Legendary bands, tasty Caribbean food and culture. Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. (866) 384-3060. 

Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 7: Pow-wow dancing and drumming, traditional and modern arts and crafts, frybread, bison burgers. Martin Luther King Park, Berkeley. 595-5520. 

San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade, Oct. 8: Columbus and Queen Isabella preside over North Beach’s big day, with wine tasting in Washington Square Park. http://sfcolumbusday.org/parade 

Oktoberfest by the Bay, Oct. 12-15: Closer than Munich. Organizers promise “nonstop music, dancing, and singing”; the Chico Bavarian Band headlines. Fort Mason, San Francisco. (888) 746-7522. 

Vietnamese Tet Festival, January 2007: Celebrate the Lunar New Year in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district with the people who brought us banh mi. (415) 351-1038. 

Cherry Blossom Festival, April 2007: For two successive weekends, taiko and tako in Nihonmachi; classical and folk dances, martial arts. Remember, it’s a good thing if the lion bites you. Japantown (Post and Buchanan), San Francisco. (415) 563-2307. 

Ukulele Festival of Northern California, April 2007: All ukuleles, all day, with occasional hula. Kalua pig and other island treats available. 

Hayward Adult School, 22100 Princeton St., Hayward. (415) 281-0221.  

Portuguese Pentecostal Festival, seven weeks after Easter, 2007: Not a fiesta—a festa. Half Moon Bay. (650) 726-2729. 

Oakland Cinco de Mayo Festival, May 2007: Celebrate the end of one of Napoleon III’s really bad ideas, when Mexico defeated French imperial troops in the battle of Puebla. International Boulevard between 34th and 41st Avenues, 535-0389. Other Cinco de Mayo events in San Francisco, Berkeley and elsewhere. 

Polish Festival, May 2007: Polka til you drop. Folk dance and choral performances, art exhibits, food. County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. (408) 396-3023.  

Norway Day Festival, May 2007: Experience Norwegian culture and cuisine at Crissy Field, San Francisco. www.norwayday.org 

Festival of Greece, May 2007: Souvlaki, bouzouki, maybe ouzo in the Oakland Hills; dancing with and without tables. Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, 4700 Lincoln Ave., Oakland. 531- 

3400. 

Himalayan Fair, May 2007: Safer than Katmandu—music, dancing, arts, and crafts from the Roof of the World, plus curries and handmade momos. Live Oak Park, Berkeley. 869-3995. 

Carnaval San Francisco, May 2007: A couple of months later than the rest of the world, but it’s colder here in February than it is in Rio or Trinidad. San Francisco’s version centers on a huge parade through the Mission District. (415) 920-0125. 

Fiesta Filipina, June 2007: This Independence Day bash at San Francisco’s Civic Center is the biggest event of its kind in the United States, with cultural events and a beauty pageant. www.fiestafilipinausa.com. 

Israel in the Gardens, June 2007: More than just falafel; this year’s event featured Israeli pop stars, a fashion show, and a backgammon tournament. Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco. (415) 512-6423. 

Juneteenth, June 2007: Commemorating the day that word of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas, this celebration of African American heritage also features music, food, and crafts from Africa and the Caribbean. Adeline Street, Berkeley. 655-8008. 

Japantown Bon Festival, July 2007: Another Nihonmachi event, this one marking the Festival of the Souls. Don’t miss the sake barrel cracking ceremony. www.sfjapantown.org 

Eritrean Western USA Festival, August 2007: Listen to exotic Red Sea beats and learn how to handle your injera. Wood Middle High School, 420 Grand Ave., Alameda. 986-1991. 

Nihonmachi Street Fair, August 2007: Japantown hosts a celebration of Asian and Pacific cultures, with great street food. Post Street between Laguna and Fillmore San Francisco. (415) 771-9861. 

San Francisco Aloha Festival, August 2007: Polynesia (and Micronesia) at the Presidio. Hula, slack key guitar, canoe races, island-style plate lunches, miles of vendors. Parade Grounds, Presidio of San Francisco. (415) 281-0221. 

International Dragon Boat Festival, August 2007: Drums propel the rowers at Oakland’s Jack London Square. 452-4272. 

Pistahan Festival, August 2007: The Bay Area’s Filipino community follows a parade down Market Street with music, traditional dancing and hip hop, art exhibits, and an adobo cook-off. Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco. (415) 777-6950. 

Festival of India, August 2007: Fremont’s Indian community hosts a two-day event with Bollywood celebrities and a dance competition.  

www.fiaonline.org. 

State Assemblymember Wilma Chan, who co-sponsored legislation that led to the state takeover of the Oakland Unified School District in 2003, says that contract negotiations to sell Oakland Unified School District Lake Merritt-area property that were authorized in that legislation “should be slowed down” until more information can be obtained about the controversial deal. 

Saying in a telephone interview this week that “we are getting conflicting information” about the details of the proposed contract between state Superintendent Jack O’Connell and east coast developers TerraMark/ UrbanAmerica, Chan (D-Oakland) stated that she believes the negotiations should be extended beyond the current Sept. 15 deadline called for in the negotiating agreement between the state and the developers. 

Chan co-sponsored the 2003 OUSD takeover legislation with state Senate President Don Perata (D-Oakland). 

Under the proposed contract being negotiated, TerraMark/ UrbanAmerica would purchase 8.25 acres of OUSD property that sits on land near the Lake Merritt Channel, which connects Lake Merritt with the Oakland Estuary, with the developers planning to build five high-rise, luxury residential towers on the site. 

The OUSD administrative offices, three schools, and two early childhood development centers currently sit on the property. Originally, the TerraMark/Urban America proposal called for all of the OUSD programs to be moved from the site, but, under pressure from parent groups, the developers recently changed their proposal to allow MetWest High School and La Escuelita Elementary School to remain. 

All eight members of the Oakland City Council have already come out in opposition to the deal, and the OUSD board of trustees is preparing to vote next month on a proposal that would substitute a multi-grade educational center and a new administration building for the condominiums. 

In her telephone interview this week, Chan said, “If the deal doesn’t pan out economically, or if it causes too much disruption for the students whose schools are slated to be moved [under the proposed contract], I won’t support the deal.” 

Chan said that she has asked for more information on the deal from O’Connell’s office, and is planning a meeting with school board members in early September. 

Chan’s call for a delay in the OUSD property negotiations stands in contrast to Perata, who has gone no further than to say that he is “troubled that the vast majority of Oakland residents and elected officials have concerns about the current [OUSD property sale] proposal.” 

Perata made that statement in an Aug. 16 letter to State Superintendent O’Connell, sent after members of the Ad Hoc Committee to Restore Local Control/Governance to the Oakland Schools gave him that deadline to make a public statement on the proposed sale. 

In his letter, Perata told O’Connell that “I continue my request that you cultivate and heed community comment before making any final decisions on this property … Responding to their input is a necessity in the planning process.” 

In his letter to O’Connell, Perata reiterated his claim that the provision to allow for the sale of OUSD properties to help pay off the loan to the state was made “at the specific request of the Oakland Unified School Board.” 

Perata wrote that “it was also my intention that any plan for such a sale be appropriately reviewed and approved by the public and their elected representatives.” 

In March 2003, in the resolution that requested the state loan and triggered the state takeover of the Oakland schools, OUSD trustees included a provision that read “On or before June 30, 2004, the District be allowed to declare as surplus property and sell or lease such property on or before June 30, 2004, and use the proceeds from any such sale or lease to reduce or retire the State loan …” 

The provision is identical to the language Perata introduced into SB39, the OUSD state takeover legislation. 

However, three trustees who were on the board during the time of the takeover—Dan Siegel, David Kakashiba, and Gary Yee—could not recall who actually wrote the land sale/lease provision in the March 2003 board resolution and whether it was put in at the specific request of board members or was simply part of the language drafted by OUSD staff members. 

In addition, the portion of the state legislation that allowed OUSD land to be leased and the proceeds used to pay off the debt were later taken out of the bill in the Assembly Appropriations Committee before the bill was passed by the full legislature and signed by the governor into law. The move was significant because it left the state superintendent only with the option to sell district property to help pay off OUSD’s state debt. 

In a telephone interview this week, Assemblymember Chan said she had no idea how the lease provision was taken out of the takeover bill. “I wasn’t even aware that it had been taken out,” Chan said, adding that “all options for the use of the property should be made available to the district.”

When Ehren Watada signed up for the army, he thought he was being patriotic. But after talking to veterans returning from Iraq and studying documents that showed Bush had lied about weapons of mass destruction there, the 28-year-old lieutenant became convinced that the patriotic position was to refuse deployment to Iraq. 

Preliminarily charged with contempt toward President George W. Bush, conduct unbecoming an officer and missing a movement, Watada faces the possibility of a court-martial and more than seven years in prison. 

“After 9/11, he wanted to do something to serve the community, to serve the country,” said his father, Bob Watada, over coffee Monday morning in a South Berkeley café. The elder Watada is in the Bay Area this week speaking at more than a dozen events from Santa Cruz to Santa Rosa in an effort to bring pressure from “the court of public opinion” to bear on the military. 

“I’m trying to publicize my son’s cause and publicize what’s going on in Iraq,” Watada said. 

Lt. Ehren Watada was not a young rebel, his father said. Growing up, he was an “A” student and an Eagle Scout. He graduated with a degree in business from Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. 

When the twin towers fell, he was studying at the university and working at Federal Express. “The media was telling us that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam Hussein was a tyrant,” Watada said. “There was a build up of fear and paranoia.” 

Ehren Watada joined the military in 2003. 

“I wasn’t too keen on it,” said his father, who opposed the Vietnam war and avoided serving in it by joining the Peace Corps, then going to graduate school. “But it was important for Ehren to make his own decision.” 

During basic training Ehren was selected to go to officers’ school, then served a year in Korea, after which he volunteered to go to Iraq, believing, at the time, that the war was just. 

An artillery officer stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash., he was told, however, that he would have to wait for a year to be deployed. During that time the lieutenant began talking to veterans returning from Iraq and reading documents such as the Downing Street memos and reports about the tens of thousands of Iraqis the Americans had killed. 

He also learned about the brutality the United States inflicted on the people of Felluja and the torture committed by his fellow soldiers. He began to see “how Bush had lied and violated the constitution,” Watada said. 

In the latter part of 2005, Lt. Watada started talking to his superiors about the fact that he did not want to go to Iraq. He did not ask for conscientious objector status, believing that not all wars are unjust. At that point, he was told, “’We’ll put you in the Green Zone and you can do paper work,’” Watada said, adding that the military did not understand that his son was saying that he did not want to participate in any way in a war he saw as illegal. 

Lt. Watada then asked to resign from the army, something that officers are permitted to do in times of peace. They refused, Watada said, noting, “The military is short of officers,” 

At that point Lt. Watada got in touch with Honolulu-based attorney Eric Seitz to help him get out of the military. (Seitz, partly raised in Berkeley, is the son of the late political activist Jules Seitz.) 

“He thought he could get out quietly and not embarrass the military,” Watada said. 

June 7, Lt. Watada went public, declaring in a press conference that he would not serve in Iraq: “My participation would make me party to war crimes ... As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must as an officer of honor and integrity refuse that order.” 

On June 22, when his unit was deployed, Lt. Watada refused to board the airplane, thus becoming the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to fight in Iraq. 

Lt. Watada continues to perform deskwork on the base in Fort Lewis, where the reaction to his refusal has been mixed, ranging from thanks and support to death threats, Watada said. 

Last week the army held an Article 32 hearing to decide if the military will court-martial Lt. Watada and what the charges will be. Recommendations coming out of the hearing will be released in a few days. 

“We appreciated the opportunity to lay the groundwork to prove that the war in Iraq is illegal and that Lt. Watada, coming to this conclusion after much research, was duty bound to refuse to participate,” said attorney Seitz in an Aug. 17 press statement. 

Asked whether he wanted to put the Iraq War on trial during an eventual court-martial, Seitz, in a quick phone interview from Honolulu, said, “That is our intent.” 

He added that he hoped the judge would allow the defense the freedom to speak to the illegalities of the war as they had in the Article 32 hearing. “That’s our defense,” he said. 

Bob Watada, father of war resistor Lt. Ehren Watada, will be speaking in Berkeley this week at the following locations: 

• Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Room 242, Cesar Chavez Student Center, UC Berkeley, 812-8026 

• Wednesday, noon, Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley, 579-2711 

• Friday, 10 a.m., Northern California Japanese Christian Theological Forum, Berkeley Methodist United Church, 1710 Carleton St., 548-3614 

• Saturday: 7-9 p.m. Berkeley Friends Church, 1600 Sacramento St. 

For other events call 528-7288 

Student test scores at Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) charter school dropped significantly in two key areas from last year to this, according to a report on the California Standards Test (CST) recently released by the California Department of Education. 

Meanwhile, students at the mayor’s Oakland Military Institute College Preparatory Academy (OMI) continued to test at the lower end of the scale.  

The drop in test scores at OSA and the continued low test scores at OMI put both of Mayor Brown’s charter schools at risk for being placed on the No Child Left Behind “school watch list” when the NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report comes out later this month. 

Both OSA and OMI failed to meet its AYP goals mandated by the federal law last year. A school receiving Title I money begins facing escalating consequences if it fails to meet AYP goals for two consecutive years. 

OMI operates at the old Oakland Army Base through a charter issued by the Oakland Unified School District, while OSA operates in temporary quarters near its proposed new headquarters—the Fox Oakland Building—under a charter issued by the State Board of Education. The arts school charter was turned down by both the OUSD board and the Alameda County Board of Education in 2003. 

A year ago, Mayor Brown was highlighting the academic achievement at his Oakland School for the Arts in his now defunct weblog, writing, “The Oakland School for the Arts (OSA), a public charter school I founded in 2002, scored a 9 out of 10 possible points on the Academic Performance Index (API).” 

When compared to other schools with similar demographics across the state, OSA scored a “similar schools” rank of 10. The nearest score attained by any other Oakland high school was a 4.” 

Brown also quoted a spring, 2005 Oakland Tribune article that “the arts high school opened by Mayor Jerry Brown in downtown Oakland 2.5 years ago is now officially one of the best schools in California, at least according to the latest rankings assigned to all public schools by the state.” 

In the same blog entry, Brown wrote that the Oakland Military Institute “uses ceremony, military courtesy and discipline to create a focused academic environment.” 

Two months later, another Brown blog entry said that “the mission of OMI is to provide a disciplined and inspiring framework so that students master college prep courses. The school aims to foster good character and leadership. Success is measured by how many students qualify for four-year colleges.” 

But the latest test scores provide a less enthusiastic picture of the mayor’s two charter schools in the past year. 

OSA student scores dropped 17 percentage points in ninth-grade English Language Arts (from 73 percent to 56 percent at or above proficient) and 8 percentage points in ninth-grade Geometry (from 42 percent to 34 percent at or above proficient) in the CST between 2005 and 2006.  

At the same time, OSA 11th-grade students made significant gains in English Language Arts testing between 2005 and 2006 (from 46 percent to 57 percent at or above proficient) and held virtually even in 10th-grade English Language Arts testing from last year to this. 

Overall, OSA students tested weaker than the statewide average in math and science stronger in English Language Arts this year. In 9th grade Geometry, OSA students tested 11 percentage points below the statewide average with OSA students at 34 percent at or above proficient to 45 percent statewide. OSA students tested below the statewide average in 10th grade Algebra and Geometry and 11th grade Chemistry as well. OSA students tested 24 and 21 percentage points above the statewide average in 10th and 11th grade English Language Arts, though the OSA testing advantage in the same subject dropped to 8 percentage points in among 9th grade students.  

Only in 10th grade Science did OSA students hold even with the statewide average in non-English courses, testing at 38 percent proficient or above to 35 percent statewide. 

The drop in OSA testing is reflected in a growing dissatisfaction with the staff and administration at the school posted by parents at the GreatSchools.com website. Great Schools is an independent national rating and evaluation website for K-12 schools. Parents are allowed to post anonymous evaluations. 

In March of this year, one parent wrote that “teacher and student turnover is extremely high. Our experience has been that the director and the board only want to showcase the ‘best of breed’ in order to raise funds for the school without regard to the artistic development of all the students.” 

In May, one parent wrote, “There is a lack of communication between parents and staff,” with another adding “Oakland School for the Arts may ‘seem’ like a good school, but it really isn’t. The administration does not like to keep the lines of communication open between themselves, the parents, and the staff. Forty nine teachers have left the school so far between one year.” 

In July, another parent wrote that while their son “loves the school … he has been disappointed in some of the staff being let go. … I wanted to take my child out because I am unhappy with the way the school operates but my son does not want to leave. … He is a visual art student and is willing to put up with all the problems in order to accomplish his goal.” 

Meanwhile, test scores at Mayor Brown’s Oakland Military Institute remained low, with sixth-grade students testing 14 points below the statewide average in English Language Arts and 11 points below in math, seventh-grade students testing 30 percentage points below the statewide average in English Language Arts and 20 percentage points below in math, eight-grade students testing 17 points below the average in General Mathematics, 10 points below the average in English Language Arts, 18 points below the average in Algebra, and 21 points below the average in Geometry, ninth-grade students testing 6 percentage points below the statewide average in General Mathematics, 8 points below the average in English Language Arts, and 38 points below the average in Geometry, and 10th-grade students testing 9 points below the statewide average in Algebra, 15 points below the average in Science, and 23 points below the average in Chemistry. 

OMI students tested better than the average in one area, with eighth-grade students beating the state average by 14 percentage points in Science. 10th-grade OMI students tested at exactly the statewide average in English Language Arts. 

Biotech Partners, formerly Berkeley Biotechnology Education, Inc/BBEI, received a surprise $150,000 grant from the Bayer Foundation on Wednesday, which reaffirmed Bayer Corporation’s commitment to the model biotechnology school-to-career program that the company established with the city of Berkeley 13 years ago. 

The grant was announced at Posters 2006, Biotech Partners’ annual event which highlights the achievements of 33 students from Berkeley High School and Oakland’s Life Academy of Health and Bioscience after they conclude their first summer internships in the biotechnology industry. 

Students have an opportunity to intern at leading biotech companies such as Bayer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Kaiser Permanente, among others. 

The event, which included a poster presentation of displays of work completed in the students’ internship program, was attended by State Superintendent Jack O’Connell.  

Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the country’s first African-American female astronaut, was the keynote speaker.  

The grant will go on to help Biotech Partners build up its educational services to local high school and community college students. As the Bay Area’s only non-profit organization providing a “comprehensive and innovative hands-on, bioscience education and job training program” for students who are underrepresented in the sciences, Biotech Partners has achieved tremendous success and national recognition since its inception in 1993. 

“The grant is indicative of Bayer’s continued support to fund students who are economically backward,” said Deborah Bellush, Executive Director of Biotech Partners. “We hope others will take this as an example of how companies can partner with us to contribute towards education as well as the community and in the process have a pool of work-ready skilled employees to hire.” 

Bellush added that when Bayer founded the 30-year development agreement with the city in 1993 to set up the biotech facility, the community had wanted to know what the city would get from this partnership. 

“Bayer being a German Company emphasized the hands-on training that students would get out of this program,” she said. “They especially wanted to target a certain population, such as students who are not on the four-year college track, students of color and also women. What was developed was a curriculum in high school and community college which would provide hands-on on-the-job training as well as a paid summer internship for those who were eligible for it.” 

Students from Berkeley High School and Oakland’s Life Academy are recruited by Biotech Staff in their sophomore year. 

“We visit English classes, science classes, talk to counselors and parents at Berkeley High School,” Bellush said. “A lot of students get to know about this program through word of mouth. At the Life Academy, students who join our program are mostly those who are interested in health sciences.” 

Bellush added that after completing high school, students who were enrolled in the program could go on to a four-year college, a community college or attend the Bio-Science Career Institute at Laney college that is part of the program. 

High school students are also placed in eight-week paid summer internships, and freshmen-year community college students in one-year paid co-op worker positions at local biotech companies, healthcare institutions and research laboratories. 

Berkeley High’s student body president Tarissa Waldemar, who interned at Bayer Laboratories in Berkeley this summer, described the experience as “life changing.”  

“I learned so many new technologies, practices and met so many interesting and intelligent people at the electrophoresis lab at Bayer,” said the 17-year-old who will be a senior this fall. “I always knew I wanted to major in the sciences in college but now I know I want to go in particularly for biochemistry. It’s really amazing how so many other doors open up through this internship. I would definitely recommend it to students who are interested in a career in the health sciences.” 

Rebecca Lucore, spokesperson for the Bayer Foundation, told the Planet that the program’s success rate helped to win this additional grant. 

“Biotech Partners usually receives $25,000 to $30,000 annually from Bayer as part of the development agreement,” she said. “However, the program has grown so much and done so much for the community that the Board of Directors at the Bayer Foundation wanted to step it up and award them a separate grant. This $150,000 is separate from the development agreement and will be used over a three-year period.” 

Lucore added that the board was very impressed with the successful graduation rates in the program, which was one of the factors that decided the awarding of this grant. 

“Students who have joined the program in the eleventh grade have enjoyed a 98 percent graduation rate as compared to the 70 percent state average,” Lucore said. 

Crystal Simon, a 2002 graduate of Biotech Partners, said the program helped her to obtain the kind of skills she needed to get a job in the heath care industry. She landed her job in the Department of Purification at Bayer Pharmaceuticals in Berkeley right after graduating from high school. 

“The program helped with tutoring, with providing night classes and lots of hands-on training,” Simon said. “On the whole, it helped me to get to where I am today.” 

Photograph by Mark Coplan 

Summer intern and BHS student body president Tarissa Waldemar explains her project to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

UC Berkeley custodians welcomed students moving into southside dormitories with an informational picket line on Sunday, calling on the administration to give them fair wages. 

“What we want is pay equity,” said William Schlitz, spokesperson for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents the custodians. 

A UC Berkeley custodian with five years seniority earns $12 an hour, he said; a five-year custodian at the Peralta Colleges earns $18.30 an hour. 

Schlitz pointed to a recent study by the California Budget Project that shows that in Alameda County single people need an hourly wage of at least $13.41 to support themselves. 

“And most of the folks have families,” he said, pointing to the “pay excesses” of UC executives that have been well publicized this year. 

“And they can’t find the money?” he asked rhetorically. 

Schlitz, who spoke to the Planet on Monday, said the Sunday picket went well. “We educated a lot of students and their parents,” he said. 

The custodians’ contract comes up next year, but Schlitz said the university could negotiate earlier if they wanted to. 

“We’ve been talking with UC about pay equity issues for 14 or 15 months,” he said. 

Marie Felde, spokesperson on UC Berkeley administrative matters, was not available for comment before deadline.

After more than a decade crunching numbers as the head of Berkeley’s Finance Department, E. Frances David will be making a shift south to become assistant city manager in Hayward. 

Her resignation follows a few other notable departures of city staff in recent weeks. Earlier this summer, City Clerk Sara Cox resigned to become Napa’s city clerk, and Tom Myers, acting economic development manager, tendered his resignation last month. 

David’s last day in Berkeley is Sept. 15; she will begin her job in Hayward 10 days later. During her time off, David said she’ll be celebrating her mother’s 100th birthday. 

David came to the city as assistant to the city manager in the Planning Department in 1993 and transferred to finance as acting director in 1996. Before working in Berkeley, David was chief of staff for Oakland Councilmember Dezie Woods-Jones. 

Calling her new position an “opportunity,” David said during her time in Berkeley, she’s been able to “grow and learn.” 

Among its duties, the Finance Department is charged with providing information to city government on accounting, investing and debt financing. It oversees procurement and parking citations. 

Deputy City Manager Lisa Caronna, acting as city manager while Phil Kamlarz is on vacation, credited David with the re-organization of her department and providing accurate revenue projections. She said David was responsible for centralizing purchasing and creating savings in that division. 

Caronna said that the city always looks at a change of management as an opportunity to make changes. She noted, however, that it was too early to comment on what those changes might be. She also could not say who would take over as acting manager. 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he hoped the city would find a manager who would upgrade the city’s on-line possibilities, including the ability to fight parking tickets on line. 

Calling David a “good manager,” community activist Barbara Allen of Budget Watch commented: “Fran David followed through and always got back to us with information.”

Pacific Steel Casting Corporation will hand over their health risk assessment report to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in the first week of September, according to Elizabeth Jewel of Aroner, Jewel & Ellis Partners, the company’s public relations consultants.  

Pacific Steel, located on Second Street in West Berkeley, was sued by the air district on Aug. 14 for “failure to meet statutory deadlines for reporting emissions, and for violating the schedule contained in a 2005 Settlement Agreement designed to resolve an ongoing series of air quality complaints.” 

BAAQMD has also ordered the court to fine the company $10,000 for every day that it fails to submit the emissions inventory report, which has already been delayed by two months. 

The City of Berkeley and neighborhood groups are also waiting to get their hands on this report. The city and the public will have access to the report only after the BAAQMD receives it. 

Communities for Better Environment, an environmental watchdog group, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction on Thursday and asked the court to order Pacific Steel to stop violating their 2.5-ton emission limit from source 14, which is reportedly one of the main sources for the facility’s emission production. 

Neighborhood groups such as Cleanaircoalition.net have planned to get together with Green Action for Health and Environmental Justice and other environmentalists on Sept. 16 for a Pacific Steel protest march to demand the release of the heath impact emission reports.

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches on Aug. 29, displaced Americans from Louisiana and the Gulf Coast have been slowly rebuilding their lives and looking for a place to call home.  

While Katrina’s black victims shop the housing market, calling realtors and potential landlords, one thing may be standing between them and their new homes even before an appointment is made or paperwork filled out—their voice. 

It’s called linguistic profiling.  

A study of five states done by the National Fair Housing Alliance and linguistics expert John Baugh revealed in 66 percent of phone tests administered by white and black testers inquiring about housing as Katrina survivors, “white callers were favored over African-American callers,” the report said.  

“Yes, people do use the telephone as a screening device in many, many businesses,” Baugh said.  

Shanna Smith, president and CEO of the Washington-based NFHA, said the organization’s report on “Housing Discrimination Against Hurricane Katrina Survivors” showed repeated bias in a number of areas, including black testers not getting return phone calls, and being quoted higher rent prices and security deposits.  

“In Birmingham, a white tester was told that a $150 security deposit and $25 per adult application fee would be waived for her as a Hurricane Katrina victim. She was also told she needed to make 2.5 times the rent to qualify for the apartment. The African-American tester was told that she would have to pay $150 for the security deposit and a $25 application fee for each applicant. The African-American hurricane survivor was also told that she would have to make three times the rent to qualify for the apartment,” the report stated. 

