Berkeley and the General Strike of 1934, See Page Five

JULY 30-AUG. 5, 2009

Volume 11, Issue 18 DAILY ONLINE, WEEKLY IN PRINT $2 Donation Requested Planners Adopt Chemical Spill Forces West Berkeley Subdivision REI Store Evacuation By RICHARD firefighter had asked the man Regulations BRENNEMAN who brought the pack into the store to wait at the scene. By RICHARD BRENNEMAN A chemical spilled from a “They allowed the guy to backpack at West Berkeley’s walk away,” said one irate cus- Planning commissioners fin- REI store Wednesday afternoon tomer. “The Fire Department ished the easy part of their West forced the evacuation of scores Berkeley zoning changes of customers and employees. Continued on Page Twenty Wednesday, July 22, but the hard- The red liquid spilled from the est part will be on their agenda backpack of a customer after he after their August break. submitted it for security screen- Skeptics of the City Council ing just inside the entrance to Campaign Gets directive aimed at easing develop- the large facility at 1338 San ment restrictions in the city’s only Pablo Ave. Underway for sector zoned for industry and Within seconds, everyone manufacturing won on one key standing nearby—at least 25 Referendum on vote governing the breakup of people—began coughing and space within existing sites, but choking as fumes from the fluid Downtown Plan they may face a tougher road on hit the air, said Deputy Fire the larger issue of the master use Chief Gil Dong. B y J. DOUGLAS permit. A 911 call brought firefighters ALLEN-TAYLOR Master use permits would gov- to the scene, along with their ern multi-use development on hazardous materials (HazMat) In a move that was widely larger sites, but how large and team and paramedics. expected, opponents of the how many are key questions com- Ambulances began to arrive city of Berkeley’s Downtown missioners will address starting in within minutes, transporting five Area Plan have begun a peti- September in meetings likely to victims to the Alta Bates tion drive for a voter referen- provoke semantic firestorms. Summit Medical Emergency dum on the plan. The controversy pits a coalition facility in Berkeley. The Downtown Area Plan, of West Berkeley’s smaller manu- None appeared to be serious- passed by the Berkeley City facturers and artisans against ly injured. Council on a 7–2 vote earlier developers with big hopes for the Store employees and cus- this month, sets the direction, area and a City Council allied tomers flooded out into the goals, and parameters of down- with UC Berkeley in a vision of Steven Finacom store’s parking lot, where fire- town Berkeley development the sector as home to a building A small spectator raises her arms in delight as the sky fills with fighters quickly strung emer- for the foreseeable future. and revenue bonanza tied to octopi at last weekend’s Berkeley Kite Festival at Cesar Chavez gency tape to seal off the scene. “green tech” patents created by Park on the Berkeley Marina. The deputy fire chief said a Continued on Page Eighteen UC scientists and spun off to start-up companies. The outcome of the contest will determine the shape of West Berkeley. During the July 22 meeting, George Yoshida: Still Swingin’ commissioners faced an audience overwhelmingly composed of By DOROTHY BRYANT Graduating from high school in 1940, he members of the group West Special to the Planet went to L.A. City College, hoping to post- Berkeley Artisans and Industrial pone the day when he would have to become Companies (WEBAIC) and their hen George Yoshida greets another “G-man.” allies. his South Berkeley Senior But then came Pearl Harbor and, in April WEBAIC and two of West Center class of “modified” 1942, what the ACLU calls “the greatest dep- Berkeley’s leading real estate tai chi and leads us into the rivation of civil rights by the government in brokers, John Norheim and Don first stretch, we see a com- this country since slavery”—Executive Yost, have emerged as allies, pit- Wpact, supple, dark-haired man—pushing 70? Order 90066, the forced removal from the ted against the area’s major devel- Wrong. George was born in 1922. The teach- West Coast of 120,000 people of Japanese opers and some—but by no ing career he began in Berkeley in 1952 con- descent, to concentration camps. means all—commercial property tinues to this day. Devoted to teaching? Yes, “The sign on the pole ordered us to assem- owners. but his great passion is music—swing and ble nearby with only what we could carry,” Commissioners disposed of jazz. says Yoshida. “I could not leave my records . one key issue by adopting a pro- Born in Seattle, where his father sang in a . . put about 50 of my favorites—Tommy posal formulated by WEBAIC, male sextet (American pop tunes as well as Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington—into a Norheim, Yost and former city traditional Japanese songs) and his mother case. Clutching