Arts & Events

Kaija Sarriaho’s final opera, Innocence, is currently being given its US première performances at San Francisco Opera’s War Memorial Opera House., where I attended this new opera on Friday evening, June 7. The plot of Innocence, based on a libretto in Finnish by Sofi Oksanen and restyled in a multilingual libretto by Aleksi Barrière, opens at a wedding party in Helsinki, where Tuomas, the Finnish bridegrrom, is set to marry Stela, a Romanian woman he met while vacationing in Roma-nia. In the opening scene, Stela speaks of how happy she is to find a new, loving family, and she reveals that as an infant she was abandoned by her mother at an orphanage. This is the opera’s first of many backstories that reveal traumatic personal histories that lie beneath the smiles of cele-brants at a wedding party. -more-

The current San Francisco Opera production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), whose second performance of this spring season I attended on Sunday, June 2, is yet another example, perhaps even the most egregious example yet seen, of directorial overreach, a phenomenon that unfortunately has marked — one might say marred — Mathew Shilvock’s tenure as SF Opera’s General Director. In his search for new interpretations of opera’s standard repertoire, Shilvock seems obsessively drawn to modern takes on operas from earlier periods, thereby introducing often outrageous interpretations that diverge far from the opera’s original place in history. In the current production of The Magic Flute, directed by Barrie Kosky and Suzanne Andrade, it is nominally set in Berlin in 1927 and offers myriad references to German Expressionist silent films as well as Hollywood silent films and early experiments in animation. -more-

Worth Noting:

Busy week. Council has a lot to finish up before Summer Recess July 31 – September 9, 2024.

• Monday, June 24, 2024:
  • At 1:30 pm Igor Tregub is sworn in as District 4 Councilmember.
  • At 2:30 pm the Agenda and Rules Committee meets in the hybrid format to finalize the July 9 Council draft agenda and to discuss/take action on the Council Legislative Redesign.
  • At 4:30 pm the Council meets in closed session.
• Tuesday, June 25, 2024:
  • At 3:30 pm the Council meets in the hybrid format to take action on the Demolition Ordinance.
  • At 6 pm is the Council regular meeting with items 49 & 50 on the North Berkeley BART housing project funding and Compliance Plan. Item 53 is the FY 2025 / 2026 biennial budget.
• Wednesday, June 26, 2024:
  • From 11:30 am – 2 pm is the Berkeley Mental Health Pride Celebration.
  • At 6 pm the Civic Arts Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Environment and Climate Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Police Accountability Board meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, June 27, 2024:
  • From 10 am – 4 pm is a free Berkeley picnic with activities for all ages.
  • At 6:30 pm the Community Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Mental Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the Hybrid format on 3031 Adeline.
• Friday, June 28, 2024:
  • From 4 – 8 pm is the free Mpox vaccine pop-up.
  • At 8:35 pm is the movie Top Gun in the park.
• Saturday, June 29, 2024:
  • From 12:30 – 3:30 is the Adopt-A-Spot picnic.
  • From 4 – 8 pm is the free Mpox vaccine pop-up.

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary.

For how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts, saving CHAT and converting YouTube to a transcript go to https://tinyurl.com/3jau6ym8



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

v Worth Noting:

The City Council Agendas for the two meetings on June 25 are available for comment: (1) Special Council meeting at 3:30 pm is the Demolition Ordinance, (2) Regular Council meeting at 6 pm includes FY 2025 / 2026 biennial budget (item 53) and North Berkeley BART affordable housing development (items 49, 50). (Agenda and links posted near end of calendar above Land Use and Worksession / Special Meetings)

• Sunday, June 16, 2024: From 11 am to 7 pm is the Juneteenth Festival with the Dedication of Mildred Howard’s sculpture by/south of Ashby BART at 11:30 Delivered, Mable’s Promissory Note.
• Monday, June 17, 2024: At 10 am the Civic Arts Commission Grants Subcommittee meets on zoom.
• Tuesday, June 18, 2024: At 6 pm the Community meeting to provide input on the Mental Health Services Act meets in the hybrid format.
• Wednesday, June 19, 2024, Juneteenth Federal Holiday:
  • At 12 pm the Budget Committee meets in the hybrid format to finalize the FY 2025 / 2026 proposed Budget for full council review and approval on June 25.
  • At 1:30 pm the Commission on Aging meets in person at 1:30 pm.
  • At 3 pm the 4 x 4 Committee meets in the hybrid format with agenda item 7 proposed amendments to the Demolition Ordinance.
  • At 6 pm is the last Community meeting to provide input on the Mental Health Services Act. The meeting is in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person.
  • No agenda is posted for the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission – check after the weekend.
• Thursday, June 20, 2024:
  • At 5:30 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:15 pm the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission meets in person with the proposal on the Virginia Street bicycle lane expected to start around 7:45 pm.
  • At 6:30 pm the Design Review Committee (DRC) meets in person on 1598 University.
  • The agendas for the Fair Campaign Practices Commission (6:30 pm) and Rent Board (7 pm) are not posted. Check after Monday.
• Friday, June 21, 2024:
  • The CoB offices observe the Juneteenth Holiday.
  • At 7 pm is Jazz at Live Oak Park Community Center

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary.

