Three of the most prominent names in Berkeley politics ascended to an oak-borne platform Monday to put their bodies on the line in defense of a campus grove.  

Sylvia McLaughlin, 90, was joined by City Councilmember Betty Olds, 86, and former Mayor Shirley Dean, 71, in a specially constructed platform in an oak near UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium. 

The tree, along with many other coastal live oaks and other species, may be cut down to make way for a $125 million gym demanded by Cal Bears football coach Jeff Tedford as part of his contract with the university. 

“I’m a little nervous,” Dean told reporters before ascending a ladder to the plywood platform, “but between us we’ve got almost 250 years of experience.” 

Asked if she was prepared to be arrested, McLaughlin answered, “Of course.” 

Olds smiled at the question. “The university has done a lot of stupid things, but I certainly don’t think they’re going to arrest the founder of Save the Bay (McLaughlin), the former mayor and a councilmember.” 

All three bravely ascended a ladder brought in for their use, rather than strapping into the rope harnesses used by the activists in the higher branches. 

Once they’d taken their places in the triangular platform secured by nylon climbing ropes, the women smiled at reporters. 

Campus police, who are often present with video cameras and taking down names, were nowhere in sight as a throng of media types, armed with television and still cameras, tape recorders and notebooks, took it all in. 

How long would the protesters remain? 

“Until the bathroom calls,” said Olds, adding, “None of us drank anything this morning with that in mind.” 

Under the terms of his new contract with the university, approved by the regents last week, Tedford will get a bonus if the four-story high tech gym and office complex is built. 

Meanwhile, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller is scheduled to hold a 10 a.m. hearing this morning (Tuesday) and motions by the City of Berkeley, the Panoramic Hill Association and the California Oaks Foundation. 

All want the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring the university from taking any further steps to develop the site pending a hearing on the merits of lawsuits filed by the groups. 

The three plaintiffs plus advocates of Tightwad Hill have charged that the university’s environmental impact report on the project violates the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

The protest at the grove began Dec. 2 when former Berkeley mayoral candidate Zachary Running Wolf and two other activists ascended separate trees on the morning of the Big Game against Stanford. 

Despite citations, arrests, and a Dec. 12 police action that swept away supplies and shelters used by ground volunteers supporting the tree-in, the activists have persevered. 

Juliet Lamont, a Sierra Club activist and a member of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, hailed the protest. “What an incredible thing,” she said. “What an incredible statement to come out here and show the public their support.” 

Lamont said the Sierra Club opposes removal of the grove, and urges the university to find another location for the facility, “somewhere that’s safe for the students and not 20 feet from the Hayward Fault.” 

The seismic fissure runs directly beneath Memorial Stadium, and tests are underway to see how close it comes to the site of the 132,500-square-foot Barclay Simpson Student Athlete High Performance Center, as the gym complex is known. 

Doug Buckwald, ground support coordinator for the half-dozen activists encamped in the branches, hailed “these wonderful, brave women” for their commitment to the cause. 

A weekend rally at the grove held to coincide with the return of students after the winter break brought out an estimated 150 supporters, including Ignacio Chapela, a long-time critic of the university’s corporate ties who had to sue the school to hold onto his job. 

Chapela told supporters that the grove provided a critical pathway for native wildlife, which would face serious ecological consequences should the grove be destroyed. 

Councilmember Dona Spring called a Fair Campaign Practices Commission decision not to pursue a complaint against those responsible for a July opinion poll “a whitewash of a blatantly political” survey. 

Preservationist Roger Marquis first made the formal complaint to the commission in October, asking for an investigation into the survey, which, he said, involved expenditures that should have been reported for the November election. 

The 65-question survey polled 400 people between July 19 and 23. It included questions to elicit opinions on candidates for the November election and city issues, with particular emphasis on landmarks preservation and was conducted by San Francisco pollster David Binder. (It also asked for opinions on non-candidates such as Daily Planet editor Becky O’Malley.) 

The FCPC’s decision to dismiss the complaint was based on a report by Deputy City Attorney Kristy van Herick, who said she believed the survey was not used for political purposes and therefore expenditures for the poll should not be considered campaign expenditures.  

Spring’s concerns 

Spring draws a connection between the survey and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce PAC, which spent about $100,000 attempting (unsuccessfully) to defeat her and Councilmember Kriss Worthington, to defeat Measure J, the Landmarks ballot measure, and to support Mayor Tom Bates. 

One connection Spring makes is based on the fact that some people, including Abrams/Millikan, James Hart and Pre-Development Projects, contributed both to the Chamber PAC and to the survey.  

De Tienne, who said he has not contributed funds to the survey to date—the $18,000 survey has not yet been fully paid for—is a consultant who works both for San Rafael-based Seagate Properties, which contributed $5,250 to the Chamber PAC effort and for the San Rafael-based Wareham Development Group, which kicked in $10,000 to the effort. 

“Mr. de Tienne told staff that he did share certain of the findings from the poll with his own private business clients,” the report says. 

Reached by phone Monday, de Tienne confirmed he had shared the information with Seagate and Wareham, but denied doing it with the intention of influencing the election. “I didn’t even know where the Chamber (office) is located,” he said. 

Van Herick explains in her report that she is aware of the dual contributions, but notes: “Staff has no information linking any of these individuals or organizations with any campaign committees as treasurers, candidates or committee officers or agents.”  

Spring makes the link on more than common donations. She thinks the survey questions were used as a basis for attacks against her during the elections. 

The question on the Berkeley Bowl is a case in point. It asked: “Do you support or oppose the decision by the City Council to approve a second Berkeley Bowl store?” Eighty-seven percent of the respondents said they approved and 6 percent disapproved.  

Van Herick said questions such as this indicated that the survey was not political, but included issues outside the landmarks ballot measure and candidates. “For example, Mr. de Tienne referenced that 87 percent of those surveyed supported the Berkeley Bowl project despite vocal opposition to the project,” she wrote. 

But Spring argued that the question is political and was used against her and Councilmember Kriss Worthington. Spring saidthat both the Chamber PAC mailer and Wilson’s campaign piece against Spring, using the survey results to shape their contentions, claimed that Spring and Worthington abstained on the final West Berkeley Bowl vote. Actually, both candidates voted in favor of the West Berkeley Bowl on the final vote, having abstained on the next-to-last vote in order to prepare a separate resolution supporting a union at the new store. 

Reached on Thursday, Steven Donaldson of Brand Guidance Design Intelligence, BGDi, who wrote and designed the PAC mailers, said the ideas expressed did not come from the survey, which he did not seen, but from discussions with others and from other sources such as the Daily Planet. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington agreed with Spring, saying that “it is straining credibility to think there was no coordination” between the Chamber PAC and the survey.  

He argued that the city attorney’s investigation was minimal. “Due diligence was not applied,” he said.  

Van Herick did not return Daily Planet phone calls to her office, but it appears from her staff report that she did not talk to David Binder or to the Chamber PAC representatives. She did try to reach the chamber president, who denies he is part of the PAC. Binder did not return a call for comment from the Daily Planet. 

Poll purpose 

Why was the poll conducted? According to Van Herick’s report, quoting de Tienne, “the group decided to commission the poll for the purpose of determining whether the vocal minority within Berkeley actually spoke for the views of the Berkeley community as a whole.” De Tienne confirmed by phone that, having worked in Berkeley for 15-to-20 years, and having heard vastly different viewpoints on various issues, he wanted to find out what people really thought. 

However, the poll recipients did not accurately reflect the community. 

Those interviewed were not equally distributed around the city. Forty-five percent of those polled live in the more affluent Districts 5 (18 percent), 6 (16 percent) and 8 (11 percent); only 6 percent were polled in the heavily-student District 7. Other districts comprised 11-15 percent of the poll. 

Eightly-five percent of those surveyed graduated from college, whereas in the Berkeley population, 64 percent are college graduates.  

Whereas white persons represent 59 percent of the Berkeley population, the survey polled 77 percent of whites. Asians represent 16 percent, but 7 percent were polled; African Americans represent just under 14 percent, but 5 percent were polled and Hispanics represent almost 8 percent, but 2 percent were polled. 

About 68 percent of those polled own their own homes, but almost 43 percent of Berkeley’s population are homeowners. 

De Tienne was surprised at the assessment that the survey was not truly representative of Berkeley. “That’s why we hired David Binder,” he said. “I hired him to be as representative as possible.” 

Despite a city attorney’s finding that a secret pre-election poll on Berkeley landmarks law didn’t violate city election codes, supporters of Berkeley’s defeated Measure J remain skeptical. 

Deputy City Attorney Kristy Van Herick reported that she had “found no evidence indicating that the poll was used to craft or was quoted in any mass mailing, advertisement or other communication expressly advocating defeat of Measure J or otherwise unambiguously urging Measure J’s defeat.” 

Darrel de Tienne, the man who ordered the poll, said that while he shared the results with several people who gave money for the polling, “it was not meant to help anybody or defeat anyone.” 

But he said he couldn’t say if any of his clients had given copies of the 15-page report to the Chamber of Commerce or Business for Better Government, its Political Action Committee. 

“I don’t know if a client did pass it on,” de Tienne said, “but I would be very surprised.” 

Roger Marquis, co-chair of the Measure J committee, remains a skeptic. “Has anyone ever heard of a poll being done after a measure has qualified for the ballot for any other purpose than affecting the outcome of an election?” he asked. 

In her report to the city’s Fair Campaign Practices Committee (FCPC), Van Herick cited the poll’s questions on “a wide range of topics,” without mentioning that the only candidates probed in any detail were Mayor Tom Bates, who sponsored the rival ordinance adopted by the council, his strongly pro-J opponent Zelda Bronstein, and two of the three council candidates who opposed the mayor’s measure—along with their opponents in the November election. 

Most of the remaining questions were aimed at getting the demographic information needed to analyze the results. 

Marquis filed a formal complaint with the FCPC that led to Van Herick’s inquiry. Her report was accepted after a brief hearing by the commission last week, with no votes in opposition. 

The next step is a formal complaint at the state level, which Marquis and some political allies are preparing for submission to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). 

The poll asked 400 registered voters in Berkeley questions about what would make them more likely to oppose Measure J. 

Formulated and administered by San Francisco pollster David Binder Research, the poll devoted 22 of its 65 questions to the issue of Berkeley landmarks, seven questions to general evaluations of public figures and organizations, and 11 questions to opinions about the mayor, Bronstein and Councilmembers Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington and their opponents, Raudel Wilson and George Beier. 

Other questions dealt with the planned new Berkeley Bowl in West Berkeley, other development issues, behavior of street people and policies on homelessness, parking and the general demographics of the sampled audience. 

Some of the most interesting questions focused on name recognition and popularity of an assortment of political figures and Berkeley organizations. 

The most popular subject among those targeted by questions was Assemblymember Loni Hancock who received a favorable rating of 62 percent. But it wasn’t her spouse, Mayor Bates, who came in second; that ranking was accorded to the incumbent Bates defeated when he captured the office four years ago, Shirley Dean, who racked up a 55 rating. Bates came in six points back.  

Spring placed fourth, with a rating of 45 percent—but only in her district. Her opponent managed to garner a 6 percent favorable rating. Voters in Worthington’s district gave him a 44 percent favorable rating, with 30 percent listed as unfavorable; the figures for opponent George Beier were 26 percent favorable and 4 percent unfavorable. 

Developer’s friend 

Considerable speculation about the source of funding for the poll arose after the calls began, but it was only in the deputy city attorney’s report that the conduit was revealed as de Tienne, a developer’s representative from San Francisco, frequently logged in as a visitor to Mayor Bates’ office, who has fronted for major projects in West Berkeley and for the controversial nine-story Berkeley Arpeggio, formerly known as the Seagate Building, now stymied in the city permit process. 

A tall, thin man with a shaved, well-tanned head and a melodramatic mustache, de Tienne makes frequent appearances before the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the city body responsible for administering the ordinance targeted by many of the poll’s questions. 

“My purpose was very simple,” he said. “I’ve been to so many meetings, and I got very tired of hearing anecdotal information—not just from so-called leftists, but from my own client group, too. I decided the best thing was to do a poll.” 

The poll cost “about $20,000,” and not the $40,000 to $50,000 that critics had suggested, de Tienne said. “I’m obligated to pay for it,” though nine of his clients have contributed a total of $3,300. 

He gave Van Herick a list of nine contributors, most located in West Berkeley. They include Cedar 4th Street Partners of Emeryville, Norheim & Yost, Steven Meckfessel Inc. (owned by a faculty member of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business), David Mayer’s San Pablo Avenue 2747 LLC, James E. Hart, Fourth street developers Denny Abrams and Richard Millikan, Predevelopment Projects, Stephen Block and Addison Property, the last owned by the branding consultants who arranged for the poll. 

“I did not give it to the Chamber of Commerce or their PAC,” de Tienne said, adding that “I didn’t even know where they were until this happened.” 

Questions about parking and homelessness arose from his own concerns, de Tienne said. “I was concerned about landmarks and about artists’ housing, too. 

“I basically wanted three things. I was concerned about the Berkeley Bowl, but only because I was watching it from the sidelines,” he said. Of those polled, 87 percent ranked themselves as strong or moderate supporters, with only 6 percent describing themselves as strong or moderate opponents. 

“I also wanted to know perceptions about how to handle the homeless, and not just as a matter of enforcement or getting them out of the way,” he said. “The answers seem to me like common sense.” 

While 16 percent of respondents said they thought the city’s enforcement of laws against sitting, camping or lying on city streets were enforced too strictly, 52 percent said enforcement wasn’t strict enough. But when asked if it was better to address homeless by enforcing laws against unruly behavior and drunkenness or by giving boosting founds for treatment and mental health services, treatment won by a margin of 62 to 18, with a combination of policies accounting for another 13 percent. 

“Third is landmarks. I’m not against landmarks, but the timing is something people think is unfair. They think it takes too long” to handle a landmarking application, he said. 

“The predetermination was the reason I opposed the proposition (Measure J), but I’m not against landmarks.” 

The predetermination is the Request for Determination (RFD), the central feature of the ordinance proposed by Mayor Bates and Councilmember Laurie Capitelli. It would give the Landmarks Preservation Commission two meetings to rule on owners’ requests to determine if their property should be designated a landmark. 

If the commission either failed to act or declared the property ineligible, the commission could not initiate the landmarking process for two years, giving the developer a window of exemption in which a building could be demolished if desired. 

Because landmark application under the new ordinance are not tied to development applications, critics like Marquis fear that a ruling granting developers the two year “safe haven” could be made before a community understood its implications for their neighborhood. 

Filing of petitions for a voter referendum on the measure has prevented it from taking effect for the time being. Other preservationists have challenged the mayor’s ordinance in court, alleging that it violates the California Environmental Quality Act.

A group of Berkeley community members and Bay Area skaters have come together to explore actions which could save the 67-year-old Berkeley Iceland from closing down in March. 

SaveBerkeleyIceland.org is a community-based organization which wants to preserve the historic art deco building at 2727 Milvia St. through local and possibly State or Federal landmarking, and to highlight its importance to the sports of skating and ice hockey on the West Coast. 

Thursday’s announcement of the closure of the ice rink seemed to mark the end of yet another Berkeley institution. On sale for a year now with a price tag of $6.45 million, the property has yet to find any takers willing to keep it open to skaters. 

Michael Kaplan, acting manager for the Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development, called the loss of Iceland a “shame.” 

“The economics just didn’t seem to work out,” he said. “It was taking up a lot of space and not making enough profit. The city worked with the rink to try and figure out a way to save it, but nothing could be done in the end.” 

Jay Wescott, General Manager for Berkeley Iceland for the last 10 years, blamed bad publicity and dismal profits as two of the main reasons for the closure. 

“We did everything in the last year to find a new operator for the rink, but there have been no buyers,” he said.  

“It’s extremely expensive to maintain a facility this old,” Wescott said. “We have been trying everything to keep this building open. We even brought in a temporary refrigeration system but the energy bills just kept going up. We had no choice but to make this decision.” 

Berkeley Iceland was scheduled to appear at the Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board meeting on Feb. 22 to request a use permit for a temporary outdoor refrigeration system. 

Board members had wanted to see proof of considerable reduction in the amount of noise generated by the system before granting the permit. The Berkeley Fire Department had considered its permanent ammonia-based cooling system a hazard in 2005 and had forced the rink to install a temporary system. 

“It was no secret that they were looking for a buyer. We had to do a delicate dance to see that they followed the rules in the meanwhile,” said ZAB commissioner Dave Blake. 

“I guess they realized that the business would not go on to make enough profit. It’s sad but young people don’t want to spend money on ice skating any more,” he said. 

Currently, the rink is used by skating clubs and hockey teams—including the UC Berkeley hockey team—as well as for skating lessons and broom ball events. 

Some rink users questioned why the UC Berkeley was not stepping in to buy the 66-year-old institution for use by its ice hockey team. 

“Cal does’t have its own rink to practice ice hockey. Why doesn’t it pick this up?,” asked UC Berkeley student Neal Dubinsky who was playing a pick-up game at the rink on Friday afternoon. “This is our rink. This is where we practice. I think it’s bullshit that we are letting this slip away.” 

Bryan Farris, captain of the Cal ice hockey team, told the Planet on Thursday in an email that he had not heard of any plans by the university to buy Iceland. 

“I don’t know why the university is not willing to do something about this,” he said. “This is perhaps the last chance the university will ever have to have an ice rink as a part of campus. It’s regrettable that so much money is being spent renovating Memorial Stadium when a fraction of that cost could be diverted to salvage a local heirloom.” 

Faris added that the Cal Bears ice hockey team would be forced to play in Oakland next year, which would significantly reduce their fan base, as students, band members and community members wouldn’t be able to come to games as easily 

The Bears will be playing their last game at Berkeley Iceland this Friday at 8 p.m. against Stanford. 

“UC Berkeley could certainly take over and keep it going. They know that it’s up for sale but they have never expressed any interest in it,” Wescott said. 

John Gordon of Gordon Commercial Real Estate Services—the firm responsible for the sale of the property—echoed his thoughts. 

“We have not seen any interest from UC so far,” he said, adding that there had been six queries about Iceland since the announcement on Thursday. 

Cal ice hockey head coach Cyril Allen told the Planet in an email on Thursday that “the university had no interest in purchasing the Berkeley Iceland rink for the purpose of providing the hockey team with a home for practices and home games.” 

“We have been extremely fortunate to have had access to an historic, albeit tattered landmark facility, located just minutes from our campus for several decades. The University does not provide us with significant budgetary assistance, nor is it likely to make a measurable capital investment on our behalf. As a club sport, we are exclusively funded through players' dues, ticket sales, merchandise sales and donations from our alumni and fans,” Allen said. 

The Cal Ice Hockey team is an intercollegiate club team which is a founding member of the PAC 8 Hockey Conference and is a member of the U.C. Berkeley Club Sports Department. 

Allen added that the team was currently researching options for a new ice contract with rinks throughout the Bay Area. 

Gabriel Desjardins, an UC Berkeley alumni and former member of the Cal hockey team, said that no one wanted to invest in hockey in California. 

The oldest skating club in California, Berkeley Iceland played host to the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in 1947, 1957 and 1966 and was the home club for world and Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi. At 200 by 100 ft., the rink surpasses Olympic size. 

Berkeley residents Kristen and Jessie Quay expressed disappointment at the news. 

“Where else can you go at 11 p.m. with 40 friends, don sneakers and grab a broom, blast your own music from a loudspeaker and play a furious game of broom ball? With Iceland closing, it’s all going to end now,” said Kristen. 

Jessie, who organizes a broom ball event at Berkeley Iceland on the first day of spring every year, called the closure the end of a Berkeley institution. 

“They were trying hard to keep it going but we knew it was coming all along,” he said. “I think at one point they were talking of handing it over to a non-profit. They were also looking at solar panels. But that kind of stuff needs a lot of capital and I guess that’s just not possible.” 

Wescott told the Planet that the real concern at the moment was to come up with a way to make the transition for Iceland’s employees easier. 

“We are working with a couple of agencies, such as the Alameda County Workforce, to help find suitable employment for the thirty or so people who work here,” he said. “In the meanwhile we are hoping that people will come down and enjoy the rink as much as possible before it closes down for good in March.” 

Photograph by Riya Bhattacharjee. 

Berkeley Iceland employees Jessica Cotton and Kwaku Boating arrange ice-skate rentals inside Berkeley Iceland on Friday afternoon. Both Cotton and Boating will lose their jobs if the ice-skating rink closes on March 31 as planned.

The 17-member Oversight Committee for Alameda County’s 2004 Measure A health services sales tax presented its first year of findings to the Board of Supervisors Health Committee this week, concluding that while funds were spent in compliance with the measure’s purposes during the ’04-’05 fiscal year, there were “inconsistencies” in expenditure reporting from organizations receiving Measure A “which did not allow consistent scrutiny of all fund recipients.” 

In addition, the Measure A Oversight Committee raised concerns about the auditing mechanisms of the county’s Health Services Agency, the process for determining future Measure A fund allocation by the Board of Supervisors, and even about the composition of its own membership, with the report raising concerns that the presence of some committee members representing Measure A recipients creates “a potential for the appearance of conflict of interest,” and that, in addition, the committee “do[es] not reflect the diversity of Alameda County’s population.” 

Of the 17 current members of the oversight committee, only three are women, and two are ethnic minorities. 

While Health Committee chair Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker told Oversight Committee chair Larry Platt that “the good news is that we’re in compliance” with Measure A spending, both Platt and Alameda County Health Care Services Agency Director David Kears came under sharp questioning by Board of Supervisors President Keith Carson on details of the report. 

The Essential Health Care Services Measure A was passed by Alameda County voters in March of 2004, authorizing a one-half cent sales tax increase to supplement indigent health care in the county. 75 percent of the revenue is allocated to the Alameda County Medical Center, the county’s primary indigent health care agency, which operates Highland Hospital in Oakland and several medical clinics throughout the county. 25 percent of the revenue is allocated by the Board of Supervisors to various public and private health care agencies and organizations in the county. 

This week’s oversight committee report, which took a year to produce, only deals with Measure A expenditures in fiscal year 2004-05, the first year the sales tax increase went into effect. 

The report found that of $95.7 million in Measure A sales tax revenue collected in that year, $71.8 million went directly to the county medical center, with $20 million allocated by supervisors to various agencies and organizations addressing eight areas of county health concerns. Of the $14 million of that $20 million actually spent in the first year, $5 million went to primary care clinics, $4.5 million to private and non-profit hospitals, $2.3 million to Alameda County behavioral health providers, $1.4 million to emergency room on-call physicians, $541,000 to school-based health centers, and $358,000 to public health. $10.8 million of that $14 million was spent to maintain existing health services, with the remaining $3.2 million for expansion of services. 

Platt told members of the supervisors’ Health Committee this week that some of the problems in the “inconsistency” cited in the report on expenditure information could be blamed on the committee itself learning how to ask the right questions. 

“We’re hoping to do our part by refining the reporting format in the future,” he said. He noted, however, that the committee “had to ask some providers three or four times before we got an answer. With some of them we want to be a little more tough in the future.” 

Platt said that the committee wanted the information because “part of our oversight function is not just finding out what went wrong but also what went right, and how Measure A money was spent. We want to be able to report back to the voters some of the wonderful things that were done with the money.” 

One specific concern raised but not answered in the report was that the county was using the influx of Measure A money to the Alameda Medical Center to shift county money out of the ACMC budget. 

The report said that the oversight committee could not conclude if this was being done, noting only that “the committee needed more information to determine whether Measure A’s prohibition against ‘supplantation’ of ongoing Alameda County funding provided to ACMC by the new sales tax receipts was being honored. Measure A was very clear that the new tax revenue was not supposed to substitute for ongoing county funding but was supposed to supplement the county contribution to ACMC.” 

And on the composition of the committee itself, while Kears conceded that the oversight committee did not reflect ethnic or gender diversity, he said that “we had a diversity of opinion and perspective, ” and Platt added that there were divisions within the committee over some of the issues and findings. 

In the area of auditing organizations on how the Measure A money was actually spent, for example, Platt said that “some of the members,” including himself, were “more or less comfortable that we were relying on the auditors from the HCA [Health Care Services Agency]. But there were other members who wanted feedback from an independent auditor to better educate us and reassure us of the validity of the HCA and [medical center] auditing process. There are some cynics and skeptics among us.” 

But while Platt said that it was “the county auditor who suggested we might want to hire our own auditor,” he said that the committee’s oversight function was limited by the language of Measure A. “The measure had very few details in it about spending,” Platt said. “It only said that the money should be spent on indigent health care. It didn’t give the oversight committee the discretion to say whether this program was better than that program, or to suggest how the money might be better spent. We were told by the county counsel’s office that we have a very narrow area of oversight.” 

With supervisors already beginning preparation for a new round of Measure A allocations in next year’s county budget, both Lai-Bitker and Carson were concerned about how soon the committee’s report would be ready for the ’05-’06 expenditures. 

When Platt suggested that the new report might take “maybe nine months; I know you’d like to get this out by June, but the problem is having to hear from so many recipients,” Carson told him “it’s important to push for a report for sooner rather than later. You’ve worked on this for a year, and you’ve now got a roadmap. It may be shaky and dusty and unclear, but it’s still a roadmap.” 

Marcia Freedman went to Israel in 1967 when her then-husband landed a temporary job as guest lecturer at Haifa University. She stayed for decades, becoming an Israeli citizen, a member of the Knesset (1973-77), an author, an out lesbian and a self-defined peace activist.  

She speaks now from her base in Berkeley for the organization of which she is president, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom. She will address issues of Israel-Palestine on Friday at 8 p.m. at the Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave., Piedmont.  

Freedman’s early impetus to go to Israel was, in part, a desire to leave the United States. “Remember the bumper sticker, ‘love it or leave it’?” she asked, in an interview Friday in her Berkeley home. In 1967 she saw Israel as a “struggling social democracy” and a place where one could find neighborliness and community.  

“We had never since we were children experienced that,” she said. 

In the 1970s, Freedman began to be active in what she describes as “the Israeli peace camp.” She sees the answer to the Israel-Palestine conflict, for which she continues to work today, as a two-state solution “that provides viable settlement for the Palestinians and security for Israel.”  

This solution encompasses the concept of “land for peace.” Palestine would be “a state established in the West Bank and on the Gaza strip, including East Jerusalem as its capital,” she said. The Palestinians would cede about 2.4 percent of their land to Israel, land on the West Bank, which comprises about 80 percent of the Jewish settlers in the West Bank.  

“We believe it is not an idealistic solution. The international community has made progress [toward a settlement along these lines] but then backed off.” 

The two-state solution would include a “demilitarized” Palestine, in which Israel would keep its army and Palestine would not be allowed armed forces, she said. Freedman contends that a majority of Palestinians want this solution. “Whatever is good enough for the Palestinians is good enough for me,” she said. 

Known at the time, she said, as “the major organizer of the women’s movement,” Freedman was elected to the Israeli Knesset in 1973. 

“My mandate, as far as I was concerned, was to represent women’s interests. And I needed to carry the Israeli-Palestinians peace issue as well, as there was a very small minority voice [in the Knesset] on those issues.” 

She is an advocate for abused women. “When you have a society that almost perpetually is embroiled militarily and has a culture of masculinity that is highly militarized, given its history, what you’ll find is there’s a bump in the level of violence against women,” she said, noting that this condition applies to Israel, but is not unique to that country. 

Freedman has also become a champion for the rights of gays and lesbians—she came out as a lesbian after her stint in the Knesset. During her term as a legislator, it was an issue that was not discussed, she said. 

Asked about the rights of Arabs living in Israel, Freedman said: “They do not have equal civil rights and liberties. There is a long way to go on that.” Arabs may find it hard to rent an apartment or get a job. 

“Arabs in Israel do not serve in the Israeli army. There are certain benefits associated with army service,” she said. 

On the other hand, Freedman noted that Israel has just named its first Muslim-Arab minister. 

Asked why there is need for a Jewish state today, Freedman asked, “Are we still arguing about that?”  

The answer has nothing to do with the claim, argued by some, that God gave Israel to the Jewish people, she said.  

“That’s not what the U.N. said in 1948. In 1948, the U.N. proposed that there be a state of Israel and a state of Palestine along partition lines,” she explained. “If you ask me as a Jew if I believe the Jewish people have a right to a state of their own, I say ‘Yes indeed.’ We are a religion, but we are also a nation, and have always been, with our own language, our own culture, our own history and our own legal system. And we have lived as a stateless people for a very long time. Under Christianity, they were very oppressive to us.” 

Freedman said she prefers living in Israel. “I think that when one is among one’s own kind, a certain self-consciousness about your being different falls away,” she said. “I could forget in Israel that I am Jewish. I can’t forget that I am Jewish here. And you never know when you’ll be walking into the next anti-Semite, as rare as it may be.” 

Stores on economically ailing Telegraph Avenue will be allowed to keep longer hours and many new businesses there will find permits easier to get under new zoning ordinances to be considered by the Planning Commission Wednesday. 

The changes, dubbed the Zoning Ordinance for Telegraph Avenue Economic Assistance, are the subject of a public hearing that is the first action item listed for the session that begins at 7 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

The changes would allow business that don’t serve alcohol to extend their hours of operation from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 10 p.m. to midnight on other nights. 

Business that serve or sell alcohol would also be allowed longer hours, form 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, with longer hours permissible with a use permit. 

Other changes would reduce the requirements for most new business from a use permit, which requires approval by the Zoning Adjustments Board to an administrative use permit, which can be granted by city staff. 

The measure would make it easier for businesses to win permission to exceed quotas established for the district and would ease restrictions on reconfiguring existing business premises into larger or smaller spaces. 

Commissioners will also hold a hearing on the subdivision map needed before the 16 units in the new building at 2628 Telegraph Ave. can be sold as condominiums, and they are scheduled for a hearing on zoning ordinance amendments changing procedures for appeals from decisions of the Design Review Committee. 

The final item on the agenda is a report on the Creeks Ordinance which took effect on Jan. 4.

The Zoning Adjustments Board on Thursday will once again hear a request by Verizon Wireless and Nextel Communications for a use permit to construct a new wireless telecommunications facility for 18 cell phone antennas and related equipment atop the UC Storage building at 2721 Shattuck Ave. 

At the last meeting, city staff requested additional time to finalize and report on a third-party engineering review of the project. 

The item has met huge opposition from area residents in the past who have cited concerns related to health, parking and loading docks. Verizon and Nextel have argued in letters to the ZAB that the companies need the antennas in order to fill “holes” in their system. 

Other matters 

Berkeley Developer John Gordon will once again appear in front of the ZAB to request a use permit for the conversion of an existing commercial building (The Wright’s Garage Building) into a multi-tenant commercial building at 2629-2635 Ashby Ave. 