my lifeblood . . .” George left Office of Economic Development played the organ in a local Christian church, with his family for Arizona, Poston Director Neil Mayer on rules for George moved with his family to Los Detention Camp No. 1. subdividing (“demising,” in plan- Angeles in 1935, where his father might find Decades later, books described the ner-speak) space within existing more work in “the only work open to resourceful ways in which the detainees, George Yoshida. sites. Japanese-Americans, G-men.” G-men? abandoned to desert barracks surrounded by The choice facing the commis- Government men—FBI? “No,” says George, barbed wire and guard towers, organized to sioners was what level of over- with a twinkle in his eye and a sly smile,“gar- provide their own education, medical care, (National Japanese-American Historical sight should govern the demising deners and grocers.” recreation. Society, 1997). In documentary and oral his- process. George played baritone sax in high school, One of these books is Yoshida’s tory, plus archival photos and cartoons, in the days of the “big swing bands,” also the Reminiscing in Swing: Japanese-Americans in Continued on Page Twenty days of teenage bands that imitated them. American Popular Music, 1925–1960 Continued on Page Nineteen Page 2 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 Point Molate Casino Plan Draws Concerns, Praise By RICHARD BRENNEMAN This is the third and concluding article in a series on the project environmental The massive draft environmental review, which is being conducted under impact report on what could become both state and federal laws. California’s first Las Vegas-style metro- For Richmond, an impoverished city politan casino reveals sharp divisions struggling with poverty and crime and among Richmond residents. dominated by a massive oil refinery, But those opinions were gathered Levine promises his project will bring four years ago, during an economic jobs, stimulus for local businesses and a boom that has since crested and col- wide range of civic benefits, not least in lapsed. the form of a river of ongoing revenues. Berkeley developer James D. Levine, The 5,284-page environmental impact Top: 2109 Martin Luther King Jr. Way as it currently exists. Below: The proposed partnered with a Napa developer, a for- report (EIR) was finally released earlier YMCA teen center. mer Clinton cabinet member and two this month, three years after the initially Native American tribes—one impover- planned release date. ished and the other flush with gambling Comments from individuals, organi- wealth—plans a billion-and-a-half-dol- zations and public agencies included in lar casino resort and upscale housing the document date from four years ago, complex at Point Molate. when the federal Bureau of Indian Located on one of the last relatively Affairs supervised a scoping sessions to pristine chunks of prime San Francisco gather community comments. Bay shoreline, the “five-star resort” That hearing, conducted on March 31, would target wealthy Asian gamblers, 2005, was held to gather questions to be Levine told Richmond residents last year. Continued on Page Seventeen

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Foot Reflexology Special $19.99/hr Deep Tissue Swedish Acupressure Massage $45/hr Certified Excellent Masseuse & Masseur Berkeley’s First Teen Center Free parking Steam Sauna Planned for Downtown 3288 Pierce St. (Hwy 80, exit Central Ave) By RIYA BHATTACHARJEE A new three-story stairwell will have a Pacific East Mall glass facade opening onto Martin Luther (Ranch 99 2nd floor) Berkeley teenagers may finally have a King Jr. Way. Its concrete stairway walls will solution to their boredom. project a mural that will remain lit at night. 510-525-8288 Soon they may have a new place to hang Instead of paying $130,000 in rent for www.gimassage.com out after school, get help with homework, office space at its current 2070 Allston Way meet up with friends or simply have some location, YMCA will be paying the same fun. amount to the teen center to help sustain it. A building that formerly housed a The zoning board waived three existing PG&E service center at 2109 Martin parking spots and five new parking spots Luther King Jr. Way is all set to become mandated by the construction of a third the Teen AMP (Aspirations Made Possi- floor. ble), Berkeley’s first center dedicated The Y plans to start constructing the $5.2 entirely to teenagers. million facility this fall with help from a While some youngsters are calling it group of teenagers, officially known as the their legacy, others are simply happy to Teen Task Force. have a place they can make their own. YMCA officials decided to form the task The city’s Zoning Adjustments Board force in fall 2007, when PG&E gifted the recently approved the Berkeley-Albany building to the Berkeley-Albany YMCA. YMCA’s plans to renovate the building The 