The testing took place in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, and showed instances of white testers being offered free televisions and partially refunded security deposits. But those offers were not extended to black testers, who were often saddled with additional administrative fees that were non-refundable.  

“It’s a different kind of behavior in discrimination from the ‘70s until now where they would just simply say we don’t have anything available. Now they try not to trigger suspicion so they may say, when do you need it or I won’t know until the end of the month, when in fact, they may have three or four apartments available right now. But if you’re the caller that sounds reasonable,” Smith said.  

Smith, whose organization has worked with Baugh since the early 1990s, said another tactic that is used is asking a potential renter or buyer for their name to be put on a waiting list and “Names that didn’t sound middle America White, they didn’t get the return emails about availability.”  

The current trend happening with the Katrina victims is no surprise to either Smith or Baugh.  

Baugh has logged thousands of calls, since 1987, using testers of different races and backgrounds, including himself.  

Baugh, an African-American man, started studying the practice of linguistic profiling after his own personal experience when he was looking for an apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

“I was calling various landlords to go look at apartments and in about two or three cases, I got there and they told me there had been some mistake and the apartments had already been rented. And it just didn’t seem right to me and I speculated that they didn’t realize I was African-American when they made the appointment with me. But once they saw me in person they came up with some excuse. They didn’t say, ‘No, we don’t rent to Black people’ but they came up with some ‘unquote’ legitimate excuse,” Baugh said.  

He found the questions from the landlords varied, depending on the voice they heard, but Baugh, who flawlessly uses three different voices—a “Latino rendition, modified African-American rendition and standard English”—always kept the opening line the same, “Hello, I’m calling about the apartment you have advertised in the paper,” he would say.  

“It’s exactly the same phrase. The only thing I’ve done there is modify the intonation. So it isn’t like I used the word ain’t or be or anything. Even if you use a certain kind of intonation, it is possible that somebody might discriminate against you just based on the sound of your voice over the telephone,” Baugh said.  

Baugh who just finished a five-year study with the Ford Foundation looking at the issue in the United States, has started a new two-year project with the Ford Foundation. This time, he’s examining linguistic profiling globally, for people of African descent in places like South Africa, Brazil and France. 

Baugh has also used his expertise in civil and criminal court cases. Many of the civil cases dealing with linguistic profiling have settled out of court. As for the criminal cases, he is developing ear-witness testimony in hopes of having a similar impact of DNA testing used to exonerate the innocent and solidify proof against the guilty.  

While Baugh says Black and Hispanic people in the United States are discriminated against heavily because of their voice, he also makes it very clear that linguistic profiling is not even limited to just those groups. 

“They (southern Whites) think they need to show up in person so the people there don’t think they’re Black. Even within any racial group, there is enough linguistic diversity you get different prejudicial issues coming up,” he said.  

But even Whites seeking diversity find that realtors and landlords are drawing the lines deciding where clients should live despite their wishes, said Smith, who is White.  

“As White people we get those direct comments made to us. I’ve been doing testing where people say, you’re going to like it here. We don’t rent to Blacks. I’ve been told when I’ve asked for housing in interracial neighborhoods, real estate agents will say, ‘well who will your kids date?’ It’s not going to be safe for you. It’s going to be better for you to move here. White people hear this all the time. The problem is they don’t know they can do something about it.” 

Smith said the Fair Housing Act strictly states that truthful information must be given to everyone who calls. 

If people feel they are getting different treatment, Smith suggested they can call one of the 100 fair housing centers in the country or the national office in Washington. The fair housing centers can have a White tester call in as little as 30 minutes and will compare the results. Both Smith and Baugh suggest keeping detailed notes of the experience.  

“We estimate there are close to 4 million instances of discrimination that occurs annually in the U.S. My members only report about 18,000 a year. HUD only gets around 3,000 complaints a year,” she said.  

But the reported numbers are so low because there are only 100 centers and states like California, Ohio and Michigan have multiple centers leaving other states without centers at all. “So you have thousands of cities that don’t have a private fair housing center,” she said.  

While everyone “accommodates linguistically” depending on the situation, be it a job interview or joking with friends, Baugh said people should not have to hide who they are but shouldn’t be naive to society’s biases either.  

“People should not feel they need to mask their linguistic background,” he said. “The United States should be the most linguistically tolerant nation on the face of the earth because our citizens come from everywhere. And because of the fact that all of our ancestors had to go through a transition where English was not their mother tongue … You should be free to speak in whatever way is comfortable for you and your fellow citizens don’t misjudge you.” 

Berkeley High School Principal Jim Slemp took some time off from his busy schedule recently to answer a few questions as he begins his fourth year as principal at BHS. 

Where did you work before you were at Berkeley High School? Did your original expectations of BHS turn out the way you that they would? 

Jim Slemp: Before I came here, I was deputy superintendent at Eugene, Ore. There were 24,000 students. I deliberately wanted to come to Berkeley High School, because I wanted to be principal of a large school. I love it. I absolutely love it. Probably the biggest thing is the students. We have amazing students. It brings me joy everyday. It’s one thing that I don’t like about summer. I just miss being around high school students.  

What was your high school experience like, and has this shaped how you view your job as principal? 

Slemp: I loved high school. I had a good time. I was involved in athletics. The longest time I was in one place was two years, which wasn’t very hard for me but was for my sister. It affects me in that I know how hard the transitions that kids make are. 

What are three of the biggest problems at BHS? 

Slemp: I guess first is that we have an achievement gap that falls along racial lines, particularly African-American males and Latino males. I think we have some things in place to help with that and we’re making progress. But it’s not fast enough for me.  

Second is that not all students are leaving here ready to go to a four-year college or university. I think that it is our job to get students there. 

Third would be attendance, because it relates to the other two. 

What are three of your goals for the coming year? 

Slemp: First, we have a new governance model that involves more students and parents on our school governance council, a combination of the School Site Council and the Shared Governance Committee. That’s kind of exciting for me, because it really distributes leadership and involves people more in the leadership process.  

Second would be implementing the international high school, because I think that this is a good thing.  

Third would be that we will have a school-wide advisory program a year from now, where all students have an advisor. The advisor will build relationships, monitor attendance, and help students be successful. 

Could you elaborate on your ideas for the International High School program? Is it a new small school?  

Slemp: No. It is a program like Academic Choice. And beginning with this year’s ninth-graders, students have six choices: four small schools (Communication Arts Sciences, Computer Partnerships Academy, School of Social Justice and Ecology, Art and Humanities) and two programs within the comprehensive school (Academic Choice, International High School). So there is no more straight comprehensive school. 

What are your plans regarding small schools at BHS? Is your idea that every student should be in a small school? 

Slemp: No. I don’t think that every student should be in a small school. I think that a school of 3,200 kids is too large. Part of the research around why some students aren’t successful is that they don’t have any connection—their school is too big, they are too hard to monitor and to be helpful to students. I don’t think that everyone should be in a small school. That’s the reason that I like that we have more than one option or one way to go. 

Has Berkeley High’s truancy problem improved over the past year? 

Slemp: It has improved a little, but not enough. There are two concerns. Concern number one is that [truancy] is the number one reason students, who fail, are failing. There are students who don’t go to class and know how to get by, that are successful. A lot of students can’t miss class. It leads to students not doing homework and then they fail the class.  

Second is that we lose money. That’s secondary on my mind. Obviously the superintendent and the school board would have a different view. It’s just how do we help all students to be successful. 

Are there going to be any new policy changes at Berkeley High this year? What is the new AP class switch-out policy? What is the reasoning behind the teacher rotation for AP classes? 

Slemp: There is no teacher rotation policy. The only thing is that teachers must have gone to AP training to teach the class. The AP policy has not changed. It has been that way for three years. It basically says that if you’re in an AP class, you need to take the test to get AP credit. If you don’t take the test, you still get credit for the class but just not the AP credit. You don’t have to pass the AP test; you just have to take it. Are there any new policy changes? Not that I remember at the moment. 

There have been rumors that if kids don’t return their books or replace them by the beginning of the school year that they won’t receive their schedules. Is that true? Are there other repercussions? 

Slemp: That is true and the purpose is that each of our textbooks costs about $100. They need to return it or pay for it. Then they can receive their schedules. 

What happens at orientation days next week? Are they important? What if a student is absent when their scheduled orientation day takes place? 

Slemp: They can come to attend another day. Orientation days are important in that you get your ID, get your pictures taken, get your locker, get textbooks (which we have not done before), and get your schedule. It’s kind of all that “get ready for school” stuff. If you don’t get it any of those days, or the Monday or Tuesday of the following week, you end up waiting all day, or half of the day, on the first day of school. It’s a pain and it’s boring. 

Describe one of your favorite moments at Berkeley High. 

Slemp: I like graduation, because it kind of culminates things. Watching seniors in that life-changing event is inspiring, seeing the quality of students that we have. 

Describe one of your least favorite moments at Berkeley High. 

Slemp: I suppose it is when we there are fights, and we don’t have too many fights, but when we do there are these masses of students racing after it. I find that very sad, because it is demeaning to other human beings. It’s one that gets to me the most. I have no particular solution to it, but it bothers me. 

There used to be school gardens down at the G and H-building. What happened to those garden programs? 

Slemp: They are still here. Actually the AP Environmental Science classes still keep them up. The other garden is the flower garden, which is kept up by the special education students. They are still there and looking pretty good really. 

Are there any plans to add any cooking programs at BHS? 

Slemp: No. Not at this point. We had one when I first arrived, but it was a joke.

The ever-estimable Nation magazine’s latest issue highlights, among other things, what the cover calls “the new nativism”—the most recent episode in the “America for the Americans” tendency that has been with this nation since its founding. One article traces its historic roots: all the way from Ben Franklin in the 18th century inveighing against German immigrants to Pennsylvania (now the belovedly quaint Pennsylvania “Dutch”) through anti-Irish riots at the beginning of the 19th century at the time of the Potato Famine immigration, on to the Chinese exclusion advocated by the Irish-American Dennis Kearney’s Workingmen’s Party in the West during the last part of that century, culminating in the 20th century charge against “hyphenated-Americans” led first by Theodore Roosevelt, followed by the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The 1965 immigration law reform was supposed to have put an end to national-origins quotas, but now all over the U.S. there’s a revival of crusades against Spanish-speaking immigrants both legal and undocumented. Xenophobia—the pathological distrust of outsiders—in other words is as American as cherry pie, as Stokely Carmichael was once castigated for saying about violence. 

Another piece in the same Nation might seem to be about a different topic, but is just another side of the same coin. African-American law professor Patricia Williams, a regular columnist, describes a nice camp which brings together children from war-torn areas to live together so that “they can learn about the humanity of those they have been raised to fear or kill.” But she contrasts this program with a couple of current cases now in the courts in which plaintiffs challenge the idea of diversity as a necessary coping skill which the public schools should be teaching. She characterizes this anti-integration rationale as “very dangerously circular—minorities have chosen their lot, so it’s entirely rational not to let them move into your neighborhood or mix with them in your schools…” Her own contention is that “schools…are a highly effective way to teach children to see past stereotype, if only we had the sustained will to mix them up—thoughtfully, consciously and across established social divisions.” Well said. 

But now a version of the new nativism seems to be surfacing in Berkeley, of all places. A “Berkeley for the Berkeleyans” policy is being enunciated in conjunction with the upcoming school board election. Here’s candidate David Baggins, Ph.D., a PoliSci professor at the school formerly known as Hayward State: 

“The heart of my campaign is a call to keep what’s wonderful about Berkeley schools while admitting honestly what is not. I particularly hope to address the issues of violence in the schools, the problem of historic under-enforcement of residency for registration, and the need to help low-performing students without holding back the other bright and inquisitive youths of Berkeley.”  

If that’s not clear enough for you, in July he wrote in a letter to the Planet saying that “…basic policies create both the achievement gap and the high violence rate… Of course African American students in Berkeley reflect Oakland under-achievement rates. They are, as anyone who observes after school traffic knows, substantially from Oakland. Berkeley is 13 percent African American. Berkeley schools climb to one-third African American substantially because of the unique BUSD policy of not enforcing legal residency. To some this unique policy is an extension of Berkeley’s quest for social change. To others it is yet another local government betrayal of the taxpayers and residential quality of life. Either way to word this unprecedented generosity as a curricular indictment is simply wrong.”  

In other words, if Berkeley’s test scores are bad and there’s violence in the schools, it’s because we’ve let in too many African-American kids from Oakland. And conversely, if we could keep those bad kids on the outside looking in, our own deserving kids would get an even bigger piece of pie. 

School board member John Selawsky and others have been quick to respond by defending the rigor of the current school administration’s efforts to exclude un-Berkeley students, though some think enough is still not being done. But what doesn’t seem to be playing a big part in the discussion is whether Berkeley-for-the-Berkeleyans as applied to our schools is good public policy.  

Baggins’ campaign slogan is “The Best Schools for Berkeley’s Kids.” Maybe I’m old-school, but I don’t think Berkeley kids would be getting the best schools if their schools were only 13 percent African-American. And it wouldn’t even be that high a percentage, because many if not most of Berkeley’s African-American residents these days are getting on in years, so the percentage of school-age African-American kids who meet strict residency requirements is probably a lot smaller. Living in Berkeley these days is much pricier that it used to be, and fewer African-American families can afford it. 

My three daughters got excellent educations in the Berkeley public schools in the ’70s and ’80s—not free from conflict or anxiety, but academically on a par with any in the country. They got in to fine colleges to boot. What they got at Berkeley High that they wouldn’t have gotten in Orinda or even Albany is the sense that they can be at home and okay anywhere in the world—that they can engage in dialogue with anyone without fear. The same teen-age divisions by race and class and academic track which existed then at Berkeley High still exist everywhere, even in all-white suburbs, but my kids benefited from many friendships which crossed lines. Because of this, they’ve been able to travel all over the place and do all sorts of interesting and exciting things with confidence.  

Parents are tempted to draw some sort of invisible line around their own homes and their homogeneous neighborhoods to keep their kids safe, but in the long run it won’t work. The parents who want to make sure that their children are firmly inside the Berkeley Bubble, that they always associate only with kids of a certain socionomic level much like their own, are not doing the kids any good in the long run.  

And then there’s the argument often made in support of bond issues and parcel taxes: that schools are not just the concern of parents and students, but of the whole community. As someone who’s long since passed the point of needing the public schools for my own kids, I subscribe to that argument, and support any school funding proposal they throw at us, as do most Berkeley voters. But I see myself primarily not as a dweller in the Berkeley Bubble, but as a resident of the Urban East Bay as a whole and of the world. I have just as much interest in the education of those Oakland kids who live ten blocks from my house across the border as I do in the education of Berkeley kids. I’m going to have to live with them, or close to them, when they grow up, after all. Until Professor Baggins started his campaign, I wasn’t aware of the extent to which the policy of the Berkeley public schools has evolved to favor the exclusion of outsiders, and I don’t much like what I hear.  

In fact—might as well put it all on the table—I allowed an African-American family who were not able to find a new home in Berkeley when their rental apartment was converted to owner-occupied to register their kids from my address until they found a legal place inside the city limits. Should I have been dreading a knock on my door by the school police some dark night? Of course if I’d really been worried I could have given them a “lease” to a broom closet at my house to keep the kids in their classes until their housing situation improved.  

From another Baggins letter:  

”Anyone who wishes to validate the extent of this issue need only take one afternoon in September to stand at the bus stops along Shattuck and wait for Berkeley High to let out. You will witness police deployed to monitor hundreds of students returning daily to other districts. It would seem that Berkeley’s police department has a greater awareness of the schools in this regard than the school-Board.”  

Or perhaps that Berkeley police are negatively profiling these kids They are, after all, the ones whose families care enough about them to send them to Berkeley on the bus because they can’t afford private schools. 

Baggins to the contrary notwithstanding, grandmothers and godmothers and friends of the family are going to go on doing what they need to do to make sure kids they care about are getting the best education they can provide. And what’s wrong with that? School Board candidates, please address this question. 

Over the weekend we received the e-mail reprinted [below]. Evidently the signers of the letter have been misinformed by someone for some reason. They say that “we recently requested a meeting with the Daily Planet Executive Editor Becky O’Malley. Ms. O’Malley refused to meet, stating ‘you won’t convince me of your position.’” 

That’s just not true. I don’t know who the “we” in this letter refers to. I have never met or spoken to a single one of the signers regarding the paper’s publishing of the letter in question. As far as I know, I have seen only one of them, Rabbi Raj, years ago when he appeared before city boards and commissions regarding his congregation’s building project. I might have met some of the other clergy at weddings or bat mitzvahs I’ve attended for members of their congregations, but if so I don’t remember it.  

About a year ago I exchanged e-mail with Rabbi Litman when John Gertz and other individuals were attempting to force the paper to apologize for printing a cartoon they didn’t like. She and others asked me to meet at that time with some people described as leaders of the Jewish community, and I readily agreed to meet with them, with the proviso that it be a public meeting—I don’t like to be bullied, which is less likely in public. I did meet with Gertz over lunch, but for some reason they were never able to get a larger public meeting together on their end.  

Perhaps the source of the signers’ confusion is that I did take a phone call about the Arianpour letter from one person not a signer, a woman who identified herself as “Tami from ADL.” I described the conversation at length in my editorial of Aug. 11. I didn’t refuse to meet her in person once my deadline was over, I just thought she might be wasting her time and mine, and I told her so. I offered her the alternate opportunity to make her point in print—she took me up on it, and I assumed that was the end of it. She never said she represented 23 “leaders of the Jewish community.” But maybe I should have realized I was being set up. 

My offer is still open. I will meet anywhere at any time with any of the signers of this letter, all 23 of them at once if they wish, as long as it’s an open public meeting. They can bring any other leaders of the Jewish community that they want to bring. Perhaps in return they might consider apologizing to me for circulating a letter saying that I refused to meet with them, which is not true. While they’re at it, they might also apologize for saying that “you have attempted to disrupt the harmony we all enjoy here in Berkeley,” a viciously unkind accusation.  

Friends have suggested that when the paper publishes letters from writers with whom the editors disagree, they should add a comment indicating their disagreement. The former editor of the Anderson Valley Advertiser used to do this in a very caustic vein, and it made for an entertaining paper. The problem is that on any given day I’m likely to disagree with about half of the letters and commentary we publish, which would make for a very lengthy paper.  

In this case, however, let me stipulate for the record that in my personal opinion the letter from the Iranian fellow was indeed very nasty, and I think that his comments about the history and motivations of the Jewish people amounted to untrue racist generalizations of the worst sort. But I still don’t think that keeping sentiments like this out of the Daily Planet will make him or people like him go away. The Middle East is full of anger, more now than a month ago. 

We do get and print nasty letters on other topics from outside the Berkeley Bubble. For example, in this issue there’s a letter that came in this week from a guy named Norm Grudman in New York about a Latina woman in Chicago who’s trying to escape deportation by seeking shelter in a Catholic church. (Just for the record, let me stipulate that I think that assuming all priests are pederasts is also bigotry.) 

We have printed several letters contradicting the Iranian correspondent’s point of view, and will undoubtedly print more. We still believe, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, that the best remedy for speech you don’t like is more speech.  

I understand that it’s painful for signers of the open letter to hear that people like Kurosh Arianpour have transferred their disagreement with Israel’s foreign policy to animosity toward all things Jewish. I’m sympathetic to their desire to share their feelings at a meeting. But I don’t think that denying Arianpour and people like him a forum will make anyone safer. After all, the Seattle incident was a week before his letter and half a world away from him. 

As I’m finishing this comment, I’ve just learned that Rabbi Raj has seen fit to corral a number of political allies to support his point of view, on the basis of the untrue statement that I refused to meet with “leaders.” Their letter is also in this issue. I’m sorry they neglected to check their facts before sending it. 

So now’s the time for all the signatories to all the letters in today’s paper, politicos included, to put up or shut up. Where and when would they like to have this meeting? Perhaps Mayor Bates would like to offer the Berkeley Community Theater, because I’m sure a lot of Berkeleyans would like to attend. 

Dear Sir or Madam,  

Following please find the text for a letter to the editor of your paper. Please note that the letter is signed by several leaders of Berkeley’s Jewish community. If you have any questions or if I can be of assitance, please don’t hesistate to contact me. Every good wish,  

Rabbi James Brandt 

Berkeley 

On behalf of the Berkeley Jewish community, we are writing to express our pain and disappointment at your use of your newspaper as a forum for promoting hatred against Jews. A commentary by Kurosh Arianpour, which you printed on August 8, was intended to antagonize and intimidate Jewish readers and to stir up animosity toward them. Our only solace is that we have heard from many Berkeley citizens who were as offended as we were by your decision to provide a platform for this bigotry. 

In his commentary, Arianpour claims that Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians and Babylonians (sic) and persecuted and murdered by the Nazis because “they do wrong to other people to the point that others turn against them...” A week before this letter appeared, a gunman broke into a Jewish institution in Seattle, killing one person and severely injuring several others. The next day, the white supremacist organization Stormfront posted on its website: “Jews deserve everything they get...we should support all of our friends who shoot/kill Jews!” 

Arianpour’s message is not only hurtful and hateful, but dangerous. Throughout our history we have seen how similarly despicable words can create a climate that leads to hateful and violent actions. It is bad enough to read such a message on the website of an extremist group; it is a serious breach of public trust to read it in a paper that professes to support the community. In order to share our feelings, we recently requested a meeting with the Daily Planet Executive Editor Becky O’Malley. Ms. O’Malley refused to meet, stating “you won’t convince me of your position.” Our “position” is that a Berkeley newspaper is no place for hate commentaries and that it should be a place for respectful dialogue. 

Our city has always prided itself on its commitment to promoting an open, accepting environment where people from all backgrounds feel welcome and included. We believe you have attempted to disrupt the harmony we all enjoy here in Berkeley. You owe us and the rest of the community an apology. 

Loren Basch, CEO, Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay 

Rabbi Andrea Berlin, President, East Bay Council of Rabbis 

Jonathan Bernstein, Executive Director, Anti-Defamation League, 

Central Pacific Region 

Rabbi James Brandt, Executive Director, Center for Jewish Living and Learning, East Bay 

Donald Brody, President, Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay 

Rabbi Yonatan Cohen, incoming rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley 

Rabbi David J. Cooper, Kehilla Community Synagogue 

Carol Cunradi, President, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley 

Sandra Curtis, Regional Board Member, New Israel Fund 

Myrna David, East Bay Regional Director, Jewish Community Relations Council 

Sanne DeWitt, Chair, Israel Action Committee of the East Bay 

Rabbi Stuart Kelman, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley 

Julie Kennedy, President, Congregation Beth El, Berkeley 

Hilda and Seymour Kessler, Founders, Bridges to Israel-Berkeley 

Rabbi Jane Litman, Rabbi-Educator, Congregation Beth El, Berkeley 

Rabbi Harry A. Manhoff, PhD , President, Board of Rabbis of Northern California 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj, Congregation Beth El, Berkeley 

Avi Rose, Executive Director, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of 

the East Bay 

Rabbi Yair Silverman, Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley 

Beth Sirull, President, Jewish Community Center of the East Bay 

Leslie Valas, President, Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley 

Ernest H. Weiner, Executive Director, American Jewish Committee, Bay Area Chapter 

Adam Weisberg, Executive Director, Berkeley Hillel 

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS 

By Myrna Sokolinsky 

“The three little pigs are an axis of evil,” 

The Wolfowitz claimed in this story medieval. 

The first little pig had no nuclear bombs 

So the Wolf bombed his house with no remorse or qualms. 

The second pig saw what the first pig went through 

So to enrich uranium is what he’ll do, 

But he won’t have the time to produce his defense 

Before Bad Wolfowitz bombs his own residence. 

The third little pig had a nuclear bomb 

So the Wolfowitz was unaccountably calm. 

“Negotiations is what’s needed,” said he 

And so in his house pig number three lived carefree. 

BERKELEY AT RISK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thanks to the Daily Planet for alerting us about the attempt to close the excellent South Berkeley senior lunch program. It seems nothing we love is deemed worthy of preservation by Mayor Bates and company who favor a redevelopment approach to planning. Landmarks, trees, parks, playgrounds, our ice-skating rink, school properties, the warm-water pool for the disabled, branch libraries, senior centers—all are at risk and the list is growing! 

Tom Bates gave up his salary as mayor to keep his assemblyman’s pension. So why is he here? It seems fair to say, after observing him for many months, that he is not serving us from the kindness of his heart but for the chance to fulfill his agenda. His stated priority has been “to get Berkeley developed.” It seems that our above-mentioned treasures are being readied as opportunity sites for the mayor’s developer friends. 

Government’s duty is to serve the people, not to steal from them and pillage their community. Some people believe that Mayor Bates and company are trying to destroy our city as we know it, to rebuild it as a safe harbor for their supporters and ideologies.  

I believe Tom Bates has tried to do some very good things. Before becoming mayor, he planned a development which would have electric “Batesmobiles” for seniors. Sounds good to me! Seniors often need a lift; it can give them a new lease on life. And furthermore, Berkeley needs clean air vehicles desperately, because our downtown and corridors stink from pollution and worse. 

Merrilie Mitchell 

• 

HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Steve Meyers, in an Aug.15 letter to the Daily Planet, made this claim: “Many, perhaps most, of the opponents of current building development trends agree that Berkeley needs more housing…”  

I certainly qualify as an opponent of current development trends, but could not agree less with this statement. While there might be an unlimited demand for rich historic buildings that people actually love and enjoy, the demand for “stunning new lofts” appears to be finite. 

A condo project on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, which has been on the market for approximately three months, is now advertising “New Prices!” Last Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle listed these units for sale, logically, in the Berkeley column of the real estate section. But the open house ad was also found under Emeryville listings as “Emeryville Alt” (alternative?). 

Is Berkeley the booby prize for those who can’t score a real Emeryville condo? A brief tour of Emeryville showed a town plastered with condo ads. “Human directionals” clutter the corners near half-finished projects, bouncing big signs pointing to the sales office. No dearth of new condos there. 

How are they selling? The real estate section of the Daily Planet featured an article about the Green City Lofts a couple of months ago. After approximately six months on the market, only 11 of 62 units had sold. According to the Alameda County Recorder’s Office, a total of 13 have now sold. I recently took a look at the building—nice, if you like ghost towns. 

Since no one is building historic houses these days, I’d like to see some evidence that Berkeley needs more housing of the variety that is being built. In the meantime, just call me a proud NIMBY who thinks we should protect and preserve the existing Berkeley, because that’s where we all live. 

Gale Garcia 

• 

POLITICAL SHENANIGANS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

On Aug. 15, tenants in public housing and the Section 8 program in Berkeley received a notice from the Berkeley Housing Authority, inviting them to an Aug. 26 community meeting at the South Berkeley Senior Center at 2 p.m. 

