A Berkeley-based environmental group is suing the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, alleging that the agency violated the California Public Records Act by denying access to Pacific Steel Casting’s Odor Control Plan. -more-

The Berkeley Board of Education and the Berkeley City Council were getting ready to vote on whether the city should proceed with an environmental review of plans to expand and improve the city’s pools as the Daily Planet went to press on Wednesday, April 15. If the board made its decision at its April 15 meeting, it will be found on the Planet website at berkeleydailyplanet.com. -more-

Berkeley property owners may soon be asked to approve a 20 percent increase in city refuse fees in a somewhat controversial “majority protest” mail-in voting procedure. The unusual ballot process automatically counts votes not received as “yes” votes. -more-

The Berkeley Zoning Adjust-ments Board last week postponed discussion on whether the Gaia Building was adhering to its use permit, in order to give its owners, Equity Residential, a month to negotiate leasing terms with the Marsh Theater. The zoning board will resume the discussion May 14. -more-

The Berkeley Alliance for Homeless Animals Coalition will receive $474,200 on April 23 for winning the Maddie’s Fund Lifesaving Award. -more-

The Berkeley Unified School District is planning to eliminate at least 25 classified employee positions in response to state public education budget cuts, district officials said Wednesday. -more-

An ad hoc group of Oakland community leaders and activists demanded on Tuesday that the Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA) police union apologize for its role in preventing Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums from speaking at the joint funeral of the four Oakland police officers killed in the March 21 MacArthur Boulevard shootings. -more-

Berkeley’s Public Works Department last week announced anticipated traffic delays and possible street closures due to street repairs on University Avenue, between Sixth and Grant streets. -more-

The final environmental impact report for the Downtown Area Plan, released Wednesday, April 15, has been posted online for public review. -more-

UC Berkeley announced Tuesday, April 7, that the school had received a record number of applications for the 2009-2010 academic year and has accepted nearly 13,000 students to its fall freshman class. -more-

Glue in locks -more-

As an avid moviegoer since early childhood, I happily signed on for the Oakland Museum’s “Hollywood Revisited” tour, arranged through the History Guild this past March. The trip also included Los Angeles, about which I had misgivings, having been brainwashed by the late Herb Caen, who viewed this city with utter disdain. -more-

OFFICE DEPOT -more-

Many of us are familiar with the Free Speech Movement on the Berkeley campus in 1964 that followed the Loyalty Oath Struggle of the 1950s, which cost the University of California 68 of its finest professors and teachers, who refused to sign it. The community movement to build People’s Park followed immediately after the drawn-out yet ultimately successful struggle to create ethnic studies programs both at the university and at San Francisco State College in the fall of 1968. The image of President Samuel Hayakawa tearing out the wiring on one of the movement’s loudspeaker trucks on the San Francisco campus at that time is still indelibly burned into the brains of those alive at the time. -more-

First off I would like to thank you for “Undercurrents.” J. Douglas Allen-Taylor generally hits the mark, and his stuff on Oakland has exposed Chip Johnson for the gossip columnist he is. I must take Jean Damu to task, though, for his recent commentary. I know Damu and admire his union work and his solidarity work, but his piece on “Black America and the Police” is almost embarrassing. I mean it was a step up from the garbage that was Mr. Anderson’s commentary, but in a way like it. -more-

The San Francisco Chronicle is here to stay! As a lifelong reader of the San Francisco Chronicle, I am pleased to hear the news that Northern California’s largest newspaper will not shut down. -more-

Even though you can’t always get what you want, you can’t even get what you need, try hard as you may. Not in Berkeley anyway. They not only tore down paradise, but also they tore down the parking lot (although later). -more-

I am writing in response to Joseph Anderson’s April 2 commentary, “The Karmic Justice of Lovelle Mixon’s Act.” In the commentary, Anderson mentioned Jeremiah Chass. I am a close family friend of Jeremiah’s and his family’s and I wanted to take the time to clear up some misrepresented information. Although Jeremiah’s mother appreciated the objective of your article she was deeply affected by the misinformation. -more-

Given the problems associated with the Jan. 30 party at the Gaia Building (“Another Gaia Building Riot—With Gun Fire,” Daily Planet, Feb. 4), it is appropriate and timely to take a step back and examine how we as a community address the social needs of our younger members. It is natural for people to seek social interaction with other people. This is particularly true for younger people. The type of interaction is varied, but parties usually play an important role. As with all social interactions, there are risks. It is appropriate for city officials—within the bounds of their authority—to attempt to reduce the risks. -more-

The financial crisis has raised public awareness that corporations deemed “too big to fail” have to be broken into manageable units. And there is widespread anger about colossal CEO salaries. Clearly, big is no longer beautiful. What remains to be seen is how far this understanding will extend and whether this is a teachable moment, where Americans will embrace major social changes. -more-

Interesting, isn’t it, what catches the interest of our local news commentators, and what does not. -more-

I don’t know much about Pete Najarian, other than that he is a plein air painter and prolific writer of letters to the editor, and that he is chronically unhappy about what the East Bay Regional Park District has been doing at the Marina. What set him off this time was a pair of columns I wrote about what I thought was a hopeful instance of civic vigilance and official flexibility. These inspired a long diatribe that appeared in last week’s Planet. -more-

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series on Captain R.P. Thomas and La Loma Park. -more-

It’s a function of my age and m-m-m-my generation that I consider civility as important a societal imperative as I do. Not that I’m all that civil, mind you. I do have my bad days. I could excuse that by saying that everyone has their bad days, but I don’t actually think that’s adequately justifiable. I believe that it behooves each of us to do the best we can. I don’t expect someone with Tourette’s syndrome to spare me a litany of curse words (thought I’m usually writing them down as fast as possible to augment my woeful vocabulary) but I do expect those who don’t suffer from either limbic failings or horrible upbringings to do the best they can; to try to smile; to cheer those around them as best they can and to make the party (which eventually comes to an end) as pleasant as possible. -more-

Philharmonia Baroque will close its season with Georg Frideric Handel’s third English oratorio, Athalia, at First Congregational Church this weekend. -more-

The Oakland East Bay Symphony is performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, featuring pianist Sara Buechner, and Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Petroushka, this Friday night at the Paramount Theatre with musical director Michael Morgan conducting. -more-

East Bay R&B vocal stylist Mz. Dee, a featured singer with the Johnny Otis band, and whose Medicine Show plays on local BETV Channel 28, is playing at 9 p.m., Friday, April 17, at Blake’s On Telegraph, with her band, The VIPs, for the first time in years, featuring her Blues Revival in advance of a European tour. Show $12 advance; $15 at the door. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 843-0886. blakesontelegraph.com. -more-

The Crucible, West Oakland’s unique fire arts studio and performance space, is celebrating its Spring Open House this from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 18, with an art show, fire performance artists, a parade of art bikes, and demonstrations of glassblowing, blacksmithery and, bronze casting. Refreshments available. 1260 Seventh St., West Oakland. Free admission. 444-0919. thecrucible.org. -more-

East Bay performer Carolyn Doyle, a familiar face on local stages, is performing a challenging solo show she’s written, Confessions of a Refrigerator Mother, about a day in the life of raising an autistic 9-year-old boy. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through April 25 at The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. $15 and up, sliding scale. (800) 838-3006. themarsh.org. -more-