At the last meeting area residents had voiced concerns about parking problems they said could crop up from having a large-scale restaurant on the property. 

The board will also again hear a request for a use permit for a full service restaurant with beverage service of beer and wine with prepared food, including the retail sales of beer and wine, for In and Out Deli, at 2012 Shattuck Ave., and to extend hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. 

The board will also hear a request to increase alcohol service at Ethiopian Restaurant at 2953-2955 Telegraph Ave. by adding service of distilled spirits to the existing service of beer and wine , and to extend daily closing time from midnight to 2 a.m. 

The Jan. 25 meeting will include a Joint ZAB and Design Review meeting, which will start at 6 p.m. with a Green Building Workshop which will be presented by the Office of Energy and Sustainable Development.  

David Arkin, principal of Arkin Tilt Architects will discuss the principles, benefits and practice of green building, and Billi Romain, Green Building Coordinator with the Office of Energy and Sustainable Development, will present the City of Berkeley’s green building requirements and incentive programs. 

The regular meeting of the ZAB will start at 7 p.m. 

A 76-year-old man died early Thursday as flames did more than $1 million in damage to his North Berkeley home. 

Marion Knight was pronounced dead at the Summit Alta Bates Medical Center emergency room after firefighters rescued him from the second floor of the family home at 660 Vincente Ave. in Thousand Oaks. 

He suffered from severe burns and from inhaling smoke and fire, according to a preliminary investigation by the Alameda County Coroner’s office. 

Knight’s spouse and adult son were able to escape the fire, though the son was treated at an emergency room for cuts to his hands, said Deputy Fire Chief David Orth. 

“We got the call at 1:14, and the first unit arrived at the scene at 1:19,” said Orth. 

Knight was found on the second floor, and firefighters took him out by ladder through a bedroom window, Orth said. 

Paramedics performed CPR as they rushed Knight to the emergency room where he was subsequently pronounced dead. 

After the rescue, a partial roof collapse and the collapse of much of the second floor level forced crews out of the building. 

“We had to adopt a defensive position, fighting the fire from outside the house, which is always harder,” said Orth. “It was a stubborn fire.” 

By the time the flames were finally controlled about 5 a.m., the fire had gone to three alarms and was using every firefighter and piece of equipment in the city. 

“The Oakland and Albany fire departments covered the rest of the city,” Orth said. 

The home, a stucco-sided flat roofed dwelling built in the 1930s, rises from two stories on the street level to a third story in the rear. 

Damage to the structure is estimated at $1 million, with the loss of contents placed at $150,000. Investigators have pinpointed the area where the fire began, where it may have been triggered by an electric heater, Orth said. 

Apartment fire 

Another fire last Friday ignited when the recent cold snap triggered and set fire to a rug and a bed which had been placed over the heater in a one of the four units of an apartment building at 2425 Virginia St., Orth said. 

“The call came in at 3:01 a.m.,” Orth said, and it soon went to a second alarm. “The tenant had just returned from overseas and he went to bed. He was awakened by the smoke detector and left the apartment, but he didn’t call 911 right away because of some cultural differences and misunderstandings. By the time we arrived, the fire had had some headway.” 

When the fire began, the mercury had dropped to 37 degrees, and brought the inside temperature low enough to trigger the thermostat on a floor heater. 

It took 25 firefighters 45 minutes to bring the blaze under control, and during that time the rest of the city was again covered by the Albany and Oakland departments. 

Most of the residents of the other apartments were students and still out of town when the blaze occurred. The fire did an estimated $200,000 in damage to the building with a $40,000 loss to the contents, Orth said.

In two dramatic votes Wednesday, members of Berkeley’s Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC) adopted a preservation-oriented platform and called for transforming a block of Center Street into a pedestrian plaza. 

The two votes, both opposed by DAPAC Chair Will Travis and one of them by downtown business interests, largely followed lines drawn in earlier meetings. 

Travis, retired UC Berkeley administrator Dorothy Walker, former city councilmembers Mim Hawley and Carole Kennerly, Planning Commissioner James Samuels and Jenny Wenk were among the most outspoken members of the opposition. 

Travis and Juliet Lamont, the mayor’s two appointees, typically take opposite sides on make-or-break issues. 

On the winning side of the votes was a coalition of environmentalists including Planning Commission chair and Sierra Club activists Helen Burke and creeks advocate Juliet Lamont, preservationists like Patti Dacey, neighborhood activists such as Wendy Alfsen and Lisa Stephens and transportation advocates exemplified by Rob Wrenn. 

Preservation vote 

DAPAC didn’t hand preservationists an unconditional endorsement, approving seven of the ten recommendations of a subcommittee formed from members of DAPAC and the LPC. 

The majority sent three policies back to the subcommittee with a call to prepare a final report on: 

• the role of historic districts in downtown districts where historic buildings are concentrated; 

• continuation of design guidelines from the previous 1990 Downtown Plan, and 

• a call to reject “façadism,” a development style in which high-rise are clad in only the street facades of historic buildings demolished to make way for the taller structures. 

The same motion by Transportation Commissioner Rob Wrenn called for adoption of seven other recommendations as background and policy directions for the plan, which must be completed by the end of the year. The vote endorsed policies to: 

• establish and adopt a definitive survey of historic buildings in the downtown planning area; 

• enhance cultural tourism by celebrating the downtown’s historic character through planning, civic improvements and ongoing activities and programs; 

• consider use of wide-ranging policy tools including tax credits, streamlined permits, historic districts, design guidelines, transfer of development rights, grants and loans to restore facades and special easements for conservation. 

• enhance awareness of downtown’s historic character, especially as a unique, progressive university town with a pedestrian-oriented downtown transit hub. 

• acknowledge that downtown retail space tends toward high ceilings and rents affordable to small business; 

• acknowledge that development can occur at many downtown parcels that have no historic structures, and 

• recognize that historic preservation and rehabilitation of older buildings uses less resources and creates less waste for landfills. 

Following the 12-7 vote in favor of the truncated recommendations, LPC members left and DAPAC turned its attention to another controversial issue. 

Center Street 

Travis began the discussion with an acknowledgment that he had opposed creation of the DAPAC committee which was about to make its recommendations, then praised its chair, Rob Wrenn. 

“I opposed it because I thought it would be a waste of our time,” he said. 

In the end, he also opposed adoption of its recommendations, which passed by a margin of 11 to 8. 

Public opposition came from two downtown restaurateurs, Mark McLeod of the Downtown Restaurant, 2102 Shattuck Ave., and Hope Alper of Ristorante Raphael, 2132 Center St. 

“An attempt to adopt one alternative without a full public hearing will seriously compromise DAPAC in the eyes of the community,” McLeod said. 

Also speaking in opposition was Deborah Badhia, executive director of the Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA), a city-sponsored group that advocates for downtown interests. 

McLeod, who serves as president of the DBA, called for more meetings including representatives from all stakeholders, but Wrenn and Planning Commission Chair Helen Burke, who made the original motion to create the subcommittee, noted that the issues had been discussed at length during the months of meeting of another city task force. 

DBA representatives and others had been present not only for the DAPAC subcommittee meetings but for the months of meetings conducted by a Planning Commission task force appointed to make recommendations following the announcement by UC Berkeley of its intent to sponsor development of a high-rise hotel at the northeast corner of the intersection of Center Street and Shattuck Avenue. 

The UC Hotel Task Force originated most of the ideas adopted by DAPAC Wednesday, including the closure of Center Street between Oxford Street and Shattuck. 

Two major UC-related developments will rise on the block’s southern edge, the 22-story hotel, condo and conference complex to the west and the new building now being designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito at the eastern end to house the university’s Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA). 

Some of Wednesday’s questions came from BAM/PFA Executive Director Kevin Consey, just appointed by the university as one of that institution’s non-voting representatives after Assistant Vice Chancellor Steve Lustig resigned from a DAPAC seat. 

As a UC representative, Consey serves in an ex officio capacity and cannot vote. 

The subcommittee report was divided into two key parts—two pages of recommendations that all of its members could accept and another page spelling out three alternative scenarios for full or partial street closure. 

A move by Dorothy Walker to table any decision until DAPAC’s next meeting failed 8-9, as did a substitute motion from Victoria Eisen that would have allowed an eastbound traffic lane for drop-off of passengers. 

One of those who sided with the majority was architect Jim Novosel, the committee’s newest member, replacing Raudel Wilson, who moved from the city after losing his race for Dona Spring’s City Council seat in November. 

Novosel, who has designed three major downtown projects, cast his vote with the majority, and moments before the vote, Consey said the museum also supported the street closure option favored by the majority. 

As adopted, DAPAC’s first critical planning decision calls for the maximum possible restrictions on vehicle access to Center Street, largely limited to after-hours deliveries and emergency vehicle access, while incorporating the largest possible “water feature.” 

While subcommittee members had ultimately rejected creation of a full-scale channel and rerouting of the now-buried Strawberry Creek—which flows in an underground culvert a block to the south—the measure approved calls for the option dubbed “Maximum Possible Creek.” 

That plan calls for a channel that would be about eight feet deep and 25 to 30 feet wide. 

The resolution specifically endorses the 22-story hotel project and the BAM/PFA building, while calling on architects to adapt their designs to the existing streetscape. 

Other features of the adopted report include: 

• retention of Center Street as the primary pedestrian corridor between downtown and the university; 

• creation of some significant water feature in the event a more extensive creek channel should prove impractical; 

• a call for architects to include modulated edges and open space pockets in the museum and hotel designs; 

• the use of permeable ground coverings to accommodate storms and natural water filtration; 

• adoption of policies favoring housing on the block with ground floor commercial uses on both sides of the plaza; 

• modification of the existing plan’s height limits to allow the hotel tower to rise; 

• adoption of an 80-foot preference as the maximum height of walls along the immediate street frontage, with a slender hotel tower offset from the frontage height constraints on buildings on the southern street edge to preserve solar access for sidewalks and the plaza; 

• support for shared use parking at the museum and hotel underground lot, and 

• access from Shattuck Avenue to the hotel/museum underground parking lot. 

“For 20 years I’ve dream of a public space in downtown Berkeley that really would be the center of our public life,” said Novosel shortly before the vote. “I told my wife I was not going to say anything, but here I am.” 

Photograph by Richard Brenneman 

James Samuels, center, chats with Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Steven Winkel, left, and Will Travis, chair of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee before Wednesday night’s joint meeting of two bodies. Samuels, a former landmarks commissioner, now sits on DAPAC and the Planning Commission.

As the Berkeley Landmarks War heads for a second showdown at the ballot box, preservationists opened a second front in the courts Tuesday. 

The newly formed Neighbor-0hood Preservation Organization (NPO) petitioned the Alameda County Superior Court to order the city to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR) on the recently passed law that’s already being challenged in a referendum. 

“The referendum is an excellent partner for this process,” said Patti Dacey, NPO’s spokesperson and preservationist who serves on the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee (DAPAC). 

Dacey had served on the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission until she was removed last year by Council-member Max Anderson, a supporter of the ordinance targeted by the NPO legal action. 

At issue is the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance passed by the City Council in December. Passage triggered a referendum drive, which resulted in the collection of enough signatures to block enforcement when the law was scheduled to go into effect Jan. 12. 

The Alameda County Registrar of Voters has until Feb. 11 to verify the signatures, and if at least 4,092 of the 5,908 submitted belong to registered Berkeley voters, then the law is stayed until an up or down vote in the next city-wide general or special election. 

The petition filed Tuesday by Sonoma County attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley asks the court to issue a writ of mandate overturning the council’s adoption of the LPO submitted by Mayor Tom Bates and Councilmember Laurie Capitelli until the city can prepare an EIR that considers the new law’s impacts on the city’s historic buildings and offers alternative proposals and mitigations for the law’s impacts. 

At the July 11 meeting where councilmembers approved the first reading of an earlier version of the LPO, they also adopted a Negative Declaration on the ordinance, a statement prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which contains a key finding that the project “could not have a significant effect on the environment.” 

The accompanying environmental initial study (EIS) included the specific finding that “there is no evidence that” the revised ordinance and accompanying zoning changes “would have a significant adverse effect on the City’s ability to protect historic or cultural resources.” 

City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque said the petition failed a crucial legal test because it wasn’t filed within 30 days of the EIS adoption. 

“I advised the council when it adopted the ordinance that any suit would be untimely since it should’ve been filed months ago when the CEQA determination was made,” Albuquerque said. “I have not changed my opinion.” 

Before the vote, Anne Wagley, who is the Daily Planet Arts and Calendar Editor, read out a letter from Brandt-Hawley declaring that “the proposed new LPO needlessly focuses on PSA (state Permit Streamlining ACT) issues in a manner that overshadows and defeats the very goals of its landmarks program.” 

Brandt-Hawley also raised the specter of a lawsuit should the council adopt the ordinance at that meeting. 

Dacey said Wagley is one of the core NPO activists along with LPC member Lesley Emmington, Peace and Justice Commissioner Elliot Cohen and others. 

Wagley is also a principal figure in another suit, an action challenging the city’s settlement of a lawsuit filed against UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan growth projections through 2020. 

That settlement resulted in creation of the DAPAC, which is inching toward a preservationist stance in the new downtown plan mandated by the settlement. Dacey has been an outspoken advocate of preservation on the committee. 

The key issue cited in the action Brandt-Hawley filed this week is the most controversial feature of the now-stalled LPO, the request for determination (RFD). 

The RFD gives property owners a two-year exemption from landmarking efforts if the panel fails to make a declaration within 60 days, and no citizens’ petition for landmarking is filed in the following 21 days. 

Once granted, neither citizens nor the LPC would be able to make any effort to preserve existing buildings or features until the end of the 24-month “safe harbor.” Developers supported the RFD, and gave heavily to the campaign to defeat Measure J, the failed November ballot petition that would have preserved the key features of the current LPO while adding minor tweaks to bring the law fully into conformity with other state ordinances. 

Because the owner isn’t required to file development plans at the same time an RFD is sought, critics of the law charge that neighborhoods may not grasp the potential impact of the request for determination until a developer is given permits for a building or buildings that could changed the face of the surrounding community. 

The RFD “may have a potentially adverse impact on the City’s historical resources and neighborhoods,” Brandt-Hawley wrote, and “denies the opportunity for initiation or designation of a local historic resource even if new information surfaces demonstrating historic merit” during the safe harbor period. 

A spokesperson for Berkeley City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque wasn’t sure if the lawyer had seen the filing.

Those who may have thought that Ron Dellums would alter his political positions before the business community now that he has entered Oakland’s City Hall, or that the business community would be less than favorable to Dellums’ previously announced positions, got a sense they may be wrong at the San Francisco Business Times’ Annual Mayors’ Economic Forecast breakfast at the San Francisco Hilton on Wednesday morning. 

Dellums told more than 1,200 business representatives virtually the same thing the newly installed mayor has been saying throughout Oakland for the past week: while he believes that advancing an agenda of one or two items is a “cop out”, his focus in the immediate future in Oakland will be to reduce the city’s staggering crime rate, and to work to make health insurance available to Oakland citizens who do not currently have it. 

He said that the interests of the business community and Oakland’s city officials were intertwined, both groups looking for a prosperous city. 

“Everyone in this room is bright enough to know that there is no demarcation between the public and the private sectors,” Dellums said. “We’re joined at the hip.” 

Also speaking at the two-hour breakfast gathering was San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. 

In a follow-up question and answer session, a SF Business Times editor told Dellums “there was an undercurrent during last year’s mayoral election campaign that Ron Dellums was anti-business. I don’t know where that perception came from. I know it surprised you. It certainly surprised some of us who knew your background.” 

In answer, Dellums said that during the campaign he was often asked if he was for or against development. 

“That’s an unintelligent question,” he said. “The real question is, what community values are going to drive that development, and who will it serve?” 

Dellums also repeated a criticism he made in last week’s inaugural address, that the current state of American politics concentrates more on the personalities of who is being elected than it does on a discussion of what the candidates propose to do. 

“It leads to the position by voters that ‘I’m for this person’ or ‘I’m for that person,’ and that’s all, and ‘I don’t care what you stand for.’ It’s a burlesque of politics. To assume that one is a peace activist or a social activist and therefore cannot understand the needs of business is an insult, and I’ll leave it at that.” 

His answer was met with applause throughout the audience. 

Dellums also sketched out some of his economic development goals for Oakland, saying that he is working to create a global trade center in the city, and said he expects to host “a major economic summit” in Oakland this spring. 

He reiterated his support for former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s program to increase business in downtown Oakland by bringing in 10,000 new residents, calling it a “common sense” approach. “If you put a thousand people out in a hot field, someone is going to come out and sell them sno-cones. I understand the logic of the program. My only question is, will 10K alone get you where you want to go?” 

He predicted that many Californians who moved to the suburbs and exurbs in previous decades would be returning to the state’s cities for convenience, and that it will be the challenge of cities to accommodate that growth. 

But in answer to a question from the Business Times, Dellums said he did not believe that the Oakland A’s baseball team will remain part of Oakland’s commercial future. 

“In hindsight, building a downtown stadium would have made sense, and would probably have kept the A’s here,” Dellums said. He added, however, that this was no longer a possibility, and that “the likelihood of the A’s staying here is very slim.” 

He called the proposed move to Fremont “a large endeavor,” however, and said that “in any deal as large as that, things can go wrong. So I think the door may be slightly open” for the A’s to remain in Oakland. 

While sticking to his immediate policy goals of lowering crime and ensuring the health of Oakland citizens, Dellums sought repeatedly to convince the business community that it was in their interest to join him in achieving them. 

In the area of health care, Dellums said that “every human being has the right to a healthy life. You of all people know the value of a healthy citizenry. You want a healthy work force because it enhances your productivity. A healthy citizenry enhances the productivity of the cities.” 

He called for a “public-private partnership” to bring this about. He also praised Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for bringing for bringing forth a plan to expand health insurance coverage for California citizens. “Whether you agree with the governor or not, he has moved the ball forward. That’s important.” 

Dellums called crime and violence “a national epidemic,” adding that “it is my greatest concern. In the past, it has mostly been confined to the hood and the barrio, but that is true no longer, and it can no longer be ignored by the larger community.” 

The Oakland mayor said that while the “overwhelming role of police is currently in prevention,” “the police cannot solve the problem of crime alone. They are only a ‘thin blue line.’ To the extent that they are effective, they have to partner with the community to prevent crime.” 

He said that in the past, Oakland’s crime-fighting policy has been to “send police in large numbers into the high-crime areas that, for historical reasons, are mostly low-income or of certain ethnic backgrounds.” Because of the way those police come in, Dellums said, “the view in those communities is that the police are more like an occupying force.” 

In order to build trust for police within communities most affected by Oakland’s crime rate, Dellums said that “we have to get the police out of their cars” and “move towards community policing.” 

The Berkeley school board voted unanimously on Wednesday to accept the Berkeley High School environmental impact report on the Berkeley High School South of Bancroft Master Plan and to approve the Master Plan project. 

With the approval begins the process of selecting a committee to hire an architect for the proposed construction of the South of Bancroft project.  

The Master Plan involves the southern part of the campus at 1980 Allston Way and the adjacent school-district-owned parking lot on Milvia Street. 

Supporters of the warm water pool, which is currently located in the Berkeley High School Gym, asserted the importance of saving the pool, which is a lifeline for the disabled community in Berkeley. 

“The warm pool will provide more than life-saving opportunities,” said Berkeley resident Anne Marks. “It’s not just the elderly, but also the disabled students who benefit from it. Lease it, sell it, give it, but work with the city to acquire land for the pool.” 

Daniel Radman, a disabled community member, quoted from “Soakin’ the Blues Away, Voices of the Warm Pool,” a manuscript written over the last five months at the pool. 

“The book has 170 separate testimonials from people whose lives have been saved by the pool. Every page illustrates why closing it could endanger the lives of many,” Radman said. 

Dedicated to Fred Lupke, who fought to save the warm pool until his death, the collection tells the stories of people of all ages who depend on the pool. 

Allen Miller, a BHS teacher and treasurer of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, told the board that approving the EIR was critical since it would enable construction. 

“Teachers are sharing classrooms. BHS classes are being held at portables across from Washington Elementary and in the wings of the Community Theatre. These are not proper teaching conditions. The situation has got to improve,” Miller said. 

“There is a way that you can build a pool and have all the facilities constructed as well. You don’t need to pit the teachers against the community,” said BHS soccer coach Eugenio Janu Juarez amidst applause from community members. 

“The board is not your enemy,” School Board Director John Selawsky told the audience. 

He added that Phase I of the construction timeline would take up to three to four years during which the pool could be used by the community, while the city and the district worked on a solution. 

“If we can’t solve the problem in three to four years, we can never solve it. I am willing to meet with the city and the community to talk about the issue. But currently there are no funds that can be used toward moving the pool,” Selawsky said.  

Wendy Markel, President of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA), submitted a letter to the board which stated that “discussion of alternatives in the final EIR had not been adequate,” especially after the Carey & Co. consultant report that the “old gym was a significant historic resource” 

Lew Jones, Director of Facilities for the BUSD, told the board that although the proposed demolition of the old gym would impair its architectural significance, it would be less expensive than rehabilitating it. 

“It’s not just a seismic issue, there are other deficiencies with retaining the gym. A full rehabilitation of the building would cost $25 million,” Jones said.  

The plan includes a building program with construction of approximately 69,000 square feet of building space, to be carried out in at least three phases. 

The proposed construction includes athletic and physical education facilities, classrooms, space for Facilities Department services and storage, surface parking and possible structured parking, and changes to campus landscaping. 

The proposed project would require demolition of the existing old gym on Milvia Street and would provide the City of Berkeley an opportunity to construct a replacement warm water pool on district-owned property.  

A draft EIR for the project was issued by the district on Sept. 26 through November 9, 2006, and a Responses to Comments report was prepared to respond to public comments received on the draft EIR which is available for review at the Berkeley Main Library. 

According to the report submitted by the school board, the project would enable BHS to provide 10 to 15 new classrooms to replace the 17 classrooms lost after the demolition of Building B and it would increase the amount of on-campus outdoor physical education space, specifically providing a regulation-size softball field and a flexible outdoor athletic quadrant. 

Other Matters  

The board also unanimously approved the recommendation of the Surplus Facilities Committee to declare the entire BUSD-owned Hillside site surplus to the district’s educational needs. 

With this approval, the district can now seek purchasers or long-term tenants for the site. 

After Hillside—one of the first schools to be built in Berkeley—was closed down because it was built atop seismic fault traces, BUSD has been renting out the property to a Montessori House for the last fifteen years. The Field Act prohibits classroom structures from being built on earthquake faults. 

The board also approved the South Berkeley Community Mural Project that will place murals along the fence at Malcolm X Elementary School and congratulated its participants. 

Vavrinek Trine Day & Co. presented an Independent Audit Report and Financial Statements for the BUSD for fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, which the board accepted. 

The district’s net assets were $52.3 million and $37.2 million for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2006 and 2005 respectively. The report showed that the district had an unrestricted fund balance of $3.6 million on June 30, 2006. 

District Superintendent Michele Lawrence informed board members on Wednesday that BUSD’s legal representative would be defending the Berkeley Board of Education’s position on the School Assignment System in Court on January 31. 

In 2006, the BUSD Student Assignment Plan had come under attack when the Pacific Legal Foundation had charged BUSD with a lawsuit which charged the school district with “violating California’s Proposition 209 by using race as a factor to determine where students are assigned to public schools and to determine whether they gain access to special educational programs.” 

Some called proposals the Berkeley City Council debated Tuesday evening on commission restrictions “good government,” but others said imposing limits on the number of years commissioners can serve on one commission and on the number of commissions they can serve on at one time was a political move aimed at squelching the voices of commissioners who question large development projects. 

In a 4-5 vote, with Councilmembers Dona Spring, Kriss Worthington, Max Anderson and Linda Maio dissenting, the council approved the content of an ordinance the city attorney will draft for approval in March. The code revision will take effect three months after its final passage, and will apply only to the Zoning Adjustments Board, the Planning Commission, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Housing Advisory Commission. It will restrict commission terms to eight years out of any ten years and will prohibit commissioners from serving on more than one of these commissions at a time.  

Other commissions will have no term limits and will not have restrictions on serving on more than one commission. 

The original concept as put forward by Councilmembers Laurie Capitelli and Betty Olds would have prohibited commissioners on all 40 city commissions from belonging to more than one commission and would have restricted them all to eight-year terms over a ten-year period. A loop-hole currently allows commissioners to quit for a few months after serving seven-plus years, then to be reappointed for a new eight-year term.  

“There’s a tendency to confuse longevity with knowledge,” said Councilmember Gordon Wozniak, arguing in favor of term limits. “To get advice, it’s not important that [the commission] be a group of experts.” 

Capitelli added to the argument for the legislation that “ex-commissioners aren’t going to go away” and are free to add their expertise to commission discussions as members of the public. 

Councilmember Darryl Moore also weighed in on the side of limits, arguing that the question was less about the limits themselves than about “closing illegal loopholes” in the ordinance that allows people to serve more than eight-year terms. “I agree with the League of Women Voters that the item before us is good government,” he said. 

Addressing the issue of diversity on commissions, Moore, an African American, noted angrily that “having people of color serve on several commissions is tokenism.” 

Councilmember Dona Spring, however, said the proposal targets three commissioners whose votes often favor residents over developers: commissioners Jesse Arreguin, Dave Blake and Gene Poschman. They regularly vote in the minority, Spring said. “These people raise good points. Now they don’t want us to have a voice at all.”  

Arreguin serves on the Housing Advisory Committee and the Zoning Adjustment Board. Blake has served on the ZAB for more than eight years total and Poschman has served on the Planning Commission for more than eight years. Both resigned after they had served seven years and were later reappointed. Susan Wengraf, long-time aide to Councilmember Betty Olds, a sponsor of the changed rule, has also used this method to serve on commissions for more than eight total years. 

Commissioners willing to put time into the research necessary to serve on commissions should not be eliminated, Spring said. “They tend to be the most hard-working people,” she said.  

“My commissioner [Poschman] works the hardest and knows Berkeley the best,” Spring said, noting that it was Poschman’s work on the University Avenue Strategic Plan that limited the height of buildings and “infuriated developers.” 

Councilmember Max Anderson added that it takes “political courage” to remove commissioners during their terms. “Sometimes people do think they have their positions for life,” he said, arguing that it’s up to the councilmember to take them off the commission when their service is no longer required. 

Anderson further argued that the proposal was without substance. “We haven’t vetted this to analyze whether we have a problem,” he said. 

Also arguing against the motion, Councilmember Linda Maio said, “I absolutely depend on my appointment to ZAB [and other commissions] for institutional memory. It’s not trivial—it’s a very hard job. For me, I have to have confidence in the person who does the work at that level. I’m concerned about being forced to terminate somebody before I’m ready.” 

Maio added in a phone interview Thursday, however, that she is planning to remove Dave Blake, her appointee to ZAB, after his work on the Density Bonus Subcommittee is completed.  

Addressing the council, Steven Wollmer, a member of the Housing Advisory Commission, argued that councilmembers’ right to appoint people who would represent their interests would be violated by the ordinance. 

Former League of Women Voters President Sherry Smith spoke to the council in favor of the measure, saying it was a “good government” issue, enforcing the eight-year term limits already in place.  

She also argued against individuals serving on more than one commission. Smith said the commission she serves on—the Police Review Commission—includes an individual who serves on two commissions and “wastes commission time” by bringing in things from the other commission. 

But Michael Sherman, the commissioner to whom Smith was referring, said in a phone interview Wednesday, that by serving on both the Peace and Justice Commission and on the PRC, he has been able to bring the concerns of both the groups together on various occasions.  

For example, the PRC is currently looking at regulating situations where the Berkeley police are asked to collaborate with agencies such as Homeland Security. This is a question that is necessarily addressed by both the Peace and Justice Commission and by the PRC, Sherman said. 

“Cross-fertilization of ideas of different commissions should be encouraged,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who has appointed student and affordable housing advocate Jesse Arreguin to both the housing and zoning commissions. 

In an interview Wednesday, Arreguin agreed, explaining that he has been able to bring his expertise in low-income housing issues that he’s gained by serving on the HAC to commissioners on the ZAB. 

“I interviewed 22 people and decided who to appoint to the [Zoning Adjustment Board],” Worthington said, arguing that Arreguin was the most qualified among them.  

“I think I have the right to appoint the most qualified person,” he said. The proposal “is thoroughly undemocratic. It’s not good for the city of Berkeley.” 

Membership in the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce underscores the city’s desire to promote business, Chamber Executive Director Rachel Rupert told the council Tuesday, arguing against a resolution that would have the city cancel memberships in organizations that participate in electoral politics. 

The resolution was briefly addressed even though it had been pulled off the agenda for the second time by its author, Councilmember Dona Spring, who said she is waiting for backup materials on the question. 

At the Tuesday council meeting, the body also addressed issues at Allston House, a low-income housing apartment complex, and funding the winter shelter program. 

Chamber Membership 

Even though the item was pulled from the agenda, the chamber’s Rachel Rupert and Roland Peterson, the chair of the Chamber Board of Directors, chose to address the council on the issue. 

The city belongs to the chamber through the City Manager’s Office and the Fire Department, both of which have paid memberships, according to Tracy Vesely, the city’s budget manager. (Rupert says only the Office of Economic Development, which is part of the manager’s office, has a paid membership.) 

The membership is advantageous because “we work very closely with the Office of Economic Development,” Rupert told the council.  

“The Office of Economic Development and the Chamber have the same mission, to improve the business climate,” Peterson added. 

Rupert noted that this past election was the first time the chamber had endorsed candidates, although it has endorsed against ballot measures in the past as it did in the November election. The chamber endorsed Mayor Tom Bates, Councilmember Gordon Wozniak and the challengers to Spring and Councilmember Kriss Worthington, as well as opposing Measure J, the Landmarks Preservation ballot measure. 

Berkeley resident Nancy Carleton, treasurer for the Worthington council campaign, called on the city to withdraw its membership from organizations that endorse candidates for office. “It is inappropriate for our taxpayer dollars to go to such groups, and contrary to democratic principles,” she wrote. 

While Spring’s resolution targets the chamber only and not its political action committee, Rupert brought the PAC into the discussion. (The PAC put about $100,000 into funding support for and against the same candidates and measure that the chamber had endorsed.) “The PAC is separate from the Chamber,” she said. “The PAC has its own agenda.” 

Worthington took the opportunity to ask Rupert and Peterson for the names of the PAC board of directors, something he has been unable to obtain. Peterson has told the Planet that the PAC chair is realtor Miriam Ng, Councilmember Darryl Moore’s appointee to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the treasurer is Stacy Owens. Rupert promised to send the information to the council and to the Daily Planet. (On Thursday, the Planet learned that because Ng is out of town, the information will not be available for a few days.) 