This same meeting was originally organized by Save Berkeley Housing Authority, a group of local Section 8 tenants, until the city manager seized control of the event in an effort to squash the tenant’s movement. 

Among other things, the tenant notice states that Section 8 vouchers are not at risk, and the notice was written in such a boring way that most people would not even bother to cross the street, to go to this community meeting. 

In the notice, there’s no mention that the Berkeley Housing Authority is in a crisis, that it’s on the verge of a HUD take-over, that police liaison Taj Johns has been chosen by the city manager to moderate the community meeting tenants are invited to, or that in April of 2007, FMR’s (Section 8 contracts) in Berkeley will be reduced in value. 

For political reasons, Berkeley’s power elite have chosen to use the full power of the city to do everything possible to keep Section 8 tenants from organizing their own event. 

When Section 8 vouchers in Berkeley are reduced in value during April of 2007, landlords will receive less in rents, tenant’s may have to pay more in rents, and most others will probably receive a notice telling them that they have been downsized and will have to move into a smaller rental unit if they want to save their Section 8 vouchers. 

This same scenario has been playing out all across the country in other locations that FMR’s have been reduced. 

Berkeley’s tenants and landlords should be aware of what’s in store for them in the near future, so that the tenants have more time to save the vouchers that are at risk. 

The Aug. 26 event would be the time and place to discuss the future of the Section 8 program in Berkeley, and tenants would be better served if the political shenanigans of Berkeley’s political elite, came to an end. 

As many people as possible need to show up at the Aug. 26, event at the South Berkeley Senior Center to ask why the city manager has seized this tenants event, for political reasons that have not yet been revealed. 

Lynda Carson 

Oakland 

• 

BUSINESS AS USUAL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It’s no wonder the Bush administration gets away with continuing to up the military ante. Most Americans (besides soldiers and their families) feel no real impact from the war. Emotional outrage is not the same as day-to-day reality. So why should anything change? 

Feedback mechanisms are basic to living organisms and systems. Where’s the mechanism to tell the president and Congress that carrying on business as usual during a state of war is not OK? 

I suggest freezing all tax cuts (obviously). Also freeze federal job pay raises at all levels, retroactive to the date when “we” declared war upon Iraq. It’s time to create an incentive for everyone. Please contact your congressional reps. Let’s get real.  

You don’t think this would work? Brainstorm the idea with your friends and come up with something better. 

Jean Hohl 

• 

MISUSE OF LANGUAGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In each of the four pieces by Sharon Hudson on NIMBYism I have found myself cringing. How can she credibly attempt to argue for inclusiveness and respect for all in an urban setting and simultaneously not include over 50 percent of the population when she repeatedly refers to “man” (I assume meaning the human race) and “mankind.” Gender neutral language helps foster to kind of inclusiveness I presume she is trying to foster and promote.  

Ruthanne Shpiner 

El Cerrito 

• 

NEW ORLEANS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Nothing these days raises my ire to the boiling point more quickly than the phrase: Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Why? Because, quite simply, a flood is not the same as a hurricane. It was the flood that devastated New Orleans, a flood caused by the breach of the levees, a flood that, as everyone knows by now, was predicted and could have been prevented. 

Marvin Chachere 

San Pablo 

• 

POLITICS OF FEAR 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

American’s indifference is what keeps the corrupt and benign Bush administration in power. With midterm elections approaching Bush and Republicans are trying to make Democrats scapegoats for their indefensible war. What will the GOP subject Americans to at the midterm elections? More politics of fear or will it be border politics this year? 

And let’s not forget the “Rovian Factor.” You can pooh-pooh Karl Rove’s politics all you want but he pulls a new scare tactic out of the hat for every election. 

Ron Lowe 

Grass Valley 

• 

TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley has a serious problem—its culture of tolerance is encouraging substance abuse in teenagers. 

I am writing this letter anonymously because I have a child, who is a Berkeley High School drop out, with a serious substance abuse problem. He began smoking marijuana in 9th grade, introduced to him at Berkeley High. He claims that there is nothing wrong with smoking it, because the police don’t care. He claims that he has had a friend, who was stopped by the police on MLK, driving, while stoned, with pot in his pocket, and without a driver’s licensed, with NO consequences. My son’s problem really got out of hand because my son’s also started dealing. And my son says once he is 19, he will just get a marijuana club card and can smoke and deal small quantities with impunity. 

Our family has lived in Berkeley since the 1970s. My children were born in Berkeley and attended Berkeley’s schools. I used to love it here. But I now see that this “tolerance” is in reality promoting substance abuse. 

I know that BHS students smoke every day in civic center park. I have personally seen police ride by on bicycles when a cluster of kids in the middle of the park were smoking. And of course the school does nothing. 

When I called the police, they told me that if my son was using narcotics (not pot), they recommended that I file a police report and they would arrest him. My son is now in a very expensive private center for teens with substance abuse problems. This is because there are no resources in Berkeley to help. 

The Mayor and Councilmembers have done too little to address this serious problem. What is the police chief doing? Crime is a major concern of mine.  

Why isn’t there enforcement?! Tom Bates, wake up!  

An anonymous and very upset parent 

• 

CANDIDATES FORUM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For a week and a half, we have been trying to schedule a south Berkeley mayoral candidates forum. The challengers have been cooperative, but we have not been successful scheduling the mayor. 

It took five days for Tom Bates’ chief of staff, Cisco deVries, to inform us that the first date we suggested, Sept. 21, was not available. It took him another three days to respond to us, on Monday, Aug. 21, that the second date we suggested, Sept. 20, was also unavailable. Mr. deVries’ Aug. 21 e-mail also stated, “it is probably better to look towards mid-October, as late September and early October are already quite full on [the mayor’s] schedule.” Then on Aug. 22, Tom Bates’ campaign manager, Armando Viramontes told our representative that he would have to get back to us to determine whether the mayor could make any one of the five new dates in mid- and late October that we had suggested. Yet on the same day, Aug. 22, Mr. Viramontes received and agreed to a request for the mayor to participate in a North Berkeley organization’s candidates’ night on Oct. 5. 

Why is Tom Bates giving South Berkeley the runaround? Is it because of the controversy over development at Ashby BART? Is he trying to minimize the publicity from our public forum by forcing us to hold our event as close to the Nov. 7 election as possible? Is he planning to show up at all? 

The neighborhood associations sponsoring this event represent thousands of south Berkeley households. 

Laura Menard, ROC Neighborhood Association 

Dan Bristol, Lorin Neighbors 

Robin Wright, Lorin Neighbors 

Kenoli Oleari, Lorin Neighbors 

Ozzie Vincent, South Berkeley Crime Prevention Council 

• 

SCHOOL BOARD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Thank you for your story on the upcoming Berkeley School Board elections. To delve deeper into my candidacy, I would like to state that I am a candidate for the School Board because as a parent of two sons in Berkeley schools, I see the promise of what the BUSD can be—a model urban district that uses our vast community’s resources to provide our children with the opportunity and support to bring out their personal best and prepare them for the challenges of our 21st century world—academically strong and ready to thrive. And, as a long time volunteer in the School District and as a senior manager in local government, I have the skills and experience necessary to bring about this vision. 

I have been an active parent in the School District for 10 years and have a proven track record of bringing together diverse school communities toward common actions that benefit our youth—most recently, as co-president of the Berkeley High PTSA. I have held many other leadership positions, both at the school site and District-wide level, including serving on the BSEP (school tax measure) Planning and Oversight Committee, the District Advisory Committee, and the governance councils of Washington Elementary and Longfellow Middle Schools. As a senior manager in local government, I have extensive budget, policy, and organizational development experience and have regularly facilitated community-based planning efforts and interest based negotiations. I also have experience in securing millions of dollars of private and public funds—working with regional public agencies and the business community. And, I have established relationships with our city, county, state, and federal elected representatives that can form the basis for expanding the resources available to help our children succeed. I am also a graduate of Brown University (Asian Studies/Comparative Politics) and have a graduate degree from UC Berkeley in Political Science/Public Administration. 

If elected to the School Board, I will have two priorities:  

1) I will work with our school communities as well as the wider community to develop a district-wide student achievement plan that sets priorities and determines core programs so that all of our students are challenged and supported to do their personal best—whether they are students with special needs, underachieving students, average students, or academically gifted students and which is tied to a sound fiscal plan that includes partnerships with local government, private foundations, the university and community colleges, non-profits organizations, businesses, and community groups. 

2) I will facilitate the creation of a much more open and inclusive School District, by insisting on a user-friendly comprehensive district budget format; advocating for the institutionalization of public advisory and oversight committees; and stressing two-way communication with the school and wider community around district finances, educational priorities/programs, safety/discipline, and other issues. 

I have been endorsed by the Berkeley Federation of Teachers as well as numerous elected officials and a spectrum of school community activists, including Janet Huseby, Jessica Seaton, Rebecca Herman, Mary McDonald, Michael Miller, and Carol Lashof. 

Karen Hemphill 

• 

RENT BOARD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It's amazing what intelligent and persevering citizens are capable of achieving. Laurie Bright and Roger Marquis, neither of whom is a lawyer, have managed to write and file a petition for writ of mandate and injunctive relief with the Superior Court of the County of Alameda asking for a rewrite of both the question and the city attorney’s analysis of the Landmarks Preservation Update 2006 Initiative, which is Measure J on the November ballot, adopted by the City Council despite vocal opposition by preservationists. The petition charges that the question and analysis are biased and contain untruths, and so should not be published in the Voter Guide. 

On this coming Monday, at 8:45 in Dept. 31 of the Superior Court, 201 13th 

St., Oakland (the Old Post Office Building), there will be a hearing on petitioners’ request for an expedited hearing, so that the writ can be heard before the Voter Guide is printed. Interested citizens should attend to cheer our citizen representatives on! 

Patti Dacey 

• 

ARROGANT REGIME 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Our Constitution and American way of life are under assault from an arrogant, authoritarian regime in Washington with no respect for the values of our founding fathers. Senate Bill 2453 would give them more room to violate the Constitutional checks and balances, and the rule of law. 

Dr. Taigen Dan Leighton 

• 

THE REAL ITALY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As an Italian-American concerned for family who try to endure and survive in the real Italy (as opposed to the romantic projections of American tourists), I appreciate your occasional articles on Italian culture and politics, including the brief, sinister view given on Aug. 18. To other interested readers, I recommend the new book about Berlusconi, with its enlightening parallels to the worst of our government, The Sack of Rome, by Alexander Stille. 

Dorothy Calvetti Bryant 

• 

DISPATCHES FROM THE EDGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Just wanted to thank you for Conn Hallinan’s Aug. 18 column, “The Deadly Tales We Tell Ourselves.” He detailed Hezbollah’s point of view in ways I had no previous knowledge of, although I was quite familiar with Israeli motivations for war, as are well chronicled in larger media outlets. Perhaps the solution to the Mideast crisis is for us to read publications like the Berkeley Daily Planet more often. 

Karl B. Kelley 

• 

POLITICAL DISCOURSE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It is unquestionably true but nonetheless routinely forgotten that punishment is the least desirable means of influencing behavior. In Albany, however, political discourse has become punishing. Gushing self congratulations for their own right thinking, neighbors describe neighbors as corporate shills, mindless consumers, SoCal wannabees, good buddies of Karl Rove’s, Judases, and church burning racists. I have never before witnessed such repugnant rhetoric in municipal politics. 

Since it frequently comes up, I hope by means of this letter to clarify that drinking coffee, thinking some development on the waterfront is a good thing, and drinking coffee while thinking so are neither illegal nor immoral acts. Likewise, drinking coffee, thinking no development on the waterfront is a good thing, and drinking coffee while thinking so are equally normal behaviors. Any objections? If you’d like, substitute tea. 

And since it was asserted absolutely in a letter to the editor last week that I do not exist: I support CAN but never hosted or attended “a Caruso coffee” (again with the coffee!) or “spoke publicly in favor of waterfront development” (this too is a crime now?). I opposed the CAS initiative for the waterfront because it was unnecessary in light of Measure C, and it intentionally sought to rig a planning process with a particular point of view. I am nonetheless certain no initiative supporters burned down churches.  

People who are undecided about the waterfront are routinely dehumanized in Albany these days. No matter one’s beliefs in and actions on other social issues, waterfront politics are the acid test of righteousness. Here’s my prediction: if Albany someday decides there should be no waterfront development, CAN members and like-minded folks will step aside; if Albany someday decides there should be waterfront development, its opponents will cry foul and obstruct the decision.  

Paul Klein 

Albany 

When I ran for mayor four years ago, I promised to put the environment at the top of my agenda. Earlier this month, two of Berkeley’s innovative energy and environmental programs were highlighted in “New Energy for Cities,” a national report released by the Apollo Alliance.  

This is just the latest recognition that Berkeley is now leading an emerging environmental revolution among cities. The Apollo Alliance report follows Berkeley’s recent ranking as the third most sustainable city in the country in a peer reviewed study by SustainLane, a national environmental organization. Earlier this year the Green Guide ranked Berkeley the seventh greenest city in the country.  

We are making great strides by working to green our economy, our homes, our city operations and our region. 

First, we have worked to put “green” at the center of Berkeley’s economic development strategy. Shortly after taking office, I put together a Sustainable Business Working Group of over 100 business and organization representatives to develop a Sustainable Business Action Plan. That plan was unanimously adopted by the City Council and now serves as the backbone of our efforts. 

Small businesses can get a free energy audit and a major subsidy on their energy retrofits through our partnership with Smart Lights. We have just launched a new initiative, funded through a grant from PG&E, to help our 100 largest businesses reduce their energy use and save money.  

In part thanks to this collaborative work, Berkeley is now home to more than 200 green businesses and organizations—from small printing shops to international solar power firms. With dozens of green hotels, restaurants, and retail shops, Berkeley boasts one of the greenest hospitality industries in the United States. We are building on that with a new effort to green certify 20 new restaurants in our downtown by the end of the year. 

We have also instituted a new “sustainable development” fee on all new building permits. This fee funds a number of important programs, including a requirement that all major new developments work with our green building experts on ways to improve the environmental performance of their buildings. 

We are far from done. I plan to redouble our efforts to promote green businesses and dramatically improve our efforts to attract and retain the spin-off businesses from UC Berkeley and the Berkeley National Laboratory. 

Second, we are working to help people green their homes. Homeowners have a number of programs available to them to help cut their energy costs, including free home energy retrofits as part of a city partnership with Community Youth Energy Services. (This program is available during the summer and is performed in large part by local high school students who have been trained in energy conservation techniques.) Homeowners planning to renovate or expand their homes can get free expert help through our partnership with Build It Green (www.builditgreen.org). 

Third, we have worked hard to green our city operations. One of my favorite programs is the innovative partnership with City CarShare that allows us to share part of our city fleet of hybrid cars with the community. That program, which was named one of the most innovative in the country by the Harvard University, is saving about $150,000 a year while reducing emissions and reducing the number of cars on the road. There are many more examples—from our requirement that all new city buildings be built to a high green standard to our use of biodiesel for the city fleet. With innovative green programs like these, we have reduced municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 14 percent—double of the 7 percent goal in the Kyoto Protocol. 

Lastly, Berkeley has taken the lead among our neighboring cities by creating a regional greenhouse gas reduction partnership. During my term as president of the Alameda County Conference of Mayors, I spearheaded the formation of the Alameda County Climate Protection Initiative. As part of the initiative, 10 cities with a combined population of more than a million people have now agreed to do full emissions inventories, set reduction targets, and adopt plans to meet those targets. This program, which is run in partnership with ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, has already been cited as a national model that other regions are looking to follow. 

In November, we are asking the voters of Berkeley to take all of our efforts a big step further by passing Measure G which would set aggressive targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and launch a year-long community process to create a plan to meet those targets. Berkeley would become the first city in the nation to pass such a measure and it would place us firmly in the lead among cities working to reduce emissions and improve air quality.  

Working together over the past few years we have made significant progress to protect our environment. I am running for re-election to ensure we continue to make Berkeley as green as it can be. 

Tom Bates is the mayor of Berkeley. Previously he served for 20 years in the state Assembly representing the East Bay. 

This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Established a decade prior to World War II, the “rad lab,” as it was first called, has maintained a strong presence at the UC Berkeley campus since that time. Today the national laboratory is operated by the Department of Energy and it continues with its radiation research. 

The founders’ day activities at this private gala will undoubtedly evoke many memories of the good old days, including scientific advancements, Nobel Prizes, and recognition of those men and women who put the lab and Berkeley on the world map. It’s unlikely that very many will speak about its legacy of pollution and the undeniable impact that has had on the facility and its environs. 

During the 1940s, expansion shifted most the lab’s operations to the hill above the campus. As a result, most of the lab’s research has been hidden from public view. For over half a century, Berkeley’s “stealth” laboratory has operated in a climate that has promoted little thought for the public or environmental management. 

This “scientific” mindset at LBNL has been difficult to overcome and has been accompanied by an academic arrogance that seems to be associated with higher education and Nobel Prizes. Few residents have been able to question the lab’s poor environmental record without feeling the brunt of LBNL’s self-righteous rhetoric and endless recitations of its connections with the Manhattan Project, breast cancer research and solar panels. 

However, there has to be more to science than generating new discoveries. It is also about taking responsibility for the dangers produced by research. Perhaps it’s unfair to point to the lab’s environmental transgressions during the war since little was understood about radiation and its deadly effects at that time. But today, it is fair to look at LBNL’s more recent history and necessary to challenge its failed responsibility to environmental stewardship. 

No buffer, no cleanup, few monitors 

One would have to go back to the late 1980s to find the first attempts to address the impact of LBNL’s research activities. The passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) spurred these investigations. Consequently, LBNL was forced to undertake a review of its facility. Back then, DOE’s Tiger Team gathered documentation of the lab’s historic and current research operations. The goal of the RCRA investigation was to define the onsite contamination and then produce a cleanup plan. 

More than 15 years later, the RCRA corrective action report has finally been daylighted. Unfortunately, DOE chose to limit the investigation and cleanup by restricting the funding. Certainly, the current Washington political climate and Bush’s dismantling of the US EPA have helped shape this non-cleanup policy. 

Many US brownfield sites, like the lab’s “old town” area, and Hunter’s Point in San Francisco, are now struggling for local cleanup dollars and to get the federal government to meet its full responsibility. In Berkeley, LBNL’s cleanup has stalled out. In fact, now the lab is proposing that the University of California Regents grant them a deed restriction that would essentially halt any further cleanup on the hill. 

Sometime in the last decade, DOE’s site investigations must have triggered the realization that the rad lab has no buffer zone between it and nearby residents and the adjacent central campus. These evaluations also flagged radiation emissions from two of the lab’s commercial user facilities, the Bevatron and the National Tritium Labeling Facility. Subsequently, both of these labs were forced to close during the 90s. 

The proximity of LBNL to hillside homes has caused residents to question the adequacy of air monitoring at the facility. This public controversy eventually resulted in the City of Berkeley hiring an independent consultant to examine LBNL’s environmental records. Unable to draw very many conclusions from the lab’s scant data, the consultant noted that the radiation laboratories at LBNL were inadequately monitored and clearly not on a par with what is expected of other national research facilities. 

In the last decade, DOE has continued to run the lab as though it’s still the good old days. Operating with a grossly outdated, long-range development plan and a fifteen-year-old environmental assessment, LBNL has refused to consider the growing impacts of lab expansion and research. 

At the same time, DOE is pushing to redevelop LBNL on a scale not seen in many decades, demonstrated most egregiously by DOE’s placement of the new molecular foundry in Strawberry Canyon. It’s criminal that LBNL can force this nano-technology lab onto hill residents, some of whom live within a quarter mile of the stacks, while refusing to invest in a full environmental impact report. This speaks volumes about the current lack of responsible regulatory oversight and what may be in store for Berkeley in the future.  

The Bevatron: quick n’ dirty 

Nothing exemplifies this cavalier attitude more than the recently proposed demolition of the Bevatron, Berkeley’s own particle accelerator. Built in the early part of the cold war, this laboratory was funded by the Atomic Energy Commission. Despite being recently nominated for the National Register of Historic Places, LBNL insists this world famous building must be torn down. 

The proposed demolition has raised more than just preservation concerns. DOE proposes that the Bevatron, constructed of concrete, lead, and asbestos, be crushed on site. If approved, the demolition is expected to last through 2012 and at the cost of 90 million taxpayer dollars! 

During that time, thousands of trucks burdened with hazardous and radioactive demolition debris will snake through the streets of Berkeley before being shipped off to communities in three states. The City of Berkeley has long been opposed to the injustice of sending waste to other communities and has expressed this to LBNL. The responsible solution is to preserve the Bevatron so the structure’s hazardous and radioactive materials will remain safely contained on site. 

In a public review of the proposed demolition of the Bevatron earlier this year, the project’s proponents said that the environmental impact would be limited. They claim the building itself would be used for containment of dust during the removal process. However, it appears that a new demolition plan has been drawn up which, of course, has not been re-circulated for public review. The revised plan calls for a quick n’ dirty knockdown of this historic structure. 

DOE, in typical developer fashion, claims that it is two years behind schedule with the demolition and has used this as justification for throwing all caution to the wind. This new scheme to unleash the Bevatron’s legacy of contamination is nothing short of an environmental atrocity for nearby residents, UC students and those living along the proposed truck routes. 

Clearly, the environmental choices being made reflect the fact that LBNL is in crisis. With seemingly little to lose, the lab is scrambling to meet the future and reinvent itself. There seems to be very little goodwill or concern for the public’s safety. Those at LBNL and in Washington who are driving this unprecedented expansion need to be reminded that research work at the lab is for the public good, and not the other way around. Responsible stewardship is needed now. After 75 years, it’s about time. 

L A Wood is a Berkeley resident.

ALCOHOL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The blitz is on! On Thursday, Aug.17, Berkeley police cited one of our waitstaff for serving alcohol to a minor. Our written policies and training prescribe that our waitstaff ask for ID for all guests, regardless of appearance, that request alcohol, to eliminate errors in judgment of age. There is no excuse for this employee’s mistake. We are reviewing our practices to ensure that this first infraction is our last, and we continue to abide by the rules that accompany the privilege of our Beer & Wine license. 

Please allow me to take this opportunity to remind Berkeley parents that the development of responsible attitudes towards alcohol consumption begins at home. Spread the word. 

David Howard 

Co-Owner, The Caribbean Cove 

• 

HALLINAN’S COLUMN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Good column by Conn Hallinan (Aug. 18)! I like how he said that if the British can negotiate with Sinn Fein and the IRA then Israel can negotiate with Hezbollah and Hamas. The British for years said that they would not deal with terrorists. Well now they’re in a devolved government in the north with two Sinn Fein MP’s who are former commanders of the IRA as well as current members of the IRA Army Council even though the IRA has called an end to their armed campaign. 

The IRA had to bomb Great Britain for 30 years in order for the British to sit down and negotiate with them. That was their goal and it worked. As a result, some of those former IRA bombers are now politicians with Sinn Fein in the Northern Ireland Assembly. 

P. Hanavan 

• 

CHILDREN 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It is important that a child remains stress-free while growing up. Parents and teachers should be calm and gentle. Even when things go wrong or are difficult, they should deal with the child in a peaceful manner. Dealing peacefully with children, even in stressful situations, will improve their behavior. This will inspire them to do as well as they can do. It may require a lot of awareness and thought on the part of teachers and parents to be good examples for children, but the results will be very fruitful. Children of today will be leaders of tomorrow, so any extra effort is worthwhile. The child’s environment itself, be it home or classroom, may be a source of stress for children. Children deserve the best we can provide in their formative years. They need routines and limits to grow without stress. They must have role models at home and in the school or daycare setting who make their space meaningful to them: a space where calm and security prevails and children feel that their curious and active minds can get all they need. These days, the jet fast pace of life around the children is making them worried and as a result they are not able to focus to learn and engage in positive social interaction. 

I like to introduce vocal music, dance, movement, acting and gardening to help the children be stress-free. When children get sufficient opportunities to interact as a group without holding anything back, it seems to curb behavior problems. 

No child should feel stressed growing up. It should be a top priority for parents and caretakers to help children stay stress-free. 

Romila Khanna 

Albany 

• 

ILLEGALS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We used to be a country of laws. Now we have an administration that wants exceptions to illegal actions. Laws are what keep us civilized. Without law, there would be anarchy. If the INS does not go in and get her, there will be 12 million more illegals looking for churches. As for the illegal immigrant taking sanctuary in a church with her young son, I wish her luck. I think she has a bigger problem—her son alone with the priest. 

Norm Grudman 

Mattituck, New York 

• 

PACIFIC STEEL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

For several years in the early 1990s two of my grandsons attended a nursery school in West Berkeley. The overpowering, foul smells from Pacific Steel Casting were always present. The fumes are still there and so is the nursery school. It’s impossible to believe that such fumes are not harmful to all human beings, especially very young ones. 

Let’s hope that finally something will be done about it. 

Nancy Ward 

• 

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I read with great interest the article that several people are running for the BUSD School Board, including my colleague David Baggins. I am happy that we are going to have some informed discussion and meaningful choices in this election. 

As a parent of a BUSD student, I have become very aware that our district needs someone on the board that will ask tough questions and hold the district administration accountable for poor decisionmaking. 

James Forsher 

Associate Professor and Director, Broadcast Production Program 

California State University East Bay 

Department of Communication 

Hayward 

• 

CLIF BAR’S DEPARTURE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

When asked recently how he felt about Cliff Bar’s decision to move to Alameda, Mayor Bates commented rather naively that businesses come and go in Berkeley. Bates seemed satisfied that Walgreen’s has announced another store and that Peet’s will add another location in Berkeley. I do not feel the same comfort and complacency voiced by the mayor.  

Cliff Bar has 150 employees, many of whom are young professional people that have created a remarkably well run and environmentally conscious company. Walgreen’s is a drug store chain. I would enjoy playing poker with Bates as it appears he doesn’t know the difference between aces and deuces.  

Bates also was quoted as saying that it’s “Berkeley’s fate to nurture innovative businesses that finally outgrow us and have to move somewhere else.” “Have to move” Mr. Mayor? You are kidding us, right? Are you saying that you cannot do anything? How about nurturing and supporting innovative businesses so they do not want to relocate? In fact, the history of innovative businesses leaving Berkeley is explained mostly by city neglect and complacency from the Mayor’s office, not because they have grown up.  

Bob Archibald 

• 

NIMBYISM 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Sharon Hudson’s recent series “Notes on NIMBYism” contained some important points that should be considered by all those who seek to find a balance between preserving what we cherish about Berkeley and promoting new development that meets current and future community goals. I’m afraid, however, that many independent-minded folks (among which I count myself) will be so turned off by her over-the-top hyperbole and mis-characterizations that they will dismiss those points. 

