Often when we’re in the locker room at the pool, my mother will say to me, ‘Do you hear the singing?’ And I’ll ask, “What singing?” “Don’t you hear the music?” she’ll say. And I’ll listen, and I’ll hear sounds bouncing off the walls and different voices, and as I focus in on them they get increasingly melodic... -more-

Former City Councilmember, attorney, neighborhood preservationist and humanitarian John Denton died peacefully in his sleep Sunday night at the age of 93. -more-

Iceland became an official Berkeley historical structure Thursday when a divided Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted its highest level of recognition to the threatened building. -more-

A major goof has temporarily stalled the approval process for one Richmond-area casino, while signs of movement have been detected for the second. -more-

Developers can buy property in West Berkeley, jack up the rents and force out long-time tenants and nobody can stop them. -more-

The Emeryville City Council is scheduled to discuss explosive charges of racial discrimination and retaliation against city employees in its May 1 council meeting, but the councilmember who put the item on the agenda does not hold out much hope that the discussion will lead to changes in Emeryville city government. -more-

The controversy over what may be the largest corporate/academic research pact in the history of American universities is headed back to UC Berkeley’s Academic Senate. -more-

“To this day, I believe, we are here on this planet earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.” -more-

Tree-sitter and one-time Berkeley mayoral candidate Zachary Running Wolf headed back to jail Friday, busted yet again by UC Berkeley police. -more-

Suzanne Wilson will replace former Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) commissioner Dave Blake at the ZAB meeting Thursday. Wilson was appointed to the position by District 1 Councilmember Linda Maio. -more-

The Berkeley Board of Education will discuss sending an application to the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) for funding and approval of the Berkeley Unified School District’s (BUSD) funds to complete a solar project at Washington Elementary School. -more-

How I long to grow bananas. If I moved a few blocks away I could, for sheltered by fencing from our reliable afternoon wind grows a magnificent specimen bearing several hands of green fruits. Bananas are usually harvested green, so ripening will not be a problem for this lucky owner. -more-

KPFA -more-

There has been much discussion recently on the merits of the proposed development of the Oak-to-Ninth waterfront. -more-

Marc Sapir’s April 6 commentary is an amalgam of factual inaccuracies, crisis-mongering, and unprincipled attacks on my character. That Sapir has launched an ad hominem attack on me is no surprise, given his track record of lashing out at KPFA staff for the past several years. But I was surprised that he chose to both agent-bait and red-bait me (and, bizarrely, my parents), in an attempt to discredit my work as KPFA’s interim program director. -more-

As a University of California Berkeley student and an avid supporter of the Cal Football team, I support the plan to construct a new training center for our student-athletes and to seismically upgrade Memorial Stadium. I believe that the successful completion of this project will benefit the school and the city. A highly successful athletic program brings in more money to the university, and the subsequent development of the area can help the city by potentially increasing the tax base. -more-

Do we need fewer oaks and more jocks? UC Berkeley seems to believe that we do. There is a plan to tear down a woodland grove of coast live oaks and several redwoods only to build a new sports training facility. Although these oaks are protected under the City of Berkeley’s Live Oak Protection Ordinance, the university claims that because it is a state institution they are “not obliged to obey local environmental laws.” A grassroots citizens’ campaign has sprung made up of various leaders, students, and community members to pressure the university to reconsider, look for other sites to build the facility, and save the oaks! -more-

“You’re Never Too Old to Camp.” Ha! In response to Marta Yamamoto’s article in the March 13 edition, I have to say that I was already too old in my 20s to go camping. No one I grew up with in Atlanta in the 1930s and 1940s had gone camping or intended to go camping ever. In the early 1950s, when I was a college student, I had a brief experience as a counselor at a summer camp for children, and one night I camped on the ground with a group of children. -more-

We hear news every day about the “greening” of our world. Architects are designing with green materials, contractors are installing recycled floors, and appliances are put into kitchen and laundry rooms that use less energy. People buy products (from light bulbs to clothing) that show that we care for our environment. Some days it seems overwhelming! “What can I do about it?” can seem daunting. -more-

Where is all of this green stuff taking us? Who is in charge? Is this a Green Revolution? I’m waist deep in this sustainability muck and I haven’t a clue. Many say that time is short. The problems are huge—that there are more problems to fix than Gore’s climate challenge. Some suggest that drastic measures to control the planet’s population are required stop the destruction of our natural resource base. The list of problems is endless. -more-

The full-page ads in the New York Times are wrenching: children in the last stages of starvation, terrified refugees, and burned out villages. They are the images that come to mind when most Americans think about the Sudan. -more-

“Sit down,” I said to the sixth-grader standing at his desk to my right. It was another day of substitute teaching. I needed to prove that I was in control. -more-

Why did I spend most of last week sneezing? Why do half the people on the street seem to be sneezing along with me? Is it a peculiarly Berkeley sort of performance art? -more-