Allston House 

A city loan to Affordable Housing Associates, which manages low-income housing at Allston House at 2121 Seventh St., sparked a discussion around safety issues at the property. Councilmember Dona Spring said she had met with tenants and AHA to talk about ensuring security with security cameras and an improved security gate. 

“People can jump over the gate—it’s not a security deterrent,” Spring said. Tenants have alleged that there is drug dealing in the building and that it is not safe. 

Housing Director Steve Barton said he thought there was adequate security, but added, “We can have someone take another look.” 

The conversation did not sit well with Councilmember Darryl Moore, in whose district Allston House is located. Not without sarcasm, he thanked Spring for her attention to the property and noted that he had walked the building with a police officer. 

“I believe even a nine-foot gate could be scaled,” he said. “I don’t want to see barbed wire and I don’t want to start micromanaging the project.” The council approved the loan unanimously. 

Winter Shelter 

The council also unanimously approved an added $7,000 for the Oakland Army Base winter shelter, and City Manager Phil Kamlarz noted that the city has been able to house everyone who wanted shelter during the cold snap the city has been experiencing. 

The city had been prepared to open up one of its gyms if necessary, but it was not, according to Andrew Wicker, a city community services specialist, speaking in a separate interview. “The mobile crisis team was able to contact people and take them to shelters,” Wicker said. 

While legislative term limits prematurely ended the assembly career of Oakland area representative Wilma Chan, it has helped to immediately boost her successor, Sandré Swanson, up the leadership ladder. 

The California Assembly’s constitutional three-term limit forced Chan from the 16th Assembly District seat at the end of last year after six years in office, and after Chan rose to the post as Assembly Majority Leader. 

Chan’s forced retirement cut in half Oakland’s powerful legislative leadership team, which also included Oakland-based Don Perata as president of the state senate. 

But this week, Swanson’s office announced that only days after being sworn into office following the November elections, the Oakland Democrat has been appointed chair of the powerful Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez. 

According to Swanson’s office, the Assembly Labor Committee has jurisdiction over employment discrimination, workplace health and safety, workforce development, and wages, including minimum wage, overtime pay, and the prevailing wage. 

In a prepared statement, Nuñez said that “Sandré’s extensive background and experience working with labor organizations and issues made him a natural and easy choice for the chairmanship.” 

Such an elevation would never have happened in the days before term limits, when legislators often had to wait years to even obtain positions on coveted committees. 

Swanson says that one of his priorities will be “ensuring affordable and comprehensive healthcare” for all working Californians. 

Health care has suddenly become a hot topic in California, with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposing a state program to expand insurance for presently uninsured citizens, and the mayors of both San Francisco and Oakland developing similar initiatives in their respective cities. 

In addition, Swanson said that he will use his position as committee chair to “continue the fight for livable wages that allow workers to be treated with dignity. We will work to protect pensions when workers leave the workforce, and to protect their health and safety while on the job. 

“Guaranteed retirement benefits and pensions are promises which must not be broken. One of our most important tasks is to revisit the recent worker’s compensation reforms and ensure that the promises to injured workers are being met.”

One week after George W. Bush told the nation he would commit 20,000 additional troops to fight on the ground in Iraq, the Bay Area peace community got the bold response it wanted to hear. 

On Wednesday Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland-Berkeley, Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-San Rafael and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives the Bring the Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act that would get U.S. troops out of Iraq within six months. 

“The longer the U.S. stays in Iraq, the worse things get,” Lee told the Daily Planet in a brief phone interview Wednesday.  

More than 3,000 U.S. troops and more than 34,000 Iraqis have died, she said. “We need to bring home our troops. We won’t leave young men and women in harm’s way like this president has done.”  

The bill, supported by 12 co-sponsors, goes beyond the bills introduced separately Wednesday by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., to halt deployment of more troops to Iraq. 

The Lee-Woolsey-Waters bill would: 

• Repeal the authorization to use force against Iraq passed by Congress in 2002; 

• Require the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops and contractors within six months of the enactment of this bill; 

• Turn security activities and military operations in Iraq over to the elected Iraqi government within six months of enactment; military facilities built by the United States will be turned over to the Iraqi government; 

• Prohibit the U.S. from establishing permanent bases in Iraq; 

• Accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi military and security forces;  

• Pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy;  

• Provide assistance to the Iraqi government in recovering archeological, cultural and historic artifacts that have been lost since the U.S. invasion;  

• Fully fund veterans’ health care.  

• Prohibit U.S. access to Iraqi oil production prior to the Iraqi government’s establishing clear rules for foreign ownership and participation. 

While Woolsey and Lee are co-chairs of the 62-member Progressive Caucus and Waters is the co-chair and founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus, Lee said she and her co-authors need the help of the local community: “Contact other members of the California delegation. They need to come in as co-sponsors.”  

And go to demonstrations, she said: “Keep up the street heat. E-mail. Make phone calls. Our community leads all the time.” 

None of the local peace activists contacted by the Daily Planet—members of Grandmothers Against the War, the UC Berkeley Stop the War Coalition, Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission, the Watada Support Committee, Peace Action West—thought the proposed act would bring an end to the bloodshed on its own, but all saw it as an opening. 

“I hope it gets attention and discussion,” said Steve Freedkin, who chairs Berkeley’s Peace and Justice Commission and hosts the internet site Progressive Portal. 

“It’s not likely to pass,” Freedkin added, putting the burden of stopping the war on the community. “It’s our job to create the political climate” where bills such as this can be approved, he said. Individuals need to lobby fellow citizens and legislators beyond Berkeley, he added, where citizens voted by 70 percent to impeach Bush in November. 

Grace Shimizu, spokesperson for the newly-formed Watada Support Committee/APIs (Asian Pacific Islanders) Resist! called the draft act a “wonderful bill.”  

“Finally the Democrats in congress have a response to the demand of the American people to put an end the occupation in Iraq,” she said, noting that it would not only bring the troops home in six months, but also fund their health care, “recognizing the trauma they’ve been under and the injuries they’ve faced.” 

Shimizu added praise for Lee, Waters and Woolsey. “It is no surprise that it is these three congresswomen who are posing a challenge to their colleagues. I hope Congress steps up to the plate.” 

Helen Isaacson of Berkeley and 150 of her friends—Grandmothers Against the War from 21 states—are in Washington, D.C. lobbying Congress to end the war in Iraq. Speaking to the Planet by phone on Wednesday Isaacson said that, while the “grannies brigade” is visiting mostly the offices of senators, the four grandmothers from California planned to visit the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, on Thursday and would add the Lee-Woolsey-Waters bill to their anti-war lobbying efforts. 

Erin Sikorsky, state political director with Berkeley-based Peace Action West called the proposed legislation an “excellent bill.” Peace Action has long supported “full withdrawal,” she said. “Barbara Lee has been out front for a long time.” 

Legislation such as this bill could have the effect of “pushing Congress further and further to withdrawal,” she said. “It can change the debate in Congress.” 

Over the years, anxious parents taking the first step toward admitting their children to school have found a guiding light in the Berkeley Unified School District’s Kindergarten Fair. 

In its twelfth year, the fair will be hosted by LeConte Elementary School on Russell Street this Saturday. 

The event familiarizes parents with district-wide curricula and the assignment system and introduces them to parent representatives from all eleven elementary schools as well as child-care providers. 

“It’s the district’s way of introducing the elementary schools to parents,” said LeConte principal Cheryl Wilson.  

“It’s pretty much the parents and the PTA who take charge but LeConte will have teachers from our Farming Garden who will talk to people about the program. I will help set up a visual representation to show parents why they would want to choose LeConte for their child,” Wilson said.  

BUSD spokesperson Mark Coplan said Francisco Martinez, BUSD’s Manager for Attendance and Enrollment, would also be giving a presentation at the fair. 

“Francisco is in charge of calculating the enrollment numbers every school year, and his predictions have always been 99 percent accurate,” Coplan said. 

Matinez told the Planet that he expected 600 to 620 students to enroll in kindergarten this year. 

“Last year we had an enrollment of 610, five years ago it was 670. There is really no specific pattern to explain this. We use statistical analysis to help us calculate.” 

With 438 students, Thousand Oaks has the largest enrollment. Cragmont comes in next with 400, followed by Malcolm X (382) and LeConte (314). 

“Our largest is probably the average in other districts, but Berkeley built smaller schools because that was what the community needed at the time,” said Coplan. 

Martinez added that the fair allowed families to go around and get a flavor of each of the schools which helped them to select the top three schools of their choice.  

“Sometimes parents realize that the things they have been hearing about a particular school is not always correct. It really helps that parents get to interact with other parents,” he said. 

Marie Joiner, student admissions specialist for the office of admissions at the BUSD, said that the fair also attracted returning parents who haven’t had much exposure to the school district. 

“Last time 140 families signed up for the fair,” she said. “Parents are interested to know about how they should apply, the transport options and the after school and enrichment programs available. Instead of going to each school individually, this is a great way of learning about them.” 

The deadline for submitting the form with the top three school choices is Feb. 9, after which the computer makes the final selection based on a variety of demographic criteria such as race, income, and parents’ education.  

“Planning for school is exciting for families and the fair is a lot of fun for the kids as well,” Joiner said. 

“It’s interesting to see the schools competing with each other but at the same time it’s also a rare opportunity for them to be together under the same roof,” Coplan said. 

Cary Sanders, PTA president at LeConte said that parents were preparing hard to host the fair on Saturday.  

“The PTA is organizing the tables and the displays. There will be other PTAs as well. We are planning to take people around the school and show them the materials and some of the exciting programs,” Sanders said. 

“We continue to have a farming garden program and the cooking/nutrition program goes hand in hand with that. There is also a two-way immersion program in Spanish which kids love. Our job is to take those and communicate them to parents.” 

Sanders added that all the schools were focusing on narrowing the achievement gap. 

“There might be a little competition at the fair but we are all unified overall. Our main goal is to let people know that the Berkeley Public School system works and that it has great programs,” she said. 

A planned Saturday afternoon protest and celebration of the Memorial Stadium tree-in aims at recruiting returning UC Berkeley students to the cause of the six branch-sitters and their allies. 

The protest, underway since Dec. 2, challenges university plans to level the grove of California Coastal Live Oaks, a redwood and other trees along the stadium’s western wall to make room for a $125 million gym. 

A raid last Friday swept away the shelters, food and other supplies assembled by supporters of the arboreal activists, but it hasn’t dampened the spirits of organizers. 

UC Berkeley professor Ignacio Chapela is one of the campus activists who has joined the cause. 

Chapela said eliminating the grove and replacing it with a four-story complex would severe a vital pathway used by native wildlife. 

“Closing this corridor would reverberate across those wild landscapes from the Berkeley Hills all the way to Pinole and Chabot and beyond to the rest of the parks that make the East Bay the envy of the world,” said the professor, who fought and won a legal battle for tenure. 

Saturday’s events, which get underway at the grove starting at 1 p.m., will feature statements by Chapela and others, a performance by Berkeley’s own activist songwriter in residence County Joe McDonald and others, as well as acorn-bobbing and a chance to taste acorn meal pancakes.  

As the Global Exchange tour bus makes its way out of Caracas, our Venezuelan guide explains that what we are passing—an extensive array of makeshift dwellings on both sides of the highway—is the largest shantytown in Latin America, rivaled only by the slums of Rio De Janeiro. 

I compare what I see to shanties I have seen outside of Johannesburg, noting that the South African dwellings are on relatively flat terrain, while the Caracas suburbs are on steep hillsides. My suspicion that they would offer stunning views of the kind that inflate real estate prices in the United States is confirmed later in the trip when we are taken to witness up close an effort of the Government of Hugo Chavez to raze shanties and replace them with “living quarters worthy of human habitation.” 

I was one of several Cal State East Bay professors who, together with a handful of Bay Area architects and city planners, constituted the core of the tour group. It was an exciting opportunity to view a social movement in progress dubbed “The Bolivarian Revolution,” and critically discuss what we saw, from the diverse perspectives of group members. 

The Child of the Sixties was resurrected in me as I revisited lessons learned as a participant in the Black Freedom Movement. I was particularly struck by the high level of consciousness displayed by persons we encountered; consciousness of participating in a revolution aimed at transforming the lives of the poor.  

Participatory democracy, and the idea that Chavez is the symbolic leader of a movement directed by the collective will of the people were recurring themes of presentations by leaders of cooperatives and economic missions. While Venezuela still has a long way to go on the road to being a perfect society, I saw a number of welcome indications that democracy is valued and freedom of expression is not only tolerated but vibrant. 

One of the first indications of freedom of speech that we witnessed was in Caracas at a housing cooperative in which our guide and his mother reside. The mother responded candidly and at length to a member of our group who asked what she thought of Chavez. She said, in essence, that he talks a good game, but does not follow through with action. 

The president of the housing cooperative made the first of several expressions of the view that Chavez is a symbol of a pervasive people’s movement. In the discussion that followed we were told how the cooperative runs the housing development with funds provided by the central government, which, thanks to an ample stream of oil revenue, seem to be endless. We frequently heard bureaucracy and bureaucrats blamed for failures of promised resources to materialize. 

Although our guide by his own admission is not a follower of Chavez, our itinerary featured projects, programs and spokespersons of the Bolivarian Revolution. We also had opportunities to interact with representatives of the opposition and hear their point of view. A common criticism of the proliferation of cooperatives was the claim that opportunistic individuals and groups were gaining funding for cooperatives, which they proceeded to operate as individual enterprises. 

One indication of the strength of the opposition was seen in spontaneous expressions of outrage towards Chavez’ presidency from persons encountered in a public park in an upscale section of Caracas. A frequently expressed complaint concerned a list allegedly maintained by the Chavez regime of participants in an opposition-led general strike, used to block listed persons from appointment to government jobs. Their anti-Chavez feelings were openly and energetically voiced.  

We got a sense of the nature of the organized anti-Chavez movement from a representative of the opposition political party, who espoused a clearly capitalist ideology. She was highly critical of BanMujer, a government funded banking cooperative that boasts of its success in empowering poor women financially, claiming that it had mismanaged funds and fallen into bankruptcy. She lambasted poor Venezuelans for their lack the financial knowledge and personal initiative, insisting that government loans extended to help them buy homes or establish cooperatives were a waste of precious resources.  

The bus eventually took us to Barlovento, center of the Afro-Venezuelan Network. The poverty of the region was starkly brought to our attention by, among other things, the fact that the hotel where we stayed turned off the water pump from six o’clock in the evening until early the next morning. We got used to taking cold showers, unless it was late enough in the day for the outside air to heat the pipes through which the water flowed. Some of the signs of change we saw were community colleges training teachers and nurses to work in rural communities, health clinics with second story apartments in which Cuban physicians resided, and cooperatives to process raw cacao, traditionally raised there, into candy and other products. 

We were treated to cultural performances of drumming, dance, storytelling and song reminiscent of common elements of populations of African descent in diverse locations: polyrhythmic cadences, call and response, and artistic lyrics replete with earthy language. While we saw many planned cultural performances, one of the most memorable was a funeral procession strikingly similar to the New Orleans “Second Line” tradition that happened to cross our path one morning. 

Four men carrying the coffin of the deceased on their shoulders would ritualistically move two steps forward and one step back to the tune of a jazz dirge by brass and woodwind players. We were told that the pallbearers’ movements represented the indecision of the deceased to leave the present world and move on to the next. We didn’t see the internment, but I would not have been surprised to hear it followed by an up-tempo version of “When the Saints go Marching In.” 

Afro-Venezuelan leader Luis Perdomo explained how efforts to reawaken pride in and appreciation of their cultural traditions served to build a network that eventually seeks to improve the socioeconomic plight of Afro-Venezuelans and call attention to a racism of which the larger society is in denial. One indication of the depth of that denial is the fact that although the Venezuelan constitution provides explicit recognition of women and indigenous peoples, efforts are still under way to incorporate explicit recognition of persons of African descent. 

The denial of racism, not only in Venezuela but throughout Latin America takes many forms, including the claim that Negrito and Negrita are used as terms of endearment by all segments of society, and by calling attention to the commonplace phenomenon of interracial dating and marriage. One member of our delegation noted an indication of racism in the expression of a white Venezuelan woman that she did not care to go to the beach because the suntan would diminish the advantages she derived from light skin color. 

One of our Afro-Venezuelan hosts claimed that he had been told on a trip to Cuba that Castro is ready to amend the Cuban constitution to deal with the taboo issue of race. 

We learned of two other issues besides race that still pose problems for the Bolivarian revolution. Abortion is illegal and homophobia is rampant. Our itinerary included a discussion with representatives of an organized gay rights movement. Chavez has recently been engaged in active consultation with priests from the liberation theology wing of Catholicism, in what appears to be a strategic effort to counter the effect of conservative Catholic beliefs on such issues as abortion.  

Near the end of our ten days in Venezuela we met with Eva Golinger, author of The Chavez Code, a book that uses information from US government documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act to describe extensive ongoing efforts to destabilized the Chavez government using methods similar to those that successfully brought down the Sandanista regime in Nicaragua. 

The revolutionary consciousness displayed by representatives of the projects and programs we visited appears to be so firmly embedded in the Venezuelan masses that no amount of planned destabilization is likely to reverse the course upon which the Chavez government is presently embarked, and a more rational direction for U.S. foreign policy seems to lie in diplomatic initiatives to further national interests in a new Latin America in which the Monroe Doctrine is passé and Chavez’ brand of democratic socialism is a growing reality. 

More than 15,000 customers of Amazon.com have signed my online petition threatening to close their accounts and take their business elsewhere if the Internet shopping site continues to present a new book by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in an unusually negative light.  

The petition, posted at www.petitiononline.com/Amazon07, accuses Amazon of treating Carter’s Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid unfairly by posting a lengthy and unabashedly hostile review on the page where it lists the book, in a section normally reserved for short, even-handed descriptions of the title in question.  

In the book Carter, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to bring about a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, points to Israel’s 40-year-long occupation of the Palestinian territories as the key obstacle to peace in the region. He compares Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian population to the brutal apartheid system that once kept South African blacks subjugated.  

The review that provoked the petition, written by New Yorker staff writer and former Israeli prison guard Jeffrey Goldberg, labels the book “cynical,” disparages Carter’s understanding of the conflict as “anti-historical,” and accuses him of being “easy on Arab aggression and Palestinian terror.” The review originally appeared in the Washington Post. 

I began this petition not to challenge Amazon’s right to post a negative review but to demand the same kind of non-discriminatory treatment most books get on the site. The Goldberg review appears on the Amazon page under the heading “Editorial Reviews,” a section that on most Amazon book pages contains only one- or two-paragraph synopses from book-listing services such as Publishers Weekly or the American Library Association’s Booklist, or descriptions by the book’s publisher or by Amazon itself. 

Currently, the “Editorial Reviews” section on Amazon’s U.S. site includes a one-paragraph, 198-word blurb from Publishers Weekly followed by the full, 20-paragraph, 1,636-word text of Goldberg’s totally negative review. 

The petition, which is addressed to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, suggests several possible remedies: removing the Goldberg review, moving it to a secondary page Amazon already uses for additional material on the book, or “restor[ing] a semblance of balance by giving comparable space and prominence to a more positive evaluation of Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”  

If Bezos doesn’t choose one of these options by Jan. 22, petition signers pledge to stop shopping at Amazon, to completely close their accounts, and to urge friends, family, and associates to do likewise. 

We’re not asking Amazon to endorse the book, just to be even-handed. I wish they would stick to their usual formula and post only brief, more or less neutral descriptions on the main page for any book, but if they insist on including Goldberg’s attack piece on the U.S. site, then they owe it to their customers—as well as their shareholders—to put something more positive alongside, something that mentions the many merits of the book. 

“If you want to see what a normal review looks like, you have only to go to the Amazon UK treatment of Carter’s book,” said Paul Larudee, who worked with me to publicize the petition. “It is a single paragraph, mildly promotional, but not grinding any particular political ax. By comparison, the North American site is hatchet job.”  

Other international Amazon sites also present the book even-handedly, according to reports by signers of the petition. So does the U.S. site of Amazon’s chief competitor, barnesandnoble.com. 

Before creating the petition, we sent e-mail directly to Bezos, objecting to Amazon’s one-sided treatment of the book and suggesting several favorable assessments—from publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Nation—that could be added. 

Unfortunately, Bezos turned us all down flat. Responses from Amazon’s “Executive Customer Relations” staff suggested that the letter writers post their own reviews. In fact, Amazon does display reader reviews on its book pages, and in the case of Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, a large majority of the posted reviews are positive about the book. Reader reviews, however, are not displayed as prominently on the page as “Editorial Reviews,” and they may not carry as much weight with potential buyers.  

Our petition also complains that Amazon does not include information customers need in order to evaluate Goldberg’s attack on the book—such as the fact that he volunteered to serve in the Israeli military and served as a military policeman guarding Palestinian detainees in a prison camp notorious for its harsh conditions.  

The petition was first posted on Jan. 10, when it garnered 84 signatures. The next day 693 more customers signed on, and since then the total has climbed steadily. Signers come not only from the U.S., but from all over the world. Many added comments expressing admiration for Carter’s book, disappointment over the site’s apparent bias against it, and determination to follow through on closing their accounts if Amazon doesn’t correct the situation. The petition will be sent to Bezos later this week.  

In another sign of Amazon’s apparent bias, its version of the latest New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list initially omitted Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid altogether, even though the book actually ranks fifth on the list—Amazon’s list jumped directly from number 4 to number 6! This extraordinary “mistake” persisted for days, until two hours after I alerted scores of reporters and publications.

“Freestylin’ 101: Hip-Hop D.I.Y.” (Do It Yourself) was the course of the day for some Berkeley Technology Academy students last week. 

At the Grammy Career Day national outreach program held at San Francisco State University last Wednesday, the hip-hop course was just one of the 13 classes that Bay Area students could choose from. 

Organized by the Grammy Foundation, “Grammy in the Schools: Careers in Music” drew more than 800 teenagers who saw first-hand how to scratch, write songs and record a hit from some of the top names in the music business. 

“The workshop has given these 21 B-Tech students new eyes, new hope,” said Michael McBride, B-Tech student support services director, who was at the event with the students. “We brought them here today with the mandate that when we go back, we would use their knowledge from the workshops to start an arts program in the school.” 

He added that the event had introduced the kids to the multiplicity of music, something that had been absent before. 

“Most of these youngsters have grown up listening to either gangster or sexually explicit music,” McBride said. “They are ignorant about the beauty of classical music, the historical legacy of jazz and the inspirational powers of gospel. Things changed with these workshops.” 

As the group from B-Tech split up into smaller clusters to pursue the workshop of their choice, the biggest crowds could be seen at the Hip-Hop and Rock Band Master classes. 

Renowned blues/rock drummer Larry Vann, who was teaching students how to get into the groove of rock and roll, said the program was phenomenal. 

“This is the best time to catch these kids,” Vann said. “The talent is fresh and the kids are eager to learn.” 

Next door, B-Tech student Julian Mcgee was having a good time rapping with RadioActive and getting his music mixed by producer Knocademus. 

“I learned that I can just take a mike and make music myself,” said Julian. “There are a lot of jobs in hip-hop and I want to make best use of that opportunity.” 

McBride said that although there was a lot of budding talent at B-Tech, many challenges laying the students’ path. 

“Private music lessons can be very expensive, and most of the kids at B-Tech don’t have that kind of money,” he said. “That is why it is up to the school to do something for them. We are trying to expose them to as many different things as possible. Sometimes music is the best way to enter the arts.” 

B-Tech has its fair share of poets, who McBride said would excel in literature if given the proper encouragement. 

Merl Saunders Jr., senior executive director of the San Francisco Chapter of The Recording Academy—which works in partnership with the foundation—said the program has been inspiring school students for the last 14 years. 

“It’s the energy of the kids that amazes me every year,” Saunders said. “This year the trend is in digital music. With websites such as MySpace and YouTube anybody can showcase their music to the world today. There are thousands of musicians to choose from and the possibilities of being an independent artist are limitless. Students need to know the inside of the music business well and who better to learn it from than the pros? It’s the musicians way of giving back to the community.” 

Tommy Copes, a senior at B-Tech, said that the workshop “Career Tracks Behind the Scenes” had educated him about money matters in the music industry. 

“I learned it’s not all about 50 Cents showing off his gold chains and his fancy cars,” he said. “A lot of these famous artists are actually living in debt. Being a musician is serious business and it’s easy to go bankrupt if you don’t handle your money carefully.” 

Tommy said he wanted to grow up to become a gospel artist and he said he would start by sending his demos and songs to record labels after graduating. 

Derrick Underwood, a junior at B-Tech, praised master turntablist Travis “DJ Pone” Rimando for teaching him the moves. 

“I learned to scratch. Before I didn’t even know what it was called,” he said smiling. “We learned the history of D.J.ing, the techniques and the tricks.” 

Underwood added that he was also looking at the possibility of applying to San Francisco State after graduation to pursue its music program. 

Photograph by Riya Bhattacharjee. B-tech student Julian McGee raps with RadioActive and gets his music mixed by producer Knocademus at the GrammyCareer Day event at San Francisco State University.

As a non-card-carrying but nonetheless proud Old Blue (I think that’s what University of California at Berkeley graduates are still called), from the class of ’61, back in the days when the local campus was called simply “Cal,” never “Berkeley,” I’m delighted to see that the school is still following its traditions. Well, “delighted” might be a bit strong. “Bemused” would be more like it. The tradition I’m referring to in this instance is acting with utter stupidity when anything approaching public relations is concerned. 

We spent the exciting years of the ’60s in Ann Arbor, from 1961 to 1973, so we had the chance to observe another way of doing university business close at hand. While our friends in Berkeley were enjoying riots and demonstrations of all kinds—the Free Speech Movement, People’s Park, the anti-war movement—we in Ann Arbor enjoyed relative tranquility. It wasn’t that nothing was going on: Students for a Democratic Society was founded in Ann Arbor, and someone burned down the naval ROTC building, among other excitements. But the phlegmatic reaction of the University of Michigan administration to any and all provocations avoided the massive confrontations that defined Berkeley in the ’60s. As Carol Denney is fond of observing, Berkeley is not the home of the Free Speech Movement because the campus had so much free speech, but because the clueless UC administrators did their best to stifle it, with predictable results. 

The stupidity tradition started even before the ’60s. When I arrived on campus in the fall of 1959 Fred Moore was fasting on the steps of Hearst Gym because the University of California still required all male students, even pacifists like Fred, to be members of ROTC. The previous spring members of the first student political party, Slate, had been disciplined for holding a rally under a campus oak tree supporting the state’s fair housing ordinance. Not too many years before several faculty members had been fired for refusing to sign a loyalty oath. Cal administrators knew how to provoke a confrontation even in the fifties.  

Which brings us to the present case, the university’s expressed desire, in the course of an expensive and vulgar redesign of the formerly charming football stadium, to build an establishment for the care and feeding of the hired gladiators who now seem to be an inevitable part of campus life.  

The emphasis on big sports at Cal is a new tradition, or at least new to me. As I remember it, in the late ’50s we were proud of the poor quality of our football team, which we believed was directly associated with the high intellectual caliber of our students. This must be wrong, though, because one of Berkeley Mayor Bates’ proudest memories is playing in the Rose Bowl game in 1959. We must have lived in different worlds in those days. 

Now Bates and I do agree on one thing: the utter and complete stupidity of the university’s desire to locate the grandly named Student Athlete High Performance Center right smack on top of the Hayward Fault, on a two-lane road hemmed in from all directions by impenetrable traffic. It’s one thing to have a football stadium, used for only six home games a year, in that location—the probability that the big one will come while it’s in use could be considered acceptably small.  

But the proposed Gladiator’s Gym, intended for heavy day-and-night use, is another matter entirely. Even the timorous Berkeley City Council is against it. They usually confine their condemnations of bad behavior to far-away follies, but they’ve approved a law suit challenging the duplicitous environmental impact report which UC submitted for the project. At Tuesday’s council meeting, someone suggested that the city should contact UC’s big bucks donors to let them know that a can of worms has been opened, but Councilmember Wozniak, a retired UC lab administrator, was horrified at that prospect, as were others. 

The promoters have announced that the mega-gym will be named for one Barclay Simpson, a Danville resident who started a company which makes parts used in big construction projects. Simpson is also the chair of the board of the University Art Museum, where he’s well thought of, and has been the president of the California Shakespeare Festival, another worthy institution. Berkeley City Council members might balk at contacting all of the deep pockets that UC taps, but perhaps just Simpson would like to meet with them to discuss their objections. If he values his brand, he might want to think twice before allowing his name to be used for such an unpopular project, one which has so far attracted four lawsuits.  

At an ungodly hour last Friday morning we went up to the oak grove which will be destroyed if the gym goes in. We were just in time to see the construction shovels scooping up the worldly goods of the campers who were there to support the tree-sitters and tossing them in a dump truck. I asked the fellow who seemed to be the head cop why he was doing this. Evidence, he said. Of what? Trespassing, he said. Don’t you have to warn them first? Nope, he said, citing a code section, special for the university, which undoubtedly had a genealogical connection to the Free Speech Movement. I asked how confiscated stuff could be used as evidence of wrongdoing if it were picked up by a machine and all jumbled together. What about chain of custody? I asked, remembering O.J. He looked a bit pale, and changed the subject. 

Of course it was nothing but bullying, a characteristic power play in the hallowed UC tradition of stupid actions. It seemed particularly poor given that a judge, just the day before, had denied the university lawyers’ request to approve some similar muscle moves. And last week the state’s legislative analyst’s office blasted UC’s poor record of dealing with local governments in the cities where its branches are located. 

The top cop told me that they wanted to get the campers out of the way before the students came back this week, but that didn’t work, and now everyone’s even madder than they were. A Welcome Back Students party is scheduled for this Saturday at noon at the grove. It will be interesting to see if once again the pig-headed folks still calling the shots at my alma mater will manage to turn a brush fire into a firestorm.  

UC OAK GROVE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

“We’re trying to restore the area back to its natural state,” said Mitch Celaya, assistant chief of campus police, as the police forced the tree sitters out of the oaks and took away piles of supporting materials that the activists were using to support their “sit in.” 

If UC Berkeley wanted the oaks to be kept in their “natural state,” there would be no protest! 

My opinion of the university: There is no concern for the “natural state” of the oak grove or for its beauty, no concern for the danger of building a huge structure near a well-known earthquake fault, no concern for the opinions of the citizens of Berkeley. 

I believe that there are four lawsuits pending which would prevent the destruction of the oaks. I hope that these lawsuits keep the university from destroying the group of oaks. My respect for the university was never great. Now it has plummeted. 