Here’s one example: 

“Berkeley “environmentalists” would never advocate marginal, artificial environments for other species, but for humans they propose an unpleasant and inhumane urban environment, devoid of aesthetic and spiritual sustenance and often even the basic requirements of good health.” 

I’d be surprised if there is anyone in the local environmental community who remotely fits this description. Urban ecology as a planning paradigm seeks to promote the very opposite. No one in the discussion over development in Berkeley is proposing that Berkeley become like New York (which some find quite humane, of course!). In general, Ms. Hudson greatly overstates the degree to which the push for higher density in Berkeley (“smart growth”) is motivated by a desire to sacrifice quality of life in Berkeley for the sake of larger environmental goals. Urban ecology as a planning paradigm seeks to improve the urban fabric (attending to environmental as well as social concerns) and to support larger goals. Higher density, if designed with care and sensitivity for the affected neighborhoods, can help accomplish that. 

I know as a writer that it feels good (righteous) to pen prose like the above. The “choir” we usually preach to loves it. But more often than not, it’s counterproductive. Sharon, keep making your points about the unfairness of the outcome of much of the development we’ve seen of late. Give some consideration to realistic ways of dealing with this problem. But tone down the hyperbole and rhetoric if you want those outside your camp to listen. 

Steve Meyers 

• 

NEW LIGHT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It was sad to read that New Light Senior Citizen Center, created by the people in the South Berkeley community in 1968 is ending in this way with a debt of $40,000. The South Berkeley YMCA, known as the Y, (now the YMCA Learning Academy) was also a product of community commitment and foresight. New Light was one of many organizations, groups, clubs, etc., that met at the Y. The New Light Board of Directors and roster of members reads like a “who’s who” of the Berkeley/Oakland neighborhood and the many activities in those days reflected their interests and did benefit the community. The original name for the program is the South Berkeley New Light Senior Citizen Center. 

New Light was the name chosen to describe beginning and change and it was embraced by all who came for its “down home” friendliness and organized activities and pride in working together for success. New Light was all business from the start, whether on the sick, the program or fundraising committees, the knowledge and suggestions of the various members was welcomed and used. The records of the minutes show that in those days the board of directors, the director, by-laws rules committee, the officers’ positions, the membership rolls, and the various sub-committees were filled by active, volunteer participants. (Only the board of directors and the position of director is restricted to Berkeley residents). 

The first Berkeley senior center was in North Berkeley on University Avenue. New Light was the second. Maudelle Shirek was involved from the beginning. When my mother Lena Holland, called some friends and suggested a senior organization at the Y, Maudelle Shirek was the person who took both my parents to Sacramento, California and the New Light Senior Citizen Center was incorporated. The incorporation papers are faded but the evidence of accomplishment is there. 

During these years, Maudelle remained in a consultant position but she was available to New Light when needed, even though her neighborhood and world-wide commitment to people caused her to have a busy schedule. A few years ago, Maudelle was at the West Berkeley Senior Citizens and her balanced menu was not well received there. It was at that time, when she was still active and fulfilling her city council/vice mayor slot, that Maudelle slowed her pace and she came to New Light with her healthy meals. She bought the foods and supervised the preparation and with her reputation for good nutrition and her community and political comment, she was welcomed at New Light full time. 

As the years aged the original New Light people, the program changed. After the stable administration through the many years, there was constant turnover of directors and about five years ago, the program slowed to simply one hour, three days a week, and food only. The many services have deceased to in-home meals, three days a week for those who are shut-in. 

And, as New Light changed, the Y did too. They started as a church on an empty lot, progressed to a USO, then to the South Berkeley YMCA, and today, is a successful YMCA Learning Academy. My father, Kemper Holland, was part of that YMCA process and those memories in photos and written documents are also in my possession. 

Today the history of New Light is blurred with the use of the New Light name by some churches. Not everyone knows how the community came together with little resources, a lot of determination and loyal commitment and few people today were fortunate enough to experience the good times like those that were at the South Berkeley YMCA New Light Senior Center. 

Joy Holland 

A SIMPLE STATEMENT  

Editors, Daily Planet: 

To blame Jews for their own enslavement, and for the Holocaust, just isn’t right; the fact that this kind of anti-Semitism rears its ugly head in Berkeley is particularly distressing. 

To say that Jews were oppressed by Babylonians, Egyptians, and Germans because of “their racist attitude that they are the chosen people” (Arianpour’s Aug. 8 commentary) offends, outrages, and disgusts me. Some might say those were just words on a page and free speech and free press protect the right to espouse this hatred. But while we protect the right of a free press to print stupid statements we also have an obligation to respond vigorously against harmful, hateful misinformation. 

Many religions believe in their own uniqueness or connectedness to the Creator, so Jews should not be singled out and castigated for their faith. One of the great strengths of our country is the goal of acceptance of many faiths co-existing. Please do not join in perpetuating the denial of the Holocaust, or in this case, blaming Jews for the Holocaust. The blame lies squarely on the narrow-minded prejudice of that time, which still survives today. I strenuously reject this attempt to blame the victim. Berkeley has had far too many cases of attacks on the Hillel, on the Jewish fraternity, and hate crimes against individual Jews, for us to close our eyes to the rhetoric which is the breeding ground of hatred, prejudice, discrimination and violence. 

I know the paper is “taking a break from Middle East letters,” but I hope that this letter is treated as a statement against anti-Semitism, not a statement on the Middle East. This letter that insults Jews and the Jewish religion disgusts me so much that I feel that I must respond. 

Whenever we read such garbage, let us re-dedicate ourselves to educating ourselves, and our society that victims are not to blame, and commit ourselves to speaking out against all forms of racism, sexism, ageism, anti-Semitism, and hatred and prejudice. 

Kriss Worthington 

Councilmember, District 7 

Founder, City of Berkeley Holocaust  

Remembrance Day 

• 

MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I was asked by the signers to forward this letter to you. 

Rabbi Ferenc Raj, PhD 

Congregation Beth El 

Free speech is a cornerstone of our society. Editors edit, however, and not every racist diatribe gets “airtime.” Unfortunately, the Berkeley Daily Planet helped to fuel ethnic hatred when it decided to print an explicitly anti-Jewish commentary by Kurosh Arianpour on Aug. 8. 

In Berkeley we are familiar with strongly worded opinion pieces that criticize the policies and actions of particular individuals, groups and nations. Arianpour’s commentary, however, crossed the line into a racist attack on all people of Jewish descent when he asserted that Jews have been the cause of every tragedy that has befallen them—from slavery in Egypt to the Holocaust. 

We are not surprised when hate-mongers make such statements or when neo-Nazi publications print them. Vulgar and hate-filled statements are written all the time—editors choose whether or not to publish them. We were, however, surprised to find them in a Berkeley “community” newspaper since racism of any kind violates all that our city and region stands for. 

We are also concerned to hear that the editor of the Daily Planet has refused to meet with representatives of the Jewish community to discuss their concerns. 

Surely the Daily Planet would never consider publishing an analogous commentary blaming any other racial or ethnic group for its suffering throughout history. And if such a commentary did somehow make its way into the paper, we wonder if the editor would turn down a request to talk with the offended group. 

Thus, we are deeply distressed that Ms. O’Malley found Arianpour’s hateful and all-encompassing opinions about all Jews acceptable to publish, and that she refuses to discuss it. This can only add to the anger and divisions in our immediate community and in the world. It pollutes the fragile reservoirs of goodwill upon which peace depends. 

We therefore call on Ms. O’Malley to apologize to the community. 

State Senator Don Perata, Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, Mayor of Oakland Jerry Brown, Mayor of Berkeley Tom Bates, Mayor of Emeryville Ruth Atkin, Berkeley City Council Members Laurie Capitelli, Darryl Moore, Betty Olds, Gordon Wozniak 

Berkeley is now seeing the loss of yet another world-class business. Clif Bar is moving to the City of Alameda. Clif Bar, with it’s great all-natural organic nutritional bars. A green business, with a commitment to employees, customers and the community, is leaving what should be its natural “ideological” home for the City of Alameda. 

How can this happen, you may ask? It’s again an issue of an inflexible, complex system, out-of-date zoning and an inability of the city to act quickly when faced with other more competitive choices from other nearby cities. I don’t fault the staff or the elected officials who, I know, wanted to keep Clif Bar. I fault our highly restrictive, convoluted zoning and approval process, that puts Berkeley at an immediate disadvantage to neighboring communities. 

Clif Bar wanted to expand and keep its headquarters in West Berkeley but the sites Clif Bar reviewed were zoned for manufacturing, which Clif Bar no longer does in Berkeley. Unfortunately this was incompatible with the city’s West Berkeley Plan. City officials where willing to make zoning changes but this requires hearings, review with the planning commission and there’s no guarantee this could be done in a reasonable time frame. I am sure this influenced Clif Bar to open up to other proposals in the Bay Area. 

I do not think Clif Bar was unwilling to stay. They just could not wait, like Berkeley Bowl did, going through the protracted and unpredictable, drawn-out approval process to build a new grocery store and warehouse in West Berkeley. Over three years went by to get this project approved. The West Berkeley Bowl drama only exemplified how difficult it is for any business to get something done in Berkeley when they face the hurdles of a zoning change, an environmental impact report and multiple commission reviews. Should it take three years to approve a grocery store, one that’s home-grown and being built on a vacant parcel of land? It really begs the question: What’s the real purpose of this process? And what do you think it said to Clif Bar who was, I am sure, very carefully looking at how long and convoluted this was? There is no way most businesses can deal with a lengthy review and approval system when facing highly competitive and dynamic marketing challenges.  

The loss of Clif Bar, the type of business the city touts and claims it wants, just shows the conflict between our ideals and the realities of business and economics in the 21st century. The 300-plus acres of land in West Berkeley zoned for industrial, manufacturing and warehousing uses reflects a bygone era. The need to adapt, to be more flexible and to take a longer-range view that acknowledges the evolution of business and manufacturing is necessary (would someone please talk to a real economist—or look at the most recent trends from the Bay Area Council?). No one can convince me we are going to get another large-scale manufacturer of anything taking 100,000 square feet of space in West Berkeley. Those days are long gone. The cost of doing business here on such a scale is prohibitive—those kinds of companies will choose lower-cost locations. 

New types of zoning are needed that take into account the realities of changing local and global markets, not old, fixed designations for industrial and warehousing uses which are no longer relevant. We need to have a vision towards the future that make sense reflecting current assets in our East Bay community like the University of California, Bayer Corporation, Chiron, Pixar and others that draw talent and expertise to this area. These trends show the realities of changing demands in our local market. 

Berkeley elected officials need to be aware of the fact the vocal minority who shows up to fight these projects, sends a message to all business, eco-friendly or not, to be prepared to jump through many expensive and time-consuming hurdles to get anything approved. Is this what we want for our city as we continue to lose much-needed tax revenue? 

Berkeley is not an isolated hamlet, a world apart from the intertwined economics of its neighboring cities, the Bay Area, the state and the world. We need to get on with a truly progressive and innovative re-invention of our zoning and approval process, with a clear plan on how the community and businesses can actually work together for positive, timely change. 

My big question is where’s the vision, the leadership and the understanding of economic change that will take us to a viable mix of business to support the services that everyone wants in the City of Berkeley? 

Remember the reality and demands of the marketplace speak much louder than the rhetoric and opposition to change: business just goes somewhere else. 

Steven Donaldson is a Berkeley  

resident. 

The last refuge of scoundrels is their long record of public service. Tom Bates long ago voided not only his 30 years of public office, but also whatever dignity and respect he had accrued prior to 1972. Such is the inevitable effect of consciously choosing to deceive those with less power than you have. So disastrous are these deliberate misreports of perception and understanding by more powerful people, that almost the entire ability for below figures to sort out what is accurate/inaccurate is destroyed. 

Tom and his supporter, Jack Kurzweil, have “learned” that if you call covert agendas “democratic process” then you can fool people long enough to trick them into consenting to your secret plans. Then, afterwards, whenever anyone protests, you can point to their “vote” and say, “Look! You chose these secret plans. I’m just going along with what the people want.” 

“Works like a charm!” they cackle, all the way to the bank, or the South Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation (Tom Bates), as the case may be. 

When I see bullying, and glimpse an opportunity to educate the general public, I will denounce the violation of public trust in sharp, accurate, unequivocal words. Such is the first and foremost duty of a mayor, who guards our city democracy. And, while I do sometimes make mistakes, I admit them and learn from the error. You see, one who knows, and can acknowledge when they’re wrong, is always right; one who does not know, or refuses to acknowledge when they’re wrong, is always wrong. 

And while unprincipled men may consider the successful manipulation of public forums just some “funny thing about democracy” (Letters, Aug. 11), I know too clearly the long-term, deadly consequences of such schemes. I wonder if Jack, Matthew, and Tom shrugged their shoulders and dismissed the murder of our progressive leader, Sen. Wellstone, just 10 days before election night in 2002, as just another “funny thing about democracy” in this country. 

Now we touch on a larger problem than just one rigged forum: the political failure that is “activism.” Here you incessantly “investigate” the largest and most obvious crimes, take weak political positions based on uncertainty, and finally, when you fail to obtain any victories, hide this fact behind a curtain of endless “education” and “outreach.” Another pertinent example of this destructive approach appeared at the Berkeley Progressive Platform Convention, back in June. You will also recognize the anti-democratic tactics demonstrated at the Wellstone candidates forum. The creators and enforcers of this problem control politics in this city.  

On the first day of the convention, I proposed an amendment to the preamble of the Fair Elections Platform that read: “In light of the recent stolen presidential elections, the theft of untold more Federal, state and local elections, and in the face of the purchasing of public offices across the United States by corporate and monied interests, we demand,” followed by the plank’s more specific points. The motion passed unanimously. 

By the time the second platform convention rolled around, a couple of weeks later, some mis-leaders of the “progressive community” in Berkeley had decided that they didn’t like the formulation I had proposed and the convention attendees had passed. Too volatile, too speculative, it would alienate people we are trying to “get on board,” and a host of other excuses, Laurence Schectman mumbled out at the start of the meeting. I’m fine with people having opinions and feelings about any political matter, especially the most important ones, but what did the leadership decide to do? They spent the entire first hour of the forum coming up with more “acceptable” “wording,” and then manufactured even more empty excuses for why they had to reverse the people’s unanimous decision. All to please unspecified, unaccountable outside parties who had met in secret, and decided that the convention participants’ unanimous vote be damned, we have to change the platform, no matter how anti-democratic we must be. The final not-unanimous “vote” decided on the following replacement: “In light of serious concerns about the legitimacy or recent elections, and in light of undue corrosive influence of corporate and monied interests, we demand.” I ask the reader the judge for themselves which version is more accurate and progressive. 

Here’s one example of the accumulated consequences of such deception. When people ask me, “Why are you running for mayor of Berkeley?”, I often say that Berkeley is the most progressive city in the United States, and I want to make sure it stays that way. Many, many people, especially those who respect and intimately participate in the current government and its supporting organizations, reply, “Really? We’re all just a bunch of hypocrites anyway! Haven’t you learned?” and then laugh smugly. 

That is one “lesson” I will never “learn.” Such statements reveal a deadly irresponsibility and ignorance at the highest levels of our city government. What I do know is that the vast majority of the people of Berkeley are not proud of the hypocrisy that infests their government, wastes their hard earned tax money, and lies to them with a deliberate, coordinated shamelessness. 

I ask the membership of the Wellstone Democratic Club, the Progressive Convention and all citizens of Berkeley to carefully weigh what is right and what is wrong when choosing who to endorse and who to entrust with your vote. I strive to the limits of my powers and courage to provide every in person in Berkeley with an accurate understanding of our shared political reality—and with that understanding firmly in grasp, I know that together we can transform Berkeley into the honest, solving democracy that we need. 

(For a comprehensive explanation of how I will make harmful deception impossible in Berkeley, please visit www.BerkeleyMayor.org, and read or listen to “Jettison Sequence,” which explains, in explicit detail, in six hours, exactly how everyone (especially young people) is forced to lie and forced to accept lying as an everyday rule, alongside a description of how to stop this process permanently, and return our society to the principled truth-finding and caretaking that we were all born to enact in the world.) 

Christian Pecaut is a candidate for mayor of Berkeley. 

By Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

The Oregon Coast runs north from Brookings, just above the California border, to Astoria, just below the Washington border. It’s a beautiful drive. But in the interest of keeping you and the kids out of the car as much as possible, this excursion concentrates on the area between Yachats (that’s pronounced “ya-hots”) and Lincoln City, a 57-mile span that is easily reachable from Albany or Salem if you are driving, and is not much farther from Portland, if you are flying in.  

Where can you go to the beach on a summer day and have it all to yourself?  

On the remarkably scenic, rugged central coast of Oregon, where beaches are often deserted even in August and where at Fuddy Duddy Fudge the motto is: “We let you do nothing.”  

In addition to low-key bliss, this area has plenty to keep an active family busy.  

Lincoln City (88 miles southwest of Portland) 

Let’s begin in Lincoln City, the northern-most point of the central coast and at the end of Highway 18 coming in from Portland. Embracing the past, when hand-blown glass floats from Japanese fishing nets were frequently found on the wind-blown beaches here, this bustling town hosts a “Finders Keepers” program. Every day “float fairies” salt its seven miles of public beaches with new glass floats. This year the program runs through Memorial Day weekend.  

But, alas, not every beachcomber finds an orb. If your family isn’t one of the fortunate ones, turn disappointment into excitement with a visit to the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio. By appointment, the entire family can participate in blowing a beautiful glass float souvenir (children must be age 10 or older).  

In Regatta Park, youngsters can let off steam at the Sandcastle Playground overlooking lovely Devil’s Lake. Note that the 120-foot-long D River separating the lake from the ocean holds the Guinness record as “the shortest river in the world.” And at the town’s covered skate park in Kirtsis Park, skateboarders can experience a state-of-the-art bowl called The Cradle—one of three in the world.  

Known as the Kite Capital of the World, Lincoln City sits right on the 45th parallel, which is said to position it at the ideal point for a kite-friendly mixture of warm equatorial air and cold polar air. Visit in June and you can participate in one of three kite festivals held here each year. The first—the largest Indoor Windless Kite Festival in the United States—is held in March, and the last occurs in the fall.  

Depoe Bay (13 miles south of Lincoln City) 

Wildlife abounds along this coast. Harbor seals, brown pelicans, and fast-moving sandpipers are spotted frequently, as are whales (from December through early May). Perched atop a cliff next to the world’s smallest harbor, the town’s new family-friendly Whale Center offers an excellent ocean view and admission is free. Kids learn about whale babies and can touch whale bones and whale “burp balls” made of sea grass, as well as purchase a snack of whale-shaped cheddar crackers or a souvenir stuffed whale.  

This two-block-long town is protected by a seawall, over which the water sometimes crashes, hitting the businesses on the far side of the street--including Fuddy Duddy Fudge and several other tiny shops dispensing ice cream, lattes, and salt water taffy. “We take care of your candy needs,” says local John Rose, “but don’t go needing a hardware store.”  

Three miles south of town at Devils Punch Bowl State Natural Area you’ll see water gather and splash in a natural rock basin. Nearby, the tiny Flying Dutchman Winery pours tastes of their superb pinot noirs; kids can be kept occupied with an ice cream cone from an adjacent stand. 

Newport (13 miles south of Depoe Bay) 

In addition to being home to two lighthouses and the gorgeous 1936 Yaquina Bay Bridge, this vibrant city houses the nonprofit Oregon Coast Aquarium. Keiko, the whale star of Free Willy, once swam in a tank here. Elaborate outdoor exhibits delight visitors, and an animal encounters program goes behind the scenes and sometimes includes a sea lion kiss. The philosophy here is that if you get close enough to look an animal in the eye, you’ll want to protect them. Sea otters, tufted puffins, and sharks are among the most popular exhibits.  

Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center is practically next door. Sort of a cross between an aquarium and the Lawrence Hall of Science, a touch tank filled with colorful sea life and hands-on learning puzzles keep little hands busy. Here you’ll meet Roxie the octopus and find Nemo and Dory frolicking in their own tank.  

Toledo (6 miles east of Newport) 

Built on the hillsides of the Yaquina River, this tiny town has antique shops, art galleries, and casual restaurants galore, plus a railroad museum and a new skatepark designed with mini ramps for kids as young as 4 or 5.  

Just south of Yachats, Cape Perpetua Scenic Area’s easy, paved Whispering Spruce Trail leads to the highest point on the Oregon Coast and a stunning view. A visitor center provides activities for children and shows nature films.  

From here you can continue south to the dunes and back into California, or turn north and backtrack to the Victorian charms of Astoria.  

The central coast offers mile after mile of scenic vistas, plus myriad parks and beaches. Lodging prices are low compared to those in California, and Oregon still doesn’t have a sales tax. Your vacation dollar just might stretch enough to allow you to spend a few extra days in this natural wonderland.  

Carole Terwilliger Meyers is the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern California (www.carousel-press.com) and is the editor of Dream Sleeps: Castle & Palace Hotels of Europe. 

Travel Information for the CentralOregon Coast 

Lodgings 

Adobe Resort: In Yachats, (800) 522-3623, (541) 547-3141; www.adoberesort. com. Most rooms have ocean views; fitness center with lap pool, kids’ pool, and hot tub.  

A Gathering Place: South of Newport, (206) 935-7921; www.agatheringplace.net. Spacious oceanfront house with five bedrooms and a hot tub; perfect for a reunion.  

Chinook Winds Casino Resort: In Lincoln City, (800) CHINOOK; www.chinookwindscasino.com. Oceanfront lodging and dining; RV park; 24-hour casino with full-service childcare facility. 

Heron’s Watch: In Waldport, (541) 563-3847; www.heronswatch.com. Secluded two-bedroom house on Alsea Bay; a haven for bird-watchers.  

Pelican Shores Inn: In Lincoln City, (800) 705-5505, (541) 994-2134; www.pelicanshores.com. Beach-front rooms; indoor pool; great rates.  

Salishan Spa & Golf Resort: In Gleneden Beach, (888) SALISHAN, (541) 764-2371; www.salishan.com. Refined lodging and dining on 750 wooded acres.  

Shilo Inn Suites Hotel: In Newport, (800) 222-2244, (541) 265-7701; www.shiloinns. com. Beach-front rooms; inexpensive ocean- view dining; 2 indoor pools; aquarium packages.  

Restaurants 

Mo’s: In Lincoln City and Newport; moschowder.com. This popular, casual spot serves fresh Oregon seafood and is famous for its clam chowder. The Newport branch is across the street from a Wyland Whaling Wall and from seals that hang out on the docks below Undersea World.  

Waldport Seafood Company: In Waldport, (541) 563-4107; www.waldport-seafood-co.com. This restaurant and deli serves fresh local seafood and Tillamook ice cream. Pick up a picnic and eat it at the beach across the street. Do also pick up a few tins of their hand-canned Oregon albacore tune—it is THE BEST. This town also has a skate park.  

More Information 

Central Oregon Coast Association: 800-767-2064, (541) 265-2064; www.coastvisitor.com  

Camping: www.oregonstateparks.org  

Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio: 541-996-2569  

Oregon Coast Aquarium: (541) 867-3474; www.aquarium.org 

OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center: (541) 867-0100; http://hmsc.orst.edu/visitor 

Flying Dutchman Winery: (541) 765-2553; www.dutchmanwinery.com  

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area: (541) 547-3289, www.fs.fed. 

us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/capeperpetua 

Teach Your Children Well! 

The beach can also be a dangerous place. Never turn your back on the water.  

Photograph by Carole Terwilliger Meyers

The half-dozen years before World War I were significant ones for Berkeley’s ecclesiastical architecture. 

Between 1908 and 1913, five remarkable Arts & Crafts church buildings went up in five neighborhoods. These were Knox Presbyterian Church (Henry Starbuck, 1908); St. John’s Presbyterian Church (Julia Morgan, 1908–10); First Church of Christ, Scientist (Bernard Maybeck, 1910); Park Congregational Church (Hugo Storch, 1912); and North Berkeley Congregational Church (James Plachek, 1913). 

Although each of these churches—all designated City of Berkeley Landmarks—is unique in its appearance, they have in common an unassuming scale in keeping with their residential surroundings. Gone are the steeples and soaring bell towers seen in earlier houses of worship. The five architects derived at least some of their inspiration from the First Unitarian Church (A.C. Schweinfurth, 1898) at Bancroft and Dana, a one-story structure combining shingles and amber-glass steel windows with natural redwood interior. This church in its turn followed the path set by the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco (A. Page Brown & Rev. Joseph Worcester, 1894). 

The southernmost of the five churches, Park Congregational—now South Berkeley Community Church—is located on the southeast corner of Fairview and Ellis streets, in the historic Lorin district. 

The community of Lorin was developed on the land of farmer Edward Harmon, who sold lots to prospective homeowners. According to Berkeley historian Charles Wollenberg, Harmon went into the construction business in the 1870s and over a twenty-year period built more than forty houses on what had been his South Berkeley farmland. Harmon was the major developer of the community of Lorin, which once boasted a train station located at Adeline Street and Alcatraz Avenue, as well as a school and post office. In the early 1890s, Berkeley annexed Lorin and some adjacent tracts in the city’s first territorial expansion since incorporation in 1878. 

On July 24, 1912, the Oakland Tribune announced that construction had commenced on a new building to be occupied by Park Congregational Church. The congregation’s previous home, in use since 1883 and located a block and a half to the west, had been sold to the Seventh Day Adventists. 

According to the Tribune report, the new building was to be finished in stucco on the exterior and in natural wood on the interior. The main auditorium would seat 300, with room for 200 additional persons in an auxiliary room. A semicircular Sunday school room would accommodate seventeen classes, with seating space for 400 children. Public reading rooms and assembly halls for community clubs would be provided. The cost was to be $15,000, exclusive of furnishings. 

The residential architecture of the Lorin district consists primarily of Victorian and Colonial Revival homes that rarely rise above two stories. It was into this context that Hugo Storch had to place the church building while incorporating requisite features such as a bell tower and a lofty sanctuary. 

Storch met the challenge admirably. Blending several architectural styles—Arts and Crafts and Mission Revival outside, First Bay Region Tradition within—his church stands out without overwhelming its neighbors. Seen from the street, the building is low-lying. Its corner bell tower is massive but squat. The residential-scale portico leads into an intimate redwood antechamber, which serves as a space of transition into the main sanctuary, also lined in redwood. 

