The People of the Central Valley - 4:
A photodocumentary project on the reality of life today in California's Central Valley -more-

Three East Bay activists who were on board a flotilla of ships that were taken over by Israeli troops as they approached Gaza with a shipment of humanitarian aid held a news conference in San Francisco today to tell their story. -more-

The City of Berkeley is offering a $15,000 reward, and Bay Area Crime Stoppers (BACS) is offering an additional $2,000 reward, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects responsible for the shooting death of a Berkeley man. He has been identified as Kenneth Jerome Tims, Jr., 30 years old.

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer toured a construction site in Orinda this morning where crews are creating a fourth bore at the Caldecott Tunnel. -more-

The University had a bad financial year but survived it, is now in a more stable position, but faces continuing challenges, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau told the annual meeting of the Berkeley Staff Assembly on Wednesday, May 26. He was the principal speaker at the event. -more-

Music, heartfelt tributes, reminiscences of colleagues, students, and friends and a jovial and appreciative crowd filled the lobby of Wurster Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on May 8, 2010, as Professor Randy Hester was honored. -more-

As the academic year comes to a close, the School Governance Council (SGC) at Berkeley High, which last met on May 25, continues to grapple with major issues, including replacement of the SGC itself by a newly formed “school site council” (SSC). -more-

Oil Disaster; Why 'C' Matters to Me; Israel Attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla ; Tea Party; Oil; Refuse Tax Increase; Yes on Measure C; And The Greatest of These Is Charity -more-

Midwives in Peril; Cost of Doing Business; Mind the Meter Maids (and Men);Alaska Project Danger to Wildlife; Why 2/3 Vote? Scorched Earth policy by Pro-C Proponents Drained the Pool Measure of Life; Birgenau Puff Piece; BP Responsible; Dealing with Hamas; Gates Foundation Grants; BP Should Clean Up What it Messed Up; Why Should Israel Feel Embarrassed?; Leadership -more-

 I have been trying to get my head around what happened on the Gaza flotilla, with no success.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is on this Wed.’s AC Transit board agenda after having failed to get buy-in from any of the three cities, Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro, for their preferred alternative that would require dedicating two out of four lanes for bus only and removing most street parking along its Telegraph/International/14^th Street route. They have painted themselves into a corner with an EIR that basically has only one other alternative, the old stand-by—no-build. -more-

We taxpaying property owners in South Berkeley have to be subjected to the Drop In Center and its dope problem, the illegal housing conversion at 3228 Adeline(Carlson bldg), people getting killed on the corner of Harmon and Adeline due to excessive speed in the corridor, continued lack of enforcement by the city of preferential street parking despite the fact those of us with ZERO street parking are fattening the city’s coffers by paying the permits for preferential street parking, and last but not least, the ongoing street trash problem of Domino’s and the other local businesses. Yet if these instances were occurring in any other part of the city of Berkeley, I would not be writing this email because it would not be an issue, now would it? -more-

If it is evident that a crisis weeks ago will be replaced by another crisis this week: Which demonstration should we go to? Is there a demonstration against both crises? Perhaps comparing the similarities between BP’s underwater oil spew and the Israeli assault on 6 humanitarian aid ships, we might be able to decide. -more-

Question: "When the Israel's navy forcibly boarded an international fleet carrying humanitarian goods to Gaza last week, was this a justifiable military action or was it simply a case of hijacking on the high seas?" Answer: "I don't know. I'm not Captain Jack Sparrow. If you want to know about the finer points of piracy, you had better ask him. But to a mere land-lubber such as myself, it does seem to be a bit dicey that Israeli commandos attacked a humanitarian fleet in international waters, killing ten people and injuring a lot more in the process." -more-

Harry Dov Weininger, who was a force in community and civic affairs in the East Bay from the 1960s until quite recently, has died at the age of 76. Harry lived a full life, without complaint, despite significant health issues in recent years, including Parkinson’s Disease and congestive heart failure. He enjoyed Berkeley Akademie and San Francisco Symphony performances in his last days, and on his final evening on the town, dined at a Berkeley bayside restaurant – metaphorically, at sunset. He suffered a cardiac arrest that evening, never regained consciousness, and died four days later. Harry ended life just as remarkably as he lived it: he managed to pass away on Memorial Day, surrounded by family and friends. -more-