Julia Craig 

• 

SPARE THE GROVE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Cutting down the grove of ancient oak trees by Memorial Stadium would be a tragedy—because it is entirely unnecessary. There are several other locations that would serve quite well for the new training center; two excellent sites are located close to Edwards Field. Build the gym for the athletes, absolutely, but build it in a location where it will not do permanent damage to our environment. It is a win-win solution that everyone can support. 

It’s time for UC officials to show responsible leadership and pursue such a compromise. It’s quite simple really: Build the gym and spare the grove. 

Doug Buckwald 

Director,  

Save the Oaks at the Stadium 

• 

PERALTA COVERAGE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Though schools in the K-12 system and the more prestigious university institutions of higher learning command far more public attention, community colleges are vital institutions in California. Providing affordable transfer education, vocational education and remedial skills, the local Peralta colleges play a significant role in the personal and economic future of thousands of students each year. Thank goodness for J. Douglas Allen-Taylor’s consistent coverage of key issues in the system as they come before the board of directors. 

Margot Dashiell 

• 

HOUSING QUOTAS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I write to oppose the methodology used by ABAG to impose housing quotas on Berkeley. Berkeley’s population appears to have declined since the 1970s, and ABAG’s projected increase in population for the area is suspect at best. The citizens of Berkeley take their responsibility to build affordable housing and to provide decent public transportation very seriously. ABAG’s manipulation of these civic virtues to demand the degradation of our quality of life is reprehensible. It is simply inequitable to require the brunt of dense housing development to occur in regional sacrifice zones. 

The only good thing to come out of the truly outrageous quota proposed for Berkeley is that the shadowy role of ABAG is coming very much to light. More and more citizens are discovering the power of this non-elected organization precisely because its housing quota for Berkeley “boggles even the most ardent smart-growther’s mind” (Mark Rhoades). As more Berkeley residents learn of this unfair and top-down social engineering, ABAG will lose the little credibility or legitimacy it might have possessed in the public’s mind. Perhaps this will lead to a reformation of the deeply flawed process that has produced such questionable numbers. 

Patti Dacey 

• 

MILO FOUNDATION 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Tom Swift has just expressed in these columns his great displeasure regarding the Milo situation. He casts “shame” on those who driving the dog and cat saviors out of Berkeley. Topping his shame list is the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB). I would guess that many others in town share this opinion. 

Maybe the following information can shed better light on the situation. 

Last summer, as neighbor protests erupted in public, the zoning staff contacted East Bay Community Mediation to see if mediation could resolve this situation. I talked to many parties, and discovered that Milo was already undertaking measures to try to reduce their impact on the neighbors. We decided to delay the mediation process until these measures were in effect and to see if Milo could lower the negative impact. In October we held two mediation sessions between Milo and 15 members of the newly-formed Solano Avenue Neighborhood Association. 

There had indeed been some progress in lowering impact. The mediations went well, as one by one agreements were reached on the agenda of needed further reductions. We agreed we needed at least one further mediation to try to complete the problem agenda. On Oct. 26 the ZAB had scheduled a hearing on the Milo permit. The zoning staff, which had all along encouraged our efforts to seek a workable solution within the zoning ordinance, had agreed to recommend to the ZAB that it postpone the hearing for two weeks to allow the mediation to finish its work. The ZAB seemed poised to grant this request when a letter was read from the city attorney that in her opinion Milo was acting as a “kennel” and that was expressly forbidden and thus any permit would be illegal. 

The hearing was then postponed “off calendar” for the express purpose of giving time for the Planning Commission to explore amending the city’s kennel restriction. It was during this hiatus that the Milo board decided to withdraw their permit proposal. 

At every stage in their five-month dealings with the mediation service the zoning department seemed to do their utmost to find a way for Milo to find a level of activity that calmed most neighbors which would make a permit easier to be obtained. 

Thus do I think if there is a list of “shameful” opponents of the Milo Foundation, the zoning board and the zoning staff should properly be taken off that list. 

Victor Herbert 

East Bay Community Mediation 

• 

ALAMEDA POINT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

There are many of us in Alameda who would love to host educational and research facilities on Alameda Point, instead of the high-density rack-and-stack-to-the-sky housing that some people propose. Maybe Alameda Point could be the new home to a UC Berkeley Student Athlete High Performance Center with regular shuttle busses between Alameda Point and the UC Campus. (or regular ferry service between Alameda Point and the Berkeley Marina). I think many people in Alameda would love to be involved in working to make this happen.  

David Howard 

Alameda  

• 

ALAMEDA JOURNAL 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding the Alameda Journal, Bob Gavrich hit the nail more squarely on the head than I have seen in a long time. 

I suggest that Alameda citizens make the Journal feel some pain with a circulation boycott. Follow these steps: 

1) Call circulation and ask them to stop delivery of the Journal to your front door. Log the date and time of call. 

2) Step 1 will actually have no effect. Call back and ask again, and escalate to the circulation manager, capture his name and mailing address. Log the date and time of call. 

3) Step 2 will actually have no effect. Write a letter to the circulation manager and demand they stop littering your front porch with their paper. Retain a copy of this letter. 

4) As the papers continue to come in, collect them in a pile. If possible capture the license plate number of the van that the distributor uses, as they drive by and throw the paper. 

5) Collect all of the papers, log records, and copies of your letter to the circulation manager, and take them down to the Alameda Police Department and file a complaint that the Contra Costa Times/Alameda Journal is littering your front yard with their newspapers, even though you have repeatedly asked them to stop. Insist that they take action. 

Bill Davidson 

• 

BLACK OAK BOOKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

When Cody’s Books closed its doors, Editor O’Malley suggested in her editorial that the store may have survived had owner Andy Ross deigned to advertise in the Daily Planet. Now we see the demise of Black Oak Books looming, and I suppose the same response could be offered. Oh, but wait—Black Oak is a Daily Planet advertiser. Well, maybe if they had taken out a bigger ad....  

Berkeley retailers, take heed. 

Steve Reichner 

Oakland 

• 

MIDEAST COMMENTARY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The Daily Planet’s enduring quest to de-legitimize the State of Israel took some bizarre turns in the Jan. 19 edition. In an article entitled, “Iran: Thinking the Unthinkable,” one would have thought that author, Conn Hallinan, was about to alert readers that Iran is thinking the unthinkable, namely, that for the holy purpose of bringing on their messiah, the 12th and hidden imam, they will rain nuclear-tipped missiles upon Israel, “wiping it off the map.” Alas, if you can believe it, Hallinan expresses the very opposite concern, namely, that Israel might preemptively attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. He even worries aloud that Israel will use low-yield nuclear weapons to bust Iran’s bunkered nuclear facilities. To Hallinan and the Daily Planet, Iran’s deeply bunkered nuclear weapons sites are more important than Israel’s whole population. Hallinan then goes on to propose a chain effect that this will, according to him, inevitably produce. To hear him tell the story, this chain reaction will start with a Shiite uprising in Iraq (what have we got now?) and end in nuclear war between Pakistan and India. Nowhere does Hallinan mention that failing to deal with Iran’s nuclear weapons will more likely set in motion an entirely different set of events such as nuclear war between Iran and Israel, triggering a worldwide nuclear winter; the very end of the concept of non-proliferation, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and others rushing to join the nuclear arms race; and nuclear weapons inevitably ending up in the hands of terrorists who might explode them in the port of Oakland, obliterating Berkeley and the Daily Planet. So dark the con of Hallinan. 

Adding to the Daily Planet’s upside down view of the world is an op-ed in the same issue by long time pro-Palestinian activist, Henry Norr, decrying Amazon’s decision to post a lengthy and scathing review of Jimmy Carter’s anti-Israel book on its website, relegating more positive reviews to a secondary position. His complaint: a lack of even-handedness. The Daily Planet has got to be joking. In issue after issue of the Daily Planet we are treated to lengthy anti-Israel and even anti-Semitic “op-eds” and “commentaries,” while Israel’s defenders are generally relegated to the letters section, or, as in my case, suppressed altogether (even though I am widely acknowledged to be a responsible and articulate defender of Israel, many of my letters have gone unpublished). 

John Gertz 

• 

CARTER BOOK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

It looks like that Berkeley Daily Planet is taking sides with some folks like Dan Spitzer who flood this newspaper with their letters to the editor to childishly criticize Jimmy Carter’s book and anyone who welcomes this book. Mr. Carter has written a balanced book that brings to the fore crimes of the Zionists in Palestine for the past 30-60 years. Such a book had been overdue for a long time. When Mr. Carter pacified Egypt some 30 years ago by brokering peace between Egypt and Israel, he was considered a hero by Israelis. Now, after 30 years, when he has eventually awakened and sees the cancer of Israel is spreading all over the Middle East, Zionists call him “an enemy of Israel” and “anti-Semite,” etc. He, of course, still talks for the interests of the United States and Israel. He is simply saying that if the apartheid of Israel continues, soon people from Algeria to Indonesia are going to fight against the United States and Israel interests. He is saying that Israel has to make some concessions before it is to late. He is still the best friend of the Jewish State. Stop criticizing him and his book. 

Mina Davenport 

• 

A COMPELLING REVIEW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Dan Spitzer’s characteristically venomous personal attack upon Jimmy Carter for writing Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid is all the recommendation I need to buy and read the book.  

Gray Brechin 

• 

SOUND ANALYSIS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Conn Hallinan’s reporting of recent events involving Iran, Israel and the United States is a rare and sound analysis of the risks of an impending attack on Iran. Still, two points are worthy of amplification. 

First, such an attack (which appears to require nuclear bombs for success) would likely lead to unconditional war with Iran, a nation of 70 million citizens that is four times the size of Iraq. Moreover, unlike Iraq, Iran has been purchasing advanced missile technology (including advanced anti-ship missiles) from China and Russia. Further, unlike Iraq, Iran can deliver devastating economic blows because it is ideally situated to shut down the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. The price of oil would no doubt spike to new records if Iran could shut down the Gulf. Also, Iran could launch massive attacks against out troops in Iraq. In short, all out war with Iran will be many times uglier, bloodier, and costly than the current debacle in Iraq. 

Second, the political process seems deaf to these risks. The people seem oblivious to the risks of war with Iran and the costs that this would entail. Both political parties right now want to take tough stances with respect to Iran, regardless of differences with respect to Iraq. The only way to change this fact is through a massive re-education campaign. Informed citizens must write to their representatives and to media outlets right now. Protests after an attack will be useless. 

I doubt the American people wish to expand the war in the Middle East by a factor of three or four, or to use nuclear weaponry on a nation that has not attacked us. But if such a reckless war is in the offing, our leaders should level with us on the consequences, and seek to conduct such insanity only pursuant to legitimate democratic deliberation. Let us not repeat the errors of the past and stumble into a major regional conflagration without at least the informed consent of the people.  

Steven Ramirez 

• 

CUT TO THE CHASE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

One of your Israel-bashing columnists recently consumed about 12 column inches expressing this thought: 

Zealots should organize economic boycotts against the publishers of any dogma-threatening truth (e.g., “Carter’s book has lies, distortions and major omissions.”). 

I know you allow free expression, but cutting to the chase would have saved trees, ink, and reader time. 

David Altschul 

• 

DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

In case anyone thought that the current Iraqi government is an Iraqi government of, by and for the Iraqi people: there is a piece in Der Spiegel (Dec. 22) to the effect that that “democratic” Iraqi government is now considering a law to give significant control of Iraq’s oil reserves to the international oil companies through “production sharing agreements” that guarantee them vast profits and influence at no risk. As we all know this can’t be true because the President’s men (and women) insisted that the Iraq occupation was never about oil. But while we’re on oil, some have noticed that gas prices at the pump are soaring again. Now that the election is over—though the lower gas prices didn’t help Bush Jr. as much as his oil friends had hoped—we’re back to the gouging for record profits. Don’t pray for government intervention at Christmas time. It’ll turn you into an atheist.  

Marc Sapir

The sight of Nancy Pelosi calling the House of Representatives to order would make a shocking sight for someone paying no attention to politics for a year or two. Yet the San Francisco liberal, riding the crest of a wave of indignation that swept the Republicans out of power, is now the most powerful woman in the world and the major obstacle for George Bush’s war powers. 

The press rejected the conservative distortion of Pelosi presented during the fall elections, as a crazed San Francisco liberal bent on destroying traditional values. Despite the rightful snub of this portrayal, nothing substantive has come to take its place. Pelosi remains a woman without a clear identity and the question remains: what sort of a politician is Pelosi? 

As the war in Iraq wages on, the image of the leader of the de-escalation movement is being fought over with equal ferocity. Pelosi herself waged in: soon after taking her post, she appeared in Baltimore hoping to disassociate herself from San Francisco and appear as an old-school Democrat, representing a working-class population. 

Becky O’Malley, writing for the Planet last week, bought into this image of Pelosi. Because of her age, O’Malley wants us to believe, “she’s just about old enough to remember real Democrats” and presumably is one herself. Pelosi is a different kind of politician—a Trumanite who does not shrug her responsibility to take care of the poor. It brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it. 

Yet this tear is nothing in comparison to the tears that will flow once we are collectively disappointed by the promise of Pelosi. Why do I think this will happen? Precisely because Pelosi is not a different kind of politician at all—in fact, the only extraordinary thing is her outstanding ability to 

successfully use typical political tactics. 

Her rise through the Democratic Party has little to do with liberal activism and nearly everything to do with her ability to raise money. What she lacks in charisma she makes up in her penchant for fund raising—and there’s a lot of making up to do. Her election as minority leader was a collection of debts rather than heroic triumph. This, of course, simply means she is a typical politician. 

And like a typical politician, she manipulates people by engaging in “framing.” In the war of publicity she has already retreated to a safer battle ground, out of San Francisco and into Baltimore. There she represents working-class European immigrants fighting poverty—an image that has been accepted into the American mainstream. What she leaves behind are the issues of the day—gay rights, animal rights, environmentalism, black and Hispanic rights, affirmative action, and all the rest. Even Becky O’Malley’s claim that Pelosi will help the poor is complicated by the interrelationship between poverty and, to take one example, racism. 

In a political atmosphere where image is everything, Pelosi’s retreat from San Francisco is an acknowledgement of The City’s marginalization. The disassociation does nothing to help the marginalization groups of The City gain social respectability and, therefore, political power. Arguably, the opposite is accomplished. 

All this is not to say that Pelosi will not vote for progressive policies that will benefit her constituency. There is little doubt she will. What seems equally certain is that she will not be at the forefront of that fight—she will not sacrifice the political capital (emphasis on capital) of the Democratic party for the sake of championing an unpopular or controversial cause. She will continue to ride the crests and troughs of the political ocean, hopefully staying afloat. It’s probably true that she is the best representative liberals have; but I see no reason to settle for that. 

Gene Zubovich is a North Berkeley resident. 

I am not familiar with the curriculum of the “Peace and Conflict Studies” at UC Berkeley. But if Matthew Taylor’s latest article (“Jimmy Carter: The Courage to Tell the Truth”) reflects the standards of the P&CS, I can only despair of its future graduates. For it seems to me that the resolution of conflicts and the search for peace ought to be primarily based on factual truths. Only when these facts are sought, understood, analyzed and corroborated, can we address the source of the conflict and propose a peaceful solution. It is clear that Matthew Taylor has done none of that. He just plunged head on into a sycophantic praise of Jimmy Carter and his book, without the slightest effort at fact finding. 

Taylor’s comments are replete with the usual unsubstantiated accusations against Israel: it “violated international law”; it pursues “territorial expansion”; it “oppresses…dispossesses… the indigenous population”; its “colonizers…steal [Palestinians’] lands”; it is guilty of “ethnic cleansing and apartheid”, etc. All this and more is true according to Jimmy Carter, and Taylor insists that Carter “tells us the truth.” To support these accusations, Taylor refers to the authority of “historians”, Ilan Pappe being among the most notorious. Pappe is a man for whom truth has no intrinsic value. This is apparent in all his ideologically tainted books and he did not shrink from stating it openly: “We do [historiography] because of ideological reasons, not because we are truth seekers... ‘there is no such thing as truth, only a collection of narratives’…’Historical research need not be based on facts’.” Pappe’s candid admission should discredit him outright and give pause to all those who use his “findings” to prop their own misrepresentations. 

Taylor also holds Jeff Halper in high esteem, a dubious source who is financed by foreign groups hostile to Israel, who applauded the Durban Conference of September 2001, and who militates against the existence of a Jewish State, while never finding any Palestinian guilt or responsibility for their murderous activities. I do hope Halper receives the Nobel Peace Prize for which he has been nominated. He will be in the company of kindred spirits: terrorist Yasser Arafat, scandal ridden Kofi Annan and fact-distorter Jimmy Carter. 

On the only occurrence where Taylor refers indirectly to an historical document (the Mandate for Palestine), he manages to distort its purpose. He writes: “[Israel has taken] an enormous bite out of the 22 percent of British mandatory Palestine that the Palestine Liberation Organization has claimed as its state since 1988.” Had he read the document, Taylor would have realized that British mandatory Palestine, in its entirety, was exclusively allocated to the Jewish nation by international law and that “no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to, or in any way placed under the control of, the Government of any foreign Power” (Art. 5). It is a bit disconcerting that Taylor would consider a mere “claim” by the PLO raised 66 years later as legally valid. 

Taylor’s comments do not meet the lowest analytical standards. His merit, however, is to demonstrate that any attempt to rescue Jimmy Carter’s dismal account can only rely on fraudulent sources, on factual distortions and on avoiding any reference to historic documents. If I were Jimmy Carter, I would gently urge Taylor to withdraw his praising evaluation, lest the former President’s credibility is further tarnished. 

Rachel Neuwirth is a Los Angeles resident. 

We owe a debt of gratitude for Dan Spitzer’s contribution to the Carter book debate. But not in the way he supposes. He represents the typical conservative position. His letter is full of generalizations and non-specific attacks. Where is the evidence? Saying that Carter misrepresents Security Council resolutions is not evidence. How does he misrepresent? Merely saying so and faithfully quoting authority is not enough. His authorities represent the neo-con, pro-Israel Lobby line. Their Israel ally is the extreme reactionary wing of the Likud Party, led by Netanyahu. Mud slinging against our honorable former President is disgusting. 

I believe, as President Carter does, that the numerous U.N. resolutions since 1947 establishing a two-state (Israel and Palestine) solution must be implemented. My own views are as follows: 

I write as a Jew, a dedicated Zionist active in support of Israel from before its establishment by the U.N. in 1947. I believe in Israel as the homeland for the Jewish people. I also believe in Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people. 

In 1947 the U.N. partitioned Palestine into two parts, what was supposed to be a sovereign Palestinian part and a sovereign Israel part. A number of wars soon followed. The surrounding Arab states tried to destroy the nascent Jewish Israel in wars in 1947, 1956 and 1967. Israel won them all and occupied the entire area west of the Jordan, the Israeli part and the Palestinian part. To this day there is no Palestinian state. Until only a few years ago every prime minister opposed the two-state solution, which some but all Israelis grudgingly accept. And until very recently many permanent Jewish settlements were established in the U.N.-designated Palestinian territory, now called the West Bank. Extreme opinion in Israel led by religious orthodoxy claims all of Israel-Palestine as God-given to the Jewish people. 

But to the Palestinians fighting for their own homeland, and to all the Arabs, the Jewish settlements in the West Bank have become an abscess in the body politic, growing and poisoning the Middle Eastern atmosphere. It has only been very recently that the Israeli government seems ready to address this central problem. Leaving Gaza was a necessary first step but the West Bank is much larger than Gaza.  

Every Muslim militant in the world for the past 40 years has had the Israeli presence in the West Bank as ground for their stated wish to destroy Israel. But Israel has given them ample, and in my mind justified, reason to hate Israel.  

Israel has no legal or moral right to undermine the establishment of an independent state of Palestine. It has no right to occupy any of the West Bank. Israel must be made to see that it is nurturing this abscess in the body politic in the name of settlements. 

I believe a beginning of peace in the Middle East will happen with the exodus of all Jews from the West Bank into Israel and not before. The justification for Islamic hatred for Israel would disappear. The entire world would applaud and support such action. 

The United States has supported Israel with grants and loans of billions of dollars annually since its founding;. Through quiet but real diplomacy lsrael must be told that all West Bank settlements be closed and Jews removed to their homeland. The United States has the power to demand such a resolution of the problems in the region. Financial support should not be automatic. If the American government really means that a new approach is needed to get on the road to permanent peace, nothing would exemplify this new approach more than demanding that Israel must give up its immoral and illegal occupation of a foreign country. 

This will take courage and determination on the part of the United States as well as of Israel. It’s time for a change of direction. 

Joseph E Lifschutz is a retired UC Berkeley clinical professor of health and medical sciences and an El Sobrante resident.

‘UNIVERSAL’ MEANS SINGLE PAYER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

All the smoke and mirrors about solving the crisis in health care is as real as the phony insurance company front groups that keep writing letters to the Chronicle on the subject. Our state Legislature spent three years studying alternatives and came to the conclusion that only a single payer insurance system works. Eliminating the insurers can save billions. And it can discipline uncontrolled profit centers—such as giant pharmaceuticals and other major system suppliers. That’s why the Legislature passed Single Payer last year. But it didn’t happen. Although many corporations want Single Payer because improved health care will improve their own workers’ efficiency, they aren’t prepared to start a war with Blue Cross, Blue Shield and the other major insurers. As a physician who works with/for the uninsured and underinsured, I’d bet anything that California will not now offer a system that guarantees equal and quality health care for all with free choice of doctors and hospitals. Only single payer will do that, but eliminating the insurance company middleman would also take hundreds of billions in profits out of Wall Street. Would Arnold go against Wall Street?  

Marc Sapir 

• 

IT AIN’T THE ONLY OAK GROVE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Week after week I see this lie published about the scraggly oaks next to Memorial Stadium being the “only grove in Berkeley” or “in the flatlands.” It ain’t true For openers, just stroll directly west from the stadium down the long, wide walk to the large, nice grove of oaks just south of the old LSB building where one can sit on the old marble bench as I have done for some 50 years. Unlike the so-called stadium “grove,” one does not fall on your ass trying to walk around on a leaf-covered, down-slopping grade and fall on the sidewalk, with cars around and steel fences. The best thing that could happen up there would be to take all the oaks out and thereby allow full view of a truly magnificent architectural display. By the way, there are more than 250 varieties of trees alone on the Berkeley campus. Pick up a guided tour at the Forestry Department. 

Jack Chamberlain 

• 

TRADER JOE’S BUILDING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Can it be that opponents of the “Trader Joe” apartments will have to live for the rest of their lives bemoaning their unwanted building on University Avenue, all because Councilmember Gordon Wozniak “fired” his appointee to the Zoning Adjustments Board just days before the vote, allowing his new appointee to cast the crucial fifth vote to approve the project? 

Those who read the informative recent articles in the Daily Planet by the dislodged ZABber Dean Metzger and by our ever-watchful Sharon Hudson might come to that conclusion, even though neither author discussed the consequences of the ZAB approval of that project. 

If Mr. Metzger had stayed on the board to prevent that fifth and deciding yes-vote, would the final results be any different? In my opinion, probably not. 

The plain fact is that all bitterly contested high-rise buildings are appealed to the City Council no matter whether they are approved or turned down by the ZAB. At which point the same people will wait many hours to repeat their same testimony (often word for word). It is the City Council which always has the final say, usually based on the same facts and opinions already heard months ago at the ZAB. 

In the Trader Joe case, Mr Wozniak will have his real vote, regardless of the way his appointee voted on the ZAB. The City Council has to look for its own fifth vote (either up or down) to decide the fate of this, and any, project. (Las Vegas betting odds seem to favor Council approval.) Thus does a prior ZAB decision, whatever it be, go for naught. 

Residential ZAB decision only rarely get overturned by the council, but apartment houses and commercial properties are somewhat more prone for overturn and therefore are worth an appeal. This suggests to me a way we can save our tax-payers and our concerned citizenry both money and testimony duplication, and save the ZAB members hours and weeks of preliminary shadowboxing. We just need to create a mechanism for agreeing that a contentious large project we all know is destined to be appealed be sent straight to the City Council in the first place. 

The vast majority of ZAB decisions are not appealed. The ZAB will still have plenty of traditional work to do. But we will all be spared enduring complex zoning argument in months-long duplicata. 

Victor Herbert 

• 

GRATEFUL FOR GRATITUDE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Given the empty store fronts on Shattuck Avenue and the threatened loss of Black Oaks Books, it might appear that downtown Berkeley is rapidly going to hell in a hand basket. Hold on—not so fast. There’s a bright new star on the horizon; namely a new restaurant, Cafe Gratitude at 1730 Shattuck Ave. Granted, we need new stores much more than another restaurant in the Gourmet Ghetto. But Cafe Gratitude is a unique, funky-type place—several large rooms, brick walls, long wooden tables where diners are encouraged to sit together, plus a friendly, laid-back staff. It’s worth dropping in just to read the witty, imaginative Bill of Fare, where each item has a fanciful name.  

For example, “I Am Bright-Eyed,” one of the breakfasts; “I Am Bountiful,” for an appetizer; “I Am Fulfilled” for a salad. An entree might be identified as “I Am Abundant” or “I Am Flourishing.” Milkshakes bear the intriguing description, “I Am Eternally Charismatic.” Organic teas boast “I Am Triumphant,” while fruit juices claim, “I Am Compassionate.” There’s even a prayer on the Bill of Fare: “Great Spirit, thank you for all the beings that contributed to this meal and for the vitality of this food. We relish our bounty and revere your creation.” I ask, at what other restaurant do you get a blessing? For Cafe Gratitude, let’s be grateful!  

Dorothy Snodgrass 

• 

NORTH SHATTUCK 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I see there is talk of a major renovation and change for North Shattuck Avenue (Daily Planet, Jan. 12). My question: Why? 

I moved here in 1965 and have seen creative and positive growth along North Shattuck. Here is a neighborhood that, by itself, has spawned such great places as the Cheeseboard, Peet’s, Chez Panisse, Earthly Goods, Black Oak Books, the Juice Bar, Poulet, Vintage Wines, and the Walk Shop, to name a few. 

Why does the City of Berkeley want to mess with that? Haven’t we all seen enough harm done by the city’s planning staff and politicians to Telegraph Avenue and Berkeley’s Downtown?The best thing the city could do to North Shattuck would be to leave the area alone, and not let greedy developers mess it up. 

Barry Wofsy 

For the Milvia/King Alliance 

• 

XXXXXXXXXX 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

The media has been recently been touting a physician-funded report that U.S. cancer deaths have fallen for the second year in a row. They paint a pretty picture of success on paper. Anyone with one eye can see a quite different reality. Although cancer deaths have dropped, the quality of life for those living with cancer continues to decline. Although western medicine and modern science have figured out how to extend life (up to five years) of those living with cancer, the symptoms associated with the treatment often make for a living hell. The focus is always on diagnosis and treatment, never on diet or lifestyle that causes cancer. The current mindset that blames genetics and environment while ignoring personal responsibility is part of the problem, not the solution. 

Michael Bauce 

• 

TREASURED ISLAND 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I have lived in Alameda all my life. I am extremely concerned about the future of our “Treasured Island.” Our peaceful piece of the planet is at high risk. 

We citizens of Alameda overwhelmingly passed a City Charter Measure (Measure A) in the mid ’70s that stated nothing larger than a duplex could be built in Alameda. The current and extremely crucial issue for Alameda and its residents is possible overturn/amendment to the cited City Charter Amendment. That possible overturn/amendment would solely be to accommodate future development projects. Those projects would not benefit Alameda as a whole. Business/real estate and corporate interests would surely benefit, but the quality of life for residents current and future who enjoy living here would suffer in perpetuity.  

Here is a brief history of what was going on during the 1970s. Land speculators were buying up our Victorians, demolishing them and using the land for multiple housing. As a result we now see a multitude of cement-square multiples of tasteless, cheaply constructed, architecturally incompatible apartment complexes sandwiched between Victorians and older homes of equal beauty and historic value. The result has been disastrous! Not a pretty sight. As this greedy land grab progressed in the 1970s the citizenry gathered forces and passed Measure A to put a halt to this destruction. For the past 30 plus years that Measure has served Alameda and its residents well. 

Now, the grabbers and their affiliates are again on the offensive. Due to the closure of the Naval Air Station in the 1990s (acreage now called Alameda Point) that prime property is up for grabs. Developers continue to descend in droves. In conjunction, other spuriously affiliated organizations are behind a push to either overturn/amend Measure A to accommodate multiple housing, possible big box retail and the like on that beautiful land. 

If this push is allowed it will effect every square inch on our city. Some of these factions are using the ill-described “affordable housing” as their hue and cry. I defy anyone to describe with any accuracy precisely what is “affordable housing.” It is subjective. Is my description of affordable housing the same as yours? No.  

The unalterable fact is that Alameda is but a 10.4-square-mile island with limited ingress and egress. We have two tubes and four bridges. Our city leaders are definitely not in tune with the residents. They continue to OK nearly every proposed development...or as they term, “improvement” of our city. The lure of property and retail tax dollars dictate their decisions. Our city is not poor. It is not suffering financial catastrophe...but I fear it may soon experience that result if our leaders do not face the future with any intelligently processed reality.  

Each new development requires city services to accommodate incoming population and business. Will the projected dollars ultimately result in absorbing those financial commitments? I have my doubts.  

Name wittheld 

• 

AC TRANSIT 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

This is in response to several recent letters about AC Transit. 

I think bus service in Berkeley is OK. I regularly ride the 51, and also use the 7, 9, 19, 40, 43, 52 and 72. Before I retired, I regularly bought a 31-day pass for $70, which I thought was a great deal. Now I carry a senior pass, and I think $20 is dirt cheap for unlimited bus rides during a month. I think AC Transit should stop issuing transfers, and tell all regular riders to buy a pass. People who ride buses only occasionally might want to buy a 10-ride ticket, to avoid digging for change, but a pass is the only way to go for regular riders. I ride a bus for nearly all my trips in and around Berkeley. I never have to dig for change or get a transfer, because I pay my (fixed) fare once a month. 

I don’t think we need a “shuttle” downtown. I know how to use the bus lines mentioned above to get to each and every shopping district, school, medical facility and restaurant in Berkeley and the neighboring parts of Albany, El Cerrito and Oakland. Free shuttles are already available to Kaiser and Children’s Hospital, from MacArthur BART. People can also ride the UC campus buses. 

There are a few residential areas in Berkeley which I can’t get to on a bus. For some of them, I can walk, for the rest I take a taxi, catch a ride with somebody, or use my City CarShare membership to borrow a Prius for a while. These are rare situations. Besides buses, there are other alternatives to driving alone—car-pooling, jitney service (limited routes and times) and park-and-ride. 