8,000-square-foot building is PG&E’s into a place to nurture and mentor 13- to largest corporate contribution to date. The 18-year-olds. building is valued at $2.1 million, according The project proposal adds a third floor to a PG&E press release. to the building, which will house the Since then, the task force of eight YMCA’s administrative offices, and a roof teenagers—including students from Berke- garden overlooking Memorial Park. Solar ley High School and Berkeley Technology panels will generate electricity, and the Academy, the city’s only public continua- building will be naturally ventilated. tion school—have been involved in a lot of The renovated building will have a new fundraising, planning, writing formal stucco finish, and the aluminum sunscreens reports and requests, budgeting, public net- on its storefront will be decorated with the working and the selection and hiring of sandblasted words “vision,” “growth” and “voice.” Continued on Page Twenty

Rumors of Eastshore Park Closure Untrue Despite reports from the state Depart- were broadcast Tuesday night on some ment of Parks and Recreation, Eastshore regional television stations. State Park isn’t about to close, reports “The department does not provide any Larry Tong, interagency planning manager funds for Eastshore State Park,” Tong said. for the park district. “While the parks district may be facing its “Over my dead body,” said Robert own funding issues, we continue to fully Cheasty, who chairs Citizens for Eastshore fund operations at Eastshore State Park. State Park, the advocacy group that has The reports of its death, to quote Mark helped raise funds for the shoreline park Twain, are greatly exaggerated.” used by countless Bay Area residents and “Everyone will still have access to the visitors. shoreline,” said Cheasty. “It’s ridiculous to Tong said he has asked the state agency say otherwise.” to correct the erroneous reports, which —Richard Brenneman

CORRECTION Russell Grant, the homeless man pictured on the front of the Daily Planet’s July 23 edition, states emphatically that he is not “Holy Man,” as stated in the accompanying caption and story. Other peo- ple have called him a holy man, he says, but he would never himself claim to be a holy man. An anonymous caller also registered a complaint, stating that Grant has no claim to the title of Holy Man, and that the paper should have checked with the caller first. He should know, he says, for it is he who is, in fact, the Holy Man. July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 3 Oakland Runner Heads to Nationals By RIO BAUCE ture for most of 2008. Special to the Planet “She was off all season,” said Tani. “Most of the year, she began to Twelve-year-old Tayo Ogunmayin improve. Then she had two meets in may have been running track for just May and July where she did really two years, but she is already gaining well. Her 100-meter time improved national attention. An incoming sev- to 12.58 seconds,” which earned her enth-grader at Oakland’s Julia Mor- the eighth-place national ranking. gan School for Girls, Ogunmayin will Tani said that she has been teach- be participating in the North Ameri- ing both her children, Tayo and son can finals of the Track and Field Tunji, who is also a track runner, by Games this Saturday in Hershey, encouraging them to eat well, drink Pennsylvania. enough water, and get enough rest. The program invites 500 of the “The whole family are track fans,” most talented track and field athletes said Tani. “Both of our kids are track in North America to participate in a runners. We all love it. I take Tayo to national meet and to develop their every practice.” skills under the tutelage of expert Tayo says that her stamina has track runners. improved over the last few years. Tayo is excited about the chance “In the beginning, I would become to participate in the competition and very tired,” she said. “After many also the chance to make new friends. different types of training, my stami- “I like to improve myself,” said na improved.” Tayo. “I like to have that power to Tayo said the 2008 Olympic meet other people and have fun as Tayo Ogunmayin. Games got her very excited about well....I am not concerned about track and inspired her to want to what place I get in the competition,” compete in the Olympics. She also said Tayo, who is participating in the complains about anything,” said credits her family, teammates and 200-meter event. “I want to break my Walker. “She works hard and likes to coach. own record, which is 27.11 seconds.” give back and helps other kids. I “I made a lot of my friends on the Tayo starting running track when think that she is one of the best in her track team,” said Tayo. “A couple of she was in fourth grade at Malcolm X age group in the nation.” people pushed me farther and made Elementary School, later joining the The National Elite Youth Ranking me work harder. I’m