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The Shattuck Hotel, once one of the toniest hotels in Northern California, is headed for a new era of grandeur, thanks to the partnership of owner Roy Nee with Starwood Hotels—considered by many the world’s leading hotelier. 

Anyone who meets Nee, a long-time Marin County resident who moved to Berkeley seven years ago, quickly discovers that he’s downtown Berkeley’s biggest booster, willing to wage an eight-figure gamble on the city’s future. 

Starwood, whose brands include the St. Regis (including the namesake hotel in New York), ITT Sheraton, The Luxury Collection, W, and Four Points, will operate the hotel under the Westin label. 

The Westin Berkeley, as the refurbished hotel will be known, will offer 199 upscale rooms, convention and meeting facilities, a spa, rooftop gardens and terraces, a wedding suite with a private courtyard and a presidential suite with its own terrace and a restaurant. 

The biggest change in the building’s exterior will be a two-story addition to the currently undistinguished Hink’s Annex building on the west end of the structure on Allston Way. 

The building will be resurfaced, and its four-story skyline will resemble the main hotel building. Ground floor spaces will continue to be used by the U.S. Post Office and YMCA, Nee said. 

A remarkable family 

Restoring the building is going to be a long, expensive process, but Nee said he feels up to the task, thanks to assistance he’ll have from an extended family that seems to epitomize the concept of over-achieving. 

Nee moved to Berkeley because his spouse, Blanche, was a principal scientist at Chiron. Frustrated with her job, she decided to go for an M.B.A., enrolling in a joint program offered by Columbia University and the Haas School at UC Berkeley. 

After graduating late last year at the top of her class and quitting her post at Chiron in March, she’s now fully immersed in the project. 

“They say husband-and-wife teams are difficult, but it’s working out great,” said the 55-year-old Nee. “She’s my business partner, along with my nephew and my son, Darin.” 

The younger Nee graduated with a physics degrees from Stanford and had been accepted into the Yale physics program to work on quantum computing, an emerging technology based on one of the most baffling of natural phenomena. 

“He turned them down and went to Turkey on an archaeological dig, and from there, he went to Egypt,” his father said. “Now he’s decided he wants to be a doctor.” 

His nephew, Kyle Harris, is the private chef to Barry Levinson, one of Hollywood’s leading lights. “He’s cooked for all the big stars,” Nee said. 

Another nephew is also involved, a Harvard graduate who is the son of Nee’s older brother, Victor, who is a department chair at Cornell. 

“If there’s such a thing as a family enterprise, this is it,” said Nee, smiling. “What I have on my side is brain power but no hotel experience—but we’re up to the game.” 

Nee’s academic background is more modest. He started college at UCLA, then moved to UC Santa Cruz a year after it opened, but his radical political activities kept him occupied in the Bay Area, so he finished his mathematics degree at San Francisco State. 

After college, he began work as a carpenter. “I worked at all the shipyards, and made journeyman,” he said. Then it was on to contracting. 

His best-known property is the Tea Garden Spa in Mill Valley, a popular facility that employs Zen principles in its offering, hence the name of the corporate entity—Zen Spa. 

With a staff of 50, the Tea Garden will offer its expertise in running the smaller spa Nee plans to install in the basement floor beneath the hotel. 

Berkeley Film Festival plans 

Nee’s MIll Valley holdings also includes the offices of the popular Mill Valley Film Festival—an event that Nee loves. 

As the new owner of a hotel building that includes a major theater, he’s already put out feelers to both the Mill Valley festival organizers and Landmarks Theaters, which in addition to the Shattuck Cinemas operates the Act 1 and 2 and California theaters in downtown Berkeley. 

Nee said the Mill Valley festival organizers are excited about the prospect of teaming up with Berkeley. 

Landmark, which operates 208 screens in 57 cities, makes a logical partner, said Nee. 

Part of 2929 Entertainment, a firm owned by Internet entrepreneur Todd Wagner and billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Landmarks is a leading showcase for independent film and is switching all its theaters to digital projection. 

“Mark Cuban is a logical partner, and we’ll be asking him if he’d give up one or two of his screens for a few days,” Nee said. 

A Berkeley film festival makes sense, he said, since the city was home to Pauline Kael, perhaps the greatest film critic of the 20th Century. Her husband once ran an art house of Telegraph Avenue, and after their divorce opened the Fine Arts Cinema at the site now occupied by Patrick Kennedy’s Fine Arts Building at the southeast corner of Haste and Shattuck. 

Challenges ahead 

Nee knows that making his biggest-ever investment in downtown Berkeley is a challenge, but he’s convinced that the new hotel will represent a major force toward revitalizing the city’s core. 

With ownership consolidated for the first time in two decades, Nee said now’s the time to move. 

“Mayor (Tom) Bates is right about championing the downtown image,” he said. “You need to have partnerships to work together to changes people’s opinions. 

“We want to foster people’s best efforts to help bring about the change, and taking an historically significant block and bringing a great hotel to the city is a good start.” 

Nee believes the hotel will help attract the kind of retail the downtown needs to make it commercially viable. 

“Right now, it’s not the right mix.” he said. “We have wonderful things like Berkeley Rep, and the Shattuck Cinemas is the Landmark’s largest grossing theater in the Bay area. Now we need to bring in the right kind of retail.” 

Once Nee formulated his vision for the property, it proved sufficiently contagious to attract several major hoteliers. He settled Starwood because of the group’s long-term management expertise. 

“They’re in it for decades,” he said. 

Unusual allies 

In a city where developers often charge that preservationists and the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) are their biggest enemies, Nee can’t offer enough praise to both. 

Leslie Emmington, both an LPC member and an employee of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, can’t stop praising Nee either. 

To her, Nee is restoring one of the city’s most significant landmarks to it’s original intent—a four star hotel that will reflect well on the city. 

Nee is bringing his project to the LPC Monday for a first look after working closely with a three-member subcommitte on which Emmington serves, said the commissioner. Emmington added, “It’s a wonderful project.” 

Because the building is a city landmark, the exterior designs must pass muster with the commission, which is charged with making sure that the refurbishing of the existing building is carried out properly, and that the expanded annex building has details that differentiate it subtly from the original construction. 

UC Hotel competition 

Neither Nee nor Westin were frightened off by the ongoing negotiations between UC Berkeley and hotelier Carpenter & Co. to build a combination high-rise hotel and conference center just a block to the northeast at the corner of Shattuck and Center Street. 

“I looked at UC’s study and I commissioned one of my own from a hotel company, and I’m convinced that there’s room for both hotels. UC attracts plenty of meetings and conferences, and we’ll be able to keep them in the city,” Nee said. 

UC has twice extended their talks with Carpenter, while Nee has been able to find a premiere operator less than a year after buying the property, so he’ll have a significant head start. 

Original vision  

The Shattuck was built by former gold prospector Francis Kittredge Shattuck in the wake of the great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, when residents of that city, terrified by the disastrous fires that followed the quake, began packing up and moving to Berkeley. 

“The building was built of reinforced concrete and was fireproof, something they stressed in their advertisements,” Nee said.  

The hotel opened on Dec. 15, 1910 and proved so successful that an annex filling out the rest of the block along Shattuck, making it the longest structure in Northern California at the time. 

Berkeley was in the midst of its biggest boom at the time, and the university was starting its meteoric rise. 

Shattuck sold out to William Whitecotton in 1918, and the new owner ran it as the Whitecotton Hotel. It reverted back the Shattuck name in 1942 and has retained it through several changes of ownership and management. 

The property was split up after a bankruptcy in the early 1980s when it was seized by the government and auctioned off. 

“Now it’s a lot like when the hotel was first built,” Nee said. “Berkeley is going through a renaissance and the community is becoming friendlier to businesses, who stayed away for three decades starting in the 1960s when the city gained a radical reputation. I like to think that we’re restoring the hotel to its original vision.”

In what the University of California is calling “the most severe and comprehensive disciplinary action that UC Berkeley has taken against a fraternity in several years,” the fraternity accused in last spring’s pellet gun hazing attack on a Berkeley street will be disbanded and forced to reorganize. 

But criminal charges have yet to be filed against suspects for allegedly shooting an unidentified 19-year-old Pi Kappa Phi pledge last April with an air pellet gun and forcing him to consume alcohol and marijuana. 

The Gamma chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which had been in continuous operation on the Berkeley campus since its founding in 1909, must suspend all operations for one year, and will have all current members placed on inactive alumni status. 

When it is allowed to reopen in the fall of 2006, the fraternity is expected to operate under what the university calls “a host of conditions, restrictions, and close oversight by the campus administration and the fraternity’s national headquarters.” The national fraternity will decide if any current chapter members will be allowed to join the reorganized chapter. 

The punishment, which is just short of a complete disbanding of the 58-member chapter, was decided in an agreement reached between UC Berkeley officials and the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

The fraternity must also pay a $4,000 fine, perform 750 hours of community service, and produce a seminar on the dangers of hazing. Fraternity and sorority hazing is banned by UC Berkeley campus. 

Pi Kappa Phi Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Timmes said in a statement that “our investigation indicated a culture of alcohol, drugs, hazing and lack of respect for others which is unacceptable.” 

UC Berkeley Dean of Students Karen Kenney added that “the offenses in this case were especially shocking and disturbing. Strong disciplinary action was called for and is appropriate.” 

A UC Berkeley press release said that the fraternity punishment “also addresses a March 4 incident in which the chapter held an unauthorized party involving various alcohol use violations, including the serving of alcohol to minors.” 

Berkeley Police Public Information Officer Joe Okies said that the April 8 pellet gun incident is “still under investigation” and declined to give a figure as to how many suspects are being investigated. 

Bay City News (BCN) reported this week that 15 fraternity members took place in the hazing, with three members shooting him multiple times with what they described as two BB guns. UC Berkeley describes the weapons as pellet guns. BCN said the 15 fraternity member figure came from Okies, but Okies said by telephone that he has never given out an exact number of those allegedly involved in the incident. 

This is not the first time that a Pi Kappa Phi chapter has been cited for hazing. 

In 2001, three Chico State Pi Kappa Phi members pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor in the alcohol overdose death of Adrian Heideman, and eight fraternity members agreed to pay Heideman’s family $500,000. 

A year later, the chapter reached a confidential, undisclosed settlement with the Heideman’s family over a lawsuit in which the Heidemans charged that he had died in a hazing incident. The Chico State chapter later disbanded.›

Seeking to restore stability to Alameda County’s much criticized public hospital system, hospital trustees are negotiating with Dr. Samuel Ross of Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Tex., to become the system’s next CEO. 

Although a deal to hire Ross, Parkland’s senior vice president and chief medical officer, hasn’t been sealed, the two sides are in exclusive negotiations, said Alameda County Medical Center Board President Dr. Ted Rose. 

The medical center includes Oakland’s Highland Hospital, which serves most of Berkeley’s trauma and emergency cases. Also in the public hospital network, required to treat the uninsured, are San Leandro’s Fairmont Hospital, John George Psychiatric Pavilion and three outpatient clinics 

Last year, with the medical center facing a $50 million deficit and having fired its ninth chief executive in 11 years, county lawmakers turned over management to Nashville, Tenn.-based consultant Cambio Health Solutions. 

With Cambio’s management contract set to expire on Aug. 7, the absence of a new leadership team was one of several criticisms lodged at the board of trustees in a Alameda County Grand Jury report released in May. 

The grand jury also charged that the board, despite receiving $70 million from a county sales tax increase, appeared unable to balance its budget, make tough decisions on layoffs and service reductions, curtail the power of unions and reduce borrowing from the county. 

“The grand jury report was bogus, a real hatchet job,” said Brad Cleveland of SEIU, Local 616. 

Kay Eisenhower, the chair of pro-labor Vote Health, challenged the timing of the report, released nearly two months before the annual grand jury report. She said insiders believed the early release was timed to complicate the search for a new CEO and keep Cambio in charge of the hospital. 

Eisenhower also said the grand jury foreman was a former associate of County Sheriff Charles Plummer, who, she said, first recommended the county bring in Cambio. 

“It’s suspicious when last year a doctor was murdered, there was a $50 million deficit and the hospital was threatened with decertification, but the grand jury report came out as scheduled, but this year, there is a balanced budget, no threat of decertification, but the grand jury feels the need to issue its report in May,” she said. 

Cleveland said that Plummer had written the grand jury a series of letters critical of the medical center and that some of the letters “looked suspiciously similar” to the grand jury report. 

A case in point, he said, was the grand jury’s findings that on any day 25 percent of employees are on paid leave. He said that figure came from Cambio reports, relayed from Plummer to the grand jury, that combined vacation and sick days with medical leave. 

“It was interesting that misinformation provided by Cambio was picked up by the sheriff and ended up in the grand jury report,” he said. 

The trustees, preparing a formal response due to the grand jury Monday, also challenged the report. 

“A lot of their information was outdated,” said Board President Dr. Ted Rose. “We knew in March we were heading towards a balanced budget.” 

Last week, with the help of $70 million from the sales tax hike approved by voters in 2004, the board passed a budget with a projected net income of $253,028 without laying off workers or reducing services.  

Public hospitals in the state have been hard hit by lower fees paid by Medicare and Medi-Cal and an increase in low-income residents without insurance. Rose said between 40 and 50 percent of the medical center’s patients were uninsured. 

He added that the board wanted to steady the hospital’s finances through running a more efficient operation rather than cutting staff. 

“The question is, how do you reduce staff without reducing services,” he said.  

Rose also defended agreements with unions signed last year that gave workers 3 and 5 percent raises as necessary to retain skilled employees. 

County Supervisor Keith Carson said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the medical center’s future, but cautioned that it had to make further service and billing reforms so it wouldn’t be so dependent on the sales tax increase.  

“Given the depth of the challenges, they need to make structural changes,” he said. “I haven’t seen that yet.” 

As far as the medical center’s preferred new leader, Ross could not be reached for comment on his possible appointment to the helm of the county hospital system. A native Texan, he has been a mainstay for the past 12 years at Parkland, best known as the facility President John F. Kennedy was rushed to after being fatally shot. 

Ross has degrees in medicine and medical management from the University of Texas. When he was promoted to his current position in 2003, Parkland CEO Dr. Ron Anderson said of Ross: “His interest in community outreach, indigent health care and public health has led to increased patient volume and revenues and more than $3 million in grant programs for community clinics.”  

State regulators are threatening to strip E-Z Stop Deli, the liquor outlet nearest to Berkeley High, of its alcohol license after police cited it for selling beer to minors for the third time since last March. 

“Three strikes is not very common. We take it very seriously,” said State Alcohol Beverage Control District Administrator Andrew Gomez.  