But no transition space prepares the visitor for the breathtaking contrast between exterior and interior. The sanctuary soars to the high rafters, exposing roof trusses, diagonal braces, and wall studs. The pews are arranged in a semicircle that is echoed by the semicircular social hall in the rear, separated from the sanctuary by three enormous roll-down redwood doors. In the hall, formerly a Sunday school, a fan-like mezzanine balcony is partitioned into loges that used to serve as classrooms, with more classrooms directly underneath. 

Revolutionary for its time, the stark interior space nevertheless mirrors the spatial arrangement of historic church architecture. The nave, aisle, and side chapels are all here, albeit free of any ornamentation. The rounded social hall recalls the traditional apse, normally located behind the altar. Since the altar of this church is placed at the front of the building, with no space for a real apse, the architect ingeniously created an interior “apse” in the rear. 

The son of a Bohemian-German mining engineer, Hugo William Storch (1873–1917) was born in Mexico. In the 1880s the family moved to San Francisco, eventually settling in the Fruitvale district of Oakland. At the age of 17, Storch became an apprentice to the respected San Francisco architect John Gash. Three years later, the young man left Gash to start his own office and practiced as an architect until 1899, when he took a job with the Electrical Engineering Co. of San Francisco. The company would be renamed Van Emon Elevator Co. in 1903 and relocate to Berkeley after the 1906 earthquake. 

Storch may have designed the company’s Berkeley plant. The post-earthquake building boom probably spurred his return to architecture, which was his primary practice for the next eight years. During this period he designed the Fruitvale Masonic Temple (1905–06, built 1909) and the Fruitvale Congregational Church (1911, destroyed in 1973). The Fruitvale Pythian Hall (1913, severely altered in 1941) was built on his modified plans, according to a 1913 report in the Oakland Tribune. In 1915, Storch moved his family to Sonoma County, building a home on the bank of Santa Rosa Creek. He died in 1917, aged 44. 

After 30 years on Fairview Street, the Park Congregational Church found itself with a steadily dwindling membership. Much of the attrition had to do with the area’s changing demographics. In November 1942, Rev. Tom Watt’s annual pastor’s report informed his parishioners, “I am appalled and tremendously disturbed when I discover the change in the population … that materially effects our work. Only two colored families were in the immediate vicinity. Now … the block directly across the street on Ellis is predominantly colored … If we are to maintain ourselves as an organization it seems to be quite evident that we shall be compelled to depend on growth from outside this area.” 

As told in the church’s history, the remnant congregation decided to discontinue services. In 1943, following a recommendation of the United Church of Christ Conference, Berkeley’s first interracial congregation was born, led by two ministers: Robert K. Winters, a junior at the Starr King School, and Roy Nichols, a senior at the Pacific School of Religion. One of the fledgling congregation’s charter members was Berkeley legend Maudelle Shirek. 

Time has taken its toll on the church building. A 1988 architectural report found it to be in “relatively poor shape. Considerable repair and rehabilitation will be necessary if the building is to remain as it is without further deterioration.” The funds required for full-scale restoration are beyond the small congregation’s means. 

Last fall, a capital restoration campaign was inaugurated with a lecture sponsored by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. An article by Martin Snapp attracted the attention of Mike Van Brunt, who volunteered the services of his construction company, Walnut Creek–based Van Brunt Associates, in preparing a restoration plan. Some of the firm’s past renovation projects include the San Francisco Ferry Building and the Fairmont and Mark Hopkins hotels. 

The Friends for the Restoration of South Berkeley Community Church are now writing a proposal to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places as a means for facilitating fundraising. A National Historic Landmark status has helped the First Church of Christ, Scientist to obtain matching grants from the Getty Foundation and National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

The writer is indebted to Bradley Wiedmaier for information about the life and work of Hugo Storch. 

Photograph: South Berkeley Community Church, 1802 Fairview Street (Daniella Thompson) 

Crisis is opportunity isn’t it? And some days I just have to say, Thank you, Lord Buddha, for another #$%@ing growth opportunity. 

What makes me start off this way? Well I’ll tell you. It’s the inspection of brand new houses. Some people like diving out of planes from 35,000 feet. Others like to train tigers and still others like to argue with women who are way smarter than they are. I’m not really up to any of these death-defying activities but I do, occasionally inspect a brand new house. 

When I’m feeling especially moxie-filled, I like to pick one of those 5 million dollar jobs (yes, they go way higher these days but they’re not too many around these-here parts). It really gets my blood pumping to inspect one of these houses that I am absolutely certain is going to have lots more to tell and many more defects to find in about two or three years, not to mention 10 years from now. 

That’s the thing; when a house is brand new, you just don’t know what’s going to fail. It’s like a newborn babe, all full of promise and hope. Then one day, it’s all car-jacking and unpaid alimony. Well, maybe that’s a bit over the top but you get the point. 

The problem is that people get sort of glazed over when they’re looking at a brand new house.  

Most people assume that a new house is going to be free from defect. That everything will be plumb, square and tight. Perfect. That all the outlets will work and that it won’t leak. So there’s much further to fall than when you’re buying an old fixer and you ASSUME that everything is going to need work. 

New houses are just like old houses are before they get old. But they’ll get there. After a while, they begin to exhibit all the things that old houses do and many will get there faster than you think. 

Now, new houses have many things to recommend them. Newer heating systems are superior in many ways to the earlier models. Same with water heaters and electrical systems and nice big fat copper plumbing. We also have much more rigid seismic requirements and better fire codes.  

These are all excellent things and, in many ways, well worth the trip. If I saw a new house that looked a bit more like our old Berkeley beauties, I’d almost be ready to lay the bucks on the barrel-head. But being in the business that I’m in, I’m privy to a nearly endless reservoir of stories that circulate showing us that much new construction, while looking very neat and shiny, has plenty that can go wrong in the first few years. 

Of course this is not an overall condemnation of new construction, but rather a simple myth-busting exercise in the interest of consumer protection. Many of the newer houses we’ve seen built in the last 15 years in our area have turned out to leak. This is the most common failure by far. 

Windows can leak, walls can leak, roofs can leak and, my personal favorite, decks over living space (or sealed areas) can leak. That last one is so common that many in my business are unwilling to bless any of the new tiled decks with their trust and often leave the client with subtle warnings regarding their long-range futures. 

Many new houses have Italianate ornamentation around or below their windows or along cornices that are made of Styrofoam. That’s right, Styrofoam. They’re called foam plant-on’s and they get embedded below stucco finishes. 

When you see fancy shaped stucco trims (usually 4” to 8” thick) they are probably made of this stuff. The manufacturers wisely require that a good thickness of stucco be added over the foam to make sure that they won’t be easily damaged over time but you know how things go. 

I can often push them in with my thumb clearly revealing that less than 1/4” of stucco has been installed over the foam. 

Newer houses often have uneven walls, floor and stairways. It’s just rush, rush, rush when there’s a million dollar paycheck waiting at the end of the herringbone walkway. 

Now, again, this is not the whole story. Builders work hard to build good houses as a rule. Part of the problem lies with a cornucopia of new materials that are emerging daily, each with the promise of low cost and iron-clad results. We know how that story comes out too, right? 

One major window producer is in the midst of a major recall and this isn’t a shock. New ideas are hard to get right, fresh out of the gate. I’m not exactly an old-fashioned guy but I do believe in tried and true technology and I feel as though we should adopt building techniques and products slowly with thorough testing in both lab and field. I don’t really want to live in a test case and would rather not have to sue anybody ever over anything. 

Beyond this, I do find plenty of errors made in newer construction, just as I find them in remodels and old houses. This is normal. 

The message here is to have reasonable expectations and to not fall into all-too American trap of thinking that new is always better and that a new house will free you from all possible future difficulties. Yes, a new house is very likely to be less work and less cost over the first 10 years, in general. But taking a close look is a darned good idea. So is a builder’s warrantee.  

For some, buying a condo or a townhouse can make a similar sense in that you will have less responsibility when things do go wrong or run their normal wear cycle. If you have a 5 percent or 10 percent interest in an HOA (homeowner’s association), it’s a lot less painful when a roof needs replacement or when a construction defect arises. 

As for me, I think I’ll stay in my 84-year-old house with all it’s bumps and warts. But I am thinking about taking up skydiving! 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor, in care of East Bay Real Estate, at realestate@berkeleydailyplanet.com.

After a day of being olfactorily jostled by vehicle exhaust, the odd pile of dog turds by the sidewalk, and overdone, overused, over-applied synthetic perfumes, being surrounded by natural scents clears the crud from one’s mind and mood.  

Scent in flowers, like color and form, serves to attract pollinators. Big bright perfumed blooms usually don’t toss pollen promiscuously into the air and up your nose; that’s done by wind-pollinated plants with small, inconspicuous flowers. (Some of us seem to be allergic to the scents themselves, or to whatever sublimates carry them through the air, but that’s more unusual than allergies to pollen or sensitivities to petroleum derivatives.) 

Scientists looking to breed—or genetically engineer—the perfume back into modern hybrid roses have done a lot of looking into flowers’ scent production. A few years ago a group at the University of Michigan found four separate genes that code specific enzymes that prod flowers to produce scent. This happens right in the tissues of the petals and it can be amazingly precise and versatile.  

Within those petals, which may look pretty much uniform to us, plants can manufacture and release several different scents: a general come-hither near the petal’s edge and a more specific directional indicator nearer its base. This looks like an analogy to the ultraviolet markers on flowers: bees can see them; we can’t.  

If you want a fragrant garden, consider a few things before choosing plants.  

Some flowers, like those of the shrub night jessamine, mentioned last week, are overwhelmingly fragrant. Set such flowers at the far edge of your garden, to dilute the scent. Be kind to your neighbors about this, too, please. 

Like night jessamine and nicotiana, some flowers release their scents only in the evening: brugmannsia (angel’s trumpet) and some cacti and orchids, for instance. 

Daphne blooms early in the year, when we all need encouragement. Earlier still are those white narcissus bulbs you can force in a dish of pebbles and water.  

Old roses have the best scents. Shop for them when they’re blooming, to find your favorite, or take notes and keep those fort bare-root season.  

Citrus trees are famously fragrant, and many do well in big containers. If you love the scents, look for several types that bloom and bear fruit at different times. If not orange, then “mock orange,” Philadelphus—we have a fine native species. 

A nice fragrant underplanting is the humble, common, inexpensive white alyssum. The purple and pink kinds aren’t so fragrant. Alyssum re-sows generously, which is good in a city garden but makes it dangerous to plant next to a wildland; it’s already feral along the coast. Old-fashioned pinks smell wonderfully spicy; so do a number of our native annuals like Brewer’s clarkia. Sweet stock is easy to find as seedlings; heliotrope and mignonette only a little less so.  

Best is to shop a few times each season, and walk the streets and public gardens, with your nose working and a notebook and/or camera.  

Next week: fragrances don’t come only from flowers. 

In 1990, 60 percent of New Yorkers said they would live somewhere else if they could, and in 2000, 70 percent of urbanites in Britain felt the same way. Many suburbanites commute hours every day just to have “a home, a bit of private space, and fresh air.” But unfortunately, running off to suburbia or to the wilderness to find contentment is becoming environmentally and economically unviable.  

We must draw people back into relatively compact urban areas. Showcase cities that have managed to attract would-be suburbanites into increased core densities have done so through neighborhood revitalization and by giving priority to quality of life, not density. This is the opposite of what Berkeley is doing.  

Berkeley is making three serious mistakes. First, we are deliberately and unnecessarily increasing income-based inequities in quality of life. Second, we are moving toward an urban environment where man is disconnected from (his) nature. And third, we are creating an urban environment that undermines our cultural values and individual potentialities.  

First, as discussed in Part II of this series (“Density, Equity, and the Urban NIMBY,” Aug. 11), we should not continue to enshrine poor and unequal quality of life in our land use policies and zoning decisions. Livability standards are most important, but least applied and enforced, in high-density areas. Renters and other high-density residents are expected to do without adequate living space, greenspace, quiet, and cars; and without cars, they lack the freedom, pleasure, and mobility taken for granted by average Americans. This is ethically unacceptable. 

Second, our urban rights must include the right to a “minimum daily requirement” of nature, as discussed in Part III of this series (“A NIMBY Confronts Environmental Dualism,” Aug. 15). Most urban poor never leave the ghetto; most car-free Manhattanites rarely leave New York City. The only nature they experience has to be in their own neighborhoods. Good urban design creates space to experience a diversity of nature on a daily basis.  

Finally, we need to design urban spaces to enhance quality of life, cultural richness, and personal fulfillment. The Centers for Disease Control defines quality of life as “an overall sense of well-being . . . including] all aspects of community life that [influence] the physical and mental health of its members.” The World Health Organization states that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being . . .” The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adds: “Everyone . . . has the right to . . . the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”  

What kinds of spaces are required to express our dignity and personality? Americans, Californians, and Berkeleyans must examine our own values and decide which ones to make space for. We cannot take land use examples from other cultures. Berkeleyans are not Parisians, nor Brazilians, nor even New Yorkers. I once asked a friend from Hong Kong what he did outside of work. He said: “Nothing, really. In Hong Kong we didn’t have any room for hobbies. I don’t know how to do anything or build anything. All I know how to do is go to work.” Lack of space for personal development makes Hong Kong a capitalist dream but a cultural wasteland. American values are different. We like private space for hobbies and recreation, and if the city doesn’t provide it, Americans will simply continue their urban exodus.  

We cannot let planners and developers decide what we will do with our lives. I never hear planners discussing psychological health and cultural values. Planners have a different approach. As one Berkeley planner told me, no matter what they build, eventually those who can or must tolerate the new, worse environment will replace those who can’t. As this happens, resistance to further degradation lessens. But I reject this “race to the bottom.” And with enough time, planners and developers could also train Americans to live like drones in anthills—but why let them?  

The reason Berkeley is making these three mistakes is that we have fallen under the control of developers and extremists, instead of implementing real smart growth. Accepted smart growth urban infill guidelines recommend more open space, more parking, smaller buildings, and greater housing variety than is called for by Berkeley’s current plans, codes, decision makers, false “smart growth” advocates, and, of course, developers. Real smart growth approximates what most of Berkeley looks like right now—two-story single-family homes with small yards, two- and three-story multi-unit buildings, somewhat taller buildings in mixed-use areas, plenty of greenery, adequate but not excessive parking, and attractive, walkable downtowns based largely on the preservation of historic buildings. This is what makes urban living humane, attractive, healthy, and sustainable. And it’s exactly what most Berkeley NIMBYs support.  

Human beings can survive in environments of unbelievable degradation. People can adapt to horrors so well that they soon fail to perceive them as horrible. Thus it is important to remind ourselves of what is good before we become too accustomed to what is bad. 

Simply stated, urban residents have a civil right to good quality of life. So I now propose an “Urban Bill of Rights,” a.k.a “The NIMBY Manifesto.”  

The Urban Bill of Rights 

1. The right to see significant greenery, the sky, and the sun from within one’s home. 

2. The right to natural cross ventilation in one’s home. 

3. The right to enjoy peace and quiet within one’s home with windows open. 

4. The right to sleep at night without excessive artificial ambient light. 

5. The right to be free in one’s neighborhood from pollution of air, water, soil, and plant life. 

6. The right to be free from undesirable local environmental change caused by poor urban design, such as wind, shadow and noise canyons, excess heat caused by overpaving, etc. 

7. The right to adequate space for storage, hobbies, and other personal activities in and around each dwelling unit, including play space for children in family housing. 

8. The right to mobility, regardless of income. If automobile use is discouraged by prohibitive pricing, public transit must be adequate and low cost.  

9. The right to parking space for each household. 

10. The right of convenient access, on foot if possible, to basic daily needs, such as good quality food at reasonable prices, daily household and medical supplies, laundry facilities, etc. 

11. The right of convenient access, by foot, private vehicle, or transit, to places of employment. 

12. The right of equal access to the commons and to taxpayer-funded and other public facilities, such as government buildings, libraries, museums, bridges, and roadways. 

13. The right of access within walking distance to nature, recreation, outdoor exercise, and discovery, including parks, open space, and areas inhabited by wildlife. 

14. The right to equal and adequate police, fire, and emergency services, which shall not be infringed on the basis of income or neighborhood character. 

15. The right to participate in and guide, through equitable, representative, democratic processes, land use decisions that affect oneself, one’s neighborhood, and one’s community. 

This list can be refined through public discussion. Once accepted, urban rights would be delimited by the courts just like our other rights. Many of them are inexpensive and easy to implement, and all should be goals of good urban planning. I challenge our planning staff, land use and housing commissions, city council, and organizations pretending to advocate “livability” in Berkeley to think about these ideas in all their housing and land use decisions.

Conservative foreign policy has failed and taken with it their dream of a new American empire. Unfortunately, in the course of its jingoistic pursuit of global supremacy, conservatism undermined the international institutions that both Democratic and Republican presidents struggled to strengthen, before the disastrous reign of George W. Bush. 

As a result, conservatism has accomplished an ignominious “twofer.” It’s made the United States less safe and mocked the cooperation and collaboration required to deal with the world’s problems. It’s time to ask: What does liberalism suggest? 

Unlike conservatives, liberals willingly acknowledge that there are issues facing the world that must be solved by cooperation between nations and creation of international laws and institutions. Liberals don’t believe the United States can achieve world peace solely through military might. They take diplomacy seriously. 

The new liberal ideology sees the United States and other nations cooperating to solve the common problems facing humankind: global climate change, poverty, terrorism, and WMDs, among others. Liberals understand that this means empowering the United Nations and other international organizations. It also suggests that the United States has to acquire some humility; acknowledge that it cannot go it alone. Americans have to quit acting like the do-good bullies of the world. 

International organizations deal with three classes of problems: military, economic, and social. While the United States is the world’s dominant military power, there are international military dilemmas that cannot be solved by American unilateralism. Iraq is a prime example of this reality; among other reasons that the occupation of Iraq failed was the unwillingness of the United States to form a substantial international partnership. 

Liberalism supports multilateral efforts to deal with issues such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the arms trade, in general. Liberals argue that the United States cannot simultaneously push for a reduction of global arms trafficking and continue to be the world’s largest weapons trader. The United States must reduce its weapons production as part of a worldwide disarmament initiative. 

The new liberal ideology acknowledges the obvious: The interests of Israel are not synonymous with the interests of the United States. The United States will remain an ally of Israel, and defend it’s right to exist, but this is not equivalent to giving the government of Israel carte blanche. On July 14, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, said that Israel’s right to self-defense “does not exempt it from respecting the norms of international law, especially as regards the protection of civilian populations.” 

Liberalism will return the United States its historic diplomatic position of evenhandedness and regard for international law. America will work with the U.N. to defuse the deteriorating situation between Israel and its neighbors, because only multilateralism can solve the problems in the Middle East. Only multilateralism will provide real security for America and the world. 

Americans believe that democracy is the best form of government, one that should be encouraged throughout the world. Unlike conservatives, liberals believe that democracy involves more than the mechanics of fair elections. Liberals believe in “civil society,” a concept that is notably absent in conservative literature and foreign policy. 

Liberalism knows that a strong civil society is a prerequisite for democracy, that there are a variety of public and non-governmental institutions that must function before there can be an effective voting process: schools, courts and other institutions that protect human rights. Civil society is the glue that holds democratic societies together. Liberals do not share the confidence of conservatives that “the market” enables civil society; they believe that government must be held responsible for ensuring human rights. 

The new liberal ideology understands that democracy and capitalism are not synonymous. Many liberals believe that “level playing field” capitalism is the best economic system, but they understand that other economic forms-such as social democracy-may be acceptable as an emerging nation begins to build democratic institutions. The consequence of this pragmatism is that liberalism knows that critical social and economic problems cannot be left to the whims of the global marketplace. The market doesn’t care about many of these, such as poverty. 

Furthermore, an unfettered market is destructive. Many environmental problems, such as global climate change, result from businesses using the environment as a free resource, ignoring the long-term consequences of actions such as clear-cutting forests or belching noxious chemicals into the atmosphere. The international community must regulate multinational capitalism. 

A new liberal foreign policy has far reaching implications: It declares that the United States will abandon its self-centered conduct in the world community and embrace cooperation. It argues there must be major changes in the way internal U.S. politics are conducted: the military will no longer be treated as sacrosanct; efforts will be redoubled to diminish America’s role as a weapons manufacturer; the political power of corporations will be reduced; and environmental and worker-protection laws will be strengthened. 

The failure of conservatism has brought the United States and the world to the edge of World War III and planetary catastrophe. The good news is that this dire situation has opened the eyes of Americans to alternative views of the world, made them amenable to a radically different foreign policy-the new liberalism. 

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer. He can be reached at bobburnett@comcast.net. 

I should have knocked on wood last week when I said I often use Kaiser’s Emergency Room as an office in which to get some writing done. As I e-mailed the essay to the Daily Planet, Ralph’s health took an unexpected and rapid slide downhill. I drove him to ER. I took a pen and notebook with me, but because his vital signs were alarmingly weak, he was rushed through triage and put in a room for patients who need immediate attention.  

Still in his wheelchair, and dehydrated from weeks of unusually hot weather, Ralph was quickly hooked to an IV and pumped full of fluids. He began to recover. A battery of tests was administered, x-rays were taken and blood samples collected. An exploratory camera attached to the end of a long tube was prescribed for insertion up Ralph’s nose and down his throat. But the machine the camera was to be attached to wasn’t available. The attending nurse wanted to insert the tube immediately. She said Ralph might be “a little uncomfortable, but he’d be ready once she could get at the machine.” 

I balked at her suggestion. “Why cause him discomfort while he waits?” I asked.  

“Priorities,” she explained. “I can do it now. Later, I may not have the time.” 

“No,” I said. “We’ll wait. Let’s not get the cart before we have the horse.” 

I could tell she was unhappy with my decision, but I’d observed this procedure during a previous visit to ER. It had been painful.  

Two hours went by. The IV bags drained and emptied. The staff changed, and a new nurse arrived, replacing the one who was angry with me. “I’ve been told you refused to allow the esophagus tube to be inserted,” she said. She held a clipboard in one hand and a pencil in the other.  

“Yes,” I answered. “We’re trying to get within reach of the machine. I don’t see the point in causing Ralph pain while he waits for it to become available.” 

“I understand,” said the new nurse.  

And then we waited some more.  

Eleven hours later and all the tests finally completed, a bed was found for Ralph on the eighth floor of the hospital. An around-the-clock staff of seemingly hundreds of people watched over him as he recuperated. A nutritionist stopped by to monitor his meals, doctors assessed his progress, nurses checked his vital signs, assistants turned his body to the left, and then to the right. 

Technicians collected blood samples, measured urine output, took bedside sonograms. Someone unhooked all the machines and pushed the bed, with Ralph in it, into the hallway and through the corridor to the service elevator. Ralph was wheeled inside and sent downstairs to get additional x-rays and sonograms. While he was gone, a janitor mopped the floor of Room 821.  

Finally, after five days, Ralph was returned home with additional medications, a special ointment for his bedsores, and a PIC line inserted within the vein of his right arm. I was taught how to administer antibiotics intravenously three times a day, at eight-hour intervals. A home health nurse was assigned to visit several times a week to monitor my work.  

I never had time to write while Ralph was hospitalized. I was too busy running back and forth to his room, and taking care of all the things that needed to be done before he could return home. And now I understand why the ER nurse wanted to insert that exploratory esophagus tube up Ralph’s nose while she had a spare moment even though the machine it had to be attached to wasn’t available. Forget the horse and cart thing, it’s all about time management.  

I wish Kaiser had sent Ralph home with more than just five new medications, miles of rubber tubing, and an IV pole. I wish they’d returned him with a team of doctors, nurses, assistants, technicians, someone to move his bed and manage the antibiotics, and a janitor to take out the trash.

Up in the hills, in the parks and in the places next to them, are Monterey pines—imported from Monterey, and many now old and ill and tottering—and native trees: redwoods, the odd Douglas fir, oaks, and a tree of many names, its official binomial being quite a melodious mouthful, Umbellularia californica.  

It’s confusing to talk about sometimes, because it’s known in English as California bay laurel here and Oregon myrtle in Oregon. Or Coos Bay laurel, probably a mash of the first two names.  

Or California bay or California laurel (but there’s an unrelated and non-similar big shrub/small tree by that name too) or bay, bay laurel (but there’s another tree by that name too, of course), baytree, black myrtle, cinnamon bush, laurel (lots of things get called that), mountain laurel (more often used for a gorgeous eastern North American shrub), myrtle (lots of unrelated plants go by that name), myrtletree, myrtlewood, Pacific myrtle, pepperwood, spice-tree, white myrtle, or yellow myrtle.  

It’s also called “headache tree,” either because inhaling its scent too long can allegedly give you headaches (I’ve never experienced this myself) or because the local pre-Columbian folks used a decoction of some part of it to cure headaches. Maybe both; who knows?  

It’s easier to learn to pronounce “Umbellularia.”  

Umbellularia gives our local woodlands a big component of their characteristic spicy scent, mostly from the carpet of its leaves underfoot. The dried leaves have a scent rather different from the green ones on the trees: more mellow, more complex. It rises to meet you as you walk under the arching trees, and intensifies when you step on the leaves. It’s spicy with a hint of camphor up front and something brown and tobaccolike at base.  

But don’t take my attempt at description as gospel; go on up to Tilden and walk under the (uh-oh, whatsitsname?) Californibays on, say, the Caves Trail. Wait, I think they’re calling that the Wildcat Creek Trail lately. This nominative confusion must be contagious.  

On that trail as in other places umbellulaurel grows en masse, you’ll see scant understory, and often no other tree species. That’s partly because those nifty scents it makes are accompanied by water-soluble compounds that leach into the soil to inhibit root elongation in other plants, and of course because a closed forest canopy in a dry place tends to shut other plants out.  

But there are coral-root orchids along that Tilden trail, and I’ve found thimbleberries and flowering currants, trilliums and tanoaks and sword ferns among others growing under umbellularibays. Old stands—more or less what naturalists call “climax forests”—can be pretty exclusive, but Califoregon baytles thrive in mixed woods along with redwoods, live and deciduous oaks, madrones, tanoaks, chinquapins, Douglas fir, and whatever else their range offers for companionship.  

Peppermyrtlaurels resprout readily after fires, and evidently also after other catastrophes too. You can find magnificently gnarled, sculptured, hollowed-out semicircles of trunks rising from a single vast volcano-shaped trunk mass in forests that have survived fires, and growing alone in meadows, like the one in the photo near the Bear Valley visitors’ center in Point Reyes National Seashore.  

Whiteyellowblack myrtle has an interesting little fruit that looks rather like a miniature smooth-skinned avocado. Squirrels and other wildlife eat it, and it’s edible for us too. I’ve heard differing opinions on how palatable the fatty flesh around it is, but the pre-Columbians roasted the seed inside and ate it plain or ground it up and made meal for sun-dried cakes to store for later.  