really happy East Bay Track Club. System, a national database that cat- that I joined the team.” She practices with the club for an alogues young track and field ath- For others considering a track and hour several days a week and also letes, ranks Tayo eighth in the nation field career, Tayo has some advice. trains on a treadmill on her own for the 100-meter dash in the 11 to “Never ever doubt yourself,” she time. East Bay Track Club coach 12-year-old age group. said. “If you tell yourself you can’t do Ralph Walker promoted her to team Her mother, Tani, said she was something, you won’t do well. But if captain after seeing her commitment surprised by her daughter’s improve- you are positive and certain of your- and enthusiasm. ment this year, considering that she self, you will do the best you ever “She is really dedicated and never had been sidelined by a bone frac- have.” Clif Bar Set to Move to Emeryville By RIO BAUCE Francisco Chronicle reported that the “In one room, you could have cer- Special to the Planet Berkeley City Council proposed tain zoning laws which only allowed RESIDENT CO-DIRECTOR changing the West Berkeley Plan to warehouse in one half of the room, New Pacific Studio Artist Energy snack manufacturer Clif allow Clif Bar to expand, but at that while the other half could only be residency (www.newpacificstudio.org) is seeking a Bar recently announced that it would point the company had already hired used for office space,” said Caplan. Resident Co-Director for tranquil Pacific Writers Cottage be moving from Berkeley to a consultant to look for a new spot. “The second problem was that they in Vallejo. Long-term senior sought, offered $1600 value accommodation Emeryville next year. Berkeley’s economic development had a desire to do a number of mixed- in historic house for $850pcm, The company says it has outgrown manager, Michael Caplan, said that used projects. All of the proposed in return for checking short-term (2wk-3mth) writers in and out. its 59,000-square-foot building. The Clif Bar was not able to expand projects were difficult to do in that Cat ok, no dogs, Gardener welcome. new 115,000-square-foot space at because the company wanted to zoning scenario. Berkeley was not One week free residency in New Zealand annually. Emerytech complex includes new undertake several mixed-use projects, able to accommodate their needs. It (707)515-9130 offices, fitness center, bike garage, which were prohibited by zoning laws, would definitely have been a chal- kitchen, day-care center, hair salon, laws made more complicated by the lenge for them to do what they want- and theater. fact that the Clif Bar building strad- ed to do.” DO YOU HAVE A CLASS, WORKSHOP OR EVENT An August 2006 article in the San dles two zoning districts. Continued on Page Nineteen that you want to promote, without having to pay display ad rates? Use this space! $25 for 25 words, $1 per word thereafter. Contact [email protected], City Council Approves Ashby Senior Housing Project or 841.5600 x105. By J. DOUGLAS The proposed sale and loan fore- came up. Councilmember Gordon ALLEN-TAYLOR closure on thoise other fund proper- Wozniak participated in Thursday’s ties means that, instead of the city meeting by telephone. READ SHAKESPEARE ALOUD! The Berkeley City Council broke wiping out its Housing Trust Fund In other action on Thursday, City for the summer on Thursday after money with the Ashby Arts grant, Manager Kamlarz told councilmem- No experience necessary! unanimously approving a $1.4 million additional money will be available in bers that Berkeley is “likely to lose Workshops now forming! loan in Housing Trust Fund money the fall when several other projects about $10 million over the next two Mature children/teens ok for the 98-unit Ashby Arts Senior come up for review. years” in state funds as a result of the when accompanied by adult. Housing project, after City Manager Only Councilmember Susan Wen- compromise budget-balancing legisla- For info call (510)830-8114 Phil Kamlarz came up with a propos- graf did not vote on the Ashby Arts tion agreed to this week by legislative al to replenish the trust fund monies issue. Wengraf was present at the leaders and the governor, and said he http://CliffHoldsPoetryCourt.blogspot.com with the sale and loan foreclosure of beginning of the meeting but left mid- other properties. session before the Ashby Arts vote Continued on Page Eighteen Council Tables Measure Endorsing SCA 21 By RIO BAUCE in effect for the California State Uni- ate of UC Berkeley and I do appreci- Special to the Planet versity system. ate that the university may be con- Berkeley City Councilmember cerned that this would take away Last Thursday, the Berkeley City Jesse Arreguín, who sponsored the some of their power, it will not harm Council tabled a measure supporting resolution, said the measure would the academic freedom or the func- a bill in the state