For how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts, saving CHAT and converting YouTube to a transcript go to https://tinyurl.com/3jau6ym8

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

Worth Noting:

The Agenda Committee packet lists a City Council 2 pm meeting on Friday, June 14 on Community Survey Results and Ballot Measure Development for November 2024. There is no posting of the meeting under the City Council agendas. Check after 2 pm Tuesday (72 hour notice). https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/city-council-agendas

June 19th is the Juneteenth National Independence Day. Juneteenth celebrations are starting around the Bay Area as early as June 8, but most Juneteenth Festivals are June 16th including Berkeley https://berkeleyjuneteenth.org The City of Berkeley (CoB) holiday calendar lists Friday, June 21, 2024 as “Juneteenth observed” and June 19, 2024 as a regular day. (Friday, June 14 is a CoB reduced service day.)

• Monday, June 10, 2024: At 2:30 pm the Agenda and Rules Committee meets in the hybrid format to finalize the June 25 City Council agenda. Legislative Systems Redesign is on the agenda for review.
• Tuesday, June 11, 2024: At 11 am the Solano Avenue Business Improvement District meets in person.
• Wednesday, June 12, 2024:
  • At 6 pm is the community meeting on the Mental Health Services Act in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Waterfront and Recreation Commission meets in person with an update on Cesar Chavez Park as agenda item 9 and Cal Sailing Club berths as item 10.
• Thursday, June 13, 2024: At 6 pm is the 2nd of 4 hybrid community meetings on the Mental Health Services Act.
• Friday, June 14, 2024: At 8:35 pm is the first summer movie in the park.
• Saturday, June 15, 2024: From 9 – 11 m is the regular 3rd Saturday Shoreline Cleanup.
• Sunday, June 16, 2024 from 11 am to 7 pm is the Juneteenth Festival in South Berkeley and at 11:30 am is the dedication of Mildred Howard’s sculpture at the corner of MLK Jr Way and Adeline (near Ashby BART).

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary.

Attached is how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts, saving chat and converting YouTube to a transcript and sharing. The weekly calendar will no longer include these hints so you might want to save the document.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

< p> Worth Noting – Very Busy Week Ahead:

If attending meetings in person, note meeting locations, some meetings are NOT at the usual sites.

• Sunday, June 2, 2024: From 11 am – 5 pm is day 2 of the Book Festival and the outdoor marketplace
• Monday, June 3, 2024:
  • At 10 am the Land Use Committee meets in the hybrid format with a full agenda.
  • At 2:30 the Civic Arts Commission Grants Subcommittee meets on Zoom.
  • At 3 pm City Council meets in closed session.
  • From 5:30 – 7:30 pm is the first community meeting on updating the federally required Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP).
  • From 6 – 8 pm is the in-person meeting on the African American Holistic Resource Center.
  • At 7 pm the Peace and Justice Commission meets in person with planning for Gaza Peace Conversation as item 8.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday, June 4, 2024:
  • City Council meets in the hybrid format with agenda items 43 - Fire Codes, 44 - Building Codes, 45 - appeal of 18-story mixed-use project at 2113-2115 Kittredge (site of California Theater) and 46 - the biennial 2025 & 2026 budget.
• Wednesday, June 5, 2024:
  • At 2 pm FITES meets in the hybrid format with a full agenda.
  • At 5 pm the Commission on Disability is hybrid for commissioners and in-person only for the public. (Check packet for CoB response to videoconferencing for commissioners.)
  • At 6 pm the Planning Commission meets in person with LHMP on the agenda.
  • At 6:30 pm Board of Library Trustees (BOLT) meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Police Accountability Board (PAB) meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Homeless Services Panel of Experts (HSPE) meets in-person.
• Thursday, June 6, 2024:
  • At 11 am is the online community meeting on the Mental Health Services Act and Proposition 1.
  • At 12 pm the Budget and Finance Committee meets in the hybrid format on the 2025 & 2026 budget and Measure P.
  • At 6:30 pm the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) meets in-person.
  • At 7 pm the Housing Advisory Commission meets in-person.
• Saturday, June 8, 2024:
  • The Berkeley Neighborhoods Council meets on Zoom with tentative agenda CoB response to Homelessness and AC Transit Realignment.

Check out Calscape and Bringing Back the Native Garden Tour websites to brighten up outdoor spaces. https://www.youtube.com/c/BringingBacktheNativesGardenTour



Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary and how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts and converting YouTube to a transcript.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-