I realize there are downsides to bus riding. Buses can be late, crowded and some riders can be noisy, smelly and abusive. Some riders drop garbage on the buses and talk loudly on cell phones. But in my experience these are only occasional problems, which I can put up with for a short time. I prefer such problems to dealing with traffic jams, road rage and hunting for a parking space. I really enjoy the freedom when I get off my bus downtown and proceed directly to my destination, instead of roaming the streets searching for a place to park. 

Steve Geller 

• 

JIMMY CARTER 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I began my graduate studies at UC Berkeley and will never forget a history professor there saying that President James Polk was so dishonest that he lied in his own diary. Well, Jimmy Carter goes Polk one better, lying about events in which he himself was a major participant. Dr. Kenneth Stein, once one of Jimmy Carter’s closest confidants and the first director of the ex-president’s Carter Center (1983-85) castigated Carter’s new book for, among other things, this reason. Although Carter has insisted in several interviews that his book contains no factual errors, Stein said the president misrepresents the wording of key security council resolutions and negotiated documents, including the Camp David Accords, which Carter himself negotiated! 

"History gives no refunds, no do overs,” Stein said in his class at Emory University on the Arab-Israeli conflict, where he expanded upon his critique Carter’s book. “You have to take what is and build on it. You can’t bend the [facts] to suit a need.” 

In sum, imagine misrepresenting to the public resolutions which you yourself negotiated! That’s our exalted Jimmy Carter. 

Following Dr. Stein’s condemnation of Carter, fourteen members of the Carter Center in Atlanta resigned in the past week to protest the former president’s book blaming Israel for the failure of Middle East peace efforts. The group wrote Carter that he had abdicated his role as peace broker in favor of “malicious partisan advocacy,” portraying the conflict as a “purely one-sided affair” which Israel bears full responsibility for resolving. 

“This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support,” the letter said. “Therefore it is with sadness and regret that we hereby tender our resignation from the Board of Councilors of the Carter Center effective immediately.” 

In yet another critique of the Carter book, the following commentary appeared recently in the New York Times written by President Clinton’s chief administrative envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross: “To my mind, Mr. Carter’s presentation badly misrepresents the Middle East proposals advanced by President Bill Clinton in 2000, and in so doing undermines, in a small but important way, efforts to bring peace to the region.” 

Finally, two letter writers whose drivel supporting Carter appeared in the Jan. 12 edition of the Daily Planet should have revealed their affiliations so that readers could trace the genesis of their manifest biases. Jim Harris is a longterm member of the ISM, a group which not only justifies Palestinian acts of terrorism but which has actually hidden homicide bombers prior to their crimes. And Paula Abrams-Hourani, who hails from Vienna, is a member of the Austrian wing of the pro-Palestinian propaganda group, Women in Black. Little wonder these ideologues find solace in the excrement penned by Carter. 

Dan Spitzer 

Kensington 

• 

THE LESS FORTUNATE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

How should we live so that those who are less fortunate than us are included in our actions? We come from many nations in the world but all of us have the same basic wants. We need food and shelter, of course, but all of us, rich and poor alike, want respect from others. The general attitude in our society is that the poor are guilty of some sin: they are lazy or distracted or unwilling to learn English. We feel that they do not deserve the respect we give to full human beings. I think it is high time that we take care of others’ needs and share our comforts with those who are less fortunate. Let us treat them with the utmost respect. We might save our money and time fixing societal breakdown later if we can improvise small local ways to help our less fortunate neighbors now. 

Romila Khanna

This is the season for taking stock of the year that has just passed and making resolutions about the one that has just begun. It is a time of ambitious lists. Under the heading “Civic Affairs,” here is mine. 

Top priority: Carry out my campaign goals that were endorsed by 94 percent of Berkeley voters on Nov. 7, 2006.  

That’s right—94 percent: The 31 percent who voted for me plus the 63 percent who voted for Tom Bates on the basis of the issues he “borrowed” from my platform at the last minute: 

• Seek a fair-share relationship with UC. 

• Promote Berkeley’s neighborhood shopping districts and independent businesses. 

• Ensure that new development respects neighborhood integrity. 

• Pass a strong Sunshine Ordinance. 

• Protect West Berkeley’s artists and artisans. 

I declared my candidacy for mayor in late March. For the next seven and a half months, Bates treated me the way shrewd incumbents seeking re-election always treat their challengers: He tried to act as if I didn’t exist. During his entire campaign, he might have mentioned my name once. 

But two weeks before election day, it became evident that the mayor and his advisers had been paying close attention to what I was saying. On Oct. 26, his campaign mailed out a brochure in the form of a political “To Do List.” Half of the 10 “chores” on the list were new to his platform; they were also goals he had either ignored or actually opposed during his first term as mayor:  

#4. Hold Cal accountable. 

#6. Strengthen neighborhood shopping districts. 

#7. Protect neighborhoods from inappropriate development. 

#8. Pass a strong Sunshine Ordinance. 

#10. Expand the arts and crafts in West Berkeley. 

Adding to the hypocrisy of this last-minute agenda, the passage of a strong Sunshine Ordinance had been a plank in Bates’ first (2002) mayoral platform—and a goal he’d utterly failed to pursue after taking office. 

Imitation is indeed the highest form of flattery. Bates had decided that these five issues had enough traction with Berkeley voters for him to claim them as his own, his record to the contrary. “Our” platform was endorsed by the 94 percent of the Berkeley electorate who voted for either one of us.  

As a first step in carrying out this mandate, I call on Mayor Bates to keep his campaign promises—not just the five noted above, but all 10 of them. The others on his list were:  

#1. Make Berkeley America’s Greenest City. 

#2. Revitalize Berkeley’s downtown. 

#3. Provide universal quality after school programs. 

#5. Reduce homelessness. 

#9. Build new sports fields and a warm water pool. 

To show that he’s serious about his campaign agenda, the mayor should publish a timetable detailing the specific steps he plans to take toward realizing his re-election platform over the next two years. I ask members of the community to join me in monitoring his progress.  

I also pledge to carry out the other mandate I received on Nov. 7, the one I was handed by the 12,652 Berkeley citizens who gave me their vote. That charge included the first five goals listed above and more:  

• Protect and upgrade essential services—police, fire, sewers, storm drains. 

• Create truly affordable housing by deepening official levels of affordability. 

• Help neighbors of problem properties by creating a Neighborhood Law Corps like Oakland’s award-winning program. 

• Make city permit processes transparent, efficient and equitable. 

• Retain and attract light industry. 

• Build a new animal shelter, whose funding was approved by 68 percent of Berkeley voters in 2002. 

Since these goals have been ignored (when they weren’t being undermined) by the Bates council, their accomplishment will require an exceptional effort on the part of the public. The last time Berkeley citizens made such an effort was in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Then, as now, the city was ruled by an entrenched political elite whose foremost constituency was big business, and whose foremost concern was staying in power, even in the face of rising discontent at the grass-roots. A revitalized democratic politics replaced that elite with leaders responsive to the community at large. The sad irony is that Tom Bates’ closest advisers include leaders of that long-ago uprising. They have become what they started out fighting. 

Last item on my 2007 civic to-do list: Honor Berkeley’s tradition of democratic political renewal by laying the groundwork for the victory of community-based candidates in the November 2008 municipal elections.  

Zelda Bronstein is a former chair of the Planning Commission and ran for mayor in 2006.

Much has been written in the past several months about Berkeley’s troubled Housing Authority. Much more devastating news is likely to emerge in the coming months. 

On Jan. 10, a hundred or so public housing authorities, primarily on the East Coast, held a Day of Silence to protest the draconian HUD funding cuts that could wreak havoc on the nation’s public housing system, threatening to create a new wave of homelessness across the country. 

Housing Authorities from east to west are reeling at HUD’s shameless under-funding of subsidized housing. Ray Maier, of a Pennsylvania Housing Authority, expresses the simple and shocking truth: “People should understand that if this continues, their grandmother or their grandfather might not have a place to live in three years.” Dale Gravett, Maier’s colleague adds: “Some form of protest is certainly called for, because the level of budget reductions is just absolutely unacceptable.”  

Across the country, HUD funding for housing in 2006 was at 85 percent of operating costs. In 2007 it is now set to slide to 76 percent, and the downward trend will continue if not vigorously opposed immediately. The Bush administration has created so much chaos and confusion country wide, few seem to notice the determined action of HUD Director, Alphonso Jackson, who is step-by-step gutting the country’s public housing programs. In short, New Orleans is tragically becoming a “model city” for housing our nation’s poor. 

Among the organizers of the Day of Silence is Carl Payne, Executive Director of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Housing Authority: 

“These funding cuts are devastating our ability to provide adequate public housing for our elderly and low-income clients who have no place else to turn. The [Bush] administration apparently has made a political decision that it’s OK to slash the safety net that public housing offers to those most in need—seniors, the disabled, veterans, and families with children.” 

As in New Orleans (and Iraq for that matter), no discernible effort is being put into an exit strategy for this national disaster in progress. Will the aged and disabled soon be seen sleeping on our streets? Will poor families with children vie for a street corner to call their own? Along with thousands of displaced innocents—the elderly, disabled, veterans, children—will come a daunting increase in crime and disease that will strain our already overwhelmed police, health, and fire services. 

Thom Hartmann, prolific author and talk-show host, believes we are at a point now where the people must take the initiative. We the People must speak up loudly and clearly, so that our leaders will follow. Even the new Democratic Congress, it seems, does not realize the severity of this situation, as do the people close to it—those of us on the verge of losing our housing and those who know people at risk. There is in the making now a rich/poor gap so great it could undermine the very foundation of our nation, ripping apart the fabric of our treasured Constitutional Democracy. 

Civilization itself requires the basics of food, clothing, and shelter. Without that, our once great country will descend more and more into a pit of lawlessness, chaos, and tragedy we never expected could “happen here.” 

Congress will be voting on HUD funding in mid-February. We need to make our voices heard now and let our Congressional leaders know how dire this situation has become, and how essential it is to return funding to reasonable levels, if outright catastrophe is to be avoided.  

As for our local situation, the Berkeley Housing Authority has just canceled its Jan. 30 meeting, having already postponed it once before. The next public meeting is scheduled for Feb. 27, which falls after the Congressional vote. Several Section 8 renters have reported that our Housing Authority is now weeks and even months behind in processing annual recertification papers, and telephone inquiries yield no explanations. The official fate-in-progress of Berkeley public housing renters seems to be hidden and jealously guarded somewhere in a closed and darkened chamber of City Hall. 

The Berkeley Housing Authority, unlike their counterparts who participated in the National Day of Silence, does not appear willing to advocate for its clients, but rather opts to polarize with them. It’s strange that the City of Berkeley, with our progressive reputation and our recent vote for impeachment, does not stand with its clientele in protest against the unrelenting and inhumane neoconservative defunding of our nation’s public housing.  

Frances Hailman has been a Berkeley renter since 1962. 

On Jan. 16, PBS News Hour host Jim Lehrer interviewed President Bush. This encounter told us a lot about Bush’s brand of conservatism, in particular, his feelings about sacrifice. 

Toward the end of the interview, Lehrer asked Bush: 

“[If the struggle in Iraq] is as important as you’ve just said ... why have you not, as president of the United States, asked more Americans and more American interests to sacrifice something? The people who are now sacrificing are, you know, the volunteer military—the Army and the U.S. Marines and their families. They’re the only people who are actually sacrificing anything at this point.” 

The president said Americans had sacrificed “peace of mind,” then added: 

“Now, here in Washington when I say, ‘What do you mean by that?,’ they say, ‘Well, why don’t you raise their taxes; that’ll cause there to be a sacrifice.’ I strongly oppose that. If that’s the kind of sacrifice people are talking about, I’m not for it because raising taxes will hurt this growing economy. And one thing we want during this war on terror is for people to feel like their life’s moving on, that they’re able to make a living and send their kids to college and put more money on the table.” 

The Lehrer interview made clear that Bush’s notion of sacrifice is remarkably narrow: asking Americans to pay more taxes. His conservative ideology argues that we’re all materialists: all Americans care about is money. 

In his Sept. 20, 2001, speech to the nation the president reflected a similar view: 

“Americans are asking: What is expected of us? I ask you to live your lives, and hug your children ... I ask you to uphold the values of America ... I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions ... I ask for your patience... I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy.” 

At the onset of his “war on terror,” Bush didn’t ask Americans for broad sacrifice: didn’t ask them to conserve gasoline or to donate blood or do any of the things previous presidents have requested in time of war. He asked citizens to “keep on keeping on:” to be patient and support the economy, go shopping as usual. 

Why didn’t Bush ask Americans for a broad sacrifice for the good of the country? It’s not like this is an alien idea in western culture. The notion of personal sacrifice for the common good is a cornerstone of Christianity and has featured prominently in the rhetoric of previous US Presidents. But this brand of sacrifice is not supported by the president’s materialistic conservatism. 

For the past six years, Bush’s disdain for real sacrifice had a huge impact on the American psyche. It meant that the average citizen was keenly aware of Bush’s “war on terror” but had no role to play other than to struggle to respond when the “threat level” was elevated from yellow to orange or red. This situation—Americans being continuously informed that they are at risk from a terrorist attack, but given no concrete way to respond—produced widespread public anxiety. Among other consequences, this made voters more malleable and, no doubt, helped Republicans politically in the 2002 and 2004 elections, when they played “the fear card.” 

The Bush “no sacrifice” maxim produced a variety of atrocious administration policies, the most notable of which was the decision to invade and occupy Iraq and not raise taxes. As a consequence, America went deeply in debt, and jeopardized the long-term viability of our economy. Nonetheless, the federal government continues to spend more than it earns; an economic condition replicated in the lives of average Americans, who also spend more than they earn—typically financing their debt with home equity loans. 

George Bush’s unwillingness to call for real sacrifice produced a policy horizon that refused to deal with the long-term. As a result, the Bush administration has not prepared Americans for the coming decades of dramatic oil shortages and devastating weather produced by global warming. Experts leave no doubt that in order to prevent the worst consequences of both occurrences Americans must turn away from materialism and begin to conserve energy at an unprecedented pace. Nonetheless, conservation remains a dirty word with conservatives, because it implies personal sacrifice as well as an end to our unfettered exploitation of natural resources. 

President Bush and conservatives, in general, don’t like to talk about real sacrifice. They prefer to pretend that Americans can have it all: wage an expensive “war” on terror and continue to run a deficit economy fueled by tax cuts; enjoy artificially priced gasoline and ignore global climate change. They are materialists who prefer to focus on the present: argue that tomorrow is another day, and until then, personal sacrifice is unnecessary. 

Of course, the day of reckoning will eventually come. Who will be the first brave politician to fully embrace a new American politics of sacrifice? 

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

My mother and I went to see Dreamgirls on Dec. 25, the day it opened in theaters across the country. It was the first time Mom had gone to a movie on Christmas day, the first time she’d experienced a sold-out theater and had to wait two hours for the next showing, and the first time she’d thought about The Supremes since spring, 1968.  

That was the year I turned 16 and my parents took me to see the wildly popular all-girl group. Back then, The Supremes were appearing at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a supposedly Mafia run joint located across the highway from the Garden State Racetrack. 

It wasn’t really a casino. Legal gambling wasn’t permitted, but the exterior and interior looked exactly like the clubs depicted in the movie: the Dreamgirls performing on a shimmering blood-red stage, in front of an all-white audience seated at small round tables, adults drinking highballs and smoking cigarettes, accompanied by teenage girls sipping Shirley Temples made to look like just like the real thing. 

My father, who had gone with us to see The Supremes, refused to join us for Dreamgirls. He had an important TV date with the Philadelphia Eagles that could not be broken. “Besides,” he said. “I’ve seen the Supremes.”  

“Thirty-eight years ago,” I reminded him.  

“Exactly,” said Dad. 

Mom and I, like everyone else in the crowded theater, loved the movie. “Fabulous,” she said when the lights came up and the room began to empty. “Was that Diana Ross playing herself?”  

We went home. The Eagles had won so Dad was in a celebratory mood. “Make us a cocktail,” demanded Mom. “We’ve just returned from a trip down memory lane.” 

“What do you remember about seeing The Supremes?” I asked Dad as he mixed our drinks.  

“The guy in the parking lot in charge of telling people where to park.”  

“The guy in the parking lot?” 

“Of course,” said Dad, as if recalling a car jockey from four decades ago was a normal recollection. “He was big and burley and his nose was punched in like a prize fighter, and he made me park way in the back, while other people in newer model Cadillacs got to park up front.” 

“I remember what you wore,” said Mom, looking at me over the top of her martini glass. “A skirt that was too short, hair teased too high, and black mascara that was applied far too thick. You looked like a floozie.” 

“Susan always looked like a floozie back then,” said Dad. “Thank God that stage has passed.” 

“What else do you remember,” I asked, ignoring the floozie comments. I’ve heard them before.  

“I tried to get tickets two weeks in advance,” said Mom. “But it was sold-out. I couldn’t believe it. At the time I’d never heard of The Supremes, had you, Dewey?” 

“No,” said Dad. “Never. So we called my Uncle Jack. You remember Uncle Jack, don’t you? He was a police chief and he had, how should I put this? Connections. I said, ‘Jack, can you get us into the Latin Casino to see The Supremes and he said no problem,’ but the next day he called back and said ‘Who the hell are the Supremes?” 

“He got the tickets,” said Mom. 

“He got the tickets,” agreed Dad, “and so we went, and it was a good time, and those girls could really sing.” He paused, took another sip of his drink, and added “But I hated that parking lot attendant.”  

“What else do you remember?” I asked. 

“The opening act,” said Dad. 

“The opening act?” asked Mom, “I don’t— 

“You don’t remember the opening act?” asked Dad. “The guy in the cowboy hat who— 

“The Supremes opened with a cowboy?” I asked. 

“A cowboy,” confirmed Dad. “Not like any cowboy I’d ever seen. He was dressed all in white, and wore a fur coat and — 

“You mean he was dressed like a pimp? I asked. 

“Well,” said Dad, frowning. “I was trying to be polite but — 

“Let’s have a toast,” said Mom, holding up her glass.  

“To The Dreamgirls and the Supremes,” I said. 

“To the Philadelphia Eagles,” said Dad. 

“To baby Jesus and Diana Ross,” said Mom. “Is she still alive?” 

If Chez Panisse were to serve up a menu to match its guardian bunya-bunya, it would include roast haunch of free-range sauropod and a salad of braised organic tree ferns. Maybe some wood-roasted hearts of sago palm and a gingko fruit crème brulee for dessert. If it ever gets around to producing its infamously huge cones—I’ve never seen the big ones here—the bunya-bunya’s seeds are edible, too. How about it, Alice? 

That oddly bifurcated individual of the species Araucaria bidwillii on Shattuck Avenue, with its scaly sharp leaves and rumpled trunk, is a member of one of the planet’s oldest tree families, the Araucariacieae. These trees were around to see the rise and fall of the great dinosaurs and their kin, when we mammals were barely skulking around on all fours. They can’t quite be said to be native to California or even North America because the continent, never mind the state, didn’t exist yet.  

We can find three species easily in the Bay Area: bunya-bunya; monkey-puzzle (A. araucana), and good old Norfolk Island pine (A. heterophylla), sold as Christmas trees and indoor plants. Bunya-bunya does OK indoors, too, and for all I know so does monkey-puzzle, but they’d need lots of elbow room with those sharp scales sticking out in seemingly random directions.  

Norfolk Island pine—named for the Norfolk Island in the south Pacific, not the Norfolk naval base in Virginia—prospers outdoors, as you can see by its representatives towering over other trees in the yards of old Victorian houses and down on Broadway in Mosswood park.  

Some araucarias were here, though, before there was a here here. The Petrified Forest in Arizona is bejeweled by the transformed corpses of monkey-puzzle trees. Those long-gone trees have suffered more than a sea change and into some thing rich and strange indeed, but maybe not more strange than they were in life.  

Fossils of various araucarias occur all over; they’re the sort of thing filmmakers like to have as backdrops for dinosaur epics. The PBS dinosaur series that ran a few years ago was filmed in New Caledonia. Of the world’s 19 araucaria species, 13 are found there. This little island way off Australia has about 3000 indigenous plant species—it’s like a mad god’s conservatory. It has, or had until humans arrived, lots of very odd reptile and bird species too. It shares araucarias with Australia, New Zealand and South America because they all used to be part of one big happy supercontinent, Gondwanaland. South America was on one shore, Australia (more or less) on the other.  

Some of these species are so old they rode the continents around like Huck Finn on his raft; others descended from those species in nature’s experimental labs, islands isolated from each other and from continents. New Caledonia is part of a huge land mass that ripped itself from Australia nearly 90 million years ago, and is now mostly underwater and on its way to a reunion with South America. Mother Nature, mad scientist that she is, raises her creatures from the available ancestral material. These odd trees were part of that. They prospered and diversified in a great geographic swath that now reaches across the Pacific.  

Naturalists used to wonder about how some marsupials—opossums, for example—and some “primitive” plants like araucarias conquered the vast oceanic barrier between Australia and South America. The answer, that the barrier hadn’t always been there and the lands had floated through it and recombined several times before and since, was more of a surprise than even fantasy writers had imagined. How very strange to think of such impermanence of solid land, and such persistence of fleeting life!  

Strange also to think of animals’ preceding plants in the chronology of ancient life. Maybe most of us are swayed by the early influence of reading or hearing the Book of Genesis, but the evident fact is that those dinosaurs and lots of other animals, including our mammalian ancestors, lived before flowering plants and long before grasses. What the dinosaurs roamed through and dined on were forests of araucarias, cycads (like sago “palms”), and ginkgoes, with understories of ferns, horsetails, and maybe a few remaining clubmosses. There were more species of each of these; the gingko we know, for example, is the lone survivor of a big family.  

It also seems that the birds that perch in the Chez Panisse tree are descendants of dinosaurs, and maybe the tree finds their presence familiar compared to that of the upstart bipeds below. Roast emu or ostrich might, in a pinch, be taxonomically basal enough to substitute for that sauropod dish. Certainly it would be easier for a forager to rustle up.  

Photograph: Ron Sullivan 

A mammal’s-eye view of the bunya-bunya at Chez Panisse.

Is Israel, supported by the Bush administration, preparing to launch an atomic war against Iran? That is a question being asked in the wake of a Jan. 7 report by the London Sunday Times that claims the Israeli government is planning to attack Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons.  

While the Israeli government denies the story, recent statements by top Israeli officials and military figures—along with recent White House threats against Iran and Syria and a shuffling of American commanders in the Middle East—suggest the possibility is real.  

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert calls Iran an “existential threat,” and Deputy Minister of Defense Ephraim Sneth recently said, “The time is approaching when Israel and the international community will have to decide whether to take military action against Iran.” An Israeli Defense Force (IDF) official told the Jerusalem Post Nov. 12 that “Only a military strike by the United States and it allies will stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.” 

Brigadier General Oded Tira, former commander of the IDF’s artillery units, not only urges an attack on Iran, but because “President Bush lacks the political power to attack Iran,” Israel and its supporters “must lobby the Democratic Party and U.S. newspaper editors” to lay the groundwork for such an attack. Tira says that if the Americans don’t act, “we’ll do it ourselves.” 

According to the Times, the attack will use a combination of conventional laser-guided bombs and one kiloton tactical nuclear “bunker busters.” The targets would be the centrifuges at Natanz, a uranium conversion plant near Isfahan, and the heavy water reactor at Arak.  

One source told the Times, “As soon as the green light is given, it will be one mission, one strike and the Iranian nuclear project will be demolished.” 

Bombast to scare the Iranians? Maybe, but a number of pieces have fallen into place over the past month which suggest the Bush administration is also seeking to widen the Middle East conflict, and that the sands may be running out for Iran 

In his Jan. 10 speech announcing an escalation in Iraq, the President singled out Iran and Syria as aiding “terrorists,” and warned, “We will seek out and destroy the networks” which are training and arming “our enemies in Iraq.” According to the New York Times, it was the President himself who ordered the recent raids aimed at Iranian diplomats and advisors in Iraq. 

While the last election was a repudiation of the neo-conservatives’ policies of aggressive militarism, many of those neo-conservatives are steering the current escalation in Iraq. President’s Bush’s “new way forward” is lifted directly from a policy paper by Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the neoconservative think tank that pushed so hard for the initial invasion of Iraq.  

Kagan—along with William Kristol, editor of the neoconservative Weekly Standard—designed the plan that will send more than 20,000 troops to Iraq. 

But is the escalation just about Iraq? According to Robert Perry, author of Secrecy and Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, and former Associated Press and Newsweek reporter, “one source familiar with high-level thinking in Washington and Tel Aviv said an unstated reason for the Bush troop ‘surge’ is to bolster the defenses of Baghdad’s Green Zone if a possible Israeli attack on Iran prompts an uprising among Iraqi Shiites.” 

If the United States does intend to hit Iran, or to support such an attack by Israel, then it has appointed the right man to do the job. The new head of Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the Middle East, Admiral William Fallon, is the former head of U.S. Pacific Command and an expert on air war. Fallon commanded an A-6 tactical bomber wing in Vietnam, a carrier wing, and an aircraft carrier. As U.S. Navy Commander Jeff Huber writes in Pen and Sword, “If anybody knows how to run a maritime and air operation against Iran, it’s ‘Fox’ Fallon.” 

Fallon is also close with the neoconservatives and attended the 2001 awards ceremony of the Jewish Institute for National Security (JINSA), a think tank that strongly pushed for the war in Iraq and currently lobbies for attacking Iran. Vice-President Dick Cheney and ex-United Nations Ambassador John Bolton are both former members of JINSA. The organization sponsored a 2003 conference entitled: “Time to Focus on Iran—The Mother of Modern Terrorism.” 

The White House has also secretly formed a policy unit called the Iran Syria Policy and Operations Group (ISOG) to influence U.S. media, funnel covert aid to Iranian dissidents, and collect information and intelligence. One former U.S. official told the Boston Globe that the group’s goal in Iran was “regime change.” ISOG is headed up by two neoconservative hawks, James F. Jeffrey and Elliot Abrams. 

Abrams formally worked for rightwing Israeli ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and helped to write the policy paper, “A Clean Break,” which advocated attacking Syria, Iran and Hezbollah and unilaterally imposing a “settlement” on the Palestinians.  

According to the Inter-Press Service, during last summer’s war in Lebanon, Abrams carried a message from the Bush administration encouraging the Olmert government to attack Syria. 

Perry suggests that one explanation for recent meetings between Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Olmert is joint planning on how to widen the war in the Middle East to include Iran and possibly Syria. 

Olmert’s government is deeply unpopular, Blair is leaving office this spring, and Bush can’t get much lower in the polls without hitting negative numbers. In a sense, Perry suggests, there is nothing to lose if all three “double-down” their gamble on the Iraq War. 

If the Israelis do decide to go through with the attack, initially there would be little Iran could do about it. Given Israel’s hundreds of nuclear warheads, any direct retaliation by Tehran would be suicidal. 

An Iranian attack on two U.S., carrier groups—Bush just added a third— currently deployed in the Gulf would be equally self-destructive, as would any attempt to close off the Straits of Hormutz. 

But the long-term impact of a nuclear strike on Iran is likely to be catastrophic, and not only because it would enrage Shiites in Iraq. Perry suggests that neighboring dictators backed by the United States might find themselves facing unrest as well. If Hezbollah rocketed Israel, Tel Aviv might decide to invade Syria, igniting a full-scale regional war. It is even possible that Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf might fall, says Perry, “conceivably giving Islamic terrorists control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.” In that event, India would almost certainly intervene, which could spark a nuclear war in South Asia. India and Pakistan came perilously close to such an exchange in 1999. 

“For some U.S. foreign policy experts,” writes Perry, “this potential disaster for a U.S.-backed Israeli air strike on Iran is so terrifying that they ultimately don’t believe Bush and Olmert would dare implement such a plan.” 

They may be right, but many Democrats are as gung-ho on attacking Iran as the Republicans. New House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told the Jerusalem Post that a nuclear-armed Iran was unacceptable, and when asked if he would support a military strike, replied, “I have not ruled that out.” Add heavy lobbying by the AEI, JINSA and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, coupled with “cooked” intelligence that claims the Iranians are on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon, and dare they might.

It has been said that on the eve of the World War II-era allied D-Day invasion of France, allied commander Dwight Eisenhower put in his pocket two separate statements for possible dissemination at the conclusion of the next day’s battle—one announcing victory, the other defeat. 

We can say with absolute certainty that the allied command had also worked out detailed plans for the withdrawal of soldiers from the Normandy beaches in the event of defeat—how their evacuation would be protected by covering fire, how they would be transported back across the channel, recovery centers within England where they would be initially deployed and protected from German counterattack. 

But beyond that, though there may have been endless D-Day defeat scenarios, they would have been of doubtful immediate military value. Military strategists—of which I am not among—will tell you that wars cannot be so precisely plotted in advance. Much would have depended on how many of the allied soldiers survived and how much recovery time it would have taken to make them fit for further combat, the condition of the allied naval and air fleets following the battles, and comparable assessments of the condition and deployment of the axis forces. It is entirely possible that the D-Day invasion would have turned out to be a one-shot deal, with the possibility of a defeat so devastating and complete that it depleted the allied armies, exposed and wiped out the French resistance, allowed the Germans to turn their full attention east and therefore causing the Soviets to do another reverse and re-establish the Russian-German pact, ending with the fall of the Churchill government and forcing, finally, Great Britain to have to bow and sue for peace in order to prevent a counter-invasion. 

On the eve of the D-Day invasion, who knew whether or not these events might occur or, if occurring, what the Anglo-American action should be in response? 

Would our conservative and Republican friends—had they been around in the ’40s—clamored for Eisenhower, Roosevelt, and Churchill to call off D-Day because of the great possibilities of failure, and no detailed fallback contingency plan existed? That is merely speculation. 

However, we do know that this is exactly what our conservative and Republican friends have done to our newly-empowered Democrats in regards to the plans for the withdrawal of United States troops and forces from Iraq. As Eisenhower, Roosevelt, and Churchill would have done in June of 1944, Democrats should do today, and respectfully refuse to fall into this political trap. 

Let us set aside—for the moment, only, and only for the limited sake of this discussion—the question of how we got into this situation, and focus, instead, simply on defining the situation we are in and how to get out of it. 

Let us also set aside any original goals for the American invasion, since events on the ground in Iraq have long since rendered them moot and unattainable in any practical sense. The national consensus—made particularly evident in the November elections—is now that United States military forces should as soon as possible, some say immediately, end their combat role in the Iraqi conflict. Many—most?—of our conservative and Republican leaders are now saying such a withdrawal of United States military forces should only be done in a manner that leaves a stable and defensible Iraqi nation in its wake. 