Legislature that send a message. tionality of the UC system for the stu- would strip the University of Califor- “This bill would allow voters to dents.” nia’s Board of Regents of a certain have oversight over their public uni- However, late Thursday night, measure of autonomy. versities,” said Arreguín. “Given Arreguín decided to table the meas- The bill, SCA 21, authored by state some of the closed-door compensa- ure after it was apparent that it would Senators Leland Yee (D-San Francis- tion deals and the fact that many uni- not pass. Councilmembers Linda co) and Roy Ashburn (R-Bakers- versity workers are struggling to sup- Maio and Laurie Capitelli, as well as field), would subject the UC system to port themselves, we want to make Mayor Tom Bates indicated that they laws and statutes passed by the state sure that the university has some Legislature. Current laws are already oversight. While I am a proud gradu- Continued on Page Eighteen Page 4 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 School District Not Surprised by State Budget Cuts By RIYA BHATTACHARJEE the final budget] yet, but we antici- California schools—it will slash $7.6 pate it will be the same,” Riddle billion from it, resulting in larger The latest round of proposed said. “Unless, of course, cuts are class sizes, canceled summer school, state budget cuts to public educa- made in different places. We are a shorter school year and no new tion did not come as a surprise to watching it very closely and if textbooks. The preliminary budget the Berkeley Unified School Dis- something changes we’ll be ready passed in February took away $11.6 trict. to pounce.” billion from public school funding, California lawmakers reached a A report prepared by district leading to teacher layoffs, program deal with Gov. Arnold Deputy Superintendent Javetta cuts and other hardships in school 33 Revolutions Record Shop & Cafe Schwarzenegger July 21 to close Cleveland show that the total cuts districts statewide. 10086 San Pablo Avenue California’s $24 billion budget in the district from the February The legislators’ plan will provide El Cerrito, 94530 deficit by making deep cuts in budget and the May revision $49 billion for the 2008-09 fiscal almost every area, including $6 bil- amount to $13.6 million, of which year and $50 billion for the 2009-10 lion in education. $7.4 million has been addressed fiscal year in total Prop. 98 funding, The Berkeley Art Center In February, the state Legislature with the help of federal stimulus according to the California Depart- 1275 Walnut Street passed a preliminary budget that funds, state flexibility funds and ment of Education. Berkeley, 94709 left Berkeley Unified with an $8 budget reductions approved by the “I fully recognize that given the million deficit. The governor’s May board. magnitude of our state fiscal cri- revision to this budget created an Riddle said the district is still fig- sis, the pain for schools could International House additional $6 million budget short- uring out what the cuts at the coun- have been worse than that created 2299 Piedmont Avenue fall in the school district for the ty level will mean for its budget. by the agreement that was Berkeley, 94720 next two years. District Superintendent Bill reached,” said state Superinten- (Cross street: Bancroft) Berkeley Board of Education Huyett is on vacation and could not dent of Public Insruction Jack President Nancy Riddle said be reached for comment. O’Connell. “Nevertheless, the Berkeley Unified had prepared its reductions that our schools must Jumpin’ Java 2009-10 budget according to the Proposition 98 funding absorb now will heighten the chal- 6606 Shattuck Avenue May revision, which was similar to Although the proposed budget lenge educators face in trying to Oakland, 94609 the cuts proposed in the legislators’ cuts will not eliminate Proposition increase student achievement and plan. 98—a voter-approved measure that Local 123 “We haven’t seen the details [of sets a minimum level of funding for Continued on Page Eighteen 2049 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, 94702 Fate of Golden Gate Fields Still Uncertain Mo’ Joe Cafè By RICHARD BRENNEMAN ailing company claim it illegally The court has already approved the 2517 Sacramento Street siphoned off $125 million in assets to sale of four Magna tracks, including The fate of Golden Gate Fields, the other companies controlled by Magna Santa Anita in Southern California. Berkeley, 94702 Bay Area’s last remaining horserac- Entertainment chief executive Frank Magna has stated in court that (Cross street: Blake) ing venue, remains uncertain as par- Stronach. Golden Gates Fields is also for sale, ent Magna Entertainment continues Representatives of Stronach’s com- though no price has been listed. The Moe’s Books to undergo bankruptcy proceedings in pany have denied the allegations, court earlier rejected a so-called