Rather than stripping the shop of its alcohol license, Gomez is negotiating with E-Z Stop, at 2233 Shattuck Ave., about transferring the business to a new owner at the site, he said. If negotiations break down, an administrative hearing would be scheduled that could result in the shop losing its liquor license.  

State law calls for shops to lose their alcohol licenses after three verified violations within three years. Gomez said he was negotiating with E-Z Stop over transferring the license, “as an option to settle the case as soon as possible.” 

Losing its liquor license would be a severe blow to E-Z Stop, said its owner Ali Erakat. 

“It’s a very big part of the business,” he said. 

Erakat said he couldn’t comment further on the investigation, but added that he had fired the two clerks caught selling alcohol to the decoys. E-Z Stop is continuing to sell alcohol while negotiations proceed. 

ABC is also seeking to revoke the license of Berkeley Market, at 2369 Telegraph Ave., Gomez said. The convenience store has also been cited three times for selling to minors. A hearing for Berkeley Market has been set for August, Gomez said. 

Just last year, E-Z Stop was praised as a model of self policing by neighborhood leaders who successfully fought to keep a newly arriving Longs Drugs from selling beer and wine. 

School Board Director John Selawsky, a leader in the fight against Longs, continued to defend the convenience store. He said E-Z Stop had met previous district demands that it not sell alcohol during the school lunch period or between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. when students are leaving the high school. 

“I think they have been very accommodating with us. I don’t see them as a liability,” Selawsky said. “My concern with Longs was that it was not a family owned business and would not have the proper controls.” 

E-Z Stop has failed every test authorities presented over the past 15 months. On March 19, 2004, a clerk sold beer to a 17-year-old decoy who did not present identification, Gomez said. On March 2, 2005, the same clerk sold beer to a 19-year-old who offered a driver’s license identifying him as a minor. On Sept. 27, 2004 a different clerk sold beer to an 18-year-old decoy without asking for identification. 

The Berkeley Police Department executed the stings through a $50,000 state grant. The decoys, Gomez said, typically come from local colleges or students involved in anti-alcohol groups. 

Recent police operations have apparently resulted in liquor stores cleaning up their act. During the sting this March, E-Z Stop was the only store out of six that sold to minors, Gomez said. 

A police sweep on March 19, 2004 found six of the 15 targeted stores willing to sell to minors, Gomez said. The usual violation rate on decoy operations is about 10 percent, he said. 

Visitors to Edwina Perez’s West Berkeley apartment are greeted by a sign that reads, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  

The sign is still appropriate for Perez, a self-made preacher and pastor of Berkeley’s New Birth Church, but thanks to what she sees as divine intervention, her house has returned to the service of her family. 

On a recent Sunday, Perez, after nearly 14 years of preaching in a living room that would struggle to fit two sofas, christened her church’s new home: a 10-foot-by-22-foot nook on San Pablo Avenue. Her friends filled all 24 chairs they could squeeze into the building, fanning themselves, during the two-hour service.  

“The training wheels are coming off,” she said. “To move from your house to your own building is every pastor’s dream.” 

A former security guard at Bayer Pharmaceutical, Perez has overcome illness and long odds to lead a church of her own. Born in Cuba, she was raised in San Francisco as a Catholic, and when she moved to Berkeley with her two sons in 1979, she started attending mass at St. Joseph the Worker Church. 

Then in 1991, at a time when an arthritic condition in her legs required her to use a wheelchair, Perez sensed that God was calling her to preach the Bible. 

Since women can’t become priests, she talked about starting her own church with then St. Joseph Pastor Father Bill O’Donnell. 

“I told him I felt this calling in my life and he blessed me to go try it,” she said. “Once I made the decision, there was this overwhelming peace that came over me.” 

Perez was ordained in 1991 by an uncle, a Protestant Bishop in her native Cuba, and returned to Berkeley to lead her first independent service to a congregation of two people. Noticeably absent that first Sunday were Perez’s two sons, who chose to remain Catholic. 

Homespun ministries are not uncommon across the country or in the East Bay, and Perez counts among her heroes local women who also started small churches. Ernestine Rheems, the founder of Center of Hope Church, started preaching in a flatbed truck, Perez said, and Cynthia James, a Bishop in the Church of God in Christ, started preaching on the bus on her way to work. 

Perez’s ministry has always placed a focus on helping her immediate community near Ninth Street and Bancroft Way. When she first moved into her apartment in 1983, she said, she was disappointed to see the drug activity that induced her to leave her previous homes was just as prevalent in her new neighborhood. 

She started her community outreach by heading up her neighborhood watch, but Perez, an expert at doing a lot of work in very little physical space, soon expanded from fighting crime to providing services. She held Saturday tutoring sessions in her building’s front parking lot, where Cal students helped local kids with their school work.  

The parking lot has also hosted a twice-annual hot dog day, where police and community members, including known drug dealers, were welcomed to eat hot dogs cooked by Perez. 

“I remember going to her apartment and being impressed that she really seemed to be going out of her way to help people,” said former Mayor Shirley Dean, who helped Perez hand out turkeys to families in need during the holidays. 

As her church grew, Perez took in several families she said were shunned from their congregations because they had a family member on death row. She has led several prayer sessions from the hallway of San Quentin and has prayed at the bedside of sick people she didn’t know.  

One of those who came to services on Sunday was Nancy Jonathans, who met Perez four years ago in a hospital room where Jonathans’ husband was in a coma after suffering a stroke. Perez dropped by the hospital room at the request of a friend to pray for him. 

“She would visit just to make sure my husband had company,” Jonathans said.  

Two year’s later, in 2003, Perez was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite a regular Sunday congregation of 35 people, she was too traumatized and disbanded the church. 

“I had to worry about me,” she said. “Being a minister is lonely. We don’t have a safe place to talk about our problems.” 

Perez joined an Oakland church, and after her second ten-week radiation treatment that ended last April, her cancer went into remission. 

Given a clean bill of health, she didn’t plan on resuming her ministry until just January, when she received a call from Vera Baggett, an 87-year-old missionary getting ready to preach in Europe. 

“She told me the Lord said you need to get off your chair and get back to work,” Perez said. Shortly thereafter, another friend, Henrietta Harper, offered her help in rebuilding her church. 

“I just believed it was time for her to start up again,” Harper said. 

Soon Perez was back to preaching in her living room. And, although the number of regular parishioners had shrunk to around 25 every Sunday, rents in West Berkeley had dropped as well—low enough that the church could afford a home of its own just two blocks from Perez’s apartment. 

“I don’t just want this to be a building for prayer but a place where people can get their needs met as much as we can,” she said. Already she plans to revive the Saturday tutoring program and to begin a coffee sale to raise money for breast cancer research. 

“I’m so grateful for everything that has happened,” she said. “We’re in an area that I feel we are going to be so productive.” 

›

The latest incarnation of Ozzie’s, the beloved soda fountain at the southwest corner of the College Avenue and Russell Street intersection in the Elmwood, has expired. 

Operator Mike Hogan served his last sandwiches on June 29, and scooped his last ice cream as he cleaned out the following day. 

Victoria Carter, who holds the lease on the former Elmwood Pharmacy, is searching for a new tenant to the run the institution that has been at the center of neighborhood life for decades. 

But for regulars like writer Marty Schiffenbauer, Hogan’s departure “is really sad.” 

For years a regular on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Schiffenbauer has made Ozzie’s a hangout even during periods in the past when the counter was closed and between operators. 

“It’s a great neighborhood institution,” he said, “and anyone who takes over will become an immediately celebrity.” 

He said, “You really need someone very special, because there’s no real money in it.” 

Times have been hard for both Ozzie’s and Carter. Faced with the minimal profit margins forced by HMOs and insurance companies that have left the prescription drug business in the hands of large merchants who can make their profits off other merchandise, Carter was forced to abandon her prescription business early last year. 

Since then, she has been restructuring her business to offer non-prescription medicines and gift shop items. 

Carter recently signed a new five-year lease with increased rents, and she, in turn, offered Hogan a lease with a modest increase that he realized he couldn’t pay and have any chance of making a profit, something he’d not been able to do since he reopened the shuttered fountain business. 

Hogan insisted that expanded hours offered the one hope for the soda fountain, allowing him to sell to the breakfast and lunch crowds, while Carter insisted that the main reason he couldn’t make a go of it was a lack of practical business sense. 

John Moriarty, proprietor of 14 Karats, a jewelry shop a few doors south of Ozzie’s on College, noted that expanded hours weren’t enough. Hogan made his hot food offerings on a Teflon coated electric griddle, but without a professional grill and hood—an investment of as much as $250,000—Hogan couldn’t serve enough to be profitable. 

The final days took an edgy turn, with Hogan offering customers a sheet offering his version of the reasons he was closing, followed by Carter’s demand that he stopped handing out the sheet, followed by her issuance of a written account of her own. 

Proposed mediation fell through, the lease expired, and Ozzie’s closed. 

There has been an Elmwood Pharmacy in the building since 1921, and a small soda fountain for most of those years. But it was Charles Osborne, who took over the soda fountain in 1950, who made the place a landmark institution. 

A World War II fighter pilot and ace, Osborne drifted leftward after arriving in Berkeley, and the fountain became a favorite hangout of Berkeley leftists. 

A 1982 announcement of radically increased rents mobilized the regulars into a campaign for commercial rent control that became the nation’s first when voters approved it that year. 

The institution lasted seven years before a court decision struck it down. Faced with higher rents, Osborne called it quits. By then he’d been serving the grandkids of some of his first customers. 

Carter’s father, Charles, consolidated his former College and Ashby pharmacy with the Elmwood in 1960, closing his old store in the process. After 26 years, he handed the business over to his daughter four years after Osborne’s departure. 

Others had tried before Hogan, and the regulars recruited Hogan after the business had been shuttered after the previous operator left. 

With the fountain once again closed, Carter is looking for a new operator and is asking other Elmwood merchants to help. 

If she has her way, Ozzie’s will be reincarnated yet again. 

For Hogan, closing was hard. “A lot of people came out,” he said. “They were very supportive and a lot of them were upset.” 

Hogan’s next step will be a move to Sacramento, followed by a period of recuperation before he heads on to his next venture. 

“I’m always optimistic,” Schiffenbauer said. “I’m not giving up totally, but I’m not very happy.”›

July 4 Calm, But Several Other Fires Keep City Firefighters Busy  

A blaze ignited by a discarded holiday party barbecue proved costly Friday for a Berkeley firm once chaired by the late PowerBar co-creator Brian Maxwell. 

Before it was quelled, the blaze had inflicted more than $2.1 million in damage, destroying the structure and all its contents, said Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth. 

But if there had to be a fire, the timing couldn’t have been much better, said Tom Oliver, a former colleague at PowerBar under the Maxwell regime and president of Coolsystems, Inc. 

“We were planning to move in August, and this just speeds things up,” he said Thursday morning. 

The flames began after the grill, with coals still smoldering inside, was tossed into a trash bin next to the Coolsystems, Inc., warehouse at 929 Camellia St., said Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth. 

The coals ignited the contents of the dumpster, and the flames quickly spread to the building. 

The call came in to the emergency switchboard at 7:01 p.m. and before the blaze was controlled at 8 p.m., 35 firefighters, including two chiefs, as well as 12 engines and trucks, were engaged in the battle. 

Units from other cities were placed on availability to cover any other fires that might have sprung up while all the city’s crews and trucks were battling the West Berkeley blaze, Orth said. 

No one was injured in the blaze. 

It was the second multi-million-dollar blaze in West Berkeley in eight days. The first, on June 28, did $2 million in damage to the Berkeley Repertory Theater’s scene shop at Fifth and Gilman streets, just two blocks from the scene of Friday’s fire. 

Theater officials announced Wednesday that the troupe’s production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town will open as scheduled on Sept. 9, even though they’re still hunting for new quarters to make the sets. 

After selling PowerBar in March, 2000, for $375 million, Maxwell remained active in the Berkeley business community after he acquired Coolsystems, a company started by NASA space suit designer Bill Elkins, who wanted to apply extraterrestrial design to terrestrial problems. 

Coolsystems GR Accelerated Recovery technology uses high tech cooling units similar to those used by astronauts for treatment of sports injuries—both human and equine—and to ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis. 

“It’s a particularly appropriate name at the moment, since we’re making an accelerated recovery after the fire,” Oliver said. 

The cooling units, which also speed healing by periodically increasing pressure on injured joints, have been adopted by more than 68 professional teams (including the Eagles, Nets and Giants), 118 universities, and 320 individual pro athletes (including Warren Sapp and Corey Maggette) have purchased systems, said corporate, said Dax Kelm, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming, publicist retained by Coolsystems. 

The U.S, Olympic Training Centers, Navy SEALs and the San Francisco Ballet are Game Ready users, and athletes can get Game Ready treatments at physical therapy clinics across the country, he noted.  

Major investors include retired professional football players, including former San Francisco 49ers Steve Young and Jerry Rice, former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Warren Moon, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith and former Buffalo Bills quarterback and 1996 GOP Vice Presidential candidate Jack Kemp. 

Oliver said the fire—which did most of its damage in just ten minutes—won’t affect business operations. The Camellia warehouse contained only a few items of inventory. 

The lion’s share of equipment is still at the manufacturing plant,” Kelm said. 

The corporate spokesperson also said that while the company’s computers were destroyed by the fire, all the data was safely backed up in off-site units, so ordering and other business functions are continuing and the phone system is up and running. 

One reason for the minimal impact was that Coolsystem’s lease was running out and the firm was preparing to move. 

Oliver had been completing negotiations on a vacant plant at the northeast corner of Fulton Street and Dwight Way, where a reporter caught up with him Thursday morning. 

“We’ve been doing very well,” Oliver said. “We had record sales in June of both our GR and GRE models”—the “E” stands for equine. “That set us up for a record second quarter.” 

Fortunately, insurance will cover the losses, and Oliver and his team will be moving into their new home as soon as all the necessary signatures are one the lease. 

“It’s just a matter of days,” he said. 

Tilden Park fire 

Berkeley firefighters were called in at 7:06 p.m. Saturday to help East Bay Regional Parks District crews battle a brush fire that scorched a half-acre of brush and eucalyptus near the Tilden Park merry-go-round. 

The blaze was quickly controlled, and parks district investigators are working to determine the cause, said Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief David P. Orth. 

Burning pit 

Berkeley avoided the usual spate of July 4 fireworks blazes, but that didn’t stop someone from igniting a pole vault pit at UC Berkeley’s Edwards Field. 