That is certainly a worthy goal. The question, however, is whether or not it is possible for anyone within the United States to guarantee such a result, given the present circumstances. 

We are caught in the middle of a political-military dilemma of the largest possible dimension. 

The current U.S. policy of limited military deployment in Iraq—and it is, in fact, “limited,” if you compare it to the vast potential of personnel and material that is at our disposal but presently untapped—is not working, is not winning, and, by general consensus by every serious military and political strategist, cannot work and will not win. The current number of troops deployed appear to be just enough to help fuel the insurgency and attract military attack, but not enough to either put down the insurgents completely or even hold them off. 

President George Bush has recently responded with announced intentions for a limited “surge,” a slight increase in the number of U.S. troops on the ground, with the stated intention of subduing rebellious neighborhoods, pacifying them, and turning them over to newly-trained members of the Iraqi national forces. 

But how can we expect that such a limited “surge” will do anything but draw more American opponents into the fight, merely escalating the attacks against U.S. troops and widening the war? 

How large a “surge” would be necessary to give some assurance of success of Mr. Bush’s current military goal? Who knows? But like the theory that the speed of light can never be surpassed because the faster an object goes the more it weighs and therefore the more power it must generate to pull its own weight in order to reach incrementally faster speeds—or the more popular assertion by Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” movie that “the more the emperor tightens his grip, the more the rebellion will slip through his fingers”—we may be facing a situation in which, up to a certain point, the more United States troops are brought into Iraq, the more they will draw opposition forces and attacks into the war against the U.S., thus continuing the current balance of violence-without-end. 

Perhaps an overwhelming influx of United States troops, for an extended period of time, would completely damp out the Iraqi fire and allow for the space in which the Iraqi Army could be train and deployed and made to take over the U.S. role. Perhaps. But even if that were true in theory, in Iraq, it does not seem at all possible to accomplish from the U.S. end. That would almost certainly require a military draft and vast new expenditures. No serious force in America, not even our conservative and Republican friends, are willing to go that far. 

So if the United States cannot come into Iraq with force great enough to ensure victory—either because there is no force great enough for us to ensure victory, or else we don’t have the ability to field such a force if, in fact, it were theoretically possible to do so and “win”—and if the present staying of the course is untenable and impossible to maintain, then, of course, the United States must leave. 

Orderly retreats are the most difficult and, indeed, heroic, of all military maneuvers, and getting the United States military forces out of harm’s way in Iraq would and will be no easy task. There is no telling exactly what would fill the vacuum. Bloody sectarian violence? Full-scale civil war, with each side fielding uniformed armies, forming governments, and claiming territory? The break-up of Iraq into ethnic-religious states, Shi’a and Sunni and Kurds pulling apart into sovereign national territories whose boundaries we can now only dimly imagine? The annexation of current Iraqi lands by powerful adjoining nations such as Syria, Iran, or Turkey? The escalation—precipitous or a slow slide—into a wider Middle Eastern war involving Israel and, possibly, European states? That might mean, at some point, the reintroduction of United States troops. 

All of these are possible. But it is also possible that the withdrawal of United States forces could lead to a lowering of the Iraq tensions that would allow some other powers to intercede and broker some element of peace. The truth is, nobody knows to any degree of certainty what may follow a U.S. withdrawal. Like Eisenhower surveying the coming chaos at Normandy, we can only plan for contingencies, not predict actualities. 

There is a certain poignancy when you watch the interviews of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and hear their almost plaintive complaints that those who counsel a U.S. military withdrawal have no faith in the ability of U.S. soldiers to “get the job done.” It recalls the blasphemy we used to recite out of hearing of our Sunday School teacher, “can God make a rock so large that it is too heavy for God to pick up?” One has to finally admit that there are some things that are out of reach of even the most powerful, no matter how much some of us may otherwise wish, 

Let us leave Iraq in an orderly and dignified a manner as we can, not, as Mr. Reagan once did in Lebanon, strafing the hills with artillery fire on our way out, frustrated that the locals did not show us proper respect, but in a manner that allows us some positive influence on the ultimate difficulties that will follow. 

Any other way courts madness, my friends. 

By Jane Powell 

Of all the things you will ever have to do to your house, deciding what color to paint the outside is one of the most difficult. While some people just don’t care what color their house is, I think many owners are so overwhelmed by the whole thing that they simply opt for the default color: beige. And that makes for a very boring streetscape.  

While beige is inoffensive, at the other end of the scale, people who pick their own colors (from paint chips) have saddled their neighborhoods with houses painted bright blue, orange, or purple. Picking exterior colors is hard, and I say this as someone who does it professionally. But I’m not going to explain the whole color wheel thing—instead, I am going to offer some rules to follow, and some tried-and-true color combinations that will look good on almost any building. Think of this as What Not To Wear for your house—follow the rules and your house will look better. No, you will not get a $5,000 VISA card. (If you still can’t handle it after this, I’ve included contact information for some color consultants at the end.) 

There are three main things to be painted on the average house: the body, which is what’s on the walls (siding, stucco, shingles, etc.); the trim, which is all the wooden moldings around the windows and doors, as well as the edge of the roof and various other brackets, moldings and such; and the sash, which is the movable part of the windows.  

Rule #1: No picking colors from paint chips without trying them on the house.  

Paint chips can be used to narrow down to color combinations that you like, so that you can then buy quarts and try them out on the house. The fifty bucks you spend on quarts will be well worth it. 

Rule #2: Trim should be the lightest color, sashes should be the darkest, with the body color somewhere in between. 

This means there will be at least three colors on the house. Some painters balk at this. Don’t let them—the windows need to be a different color. And don’t do it the other way around, with dark trim and light sashes- it makes the façade look busy. Pick the body color first- it’s the hardest, and there’s going to be a lot of it. 

Try out colors around a window or door, so that you can see how they look together. I generally use the front of the house, which brings us to: 

Rule #3: Ignore the neighbors. 

As you try colors, your neighbors will give their opinions, which will mostly be that the color is “too dark”, “too light”, “too yellow”, or whatever. Occasionally your neighbors will be right, but if you have picked the right color combination, they will rave about the color they didn’t like once the house has been painted. 

Rule #4: Things which are not painted or meant to be painted (shingles, bricks, stonework, concrete) should not be painted, unless they have already been painted.  

If already painted, it’s best to paint them a color which resembles the color they would be if they weren’t, such as raisin or grey-brown for shingles, a reddish color for brick, gray for stone. This is not permission to paint the bricks bright red and the mortar joints bright white like a cardboard Christmas fireplace!  

Rule #5: NO BLUE! 

Blue is the most difficult color to use outdoors, so don’t even go there. If you must, don’t go for bright blues- use teal, midnight, or grey-blue, and only on the sashes. Another difficult color is terra-cotta, which can be lovely when it’s right, but a salmon pink or tomato soup disaster when it’s wrong. 

Rule #6: If you see a paint job with good colors, copy it. 

Well, maybe not if it’s your next door neighbor. Also, the paint companies have tried their best to make up lovely color combinations for you. Most companies have historic palettes with period-appropriate colors.  

Here are some (limited) color combinations that seem to work on most houses—you can mix and match. 

Body Trim Accent 

Chamois Cream Forest green 

Sage Green Burgundy 

Olive Green Eggplant 

Butterscotch Dark Teal 

Beige 

The colors will not be called that, of course, since the paint companies have their own names. My personal favorite paint color name is Corporate America. Yup- it’s gray. So buy some quarts and try them out. If you are still overwhelmed, hire a color consultant. An attractive paint job will increase your home’s value and enhance your street as well.  

Iliumarts- Jeanette Sayre 

www.iliumart.com 

(510) 451-7046 

The Color Doctor- Bob Buckter 

www.drcolor.com 

(415) 922-7444 

Arthur Deco Color 

(510) 849-3568 

Photograph by Jane Powell 

Forest green sashes (Benjamin Moore Essex Green) and cream colored trim draw attention to the arched front window of a Maxwell Park bungalow at 5539 Brookdale, Oakland. The stucco is painted a butterscotch tone which changes with the light. This home is featured on the cover of Bungalow Colors by Robert Schweitzer. 

First of all, let’s get our terminology right. Pergo is one brand of laminate flooring and not, by any stretch, the onsly one. There are many brands of laminate flooring, Pergo was just the first. Actually, even that isn’t wholly accurate and why not be accurate? Pergo, a Swedish company, first applied laminate technology to flooring in 1994 and has, in an amazingly short while, completely changed the face of the flooring business. This stuff is everywhere. 

So what is a laminate? Well, for ease of cognition, it’s Formica. That’s also a fair use of the eponym since Formica was the first form of laminate and also it’s greatest proponent. Formica was invented in 1912 by a couple of guys working at Westinghouse and was originally intended as an electrical insulator (that’s what Westinghouse did, they built electric stuff and were led by that strangest of scientists, Nicola Tesla). 

Mica had been the gold standard in insulators up to that point which explains the name. For-Mica found great popularity as a countertop material for decades and is still popular today for a range of functions. There are designers who go nuts with the stuff and put it on everything; cabinets, walls, doors, partitions. It IS admittedly, a very practical material, if somewhat stilted in its appearance.  

I did find it both amusing and smart when the boomerang pattern, so popular in the 1960s started making a comeback about 10 years ago. That’s the fun thing about Formica, the application of it as sense-memory. All those milk-shakes slurped at lunch counters, the whole of our youths spent doing dishes and wiping down those smooth glassy surfaces. 

Now it’s on floors everywhere you go and it’s not surprising given the low cost and ease of installation. Whether it’s Pergo, Wilsonart, Mannington, Alloc or Wiltex, this flooring is very easy to adopt. Now, I have to confess that my response to it, when I first encountered it was a sort of high-handed dislike.  

I’m very old fashioned. I like scratched old wooden floors. I like stained concrete and brick. I’m not a fan of plastic houses or plastic people. I like what feels real. Gritty, broken, smelly and old, but hey, that’s just one point of view. I also like renting cars. I like the clean carpet, the fact that all the parts work, that there are 12 airbags and no scratches at all. It’s a very political debate, I end up having with myself. Old and real, vs. new, fake and shiny. I’m simply undecided. 

There could be a solution to my conundrum and that might be to take the new thing and turn it on it’s head. The thing that bothers me about laminate flooring is that it’s usually used as a fake version of something real. It’s a photograph (literally) of wood instead of wood. Well, how about letting it be what it really is; plastic.  

I’d be much more likely to use this material if it employed some of the weirdly amusing patterns that Formica adopted over the last 60 years. How about a bright red plastic floor or one that looks like a field of stones or perhaps the surface of water. (Care to take a short walk on water?). I’m waiting to see someone use a mixture of wood patterns in a Pergo floor just to make the point that it ISN’T real. There are so many possibilities with this material and there are really good reasons to use it if and when you can get the oeuvre over-easy. 

One is that it’s durable as heck. If you’ve installed it properly, its can end up lasting an awfully long time with almost zero maintenance.  

Most of these floors are finished with a coating of aluminum oxide. That’s the same thing that rubies and sapphires are made of. Incredibly tough and scratch resistant. The weak link is the core, which is made from wood particle, but they seem to have impregnated most brands with enough resin or wax to help them hold up, even under damp conditions. Given the low cost, the lack of any need for finish and the fact that most are installed over a plastic closed-cell foam that you roll out in advance of placing the floor, I think it’s ideal for finishing a basement. 

If your concrete gets even a little damp, it’s probably best to seal the concrete and then add a plastic layer before installing the floor. Some of these floors come with their own felt backing and I’d avoid those ones in the basement. They’re fine over wood on the main floor but they may tend to decay and act as a growth medium. Some have a polypropylene backing and that’s probably safer. 

Another cool thing about laminate flooring is that nearly all install with a click-lock tongue and groove system. They just snap together. If you’re concerned about dampness, such as in the case in a kitchen, there are sealants that can be added along the tongue prior to snapping them together (and I think it’s a good idea).  

If you’re thinking about a damp area, go for a higher quality product. Many manufacturers have a lower and higher end line but this isn’t a major issue. 

One cool thing about a cheap, fast flooring job like this is that you can think about places you’ve avoided finishing. Put a floor in the basement, put one in the attic where you have that office the city doesn’t know about. Put one in the playhouse. If you have a space with air infiltration between the floorboards (as some wooden basement floors do), it’s a way to cover the gaps.  

Prices seem to be about 7-10 bucks per square foot installed but I think that price represents a highly finished job. This stuff can be bought for as little as a dollar a square foot and if you do the job yourself, a small room can be done for 100 bucks. That’s nothing in the world of construction. 

All the excitement aside, I would strongly encourage owners of older homes to avoid the plastic look and consider refinishing their wooden floors instead. Even a modular bamboo floor seems more appropriate in an old craftsman bungalow and there are a huge number of real wood and veneered modular floor (the veneer is a thin layer of real wood) in the marketplace and there’s no need to settle for plastic when something more natural or authentic is called for. 

I hope that designers and manufacturers will rise to the task and provide us with the sorts of wild or interesting choices that this new and promising material is capable of. Of course there will certainly be an ugly side to this resource and I doubt it’ll be long before we see a floor covered with those damned little Gucci symbols. Harrumph. 

Illustration: Pergo’s Pro-loc tongue and groove joint makes installation a snap. 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor at mgcantor@pacbell.net.

We’re still freezing and so are our gardens (My poor red–leaf banana!) and I’m telling you it’s time to think about irrigation? Yes indeed. 

We’re entertaining a theoretically brief water pinch right now as EBMUD does aqueduct repair. Take that raised consciousness and run with it. Setting down a good irrigation plan for your garden this summer will save time, water, plants, and maybe even money in the long run. Besides, it’s more fun than Tinkertoys.  

Here’s the rub: It’s more complicated than Tinkertoys or even that Erector Set. Sure, you’re basically threading your yard with black spaghetti and adding plugs and sprinklers and pop-ups and semicircular sprayers and drip emitters and T-connectors and Y-connectors and maybe timers and/or sensors and don’t forget the end of the line; you’ll need those plug dinguses there.  

That doesn’t sound right. What’s the plural of “dingus”? Dinguses? Dingusses? Dingi? Dingodes? Hardware?  

Anyway, you’ll need not only the stuff but the skill. The trickiest thing about it all is getting the water pressure right all along the system. Slopes and distances from the head faucet and soil types can make weird differences, and the average way to discover mistakes is to lose a few plants or run up the water bill with unnoticed leaks.  

The Urban Farmer Store’s Richmond branch can help with that. Sit down and sketch your garden. You don’t need great art here, but measuring dimensions is a must. Take photos and base your sketch on those if you’re as drawing-challenged as I am. Bring it all in to the Urban Farmers and, if you buy your parts there, they’ll help you with free irrigation and lighting plans.  

Urban Farmer isn’t just an irrigation store. There’s low-wattage outdoor lighting too—pathlights, uplights to make that queen palm a star, downlights to give your place a soft air of mystery at night. We don’t have lightning bugs here, so we have to make do.  

The other side of irrigation—drainage—needs attention in our clay soils too, so get your assorted pipes and landscape cloth, your grates and channels and drains and fittings here. You can get a load of drain rock or big gravel next door at American Soil products.  

Also: ponds. UF has pond liners, pumps, tubing, filters, fountain nozzles, algae control (including those ecogroovy barley-straw bundles) UV water clarifiers, and, Joe’s favorite, “The Muck Buster” pond vacuum cleaner. The staff would be good people to consult about ponds, too.  

There’s lots of ecogroovy stuff at UF besides those water-saving irrigation systems: biodegradable paper debris bags, burlap tarps (80”X 80”, perfect size for a work-catchall tarp), and people-powered push mowers. The Richmond store carries hand tools from Hida Tools, such as Tobisho and Felco pruning shears and Silky saws.  

UF runs free classes for landscaping professionals: sprinkler design on 1/27; drip irrigation, 2/8; waterscapes, 2/22; all at 7 p.m. Register at 524-1604 or www.urbanfarmerstore.com—click on “Classes.”  

The Urban Farmer Store 

2121 San Joaquin St., Richmond 

524-1604 

Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 

Saturday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Hours change seasonally; call to confirm.  

Ron Sullivan is a former professional gardener and arborist. Her “Garden Variety” column appears every Friday in the Daily Planet’s East Bay Home & Real Estate section. Her column on East Bay trees appears every other Tuesday in the Daily Planet.

TUESDAY, JAN. 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Art of Living Black” Exhibition opens at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond, and runs through March 16. 620-6772. www.richmondartcenter.org 

FILM 

Yoko Ono: Imagine Film “Rape” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kala Fellowship Artist Talk with Karen McCoy and Daniel Ross at 7 p.m. at Kala Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977.  

Tell on on Tuesdays Storytelling with Brian M. Rosen, Allison Landa, Erica Lann-Clark, and Marijo, at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Cost is $8-$12 sliding scale. www.juiamorgan.org 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dorothy Fall reads from “Bernard Fall: Memories of a Soldier-Scholar” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Robert Stone describes “Prime Green: Remebering the Sixties” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tri Tip Trio at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

The Lovell Sisters at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

The Jazz Fourtet at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Broken Teeth with Jason McMaster at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland.  

God Forbid, Goat Whore, MNEMIC, The Human Abstract at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $15-$18. All ages. 763-1146.  

Avance at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 

FILM 

History of Cinema “From the Cinema of Attractions to Narrative Illusionism” at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Carmen Yuen discusses “The Cosmos in a Carrot: A Zen Guide to Eating Well” Buddhist wisdom, nutritional information, and health advice at 5:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200.  

Colson Whtehead reads from “Apex Hides the Dirt” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“Songs to My Beloved” with poet Charles Burack at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$20, benefits Aquarian Minyan. 465-3935. 

Berkeley Poetry Slam at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082. 

MUSIC AND DANCE. 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with Karen Shinozaki Sor, violin and Miles Graber, piano at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Bobby McFerrin with Voicetra at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$62. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Cyril Guiraud Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $9. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Borinquen at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Matt Heulitt Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

No Strangers at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Paul Manousos at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

The Ale Moller Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Brian Auger at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JAN. 25 

EXHIBITIONS 

“A Rose Has No Teeth: Bruce Nauman in the 1960s” Guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

“Pyramids and Smoke Signals—A Global Warning” Paintings by Herk Schusteff at Berkeley YWCA, Bancroft at Bowditch, through Jan. 223-8707. 

FILM 

“The Mind is a Liar and a Whore” A new film by Antero Alli at 8 p.m. at 21 Grand, 416 25th St., Oakland. Cost is $10. 464-4640. 

Film Series with David Thomson “Vertigo”at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Vladimir Guerrero, author of “The Anza Trail and the Settling of California” will speak at the Alameda County Historical Society Annual Dinner at 6 p.m. at Spenger’s Restaurant, 1919 4th St. Cost is $35. For information and reservations call 339-2818. www.alamedacountyhistory.org  

“Reading Chinese Buddhist Monastic Hagiographies: A New Approach” with Jinhua Chen at at 5 p.m. at the IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton St. 643-6536. 

“Conversations on Museums” with Anthony Platt at 6:30 p.m. at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950. 

Bocalicious Spoken Word Swap Meet at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

New Century Chamber Orchestra performs Telemann, Britten, and Schubert at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $28-$42. 415-357-1111. www.ncco.org 

Eliza Gilkyson at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Peter Anastos & Iternity at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Barry Syska, acoustic rock, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Rivkah Amado and Joel Siegal perform Jewish music from Medieval Spain at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

La Peña Latin Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Kenny Garrett with Bobby Hutcherson though Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$66. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

The Prids, Veil Veil Vanish, Red Voice Choir at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $6. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

FRIDAY, JAN. 26 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “True West” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Feb. 17. Tickets are $12. 649-5999.  

Altarena Playhouse Rogers and Hammerstein’s “A Grand Night for Singing” Fri and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 1409 High St., Alameda, through Feb. 17. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553.  

Azeem’s “Rude Boy” at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way and runs Thurs.-Sat. through Jan. 27. Tickets are $15-$22. 800-838-3006. 

Berkeley Rep “The Pillowman” at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Feb. 25. Tickets are $33-$61. 647-2949. 

Black Repertory Group “Wild Roots” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St., through Feb. 4. 652-2120. 

Contra Costa Civic Theater “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at 951 Pomona Ave., at Moeser, El Cerrito., through March 3. Tickets are $15-$24. 524-9132.  

Masquers Playhouse “Arsenic and Old Lace” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., though Feb. 24, at 105 Park Playhouse, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The Tempest” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St., behind Willard Middle School. Runs through Feb. 17. Tickets are $15-$25. 800-838-3006.  

Rough and Tumble “43 Plays for 43 Presidents” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Eucid Ave. through Jan. 27. Tickets are $15-$20. 499-0356.  

Shotgun Players “The Forest War” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., extended through Jan 28. Sliding scale $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

ProArts Juried Annual, selections by Berin Golonu, opens at 550 Second St., Oakland. 763-9425. www.proartsgallery.org 

FILM 

The Lubitsch Touch “The Wildcat” at 7 p.m. and “The Smiling Lieutenant” at 8:35 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Christopher Bollas, psychoanalyst and author at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Calvin Trillin reads from “About Alice” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Arts Festival Jerry Kuderna, piano with Nora Martin, soprano, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St. Caost is $10. 665-9496. www.berkeleyartsfestival.com 

Country Joe McDonald in a Tribute to Woody Guthrie at 7:30 p.m. at Café de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $30-$45. 843-0662. 

Trisha Brown Dance Company at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$46. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

The Four Bags at 8 p.m. at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Cost is $10-$15. 845-1350. 

Dance Braided Lives A collaboration between artists, poets, dancers and musicians at 7 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Donation $10-$50. 843-2787. 

Terrain “WinterDances 2007” Sat. and Sun. at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 Eighth St. 848-4878. 

Indian Classical Music and Dance at 8 p.m. at Yoga Kula, 1700 Shattuck Ave. at Virginia. Cost is $10 at the door. 

Rumbaché, salsa, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Bobbe Norris/Larry Dunlap Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Sambada, Antioquia, Afro-Brazilian-Funk at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

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

Stephen Bennett, guitar, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dave Bernstein Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Noah Grant and Fred Odell at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

The Family Arsenal, Bye Bye Blackbirds, The Light Footwork at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Gravy Train, Groovie Ghoulies, Ninja Academy at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

The P-PL at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Martin Luther, Anthony David at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10-$12. 548-1159.  

Socket at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

The Look, The May Fire, Excuses for Skipping, indie rock, at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

The Clash in Oaktown at 8:30 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $10. All ages. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Kenny Garrett with Bobby Hutcherson though Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$66. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, JAN. 27 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Maria Fernanda Acuña & Melissa Rivera at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Diana Shmiana’s Puppets and Music at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 10th St., at Gilman. Cost is $7. 526-9888. 

FILM 

The Lubitsch Touch “The Marriage Circle” at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rhythm & Muse “Poetry Inside Out” with Yesenia Isabel Canada, Mehrnush Golriz, Alex Rowland, others at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., between Eunice & Rose. 644-6893.  

Vesta Kirby will discuss her works in “New Beginnings” at 2:30 p.m. at Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Ave. Exhibition runs to Feb. 644-4930. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Concertante with Terrence Wilson, piano, at 7:30 p.m. at Regents Theater, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. Tickets are $35-$40. www.fourseasonsconcerts.com 

Trisha Brown Dance Company at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$46. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Winds Across Russia” at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Richmond, 770 Sonoma St., at Solano Ave., Richmond. Tickets are $10. 243-0514. 

Donne di Mezzi “A Due Voci” 17th and early 18th century duets for matched voices at 8 p.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman St. Donation $5-$10. 

TomKat Roher, Mike Glendinning, The Trencherman at the Missouri Lounge, 2600 San Pablo Ave. Free. 548-2080. 

The Mixers at 9 p.m. at The Pub at Baltic Square, 135 Park Place, Pt. Richmond. Cost is $5. www.balticsquarepub.com  

Lo Cura! at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Lava Nights, AIDS Marathon Benefit at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $8. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Mo’ Rockin! at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Baba Ken & The Afro-Groove Connexion with KTO Project at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Evelie Posch and Eileen Hazel at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Lou & Peter Berryman at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

“Shimshai” Kirtan Devotional Music Series at 8 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. Tickets are $16-$18. 843-2787. 

Smith Dobson V Quartet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Jeremy Steinkoler Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

George Cotsirilos Jazz Group at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

The Dirty Martinis at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Nate Cooper & Mario Desio, folk and rock, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Tempest, Caliban at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. All ages show. Cost is $12. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Beep! Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

30 Foot Tall, Fleshies, Abi Yo Yo’s at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Kenny Garrett with Bobby Hutcherson though Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$66. 238-9200.  

SUNDAY, JAN. 28 

CHILDREN 

Family Explorations “Musical Masterpieces” A special Black History day with jazz musicians, and the opportunity to paint to live music. From 1 to 5 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Winter Time at the Little Farm” A puppet show for the whole family at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Family Workshop and Concert with Odile Lavault of the Baguette Quartette, for ages 10 and up, at 2 p.m. at Black Pine Circle Theater, 2017 Seventh St. at University. Followed by a concert at 4 p.m. For information and tickets call 528-3723. 

THEATER 

The Chris Chandler & David Roe Show with singing CIA Agent George Shrub at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $18-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

365 Days/365 Plays Week 11 at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Rep School of Theater, Nevo Education Center, 2071 Addision St.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“A Rose Has No Teeth: Bruce Nauman in the 1960s” Guided tour at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

FILM 

African Film Festival “A Child’s Love Story” at 3:30 p.m. and “New Visions from Africa” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kathryn Alice reads from “Love Will Find You: Magnets to Bring You and Your Soulmate Together” at 6 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Sonia Gaemi discusses “Eating Wisely for Hormonal Balance” at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Poetry Flash with Paul Hover reading from “Edge and Fold” and Dawn Michelle Baude reading from “Egypt” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Symphonica Toscanini with Lorin Maazel conducting, at 3 p..m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$76. 642-9988. 

Prometheus Symphony Orchestra Winter Concert at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Free, donations requested. www.prometheussymphony.org 

Live Oak Concert with Lawrence London, clarinet, Victor Romasevich, violin, Lena Lubotsky, piano, and the Jupiter String Quartet, performing works by Mozart, Brahms, Iosif Andriasov at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $10. 644-6893. berkeleyartcenter.org 

Country Joe McDonald in a Tribute to Woody Guthrie at 7:30 p.m. at Café de la paz, 1600 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $30-$45. 843-0662. 

Bill Evans String Summit with Scott Nygaard, Tashina Clarridge, Tristan Clarridge, Michael Witcher and Cindy Browne at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Live Oak Concert with performances of Mozart, Andiasov and Brahms at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. in Live Oak Park. Cost is $8-$10, choldren under 12 free. www.berkeleydartcenter.org 

Kitka & Trio Kavkasia “Songs from Beyond the Black Sea” at 5 p.m. at First Unitarian Church, 685 14th St., Oakland. TIckets are $20-$25. 444-0323. www.kitka.org 

The Chris Chandler and David Roe Show with Singing CIA Agent George Shrub and satirist Dave Lippman at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Brazilian Soul at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $9. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

“ViolinJazz” Quartet at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Bandworks Recitals at 1 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Wee at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MONDAY, JAN. 29 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Paintings of Abu Ghraib” by Columbian artist Fernando Botero opens at 6 p.m. at 190 Doe Library, UC Campus, and runs through March 23. 643-5651. www.clas.berkeley.edu 

THEATER 

Shakespeare Intensive “A Winter’s Tale” staged reading at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship, Fireside Room, 1925 Cedar at Bonita. Other plays to be read each Mon. to Feb. 26. Cost is $5. 276-3871. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Page to Stage A conversation with Tony Amendola and Les Waters at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. Free. 647-2949. 

Ann Sherman at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Kim Todd reads from “Tinkering with Eden: A Natural History of Exotics in America” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Stephen Hinshaw discusses “The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with Arthur Weil at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Classical at the Freight with San Francisco Chamber Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

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

Blue Monday Jam at 7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Sony Holland at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$15. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Kent Nagano, after a meeting with the musicians of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra to discuss his plans, announced Friday that he will step down as music director of the symphony at the end of the 2008-09 season. 

He will continue to work with the orchestra as conductor laureate and as founding music director for Berkeley Academy Ensemble, a small orchestra created to explore new musicological approaches to a repertoire drawn from 18th and early 19th century composers, debuting this coming season with two performances.  

“This is consistent with my 30-year relationship with Berkeley Symphony,” Nagano said. “It was my first orchestra, and I still maintain that relationship with it.” 

Nagano cited difficulties in scheduling and in finding the time to dedicate to community involvement over the past few years. Last year, he became music director of both the Montreal Symphony and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.  

Nagano, 55, who attended UC Santa Cruz and San Francisco State University, was appointed as musical director to Berkeley Symphony in 1978. He was born at Alta Bates when his parents were graduate students at UC Berkeley. 

“It was funny to them that my first important position brought me back here. I’ve always considered the Bay Area my home,” said Nagano, who lives in San Francisco with his wife, Mari Kodama, and their daughter. After assisting Sarah Caldwell at the Opera Company of Boston, Nagano came back to Berkeley with his appointment to the symphony, when it was still officially known as the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra. 

Nine years later, Nagano took the reins of the Opera National de Lyon, and rumors began to fly in earnest that he would leave Berkeley. But, though leadership positions later came with Manchester’s Halle’ Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera and the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester in Berlin, Nagano continued to guide the Berkeley Symphony, premiering many new works, including those by Olivier Messiaen and Elliott Carter, and collecting three Grammy awards, as well as steadily increasing international recognition. 

A search committee, drawn from the symphony board, staff, musicians and the community, is being formed to find a successor for Nagano. Candidates for the musical directorship will be selected to lead subscription programs over the next two years, with Nagano conducting the remaining programs, as well as directing the Academy Ensemble.  

Of the new project orchestra, Nagano said he was excited “to explore a specific repetoire” drawn “from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert ...” 

“It’s a rare chance to hear what isn’t heard so often with full orchestras,” said the symphony’s Kevin Shuck. “There are few mid-size ensembles like the Academy Ensemble will be.” 

With musicians mainly drawn from the Symphony, the Academy Ensemble will debut with two concerts in April and May, both shows already “essentially sold out,” though each is accruing a waiting list for tickets that become available.  

Shuck also commented that the subscription shows at Zellerbach, including the premiere of Berkeley composer Olly Wilson’s Hold On symphony two weekends ago, had been running “up to 95 percent sold out, with the balcony opened up for seating.” 

Nagano returned to Montreal after the meeting and announcement, where last week he was made an honorary citizen by the mayor.