stalk- 2476 Telegraph Avenue the United States and Canada. according to Frank Angst, in an arti- ing-horse bid which would have In a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy cle he wrote for Thoroughbred Times allowed Stronach’s MID corporation Berkeley, 94704 Court in Delaware, creditors of the last Thursday, July 23. to acquire the Albany track. Nabolom Bakery tenants from Harriet Tubman Ter- their protective suits, firefighters 2708 Russell Street race Apartments when a fire broke were able to determine that the con- Berkeley, 94705 Fire Dept. Log out in a second-floor unit July 17. tainers hadn’t spilled, nor were they (Between Cherry and College) Deputy Chief Dong said Berkeley emitting any noxious vapors. By RICHARD BRENNEMAN firefighters immediately issued a sec- “The team determined that they Ned’s Book Store ond alarm after arriving at the Ade- were chemicals used for fertilizing Shattuck Avenue fire line Street facility because the build- marijuana,” said Deputy Chief Dong. 2468 Bancroft Way ing houses elderly and disabled resi- The compounds were turned over to Berkeley, 94704 The Berkeley Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire at the dents who might have had difficulty the city Public Works Department’s (Cross street: Telegraph) site of an abandoned used car sales evacuating. toxic materials team for disposal. lot on Shattuck Avenue and Derby The source of the flames turned out The next call came three days later North Berkeley Senior Center Street Wednesday afternoon and to be kitchen cabinets set ablaze after in the form of a fire report in a sec- were able to extinguish it within 30 a pot of cooking oil, left unattended ond-floor apartment in the 2400 1901 Hearst Avenue on a stove, boiled over and ignited. block of Dana Street. Berkeley, 94709 minutes Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong said “No firefighters were injured, but two Arriving moments after the 3:47 that the fire had threatened an adja- residents were taken to a local emergency a.m. call, firefighters found a mat- Pegasus & Pendragon Bookstores cent apartment building but that room for treatment of shortness of tress, coffee table and carpeting 1855 Solano Avenue nobody had been injured. Six car ports breath,” said the deputy chief. burning inside a second floor unit. and a single-story building on the for- The fire caused about $6,000 in The source seemed to be an assort- Berkeley, 94704 damage to the apartment, said Dong. ment of chemicals and powders. and mer car lot—located next to the UC Storage building—burned down, sus- “HazMat identified the chemicals 2349 Shattuck Avenue taining damages of $25,000, Dong said. HazMat calls as consistent with those used in the Berkeley, 94704 The site has long been occupied by It’s been a hectic week for the manufacture of methamphetamine,” homeless people, Dong said. He said Berkeley Fire Department’s haz- said Deputy Chief Dong. that investigators were trying to ardous materials team, starting with Meth labs are notoriously volatile, Roxie Delicatessan a morning call on July 22. and after the fire was out, Berkeley’s 2999 Shattuck Avenue determine the cause of the fire. Berkeley police closed down Shat- “The HazMat team had just fin- Bravest turned the scene over to Berkeley, 94705 tuck Avenue between Carleton and ished training when they got a real- Berkeley’s Finest for investigation of Ward streets and rerouted buses as life call,” said the deputy chief. a probable felony. Sonoma Coffee Cafè firefighters battled the flames. Dong A caller reported that three buckets The final incident was still under- said no firefighters had been injured. containing three different unknown way as the Daily Planet neared dead- 2131 Durant Avenue chemicals had been left near the rail- line Wednesday, July 30. See “Chem- Berkeley, 94704 Tubman Terrace fire road tracks at Channing Way. ical Spill Forces REI Store Evacua- Firefighters evacuated about 60 Arriving at the scene still clad in tion,” Page One. South Berkeley Senior Center 2939 Ellis Street Berkeley, 94703 According to the report released who assaulted a man at People’s Police Blotter by UCPD Chief Victoria L. Harri- Park early Friday morning, July 24. The Vault Cafè and Restaurant son, the men began flirting with the According to campus police, the 3250 Adeline Street two women when one of men took victim walked into police headquar- By RICHARD BRENNEMAN the victim’s keys and refused to ters at 5:49 a.m.. to report that he Berkeley, 94703 return them, then picked her up and had been punched and kicked by the (Cross street: Harmon) Sexual battery arrest groped her. group as he lay on the ground fol- UC Berkeley Police arrested a 21- “The suspect and his companions lowing a drinking bout with friends. took the victim to her room where year-old man on suspicion of sexual After the fists and feet stopped West Berkeley Senior Center