BP in Berkeley; Helen Thomas -more-

These are the stories the metro papers love to write: Funny Stuff Going on in Quirky East Bay Town. Here at the Planet we're pleased that they're doing this so we don't need to bother. Think of these as our soft features. -more-

City Manager Kamlarz put out a new memo about Measure C on Friday: -more-

As Congress rushed to adjourn, Democrats dithered over a jobs bill and ultimately reduced benefits to the unemployed because of the concerns of “deficit hawks.” It’s another indication of the prevalence of a form of political dementia, mad deficit disease. It’s insanity to worry about the US deficit when we’re struggling to pull out of a recession. -more-

Stuff found on-line about Berkeley and its neighbors... Two topics this week:First, Berkeley’s love/hate relationship with BP is back in the news.Second, at an author’s event you’ll have a chance to learn how the Internet is messing with your head. -more-

Looked at from a diplomatic point of view, Israel’s attack on the Gaza aid flotilla was an act of astonishing stupidity: it burned bridges to Israel’s one friend in the Middle East, Turkey; it drew world-wide condemnation for what many call an act of piracy; and it shifted the focus from Hamas to the inhumanity of the blockade.What were Tel Aviv’s decision makers thinking? -more-

Elder abuse has not received adequate media exposure, funding from various levels of government, or recognition by the public. Within an institution, staff members are usually the guilty parties; outside, family members are often involved. The U.S. Census Bureau projects 62 million Americans will be age 65 or older by 2025. What’s needed?Awareness, prevention, and confrontation of elder abuse. -more-

Lord Palmerston—twice England’s prime minister during the middle 1800s—once commented, “England has no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.” Watching the fallout over Brazil’s and Turkey’s recent diplomatic breakthrough on Iran brings Palmerston’s observation to mind: while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hailing our “friends” support for tough sanctions aimed at Teheran, much of her supporting cast were busy hedging their bets and deciding that their interests just might lay elsewhere. -more-

If you missed the previous installment, this is part two of the story of attempting to get my mortgage modified under HAMP, the Home Affordable Mortgage Program rolled out last year by the Obama administration. -more-

I was surprised to learn earlier this year that western bluebirds have been nesting in South Berkeley. I suspect this is pretty uncommon; in the 1920’s, Joseph Grinnell and Margaret Wythe reported “rare cases” of nesting in Berkeley (and elsewhere this side of the East Bay Hills.) Local birder Rusty Scalf caught the bluebirds in the act last May, using a tree cavity at San Pablo Park. In January, a city tree maintenance crew removed the dead limb that contained the cavity. After some prodding by Scalf and other local bluebird advocates, a nest box was installed on the tree; the birds adopted it and successfully reared four nestlings. -more-

About a decade ago, an article in the National Geographic described a new social class named “bobos”—a portmanteau of “bourgeois” and “bohemian”—as, “…that subset of thirty- or forty-something -year-olds who don't allow their socialist leanings to interfere with an enjoyment of material pleasures." My immediate reaction to this disturbing definition was two-fold: 1) that doesn’t sound like a group I would have much sympathy for, and, 2) oh, crap! I’m one of them. -more-

Back by popular demand??? -more-

Playing at the Berkeley City Club: Just Theater's terrific '1001,' by Jason Grote, billed as a riff on the Arabian Nights--that and much, much more ... A small cast in an intimate spacedoubles, triples, quadruplesplayingprotean roles that unfoldfrom, and fold back into,the fabled tales of—and about--Sharhar and Scherazade,bawdy yet unsettling, as are the originals, with an unsteady time-warp opening up (silly to call it mere anachronism), out of which pop Flaubert in the Mideast, Jorge Luis Borges and a strange kind of romance set in Gaza and, during 9/11,New York. Hilarious, unpredictable and impossible to pin down.(The genie warned you!) Much more creative, wilder and yet more thoughtful, than the Mary Zimmerman improv on some of the same material at Berkeley Rep a few years back. And at a fraction of the cost--for company and audience as well. Thursdays-Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 5, city Club, 2315 Durant. $15-$20. 488-4116 or www.brownpapertickets.com -more-

Bruce Barthol, original bassist with Country Joe and the Fish and for over 3 decades the resident composer/lyricist with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, brings his eclectic collection of songs, satiric, subversive and occasionally normal, to the Art House on Friday, June 11 at 8:00.

Since faithful readers of the Berkeley Daily Planet are without question of high intellectual and eclectic tastes, -more-