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” A series of blackout tableaux like snapshots: Prospero and Caliban; “Melted into air, thin air;” then Prospero alone, touching the rude crown, cloak and staff that accoutered Caliban; then crowning himself, taking up the feathered magic staff: “Our revels now are ended ...” 

Hooded spirits watch Miranda read to Caliban, a mask atop his head leering when he crouches: “The cloud hath powers ...” Then a storm of human and spirit bodies as Prospero shouts, presiding from above as they are cast about, tossing on the weblike rigging that drapes the set, almost dancing as they flounder ... 

So begins Ragged Wing Ensemble’s spellbinding show of The Tempest, that last great play of The Bard wherein it’s thought he takes his bow as Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, as he leaves the exile of his desert isle, renouncing both magic and earthly powers. 

The levels of the Metal Shop Theatre (behind Willard School on Telegraph) are hung with rigging and a stylized sail (set by Sarah Samonsky) that doubles as a screen for the exceptional video scenography by Aiden Fraser (himself doubling nicely in baggy pants, floppy hat and suspenders as Trinculo, the drunken jester). But the mainstay of the action is literally that: Ragged Wing, since their inception two years and two shows ago, has been an exciting collective of practitioners of physical theater moving together. 

In this production, directed with clarity and imagination by Keith Cory Davis, Ragged Wing shows what it can do with a redoubtable monument of dramaturgy—and they outdo themselves. Their previous outings were an exciting staging of a somewhat faded ’60s experimental pastiche, The Serpent, and an original, a kind of psychodramatic fantasy that riffed off of “The Snow Queen,” Splinters ... and Other F-Words, by company member Andrea Hart. 

Those pieces suited their purposes well, but the real possibilities and power of their approach has become apparent now, harnessed to the dramatic engine of Shakespeare’s parable of exile, magic and redemption. 

There are fine performances, especially pert Amy Sass (also choreographer) as a wound-up, spring-tight Ariel, almost maliciously proud of magical prowess, yet abashed at servitude to Prospero. A procession of almost unreadable emotions cross that silvered face, or it’s deadpan as the spirit hangs like a spider from the rigging, watching, waiting for the moment to insinuate its sorcery. Jeffrey Hoffman plays a wronged Prospero who can vent his rage and then back off, in light of his larger, gentler ambitions. 

Many of the performances are enhanced in ensemble: Maya Gurantz (founder of Ten Red Hen) as acerbic King Alonso, with Mark Jordan’s gimped-up but genial optimist, Gonzalo; Christine Odera’s snaky Caliban glows with humor when teaming up with the baggy-pants comedian-tipplers Stephano (a splendid Phil Wharton) and above-mentioned Trinculo, exchanging spirits from a bottle for betrayal of Prospero: “first possess his books!” 

There are some unusual cuts—the songs are deep-sixed—but the dialogue is crystal-clear and the play’s intention unwavering, with fine detail down to the costuming and the red-glove-to-mouth chorus of spirits drawn from high school students. More refreshing than many a Shakespeare festival, and a fascinating panoply of riotous movement and quiet moments of romance and reflection, Ragged Wing’s The Tempest opens up a new era for a still very young—and very talented—local troupe. 

Photograph: Andrea Hart 

Phil Wharton as Stephano and Christine Odera as  

Caliban in Ragged Wing Ensemble’s The Tempest. 

THE TEMPEST 

Presented by Ragged Wing Ensemble at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 17. $15-25. Metal Shop Theatre,  

2425 Stuart St. 

(800) 838-3006. or www.raggedwing.org  

By KEN BULLOCK 

Special to the Planet 

Zemaryalai Tarzi, internationally recognized as the senior Afghan archaeologist, will speak and answer questions on recent finds at Bamiyan and the crisis of looting and vandalism for archaeology in Afghanistan in “A Stop on the Silk Route,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 101 (Archaeological Research Faculty), 2251 College Ave. (behind Boalt Hall). 

The event is cosponsored by the Near Eastern Studies Department, the American Institute of Archaeology and the Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology (APAA), Tarzi’s own organization. Admission is free. A reception will follow the talk. 

Tarzi went to France on a scholarship at age 20 to study at Strasbourg, where he now teaches, dividing his time between the university and fieldwork in Bamiyan during the summer. He was an associate of Daniel Schlumberger, the director of the French delegation of archaeology to Afghanistan, at a time when France had an exclusive contract with the (then) Kingdom of Afghanistan for excavation and research. 

Tarzi directed the Archaeological Institute in Kabul and edited the national journal for archaeology, and specialized in the conservation of historical monuments, particularly mosques and Buddhist temples. He established the outdoor museum at Hadda, site of one of the largest Buddhist temples in Central Asia, and wrote his thesis on the art and architecture of the famous caves at Bamiyan. Afghani archaeology was coming into its own, scientifically, carrying on its own research and partnering with international teams. 

Then came the Soviet invasion of 1979. 

“My father was forced to flee to Pakistan, hidden in a double-decker trunk, with my step-brother disguised as a girl,” said Nadia Tarzi, cofounder with her father of the APAA.  

Tarzi (who will translate for her father, lecturing in French) described the genesis of their project to protect and promote Afghan archaeology: “I grew up in Strasbourg, where my father came, after his escape. I knew he was an archaeologist, in the way another kid might know her father’s a dentist or accountant. I didn’t really understand what he did.” 

“One day in 1994,” she continued, “He received an express packet from a colleague still in Afghanistan. His whole demeanor changed; he opened the envelope and became sad. When I asked why, he finally picked up a book, showed me a picture in it of a beautiful niche with reliefs of waves in an aquatic scene with statues standing around, Buddha fighting demons from the Gandhara period—then said, ‘Here’s what it looks like today,’ showing me the photos he’d received, which looked to me like piles of mud. I started crying. I understood my father’s passion.” 

After the Taliban blew up the giant statues of Buddha in the Bamiyan Valley in 2001 (“and it took them four days to destroy them because of the steel reinforcements my father helped put in”), Tarzi suggested to her father that they co-found an organization to educate the general public, both Afghani and Western, about the “5,000-year-old cultural heritage—even before Buddhism, before Islam—of Afghanistan, the diversity of cultures that have flourished there,” to support further efforts in research and recovery of antiquities “and to give some sense of national awareness and pride to the Afghan people, who have such a task in rebuilding their country.” 

Father and daughter founded the APAA in 2002. Tarzi returned to his native country after the defeat of the Taliban to teach and do fieldwork, dividing his time with teaching in Strasbourg. With the support of President Karzai and of the first female governor of Bamiyan, work goes on, on several different levels. 

“There’s been 20 years of rampant, relentless looting,” Tarzi said. “It’s important to get archaeologists to the sites before the looters and the dealers to at least document what’s there. Bamiyan is secure, and the population supportive, but elsewhere the Taliban is again on the rise, and there’s a debate whether or not to even continue excavations.” 

Educational work has been carried on in Afghanistan and in the Bay Area. 

“The first schools I visited were in the Berkeley-Oakland area,” said Tarzi, who lives in Marin. “One class even put on a play about what they learned. In Bamiyan, we hope to teach the children to make pottery, then show them museum pieces in the same style. My own daughter taught me that. I call it art with a heart.” 

For more information: www.apaa.info. 

If Chez Panisse were to serve up a menu to match its guardian bunya-bunya, it would include roast haunch of free-range sauropod and a salad of braised organic tree ferns. Maybe some wood-roasted hearts of sago palm and a gingko fruit crème brulee for dessert. If it ever gets around to producing its infamously huge cones—I’ve never seen the big ones here—the bunya-bunya’s seeds are edible, too. How about it, Alice? 

That oddly bifurcated individual of the species Araucaria bidwillii on Shattuck Avenue, with its scaly sharp leaves and rumpled trunk, is a member of one of the planet’s oldest tree families, the Araucariacieae. These trees were around to see the rise and fall of the great dinosaurs and their kin, when we mammals were barely skulking around on all fours. They can’t quite be said to be native to California or even North America because the continent, never mind the state, didn’t exist yet.  

We can find three species easily in the Bay Area: bunya-bunya; monkey-puzzle (A. araucana), and good old Norfolk Island pine (A. heterophylla), sold as Christmas trees and indoor plants. Bunya-bunya does OK indoors, too, and for all I know so does monkey-puzzle, but they’d need lots of elbow room with those sharp scales sticking out in seemingly random directions.  

Norfolk Island pine—named for the Norfolk Island in the south Pacific, not the Norfolk naval base in Virginia—prospers outdoors, as you can see by its representatives towering over other trees in the yards of old Victorian houses and down on Broadway in Mosswood park.  

Some araucarias were here, though, before there was a here here. The Petrified Forest in Arizona is bejeweled by the transformed corpses of monkey-puzzle trees. Those long-gone trees have suffered more than a sea change and into some thing rich and strange indeed, but maybe not more strange than they were in life.  

Fossils of various araucarias occur all over; they’re the sort of thing filmmakers like to have as backdrops for dinosaur epics. The PBS dinosaur series that ran a few years ago was filmed in New Caledonia. Of the world’s 19 araucaria species, 13 are found there. This little island way off Australia has about 3000 indigenous plant species—it’s like a mad god’s conservatory. It has, or had until humans arrived, lots of very odd reptile and bird species too. It shares araucarias with Australia, New Zealand and South America because they all used to be part of one big happy supercontinent, Gondwanaland. South America was on one shore, Australia (more or less) on the other.  

Some of these species are so old they rode the continents around like Huck Finn on his raft; others descended from those species in nature’s experimental labs, islands isolated from each other and from continents. New Caledonia is part of a huge land mass that ripped itself from Australia nearly 90 million years ago, and is now mostly underwater and on its way to a reunion with South America. Mother Nature, mad scientist that she is, raises her creatures from the available ancestral material. These odd trees were part of that. They prospered and diversified in a great geographic swath that now reaches across the Pacific.  

Naturalists used to wonder about how some marsupials—opossums, for example—and some “primitive” plants like araucarias conquered the vast oceanic barrier between Australia and South America. The answer, that the barrier hadn’t always been there and the lands had floated through it and recombined several times before and since, was more of a surprise than even fantasy writers had imagined. How very strange to think of such impermanence of solid land, and such persistence of fleeting life!  

Strange also to think of animals’ preceding plants in the chronology of ancient life. Maybe most of us are swayed by the early influence of reading or hearing the Book of Genesis, but the evident fact is that those dinosaurs and lots of other animals, including our mammalian ancestors, lived before flowering plants and long before grasses. What the dinosaurs roamed through and dined on were forests of araucarias, cycads (like sago “palms”), and ginkgoes, with understories of ferns, horsetails, and maybe a few remaining clubmosses. There were more species of each of these; the gingko we know, for example, is the lone survivor of a big family.  

It also seems that the birds that perch in the Chez Panisse tree are descendants of dinosaurs, and maybe the tree finds their presence familiar compared to that of the upstart bipeds below. Roast emu or ostrich might, in a pinch, be taxonomically basal enough to substitute for that sauropod dish. Certainly it would be easier for a forager to rustle up.  

Photograph: Ron Sullivan 

A mammal’s-eye view of the bunya-bunya at Chez Panisse.

TUESDAY, JAN. 23 

Tuesday is for the Birds An early morning walk for birders through Bay Area parklands. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. This week we will visit the Albany Bulb. For meeting location or to borrow binoculars, call 525-2233.  

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult, at 3:15 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. We will learn about bird migration. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Berkeley High School Governance Council meets at 4:15 p.m. in the Community Theater Lobby. 644-4803. 

El Cerrito Democratic Club meets at 7:30 p.m. at Makemie Hall, Northminster Presbyterian Church, 545 Ashbury, El Cerrito. 526-4874. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St., near corner of Eunice. MelDancing@aol.com 

Pirate School Interactive Program for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. Free. 524-3043. 

MySpace Safety Program A discussion for parents at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Dimond Branch, 3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. 482-7844. 

Learn How to Tune and Wax Your Skis/Snowboard at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Copwatch Report Mailing Party Help mail out the Winter 06-07 Copwatch Report at 6 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 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. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult, at 3:15 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. We will learn about bird migration. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Bobby Seale, a founder of the Black Panthers will speak at the Gray Panthers meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. All welcome. 548-9696. 

The Stewardship Council Public Meeting to discuss the Land Conservation Plan and the Youth Investment Program from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Preservation Park, 1233 Preservation Park Way, Oakland. 650-286-5150. www.stewardshipcouncil.org 

“Nanotechnology – The Power of Small” a production of Fred Friendly Seminars, will be taped at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Rep, Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St., for broadcast on PBS. Audience members should plan to be seated by 6:45 pm. Free but registration required www.smartscience.org/berkeley ffs registration.htm  

New to DVD “Eternity and a Day” at 7 p.m. at the JCCEB, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

THURSDAY, JAN. 25 

“Berkeley’s Economic Future” with Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, at 1 p.m. at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. Light lunch served at noon. RSVP to 981-7100. 

Tom Hayden, former California Legislator and peace activist will speak on “The Politics of Iraq in the Democratic Party” at the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club meeting at 7 p.m. at the Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. www.wellstoneclub.org 

YMCA Martin Luther King Community Banquet at 7 p.m. at 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oaklnad, to raise funds for YMCA programs. Tickets are $150. 451-8039, ext. 457. 

Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans A review of proposals for Alameda County at 5:30 p.m. at ACTIA, 426 17th St., Suite 100, Oakland. www.actia2022.com 

Easy Does It Emergency Services Board of Directors’ Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1636 University Ave. 845-5513. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and thinking skills. Commit to 1-2 hours per week during the school day and work one-on-one with students in their English classes. Training from noon to 3 p.m. 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org 

Home Remodeling Seminar: How to Make it a Success, at 6:30 p.m. at Truitt & White Conference Room, 1817 Second St. Free, registration required. 653-7288. 

“Redefining Our Relationships” with Wendy O. Matick at 7 p.m. at AK Press, 674A 23rd. St., Oakland. Cost is $10-$15, sliding scale, no one turned away. 208-1700. 

Storytime for Babies & Toddlers at 10:30 a.m. Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

FRIDAY, JAN. 26 

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 

“Prospects for Peace: The Role of the American Jewish Community” with Marcia Freedman at 8 p.m. at Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave. at Fairview, Piedmont. 547-2424 ext. 100.  

Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MLK Student Union, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com (code UCB) 

“An Inconvenient Truth” Al Gore’s documentary at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation of $5 acccepted. www.HumanistHall.net 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Milton Gordon on “Weapon Control and the Second Amendment” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 8 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. Potluck supper at 7 p.m. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

“Reading Repetition in Biblical Narrative” with Robert Alter at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St. 848-3988. 

Kol Hadash Family Pot Luck Shabbat at 6 p.m. at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Ave., followed by Installation Celebration for Rabbi Miriam Jerris. 428-1492. 

SATURDAY, JAN. 27 

Worm Composting Learn how to enrich your garden soil while reducing kitchen waste, from 10:30 to noon at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Help Friends of Five Creeks Volunteers needed to remove invasives and plant natives on Cerrito Creek at the foot of Albany Hill. Meet at 10 a.m. at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara St., El Cerrito, just north of Albany Hill. Wear clothes that can get dirty and shoes with good traction. Heavy rain cancels. 848 9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

“Blooming Perennials and Shrubs for the Winter Season” at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave., off 7th St. 644-2351. 

“The Ins & Outs of Cacti and Succulents” from 10 a.m. to noon at the UC Botnaical Garden. Cost is $20-$25. Registration required. 643-7265. 

Latino Education Summit with a conference from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and resource fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m at CSU East Bay, Hayward Campus. Free, but registration encouraged. 536-4477. 

Freedom of Speech Dance Party in support of National Radio Project and journalists Sarah Olson and Dahr Jamail at 7:30 p.m. at Uptown Body and Fender Community Space, 401 26th St., Oakland. Cost is $10. 251-1332, ext. 102. 

Marketing for Artists Boot Camp from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru St., Alameda. Cost is $75-$80. 523-6957. 

Copwatch Stretegy and Structure Meeting from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat. and Sun. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Computer & Electronics Recycling from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200.  

East Bay Atheists meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 3rd flr., 2090 Kittredge St. Emma Krasov will speak on “Religious Consciousness in the Authoritarian Society of the Former Soviet Union and Thereafter.” 222-7580. 

“Make Marriage Work“ A conversation with Dr. John Gottman, sponsored by the Psychotherapy Institute, from 9 a.m. to noon at Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. For tickets call 548-2250. 

Produce Stand at Spiral Gardens Food Security Project from 1 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon St. 

Petite Pooches Playgroup for small dogs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., one block north of Solano on Ensenada at Talbot. 524-2459. 

“The Challenge of Translating the Bible” with Robert Alter at 10:30 am. at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St. 848-3988. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

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 

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, JAN. 28 

“Winter Time at Little Farm” A puppet show for the whole family at 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

“Open Garden” Join the Little Farm gardener for composting, planting, watering and reaping the rewards of our work, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cancelled only by heavy rain. 525-2233. www.ebparks.org 

Winter Wildlife Hike Join naturalist Tara Reinertson to look for winter birds and explore the pebble beaches and salt marshes of Pt. Pinole, from 2 to 4 p.m. For information and meeting place call 525-2233. 

Tour of the Berkeley City Club, the landmark designed by Julia Morgan, at 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15 p.m. at 2315 Durant Ave. Free, donations welcome. For information or group reservations call 848-7800. 

United Nations Association East Bay Chapter Annual Meeting at 2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church, 1924 Cedar St. Keynote speaker will be David Seaborg on “The Global Environmental Crisis and the Role of the U.N.” 

“Bloodlines: Recovering Hitler’s Nuremberg Laws From Patton’s Trophy to Public Memorial” with Anthony M. Platt at 10:15 a.m. at Temple Beth Hillel, 801 Park Central, Richmond. Cost is $5. 223-2560.  

Tibetan Buddhism with Bob Byrne on “Longchenpa: Writings on the Magic of Being” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, JAN. 29 

Parent Education Workshop Learn how to keep your children safe with self protection, self esteem and bullying prevention skills at 7 p.m. at Jingle Jamboree Music; 1607 Solano Ave., Albany. Cost is $30. 1-800-467-6997. 

ONGOING 

Berkeley Winter Campaign for Cats We are providing free trapping assistance and spay/neuter to feral and homeless cats in Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont, through March 2007. The cats will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for fleas and returned safely back to their neighborhoods. To report a neighborhood in need or to volunteer, please contact Caitlin at 908-0709. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets Wed., Jan. 24, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. Gil Dong, 981-5502.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434. 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Mental Health Commission meets Wed., Thurs. Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Jan. 25, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. 

FRIDAY, JAN. 19 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Environmental Surrealism” works by Guy Colwell and Michelle Waters at Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland, through Feb. 23. 444-7411. www.estebansabar.com 

“Whitework Embroidery” at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, 2982 Adeline St. Runs through Feb. 5. Hours are Mon.-Sat. noon to 6 p.m. Free. lacismuseum.org 

Don Clausen Oil Paintings Abstract and Portaits at Alta Galleria, 2980 College Ave., #4. Runs through Feb. 4. 421-1255. 

“What is This Place?” Open House at 7 p.m. at the Fourth Street Studio, 1717d 4th St. 527-0600. 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “True West” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Feb. 17. Tickets are $12. 649-5999. www.aeofberkeley.org 

Altarena Playhouse Rogers and Hammerstein’s “A Grand Night for Singing” Fri and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at 1409 High St., Alameda, through Feb. 17. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Azeem’s “Rude Boy” at 8 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way and runs Thurs.-Sat. through Jan. 27. Tickets are $15-$22. 800-838-3006. 

Berkeley Rep “The Pillowman” at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Feb. 25. Tickets are $33-$61. 647-2949. 

Black Repertory Group “Wild Roots” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St., through Feb. 4. 652-2120. 

Masquers Playhouse “Arsenic and Old Lace” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., though Feb. 24, at 105 Park Playhouse, Point Richmond. Tickets are $15. 232-4031. 

Ragged Wing Ensemble “The Tempest” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at The Metal Shop Theater, 2425 Stuart St., behind Willard Middle School. Runs through Feb. 17. Tickets are $15-$25. 800-838-3006. www.raggedwing.org 

Rough and Tumble “43 Plays for 43 Presidents” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean Theater, 1834 Eucid Ave. through Jan. 27. Tickets are $15-$20. 499-0356. www.randt.org 

Shotgun Players “The Forest War” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., extended through Jan 28. Sliding scale $15-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Starlight Circle Players “Dead Men Tell No Tales” A piratical musical at 8 p.m. Fri.-Sun., at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. Tickets are $10-$25. 647-5268. 

FILM 

The Lubitsch Touch “Madame Dubarry” at 7 p.m. and “Angel” at 9:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Palestine Blues” A documentary on the repercussions of the Israeli Security Wall and Settlement expansion by filmmaker Nida Sinnokrot, followed by a discussion with the director at 7 p.m. at California Theater, 2113 Kittredge St., between Oxford and Shattuck. Cost is $6-$8.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash presents Roxane Beth Johnson reading from “Jubilee” and Chad Sweeney reading from “A Mirror to Shatter the Hammer” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. 

Anne Finger reads from “eledy for a Disease: A Personal and Cultural History of Polio” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley High Dance Production 2007, the best of hip hop, jazz and modern, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. in the Little Theater, BHS Campus. Tickets are $10, students $5. Come early as shows sell out.  

“A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr” including “Black Suite Blues” with the Oakland East Bay Symphony at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $20-$62. www.oebs.org 

The Crucible’s Fire Ballet “Romeo and Juliet” Wed. - Sat. at 8:30 p.m. at 1260 7th St., Oakland, through Jan. 20. Tickets are $30-$55. 444-0919. 

Dangerous Rhythm, jazz players jam at 8 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Tickets are $15 at the door. www.hillsideclub.org  

Pat Carroll Quartet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Pamela Rose & Her Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Chelle! & Friends at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums with Ms. Carmen Getit at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

D’Armous Boone’s Improv Consortium at Free Jazz Fridays at 8 p.m. at 1510 8th St. Performance Space, Oakland. Cost is $5-$15. 415-846-9432. 

Ray Cepeda, Latin rock, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Bob Franke at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jenny Ferris Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Abel Mouton and Dave Hadley at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Monster Squad, Whiskey Rebels, Static Thought at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Sol Spectrum at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Ethiopian Epiphany Timkat Celebration at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15-$20. 548-1159.  

The Brothers Goldman at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Tartufi at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $10. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

Ledisi at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200.  

SATURDAY, JAN. 20 

CHILDREN  

Drawing Techniques with Elisa Kelven at 2 p.m. in the Story Room, Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6224. 

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

EXHIBITIONS 

“100 Families in Oakland: Art & Social Change” Exhibition opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts.. Oakland, and runs through April 22. 238-2200. 

“Transforming Vision: The Wood Sculpture of William Hunter, 1970-2005” Exhibition opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts.. Oakland, and runs through March 18. 238-2200. 

“Hands in Motion” Works by Adekunle Kabir Adejare. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Float Art Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place # 116, Oakland. Benefit for Paths of Native Africa. Exhibition runs through Feb. 12. 535-1702. www.thefloatcenter.com 

B & W Archival Ink Prints by Thomas Lavin Reception for the artist at 6 p.m. at Photolab, 2235 Fifth St. Exhibition runs to Feb. 24. Gallery hours are Mon-Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 644-1400. 

Paintings by Allan Reynolds at the Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 3rfd flr., 101 Eighth St., Oakland. Exhibition runs through March. 817-5773. 

Fifth Anniversary Celebration at at 7:30 p.m. at the Fourth Street Studio, 1717d 4th St. 527-0600. 

FILM 

“Madame Broutte” Moussa Sene Absa’s film of a Sengalese widow at 3:30 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, Third flr. Community Room, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6139. 

The Lubitsch Touch “Sumrun” at 6:30 p.m. and “Trouble in Paradise” at 8:40 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Sustainable Peralta Film Festival at 5 p.m. and Sun. at 4:15 p.m. at Laney College, Oakland. Free. www.peralta.edu/sustainable 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Robert Scheer will discuss his new collection of political writings and presidential interviews, “Playing President: My Close Encounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton--and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush” at the Alameda Public Affairs Forum at 7 p.m. at the Home of Truth Center, 1300 Grand St., Alameda. 

Jacqueline Golding discusses “Healing Stories: Picture Books for the Big and Small Changes in a Child’s Life” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

“Japanese Modern Literature & Cinema” with Prof. Frederick Hsia at 1:45 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, Third flr. Community Room, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6136. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Flauti Diversi “Bach to Bach” at 8 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave., Albany. Tickets are $15-$18. 527-9840. 

American Bach Soloists perform works from 18th century Leipzig at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $16-$42. 415-621-7900. american bach.org 

Potaje, contemporary music rooted in Flamenco and Latin styles at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. 

Peking Acrobats at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$42. 642-9988.  

Terrain “WinterDances 2007” Sat. and Sun. at 8 p.m. at Western Sky Studio, 2525 Eighth St. 848-4878. 

Dark Funeral, Enslaved, Abigail Williams at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $25-$28. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Upground, Latin reggae, ska, cumbia and funk, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$10. 849-2568.  

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

A Night in Havana with Pellejo Seco at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Damond Moodie and Deborah Crooks at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Du Uy Quintet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Los Cenzontles, traditional Mexican music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Rocket, all-girl punk, at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Hamir Atwal Trio at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Heather Lauren Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Don Villa & Friends, country blues, at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Dark Funeral, Enslaved, Abigail Williams at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $25-$28. 763-1146. www.oaklandmetro.org 

Comadre, Parasites Go, Defiant Voice at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Ledisi at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, JAN. 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Berkeley: 75 Years Ago” opens at 3 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Hours are Thurs.-Sat., 1 to 4 p.m. Exhibit runs through March. 848-0181.  

“A Rose Has No Teeth: Bruce Nauman in the 1960s” Guided tour at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

“Tilden Sublime” a reception for artist Sheila Sondick at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

FILM 

“Shellmound” A documentary followed by speakers and drum circle at 7 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054.  

The Lubitsch Touch “Die Flamme” at 2 p.m. and “The Oyster Princess” at 4:15 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sal Glynn will discuss “The Dog Walked Down the Street: An Outspoken Guide for Writers Who Want to Publish” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. 

Susan Snyder describes “Past Tents: The Way We Camped” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Leonard Pitt reads from “A Small Moment of Great Illumination: Searching for Valentine Greatrakes, the Master Healer” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sandra Soderland “Preludes and Fugues from Four Centuries” at 4 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Suggested donation $10-$15. 525-0302, ext. 309. 

Anton Schwartz, saxophonist, at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Peidmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10, children under 12 free. 228-3218. 

Peking Acrobats at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $22-$42. 642-9988.  

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

Steve Taylor-Ramirez, Meli Rivera, and Silvia Parra in a concert dedicated to the women victims of violence in Latin America at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$12. 849-2568.  

Paul H. Taylor & The Montera Mountain Boys at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Natasha Miller Ensemble at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373.  

John McCutcheon at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761.  

MONDAY, JAN. 22 

FILM 

“The Mind is a Liar and a Whore” A new film by Antero Alli at 7 p.m. at the Gaia Arts Center, 2118 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 464-4640. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Looking at Jazz: America’s Art Form” with Dr. Dee Spencer at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6241. 

Gary Gach and George Albon at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Wendy Lesser reads from “Room for Doubt” personal essays on the writing life, at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698.  

Cris Beam discusses “Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Trangender Teens” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with Tracy Koretsky at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

West Coast Songwriters Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $5. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Blue Monday Jam at 7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100.  

Diablo Valley College Night Jazz Band at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$12. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, JAN. 23 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Art of Living Black” Exhibition opens at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond, and runs through March 16. 620-6772. www.richmondartcenter.org 

FILM 

Yoko Ono: Imagine Film “Rape” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Kala Fellowship Artist Talk with Karen McCoy and Daniel Ross at 7 p.m. at Kala Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977.  

Tell on on Tuesdays Storytelling with Brian M. Rosen, Allison Landa, Erica Lann-Clark, and Marijo, at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. Cost is $8-$12 sliding scale. www.juiamorgan.org 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Dorothy Fall reads from “Bernard Fall: Memories of a Soldier-Scholar” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Robert Stone describes “Prime Green: Remebering the Sixties” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tri Tip Trio at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

The Lovell Sisters at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

The Jazz Fourtet at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Broken Teeth with Jason McMaster at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland.  

God Forbid, Goat Whore, MNEMIC, The Human Abstract at 8 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway. Cost is $15-$18. All ages. 763-1146.  

Avance at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 

FILM 

History of Cinema “From the Cinema of Attractions to Narrative Illusionism” at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Carmen Yuen discusses “The Cosmos in a Carrot: A Zen Guide to Eating Well” Buddhist wisdom, nutritional information, and health advice at 5:30 p.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200.  

Colson Whtehead reads from “Apex Hides the Dirt” at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

“Songs to My Beloved” with poet Charles Burack at 7:30 p.m. at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$20, benefits Aquarian Minyan. 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. 

Wednesday Noon Concert, with Karen Shinozaki Sor, violin and Miles Graber, piano at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Free. 642-4864. http://music.berkeley.edu 

Bobby McFerrin with Voicetra at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$62. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Cyril Guiraud Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $9. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Borinquen at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Matt Heulitt Quartet at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

No Strangers at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Paul Manousos at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $5. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

The Ale Moller Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Brian Auger at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $12-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JAN. 25 

EXHIBITIONS 

“A Rose Has No Teeth: Bruce Nauman in the 1960s” Guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way. 642-0808. 

“Pyramids and Smoke Signals—A Global Warning” Paintings by Herk Schusteff at Berkeley YWCA, Bancroft at Bowditch, through Jan. 223-8707. 

FILM 

“The Mind is a Liar and a Whore” A new film by Antero Alli at 8 p.m. at 21 Grand, 416 25th St., Oakland. Cost is $10. 464-4640. 

Film Series with David Thomson “Vertigo”at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Vladimir Guerrero, author of “The Anza Trail and the Settling of California” will speak at the Alameda County Historical Society Annual Dinner at 6 p.m. at Spenger’s Restaurant, 1919 4th St. Cost is $35. For information and reservations call 339-2818. www.alamedacountyhistory.org  

“Reading Chinese Buddhist Monastic Hagiographies: A New Approach” with Jinhua Chen at at 5 p.m. at the IEAS Conference Room, 2223 Fulton St. 643-6536. 

“Conversations on Museums” with Anthony Platt at 6:30 p.m. at the Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $6-$8. 549-6950.. 