the suspect again fondled her,” 1900 Sixth Street battery and kidnapping after he flying, one of the assailants finished allegedly molested a 17-year-old according to the police statement. Berkeley, 94710 After 10 minutes of pleading by the the assault by striking the victim’s Asian student at Ehrman Hall. head with a skateboard. Police said the incident began about woman for the men to leave, the four finally left. Shortly thereafter, police The assailants were last seen saun- YWCA 2 a.m. Sunday, July 26, as the young tering away from the park south- woman and a friend were studying in took Elampini into custody and 2600 Bancroft Way booked him. bound toward Dwight Way. Berkeley, 94704 the hall’s ground-floor lounge. After he completed his story, Four men, including suspect Gio- police took the victim to Alta Bates (Cross street: Bowditch) vanni Elampini, walked into the Peoples Park assault lounge, apparently intoxicated. Campus and city police are look- Summit Medical Center for treat- ing for a group of five or six men ment of his injuries. July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 5

THE Berkeley and the General Strike of 1934 By STEVEN FINACOM BERKELEY Special to the Planet DAILY PLANET n spring and summer 1934 San Fran- cisco experienced one of the most Idramatic labor confrontations in 20th century American history. Longshoremen who handled cargo on the busy San Francisco waterfront shut down the port there in early 1934, protesting poor working conditions, low pay, and unfair hiring practices. Negoti- ations with shipping interests failed and the strike exploded into violent con- frontations around the July 4th holiday. THE EAST BAY’S Two men were shot and killed by police. INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Republican Gov. Frank Merriam ordered the National Guard to occupy 3023A Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 and reopen the waterfront. The long- Phone (510) 841-5600 Fax (510) 841-5695 www.berkeleydailyplanet.com shoremen turned to their allies in labor and a regional general strike was called Daily online, weekly in print in response. Thousands of workers in many services and industries walked off Printed with soy ink on recycled paper the job, idling everything from manufac- turing plants to grocery stores, theaters, SALES and streetcar lines throughout the Bay Area, including much of Berkeley. Although Berkeley was on the side- ADVERTISING [email protected] lines, many locals played a role, and the community also directly experienced a CLASSIFIED disturbing spasm of vigilante violence as [email protected] the strike came to a close. There was at least some sympathetic Berkeley picketing during the water- Michael H. O’Malley ext. 110 front strike and a few confrontations PUBLISHER with “scab” workers, but many in the [email protected] community seemed to side with manage- Courtesy Berkeley Historical Society ment. Berkeley remained a Republican town in summer 1934, with more than July 25, 1934, the Berkeley Gazette carried this small advertisement calling for a “mass Nora Handel ext. 125 meeting” to protest the July 19 attacks in Berkeley. SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 32,000 registered Republican voters, [email protected] just under 17,000 Democrats, and only 456 Socialist and 51 Communist voters, sity of California, and later namesake of assurance to citizens that the military is according to figures in the Aug. 2, 1934 Barrows Hall on the UC campus. ‘on the job’.” Jamie Sahin ext. 116 Berkeley Daily Gazette. Major General Barrows had served in After the strike, General Barrows ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Merriam’s mobilization of the Nation- the American Expeditionary Force that wrote, in the July 23 Gazette, that the [email protected] al Guard brought troops to Berkeley’s landed in Siberia after the Russian Rev- California National Guard had “been streets. “Not since the memorable olution. There “he foresaw earlier than engaged not in warfare but in military Roger D. McCracken ext. 129 World War days of 1917 has Berkeley most the danger of the spread of con- action to protect our own people. ... MARKETING / PUBLIC RELATIONS taken on the military aspect of yesterday spiratorial communism, and was to fight Radicalism, Communism, or Fascist [email protected] afternoon and today as National Guard it from this time forward,” his official expectation, organized or disorganized, troops assembled here,” the Berkeley UC obituary would later read. cannot prevail.” Terrence Nixon ext. 117 Daily Gazette reported July 6, 1934, fol- During the late 1920s and early 1930s To the waterfront strikers and their lowing Merriam’s mobilization order. OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR his address was on posh Parkside in allies, the Guard was taking sides on “The…headquarters of the Fortieth Berkeley’s Claremont district. One