The fire, which started about 11 p.m., did an estimated $35,000 in damage. 

Second hills blaze 

A belated burst of celebration in the wee hours of Tuesday morning did lead to a fire that consumed nearly four acres of grassland near the Lawrence Hall of Science. 

The fire, reported at 3:33 a.m., resulted in a second alarm before the fire was fully controlled at 4:07 a.m., said Orth. Had the fire happened a month later when vegetation will be drier, the fire could’ve posed a major threat to homes, he said. 

Burned out bottle rockets were found at the scene. 

Stuart Street fire 

Just four minutes after firefighters extinguished the hills blaze, they were dispatched to 1633 Stuart St., where they arrived to find a tenant trapped in his second-floor unit by a blaze on his porch. 

Firefighters were able to extract him through a window, but not before the fellow had burned his hand on an unexpectedly hot front doorknob. 

Damage was estimated at $5,000, Orth said. 

Third fire in two hours 

The morning’s third fire was reported at 5:16 a.m., sparked by a floor furnace in a residence at 2419 Bonar St. The fire was quickly quenched and cause little damage. 

Fence fire 

Berkeley firefighters rushed to 2222 Durant Ave. at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday where they arrived to find a fence on fire that was scorching the outside of an apartment building and sending smoke inside, disrupting the tenants. 

The fire was extinguished without incident, leaving the fence in serious repair and the building needing a touchup.

An apparent miscommunication has Fire Chief Debra Pryor in hot water with Berkeley hills residents. 

As part of its cost-saving plan to rotate fire company closures, the department Wednesday temporarily closed Fire Station 7, the main hills fire station at 2910 Shasta Road.  

Just last week, Pryor had told the council that engine companies serving the Berkeley hills would be immune from closures until the close of fire season in December. 

When neighbors realized Wednesday morning that the fire station was empty, they immediately lodged complaints and ultimately forced the city to reactivate the station’s lone engine company at 5 p.m. The station was closed for a total of nine hours during which time there were no major fires reported in the hills. 

To save $1.2 million in fire department overtime, the city starting July 1 began rotating closures of up to two fire companies when the department was not at full staff. For stations with just one fire company like Station 7, the company closure effectively shuts down the station. 

Under department directives, the closures are to be spread throughout the city, with special provisions made for the fire-prone hills when weather conditions presented severe fire risks. 

But that’s not what Pryor told the council, according to Councilmember Betty Olds, who represents a section of the hills covered by Station 7. 

“She didn’t say it would only be during critical fire times,” Olds said. “She said for the entire fire season. We won’t accept anything less.” 

In response to the confusion, Deputy Chief David Orth said Station 7 will not be closed Friday as scheduled, and that the department will review its schedule for future closures. 

Besides Station 7, Station 3 at 2010 Russell St. and Station 4 at 1900 Marin Ave. and The Alameda also serve hills residents. 

To save money, Berkeley reduced minimum firefighter staffing from 34 to 26. Rather than pay overtime to maintain 34 on-duty firefighters, the city chose to close two three-firefighter companies before shelling out for overtime. 

The reduction was not expected to result in frequent company closures, but the combination of summer vacation time, two recent workers compensation claims and retirements have left the department shorthanded, Orth said.  

During the first six days of July, the city has closed two companies for three days and a single company for two days. The only day the city had full fire service was July 4 as a precaution for Independence Day fireworks. 

Orth expected closures to decrease dramatically by the beginning of next year when vacation time is minimal and the department expects to hire 12 new firefighters. 

Although Berkeley has seen a big increase in major fires over the past month, Orth said call for service volume for 2005 was slightly below average. 

Berkeley police revealed Tuesday that they’d arrested 56-year-old Berkeley resident Paul Mitchell four days earlier in connection with the 1997 rape of a 39-year-old Berkeley resident. 

Mitchell was tied to the crime through a match in the state DNA database, said Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. 

Police said Mitchell broke into the apartment in the 1900 block of El Dorado Avenue in the pre-dawn hours of May 18, 1997 and pinned the victim to her bed with a pistol. The woman was sexually assaulted multiple times and raped during the attack, Okies said. 

The state Department of Justice notified police on May 25 that they’d matched Mitchell’s DNA to the crime, and a six-week investigation followed, in which further evidence was developed tying Mitchell culminating to the assault. 

Sex Crimes Sgt. Alyson Hart praised the Justice Department’s database for its instrumental role in breaking the cold case. 

“The use of new technology combined with effective investigative tools has helped to identify Mitchell as the suspect in this brutal attack and hold him accountable for his crime,” she said. 

Prosecutor John Adams of the Alameda County district attorney’s office worked closely with the Sex Crimes Unit in developing the charges filed. 

Mitchell faces counts of rape and burglary as well as multiple counts of sexual assault, Okies said. 

According to a 2004 Daily Planet story about his eviction from a Berkeley duplex, Mitchell has a bachelor’s degree in English from Cornell University and a Master’s in Education Psychology from Santa Clara University. 

He lived on a disability pension stemming from a leg injury and had served at least one sentence in the Santa Rita Jail by the time the story was written. 

He was living in a van at the time the story was written following his eviction and the potential loss of his 70 percent housing subsidy from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

As a result of the story, Mitchell was able to obtain a housing voucher and a apartment in Berkeley, which he then rejected in favor of a residence in Oakland. 

He was living in Berkeley again at the time of his arrest.›

Long-time Berkeley resident Herta Bregoff died peacefully in her home on June 26. She was born Herta Maas in 1922 in Karlsruhe, Baden Province, Germany. 

Her family had lived there for several generations and had a comfortable living situation. Although they were Jewish, they were not religious and considered themselves thoroughly German. Therefore when Hitler came to power, Herta’s parents, Rolf and Dora, did not see themselves in danger and continued to live in Karlsruhe. Herta’s older siblings, Eva, Henry and Trudel, did not share this view, and since they were all young adults, made their way to the United States. 

So Herta was left alone with her parents and then when she was 16, was expelled from school due to her Jewish heritage. This was a very difficult time for her, since her future was uncertain, and her parents were powerless to help the situation. Rolf and Dora did not want Herta to worry, so they did not discuss the political upheaval in Germany with her. It wasn’t until 1971, when Herta was reading her father’s papers, that she learned that Rolf had worked diligently during this time to arrange for them to leave Germany, but was unsuccessful.  

When Herta was 18, the Nazis came to her house and gave the family 20 minutes to collect their belongings; they were forced to board a train out of Karlsruhe. Unlike most German Jews, the Jews of Baden were not shipped to Poland, but instead to southern France. They spent the winter there in a camp called Gurs, living in barracks, having to bathe at an outside spigot, and unsure of their destiny. It rained a lot that winter so the camp was usually a sea of mud. Herta’s father died of dysentery in Gurs and was buried there.  

Meanwhile, Dora’s older children, who were already in the United States, were working hard to have Dora and Herta join them. After many months, sponsors were found, forms were completed, and fees paid to officials. 

Dora and Herta, along with others with American sponsors, were allowed to leave Gurs and took a train to Marseilles. There they stayed in hotels while they tried to get visas. They then took a train to Lisbon, Portugal, and boarded the ship Nyassa to New York City. Many Karlsruhe families had already settled in Berkeley, so Herta and her mother went directly there, where they were reunited with Eva, Henry and Trudel. 

Although Herta had not been able to graduate from high school, UC Berkeley allowed her to attend there. She graduated from UC with a B.S. in Chemistry. At UC she met Bill Bregoff, who had just finished his Army service in the Philippines. They were married in 1948. Herta went on to get a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis, while Bill earned his dental degree there. They returned to California and settled in the South Bay. Bill started a dental practice in Hayward, and they soon bought a house in Castro Valley. Herta had her first daughter, Naomi, in 1954. In 1958, Miriam was born. In 1965, Herta earned her teaching degree from Cal State Hayward and soon started teaching elementary school.  

Herta and Bill decided to move back to Berkeley in 1969, where they bought a house in the Elmwood District. Dora lived five blocks away, and they visited her often until her death in 1971. The same year, Bill and Herta separated, but they would remain friends throughout her life. Herta decided to change careers, and started nursing school at the age of 50. She worked as a registered nurse at Fairmont hospital for 17 years. 

Due to the painful memories of Germany, for 30 years Herta did not return, although her siblings made several trips back. Herta made a very brief trip with Bill and her children in 1971. In 1976, a childhood friend came to Berkeley, and convinced Herta to visit her in Switzerland, which she did in 1979. In 1986, her former elementary school classmates from Karlsruhe had a 50th class reunion, and they paid for her trip there. Herta had a wonderful time and made several more trips to Germany and other parts of Europe. She corresponded with many of her former classmates for the rest of her life. 

Herta had two grandchildren, Forrest and Esther, from her daughter Miriam in Alaska. She saw them yearly, either in Berkeley or in Alaska. They looked forward to packages from her, which always included chocolate. On one trip to Alaska, she taught herself to cross-country ski, as she hadn’t had the chance to learn while growing up in Germany.  

Herta’s experience in Nazi Germany caused her to always feel that nothing in life was certain, and to try to help others less fortunate than herself. She was very generous to her family and friends, volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul, and gave to many charities. She spent very little money on herself, and rarely asked others for help. As her health began to fail, her friends called her often and tried to help her as much as she would allow. Although petite in size, she had incredible inner strength, and will be missed by all who knew her.›

http://www.jfdefreitas.com/index.php?path=/00_Latest%20Works

TERRORISTS, ANARCHISTS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

You know, I actually predicted you would choose the “terrorist” word for a headline if you ran my admittedly pointed opinion piece. So I wasn’t surprised. The actual title of the piece I submitted was “Landmarks Meeting of June 27th”—just a bit less vivid. 

Your choice of that word was both inaccurate and needlessly inflammatory. I chose the word “anarchist” carefully, because of my belief that the LPC had taken profoundly anti-democratic positions, and never considered that “terrorist” was an accurate description. Suicide tactics are indeed employed by some terrorists—but also by others, including Buddhist monks. I did not describe an ideology, only a choice of tactics, as you well know. 

I know controversy sells papers—even free ones—but deliberate distortion is not your duty as an editor. 

I therefore hereby request that you publish a clear clarification that the choice and use of the word “terrorist” was yours as an editor, not mine as a writer. Publication of this letter unedited would be an acceptable alternative. 

Alan Tobey 

• 

LANDMARKS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Regarding Alan Tobey’s July 1 commentary: Was the LPC’s decision anarchy or a courageous protest against rather transparent power plays in support of a pro-development agenda over the past four years? Whereby it is now learned that a few minor changes to the ordinance would have made it compatible with the Permit Streamlining Act (PSA)? Instead of tweaking the ordinance, the PSA became the excuse and created the opportunity to gut the ordinance.  

The current composition of the LPC is different from that which approved the revisions a year ago. Also different at the meeting was the absence of the city’s staff attorney Zack Cowen. Staff was quiet, and the commissioners convened, deliberated, and heard each others’ well-reasoned opinions.  

The LPC’s decision also comes in response to the Planning Commission’s bold attempt to demote the LPC, remove some of its powers, placing those powers in the hands of a commission with no expertise in architectural or historical landmarks, i.e. the Zoning Adjustments Board.  

The LPC’s action is welcome especially in light of the city’s bold notice to the public that the ordinance revisions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Historic resources are a protected resource under CEQA, and proposed changes to the ordinance will reduce those protections. The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association’s (BAHA) attorney argues for environmental review.  

The city’s management and many of the elected council members have a pro-development agenda that is becoming increasingly obvious. Development is one thing, but at the expense of neighborhoods is another. Preservation is a neighborhood issue and not just an aesthetic issue. When a building is demolished, it is usually to put up something larger and more population dense. 

Finally, I wonder if Mr. Tobey’s condemnation of the LPC is a bad case of sour grapes since his recommendation (submitted for that meeting) was not endorsed, and barely considered, by the commission.  

All these examples add up to illustrate the importance of leaving politics out of the ordinance revision process. Toward that end, the city should adopt the LPC’s recommendation and hire an outside expert.  

Janice Thomas  

Director, BAHA 

• 

SLAVERY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

J. Douglas Allen-Taylor wants schools to present more on the impact of African slavery in this country. Good idea. Malcolm X lectured on the topic, and Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale were encouraged during their formative months for their Black Panther Party by the responses to the presentations they gave in Oakland on slavery, and other aspects of black history. But the history lessons in the 1960s were tied with strong analysis of the daily impact of racism upon the black public of that tumultuous decade. The problem was defined as slavery AND the pigs. 

In 2005, an analysis of slavery needs to be tied to the policies since the 1960s that have held back and even regressed African America. Today’s school children need to know that a whole lot more than slavery is the cause for today’s disproportionately high representation of black people among those pushing shopping carts and holding out the tin cup.  

Ted Vincent 

• 

SCHOOL NAME SIDESHOW 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Many thanks to J.Douglas Allen-Taylor for further flapping on our favorite school name sideshow. I’m shocked, simply shocked, to read Mr. Taylor’s enthusiastic endorsement of recent “honest and serious discussion about American slavery, its ramifications, and its implications,” alongside his spoilsport conclusion that this discussion would continue only if Berkeley begets an elementary school formerly known as Jefferson. 

I must caution Mr. Taylor against his disastrously deterministic view on the place of historical slavery in such current issues as how to educate black youth, how (or whether) to close the achievement gap and/or lift the education of all students. The invocation of an antiquated, mechanistic view of the Big Bang is simplistic and misplaced: We will not now find our way by approaching slavery as a singularity with a predictable trajectory to our current condition. To do so is to deny the diversity of experience, views and ambitions that Taylor finds on display in the occasional honest, serious, and difficult conversation among ordinary people. To do so is to hand over a pluralistic and exploratory educational endeavor to dogmatic zealots. Yet again. 

J. Tharp 

• 

TERM LIMITS 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I have to disagree with Zelda Bronstein (“Commission Reform,” July 5) and support a strictly enforced eight-year term limit for commissioners.  

Gene Poschman is only part of the problem. On ZAB alone, there are two members who have been entrenched for what seem like decades, and they both consistently work against the environment.  

It definitely is undemocratic for these people to have so much influence on decisions about Berkeley development just because they have unlimited free time to devote to city government.  

Let’s open up the commissions to reflect the diversity of opinion in Berkeley and are not dominated by a few entrenched people. 

Charles Siegel 

• 

TRAFFIC CIRCLES 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

“People seem to be confused about traffic circles,” claims Colleen McGrath’s July 5 letter. Really? The only confused parties seem to be a couple of planners in the city’s Transportation Office who keep deploying these unwanted devices, and a handful of neighborhood traffic NIMBYs who encourage them. 