When you take the road north and cross the Oregon border, you find souvenir stands selling stuff from buttons to bowls carved from Oregoos Baylaumyrtle. They’re pretty; the wood has rich yellow-to-red tones and an interesting grain, and makes swirly burls. A carpenter friend of mine once warned me that it tends to dry out and split, though, so if you buy or make such an item, be sure to keep it oiled and don’t put it in a sunny window.  

A local outfit named Juniper Ridge makes assorted things from Western scented plants, and its California Bay Laurel soap captures the fragrance pretty well. You can find it at farmers’ markets, places like The Gardener, and (best price I’ve seen) the Berkeley Bowl. It’s a good trip down Memory Trail if you like to walk the woods, but be aware that a few people find the oils to be a skin irritant. I’m allergic to an annoying number of things and it hasn’t bothered me, but I know someone who got a short-lived rash from it. Try it on the inside of your elbow first. If you can’t use it for soap, it makes an inspiring room scent.  

Photograph by Ron Sullivan 

This Umbellularia californica shelters some of the deer, squirrels, birds, and lizards of Point Reyes National Seashore.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 

THEATER 

California Shakespeare Theater “The Merchant of Venice” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through Sept. 3. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Encore Theatre Company and Shotgun Players “The Typographer’s Dream” at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Sept. 17. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Impact Theatre “House of Lucky” Written and performed by Frank Wortham, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Aug. 26. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Masquers Playhouse “Diary of a Scoundrel” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond across from the Hotel Mac. Through Sept. 30. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. 

Unconditional Theatre “Voices of Activism: Crawford” documentary theater, storytelling and dialoge at 7:30 p.m. at Temescal Co-Housing, 322 45th St., Oakland. Cost is $2-$20, sliding scale. www.untheatre.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Then, Now and New Beginnings” Works by Lynne Zickerman. Reception at 5 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. 848-1228.  

FILM 

Kenji Mizoguchi “Street of Shame” at 7 p.m. and “Sansho the Bailiff” at 8:50 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Robert E. Bowman in a classical piano recital, at 8 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 845-1350. 

Trumpet Supergroup at noon at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373.  

“Jazz & Poetry” with David Meltzer, Genny Lim, Kit Robinson and others at 7 p.m. at Half Price Books, 2036 Shattuck Ave. 526-6080. 

Quartet San Francisco at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Free. 981-6241. 

Otro Mundo at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12, children 12 and under, free. 849-2568.  

Julian Pollack & Taylor Eigsti at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373.  

Zoe Ellis Band with guest Dave Ellis at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. 

Sister Carol with The Yellow Wall Dub Squad, reggae, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $17-$20. 525-5054.  

Meli, Latin vocalist, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

John Stowell at 5 p.m. at Ristorante Raphael, 2132 Center St. 644-9500.  

Tera Johnson Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Ira Marlowe and Mario DeSio at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Trailer Park rangers, Eddie Rivers and the Flood at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. 

Thought Riot, Scare, Goddamn Wolves at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Realistic Orchestra at 10 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Eddie Marshall and Holy Mischief at 8 p.m. and John Schott’s Dream Kitchen at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

David Weckl Band at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $15-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Video Work by Bill Viola” An installation with continuous loops of the videographer’s works from 1977-1994, opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200.  

“Horses in the Trees” works by Mark P. Fisher. Reception at 2 p.m. at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave. #4. Exhibition runs to Oct. 7. 421-1255. 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Godfellas” Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Willard Park, Hillegass & Derby. 415-285-1717. 

San Francisco Shakespeare “The Tempest” Free Sharespeare in the park at 4 p.m. at Lakeside Park at Lake Merritt, corner of Perkins and Bellevue, Oakland. Sat. and Sun. through Aug. 27. 415-865-4434. 

Shotgun Players “Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods” Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Hinkle Park, through Sept. 10. Free, with pass the hat donation after the show. 841-6500.  

Jump! written and performed by Shanique S. Scott at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

The Great Night of Soul Poetry at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Co-sponsored by Dan and Dale Zola and Black Oak Books. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

“Bird, Bop, Black Art and Beyond” A symposium on saxophonist Charlie Parker Sat. and Sun. at House of Unity, Suite 230, Eastmont Mall, 7200 Bancroft Ave, E. Oakland. COst is $5-$15 sliding scale. 836-6234.  

John Canemaker “Marching to a Different Tune” at 5 p.m. and “Winsor McCay: His Life and Art” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. 

Rhythm & Muse features poet Jeanne Lupton at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 527-9753. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Old Puppy at 10 a.m. at Nabalom Bakery, 2708 Russell St. 845-BAKE. 

Jazzschool Ensembles at 10:30 a.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at MLK. 845-5373. 

Ambrose Akinmusire at noon at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373. 

George Brooks Summit at 2 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373. 

Royal Society Jazz Orchestra at 4:30 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373. 

Jaya Lakshmi, Indian devotional music at 8 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $16-$18. 843-2787.  

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Kotoja, Afrobeat dance party, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

John Bruce and Derek See at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The People, Bayonics at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Terry Riley at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. 845-5373.  

“Jazz & Poetry” with Adam David Miller & Pam Johnson, Al Young, and others at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6241. 

Rhonda Benin Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Kai Eckhardt’s Area 61, at 9 p.m. at Capoeira Arts Cafe, 2062 Addison St. Cost is $10. 666-1255. 

Celu Hammer with Gail Makris and David Schiretzky at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

The Whoreshoes, Meat Purveyors, Pickin’Trix at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Will Blades Duo at noon, Sarah Manning Trio at 5 p.m. and Disappear Incompletely at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Charm, UG Man, Lewd Acts at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 

FILM 

Kenji Mizoguchi “The Life of Oharu” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Elizabeth Wagele talks about “The Happy Introvert: A Wild and Crazy Guide for Celebrating Your True Self” at 6:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Linda Moyers, poetry reading, at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Ave.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Benefit Concert for the Animals, featuring flautist Carol Alban, cellist Suellen Primost, and others at 3 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Suggested donation $10. 595-9009. 

Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco at noon at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza, 845-5373.  

Art Song of Debussy, Duparc, Vaughan Williams, Beethoven and more with Dorothy Isaacson Read, mezzo soprano and Kristin Pankonin, piano at 4 p.m. at Chamber Arts House, 2924 Ashby Ave. Suggested donation $5-$10.  

John Santos & Machete Ensemble at 2 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza, 845-5373. 

Bob Marley Ensemble at 5 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza, 845-5373.  

Vicki Randle with Nina Gerber & Bonnie Hayes at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Ray Obiedo’s Mambo Caribe with Pete Escovedo at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Will Bernard Trio at noon, Americana Unplugged with Feed and Seed at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Girl Talk at 5 p.m. at Ristoprante Raphael, 2137 Center St. 644-9500. 

The Hot Club of San Francisco at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810 

Natasha Miller and Bobby Sharp at 4:30 p.m. and Kasey Knudsen Sextet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Bigger Olsen at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344..  

MONDAY, AUGUST 28 

EXHIBITIONS 

New Works by Kazuyo Sato-Leue, abstract expressionist, opens at Westside Barkery Cafe, 250 Ninth St., and runs through Dec. 31. www.studiokazuyo.com 

FILM 

“A Strong, Clear Vision” A documentary about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, at 7 p.m. at Community Center Hall, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lucy Jane Bledsoe presents “Ice Cave: A Woman’s Adventures from the Mojave to the Antarctic” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

David Abel and Stephen Vincent at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express theme night on “pet peeves” at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums, with Ms. Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Gina Leishman at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Nika Rejto at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29 

FILM 

Screenagers “a.k.a. Don Bonus” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

A Night of Poetry with Chris Hoffman and Robert Lipton at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Tell It On Tuesday, storytelling at 7 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Cost is $8-$12 at the door. www.juliamorgan.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Swamp Coolers, cajun/western swing at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Randy Craig Trio at 7:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Plena Libre at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30 

THEATER 

Unconditional Theatre “Voices of Activism: Crawford” documentary theater, storytelling and dialoge at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $2-$20, sliding scale. www.untheatre.org 

FILM 

Kenji Mizoguchi “The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

David Simpson, author of “9/11: The Culture of Commemoration” in conversation with T. J. Clark at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

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 

Reggae Showcase with Abba Yahudah, Honourebel Nasambu, Buddha, Bobby Tenor and others, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

The Estate at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8. 848-0886. 

Karabali at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Wish Inflicted at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Michael Coleman Trio Jazz Jam at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Bring your instrument. 451-8100.  

Plena Libre at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200.  

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 

THEATER 

East Bay Improv “Not the Same Old Song & Dance” at 8 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Donation $7. 597-0795. 

FILM 

Beyond Bollywood “Company” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region” Geologist Doris Sloan and photographer John Karachewski talk about their new book at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

Tom Spanbauer reads form “Now is the Hour” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Not the Same Old Song and Dance” Improv at 8 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 597-0795. 

KTO Music Project with Musekiwa Chingodza from Zimbabwe, at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

David Ross MacDonald at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Vermillion Lies, The Peculiar Pretzelman at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Lucas Carpenter’s Friggin’ Fiasco of Fabulousness at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Elvin Jones Birthday Salute with Delfeayo Marsalis, Dave Liebman, Nicholas Payton and others at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $16-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Slydini, Innerear Brigade, Stanley at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “Salome” at 8 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. and runs Wed. - Sun. through Oct. 1. Tickets are $38. 843-4822.  

California Shakespeare Theater “The Merchant of Venice” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through Sept. 3. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. 

Encore Theatre Company and Shotgun Players “The Typographer’s Dream” at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Sept. 17. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500.  

Masquers Playhouse “Diary of a Scoundrel” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond across from the Hotel Mac. Through Sept. 30. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Jugglers of Color” Works by Albert Hwang, Douglas Light, and Sue Averell opens at Estaban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St. at Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 444-7411. 

“Horses in the Trees” works by Mark P. Fisher at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave. #4. Exhibition runs to Oct. 7. 421-1255. 

“A Balanced Life” sculptures by Will Furth and “Ma Vie en Rose” paintings by Jennifer L. Jones at the Community Art Gallery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Ave. through Nov. 10. 204-1667.  

Anna W. Edwards Abstract Paintings Opening reception at 5:30 p.m. at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland. Exhibition runs to Sept. 30. 465-8928. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Los Rakas, reggae, dancehall and hip hop at 10 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$12. 849-2568.  

Junior Reid, Everton Blender and The Reggae Angels at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $17-$20. 525-5054.  

The Dave Matthews Blues Band at 8 p.m. at The Warehouse Bar, at 4th & Webster, Oakland. 451-3161.  

Steve Taylor-Ramirez, acoustic folk-country-blues, at 7 p.m. at A Cuppa Tea, 3200 College Ave. 420-0196.  

R at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave.. 548-5198.  

Jon Steiner Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

The Ravines and Gery Tinelenberg at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The Hooks, Joel Streeter, Nine Pound Shadow at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Eskapo, Acts of Sedition, Deconditioned at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Bayonics, 40 Watt Hype, latin, fusion, soul, funk at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $5. 548-1159.  

The Moanin Dove, jungle jazz rock, at 9 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Elvin Jones Birthday Salute with Delfeayo Marsalis, Dave Liebman, Nicholas Payton, Anthony Wonsey and Jason Marsalis at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

“We want to bring Jazz back to the fore, make it relevant again—and bring it back to black audiences,” said Duane Deterville, founder of the Sankofa Cultural Institute, of the two-day symposium “Bird, Bop, Black Art & Beyond” at the House of Unity, Suite 230 in Oakland’s Eastmont Mall, 7200 Bancroft Ave., this Saturday and Sunday. 

“Jazz has been presented too much as music of the past, not for young audiences,” he said. “We’ll be looking at how great players like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie were catalysts for art and style of worldwide appeal, and how they were part of a cultural movement that germinated in black neighborhoods, communities like Brooklyn and the Bronx that gave birth to Hip Hop in more recent years.” 

The symposium, running from 2-8 p. m. Saturday and 12:30-4:20 p.m. Sunday, will feature a Norwegian documentary film, never released in the United States, with interviews of musicians who played with Parker, shown over the two days of the event. A one act play, “Wounded Feathers, A Jazz Tragedy,” will be performed Saturday by its author, actor and jazz promoter Robert Carmack. 

Both days will also feature panel discussions, with Arthur Monroe, an artist and historian who was acquainted with Parker; Karlton Hester, musician and director of Jazz Studies at UC Santa Cruz; musician and scholar Rudy Mwongozi; archivist Julian Carroll; and jazz promoter Melva Young, as well as Robert Carmack. Duane Deterville will moderate the panels.  

Monroe met Parker in New York, through black abstract expressionist painter Norman Lewis, who had a studio near Willem De Kooning’s. 

“Bird not only had an impact on the painters and writers who gathered at places like The Five Spot,” Deterville said, “but also studied painting with Harvey Cropper. Most of his canvases are gone, but one or two apparently survive. Part of what we want to do is to resurrect him from the stereotypical image of being just a slave to his own addiction, the myth of him and other Jazz artists as being just about emotions and ‘natural talent,’ not the rigor of study. Charlie Parker was well-read, basically an intellectual, and listened to everything in music. Downbeat put him through a blindfold test of a wide range of music, which he got all right, including Stravinsky and other composers, some of whom he had met. We want to make him more three-dimensional.”  

Deterville also told the story about how Monroe met Jan Horn, the Norwegian documentarist who made the Parker film on a grant from his government. 

“It includes interviews with Red Rodney, the Heath Brothers—from some great players no longer with us,” he said. He also mentioned other artists who traveled back and forth between the black community, jazz, “beat” and other scenes in American and international society, like the late poets Ted Joans and Bob Kaufman (long a San Francisco resident). 

“We want to show that these things that originated in the African diaspora in Black communities in the U. S. occurred more than once,” Deterville said. “Hip Hop is in that way almost an echo of Be Bop, and not only in the sound. Like jazz, it’s got a world-wide appeal, moving youth culture, inspiring painters like Keith Haring and Basquiat, as well as sparking poetry slams, fashions in dress, literature ... We’d like to make Jazz relevant to younger listeners, show how these are materials that can be used in their current aesthetic--and that there are words to draw upon as well.”  

Deterville founded the Sankofa Cultural Institute in 1999 to bring about encounters, workshops and cultural exchanges concerning African Diasporic cultural expression. The Institute has both a local and an international focus. 

Past conferences have brought artists and cultural leaders from as far away as Brazil and Nigeria. Yet Deterville’s focused on the future, culturally speaking. 

“You have to wonder what’s next on the horizon after this,” he said. “Looking back, who knows what brings these things in and out of vogue?” 

He’s making sure the discussions will be documented, so in the future younger people will be able to hear the participants talk, “and hear other people chiming in, to know there was still an interest in jazz in the black community in Oakland, that it wasn’t completely forgotten in the 21st century.” 

BIRD, BOP, BLACK ART  

AND BEYOND 

A symposium on legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker and the significance of black artists in the 1950s. Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27. House of Unity, Suite 230, Eastmont Mall, 7200 Bancroft Ave., Oakland. $5-15 per day, sliding scale. For more information, call 836-6234.

Despite his claims to the contrary, Winsor McCay did not invent the animated cartoon. But the legendary cartoonist did play a pioneering role, helping to advance, shape and define the nascent art form. 

This Saturday Pacific Film Archive will present several films by McCay as part of a presentation by another accomplished cartoonist, John Canemaker.  

Canemaker has many achievements to his credit, the latest among them being the Academy Award he won last year for his short film The Moon and the Son. The film depicted an imaginary conversation between Canemaker and his deceased father and featured the voices of John Turturro and Eli Wallach. 

Canemaker will be present for a screening of his own films as part of a program entitled “John Canemaker: Marching to a Different Toon” at 5 p.m. Saturday and will follow at 7:30 p.m. with a presentation and discussion of the McCay films.  

The presentation on McCay is based on Canemaker’s own biography of the great cartoonist, Winsor McCay: His Life and Art. The book was first published in 1987 but has been newly revised and expanded in a beautiful new edition that presents excellent reproductions of McCay’s artwork along with insightful and scholarly analysis. It is the only comprehensive biography of McCay and will surely play a crucial role in helping to better establish his legacy in print and animated cartooning. 

McCay’s range and talent is difficult to comprehend today. He was an extremely prolific artist, creating a number of popular comic strips as well as illustrations, editorial cartoons and animated cartoons, working on many of them simultaneously. The work for which he is most renowned focused on dreams and fantasy and included his most famous and beloved creation, Little Nemo in Slumberland, widely considered one of the greatest comic strips of all time.  

Another of his unique, though lesser known, strips is Dream of the Rarebit Fiend. Like Nemo, it relies on a predictable pattern in the creation of a most unpredictable strip. Each week the strip depicted a harrowing nightmare consisting of often surreal and hallucinatory imagery, and each week the strip concluded in precisely the same way: The protagonist would wake up in bed, realize it was just a dream, and exclaim that never again would he eat so much rarebit for dinner. 

McCay used the same basic structure for Little Nemo, with the young boy always waking up or falling out of bed in the strip’s final panel, a device later used to great effect by another comic strip artist, Bill Watterson, whose Calvin and Hobbes which often featured the wild adventures that take place inside the mind of a highly imaginative 6-year-old boy. 

Little Nemo in Slumberland ran as a full page every Sunday at a time when a newspaper page was nearly twice the size of today’s broadsheet pages. The comic strip was a relatively new medium when Nemo debuted in 1905, just 10 years old and still struggling to find its niche. McCay’s superior draftsmanship, wide-ranging imagination and bold use of color took the form to new heights. 

Brilliant as his imagination and artwork were, McCay was not without his shortcomings. He never seemed to master dialogue or narrative thrust. His dialogue is trite and redundant, and often crammed into awkward and at times barely legible word balloons. Of course, the word balloon itself was a recent invention, and it took time for artists to learn to incorporate them gracefully into their compositions. But McCay never seemed to fully grasp the concept; in fact, Nemo, even in its second incarnation in the 1920s, still evinced this anomalous flaw. 

McCay later turned his attention to animation, and once again, he played a major role in the development of a new art form, using his bold imagination, unparalleled drawing skills and showman’s flair in advancing the new medium. McCay employed wonderfully sophisticated effects and charming characters in his animated work, even taking his films on the road in vaudeville.  

“Where McCay differed from his predecessors,” Canemaker writes, “was in his ability to animate this drawings with no sacrifice of linear detail; the fluid motion, naturalistic timing, feeling of weight, and, eventually, the attempts to inject individualistic personality traits into his characters were new qualities that McCay first brought to the animated film medium.” 

McCay developed techniques that would later become commonplace and, in stark contrast to other, more secretive artists of the day, refused to patent those techniques, believing that the art form stood a better chance of progressing if artists shared their knowledge. 

Saturday’s screening will include four of McCay’s 10 animated films. His first film was Little Nemo, in which Nemo, Flip and the Imp go through a series of fun-house mirror style transformations. At the time, audiences were skeptical and often didn’t believe that the film was hand-drawn. 

“It was pronounced very lifelike,” McCay wrote in a 1927 essay, “but my audience declared that it was not a drawing, but that the pictures were photographs of real children.” 

So, in his next film, McCay drew something a little more difficult. How a Mosquito Operates, a somewhat twisted presentation that would fit right in today in Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Animation Festival, features a disturbingly oversized mosquito plunging his proboscis again and again into the face of a sleeping man, eventually becoming so bloated with blood that he explodes. Again, the cartoonist encountered skepticism.  

“My audiences were pleased,” McCay wrote, “but declared the mosquito was operated by wires to get the effect before the camera.” 

So McCay decided to create a character that could not be photographed: Gertie the Dinosaur. Gertie was a popular creation and McCay proceeded to take her on the road in vaudeville with a clever act that consisted of McCay standing beside the screen and commanding Gertie as though she were a trained elephant. He would toss her a pumpkin, crack a trainer’s whip, and even step into the frame himself, disappearing behind the screen and reappearing onscreen as an animated figure riding on the dinosaur’s back, a moment later satirized by Buster Keaton in his first feature film, The Three Ages. 

McCay’s next project was his most ambitious. The Sinking of the Lusitania took two years to produced and consisted of nearly 25,000 drawings. It marked the first time McCay used the technique of drawing on transparent cels on separate backgrounds, a technique that not only saved time and work, but also contributed greatly to the film’s dynamics. For the first time, McCay’s animated work took on a more cinematic quality, using dramatic angles to further enhance the action.  

Great as his films are and important as his contribution may be, McCay’s defects again hindered his progress. Animated cartoons would soon develop plot and narrative, and, eventually, sound, but without McCay’s help. He played a significant role in nurturing animated film into its adolescence, but it would take other talents to bring it to maturity. 

Even in his print work, McCay toyed with the idea of animation eventually leading to Gertie the Dinosaur the first widely popular animated cartoon character.

By Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

The Oregon Coast runs north from Brookings, just above the California border, to Astoria, just below the Washington border. It’s a beautiful drive. But in the interest of keeping you and the kids out of the car as much as possible, this excursion concentrates on the area between Yachats (that’s pronounced “ya-hots”) and Lincoln City, a 57-mile span that is easily reachable from Albany or Salem if you are driving, and is not much farther from Portland, if you are flying in.  

Where can you go to the beach on a summer day and have it all to yourself?  

On the remarkably scenic, rugged central coast of Oregon, where beaches are often deserted even in August and where at Fuddy Duddy Fudge the motto is: “We let you do nothing.”  

In addition to low-key bliss, this area has plenty to keep an active family busy.  

Lincoln City (88 miles southwest of Portland) 

Let’s begin in Lincoln City, the northern-most point of the central coast and at the end of Highway 18 coming in from Portland. Embracing the past, when hand-blown glass floats from Japanese fishing nets were frequently found on the wind-blown beaches here, this bustling town hosts a “Finders Keepers” program. Every day “float fairies” salt its seven miles of public beaches with new glass floats. This year the program runs through Memorial Day weekend.  

But, alas, not every beachcomber finds an orb. If your family isn’t one of the fortunate ones, turn disappointment into excitement with a visit to the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio. By appointment, the entire family can participate in blowing a beautiful glass float souvenir (children must be age 10 or older).  

In Regatta Park, youngsters can let off steam at the Sandcastle Playground overlooking lovely Devil’s Lake. Note that the 120-foot-long D River separating the lake from the ocean holds the Guinness record as “the shortest river in the world.” And at the town’s covered skate park in Kirtsis Park, skateboarders can experience a state-of-the-art bowl called The Cradle—one of three in the world.  

Known as the Kite Capital of the World, Lincoln City sits right on the 45th parallel, which is said to position it at the ideal point for a kite-friendly mixture of warm equatorial air and cold polar air. Visit in June and you can participate in one of three kite festivals held here each year. The first—the largest Indoor Windless Kite Festival in the United States—is held in March, and the last occurs in the fall.  

Depoe Bay (13 miles south of Lincoln City) 

Wildlife abounds along this coast. Harbor seals, brown pelicans, and fast-moving sandpipers are spotted frequently, as are whales (from December through early May). Perched atop a cliff next to the world’s smallest harbor, the town’s new family-friendly Whale Center offers an excellent ocean view and admission is free. Kids learn about whale babies and can touch whale bones and whale “burp balls” made of sea grass, as well as purchase a snack of whale-shaped cheddar crackers or a souvenir stuffed whale.  

This two-block-long town is protected by a seawall, over which the water sometimes crashes, hitting the businesses on the far side of the street--including Fuddy Duddy Fudge and several other tiny shops dispensing ice cream, lattes, and salt water taffy. “We take care of your candy needs,” says local John Rose, “but don’t go needing a hardware store.”  

Three miles south of town at Devils Punch Bowl State Natural Area you’ll see water gather and splash in a natural rock basin. Nearby, the tiny Flying Dutchman Winery pours tastes of their superb pinot noirs; kids can be kept occupied with an ice cream cone from an adjacent stand. 

Newport (13 miles south of Depoe Bay) 

In addition to being home to two lighthouses and the gorgeous 1936 Yaquina Bay Bridge, this vibrant city houses the nonprofit Oregon Coast Aquarium. Keiko, the whale star of Free Willy, once swam in a tank here. Elaborate outdoor exhibits delight visitors, and an animal encounters program goes behind the scenes and sometimes includes a sea lion kiss. The philosophy here is that if you get close enough to look an animal in the eye, you’ll want to protect them. Sea otters, tufted puffins, and sharks are among the most popular exhibits.  

Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center is practically next door. Sort of a cross between an aquarium and the Lawrence Hall of Science, a touch tank filled with colorful sea life and hands-on learning puzzles keep little hands busy. Here you’ll meet Roxie the octopus and find Nemo and Dory frolicking in their own tank.  

Toledo (6 miles east of Newport) 

Built on the hillsides of the Yaquina River, this tiny town has antique shops, art galleries, and casual restaurants galore, plus a railroad museum and a new skatepark designed with mini ramps for kids as young as 4 or 5.  

Just south of Yachats, Cape Perpetua Scenic Area’s easy, paved Whispering Spruce Trail leads to the highest point on the Oregon Coast and a stunning view. A visitor center provides activities for children and shows nature films.  

From here you can continue south to the dunes and back into California, or turn north and backtrack to the Victorian charms of Astoria.  

The central coast offers mile after mile of scenic vistas, plus myriad parks and beaches. Lodging prices are low compared to those in California, and Oregon still doesn’t have a sales tax. Your vacation dollar just might stretch enough to allow you to spend a few extra days in this natural wonderland.  

Carole Terwilliger Meyers is the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern California (www.carousel-press.com) and is the editor of Dream Sleeps: Castle & Palace Hotels of Europe. 

Travel Information for the CentralOregon Coast 

Lodgings 

Adobe Resort: In Yachats, (800) 522-3623, (541) 547-3141; www.adoberesort. com. Most rooms have ocean views; fitness center with lap pool, kids’ pool, and hot tub.  

A Gathering Place: South of Newport, (206) 935-7921; www.agatheringplace.net. Spacious oceanfront house with five bedrooms and a hot tub; perfect for a reunion.  

Chinook Winds Casino Resort: In Lincoln City, (800) CHINOOK; www.chinookwindscasino.com. Oceanfront lodging and dining; RV park; 24-hour casino with full-service childcare facility. 

Heron’s Watch: In Waldport, (541) 563-3847; www.heronswatch.com. Secluded two-bedroom house on Alsea Bay; a haven for bird-watchers.  

Pelican Shores Inn: In Lincoln City, (800) 705-5505, (541) 994-2134; www.pelicanshores.com. Beach-front rooms; indoor pool; great rates.  