Bocalicious Spoken Word Swap Meet at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

New Century Chamber Orchestra performs Telemann, Britten, and Schubert at 8 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $28-$42. 415-357-1111. www.ncco.org 

Eliza Gilkyson at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Peter Anastos & Iternity at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Barry Syska, acoustic rock, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Rivkah Amado and Joel Siegal perform Jewish music from Medieval Spain at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

La Peña Latin Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Kenny Garrett with Bobby Hutcherson though Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$66. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

The Prids, Veil Veil Vanish, Red Voice Choir at 8:30 p.m. at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph, Oakland. Cost is $6. 451-8100. www.uptownnightclub.com 

75 YEARS AGO 

“Berkeley: 75 Years Ago,” an exhibit at the Berkeley History Center at the Veterans Memorial Building, will run from 1-4 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through March. 1931 Center St. 848-0181. 

‘PALESTINE BLUES’ 

Filmmaker Nina Sinnokrot will show and discuss “Palestine Blues,” a documentary examining the repercussions of Israel’s Security Wall and settlement expansion, at 7 p.m. Friday at the California Theater, 2113 Kittredge St. $6-8. 

BLACK SUIT BLUES 

The Oakland East Bay Symphony will present the West Coast premiere of “Black Suit Blues” at 8 p.m. Friday at Oakland’s Paramount Theater. Written by local composer Nolan Gasser, “Black Suit Blues” is based on a poem by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. about the impact of the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. The work, which draws heavily on blues and gospel styles, depicts the intense emotions following King’s assassination. $20-$62. Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. www.oebs.org. 

CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD IN RUINS 

Film critic David Thomson believes something strange and fascinating was going on with the movies toward the end of the 1950s and he wants your help in figuring just what it was. Thomson hosts “A Thousand Decisions in the Dark,” a film and discussion series, at Pacific Film Archive Thursday nights through Feb. 22. The series began last night with Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil and continues next week with Hitchcock’s Vertigo. 2575 Bancroft Way. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu.

The Arts and Crafts Movement, which started in England under the leadership of William Morris in the 1880s, advocated a unity of the arts in which architecture of the house and all aspects of its interior were in harmony and designed by craftsmen. It flourished in the Bay Area early in the 20th century with architects like Bernard Maybeck, John Hudson Thomas and many others.  

In painting and the decorative arts its great protagonists were Arthur and Lucia K. Mathews. The current exhibition at the Oakland Museum, the place that holds the largest collection of their work, provides a superb overview of their work: murals, easel paintings, furniture, interior design. It is accompanied by a scholarly catalogue by Harvey L. Jones, who also curated the show. 

Arthur Mathews (1860-1945) originally studied architecture before making a career as a painter. He went to Paris, enrolled at the Academie Julian, and was impressed, above all, by the Greek-inspired Symbolist murals by Puvis de Chavannes. After returning to San Francisco, Mathews painted a series of pictures of dancers, mostly women, in long sweeping gowns, rhythmically swinging their extended arms and often playing ancient musical instruments. They suggest the performances by Isadora Duncan, who inspired the building of the Temple of Wings in Berkeley. 

His painting Youth (c. 1917), set in a finely carved and decorated frame is a prime example of what is known as the California decorative style. 

Arthur Mathews also produced mythological paintings whose veiled eroticism reveal Victorian sentiments of the time. His portraits were incise depictions of his sitters, done with a vigorous brush. His later Tonalist landscapes, many of them of the Monterey or San Francisco Bay, were done with soft contours and muted colors and convey his painterly response to the sea, the sky, the black oaks and somber cypress trees. These paintings found an echo in the silent landscapes of his student Gottard Piazzoni, whose murals for the San Francisco Public Library are now housed in the new de Young Museum. 

Lucia Kleinhans Mathews (1870-1955) was Arthur’s student, business partner and an excellent painter in her own right. In 1889 she went to Paris where she studied with James Whistler and was surely aware of the work done by Gaugin and his Symbolist confreres as well as by the Nabis (prophets in Hebrew). Her landscapes, done around 1910 with their reductive flat rendering of space conform to precepts of Modernist painting. Her exquisite small oils on board, depicting people in Paris parks were, for this writer, the most pleasing works in the exhibition. 

In accordance with the practice of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Mathews opened the Furniture Shop in San Francisco in 1906, an enterprise which produced custom-designed furniture and other objects for well-to-do clients of taste. These pieces were done with a great sense of craftsmanship and a fine feeling for decoration. Many of the paintings in the show are held in appropriate carved and painted ornamental frames which were an integral part of their work in which there was no distinction between art and craft. 

CALIFORNIA AS MUSE: THE ART OF ARTHUR AND LUCIA MATHEWS 

Exhibition runs to March 25 at the Oakland Museum of California, Tenth and Oak streets. 238-2200. www.museumca.org.  

Illustration: 

Youth (1917) by Arthur F. Mathews. Oil on canvas, 38 x 50 inches, with  

Furniture Shop frame. Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of  

Concours d’Antiques, Art Guild. 

A treasure trove of rare European archival jazz footage has finally made its way to the United States and is being presented in the form of a film and discussion being hosted at 50 public libraries nationwide. 

Beginning Monday, Jan. 22, the Berkeley Public Library, one of only three California venues for the forum, will present the six-part series, running one session a month through June. The series, which the library is calling “Jazz on a Monday Afternoon,” is part of a the Looking at Jazz project, funded by National Video Resources, National Endowment for the Humanities, Jazz at the Lincoln Center and the American Library Association.  

The Berkeley Public Library was selected as one of 50 libraries in the country to receive a grant and access to the archival footage that will be shown throughout the series. 

“We have done a lot of jazz history programming here at the library,” says Art and Music Librarian Michelle McKenzie, “and so we were a natural choice for this opportunity.” 

The library’s lobby features an exhibit of photos and programs from past lectures on jazz held at the library over the past three decades. 

The Berkeley presentation, co-sponsored by the Jazzschool, will be hosted by San Francisco State University professor Dr. Dee Spencer. Spencer co-founded S.F. State’s jazz studies program and, in addition to teaching, she is a jazz pianist and vocalist who performs around the Bay Area. 

The series allows each venue’s host to tailor the materials to their particular preferences. Thus Spencer will eschew the official documentaries in favor of raw, unedited performance footage, most of it unseen in the United States, showing as many full performances as possible. Much of the footage comes from European television outlets, featuring music and musicians more often appreciated abroad than in their native land. Other segments are recent discoveries from private collections, neglected for years in long-forgotten vaults. 

“This is not a documentary; it’s a film series devoted to jazz musicians,” says Spencer. “There won’t be a lot of talking heads; we’re going to let the music speak for itself. 

“I am going to talk as little as possible about the performers because I don’t want to get in the way of the music, and I have so much music I want to present,” she explains. “We have a whole bunch of footage that has been sitting in a vault somewhere, a lot of it filmed in Europe and it has never been seen before in the United States.” 

Afterwards Spencer will take questions and demonstrate examples on the piano. “It is going to be very interactive,” she says. “We’re in a library, so if afterwards you want to do more research on an artist it will be right at hand, so you don’t need me to lecture. I see myself as guiding people, I don’t want to tell the people about it, I want to show them...I kind of think of myself as a jazz activist. I want to get people excited about jazz and out there supporting the music.” 

The footage includes early and exceedingly rare performances by Louis Armstrong and the Hot Fives and the Hot Sevens, Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton, as well as Ella Fitzgerald performing with Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones performing with Dizzy Gillespie, and even contemporary artists like Regina Carter. 

The first installment in the series, entitled “New Orleans and the Origins of Jazz,” runs from 2-4 p.m. Monday and will feature rare footage of the musical stylings that would give birth to jazz, including street cries, marching bands and funeral parades from the early 20th century.  

Since most of what survives of early jazz are studio recordings, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the influence of pioneers like Armstrong. The technologies of the time limited recordings in both length and quality. The official recordings of Armstrong, for instance, are usually just two minutes long, whereas the same songs in a live performance could run much longer, the musicians improvising new arrangements every night.  

The fidelity of the recordings is uneven as well. Armstrong’s trumpet playing was so forceful that it would cause the phonograph needle to skip when cutting the wax masters. The solution was to move him further back from the device, behind the band even. Thus in many of his early recordings Armstrong is actually standing as far 15 feet behind the band, greatly altering the sound. Spencer’s footage should give a more accurate account of the dynamics of Armstrong and his band in this era.  

“There is nothing like seeing artists when they are young and vibrant with the modern sound and format. We will get to see a young Louis Armstrong leading what is basically the first jazz ensemble ever,” says Spencer. 

By presenting full performances along with discussion and demonstration, Spencer hopes the series will give participants a more accurate reflection of the influence and range of these musicians, giving a better sense of the talents that conspired in the invention of “America’s music.” 

JAZZ ON A MONDAY AFTERNOON 

Jan 22: New Orleans and the Origins of Jazz  

Feb. 26: The Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance  

March 26: Jazz Vocalists  

April 9: The Swing Era  

May 21: Jazz Innovators: From BeBop, to Hard Bop, to Cool and More  

June 25: Latin Jazz and Jazz as an  

International Music 

Admission to all presentations is free.  

For more information, call the Berkeley  

Public Library at 981-6100 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org or  

http://nvr.org/lookingatjazz. 

Photograph: The King and Carter Jazzing Orchestra, 1921.

By Jane Powell 

Of all the things you will ever have to do to your house, deciding what color to paint the outside is one of the most difficult. While some people just don’t care what color their house is, I think many owners are so overwhelmed by the whole thing that they simply opt for the default color: beige. And that makes for a very boring streetscape.  

While beige is inoffensive, at the other end of the scale, people who pick their own colors (from paint chips) have saddled their neighborhoods with houses painted bright blue, orange, or purple. Picking exterior colors is hard, and I say this as someone who does it professionally. But I’m not going to explain the whole color wheel thing—instead, I am going to offer some rules to follow, and some tried-and-true color combinations that will look good on almost any building. Think of this as What Not To Wear for your house—follow the rules and your house will look better. No, you will not get a $5,000 VISA card. (If you still can’t handle it after this, I’ve included contact information for some color consultants at the end.) 

There are three main things to be painted on the average house: the body, which is what’s on the walls (siding, stucco, shingles, etc.); the trim, which is all the wooden moldings around the windows and doors, as well as the edge of the roof and various other brackets, moldings and such; and the sash, which is the movable part of the windows.  

Rule #1: No picking colors from paint chips without trying them on the house.  

Paint chips can be used to narrow down to color combinations that you like, so that you can then buy quarts and try them out on the house. The fifty bucks you spend on quarts will be well worth it. 

Rule #2: Trim should be the lightest color, sashes should be the darkest, with the body color somewhere in between. 

This means there will be at least three colors on the house. Some painters balk at this. Don’t let them—the windows need to be a different color. And don’t do it the other way around, with dark trim and light sashes- it makes the façade look busy. Pick the body color first- it’s the hardest, and there’s going to be a lot of it. 

Try out colors around a window or door, so that you can see how they look together. I generally use the front of the house, which brings us to: 

Rule #3: Ignore the neighbors. 

As you try colors, your neighbors will give their opinions, which will mostly be that the color is “too dark”, “too light”, “too yellow”, or whatever. Occasionally your neighbors will be right, but if you have picked the right color combination, they will rave about the color they didn’t like once the house has been painted. 

Rule #4: Things which are not painted or meant to be painted (shingles, bricks, stonework, concrete) should not be painted, unless they have already been painted.  

If already painted, it’s best to paint them a color which resembles the color they would be if they weren’t, such as raisin or grey-brown for shingles, a reddish color for brick, gray for stone. This is not permission to paint the bricks bright red and the mortar joints bright white like a cardboard Christmas fireplace!  

Rule #5: NO BLUE! 

Blue is the most difficult color to use outdoors, so don’t even go there. If you must, don’t go for bright blues- use teal, midnight, or grey-blue, and only on the sashes. Another difficult color is terra-cotta, which can be lovely when it’s right, but a salmon pink or tomato soup disaster when it’s wrong. 

Rule #6: If you see a paint job with good colors, copy it. 

Well, maybe not if it’s your next door neighbor. Also, the paint companies have tried their best to make up lovely color combinations for you. Most companies have historic palettes with period-appropriate colors.  

Here are some (limited) color combinations that seem to work on most houses—you can mix and match. 

Body Trim Accent 

Chamois Cream Forest green 

Sage Green Burgundy 

Olive Green Eggplant 

Butterscotch Dark Teal 

Beige 

The colors will not be called that, of course, since the paint companies have their own names. My personal favorite paint color name is Corporate America. Yup- it’s gray. So buy some quarts and try them out. If you are still overwhelmed, hire a color consultant. An attractive paint job will increase your home’s value and enhance your street as well.  

Iliumarts- Jeanette Sayre 

www.iliumart.com 

(510) 451-7046 

The Color Doctor- Bob Buckter 

www.drcolor.com 

(415) 922-7444 

Arthur Deco Color 

(510) 849-3568 

Photograph by Jane Powell 

Forest green sashes (Benjamin Moore Essex Green) and cream colored trim draw attention to the arched front window of a Maxwell Park bungalow at 5539 Brookdale, Oakland. The stucco is painted a butterscotch tone which changes with the light. This home is featured on the cover of Bungalow Colors by Robert Schweitzer. 

First of all, let’s get our terminology right. Pergo is one brand of laminate flooring and not, by any stretch, the onsly one. There are many brands of laminate flooring, Pergo was just the first. Actually, even that isn’t wholly accurate and why not be accurate? Pergo, a Swedish company, first applied laminate technology to flooring in 1994 and has, in an amazingly short while, completely changed the face of the flooring business. This stuff is everywhere. 

So what is a laminate? Well, for ease of cognition, it’s Formica. That’s also a fair use of the eponym since Formica was the first form of laminate and also it’s greatest proponent. Formica was invented in 1912 by a couple of guys working at Westinghouse and was originally intended as an electrical insulator (that’s what Westinghouse did, they built electric stuff and were led by that strangest of scientists, Nicola Tesla). 

Mica had been the gold standard in insulators up to that point which explains the name. For-Mica found great popularity as a countertop material for decades and is still popular today for a range of functions. There are designers who go nuts with the stuff and put it on everything; cabinets, walls, doors, partitions. It IS admittedly, a very practical material, if somewhat stilted in its appearance.  

I did find it both amusing and smart when the boomerang pattern, so popular in the 1960s started making a comeback about 10 years ago. That’s the fun thing about Formica, the application of it as sense-memory. All those milk-shakes slurped at lunch counters, the whole of our youths spent doing dishes and wiping down those smooth glassy surfaces. 

Now it’s on floors everywhere you go and it’s not surprising given the low cost and ease of installation. Whether it’s Pergo, Wilsonart, Mannington, Alloc or Wiltex, this flooring is very easy to adopt. Now, I have to confess that my response to it, when I first encountered it was a sort of high-handed dislike.  

I’m very old fashioned. I like scratched old wooden floors. I like stained concrete and brick. I’m not a fan of plastic houses or plastic people. I like what feels real. Gritty, broken, smelly and old, but hey, that’s just one point of view. I also like renting cars. I like the clean carpet, the fact that all the parts work, that there are 12 airbags and no scratches at all. It’s a very political debate, I end up having with myself. Old and real, vs. new, fake and shiny. I’m simply undecided. 

There could be a solution to my conundrum and that might be to take the new thing and turn it on it’s head. The thing that bothers me about laminate flooring is that it’s usually used as a fake version of something real. It’s a photograph (literally) of wood instead of wood. Well, how about letting it be what it really is; plastic.  

I’d be much more likely to use this material if it employed some of the weirdly amusing patterns that Formica adopted over the last 60 years. How about a bright red plastic floor or one that looks like a field of stones or perhaps the surface of water. (Care to take a short walk on water?). I’m waiting to see someone use a mixture of wood patterns in a Pergo floor just to make the point that it ISN’T real. There are so many possibilities with this material and there are really good reasons to use it if and when you can get the oeuvre over-easy. 

One is that it’s durable as heck. If you’ve installed it properly, its can end up lasting an awfully long time with almost zero maintenance.  

Most of these floors are finished with a coating of aluminum oxide. That’s the same thing that rubies and sapphires are made of. Incredibly tough and scratch resistant. The weak link is the core, which is made from wood particle, but they seem to have impregnated most brands with enough resin or wax to help them hold up, even under damp conditions. Given the low cost, the lack of any need for finish and the fact that most are installed over a plastic closed-cell foam that you roll out in advance of placing the floor, I think it’s ideal for finishing a basement. 

If your concrete gets even a little damp, it’s probably best to seal the concrete and then add a plastic layer before installing the floor. Some of these floors come with their own felt backing and I’d avoid those ones in the basement. They’re fine over wood on the main floor but they may tend to decay and act as a growth medium. Some have a polypropylene backing and that’s probably safer. 

Another cool thing about laminate flooring is that nearly all install with a click-lock tongue and groove system. They just snap together. If you’re concerned about dampness, such as in the case in a kitchen, there are sealants that can be added along the tongue prior to snapping them together (and I think it’s a good idea).  

If you’re thinking about a damp area, go for a higher quality product. Many manufacturers have a lower and higher end line but this isn’t a major issue. 

One cool thing about a cheap, fast flooring job like this is that you can think about places you’ve avoided finishing. Put a floor in the basement, put one in the attic where you have that office the city doesn’t know about. Put one in the playhouse. If you have a space with air infiltration between the floorboards (as some wooden basement floors do), it’s a way to cover the gaps.  

Prices seem to be about 7-10 bucks per square foot installed but I think that price represents a highly finished job. This stuff can be bought for as little as a dollar a square foot and if you do the job yourself, a small room can be done for 100 bucks. That’s nothing in the world of construction. 

All the excitement aside, I would strongly encourage owners of older homes to avoid the plastic look and consider refinishing their wooden floors instead. Even a modular bamboo floor seems more appropriate in an old craftsman bungalow and there are a huge number of real wood and veneered modular floor (the veneer is a thin layer of real wood) in the marketplace and there’s no need to settle for plastic when something more natural or authentic is called for. 

I hope that designers and manufacturers will rise to the task and provide us with the sorts of wild or interesting choices that this new and promising material is capable of. Of course there will certainly be an ugly side to this resource and I doubt it’ll be long before we see a floor covered with those damned little Gucci symbols. Harrumph. 

Illustration: Pergo’s Pro-loc tongue and groove joint makes installation a snap. 

Got a question about home repairs and inspections? Send them to Matt Cantor at mgcantor@pacbell.net.

We’re still freezing and so are our gardens (My poor red–leaf banana!) and I’m telling you it’s time to think about irrigation? Yes indeed. 

We’re entertaining a theoretically brief water pinch right now as EBMUD does aqueduct repair. Take that raised consciousness and run with it. Setting down a good irrigation plan for your garden this summer will save time, water, plants, and maybe even money in the long run. Besides, it’s more fun than Tinkertoys.  

Here’s the rub: It’s more complicated than Tinkertoys or even that Erector Set. Sure, you’re basically threading your yard with black spaghetti and adding plugs and sprinklers and pop-ups and semicircular sprayers and drip emitters and T-connectors and Y-connectors and maybe timers and/or sensors and don’t forget the end of the line; you’ll need those plug dinguses there.  

That doesn’t sound right. What’s the plural of “dingus”? Dinguses? Dingusses? Dingi? Dingodes? Hardware?  

Anyway, you’ll need not only the stuff but the skill. The trickiest thing about it all is getting the water pressure right all along the system. Slopes and distances from the head faucet and soil types can make weird differences, and the average way to discover mistakes is to lose a few plants or run up the water bill with unnoticed leaks.  

The Urban Farmer Store’s Richmond branch can help with that. Sit down and sketch your garden. You don’t need great art here, but measuring dimensions is a must. Take photos and base your sketch on those if you’re as drawing-challenged as I am. Bring it all in to the Urban Farmers and, if you buy your parts there, they’ll help you with free irrigation and lighting plans.  

Urban Farmer isn’t just an irrigation store. There’s low-wattage outdoor lighting too—pathlights, uplights to make that queen palm a star, downlights to give your place a soft air of mystery at night. We don’t have lightning bugs here, so we have to make do.  

The other side of irrigation—drainage—needs attention in our clay soils too, so get your assorted pipes and landscape cloth, your grates and channels and drains and fittings here. You can get a load of drain rock or big gravel next door at American Soil products.  

Also: ponds. UF has pond liners, pumps, tubing, filters, fountain nozzles, algae control (including those ecogroovy barley-straw bundles) UV water clarifiers, and, Joe’s favorite, “The Muck Buster” pond vacuum cleaner. The staff would be good people to consult about ponds, too.  

There’s lots of ecogroovy stuff at UF besides those water-saving irrigation systems: biodegradable paper debris bags, burlap tarps (80”X 80”, perfect size for a work-catchall tarp), and people-powered push mowers. The Richmond store carries hand tools from Hida Tools, such as Tobisho and Felco pruning shears and Silky saws.  

UF runs free classes for landscaping professionals: sprinkler design on 1/27; drip irrigation, 2/8; waterscapes, 2/22; all at 7 p.m. Register at 524-1604 or www.urbanfarmerstore.com—click on “Classes.”  

The Urban Farmer Store 

2121 San Joaquin St., Richmond 

524-1604 

Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 

Saturday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Hours change seasonally; call to confirm.  

Ron Sullivan is a former professional gardener and arborist. Her “Garden Variety” column appears every Friday in the Daily Planet’s East Bay Home & Real Estate section. Her column on East Bay trees appears every other Tuesday in the Daily Planet.

FRIDAY, JAN. 19 

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 

Understanding the Realities of War A community meeting to help service members cope with returning from combat, at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Free for veterans and their families, $10 for others. Full day workshop for veterans and families on Sat. 415-387-0800. 

“Palestine Blues” A documentary on the repercussions of the Israeli Security Wall and Settlement expansion by filmmaker Nida Sinnokrot, followed by a discussion with the director at 7 p.m. at California Theater, 2113 Kittredge St., between Oxford and Shattuck. Cost is $6-$8.  

“Tales of the San Joaquin” A documentary on this hardworking and abused river, and “Affluenza” on American’s use of global resources at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation of $5 acccepted. www.HumanistHall.net 

Red Cross Blood Drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UCB Unit 2 Dorms, Recreation Room, 2650 Haste. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com (code UCB) 

Womansong Circle with Betsy Rose A participatory circle of song for women at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way at Dana. Donation $15-$20 at the door. No one turned away for lack of funds. 525-7082. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Dr. Linnard-Palmer on “Religion and the Medical Treatment of a Minor” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. 526-2925.  

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St. at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

Key to Life Ministries’ Annual Crab Feed and Fundraiser at 6 p.m. at Richmond Memorial Convention Center, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. Tickets are $37. 525-0500. 

Movies that Matter “Chicago” at 6:30 p.m. at Neumayer Residence, 565 Bellevue St. at Perkins, Oakland. Free. 451-3009. http://joyfulharmony.org  

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

SATURDAY, JAN. 20 

Kid’s Garden Club for ages 6-9 to explore the world of gardening, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Dress to get dirty. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

Save the Oaks Welcomes Back Students with music, art, food, games and fun at noon at the Oak Grove, on Piedmont Ave., in front of Memorial Stadium.  

North Shattuck Plaza Tour sponsored by the North Shattuck Design Committee. Meet at 9:30 a.m. on the sidewalk outside of Bel Forno Cafe and Bakery. 

Family Bird Walk at the Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Learn birding basics with naturalist Bethany Facendini on this 2 mile walk. For information and meeting place call 525-2233. 

Wildcat Canyon/Alvarado History Walk Join Berkeley Path Wanderers and East Bay Park District Naturalist Dave Zuckermann exploring the historic Alvarado Park section of Wildcat Canyon Park on a 2.5 mile moderately paced walk. Meet at 10 a.m. at the park staging area off of Park Ave., 0.1 mile off McBryde Ave., in Richmond. Bring water and snack; dress in layers and be prepared for mud. www.berkeleypaths.org  

Understanding the Realities of War Free workshop for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Free for veterans and their families, $10 for others. 415-387-0800. 

Progressive Democrats of the East Bay 2007 Planning Meeting at 11:30 a.m. at the Fireside Room, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, Cedar and Bonita St. All welcome. 636-4149 www.pdeastbay.org 

“Playing President: My Close Encounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton—and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush” with author Robert Scheer at 7 p.m. at the Alameda Public Affairs Forum, Home of Truth Center, 1300 Grand St. Alameda. 

Sustainable Peralta Film Festival on Oil, Energy and Global Warming at 5 p.m. at Laney College, Oakland. Free. www.peralta.edu/sustainable 

“Scientists Look at Love” A discussion of the latest research on the brain’s response to romance, arousal and heartbreak, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. Free, but registration required. http://plaisir.berkeley.edu. 

“Which Way the West?” How the 2006 elections will affect the public lands, water and communities of the American West, with former Interior Department solicitor John Leshy, Sierra Club conservation director Bruce Hamilton, Hewlett Foundation environmental program officer Rhea Suh and High Country News publisher Paul Larmer at 7 p.m. in the Krutch Theater, Clark Kerr Campus, UC Campus. RSVP to 800-905-1155. 

California Writers Club meets to discuss “To Be Somebody Else” with Peter Beagle at 10 a.m. at Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square. 272-0120. 

Financial Planning Seminar for Women at 2 p.m. at the Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. 597-5017. 

Piedmont Choir Placement Auditions for beginners and experienced singers aged 6-10. To schedule an audition call 547-4441.  

Developing a Personal Yoga Practice Series of four classes begins at 9:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200.  

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.  

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755.  

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

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, JAN. 21 

“Berkeley: 75 Years Ago” opens at 3 p.m. at the Berkeley History Center, Veterans Memorial Building, 1931 Center St. Hours are Thurs.-Sat., 1 to 4 p.m. Exhibit runs through March. 848-0181.  

Gone Tracking Find tracks and make a plaster cast of a racoon, fox, rabbit or deer that you can take home. All materials provided. Meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $3. 525-2233. 

“Open Garden” Join the Little Farm gardener for composting, planting, watering and reaping the rewards of our work, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cancelled only by heavy rain. 525-2233.  

Sustainable Peralta Film Festival on Protecting Our Native Lands at 4:15 p.m. at Laney College, Oakland. Free. www.peralta.edu/sustainable 

“Tilden Sublime” a reception for artist Sheila Sondick at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233.  

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, on Telegraph Ave. between Derby & Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377. 

Tibetan Buddhism “Tibetan World Peace Ceremony” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812.  

MONDAY, JAN. 22 

“The Motherhood Manifesto” A documentary film based on the book by Joan Blades and Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, about the need for true family-friendly social policies, at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. 658-6177. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 2 to 3 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

“Having a Healthy Heart” with Cathy Luginbill, Coordinator of Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs at Alta Bates Summit, at 12:30 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. Brown-bag lunch event. 526-3720. 

Introduction to Meditation at 6:45 p.m. at Bay Zen Center, 315 Alcatraz Ave. Donation $10. To register call, 596-3087. 

TUESDAY, JAN. 23 

Tuesday is for the Birds An early morning walk for birders through Bay Area parklands. Bring water, sunscreen, binoculars and a snack. This week we will visit the Albany Bulb. For meeting location or to borrow binoculars, call 525-2233.  

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult, at 3:15 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. We will learn about bird migration. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Berkeley High School Governance Council meets at 4:15 p.m. in the Community Theater Lobby. 644-4803. 

El Cerrito Democratic Club meets at 7:30 p.m. at Makemie Hall, Northminster Presbyterian Church, 545 Ashbury, El Cerrito. 526-4874. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St., near corner of Eunice. MelDancing@aol.com 

Pirate School Interactive Program for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. Free. 524-3043. 

MySpace Safety Program A discussion for parents at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Dimond Branch, 3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. 482-7844. 

Learn How to Tune and Wax Your Skis/Snowboard at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Copwatch Report Mailing Party Help mail out the Winter 06-07 Copwatch Report at 6 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 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. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 

Tilden Explorers An after-school nature adventure program for 5-7 year olds, who may be accompanied by an adult, at 3:15 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. We will learn about bird migration. Cost is $6-$8. Registration required. 636-1684. 

Bobby Seale, a founder of the Black Panthers will speak at the Gray Panthers meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst. All welcome. 548-9696. 

The Stewardship Council Public Meeting to discuss the Land Conservation Plan and the Youth Investment Program from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Preservation Park, 1233 Preservation Park Way, Oakland. 650-286-5150. www.stewardshipcouncil.org 

“Nanotechnology – The Power of Small” a production of Fred Friendly Seminars, will be taped at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Rep, Roda Theater, 2015 Addison St., for broadcast on PBS. Audience members should plan to be seated by 6:45 pm. Free but registration required www.smartscience.org/berkeley ffs registration.htm  

New to DVD “Eternity and a Day” at 7 p.m. at the JCCEB, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

THURSDAY, JAN. 25 

“Berkeley’s Economic Future” with Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, at 1 p.m. at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. Light lunch served at noon. RSVP to 981-7100. 

Tom Hayden, former California Legislator and peace activist will speak on “The Politics of Iraq in the Democratic Party” at the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club meeting at 7 p.m. at the Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., between Telegraph and Broadway, Oakland. www.wellstoneclub.org 

YMCA Martin Luther King Community Banquet at 7 p.m. at 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oaklnad, to raise funds for YMCA programs. Tickets are $150. 451-8039, ext. 457. 

Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans A review of proposals for Alameda County at 5:30 p.m. at ACTIA, 426 17th St., Suite 100, Oakland. www.actia2022.com 

Easy Does It Emergency Services Board of Directors’ Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 1636 University Ave. 845-5513. 

WriterCoach Connection seeks volunteers to help students improve their writing and thinking skills. Commit to 1-2 hours per week during the school day and work one-on-one with students in their English classes. Training from noon to 3 p.m. 524-2319. www.writercoachconnection.org 

Home Remodeling Seminar: How to Make it a Success, at 6:30 p.m. at Truitt & White Conference Room, 1817 Second St. Free, registration required. 653-7288. 

“Redefining Our Relationships” with Wendy O. Matick at 7 p.m. at AK Press, 674A 23rd. St., Oakland. Cost is $10-$15, sliding scale, no one turned away. 208-1700. 

Storytime for Babies & Toddlers at 10:30 a.m. Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

ONGOING 

Berkeley Winter Campaign for Cats We are providing free trapping assistance and spay/neuter to feral and homeless cats in Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont, through March 2007. The cats will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for fleas and returned safely back to their neighborhoods. To report a neighborhood in need or to volunteer, please contact Caitlin at 908-0709. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets Wed., Jan. 24, at 7 p.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, 997 Cedar St. Gil Dong, 981-5502.  

Energy Commission meets Wed., Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Neal De Snoo, 981-5434. 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950.  

Mental Health Commission meets Wed., Thurs. Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at 2640 MLK Jr. Way, at Derby. 981-5213.  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., Jan. 25, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410.