The rest of us have figured out traffic circles just fine: They’re an inconvenience and a hazard to nearly everyone. They delay emergency vehicles, distract and baffle drivers, and force cars out into crosswalks and bike lanes. 

Their proliferation will probably cause the very accidents they are supposed to prevent, and harm the pedestrians (like me) and cyclists in whose name they were installed. 

Marcia T. Lau 

• 

BERKELEY HONDA 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Berkeley Honda on Shattuck Avenue has joined America’s race to the bottom. Its striking workers are requesting customers not to patronize the establishment until their labor dispute is settled. The workers fear that this Berkeley institution is being turned into an automotive Wal-Mart. The Berkeley dealership has refused to honor the union contract. Instead, 15 employees were fired, including some who are close to retirement. Younger, far less experienced workers have replaced them. Also their pension plan and health insurance have been downgraded. 

Please don’t patronize Berkeley Honda and urge your friends and neighbors not to do so as well. If the community cooperates, these striking workers can have their jobs restored with dignity. 

Harry Brill 

El Cerrito 

• 

GRAND JURY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

As a long-time Daily Planet reader, I was very disappointed to see your out-of-date and unexamined front-page article on the bogus Grand Jury report attacking the Alameda County Medical 2 and other local media commented on it by quoting hospital and union responses, as well as noting that its two-month early issue was unusual. The Planet also failed to notice that that same week last May a proposal was floated to appoint Sheriff Charlie Plummer to the hospital Board of Trustees. A speedy campaign by SEIU, Vote Health and other community activists halted this action, also reported in other local media. 

Context is all: It was Plummer who first recommended the Tennessee consulting firm Cambio to take over management of ACMC some 18 months ago, over the fierce opposition of labor and community activists. Since their hiring, the sheriff has regularly attended hospital Board of Trustees meetings, often accompanied by uniformed subordinates in what many hospital workers took as an attempt at intimidation. After these meetings the sheriff would then send poison-pen letters to the Board of Supervisors and to the Grand Jury trashing the trustees and the unions. On the day of the clinic walkout last summer—which the Planet did cover—Plummer hoisted a Cambio budget document in a public meeting and claimed that it revealed that 25 percent of the hospital workforce wasn’t working on any given day, supposedly off on workers comp or long-term disability. This was false, but Cambio officials failed to correct their sponsor. 

The foreman of the grand jury is a former high-ranking employee of Sheriff Plummer. If you look at Plummer’s poisonous notes to the Supes and the grand jury, you will note almost identical themes found in the grand jury report. You can get the letters, as we did, from the county.  

One has to ask, from whom did the grand jury get its bad information? Cambio officials called the notion that 25 percent of their staff are out on workers comp “an urban myth” when asked to explain the figure by County Supervisor Gail Steele at a public meeting on May 18. Cambio verified that the figure includes normal vacation, holidays, sick leave, and other paid absences, with only 44 employees actually out on workers comp. Why would a grand jury investigation not check directly with the agency personnel department it was examining? 

The grand jury report, led by Plummer’s friend, praises Cambio, his protégés from Tennessee, for its horrendous management (surprise!) and claims that ACMC is facing a fiscal crisis, although they just passed a balanced budget without any need for layoffs, as Plummer demands. They foolishly blame the unions for nurse staffing ratios, apparently unaware that those are set by the state (remember our governor being chased around the state by nurses when he tried to change the ratios?). 

There are many other “mistakes” in this tainted report, but I don’t have room in your column. Readers should check out the Oakland Tribune for continued updates. 

Kay Eisenhower 

Chair, Vote Health 

Oakland 

• 

DOWNTOWN PARKING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I find it difficult to sympathize with the Downtown Berkeley Association when they complain about insufficient downtown parking. 

We already have enough parking downtown. 

A few years ago, the city and UC jointly funded the Traffic Demand Management (TDM) study. It concluded that there would be plenty of parking spaces if people knew where spaces are available and if so many of the spaces were not filled by business owners and employees who park there all day. 

Downtown parking should be reserved for short-term use: shoppers and visitors. 

The TDM study said that with improved signage, and a “modest” shift of all-day parkers to using public transit, there is ample downtown parking right now. 

Perhaps the DBA would like to act as a distribution center for bus passes, for the use of business owners and their employees. 

Steve Geller 

• 

MORE ON PARKING 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Quoting a study conducted by UC Berkeley Staff and students in fall of 2002, “parking shortages are caused in large part by overtime parking, facilitated by broken parking meters and by meter feeding by employees; the effective supply of on-street parking could be increased by better enforcement. Enforcement, in turn, would divert some street parkers to garages and others to less expensive walk, bike and transit modes.” (Deakin, Elizabeth, et. al., Dec. 2002) 

Studies conducted by and for the City of Berkeley show hundreds of parking spaces empty and available in the downtown parking garages, varying during times of day and days of the week, between 1997, 2000 and March 2005, numbering between 100 and 300 empty spaces in the Center Street structure alone. Several other lots add many more available spaces. 

The lack of downtown parking is a myth. Customers of downtown merchants complain they can’t find a parking space. They would like to park close to or in front of the business they are frequenting. But many of the spaces close to the businesses are either: 1) taken by employees or owners of the businesses themselves (observed by study); or 2) taken by meter-feeding patrons who violate the time-limit (about 30 percent of vehicles in the study!). Many metered spaces have had broken meters, up to an average of 32 percent.  

The City of Berkeley’s Transportation Office is in the process of piloting new parking (meter) stations, which seem promising in the solution of meter-feeding and overstaying of time limits. Enforcement will be a more realistic activity with properly functioning parking meters. Once street parking is under better control, with better meters and enforcement, on-street parking violators will be nudged to better utilize the parking garages and/or transit, bicycling and walking modes. It has been estimated that this could open up 50 percent of on-street parking spaces currently occupied on an average day. 

Better parking meters are one of the solutions on the way. The Transportation Office is proposing real-time signage to help drivers find parking and better utilize existing parking spaces; and staff has been working with major employers to support employee use of transportation alternatives.  

Parking spaces are extremely expensive to build: Estimates get higher with each new lot that is built. Surface spaces can cost about $25,000 each, while parking garage spaces can cost upwards of $50,000 per space, or more. 

If one were to think about this situation logically it makes sense both economically and environmentally to allow solution measures time to have an observable outcome, before spending millions of the public’s money to encourage more vehicles to drive and park downtown. 

Marcy Greenhut 

• 

GATED WILLARD 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

I am very dismayed to see that BUSD is now adopting the “gated community” look for Willard Middle School. As this interminable construction continues —what was supposed to last two months and continues unfinished now for 14 months—BUSD is now installing a custom wrought-iron fence and gate, buttressed with over a dozen brick pillars. At the same time as this out of control spending goes on (they should be forced to publish the bill for all their starts and stops), BUSD continues to rattle its tin cup, crying poor. Teachers and students are being moved out of classrooms as administrators are forced to use classrooms as offices since, apparently, there’s no money for portables. Our kids in the cooking program are using 40-year-old stoves, many of which don’t have working ovens and are missing knobs. Two years ago, a major local store generously donated five brand new appliances to the Willard Cooking Program, and to date, not one has been installed. Superintendent Lawrence waxed eloquently at the Berkeley Public Education Foundation Luncheon about the importance of food and nutrition for students, yet there’s no staff or money to install free quality appliances. But there seems to be no end of funds available for their “gated look.”  

You build healthy schools from the foundation up, not from the curb in. There’s something very wrong with BUSD’s priorities and spending. I can’t wait to see what BUSD is charging on my next property tax bill. 

Dan Peven 

• 

FANCY FENCE 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Heh, I hear that the school district wants to turn Willard Middle School into a gated community—brick pillars, custom wrought-iron fence. The school’s not doing great on test scores, ranks only a 5 (mediocre) on state wide school rankings, but heh, let’s build a fancy expensive fence and gate instead. Now that’s education! 

Marc Fulton 

• 

BART SECURITY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

We are all grateful there is no BART strike just now. 

But BART announced above-ground restrooms will be closed, because of raised security after bombings in London. The underground restrooms have been closed for years. There is no indication any of the London bombs were placed in restrooms.  

I spoke with a BART spokesperson and asked how many bombs have been placed in BART restrooms. He said that in his employment at BART since 1971, there have been none, to his knowledge. 

I work with disabled people, who often need access to public restrooms. They also use public transportation more often.  

As an aside, I asked about the coin-operated lockers that were in BART stations until the first Gulf War, when we were told they would be removed because of potential terrorist threat. And we were told, they would be replaced after the war. I am still looking for them. The BART spokesperson said he does not recall ever seeing lockers in BART stations.  

Kevin McFarren 

Oakland 

• 

ANTI-DEMOCRATIC 

Mal Burnstein is at it again, defending the indefensible (Letters, June 24). You might remember Mr. Burnstein as Tom Bates’ lawyer in the infamous Daily Cal trashing case. Now, according to Burnstein, Zelda Bronstein is being naïve and ill-informed when she dares criticize the secrecy with which the City Council deliberated and then approved the settlement with UC. That’s the way the city always deals with lawsuit settlement talks, says Burnstein. “If that is anti-democratic,” he writes, “it is surprising that it took Zelda so long to find out about the practice (reported in all local papers for as long as I have lived here—approximately 50 years.)” 

If Burnstein is right, then his good friend and sometime client Tom Bates was as naïve and ill-informed as Bronstein when he promised BLUE (Berkeleyans for a Livable University Environment) that members of the public would have an opportunity to comment on the terms of the settlement before the council made a final decision. 

If Burnstein is right, why did City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque even bother to sign a confidentiality agreement with UC (also in secret) pledging that the details of the settlement would not be made public until after the deal had been signed and sealed? 

Whether Burnstein is wrong or right, what the mayor, the City Council and the city attorney conspired to do was indisputably anti-democratic. 

Richard Spaid 

• 

MARRIAGE EQUALITY 

Editors, Daily Planet: 

Molly McKay and Equality California, her gay-marriage organization, aren’t interested in real equality; they just want to gang up with the heterosexual marrieds in sticking it to the unmarried minority.  

These gay-marriage advocates are like some light-skinned Blacks in the Jim Crow South who weren’t opposed to discrimination, per se, they just wanted to be classified as white so they didn’t have to suffer it themselves. I guess Equality California likes its equality Animal Farm style, where everybody is equal, but married people are more equal than others. 

Why should married people of any gender combination be awarded any privileges, rights, benefits or other advantages that favor them over unmarried people? Ms. McKay’s desire for gay marriage is scarcely more principled than those who want to reserve marriage exclusively for straights. Both of these selfish groups want to set themselves on a pedestal above the unmarried and then claim special treatment because of their self-exalted status. Ms. McKay should be calling for the inequities of marriage to be eliminated, not merely extended to favor her special-interest group. 

It’s really something to watch gay and straight couples squabble over benefits that they are both perfectly happy to deny to singles. You’d think that with marriage being such a purportedly fabulous thing that they’d be thrilled just to be married. But apparently that’s not enough for these greedy people. 

The heterosexual married majority and the gay wanna-be-marrieds also see fit to vote themselves special privileges and public moneys for being so special. And all of this is at the expense of the unmarried, who are denied economically valuable privileges and who pay taxes that subsidize substantial marriage perks while receiving none themselves. 

If Ms. McKay and Equality California were truly equality-minded they would call for the elimination of all the invidious distinctions that governments and corporations make between people based on the happenstance of their sex lives.  

I won’t hold my breath. 

S. Smiths

The Draft Ron Dellums Movement that is currently sprouting wings and flying all over town has generated the most excitement in an Oakland mayoral race since, well, let’s see...since Jerry Brown announced his plans to run some eight years ago. 

For those who don’t read the news so much, a group of progressives and black political leaders recently began a campaign to convince Mr. Dellums—the former congressmember—to run in the 2006 election to succeed Mr. Brown. From all indications, Mr. Dellums is giving it serious consideration. 

From a distance, the 1998 Brown candidacy and the potential 2006 Dellums candidacy have some superficial similarities, particularly the idea that a nationally known political figure would be expected to bring star-power attention to an unappreciated Oakland. Remember when Jerry Brown was going to put Oakland on the map? Has that been long enough that we can now call it a back-in-the-day thing? 

Anyways, the similarities between what Mr. Brown has done and what Mr. Dellums might do pretty much end right there. 

One is in the area of race, but it’s more complicated than the obvious fact that Mr. Brown is white and Mr. Dellums is black. 

No one is expecting that Mr. Dellums—one of the few (if not the only) black politicians in the nation’s history to win repeated re-election from a political district that was not majority black—would suddenly reverse course in the latter stages of his life and start building a black political power bloc at the expense of all other groups. 

And Mr. Brown is not accused of being an anti-black racist, if by that term we mean someone who either hates black people, or thinks they are not his equal. (Mr. Brown probably thinks that few people are his equal, but that makes him arrogant and elitist, not racist, which is another thing altogether.) 

When he first ran for mayor in 1998, Mr. Brown did ride the wave of underlying feeling in some areas of Oakland that there had been enough of black rule—the Wall Street Journal reported in an August 1999 article that “in his campaign for mayor, Mr. Brown…promised to dismantle the African-American-dominated political machine that presided over much of the city’s decline since the 1970s.” And while Mr. Brown’s attacks on the black sideshow youth have not been overtly anti-black, they have often strayed very close to the edge in their appeal to anti-black stereotypes. 

Still, Mr. Brown retained some of the black presence within Oakland government that was there under Mayor Elihu Harris. Mr. Brown retained the African-American Robert Bobb (for a while) as city manager, replacing him with another African-American, Deborah Edgerly, when he and Bobb could no longer get along. Mr. Brown also replaced one black police chief (Joseph Samuels) with another (the since-departed Richard Word) in one of his first actions as mayor. 

Some of Mr. Brown’s black appointments or attempts at appointments have been—to say it charitably—somewhat peculiar (Harry Edwards as Park and Rec chief and the time the mayor wanted either Angela Davis or Maya Angelou to come on as head librarian—while both of them had read books and written books and even taught from books, neither of them, it appeared, had actually worked in a library. Still, it cannot be said that the mayor swept Oakland’s decks clean of black faces. 

But that has not kept black political activists in Oakland from worrying. 

In the years when this city had an African-American mayor and a majority African-American school board and the local assembly district was regularly sending an African-American member to Sacramento, Oakland was one of the centers of black political power, both in California and in the nation. Given the change in the city’s demographics, it is doubtful that any ethnic group will so dominate Oakland’s elective offices in the near future. (A look at the present racial composition of the Oakland City Council is a better indication of the type of racial-ethnic balance we will probably continue to see: three whites, two African-Americans, two Asian-Americans, one Latino.) 

