A rare battle over whether a local historic structure can be stripped of its landmark status has pitted Berkeley’s Landmarks Preservation Commission against a City Council decision to settle a legal challenge from the building’s owner by starting the whole process over. -more-

For more than 40 years the city of Albany has been caught in a game of tug-of-war over its waterfront property. But the city hopes that a new campaign to solicit community input will break the stalemate and provide a shared vision for the community’s shoreline. -more-

Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett said Wednesday that the controversial proposal to reconfigure science labs at Berkeley High will come before the Berkeley Board of Education Feb. 3. -more-

At the end of last year, the Berkeley High School Governance Council (SGC) supported a proposal to eliminate science lab instruction that is currently offered before and after regular school hours. -more-

Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett said Monday the governor’s new budget would result in significant cuts to the district in 2010-11. -more-

The Berkeley City Council has a full agenda for next week’s meeing, its first of 2010, including an upgrade for the city’s soft-story ordinance, a June ballot measure for improving Berkeley’s public pools, and a request that the city manager provide more information about the city’s involvement in state Senate Bill 113. -more-

Next time you want to park on San Pablo Avenue, make sure you have some change on hand. -more-

Berkeley city officials Friday have named former Albany administrator Daren Fields as the interim director of the city’s health department. -more-

Andrew Lyons is a 40ish, trim, rosy-cheeked man who, though friendly, gives the impression of having no time to waste. Perhaps his manner reflects his role as vice president of HALO USA, the American branch of the global charity, the HALO Trust. HALO is a 21-year-old non-governmental, nonprofit organization with a simple, almost brusquely worded mission: “Getting mines out of the ground, now” -more-

Berkeley became part of the 2010 Census outreach Monday when the Census Portrait of America Road Tour arrived in the city to encourage residents to participate in the nation’s once-a-decade population count. -more-

A gathering in memory of George Goth, who recently died from complications of diabetes in his home on Kains Avenue, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, in the ballroom at the Berkeley City Club. -more-

The Jan.7 article, “General Assistance Funds Cut by 75 Percent,” incorrectly identified the Berkeley city councilmember who spoke in opposition to the cuts at a rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland. City Councilmember Darryl Moore was the speaker. Councilmember Kriss Worthington was scheduled to speak but did not. -more-

BOCA CORRECTION -more-

The horrific disaster that has befallen Haiti is perhaps unprecedented in the Western hemisphere. Estimates now say that perhaps hundreds of thousands have died as a result of the Dec. 12 earthquake. Many in the media have constantly said, as a mantra, that the reason so many have died is because of the weak infrastructure and poor quality of construction there. The implication is that Haitians are unable to govern and build a reliable, sustainable society. -more-