Salishan Spa & Golf Resort: In Gleneden Beach, (888) SALISHAN, (541) 764-2371; www.salishan.com. Refined lodging and dining on 750 wooded acres.  

Shilo Inn Suites Hotel: In Newport, (800) 222-2244, (541) 265-7701; www.shiloinns. com. Beach-front rooms; inexpensive ocean- view dining; 2 indoor pools; aquarium packages.  

Restaurants 

Mo’s: In Lincoln City and Newport; moschowder.com. This popular, casual spot serves fresh Oregon seafood and is famous for its clam chowder. The Newport branch is across the street from a Wyland Whaling Wall and from seals that hang out on the docks below Undersea World.  

Waldport Seafood Company: In Waldport, (541) 563-4107; www.waldport-seafood-co.com. This restaurant and deli serves fresh local seafood and Tillamook ice cream. Pick up a picnic and eat it at the beach across the street. Do also pick up a few tins of their hand-canned Oregon albacore tune—it is THE BEST. This town also has a skate park.  

More Information 

Central Oregon Coast Association: 800-767-2064, (541) 265-2064; www.coastvisitor.com  

Camping: www.oregonstateparks.org  

Jennifer L. Sears Glass Art Studio: 541-996-2569  

Oregon Coast Aquarium: (541) 867-3474; www.aquarium.org 

OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center: (541) 867-0100; http://hmsc.orst.edu/visitor 

Flying Dutchman Winery: (541) 765-2553; www.dutchmanwinery.com  

Cape Perpetua Scenic Area: (541) 547-3289, www.fs.fed. 

us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/capeperpetua 

Teach Your Children Well! 

The beach can also be a dangerous place. Never turn your back on the water.  

Photograph by Carole Terwilliger Meyers

The half-dozen years before World War I were significant ones for Berkeley’s ecclesiastical architecture. 

Between 1908 and 1913, five remarkable Arts & Crafts church buildings went up in five neighborhoods. These were Knox Presbyterian Church (Henry Starbuck, 1908); St. John’s Presbyterian Church (Julia Morgan, 1908–10); First Church of Christ, Scientist (Bernard Maybeck, 1910); Park Congregational Church (Hugo Storch, 1912); and North Berkeley Congregational Church (James Plachek, 1913). 

Although each of these churches—all designated City of Berkeley Landmarks—is unique in its appearance, they have in common an unassuming scale in keeping with their residential surroundings. Gone are the steeples and soaring bell towers seen in earlier houses of worship. The five architects derived at least some of their inspiration from the First Unitarian Church (A.C. Schweinfurth, 1898) at Bancroft and Dana, a one-story structure combining shingles and amber-glass steel windows with natural redwood interior. This church in its turn followed the path set by the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco (A. Page Brown & Rev. Joseph Worcester, 1894). 

The southernmost of the five churches, Park Congregational—now South Berkeley Community Church—is located on the southeast corner of Fairview and Ellis streets, in the historic Lorin district. 

The community of Lorin was developed on the land of farmer Edward Harmon, who sold lots to prospective homeowners. According to Berkeley historian Charles Wollenberg, Harmon went into the construction business in the 1870s and over a twenty-year period built more than forty houses on what had been his South Berkeley farmland. Harmon was the major developer of the community of Lorin, which once boasted a train station located at Adeline Street and Alcatraz Avenue, as well as a school and post office. In the early 1890s, Berkeley annexed Lorin and some adjacent tracts in the city’s first territorial expansion since incorporation in 1878. 

On July 24, 1912, the Oakland Tribune announced that construction had commenced on a new building to be occupied by Park Congregational Church. The congregation’s previous home, in use since 1883 and located a block and a half to the west, had been sold to the Seventh Day Adventists. 

According to the Tribune report, the new building was to be finished in stucco on the exterior and in natural wood on the interior. The main auditorium would seat 300, with room for 200 additional persons in an auxiliary room. A semicircular Sunday school room would accommodate seventeen classes, with seating space for 400 children. Public reading rooms and assembly halls for community clubs would be provided. The cost was to be $15,000, exclusive of furnishings. 

The residential architecture of the Lorin district consists primarily of Victorian and Colonial Revival homes that rarely rise above two stories. It was into this context that Hugo Storch had to place the church building while incorporating requisite features such as a bell tower and a lofty sanctuary. 

Storch met the challenge admirably. Blending several architectural styles—Arts and Crafts and Mission Revival outside, First Bay Region Tradition within—his church stands out without overwhelming its neighbors. Seen from the street, the building is low-lying. Its corner bell tower is massive but squat. The residential-scale portico leads into an intimate redwood antechamber, which serves as a space of transition into the main sanctuary, also lined in redwood. 

But no transition space prepares the visitor for the breathtaking contrast between exterior and interior. The sanctuary soars to the high rafters, exposing roof trusses, diagonal braces, and wall studs. The pews are arranged in a semicircle that is echoed by the semicircular social hall in the rear, separated from the sanctuary by three enormous roll-down redwood doors. In the hall, formerly a Sunday school, a fan-like mezzanine balcony is partitioned into loges that used to serve as classrooms, with more classrooms directly underneath. 

Revolutionary for its time, the stark interior space nevertheless mirrors the spatial arrangement of historic church architecture. The nave, aisle, and side chapels are all here, albeit free of any ornamentation. The rounded social hall recalls the traditional apse, normally located behind the altar. Since the altar of this church is placed at the front of the building, with no space for a real apse, the architect ingeniously created an interior “apse” in the rear. 

The son of a Bohemian-German mining engineer, Hugo William Storch (1873–1917) was born in Mexico. In the 1880s the family moved to San Francisco, eventually settling in the Fruitvale district of Oakland. At the age of 17, Storch became an apprentice to the respected San Francisco architect John Gash. Three years later, the young man left Gash to start his own office and practiced as an architect until 1899, when he took a job with the Electrical Engineering Co. of San Francisco. The company would be renamed Van Emon Elevator Co. in 1903 and relocate to Berkeley after the 1906 earthquake. 

Storch may have designed the company’s Berkeley plant. The post-earthquake building boom probably spurred his return to architecture, which was his primary practice for the next eight years. During this period he designed the Fruitvale Masonic Temple (1905–06, built 1909) and the Fruitvale Congregational Church (1911, destroyed in 1973). The Fruitvale Pythian Hall (1913, severely altered in 1941) was built on his modified plans, according to a 1913 report in the Oakland Tribune. In 1915, Storch moved his family to Sonoma County, building a home on the bank of Santa Rosa Creek. He died in 1917, aged 44. 

After 30 years on Fairview Street, the Park Congregational Church found itself with a steadily dwindling membership. Much of the attrition had to do with the area’s changing demographics. In November 1942, Rev. Tom Watt’s annual pastor’s report informed his parishioners, “I am appalled and tremendously disturbed when I discover the change in the population … that materially effects our work. Only two colored families were in the immediate vicinity. Now … the block directly across the street on Ellis is predominantly colored … If we are to maintain ourselves as an organization it seems to be quite evident that we shall be compelled to depend on growth from outside this area.” 

As told in the church’s history, the remnant congregation decided to discontinue services. In 1943, following a recommendation of the United Church of Christ Conference, Berkeley’s first interracial congregation was born, led by two ministers: Robert K. Winters, a junior at the Starr King School, and Roy Nichols, a senior at the Pacific School of Religion. One of the fledgling congregation’s charter members was Berkeley legend Maudelle Shirek. 

Time has taken its toll on the church building. A 1988 architectural report found it to be in “relatively poor shape. Considerable repair and rehabilitation will be necessary if the building is to remain as it is without further deterioration.” The funds required for full-scale restoration are beyond the small congregation’s means. 

Last fall, a capital restoration campaign was inaugurated with a lecture sponsored by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. An article by Martin Snapp attracted the attention of Mike Van Brunt, who volunteered the services of his construction company, Walnut Creek–based Van Brunt Associates, in preparing a restoration plan. Some of the firm’s past renovation projects include the San Francisco Ferry Building and the Fairmont and Mark Hopkins hotels. 

The Friends for the Restoration of South Berkeley Community Church are now writing a proposal to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places as a means for facilitating fundraising. A National Historic Landmark status has helped the First Church of Christ, Scientist to obtain matching grants from the Getty Foundation and National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

The writer is indebted to Bradley Wiedmaier for information about the life and work of Hugo Storch. 

Photograph: South Berkeley Community Church, 1802 Fairview Street (Daniella Thompson) 

Crisis is opportunity isn’t it? And some days I just have to say, Thank you, Lord Buddha, for another #$%@ing growth opportunity. 

What makes me start off this way? Well I’ll tell you. It’s the inspection of brand new houses. Some people like diving out of planes from 35,000 feet. Others like to train tigers and still others like to argue with women who are way smarter than they are. I’m not really up to any of these death-defying activities but I do, occasionally inspect a brand new house. 

When I’m feeling especially moxie-filled, I like to pick one of those 5 million dollar jobs (yes, they go way higher these days but they’re not too many around these-here parts). It really gets my blood pumping to inspect one of these houses that I am absolutely certain is going to have lots more to tell and many more defects to find in about two or three years, not to mention 10 years from now. 

That’s the thing; when a house is brand new, you just don’t know what’s going to fail. It’s like a newborn babe, all full of promise and hope. Then one day, it’s all car-jacking and unpaid alimony. Well, maybe that’s a bit over the top but you get the point. 

The problem is that people get sort of glazed over when they’re looking at a brand new house.  

Most people assume that a new house is going to be free from defect. That everything will be plumb, square and tight. Perfect. That all the outlets will work and that it won’t leak. So there’s much further to fall than when you’re buying an old fixer and you ASSUME that everything is going to need work. 

New houses are just like old houses are before they get old. But they’ll get there. After a while, they begin to exhibit all the things that old houses do and many will get there faster than you think. 

Now, new houses have many things to recommend them. Newer heating systems are superior in many ways to the earlier models. Same with water heaters and electrical systems and nice big fat copper plumbing. We also have much more rigid seismic requirements and better fire codes.  

These are all excellent things and, in many ways, well worth the trip. If I saw a new house that looked a bit more like our old Berkeley beauties, I’d almost be ready to lay the bucks on the barrel-head. But being in the business that I’m in, I’m privy to a nearly endless reservoir of stories that circulate showing us that much new construction, while looking very neat and shiny, has plenty that can go wrong in the first few years. 

Of course this is not an overall condemnation of new construction, but rather a simple myth-busting exercise in the interest of consumer protection. Many of the newer houses we’ve seen built in the last 15 years in our area have turned out to leak. This is the most common failure by far. 

Windows can leak, walls can leak, roofs can leak and, my personal favorite, decks over living space (or sealed areas) can leak. That last one is so common that many in my business are unwilling to bless any of the new tiled decks with their trust and often leave the client with subtle warnings regarding their long-range futures. 

Many new houses have Italianate ornamentation around or below their windows or along cornices that are made of Styrofoam. That’s right, Styrofoam. They’re called foam plant-on’s and they get embedded below stucco finishes. 

When you see fancy shaped stucco trims (usually 4” to 8” thick) they are probably made of this stuff. The manufacturers wisely require that a good thickness of stucco be added over the foam to make sure that they won’t be easily damaged over time but you know how things go. 

I can often push them in with my thumb clearly revealing that less than 1/4” of stucco has been installed over the foam. 

Newer houses often have uneven walls, floor and stairways. It’s just rush, rush, rush when there’s a million dollar paycheck waiting at the end of the herringbone walkway. 

Now, again, this is not the whole story. Builders work hard to build good houses as a rule. Part of the problem lies with a cornucopia of new materials that are emerging daily, each with the promise of low cost and iron-clad results. We know how that story comes out too, right? 

One major window producer is in the midst of a major recall and this isn’t a shock. New ideas are hard to get right, fresh out of the gate. I’m not exactly an old-fashioned guy but I do believe in tried and true technology and I feel as though we should adopt building techniques and products slowly with thorough testing in both lab and field. I don’t really want to live in a test case and would rather not have to sue anybody ever over anything. 

Beyond this, I do find plenty of errors made in newer construction, just as I find them in remodels and old houses. This is normal. 

The message here is to have reasonable expectations and to not fall into all-too American trap of thinking that new is always better and that a new house will free you from all possible future difficulties. Yes, a new house is very likely to be less work and less cost over the first 10 years, in general. But taking a close look is a darned good idea. So is a builder’s warrantee.  

For some, buying a condo or a townhouse can make a similar sense in that you will have less responsibility when things do go wrong or run their normal wear cycle. If you have a 5 percent or 10 percent interest in an HOA (homeowner’s association), it’s a lot less painful when a roof needs replacement or when a construction defect arises. 

As for me, I think I’ll stay in my 84-year-old house with all it’s bumps and warts. But I am thinking about taking up skydiving! 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor, in care of East Bay Real Estate, at realestate@berkeleydailyplanet.com.

After a day of being olfactorily jostled by vehicle exhaust, the odd pile of dog turds by the sidewalk, and overdone, overused, over-applied synthetic perfumes, being surrounded by natural scents clears the crud from one’s mind and mood.  

Scent in flowers, like color and form, serves to attract pollinators. Big bright perfumed blooms usually don’t toss pollen promiscuously into the air and up your nose; that’s done by wind-pollinated plants with small, inconspicuous flowers. (Some of us seem to be allergic to the scents themselves, or to whatever sublimates carry them through the air, but that’s more unusual than allergies to pollen or sensitivities to petroleum derivatives.) 

Scientists looking to breed—or genetically engineer—the perfume back into modern hybrid roses have done a lot of looking into flowers’ scent production. A few years ago a group at the University of Michigan found four separate genes that code specific enzymes that prod flowers to produce scent. This happens right in the tissues of the petals and it can be amazingly precise and versatile.  

Within those petals, which may look pretty much uniform to us, plants can manufacture and release several different scents: a general come-hither near the petal’s edge and a more specific directional indicator nearer its base. This looks like an analogy to the ultraviolet markers on flowers: bees can see them; we can’t.  

If you want a fragrant garden, consider a few things before choosing plants.  

Some flowers, like those of the shrub night jessamine, mentioned last week, are overwhelmingly fragrant. Set such flowers at the far edge of your garden, to dilute the scent. Be kind to your neighbors about this, too, please. 

Like night jessamine and nicotiana, some flowers release their scents only in the evening: brugmannsia (angel’s trumpet) and some cacti and orchids, for instance. 

Daphne blooms early in the year, when we all need encouragement. Earlier still are those white narcissus bulbs you can force in a dish of pebbles and water.  

Old roses have the best scents. Shop for them when they’re blooming, to find your favorite, or take notes and keep those fort bare-root season.  

Citrus trees are famously fragrant, and many do well in big containers. If you love the scents, look for several types that bloom and bear fruit at different times. If not orange, then “mock orange,” Philadelphus—we have a fine native species. 

A nice fragrant underplanting is the humble, common, inexpensive white alyssum. The purple and pink kinds aren’t so fragrant. Alyssum re-sows generously, which is good in a city garden but makes it dangerous to plant next to a wildland; it’s already feral along the coast. Old-fashioned pinks smell wonderfully spicy; so do a number of our native annuals like Brewer’s clarkia. Sweet stock is easy to find as seedlings; heliotrope and mignonette only a little less so.  

Best is to shop a few times each season, and walk the streets and public gardens, with your nose working and a notebook and/or camera.  

Next week: fragrances don’t come only from flowers. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park, ongoing on Fridays until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

“Voices of Activism: Crawford” documentary theater, storytelling and dialogue at 7:30 p.m. at Temescal Co-Housing, 322 45th St., Oakland. Cost is $2-$20, sliding scale. www.untheatre.org 

Activist Series featuring Nadia Mcaffrey, Gold Star Families Speak Out, and Dewaybe Hunn, Director of the People’s Lobby & World Service Corp. whose son was killed in Iraq, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists’ Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donations welcome. 528-5403.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oakland Children’s Hospital, Outpatient Building Basement, 747 52nd St., Oakland. For an appointment call 1-800 GIVE-LIFE. 

Ballroom Dancing every Friday at 8 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Live band and refreshments. Cost is $10. 925-934-9129. 

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. 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Shabbat at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring finger dessert to share, and non-perishable food for the needy. Free and open to all.  

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 

Trails Challenge: Traversing Tilden’s Trails Meet at 8 a.m. at the Lone Oak Staging Area to cover to park’s varied ecosystems. Bring water, sunscreen, layered clothing and lunch. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Rocks A walk to explore seven rock parks in Berkeley, along with paths, historic homes and great views. Meet at 10 a.m. at the northeast corner of Solano Ave. and the Alameda, by Indian Rock Path. Bring lunch and liquids for this 4-5 mile walk with significant uphills. 528-3355. www.berkeleypaths.org  

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Oakland Heritage Walking Tour of Philbrick Boat Works at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Cost is $5-$15. Reservations required. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Save the Berkeley Housing Authority A community meeting at 2 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Ellis St. at Ashby Ave.  

A Conversation with Bob Watada, father of L. Ehren Watada, first U.S. Military officer to publicly resist illegal war and occupation of Iraq, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church, 1800 Sacramento St. 684-0239. 

Muir Heritage Ranch Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the John Muir National Historical Site in Martinez. Entertainment, demonstrations, games and food. 925-639-7562. www.JohnMuirAssociation.org 

Oakland Chinatown StreetFest Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Franklin St. from 7th to 11th, and 8th and 9th Sts., from Broadway to Harrison. 893-8979. 

ActivSpace Arts and Crafts Fair Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2703 Seventh St. 845-5000. 

“I Love Bugs!” Day at Habitot Children's Museum from 10 am to 5 pm 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. 

Urban Releaf Tree Tour of Oakland and workshops in urban forestry that teach tree planting, maintenance, GIS/GPS systems, and community advocacy. For information call 601-9062. www.urbanreleaf.org 

ACCI Seconds Sale from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sun. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

PR/Marketing Workshop for Musicians at 11 a.m. at Freight & Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison St. Cost is $45-$49. 548-1761.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at East Bay Bible Church, 11200 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. For an appointment call 1-800 GIVE-LIFE. 

SHAC 7 Benefit Vegan food and films, sponsored by East Bay Animal Advocates at 6 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St, Oakland. Cost is $5-$15, sliding scale. shac7benefit@yahoo.com 

Heart Health Fair Sponsored by the Association of Black Cardiologists from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Eastmont Town Center, 7200 Bancroft Ave., Oakland. Free blood pressure screenings, and presentations on strokes and heart disease. 632-1131. www.abcario.org 

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

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Spiritwalking: Aqua Chi(TM) at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $5.50, $3.50 seniors & disabled. Bring your own towels. 526-0312. 

Yoga for Peace at 9:30 a.m. at Ohlone Park, MLK at Hearst. Bring a yoga mat, warm blanket, and peace sign.  

Adult Fast Pitch Softball at noon. For location call 204-9500.  

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, AUGUST 27 

Oakland Heritage Walking Tour of West Oakland’s “Big One” from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at 14th St. and Nelson Mandela Parkway. Cost is $5-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Free Sailboat Rides from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club in the Berkeley Marina. Bring change of clothes, windbreaker, sneakers. For ages 5 and up. cal-sailing.org  

Name That Snake An introduction to the snakes that live in our backyards and local parks, at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Cattail Capers We’ll explore the local ponds with dip-nets and magnifiers. Meet at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Dress to get wet. 525-2233. 

Oakland Chinatown StreetFest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Franklin St. from 7th to 11th, and 8th and 9th Sts., from Boadway to Harrison. 893-8979. 

Garden Party at Salem Lutheran Home with entertainment by the Puppets of Praise, from 2 to 4 p.m. at 2361 East 29th St., Oakland. 434-2828. 

Summer Sunday Forum with Katherine Burroughs on elder abuse at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Berkeley City Club free tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are sponsored by the Berkeley City Club and the Landmark Heritage Foundation. Donations welcome. The Berkeley City Club is located at 2315 Durant Ave. For group reservations or more information, call 848-7800 or 883-9710. 

Kickabout at Codornices Park Soccer for all, skill and talent not required. For more information contact cambour@hotmail.com  

Balinese Dance Class with Tjokorda Istri Putra Padmini at 11 a.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 237-6849. 

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 Robin Caton on “Meditation: Patience and Ease” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, AUGUST 28 

“The Man Behind the Marquee” An evening with Grand Lake Theater owner Allen Michaan. Hear what events compelled this voting-rights activist to seek unique expression of his right to free speech and to provide venue for others to speak out as well. Sponsored by The Paul Robeson Chapter of the ACLU at 7:30 p.m. at “Theatre By The Bay,” 2700 Saratoga, Alameda Point, Alameda, former Naval Air Station. 596-2580. 

“A Strong, Clear Vision” A documentary about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, at 7 p.m. at Community Center Hall, 1249 Marin Ave., Albany.  

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

Stress Less Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at Piedmont Branch Library, 160 41st St., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29 

Tuesday is for the Birds A tranquil early morning walk in Miller Knox Park. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. Call for meeting place. 525-2233. 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult. Meet at 3:15 p.m. at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park, to look for reptiles. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Asian Brush and Ink Painting for ages 8 and up from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Asian Branch of the Oakland Public Library, 388 Ninth St. Registration required. 238-3400.  

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. 

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, AUSUST 30  

Walking Tour of Jack London Waterfront Meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Broadway and Embarcadero. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

“Soylent Green” A film of a grim, bleak vision of New York City in the future, at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. 

Holistic Pet Care at 7:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Voices of Activism: Crawford” documentary theater, storytelling and dialoge at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $2-$20, sliding scale. www.untheatre.org 

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. 548-9840. 

New to DVD “Inside Man” at 7 p.m. at JCC, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Bayswater Book Club meets to discuss “Debunking 9/11 Myths” at 6:30 p.m at Barnes and Noble, El Cerrito. 433-2911. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Stress Less Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

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, AUGUST 31 

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 

Each One Teach One Mentoring Program of the Oakland Unified School District is curbing student absenteeism, decreasing suspensions and increasing student participation with the help of volunteer mentors like you. For more information call 495-4010, 495-4011.  

Energy Saving Program for Residents CYES is running its 7th annual summer program, providing direct-installation of CFLs, retractable clotheslines, showerheads, and more. Services available in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond. Free. 665-1501. 

Child Care Food Program is available without charge to all children enrolled in the BUSD Early Childhood Education progam, based on income eligibility guidelines. Please call for details, 644-6358. 

Berkeley Adult School Register for programs in High School Diploma, GED Preparation, Citizenship and ESL classes, Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1701 San Pablo Ave. 644-6130. http://bas.berkeley.net 

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  

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 

FILM 

Screenagers “Seventeen” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Geoffrey Nunberg explains “Talking Right: How the Right Turned Liberalism into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left Wing Freak Show” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Uzodinma Iweala introduces “Beasts of No Nation” at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sauce Piquante at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Beep at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Jane Bunnett & Radio Guantanamo featuring Kevin Breit at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Visions of the Builtscape” Paintings of urban landscapes by Scott Courtnay-Smith. Reception at 7 p.m. at Artbeat Salon and Gallery, 1887 Solano Ave. Exhibtion runs to Oct. 22. 527-3100. 

FILM 

Frank Borzage “Moonrise” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Treasures Series A conversation with Richard Whittaker at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

“Writing Teachers Write” with special guest Jane Juska at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Tucker Malarkey reads from his new novel “Resurrection” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Jewish Writers in the Bay Area with Reuven Goldfarb on “Baseball Kabbalah” and “Sane Terrain”at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 465-3935. 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Terrance Brewer Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Roy Zimmerman in “Faulty Intelligence” An evening of satirical songs, at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2118 Allston Way, through Aug. 24. 800-838-3006. www.themarsh.org  

Japanther, This Bike is a Pipe Boms, KIT, and others in a benefit concert for the Prisoners Literature Project and Berkeley Liberation Radio at 7 p.m. at Lobot Gallery, 1800 Campbell St. and 18th, Oakland. Donation $7-$20. 290-81512. 

Partyin’ with “Patrice”/Batya, a memorial benefit, at 6 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $10-$25.  

The Hooks, Fetish, Stone Cutter, Mike Rogers at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Orquestra Candela at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Jean Fineberg & Saxophunk at 5 p.m., and Mingus Amungus at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Michael Coleman Trio Jazz Jam at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Bring your instrument. 451-8100. w 

Jane Bunnett & Radio Guantanamo featuring Kevin Breit at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 

FILM 

Beyond Bollywood “Masala” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Ray LeMoine and Jeff Neuman describe their travels to “Babylon by Bus” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Noon Concert with United Capoeira Association at the Downtown Berkeley BART station. Free. www.downtownberkeley.org 

18th Annual Annual Freight Fiddle Festival at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761.  

Sara & Swingtime at 6 p.m. at La Note, 2377 Shattuck Ave. 526-6080. www.lanoterestaurant.com 

Mo’ Rockin Project at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Girl Talk at 5 p.m. at Ristorante Raphael, 2132 Center St. 644-9500. www.ristoranteraphael.com 

Tom Duarte at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Free Peoples, Phoeniz & Afterbuffalo at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082 www.starryploughpub.com 

Laurie Antonioli & Zilberella at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Kenny Washington Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

David Weckl Band at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $15-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

CV1 at 8 p.m. and Black Edgars Musicbox at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 

THEATER 

California Shakespeare Theater “The Merchant of Venice” at the Bruns Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd., Orinda. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. through Sept. 3. Tickets are $15 and up. 548-9666. www.calshakes.org 

Encore Theatre Company and Shotgun Players “The Typographer’s Dream” at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Sept. 3. Tickets are $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Impact Theatre “House of Lucky” Written and performed by Frank Wortham, Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Aug. 26. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. 

Masquers Playhouse “Dairy of a Scoundrel” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond across from the Hotel Mac. Through Sept. 30. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. 

FILM 

Kenji Mizoguchi “Street of Shame” at 7 p.m. and “Sansho the Bailiff” at 8:50 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Robert E. Bowman in a classical piano recital, at 8 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. 845-1350. 

Trumpet Supergroup at noon at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373.  

“Jazz & Poetry” with David Meltzer, Genny Lim, Kit Robinson and others at 7 p.m. at Half Price Books, 2036 Shattuck Ave. 526-6080. 

Quartet San Francisco at 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Free. 981-6241. 

Otro Mundo at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12, children 12 and under, free. 849-2568.  

Julian Pollack & Taylor Eigsti at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373.  

Zoe Ellis Band with guest Dave Ellis at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. 

Sister Carol with The Yellow Wall Dub Squad, reggae, at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $17-$20. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Meli, Latin vocalist, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

John Stowell at 5 p.m. at Ristorante Raphael, 2132 Center St. 644-9500. www.ristoranteraphael.com 

Tera Johnson Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Ira Marlowe and Mario DeSio at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Trailer Park rangers, Eddie Rivers and the Flood at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. 