But the Draft Dellums group says that their major concern is for further down the road, and if there will be enough young and upcoming black political talent to fill the available slots. While Latinos and Asian-Americans are beginning to build strong political organizations in Oakland—and white folks, as always, are holding steady—some black insiders are concerned that the pool of gifted young black politicians is drying up. 

Working for a state legislator or a congressmember is the farm system of politics, where potential young politicians gain name recognition and learn the political ropes. Former Assemblymember Dion Aroner built up her political resume by working for Tom Bates while he was in the assembly, and members of State Senator Don Perata’s team are salted in government positions throughout Oakland and Alameda County. During the time when he was in national office, Dellums did the same, and made certain that at least some of those protegés were black. At least two of them—Congressmember Barbara Lee and County Supervisor Keith Carson—continue to play important roles in Bay Area politics. 

Dellums did not confine his mentorship to up-and-coming blacks, of course, but he certainly included a lot of up-and-coming blacks, probably more so than any other local politician. Members of the Draft Dellums group are hoping that if he returns to local politics, Dellums will revive that training ground for young black politicians, which has virtually dried up since Ms. Lee succeeded him. 

Another area where the Draft Dellums folks think a Mayor Dellums administration would be significantly different from a Mayor Brown administration is in the area of regional cooperation. 

Few of the problems of a modern California city can be solved within the city itself; they need a regional effort (that’s an issue we’ll have to explore in detail in a future column). Because of its size and its geography, Oakland should be the natural political, social, and economic leader of a regional coalition spanning the coastal East Bay, an important section that stretches from Richmond to the north, through Berkeley, Emeryville, and San Leandro down to Hayward to the south, with Piedmont to the east and Alameda to the west. But under Mr. Brown, no such coastal East Bay coalition ever materialized. 

The major reason is that in a coalition, every party must get enough recognition to satisfy its own constituency. No one party can dominate, or the coalition falls apart. But Mr. Brown, who clearly only saw his time in Oakland as a stepping stone back into state or national politics, needed to get full credit for every major Oakland initiative in order to build (or rebuild) his political resumé. He wasn’t too crazy about sharing any of the credit with other Oaklanders, much less the mayors and city councilmembers of other cities. 

There is hope that Mr. Dellums—who, after all, cemented his legacy long ago—would have both the stature and the ability to smooth over the political egos and head up a coalition effort to attack some of the common problems in the region, from economic development to education to transportation to health care, and beyond. 

Will Ron run? I’ve got no inside track on the decision. But I do know that just the thought of a Dellums candidacy has gotten a lot of people excited in what they hope will be a new turn in Oakland politics. And that may end up having an effect on the 2006 mayoral race, whatever Mr. Dellums eventually decides to do. More on that in another column. 

GTGC 

It was a vehicle theft, but it doesn’t fit as a GTA—grand theft auto. Instead, it would have to be called a GTGC, for grand theft golf cart. 

Berkeley police discovered it when they made a pedestrian stop just before 2 a.m. last Friday near the intersection of Prince and Ellis streets when they spotted an electric golf cart belonging to UC Berkeley. 

The drivers, a pair of minors, were booked on suspicion of grand theft, said Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Joe Okies. 

Shoplift Becomes Robbery 

When employees of Eastern Supplies at 2900 Shattuck Ave. stopped a 50-year-old man they’d spotted boosting paint brushes during the lunch hour last Friday, the shoplifter turned his misdemeanor into a felony when he fought with his captures. 

He compounded his crime when he gave a false name to police officers when they arrived, a crime in itself. 

One of the employees sustained minor injuries during the scuffle, which were treated at the scene by firefighter paramedics. 

Women’s Rat Pack 

Rat pack attacks—robberies staged by a band of assailants—typically involve young males, but it was a distaff crew of anywhere from four to eight young women who robbed three other women near the corner of Parker Street and College Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday. 

When last seen, some of the assailants were high-tailing it away in a red sports car, said Officer Okies. 

Domestic Knife Attack 

A family disturbance turned into assault with a deadly weapon and spousal abuse when a woman pulled a knife in her apartment just before 4 a.m. Saturday. 

Police arrived moments later and booked the 49-year-old woman on the two felony charges. Her partner, who had received a minor knife wound in the scuffle, declined medical help, said Officer Okies. 

Belated Report 

Police got a call at 7:40 a.m. Sunday from a nurse at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Oakland, telling of a 20-year-old South Berkeley man who had come in with a knife wound. 

Arriving at the hospital, the young man said he was attacked by a pair of men near the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Jones Street the previous midnight. 

Backpack Theft 

A 25-year-old man called Berkeley police shortly before midnight Sunday after a group of men strong-armed his backpack and its contents near the corner of Sutter and Hopkins streets. 

Solo Deuce of Fourth 

July 4 turned out to be a pretty dull day, and police think that’s just fine, said Officer Okies. Only one drunk driver—a deuce in police parlance—was taken to the hoosegow, and he was popped near the corner of Ashby and Claremont avenues when the day was just two hours old. 

About That Security 

Police were called to Econo Gas at 950 University Ave. at 10 a.m. on the Fourth to investigate a grand theft. 

Turns out it was the station’s security cameras that were swiped. 

Knife For Wallet 

A man with a knife relieved a 35-year-old pedestrian of his wallet near the corner of Adeline and Stuart streets just before 1 a.m. Tuesday. 

GTAntiques 

A woman who had lived on Wildcat Road called police Tuesday to report the theft of four antiques worth $24,000. 

The woman told officers that she had paid a Berkeley man to ship the valuables just before she moved several months ago, but they never arrived at their intended destinations. 

Police are investigating the incident, said Officer Okies. 

Gun Gang 

Four men, including at least two who were packing pistols, robbed a 19-year-old man of his wallet and cell phone about 6 p.m. Tuesday near the corner of Ashby Avenue and Otis Street, said officer Okies. 

Real GTA, Finally 

Police arrested a 48-year-old man in the 1600 block of 63rd Street after they stopped him driving a set of hot wheels.

In my June 28 commentary entitled “Historical Preservation: It Takes A Community,” I wrote that proposed changes to the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO), due to come before the City Council on July 12, would (among other problems) remove state prot ections that encourage developers to work with the community. The state protections to which I referred are those provided by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  

CEQA was passed in 1970, when “environmentalism” was the people’s enterprise—local as well as global, urban as well as rural, cultural as well as natural. CEQA arose from the same impulse that a few years later created our Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance and the LPO. In those days, that was called “progressive.” But how things have changed! Berkeley claims to be a “green” and “progressive” city, but any city determined to avoid environmental protection and public participation is neither.  

Our planning department apparently views CEQA as a stupid law designed to create a divis ive debate, and to throw roadblocks in a developer’s path, after a project design is in its final phases. Thus CEQA is to be avoided at all costs. The result is anger and bitterness on all sides—and bad projects. But this is only because our planning depa rtment does not use CEQA as intended.  

Properly implemented, CEQA is a smart law designed to create early public input into development projects in order to minimize adverse environmental impacts. In so doing, community input and energy is channeled into constructive collaboration on what becomes a much better project.  

CEQA says, “the Lead Agency shall encourage the project proponent to incorporate environmental considerations into project conceptualization, design, and planning at the earliest feasibl e time” (CEQA §15004b3). “Early preparation is necessary for the legal validity of the process and for the usefulness of the documents. Early preparation enables agencies to make revisions in projects . . . before the agency has become so committed to a p articular approach that it can make changes only with difficulty” (CEQA Guidelines).  

What does “early” mean? For public projects, CEQA says that environmental review should start before a site is even purchased! In addition, CEQA states clearly that env ironmental review shall occur “concurrently” with the development application process, not afterward. 

In other words, environmental input from the community should not primarily respond to a project design; it should and must inform the project—and the e arlier, the better. Yet in Berkeley, the project applicant and staff essentially “create” a project together and “finish” it well before the community has even heard about it. Then both applicant and staff hunker down to protect their substantial investme nt from outraged neighbors. Such is the result of violating the intent, spirit, and often even the letter of CEQA. 

Developers’ private property rights do not override protection of the cultural and historical commons. If it comes to this contest, the community should win. But with the right approach, we can make such either-or decisions rare. 

Used properly, CEQA provides one of life’s few real opportunities to “have our cake and eat it too.” This is because one of CEQA’s most brilliant provisions is to require, in environmental impact reports (EIR), consideration of “alternatives” that accomplish the goals of the project while minimizing damage to the environment and surrounding community.  

This is simply a way of forcing people to think creatively. It is nowhere more beneficial than in the case of historical resources, where usually the community and developer are able to ultimately reconcile the old with the new. And it is almost always true that the resulting development is more imaginative, more at tractive, more contextual, more to-scale, and certainly better for the community than it otherwise would have been. And frequently it also turns out to be better for the developer. It’s a win-win all around, and has worked many times in Berkeley. 

Smart d evelopers voluntarily pursue alternatives that respect the community, its values, and its resources, but for those who don’t, CEQA provides two “sticks” that force the developer in the right direction. One is the aforementioned EIR requirement to look for alternatives. The other is the cost of doing an EIR, the mere threat of which often drives the developer to cooperation. In either case, however, lacking municipal policy incentives, the only incentive for the developer to work with the community in Berk eley is CEQA. 

This is where the LPO comes in. Many of the proposed revisions to the LPO are an attempt to neutralize historical resources as a factor mandating environmental review under CEQA. How the proposed LPO revisions do this is too technical for t his commentary, so let’s look at the why, which is even more important to the typical Berkeleyan. 

An acknowledged goal of our planning department is to seek exemption from CEQA review whenever possible. Staff is helped in that goal by state laws promotin g infill development through more and more “categorical exemptions” to CEQA; such exemptions permit projects to be built without consideration of environmental impacts. But, because of the importance and irreplaceability of historical resources, a project’s impact on them trumps all CEQA exemptions. If a historical resource is threatened, there must be environmental review.  

If staff can find a way to legally neutralize historical resources under CEQA, not only can they much more easily demolish the pesk y old buildings that stand in the way of development, they can legally avoid any environmental review for some new infill projects—no matter how large, ugly, dense, or damaging. In addition, and perhaps worse, they must approve projects much faster—within 60 days instead of the longer period required if environmental review is mandated.  

Can we create good developments, especially large ones, within 60 days, especially in the absence of any incentive for the developer to interact with the neighborhood? N o. It takes time for neighbors to intelligently address development issues, and effectively communicate their concerns to decision makers. Such a short fuse, especially for a naïve neighborhood taken by surprise, effectively prevents public input or objec tion, not just on historical issues but on any issue (traffic, parking, aesthetics, etc.). This is exactly what developers and city staff want.  

It has become apparent to me that the attitude that “neighbors” are an obstacle, whose participation is to be avoided (along with CEQA, which mandates it), is the very heart of Berkeley’s planning problems. The LPO has nothing to do with it.  

Nonetheless, the rewriting of the LPO is now offered up as a “solution” to conflict resulting from lack of early and gen uine community engagement in development projects. Why? Nothing in the LPO prevents any well-meaning applicant from—on his own—talking to the community and researching potential project impacts, including historical ones, at any time, with the goal of res olving, not belittling, community concerns. This could occur long before major investment in development plans. And staff could facilitate this with their considerable power and resources. 

But instead, the “solutions” to be considered by the council on J uly 12 are directed not at developers who refuse to work with the community, and not at revamping entrenched planning policies and attitudes that, despite lip service to the contrary, discourage such cooperation. No, all the major changes being considered are aimed squarely at weakening the public’s ability to preserve Berkeley’s heritage, and at circumventing the community’s CEQA protections.  

This is no less than an assault on Berkeley’s interesting and lovely historical character, and all the citizens who cherish it. Why would those whom we have elected with our votes, and whose salaries we pay with our tax money, to protect us and our city, even consider damaging our urban environment in this way? 

Sharon Hudson is an advocate for improving urban quality of life.n

Suicide bombers? Anarchists? That’s not my impression. It’s hard to believe that Alan Tobey (Commentary, July 1) and I both attended the same Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) meeting on the evening of June 27. 

I understand that Mr. Tobey has committed much personal time and energy to the issue at hand and that his disappointment is deeply felt. I share the same frustration. 

The special LPC meeting of June 27 was held to examine our existing Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO) and two proposed sets of revisions— independently crafted by the Landmarks Preservation and Planning Commissions—and to formulate recommendations to City Council. The original charge of the LPC was to revise the LPO to conform to the timing constraints of the Permit Streamlining Act. 

The LPC unanimously raised specific concerns regarding each proposal and chose not to endorse either proposal at this time, without first resolving these concerns, best done with the aid of an impartial third-party, preservation and regulatory expert. Sometimes it is appropriate for responsible individuals to “pull the brake” and “slow the train.” This is one of those times.  

Mr. Tobey likened the LPC to “suicide bombers, blowing up their own proposal in order to prevent the normal cooperative workings of a democratic government.” Throughout the Planning Commission proceedings of the past year, new information has raised serious concerns about the increased workload the LPC proposal—and analogous sections of the Planning Commission proposal—would create for the commission and city staff and the burden it would place on many homeowners attempting to alter their homes. It is one issue that certainly deserves in-depth discussion. 

Mr. Tobey also states that the Commission “asked the Council to throw out five years of effort and start over.” Although individual commissioners may advocate that the LPC “start from scratch,” the full LPC did NOT state that in its final motion and recommendation to the City Council. 

As a Certified Local Government (CLG), the city is required to consult with the state Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) on any proposed ordinance revisions. The OHP has not yet provided final written comments and recommendations arising from its review of the proposed revisions. It is improper for the Council to move to adopt LPO revisions without the OHP review. 

No commissioner threatened lawsuit as Mr. Tobey states. The commission chose to alert the City Council that the LPC and the Planning Commission have received correspondence that suggests that the city may be exposing itself to threat of lawsuit if the city proceeds with substantive revisions to the LPO—which appear to weaken existing provisions—without first conducting the appropriate level of environmental review. The council can turn to the city attorney’s office to assess the degree of risk.  

My hope is that we can resolve our concerns without anger, and without the inflammatory language present in Mr. Tobey’s editorial. 

The LPC’s motion can be found as a late item in the City Council’s package for the July 12 meeting. It is also posted on BAHA’s website. 

Jill Korte is chair of Berkeley’s Landmarks Preservation Commmission. 

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The Mexican comic strip character “el negrito” Memín Pinguín has been put on a series of postage stamps. The character is bug eyed, fat lipped, has enormous ears and looks like a black rubber mask compared with the white people in the cartoon, who are drawn with the realistic precision of the old “Prince Valiant” strip. Compared to the whites in the strip, Penguin is Bugs Buggy in the movie Roger Rabbit. 

The White Chicks of the Wayans brothers were 10 times more realistic than little black Memín. Lil’ Memín has a loving rubber-faced handkerchief-head mother. Lil’ Memín can’t speak good Spanish, his white friends tell him. Considering the above, one wonders why the Memín Pinguín postage stamps have drawn little criticism from within Mexico. And most of what there is merely complains that it is insensitive to give “the cute kid” the international exposure of a stamp, considering how “oversensitive” people are on race in some other countries. Bold defenders of the Pinguín stamps are numerous in Mexico. One declared the U.S. critics of the cartoon are agents of the imperialists who are trying to dominate the world culturally as well as militarily. Another commentator said that we up north should mind our own business, adding that “Mexico never had separate water faucets for white people.”  

Defense of the cartoon is long on Menín Pinguín’s honor and good nature and short on answers to the issue of racial stereotyping. Anti-black racism is rarely discussed in Mexico, out of a belief that the nation solved that problem long ago. Mexico abolished caste law at independence in 1821 and eight years later abolished slavery. Mexico has had presidents with African heritage and one with pure Indigenous roots. Mexico’s slavery revolt leader, Gaspar Yanga, has a city and county named in his honor. What does Nat Turner have? Yanga also has a children’s coloring book. Curiously, the cover is adorned with “Topsie” look-a-likes, bug eyed, messy haired, squirly and big-handed lil’ blacks. The author, a left-wing historian, was surprised when told that the “Topsie” depictions would be considered racist in the United States. 

Perhaps if there were more people in Mexico with African appearance there would be less of the stereotyping, but the African population that two centuries ago was counted 10 percent of the nation is now mostly mixed into “the mestizo nation,” as is the case with the majority of the Indigenous. Despite the assimilation, there are still Indigenous beggar women with their emaciated children on the sidewalks of cities all over Mexico. 

A major cause of Mexico’s blind spot on race is that the same independence decade that saw caste and slavery washed away in a mass movement previewing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also previewed Ward Connelly. Action to deal with race met action to outlaw race. First came the 1821 independence war peace plan of Iguala which declared “All inhabitants... without distinction to their being Europeans, Africans or Indians are citizens...with the option to seek all employment according to their merits and virtues.” Law 279 of independent Mexico’s first congress codified this clause. But there was a twist. Instead of “Europeans, Africans or Indians” the equality was extended to all from “whichever of the four corners of the world one may come.” This congress was out to abolish mention of race. Law 313 prohibited references to race in any Mexican government document, or in the records of the parish church.  

Law 303 prohibited any elected official from “speaking disparagingly of anyone’s origins,” which at first glance was an anti-n word law which Dr. King might have supported, but in interpretation meant it was not proper to mention anyone’s origins, either positively or negatively. The congress came close to passing a law to make it illegal to utter the word “Indio” in congressional debates. 

Over the past two centuries the class focus has led Mexico to more years of serious class revolution than almost any other nation. Faceless masses under a sea of sombreros march for leaders and lieutenants who, with a few exceptions, have mention of their race relegated to obscure tomes. But the muralists during the 1910 revolution discovered that they could focus upon history and put color and race in their works. Diego Rivera, for instance, took racial information from his and Frida Kahlo’s exquisite personal library of obscure tomes to publicize African and Indigenous heroes. Today, people privately identify with Rivera’s assortment of heroes of color, who evoke memories of Grandmother’s long Indian braids, or Grandfather’s dark brown skin. It could also be said that a similar quiet personal identification is made with the actor Cantinflas, who clearly has non-white roots, and with very little imagination, an African root. Cantinflas often played the quick-witted, uneducated, poor guy who gets into the society ball. Memín Penguin was a cartoon version of Cantinflas, outwitting the stronger, better educated of the world. 

However, Pinguín’s physical appearance, shoddy clothing and awkward speech are hard to excuse, and these factors are probably a reason that the number of newspapers carrying the 50-year-old comic strip has declined steadily from the early 1960s, as the issues of race raised in the civil rights and black power movements of the U.S. seeped into Mexico. Today, the strip has less than a twentieth of the circulation at its peak. Among the recent defenders of Memín are those who concede having not read the strip in years, and attribute their fondness for the “little black” to their long ago youthful identification with a boisterous and imperfect youngster.?

One of the living treasures of Berkeley is the Kala Art Institute. Now that this facility is over 30 years old, an exhibition of about 80 works by 71 artists can be seen at the Artists Gallery of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art at Fort Mason acros s the bay. The exhibition stresses works on paper, created in a very wide range of processes, from woodcut and etching to digital photography, and includes sculpture, books and video works. It presents an overview of some of Kala’s multifarious activities. 

In 1974 two adventurous young artists, Archana Horsting and Yuzo Nakano, met at a famous international workshop and forum of ideas in Paris. They decided that it was the right time to start a community workshop, which would be based on the production of graphics. First located in a garage in San Francisco, they came to Berkeley where they opened the institute in the former Heinz ketchup factory in 1979. 

Kala became a place where artists meet and work and exchange ideas. In addition to prints, artists at Kala have made work in all imaginable new and old media. Selected artists from this country and abroad are awarded fellowship residencies. The international flavor is important. Kala has also organized exhibitions in Italy, Switzerland and even, in 200 3, in Uzbekistan. Catalogues are produced. Kala has also been in the forefront of sponsoring performance art in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its 8,500-square-foot studio in Berkeley includes an art library, an extensive print archive and a consignment sale s department. Most importantly, it never closes for the artists who come there to learn, experiment and take risks toward new ventures. 

The exhibition at Fort Mason gives visitors an idea of the creative energy which exemplifies Kala. This show will be followed by a large retrospective of work from over 30 years of Kala’s work, which will be accompanied by a book, now under consideration by Berkeley’s favorite publisher, Malcolm Margolin of Heyday Books, a house which is also 30-something years old. 

On Wednesday, July 13, Archana Horsting will give a gallery talk and present a brief history of Kala, at Building A at Fort Mason, where the exhibition will continue until July 29. An anniversary dinner reception and silent auction will be held at 5:30 p.m. July 17 at Green’s Restaurant, Fort Mason, Building A, San Francisco. Tickets are $150; call 549-2977 to reserve tickets.

The Domestic Crusaders, a new play by Bay Area-native Wajahat Ali about the reactions of three generations of a Pakistani-American family in the wake of 9/11, will be staged for three performances only, July 15 and 16, at the Thrust Stage of Berkeley Repertory Theater. 

Presented by Oakland’s Before Columbus Foundation, and produced by celebrated author and Before Columbus co-founder Ishmael Reed, The Domestic Crusaders is directed by Carla Blank and features a cast of South Asian actors from the Bay Area. 

The play originated when Ali was a UC Berkeley student in a writing class that Reed was teaching in 2001. 

“After Sept. 11, he disappeared for awhile,” Reed recalls. “There was hazing of Middle Easterners on campus, a bad atmosphere.” 

The Domestic Crusaders started out as a 20-page short story assignment in the class. 

“I asked him to turn the story into a play,” Reed said. “He has a magnificent ear for dialogue. He’s right up there with the best, in terms of family drama. ... A major new voice.” 

Ali said of his play, “I wanted to make something extraordinary out of the ordinary. Not an ethnocentric play that would exclude everyone else, but something in which those who see it would recognize aspects of their own family in a culture they’d never seen anything about before. The familiar in the unfamiliar. And hear what everybody’s got on the tip of their tongue, but doesn’t want to say.”  

Reed touts Ali’s play as “something all could relate to—Irish-American, African-American—but it’s not comfort food theater.” 

All the characters in the play have different sympathies, and different ways of analyzing the situation, he said. 

“The younger immigrant generation, like in all immigrant families, resists the language, the old culture, the food,” Reed said. “They’re on the way to becoming a classic American family. And they have a few secrets, like any family in any ethnic group. ... It’s finally optimistic and sprinkled with humor. There were waves and waves of laughter at the staged readings we had in Newark. There’s satire about the software industry and the media—and the family’s own prejudices, getting indignant over being mistaken for Afghanis! It’s kitchen drama, and brilliant, taking people back to their roots, where they’re coming from.”  

Wajahat Ali wrily recalls Reed referring to the “Muslim-bashing” of post-9/11 as “one man’s getting pummelled in the ring, and the referee’s not stopping the fight.” 

Going on about the “bunch of hustlers” who have made this “a very prolific industry,” Ali mentions Pat Robertson, who on his website “is adamant in his belief that Muslims worship some sort of moon god.” Ali decries the “cookie cutter allegories” of a “Hollywood unable to portray the spiritual lives of Americans” and “the media’s horrible job of conveying world religions, much less different cultures in America.” 

But talking about immigrant families, Ali notes: “Second-generation South Asians don’t know much about their families’ culture. They have to prod the older people, who often don’t want to talk. They’ve seen too many horrible things. The kids, then, are often embarrassed, don’t want to speak—then later ask their second-generation parents, ‘Why didn’t you teach us?’”  

Director Carla Blank recalls the actor who plays the father, Shahab Riazi, “who’s a little bit young for the part, saying ‘This is like a cautionary tale for me,’ warning him of what he might become. At the staged readings, his mother was telling people, ‘My son isn’t really like that!’” 

The cast includes two non-Muslim South Asian actresses, Nidhi Singh and Vidhu Singh, as well as Sadiyah Shaikh, and Saquib Mausoof as the grandfather. 

“The cast was very generous in educating me about their culture,” Blank said. “Together, we figured out the most honest way to present this material at the staged readings last year. At the Mehran Restaurant Theatre in Newark, we had somewhere between 300 to 400 people—and turned half that many away. The South Asian community really got the word out—and seemed amazed at how well Wajahat captured the different generations onstage.” 

Mehran Restaurant is providing Pakistani delicacies as part of the admission price for the show at the Thrust Stage. 

Other readings of the play were staged at last year’s Arts and Soul Festival in Oakland, and in the auditorium of the Main Branch of the Oakland Public Library. The Before Columbus Foundation is presenting this showcase of The Domestic Crusaders as part of its mission to promote contemporary multicultural literature. 

Ali, now a law student at UC Davis, is writing a “sequel/prequel” that will place The Domestic Crusaders in a trilogy, taking the family that debates 9/11 from the Partition of Pakistan and India in 1947 to the present. His background, both from Pakistan and in America, gives him direction, he said. 

“In old Middle Eastern culture, a storyteller was more valued than a swordsman,” Ali said. “He gave their history to the people of the tribes. Translate that onto stage with a couple of other people, it’s a play, but still storytelling. I know exactly where I want to go, but I don’t rush it; I let the characters speak for themselves. They’re not just mouthpieces to move the plot along.” 

The Domestic Crusaders plays at 8 p.m. Friday, July 15 and at 2 and 8 p.m. July 16. Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2025 Addison St. $20-$35. For more information call 647-2900 or see www.domesticcrusaders.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 8 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “The Thousandth Night” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. 2 and 7 p.m., through July 24, at 2081 Addison St. Tickets are $36. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Central Works, “The Grand Inquisitor” by Dostoevsky. Thurs - Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through July 31. Tickets are $9-$25 sliding scale. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “Anything Goes” Cole Porter’s musical, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. through Aug. 13 at 951 Pomona Ave., El Cerrito. 524-9132. www.ccct.org 

“Livin’ Fat” a comedy about an African American family struggling over a financial blessing, Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m., through July 30, at Sweets Ballroom, 1933 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $12.50-$35. 233-9222. 

Shotgun Players, “Arabian Night” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at The Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. until July 10. Tickets are $10-$30. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

Woodminster Summer Musicals “Oaklahoma” at 8 p.m. at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd., Oakland. Through July 17. Tickets are $20-$33. 531-9597. www.woodminster.com 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Insomnia” Ten artists collaborate on one painting, from midnight to sunrise. Reception at 7:30 p.m. at Boontling Gallery, 4224 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. boontlinggallery@hotmail.com 

FILM 

For Your Eyes Only “Black Sunday” at 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Laurie R. King introduces her new novel, “Locked Rooms” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Jason Martineau, Tina Marzell & Ellen Hoffman Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Jazz, 4000 Meters High, with pianist Johnny Gonzales from Bolivia, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$13. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson with Nick & Shanna at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Thomas Banks & Cultural Gumbo, N Focus at 5:30 p.m. at Baltic Square, behind 121 Park Place, Point Richmond. 223-3882. 

Beth Waters with Adrianne at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

In Harmony’s Way, a capella CD release, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Viva K, The Cushion Theory, Tiny Power, Gosling at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Los Nadies in a fundraiser for Just Cause Oakland at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Donation $5-$20. All ages event. 

Kathleen Grace Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

DJ & Brook, jazz trio, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Bobby Jamieson Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373.  

Cecil P-Nut Daniels at 7 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $12-$15. 548-1159.  

Mingus Amungus at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Parallax, No Turning Back, Internal Affairs at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

Robben Ford Band at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $22-$26. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, JULY 9 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Doing Good” at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park, 1300 Rose St. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

Woman’s Will, “Richard III” Sat. and Sun. at 1 p.m. in John Hinkle Park. Free. 420-0813. www.woman’s will.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

Huichol Indian Art Show with yarn paintings, beadwork and jewelry from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Gathering Tribes Gallery, 1573 Solano Ave. 528-9038. www.gatheringtribes.com 

FILM 

Pre-Code Hollywood “Freaks” at 7 p.m. and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at 8:25 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Chant for Peace with Snatam Kaur, Thomas Barquee & GuruGanesha at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Cost is $20-$25. 1-888-735-4800. 

Hideo Date, Bobi Cespedes & Social Club Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Carribean Allstars at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Eileen Hazel, songwriter showcase, at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. www.epicarts.org 

Jon Roniger, singer-songwriter, at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Geoff Muldaur, Larry Hanks, American home-grown music, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Kugleplex, Klezmer music at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Facing New York, Before Braille at 8:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Extensions Jazz Quartet with guest Khalil Shaeed at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Rhiannon with Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña. Conversation with the artists and Susan Muscarella at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $12-$14. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Smith Dobson Family Quartet at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Rev. Rabia, urban blueswoman, at 7 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Real Sippin’ Whiskeys, The Bittersweets, Firecracker at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Jinx Jones Trio, alt jazz rock,at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Voetsek, Widespread Bloodshead, Brody’s Militia at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $7. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, JULY 10 

CHILDREN 

San Francisco Circus Theater, “Elevations 63” at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Julia Morgan Theater. Tickets are $5 children, $10 adult. 925-798-1300. www.juliamorgan.org 

THEATER 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Doing Good” at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park, 1300 Rose St. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

California Watercolor Association “Summer Small Paintings Show” opens at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. 848-1228. www.giorgigallery.com 

Matrix 217: Haim Steinbach “Work in Progress: Objects for People/Snapshots” opens at Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. Artists talk at 4 p.m. 642-0808.  