Thought Riot, Scare, Goddamn Wolves at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Realistic Orchestra at 10 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Eddie Marshall and Holy Mischief at 8 p.m. and John Schott’s Dream Kitchen at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

David Weckl Band at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $15-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Video Work by Bill Viola” An installation with continuous loops of the videographer’s works from 1977-1994, opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Horses in the Trees” works by Mark P. Fisher. Reception at 2 p.m. at Alta Gallery, 2980 College Ave. #1. Exhibition runs to Oct. 7. 421-1255. 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Godfellas” Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Willard Park, Hillegass & Derby. 415-285-1717. 

San Francisco Shakespeare “The Tempest” Free Sharespeare in the park at 4 p.m. at Lakeside Park at Lake Merritt, corner of Perkins and Bellevue, Oakland. Sat. and Sun. through Aug. 27. 415-865-4434. 

Shotgun Players “Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods” Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Hinkle Park, through Sept. 10. Free, with pass the hat donation after the show. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Jump! written and performed by Shanique S. Scott at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

The Great Night of Soul Poetry at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Co-sponsored by Dan and Dale Zola and Black Oak Books. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

John Canemaker “Marching to a Different Tune” at 5 p.m. and “Winsor McCay: His Life and Art” at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Rhythm & Muse features poet Jeanne Lupton at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 527-9753. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Old Puppy at 10 a.m. at Nabalom Bakery, 2708 Russell St. 845-BAKE. 

Jazzschool Ensembles at 10:30 a.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Center St. at MLK. 845-5373. 

Ambrose Akinmusire at noon at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373. 

George Brooks Summit at 2 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373. 

Royal Society Jazz Orchestra at 4:30 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART. 845-5373. 

Jaya Lakshmi, Indian devotional music at 8 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Cost is $16-$18. 843-2787. www.studiorasa.org 

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Kotoja, Afrobeat dance party, at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12-$15. 525-5054.  

John Bruce and Derek See at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The People, Bayonics at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Terry Riley at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. 845-5373.  

“Jazz & Poetry” with Adam David Miller & Pam Johnson, Al Young, and others at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6241. 

Rhonda Benin Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Kai Eckhardt’s Area 61, at 9 p.m. at Capoeira Arts Cafe, 2062 Addison St. Cost is $10. 666-1255. 

The Whoreshoes, Meat Purveyors, Pickin’Trix at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Will Blades Duo at noon, Sarah Manning Trio at 5 p.m. and Disappear Incompletely at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Charm, UG Man, Lewd Acts at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 

FILM 

Kenji Mizoguchi “The Life of Oharu” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Elizabeth Wagele talks about “The Happy Introvert: A WIld and Crazy Guide for Celebrating Your True Self” at 6:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Linda Moyers, poetry reading, at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Ave. www.mrsdalloways.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Benefit Concert for the Animals, featuring flautist Carol Alban, cellist Suellen Primost, and others at 3 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Suggested donation $10. 595-9009. 

Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco at noon at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza, 845-5373.  

Art Song of Debussy, Duparc, Vaughan Williams, Beethoven and more with Dorothy Isaacson Read, mezzo soprano and Kristin Pankonin, piano at 4 p.m. at Chamber Arts House, 2924 Ashby Ave. Suggested donation $5-$10.  

John Santos & Machete Ensemble at 2 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza, 845-5373. 

Bob Marley Ensemble at 5 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza, 845-5373.  

Vicki Randle with Nina Gerber & Bonnie Hayes at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Ray Obiedo’s Mambo Caribe with Pete Escovedo at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Will Bernard Trio at noon, Americana Unplugged with Feed and Seed at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 655-5715. 

Girl Talk at 5 p.m. at Ristoprante Raphael, 2137 Center St. 644-9500. 

Natasha Miller and Bobby Sharp at 4:30 p.m. and Kasey Knudsen Sextet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Bigger Olsen at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. t 

The Hot Club of San Francisco at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

MONDAY, AUGUST 28 

CHILDREN 

Rafa Cano, Spanish sing-along for children, at 10:30 a.m. at PriPri Cafe, 1309 Solano Ave., Albany. Free. 528-7002. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Lucy Jane Bledsoe presents “Ice Cave: A Woman’s Adventures from the Mojave to the Antarctic” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

David Abel and Stephen Vincent read at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Poetry Express theme night on “pet peeves” at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums, with Ms. Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054.  

Gina Leishman at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Nika Rejto at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12. 238-9200.

The ambitious second annual Downtown Berkeley Jazz Festival, produced by the Jazzschool, begins this Wednesday. Over the course of five days, 45 musical events will be presented at 15 venues all over downtown Berkeley. 

Besides every genre of jazz, there will be films at the Gaia Arts Center and poetry at the Berkeley Public Library and Half Price Books. Many of these events are free and provide an opportunity to check out the great cuisine of Berkeley’s restaurants, read the poems inscribed in the sidewalk on Addison Street and find out what kind of jazz is being played locally and what kind you like. 

One of the best groups being featured at the Festival is John Schott’s Dream Kitchen. 

I first became aware of John Schott while trying to fill holes in my collection of pre-Louis Armstrong recordings by African-Americans. Someone at Down Home Records told me he would be helpful and knowledgeable. That was an understatement. His way of learning about a subject is both broad and deep, scholarly, yet passionate, and he is obsessive about getting the details right. He is also generous in sharing the results of his research. 

Far from being theoretical though, his scholarly approach is eminently practical. The 40-year-old Schott not only knows the early compositions and recordings of Scott Joplin, W.C. Handy, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Bix Beiderbecke, but makes them the repertoire of his trio, Dream Kitchen. The trio will be playing some of these pieces at a free performance this Friday evening at Jupiter as part of the Downtown Berkeley Jazz Fest.  

If you know the originals, do not be surprised if Dream Kitchen’s versions approach them in an oblique manner, at once original yet uncannily familiar. Schott brushes this material against the grain to reveal the inner strength of the compositions as compositions. He knows that this is early American chamber music that has not yet exhausted its potential for freeing the imagination. 

He puts it well when he describes the music as, “Blues, stomps and hot jazz from the ‘20s played like it was written last week.”  

Schott’s musical taste and interests do not stop with early jazz though. He is equally at home with the work of Billie Holiday and Lester Young, beboppers Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell and Tad Dameron, and avant gardists Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman. He likes blues players from Robert Johnson through Muddy Waters to B.B. King. 

His classical interests range from Rubinstein’s recordings of Chopin’s Nocturnes to Arnold Schoenberg, Elliot Carter and John Cage. In fact, part of his reason for leaving Seattle and moving to Berkeley in 1988 was to hear all of the Bay Area concerts celebrating Carter’s music around his 80th birthday. 

He has played in Western swing groups; was one of the three guitarists, along with Charlie Hunter and Will Bernard, in the jazz-funk band T.J. Kirk; recorded post-modern klezmer albums on John Zorn’s Tsadik label; worked with the Rova Saxophone Quartet to create musical backgrounds for the underground films of Stan Brakhage; and written music to accompany the poetry of Dahlia Ravikovitch. 

One of the more interesting projects Schott has conceived was a marathon guitar performance last year from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on the Jewish pilgrimage festival of Shavuot (Festival of Weeks, Pentecost or Whitsunday to gentiles). There is a tradition of staying up all night and studying until sunrise. Often the beginning and ending passages of every portion of the Torah, opening passages of every book of the rest of the Bible, and the opening of each of the 63 tractates of the Mishnah, along with passages from the Kabbalistic masterwork, the Zohar, are read during the night as a way of contemplating, celebrating and encompassing the vastness of Jewish studies. Schott transformed this into an eight hour meditative guitar piece. 

Dream Kitchen brings that same kind of intensity, lateral thinking and freshness to the brilliant compositions of early ragtime and jazz.

After the heavy metal overture screeches to a halt, both Frank Wortham and his one-man show, House of Lucky (ending its run this weekend), put on by Impact Theater at La Val’s Subterranean, come on with a bang. 

When the lights come up, the sole performer and author is standing onstage, bleary eyed but volatile, pouring out a salty diatribe about sex on stage, leading to an apocalypse, a national mass turn-on, “a tidal wave of pleasure, and America would come together!” 

This is followed by a dialogue out of the corners of his mouth, a new harangue against domesticity, until it becomes clear that the haranguer is the crank and booze-drenched roommate of the protagonist, a protagonist with the euphonious name of Harper Jones, on his way from The Haight to work at Baby Travel in North Beach, a post-hippie bus “experience.” 

Wortham’s more monologist than raconteur, and his spiel is narratively clear, though its route is as Byzantine as the streets of San Francisco that he verbally travels, back and forth. Besides his speed freak would-be playwright roomie (and school buddy), his tale’s decorated with characters such as his boss, Buddy Morrow, “a visionary hippie capitalist;” his ex-girlfriend Sequoia; his rock ‘n roller paramour (more power mower), femme fatale Beth Lipstick, and her evil twin trannie husband, who doses hapless Harper at the Cafe Du Chien, downstairs on Market.  

Perhaps the centerpiece of Wortham’s ramble is his drop-in at a poetry slam, featuring a snide hipster of an m.c. and Sharkey Laguna, louche reciter of “Pride Like A Lion,” whom Harper must face off with in a sudden death imprompteau haiku run-off. 

As Wortham’s material is taken from his own book, the ensuing sub-literary brouhaha is a sharp satire of what must have been his own introduction to facing down an audience bent on devouring whomever it focuses its attention on. 

That’s not the case here, as the personable performer demonstrates accomplished audience contact, ringing through the changes of scene and character in his two-day tale of losing and finding it again. There’s the requisite sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, and plenty of post-adolescent angst, portrayed, but Wortham has the easy going grace to keep it light-hearted, humorous and fun—in a word, entertaining. 

Whether clueless or remorseful, self-derogatory or just dosed, dreadlocked or shorn, Frank Wortham’s right on top of the beat, which he syncopates engagingly. 

HOUSE OF LUCKY 

Presented by Impact Theatre. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., Berkeley. $10-$15. For more information, call 464-4468. 

Summer is almost gone, at least that official version that stretches between Memorial and Labor Days, but it’s still possible to catch that theatrical hallmark of the season, Free Shakespeare in the Park. 

And there’s a particularly good production of The Bard’s last great play, the work some consider his valedictory piece, at Lakeside Park in Oakland, ending its brief local run this weekend. 

To say there’s a tempest on Lake Merritt sounds a little like Katrina in a teacup, but The Tempest plays beautifully on the shores of the lake, its castaways, spirits, aboriginal man-monster, magician, lovers and rustic clowns in their element under oak boughs near the waters. 

Kenneth Kelleher has outdone himself as director in putting together a production for San Francisco Shakespeare that is an original staging that plays very well outdoors.  

Facing the lake is a sea-green set (Richard Ortenblad’s design) with jagged walls inscribed by text—is it magic formulae, or pages from Renaissance notebooks?—a Leonardo drawing and an astrolabe are among the figures. 

Doors open and close with sudden comings and goings, as if out of thin air. There’s a throne elevated on a ladder. Prospero (a magisterial Julian Lopez-Morillas) is occasionally seen hovering in a doorway, sitting on the throne, always watching unseen. And the action is vigorous, overlapping the natural and supernal. 

Prospero, deposed as Duke of Milan by his brother Antonio, is in exile on a tropical island (some say Bermuda was the model). Having studied magic, he conjures up the storm of the title to shipwreak his brother and party, which include Alonzo, the King of Naples (Lewis Sims) and his son, Ferdinand (Daveed Diggs). 

All this he explains to his daughter, Miranda (girlish Julia Moytika), as the spirits who attend on him (Brian Levy, Adam Kenyon Venker and Shannon Preto) move rhytmically, rocking a skeletal model ship. 

In aquamarine jumpsuits, faces obscured by colored mesh (Todd Roehrman’s costumes) the spirits are like artists’ mannequins grown life-size, well-choreographed, like all the cast (by Mary Beth Cavanaugh) to anthropomorphize the magic, or flop like spent ragdolls around the set when unused. 

The castaways, passing ‘round a flask, are clad in baggy, quilted mock conquistador garb, and are visited by Prospero’s familiar spirit, Ariel (also a flighty Motyka, just one of the innovative double roles), who makes them sleep (“What a strange drowsiness arrests them!”) and wake (“I heard a humming, and a strange one too, that did awake me.”), and sings to them (including the exquisite “Full Fathom Five/Thy Father Lies.” 

Julia sings them well, to the tune of harp or lutes, with Chris Houston’s soundtrack wafting up into the trees and out over the lake. 

Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love at first sight, and, though outwardly stern, Prospero confides to the audience, “It works!” His magic has other purposes than revenge. 

There are wonderful scenes, as when two shipwrecked (and hilarious) clowns, Trinculo (Brian Herndon, who also plays Alonzo’s morally equivocal brother Sebastian), a jester, and Stephano (Michael Ray Wisely, also Prospero’s usurping brother Antonio), a drunken butler discover each other (“What have we here? A man or a fish? Dead or alive?”), and also Caliban (a fine Daveed Diggs again), Prospero’s unsettling halfbreed slave, himself discovering their hootch, thinks them gods. 

A very funny moment in all this is also the origin of the famous line, “Misery makes strange bedfellows.” 

This small and talented crew (which includes excellent Gary S. Martinez as Gonzalo) keeps the audience, sprawled out on the grass, rapt with enchantment, as a couple late summer hours float away by the shores of Lake Merritt. 

THE TEMPEST 

Presented by San Francisco Shakespeare at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Lakeside Park, Lake Merritt (corner of Perkins and Bellvue streets), Oakland. Admission is free. For more information, call (415) 865-4434. 

Up in the hills, in the parks and in the places next to them, are Monterey pines—imported from Monterey, and many now old and ill and tottering—and native trees: redwoods, the odd Douglas fir, oaks, and a tree of many names, its official binomial being quite a melodious mouthful, Umbellularia californica.  

It’s confusing to talk about sometimes, because it’s known in English as California bay laurel here and Oregon myrtle in Oregon. Or Coos Bay laurel, probably a mash of the first two names.  

Or California bay or California laurel (but there’s an unrelated and non-similar big shrub/small tree by that name too) or bay, bay laurel (but there’s another tree by that name too, of course), baytree, black myrtle, cinnamon bush, laurel (lots of things get called that), mountain laurel (more often used for a gorgeous eastern North American shrub), myrtle (lots of unrelated plants go by that name), myrtletree, myrtlewood, Pacific myrtle, pepperwood, spice-tree, white myrtle, or yellow myrtle.  

It’s also called “headache tree,” either because inhaling its scent too long can allegedly give you headaches (I’ve never experienced this myself) or because the local pre-Columbian folks used a decoction of some part of it to cure headaches. Maybe both; who knows?  

It’s easier to learn to pronounce “Umbellularia.”  

Umbellularia gives our local woodlands a big component of their characteristic spicy scent, mostly from the carpet of its leaves underfoot. The dried leaves have a scent rather different from the green ones on the trees: more mellow, more complex. It rises to meet you as you walk under the arching trees, and intensifies when you step on the leaves. It’s spicy with a hint of camphor up front and something brown and tobaccolike at base.  

But don’t take my attempt at description as gospel; go on up to Tilden and walk under the (uh-oh, whatsitsname?) Californibays on, say, the Caves Trail. Wait, I think they’re calling that the Wildcat Creek Trail lately. This nominative confusion must be contagious.  

On that trail as in other places umbellulaurel grows en masse, you’ll see scant understory, and often no other tree species. That’s partly because those nifty scents it makes are accompanied by water-soluble compounds that leach into the soil to inhibit root elongation in other plants, and of course because a closed forest canopy in a dry place tends to shut other plants out.  

But there are coral-root orchids along that Tilden trail, and I’ve found thimbleberries and flowering currants, trilliums and tanoaks and sword ferns among others growing under umbellularibays. Old stands—more or less what naturalists call “climax forests”—can be pretty exclusive, but Califoregon baytles thrive in mixed woods along with redwoods, live and deciduous oaks, madrones, tanoaks, chinquapins, Douglas fir, and whatever else their range offers for companionship.  

Peppermyrtlaurels resprout readily after fires, and evidently also after other catastrophes too. You can find magnificently gnarled, sculptured, hollowed-out semicircles of trunks rising from a single vast volcano-shaped trunk mass in forests that have survived fires, and growing alone in meadows, like the one in the photo near the Bear Valley visitors’ center in Point Reyes National Seashore.  

Whiteyellowblack myrtle has an interesting little fruit that looks rather like a miniature smooth-skinned avocado. Squirrels and other wildlife eat it, and it’s edible for us too. I’ve heard differing opinions on how palatable the fatty flesh around it is, but the pre-Columbians roasted the seed inside and ate it plain or ground it up and made meal for sun-dried cakes to store for later.  

When you take the road north and cross the Oregon border, you find souvenir stands selling stuff from buttons to bowls carved from Oregoos Baylaumyrtle. They’re pretty; the wood has rich yellow-to-red tones and an interesting grain, and makes swirly burls. A carpenter friend of mine once warned me that it tends to dry out and split, though, so if you buy or make such an item, be sure to keep it oiled and don’t put it in a sunny window.  

A local outfit named Juniper Ridge makes assorted things from Western scented plants, and its California Bay Laurel soap captures the fragrance pretty well. You can find it at farmers’ markets, places like The Gardener, and (best price I’ve seen) the Berkeley Bowl. It’s a good trip down Memory Trail if you like to walk the woods, but be aware that a few people find the oils to be a skin irritant. I’m allergic to an annoying number of things and it hasn’t bothered me, but I know someone who got a short-lived rash from it. Try it on the inside of your elbow first. If you can’t use it for soap, it makes an inspiring room scent.  

Photograph by Ron Sullivan 

This Umbellularia californica shelters some of the deer, squirrels, birds, and lizards of Point Reyes National Seashore.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 

Tuesday is for the Birds A tranquil early morning walk. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. Call for meeting place. 525-2233. 

Tomato Tastings from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, Derby St. at MLK, Jr. Way. 548-2220. 

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! Meet at 10 a.m. at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden to look for reptiles. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to 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, at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St. 548-9696. 

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. 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 always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23 

Benefit for Lebanese Refugees, hosted by Dar Al Amal and Amnesty International at 6 p.m. at Youth Radio Café, 1801 University of Grant. Donation $12 and up. 499-9402. 

Disaster Preparedness for Your Pet presented by Noah’s Wish, an organization which provided shelter for animals after Hurricane Katrina, at 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, 2700 Ninth St. at Carleton. Donation of $10 requested. Seating limited. 845-7735, ext. 22. www.berkeleyhumane.org 

Conversation with Bob Watada, father of Lt. Ehren Watada, first U.S. Military officer to publicly resist illegal war and occupation of Iraq, at 10:30 a.m. in Heller Lounge, Student Union Building, UC Campus. ninakfallenbaum@hotmail.com 

Making Another World Possible: Beyond Debt Cancellation, Who Owes Whom? at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1606 Bonita near Cedar. 527-3917. 

Celebrate Women’s Sufferage with the film “Iron Jawed Angels” at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Cost is $5.  

Berkeley Adult School Open House for Career and Technical Education programs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1701 San Pablo Ave. at Virginia. 644-8973.  

Tilden Tots Join a nature adventure program for 3 and 4 year olds, each accompanied by an adult (grandparents welcome)! Meet at 10 a.m. at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden to look for reptiles. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around the restored 1870s business district. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of G.B. Ratto’s at 827 Washington St. For reservations call 238-3234.  

“Farenheit 451” a film based on the novel by Ray Bradbury on Cold War fears, at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome. 548-9840. 

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. 848-1704.  

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at 6:30 p.m. at the downtoen berkeley BART. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 

Symposium on Employment Conditions for College and University Teachers with union representatives and Joe Berry, author of “Reclaiming the Ivory Tower: Organizing Adjuncts to Change Higher Education” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

“Nurses vs. Arnold” A new Robert Greenwald documentary premieres at 7 p.m. at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. www.Yes on89.org 

Berkeley Community Gardening Collective Potluck at 6 p.m. at the Malcom X School Garden, Ellis St. and Ashby Ave. The speaker will be Melanie Okamoto of the California Nutrition Network. 883-9096. 

Family Fun Night at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline at 6 p.m., includes presentations by naturalists and arts and crafts projects for the whole family. 525-2233. 

“Making Another World Possible” A discussion with women who lead resistance movements around the globe, at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way, entrance on Dana. Cost is $10-$20. 533-7583. www.ctwo.org  

League of Women Voters Community Luncheon, with Christopher Edley, Jr., Dean of Boalt Hall School of Law, at 11:30 a.m. at Hs Lordships at the Berkeley Marina. Cost is $75. 843-8828. 

Ecovillages Presentation Find out what an ecovillage is and how the ecovillage movement affects the environment, the economy, and social justice issues at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220. 

Easy Does It Disability Assistance Board of Directors’ Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1744A University Ave. All welcome. 845-5513. 

ACCI Seconds Sale from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sun. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

Clothing Swap and Silkscreening Workshop, at 6:30 p.m. at Nabolom Bakery, 2708 Russell St. 845-BAKE. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park, ongoing on Fridays until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

Activist Series featuring Nadia Mcaffrey, Gold Star Families Speak Out, and Dewaybe Hunn, Director of the People’s Lobby & World Service Corp. whose son was killed in Iraq, at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists’ Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Donations welcome. 528-5403.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oakland Children’s Hospital, Outpatient Building Basement, 747 52nd St., Oakland. For an appointment call 1-800 GIVE-LIFE. 

Ballroom Dancing every Friday at 8 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Live band and refreshments. Cost is $10. 925-934-9129. 

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. 

Kol Hadash Humanistic Shabbat at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave. Please bring finger dessert to share, and non-perishable food for the needy. Free and open to all.  

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 

Trails Challenge: Traversing Tilden’s Trails Meet at 8 a.m. at the Lone Oak Staging Area to cover to park’s varied ecosystems. Bring water, sunscreen, layered clothing and lunch. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Rocks A walk to explore seven rock parks in Berkeley, along with paths, historic homes and great views. Meet at 10 a.m. at the northeast corner of Solano Ave. and the Alameda, by Indian Rock Path. Bring lunch and liquids for this 4-5 mile walk with significant uphills. 528-3355. www.berkeleypaths.org  

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Oakland Heritage Walking Tour of Philbrick Boat Works at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Cost is $5-$15. Reservations required. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

A Conversation with Bob Watada, father of L. Ehren Watada, first U.S. Military officer to publicly resist illegal war and occupation of Iraq, at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church, 1800 Sacramento St. 684-0239. 

Muir Heritage Ranch Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the John Muir National Historical Site in Martinez. Entertainment, demonstrations, games and food. 925-639-7562. www.JohnMuirAssociation.org 

Oakland Chinatown StreetFest Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Franklin St. from 7th to 11th, and 8th and 9th Sts., from Broadway to Harrison. 893-8979. 

ActivSpace Arts and Crafts Fair Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2703 Seventh St. 845-5000. 

“I Love Bugs!” Day at Habitot Children's Museum from 10 am to 5 pm 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. 

Urban Releaf Tree Tour of Oakland and workshops in urban forestry that teach tree planting, maintenance, GIS/GPS systems, and community advocacy. For information call 601-9062. www.urbanreleaf.org 

ACCI Seconds Sale from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sun. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

PR/Marketing Workshop for Musicians at 11 a.m. at Freight & Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison St. Cost is $45-$49. 548-1761.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at East Bay Bible Church, 11200 Golf Links Rd., Oakland. For an appointment call 1-800 GIVE-LIFE. 

SHAC 7 Benefit Vegan food and films, sponsored by East Bay Animal Advocates at 6 p.m. at AK Press, 674-A 23rd St, Oakland. Cost is $5-$15, sliding scale. shac7benefit@yahoo.com 

Heart Health Fair Sponsored by the Association of Black Cardiologists from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Eastmont Town Center, 7200 Bancroft Ave., Oakland. Free blood pressure screenings, and presentations on strokes and heart disease. 632-1131. www.abcario.org 

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

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

Spiritwalking: Aqua Chi(TM) at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $5.50, $3.50 seniors & disabled. Bring your own towels. 526-0312. 

Yoga for Peace at 9:30 a.m. at Ohlone Park, MLK at Hearst. Bring a yoga mat, warm blanket, and peace sign.  

Adult Fast Pitch Softball at noon. For location call 204-9500.  

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, AUGUST 27 

Oakland Heritage Walking Tour of West Oakland’s “Big One” from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at 14th St. and Nelson Mandela Parkway. Cost is $5-$15. 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Free Sailboat Rides from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club in the Berkeley Marina. Bring change of clothes, windbreaker, sneakers. For ages 5 and up. cal-sailing.org  

Name That Snake An introduction to the snakes that live in our backyards and local parks, at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Cattail Capers We’ll explore the local ponds with dip-nets and magnifiers. Meet at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Dress to get wet. 525-2233. 

Oakland Chinatown StreetFest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Franklin St. from 7th to 11th, and 8th and 9th Sts., from Boadway to Harrison. 893-8979. 

Garden Party at Salem Lutheran Home with entertainment by the Puppets of Praise, from 2 to 4 p.m. at 2361 East 29th St., Oakland. 434-2828. 

Summer Sunday Forum with Katherine Burroughs on elder abuse at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Berkeley City Club free tour from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are sponsored by the Berkeley City Club and the Landmark Heritage Foundation. Donations welcome. The Berkeley City Club is located at 2315 Durant Ave. For group reservations or more information, call 848-7800 or 883-9710. 

Kickabout at Codornices Park Soccer for all, skill and talent not required. For more information contact cambour@hotmail.com  

Balinese Dance Class with Tjokorda Istri Putra Padmini at 11 a.m. at Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave. 237-6849. 

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 Robin Caton on “Meditation: Patience and Ease” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, AUGUST 28 

“The Man Behind the Marquee” An evening with Grand Lake Theater owner Allen Michaan. Hear what events compelled this voting-rights activist to seek unique expression of his right to free speech and to provide venue for others to speak out as well. Sponsored by The Paul Robeson Chapter of the ACLU at 7:30 p.m. at “Theatre By The Bay,” 2700 Saratoga, Alameda Point, Alameda, former Naval Air Station. 596-2580. 

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

Stress Less Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at Piedmont Branch Library, 160 41st St., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

In the Aug. 15 story “Incumbents Hit Filing Deadline,” the Planet reporter Richard Brenneman wrote that “Challenger Howard Chong has filed his papers for the Rent Board . . .” Howard Chong is not a challenger, however, but the current chair of the Board.  

The story failed to mention that Chris Kavanagh, another incumbent, also filed his papers last Friday.