FILM 

Eyeing Nature “Darwin’s Nightmare” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Blind at the Museum” Gallery Talk with John Dugdale and Beth Dungan at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2625 Durant Ave. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Chilufiya Safaa introduces her new book “A Foreign Affair” at 3 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. Co-sponsored by the International Women’s Writing Guild. 559-9500. 

Poetry Flash with J.P. Greene & George Davis at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble, traditional music and dance from the southern Philippines at 2 p.m. at the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Bancroft at College Ave. Cost is $1-$4. 643-7648. 

Americana Unplugged: Pete Madsen, blues, at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Misturada with Michael Golds at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Adrian West, one-man string quartet, at 10 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Teka, Hungarian music at 7:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Hitomi Oba Trio at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $10. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

“Take Me Home” a benefit to support the filming of this documentary about children caught in the foster care system at 5 and 7 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $20 adults, $12 youth. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

P-Nut & The Apocolypse at 7 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$7. 548-1159.  

Go it Alone, Blue Monday, Right On at 5 p.m. at 924 Gilman St. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

MONDAY, JULY 11 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Transformations” A New Life for Recycled and Found Objects by Toby Tover-Krein opens at LunchStop Café, Bort Metro Center, 101 8th St. Oakland. Sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Actors Reading Writers: “Unwise Decisions” Stories by O. Henry, Lynne McFall and Saki at 7:30 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Free. 845-8542, ext. 376. 

Aurora Stories, tales from the Arabian Nights at 7:30 p.m. at Aurora Theater, 2081 Addison St., Donation $20. 843-4822. 

Amy Butler Greenfield traces the history of cochineal dye in “A Perfect Red” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

Track Maintenance, a benefit party for Watchword Press, with readings and music at 7:30 p.m. at Café Van Kleef, 1624 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5.  

Poetry Express with Marvin Hiemstra at 7 p.m., at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

East Bay Blues Benefit for East Bay Cancer Support at 7:30 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $20. 238-9200.  

TUESDAY, JULY 12 

CHILDREN 

Colibri An interactive journey through Latin America with traditional instruments and song, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

FILM 

Eyeing Nature “The Great Art of Knowing” and “Skagafjordur”at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Sam Davis on “Designing for the Homeless: Architecture that Works” at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. Free, but please RSVP 643-8465. 

Bakari Kitwana explains “Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop: Wankstas, Wiffers, Wannabes and the New Reality of Race in America” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

The Whole Note Poetry Series with Nicole Henares and Anise at 7 p.m. at The Beanery, 2925 College Ave. 549-9093. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Swamp Coolers at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

The Karan Casey Band, Irish progressive traditionalists, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50- $18.50. 548-1761.  

Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

Mark Goldenberg at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

YMP and the Jazz Masters Benefit at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $18-$22. 238-9200.  

Barbara Linn at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Vanishing Species and More” recent mixed-media paintings by Rita Sklar. Reception for the artist at 4 p.m. at the Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 101 Eighth St., Oakland. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. 464-7773. 

ACCI Gallery, “2005 New Member Show” Reception for the artists at 6 p.m. at 1652 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. www.accigallery.com 

“Transformations” A new Life for Recycled and Found Objects by Toby Tover-Krein. Reception at 4 p.m. at LunchStop Café, Bort Metro Center, 101 8th St. Oakland. Sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. 

FILM 

For Your Eyes Only “ Saboteur” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Arab Women Film Festival “Hollywood Harems” and “Benaat Chicago” at 7:30 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center. Donation $5. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Faith Adiele talks about her journey to become Thailand’s first black Buddhist nun in “Meeting Faith” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082 www.starryplough.com 

Café Poetry hosted by Kira Allen at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña. Donation $2. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Ned Boynton/Jules Broussard Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Bernard Anderson & The Old School Band at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. West Coast Swing dance lesson with Nick & Shanna at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

La Verdad, salsa, at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Sat Tan Trio, heavy dub, jazz, at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

Fiamma Fumana, Italian folk fusion, at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50- $18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Calvin Keys Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Fourtet Jazz Group at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Pete Escovedo & His Orchestra at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square, through Sun. Cost is $20-$24. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JULY 14 

EXHIBITIONS 

California Watercolor Association “Summer Small Paintings Show. Artists reception at 6 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. 848-1228. www.giorgigallery.com 

“Fire & Light” The Crucible’s Fire Arts Festival at 6:30 p.m. at 1260 7th St., Oakland. Tickets are $75. 444-0919. www.thecrucible.org 

FILM 

Pre-Code Hollywood “Female” at 7:30 p.m. and “Heat Lightening” at 8:50 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Bay Area Writing Project’s Young Writers will read at 7 p.m. at Moe’s Bookstore, 2476 Telegraph Ave.  

“On the Wall: The Art of Collecting Photography” A panel discussion sponsored by Pacific Center for the Photographic Arts at 7 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Free, donations accepted.  

Helen Oyeyemi introduces her novel of a child torn between the worlds of her British father and Nigerian mother in “The Icarus Girl” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

“The Photographc Legacy of Claude Cahun” with Sandra Phillips, SFMOMA, at 6:30 p.m. at Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. Cost is $4-$6. 549-6950. 

Word Beat Reading Series with Cherise Wyneken & Tim Nuveen at 7 p.m. at Mediterraneum Caffe, 2475 Telegraph Ave. 526-5985. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Noon Concert with The Hipnotics at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza. Sponsored by the Downtown Berkeley Association. 

From Bastille to Bush, labor musicians, including Anne Feeney, at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Jug Free America at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Jason Davis & Jazz Pirates at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Natasha Miller at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

The Welcome Matt, Demons Defeated at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082 www.starryplough.com 

Debbie Poryes/Glenn Richman Duo at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. ?

FRIDAY, JULY 8 

“Peace One Day” A documentary film by British actor/director Jeremy Gilley describing how he persuaded world leaders to have the U.N. declare Sept. 21 an International Day of Peace, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 2296 Cedar St. Wheelchair accessible. Cost is $5. 527-0450. www.peaceoneday.org  

Grizzly Peak Flyfishers monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Community Center, 59 Arlington Ave., Kensington. The July meeting will be a Fly Tying Extravaganza. GPFF’s most accomplished tiers will demonstrate their techniques, and help less advanced tiers improve their skills. There will be extra tools and materials available for beginners who wish to try this fascinating craft. Everyone who has tools and materials is encouraged to bring them. 547-8629. 

Berkeley Critical Mass Bike Ride meets at the Berkeley BART the second Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m. 

Digital Cameras with Alan Stross, photographer, at 1 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Salsa Dancing at “The Beat” Dance Studio at 8:30 p.m. Lessons with Joseph Gallardo. 2560 9th St. at Parker. 472-2393 www.wildsalsanights.com  

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. People of all traditions are welcome to join us. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 655-6169. www.bpf.org 

SATURDAY, JULY 9 

Berkeley Path Wanderers’ Cerrito Creek Walk to explore Indian, Spanish and early El Cerrito history, as well as recent restoration work. Meet at 10 a.m. at the north end of Cornell St., south edge of El Cerrito Plaza shopping center. 848-9358. f5creeks@aol.com 

Sick Plant Clinic UC plant pathologist Dr. Robert Raabe, UC entomologist Dr. Nick Mills, and their team of experts will diagnose what ails your plants from 9 a.m. to noon at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. 643-2755.  

“Herbal Desserts with Lavender” Learn to make lavender ice cream and cookies. For ages 6-13 at 1 p.m. at Spiral Garden, 2850 Sacramento. Reservations required. 623-0882. 

Mini-Farmers in Tilden A farm exploration program, from 10 to 11 a.m. for ages 4-6 years, accompanied by an adult. We will explore the Little Farm, care for animals, do crafts and farm chores. Wear boots and dress to get dirty! Fee is $5-$7. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Kids Garden Club For children 7-12 years old to explore the world of gardening. We plant, harvest, build, make crafts, cook and get dirty! From 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $5-$7, registration required. 525-2233. 

Pastors for Peace Send-Off for the Peace Caravan to Cuba at 6 p.m. at Berkeley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. 528-5403. 

Celebrate Early Literacy at 10 a.m. at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 

Pollution Solutions with a focus on indoor air quality from 1 to 3 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Cost is $8-$10. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around Preservation Park to see Victorian architecture. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of Preservation Park at 13th St. and MLK, Jr. Way. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Oakland Heritage Alliance Walking Tour of Oakland Airport and North Field. Cost is $5-$10. For details call 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Mediterranean Gardens for the Bay Area at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Doing Good” at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park, 1300 Rose St. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

The Political Cartoons of Ward Sutton at 7 p.m. at the AK Press Warehouse, 7674-A 23rd. St., Oakland. 208-1700. www.akpress.org 

Summer Vocal Jazz Workshops for singers at all levels with Richard Kalman, Sat. at 12:30 and 2 p.m.. through Aug. 6 at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin St. 524-6797. http://richardkalman.com 

SpiritWalking at the Berkeley Warm Pool Ability to walk on land not necessary. Sat. from 10 to 11 a.m., to Aug. 11. Cost is $3.50 seniors/disabled, $5.50 others. Bring a towel and deck shoes. 526-0312. well-being@pacbell.net 

Children’s Books for K-5 Teachers with Walter Mayes at 2 p.m. at Cody’s Books, on Telegraph Ave. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Sistaz N Motion Business Mixer from noon to 3 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, Madeline Whittlesey Community Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. http://sistaznmotion.tripod.com 

“Parasites of the Body of Energy?” a lecture with Samuel Sagan at 3 p.m. at Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 882-0042. 

Meditation, Chanting and Music with Kali Ma at 6:30 p.m. at Inner Heat Yoga, 64 Shattuck Square. DOnation $10-$15. 540-9642. 

Basic Manners for Your Dog, a six-week class on Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Cost is $125. Registration required. 525-6155. 

SUNDAY, JULY 10 

Year of the Estuary Hike in the hills of the Miller Knox Regional Shoreline. Meet at 1:30 p.m. in the first parking lot off Dornan Drive near Pt. Richmond. Bring a sack lunch and water. 525-2233. 

Green Sunday meets to discuss “Green Candidates, Green Officeholders and Lessons Learned” at 5 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland. 

Oakland Heritage Alliance Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetary. Cost is $5-$10. For details call 763-9218. www.oaklandheritage.org 

Hands-on Bike Maintenance Learn how to perform basic repairs on your bike from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $85-$100. 527-4140. 

“Take Me Home” a benefit to support the filming of this documentary about children caught in the foster care system at 5 and 7 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $20 adults, $12 youth. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Campfire and Sing-a-Long Meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Tilden Nature Center and we’ll walk uphill to the campfire circle. Bring hot dogs, buns, marshmallows and long sticks. Dress for fog. Call for disabled asistance. 525-2233. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

San Francisco Mime Troupe “Doing Good” at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rose Park, 1300 Rose St. 415-285-1717. www.sfmt.org 

Social Action Forum with Dr. Robert Gould from Physicians for Social Responsibility, at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

“Darwin’s Nightmare” A film about the introduction of Nile Perch into Lake Victoria in Tanzania, which led to the endangerment or extinction of native fish, and famine in the area. At 5:30 p.m. at Pacific Film Archive, 2575 Bancroft Way, at Bowditch. Cost is $8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/calendar/index.html 

C. Clark Kissinger & Travis Morales on their new book “The World Can’t Wait. Drive Out The Bush Regime” at 6:30 p.m. at Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way. 848-1196. 

Basic Pet Rat Care Learn about habitat, handling, hygiene, diseases, food and water. Meet the rescued rats looking for homes. At 2:30 p.m. at RabbitEars, 303 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Donations appreciated. All proceeds go to Bay Area Rats Rescue & Care. 525-6155.  

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

MONDAY, JULY 11 

National Organization of Women, Oakland/East Bay Chapter meets at 6 p.m. at the Oakland YWCA, 1515 Webster St. The speaker will be Jeffrey Mittman, the PATRIOT Act Campaign Coordinator for the Northern California Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. 287-8948. 

Strokes with Dr. Loron McGillis at 10:30 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5190. 

The Guru-Student Relationship at 6:30 p.m. at the Oakland Dharma House, 52 Hamilton Place. Cost is $36, preregistration required. 836-7544. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

TUESDAY, JULY 12 

Rally for Youth Vote Join Berkeley teenagers in support of a meausre that would allow 17 year olds to vote in school borad elections in Berkeley. At 1 p.m. in front of the Berkeley BART station. 883-9091. 

“Ideas that Sustain an Unjust Economy” A conversaation with Terry O’Keefe at 6 p.m. at Café de la Paz, Shattuck at Cedar. Sponsored by the Sustainable Business Alliance. terry@sustainablebiz.org 

Road Cycling for Women Covering rules of the road, bike choice, clothing and accessories, at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 524-9992. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org  

Buddhist Meditation Class at 7 p.m. at The Dzalandhara Buddhist Center. Cost is $7-$10. For directions and details please call 559-8183. 

Kundalin Yoga six-week class, Tues. at 4:15 p.m. at Studio 12, 2525 Eighth St. Cost is $42. 841-4339. 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Don Worth will lead a current events discussion at 11 a.m. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 

Save the U.S. Supreme Court Rally at 5:30 p.m. at 14th and Broadway, Oakland to protect our rights and civil liberites. Sponsored by the National Organization for Women, Oakland/East Bay. www.oebnow.org 

Insects for Kids A free class for children ages 5-10, at 9 a.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. www.barringtoncollective.org 

The Wonderful World of Worms We’ll learn how worms “see,” where they live, what they eat. For ages 8 to 12 at 10 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. We’ll be digging in the dirt so dress to get dirty. Cost is $5-$7. Registration required. 525-2233. 

Climbing Mt. Shasta Tips for first-time climbers with Eric White, climbing ranger with the U.S. Forest Service at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Free. 527-4140. 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland uptown to the Lake to discover Art Deco landmarks. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of the Paramount Theater at 2025 Broadway. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Arab Women Film Festival “Hollywood Harems” and “Benaat Chicago” at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Donation $5. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Raymundo: The Revolutionary Film-Makers’ Struggle” A documentary on the life and work of Raymundo Gleyzer, at 7 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. 

Track Maintenance, a benefit party for Watchword Press with readings and music at 7:30 p.m. at Café Van Kleef, 1624 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Cost is $5.  

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Action St. 841-2174.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes. 548-9840. 

Artify Ashby Muralist Group meets every Wed. from 5 to 8 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center, to plan a new mural. New artists are welcome. Call Bonnie at 704-0803. 

“Searching Within” A free 9-week course, Wed. at 7 p.m. at 2510 Channing Way. Call to reserve a place. 652-1583. bayarea@gnosticweb.com 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/ 

vigil4peace/vigil 

Stitch ‘n Bitch Bring your knitting, crocheting and other handcrafts from 6 to 9 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198. 

THURSDAY, JULY 14 

Where the Wild Things Live A nature program for 8-12 year olds to discover who lives where and why. At 11 a.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Fee is $5-$7. Registration required. 525-2233.  

“Rescuing Asian Black Bears in China” A lecture with Jill Robinson at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland. Cost is $8-$10. 632-9525. www.oaklandzoo.org 

Parenting Class: Yoga with Baby for new and expecting parents at 10 a.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave. Registration required. 658-7353.  

“The Lost Boys of Sudan” A documentary following two Sudanese refugees on their journey from Africa to America, at 7 p.m. at the James Irvine Foundation Conference Center, 353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. Reception at 6:30 p.m. Free. Sponsored by the Piedmont Diversity Film Committee. 835-9227. www.diversityworks.org 

Nonprofits and Grantwriting Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Long Haul, 3124 Shattuck Ave. freeskoolyes@yahoo.com 

Steps to Buying Your Own Home at 7 p.m. at Shaw Properties, 400 45th St., Oakland. Includes the process of pre-approval for financing, including income requirements and credit issues, and finding a realtor. www.barringtoncollective.org 

World of Plants Tours Thurs.-Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botan 

ical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. Cost is $1-$5. 643-2755. http:// 

botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

“Eating for Health: A Family Plan” with Ed Bauman, Ph.D., Director of Bauman College: Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts at 5:30 p.m. at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, 1744 Solano Ave. 527-8929. 

FRIDAY, JULY 15 

Celebration in Opera and Song for Options Recovery Services with Lisa Houston, mezzo-soprano, Daniel Lockert, piano and Leland Morine, baritone at 8 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Suggested donation $30. 666-9900. www.optionsrecovery.org 

Contientious Projector Film Series will show “Beyond Treason” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Unitraian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita. 528-5403. 

Harry Potter Midnight Costume Party to celebrate the release of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” at 12:01 a.m. (Sat.) at Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Harry Potter Book Release Party at 8 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, Bay Street, Emeryville. Crafts, trivia contest. Come dressed as your favoirte character. Book will not be released until 12:01 a.m on the 16th. 655-4002. 

Thinking of Becoming a Doula? at 2 p.m. at Change Makers, 6536 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Free. 728-8513. 

Salsa Dancing at “The Beat” Dance Studio at 8:30 p.m. Lessons with Joseph Gallardo. 2560 9th St. at Parker. 472-2393 www.wildsalsanights.com 

Berkeley Chess Club at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

Women in Black Vigil noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. 548-6310. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. July 11 at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/planning/landuse/Creeks/default.html 

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon., July 11, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

citycouncil/agenda-committee 

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., July 11, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/peaceandjustice 

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Mon., July 11, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Gisele Sorensen, 981-7419. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/landmarks 

City Council meets Tues., July 12, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Commission on Disability meets Wed., July 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Don Brown, 981-6346. TDD: 981-6345. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/disability 

Homeless Commission meets Wed., July 13, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jane Micallef, 981-5426. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/homeless 

Planning Commission meets Wed., July 13, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Janet Homrighausen, 981-7484. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/planning 

Police Review Commission meets Wed., July 13 at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-4950. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/policereview 

Library Board of Trustees meets Wed. July 13, at 7 p.m. at 2940 Benvenue Ave., Jackie Y. Griffin, 981-6195. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/library 

Commission on Early Childhood Education meets Thurs., July 14, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Angel- 

lique De Cloud, 981-5428. www.ci.berkeley. ca.us/commissions/earlychildhoodeducation  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., July 14, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Kristin Tehrani, 981-5356. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/health 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission meets Thurs., July 14, at 7 p.m., at the West Berke 

ley Senior Center. Iris Starr, 981-7520. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/westberkeley  

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., July 14, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. Mark Rhoades, 981-7410. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/commissions/zoning  ?

The pursuit of fitness in nature continues, as does the Trails Challenge. This month we shift from the redwoods of the East Bay hills to the East Bay shore, exploring Point Isabel and Point Pinole. 

Fido has seen your Trail Log and wants one of his own. He’s also seen that bright green T-shirt and expects a leash of the same color. There are many opportunities for dog excursions along the 1,150 miles of trails within the 65 East Bay Regional Parks. But, like most things in life, there’s a right way to go about taking Fido along. 

A hiker needs to be in good condition to enjoy the trails, and the same goes for your dog. Before you leave home, evaluate his condition and that of the outdoors. Dogs absorb heat through fur and paws and can’t cool down as easily as humans. On warm days, opt for shade and rest stops. Paws can be damaged on rocks and hot pavement; they need to be toughened slowly. All in all, consider the length of the hike and start slow. 

Safe drinking water may not be available so carry your own; dehydration can come on quickly. Also carry a supply of plastic bags. Respect fellow hikers and the environment and act responsibly. Pick up your dog’s waste and deposit it in a trashcan. Don’t leave bags by the side of the trail. There is no “poop patrol” to pick them up. 

Dogs are usually permitted off-leash in undeveloped areas within most parks but must be under your control and a leash must be at hand. Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to know where they are allowed off-leash; negligence could result in a fine of up to $160. Your responsibility extends to knowing if your dog should be off-leash, how he interacts with other dogs and people. Always be aware of non-dog walkers approaching. Be courteous: call your dog until they pass. 

At the end of a successful hike check your dog for ticks and foxtails. Dogs can succumb to Lymes disease and arrow-shaped foxtails easily will work their way below the skin. Always check ears, eyes, nose and between toes for both of these pests. 

Trails Challenge #2: Point Isabel Regional Shoreline: 1.7-miles, rated easy, dogs permitted off leash.  

This park is a good test for you and your dog. The trail is short, the dogs are plenty and you’re never far from your car.  

Eye-pleasing views are standard fare at Point Isabel. The open blue of the bay with the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island will draw your attention. So will the myriad assortment of people and dogs sharing the trail.  

Start at the Isabel Street parking lot and follow the paved path along Hoffman Canal, across the bridge and onto the north section of the park. You’ll pass open grassy fields and depending on the tide, either water or mudflats. Beware; access areas are frequent for a refreshing swim or mud bath. Don’t despair; Mudpuppy’s Tub & Scrub is conveniently located next to the parking lot for an inexpensive solution. Remember, you’re both there to have fun! 

Trails Challenge #3: Point Pinole Regional Shoreline: 4.2-miles, rated easy, dogs permitted off-leash in undeveloped areas.  

Point Pinole is peaceful today. Twelve miles of trails meander through 2,147 acres of rare coastal prairie with quiet vistas along San Pablo Bay. But take a step back in time to before 1960 and peaceful would not have served as a descriptor.  

Between 1880 and 1960 four explosives companies in the area manufactured over two billion pounds of dynamite. Farmers and ranchers originally co-existed with the Nitro Powder Co. Forty years later Giant Powder Co. created its own town, complete with railroad station, schools, housing and recreation. Today only their footsteps remain in oddly shaped foundations, sunken bunkers, raised earth berms, wood pilings and partially visible railroad ties. 

This Trails Challenge hike is a gentle loop out to the point on Bay View Trail, returning via Marsh and Cooks Point Trails. Bay View Trail, accessed to the left after crossing Badger Bridge, leads out to the shoreline, through stands of eucalyptus, rolling grasslands and past marsh plants in vivid green and orange. This wide, mostly level trail has lots of shade as well as a cooling breeze off the water. A gravel base ensures dry boots on a rainy day. 

Hues are subtle but no less appealing, a palette of soft greens, tans and browns among the grasses and long strips of peeling bark off eucalyptus trunks, revealing interesting patterns below. Exposed mudflats reveal an assortment of driftwood, shells, algae and a stalking egret. 

Diversions are many. Benches are strategically placed and beach access trails lead down to the shore for relaxation and exploration. At the Packhouse trail marker, you come upon a raised earth berm, looking like a Point Pinole Pyramid with its cement foundation, massive wood beams and topping of native grasses. Nature can find a niche almost anywhere. 

As you approach the point and fishing pier the Bay View Trail winds right through an enticing picnic area, leafy and green. At the main road, turn left and head toward the pier, passing two Interpretive Panels. Built in 1977, the popular pier extends 200 feet over the bay. Bring your rod or watch hopeful anglers anticipating a catch of sturgeon or perch. Alongside, the Old Wharf pilings are all that remain of the shipping dock of Atlas Powder Co. 

The pier marks the halfway point of the hike. From here foot-weary hikers can catch the shuttle back. Trail Challengers can head back on Marsh Trail (follow sign “To Owl Alley.”) The meadow landscape is familiar, now with views to the north. Dabs of color stain grasses, birds sing, lizards soak up the sun—it’s hard to equate this peaceful scene with its bustling past. 

After a half a mile, a hidden treasure appears on the right, a lovely fresh water pond rimmed with cattails, reeds and benches. Coolly refreshing. From here the meadows widen; look closely to see foundations of the Giant company town. 

At the intersection with Cooks Trail, turn left for the Press House, home to the black powder press, the brawn behind Hercules Powder Co. Using 4,000 pounds of pressure, this press turned charcoal, saltpeter and sulfur into explosive material. 

Young eucalyptus serenade you along Cooks Trail. Tall and slender, a gentle breeze sets them swaying and creaking. Hopefully these moans are not a reflection of your own aches after 3.5 miles.  

The final leg of the hike takes you through the major picnic and recreation area of the park. Here broad lawns, shade, a small playground and ample picnic facilities entice you to end your day with a plate of BBQ, a chilled drink and a smile on your face. 

For more information see www.ebparks.org or call 562-PARK. Trail maps available. 

Point Isabel: From I-580 or I-880, take Central Ave. west to Point Isabel. Open 5 a.m.-10 p.m., no fee. 235-1631. 

Point Pinole: Take I-880, exit on Hilltop. Go east on Hilltop, right on San Pablo, Left on Richmond Parkway and right on Giant Hwy. Open 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Fees: $5/car, $2/dog. Shuttle operates daily 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 237-6896.i

Mr. Tobey, who appears again today to our right, seems not to know that editors, not writers, always write the headlines. Headlines in this and most papers will always be the choice of the editor—we’re happy to clarify that for him. There’s a simple practical reason for this: headlines have to be adjusted to fit into space available. Also, we do try to write headlines to catch readers’ eyes, and “Landmarks Meeting of June 27th” just isn’t a very catchy title. And if Mr. Tobey did predict that a headline writer might combine the epithets “anarchist” and “suicide bomber” into the concept of “terrorist” in a headline, he should have used less, shall we say, “inflammatory” language in the first place.  

But that’s the simple part. More troubling is the way Tobey’s op-ed distorted the history of the calculated and deliberate attempts to destroy Berkeley’s Landmarks Preservation Ordinance, which has protected its historic resources and its neighborhoods for the last 25 years. I take personal exception to his charge that “the ‘landmarks experts’ on the LPC couldn’t be bothered to produce [their own draft] or even to offer constructive suggestions along the way.” Nothing could be further from the truth. In the years I was on the commission, we produced not one but two full drafts, and offered a host of constructive suggestions, most of which were ignored by the city staff which was supposed to be supporting our work. 

Tobey wasn’t even around for much of the five years this has been going on. The first time I ever saw him was when he started monitoring Landmarks Commission meetings a couple of years ago on behalf of Livable Berkeley, a new pro-development lobbying group. 

A little history lesson: In the first place, changing one short phrase in the existing ordinance would bring it into compliance with the state’s Permit Streamlining Act, which was all the City Council originally wanted. City staff, on their own initiative, chose to weigh down the ordinance language they offered with many more unnecessary changes in order to advance their own pro-growth agenda. That point has been exhaustively documented in these pages by me and many others, so I won’t waste any more of the readers’ time on it.  

The commission spent three long years trying unsuccessfully to clean up a series of inexcusably sloppy drafts, full of embarrassing errors, which were produced by the city attorney’s office and a string of poorly-educated planning department staffers. Next, the commission tried to get the job done by appointing an ad hoc committee of their own members to do it, of which I was one. We worked for several more months on our own time, with the pro-bono services of retired planner John English, to produce a straightforward and error-free draft, which we presented to the commission in December of 2002. But since this was just after a council election, outgoing commissioners were reluctant to adopt it. It took the newly appointed commissioners another year to get up to speed, in a period when the development boom also meant a massive increase in the commission’s workload. At the end of that year, a final draft was passed by the LPC which incorporated many compromises with staff pro-growth advocates. 

Big mistake. This turned out to be the classic error liberals make when they try to compromise. They lead off with concessions, hoping that their opponents will be public-spirited enough to appreciate them and make a few compromises of their own. And then the other side takes the concessions, thank you very much, and still demands everything they originally wanted in addition. That’s the genesis of the Planning Commission’s new draft, which incorporates many objectionable new wrinkles at the behest of the development lobby. The mayor is trying to ram it through before the City Council departs on its long summer vacation. 

Tobey and a couple of well-meaning but naïve liberals (Some of My Best Friends Are….) proposed a few more sacrificial compromises intended to placate the development boosters, but by this time the LPC wasn’t buying, nor did the pro-growthers seem to be placated. The current Landmarks Preservation Commission, a majority of them new to the commission since my time, appointed by councilmembers who seldom all agree on anything, has now recommended unanimously that the council stop and think before adopting either draft. The commission recognizes that the changes proposed are extensive enough to warrant a full report, as prescribed by the California Environmental Quality Act, about what their impact will be on Berkeley’s threatened historic resources.  

Cool heads on the City Council, if there still are any, would be wise to ask for this report before voting, since it now seems very likely that if they skip this step there are citizens willing to back up the request for an EIR with legal muscle. It just doesn’t look good to substitute a shoddy draft produced in a few months by an uninformed Planning Commission for the product of years of work by commissioners chosen for their expertise in the field of protecting historic resources.  

B