may behalf of management, and suppressing Division, National Guard, bristled with imagine him crossing the bay by ferry, legitimate labor protests in the depths of Mikell Haynes ext. 104 military precision. Young soldiers, some flanked by admiring newspapermen and the Depression. In contrast, much of the PRODUCTION MANAGER of them in their teens, stern of face and efficient staff officers, ready to rout Bol- press and many public officials chose, [email protected] disciplined, were to be seen in and out sheviks at their beachhead and perhaps like Barrows, to portray the waterfront of the Armory on Addison get home in time for dinner. leaders as dangerous subversives, and Street….behind the Armory a field Though the primary action was across the subsequent General Strike as a EDITORIAL kitchen was set up.” the water, National Guard trucks fitted direct threat to public order. Across the bay, “there are troops with machine guns and police escorts Several East Bay mayors, including from Berkeley, Oakland, Gilroy, San also rolled out from Berkeley’s Armory Berkeley’s Edward Ament officially NEWS ext. 130 Francisco, and San Jose quartered in the at noon on July 17, 1934 in what the proclaimed themselves opposed to the [email protected] Ferry Building and the pier sheds newspaper called a “military parade” to CALENDAR ext. 102 stretching for miles on both sides,” the “tour through all East Bay Cities as Continued on Page Twenty-Two Gazette reported a few days later, on [email protected] July 9. Berkeley also supplied the prominent Guard commander, David Becky O’Malley ext. 122 Prescott Barrows, professor of political EXECUTIVE EDITOR science, former president of the Univer- [email protected]

Justin DeFreitas ext. 107 MANAGING EDITOR / EDITORIAL CARTOONIST [email protected]

Anne Wagley ext. 102 ARTS EDITOR / CALENDAR EDITOR [email protected]

Richard Brenneman ext. 103 STAFF WRITER [email protected]

J. Douglas Allen-Taylor ext. 106 STAFF WRITER [email protected]

Riya Bhattacharjee ext. 113 STAFF WRITER [email protected]

OPINION

LETTERS & COMMENTARY [email protected] Page 6 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 COMMUNITY CALENDAR THURSDAY, JULY 30 Benefit for the East Bay Community Yoga Class 10 Berkeley Camera Club meets THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 Sushi for the More Adven- a.m. at James Kenney Parks and turous A hands-on class to Dog Day Thursdays Come Sanctuary Covenant with at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Peace Day and Origami Rec. Center at Virginia and 8th. practice your reading skills by local jazz and world music at 7 Community Church, 941 The Cranes with a reading of learn about the cultural and Seniors and beginners welcome. reading to a dog. A free, drop- p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Alameda. 548-3991. “Sadako and the Thousand natural history of this ancient in program at 2 and 2:35 p.m. Unitarian-Universalist Hall, 1924 Cost is $6. 207-4501. www.berkeleycameraclub.org Paper Cranes” from 3 to 5:30 cuisine, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cost is $30-$40. Reg- at the Albany Library, 1247 Cedar St. Suggested donation “Castoffs” Knitting Group St. John’s Prime Timers meets p.m. in the 4th flr Story Room Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. $15. 841-4824. meets at 7 p.m. at Kensington of the Berkeley Public Library, istraion required. 1-888-327- at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presby- 2757. Hip-Hop Dance Class for Doi-Moi: Renewal of Society Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kens- terian Church, 2727 College 2090 Kittredge. 981-6236. Teens with Lateef at 4 p.m. at in Vietnam in a Time of Fun- ington. 524-3043. Ave. We always welcome new berkeleypubliclibrary.org Chutes at the Beach at Play- South Branch of the Berkeley damental World Change” Dis- Drop-in Knitting Group Work members over 50. 845-6830. “Persepolis” Film showing in land-Not-At-The-Beach with Public Library, 1901 Russell St. cussion from 10 a.m. to noon at on your own project or make support of the uprising of the cast and crew, Sat. and Sun. at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Bridge for beginners from 10979 San Pablo Ave., El Cerri- 981-6260. pet blankets and children’s hats 12:30 to 2:15 p.m., all others Iranian people, followed by dis- Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. cussion at 7 p.m. at Humanist to. Costs is $10-$15. 932-8966. Circle of Concern Vigil meets for donation. Yarn, needles and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sing-A-Long at Sponsored the the Political Hall, 6390 27th St., midtown www.playland-not-at-the- on West Lawn of UC campus instruction provided. From 3:30 2:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Affairs Readers Group. For read- to 5 p.m. at the Albany Library, Oakland. Donation $5-$15 slid- beach.org across from Addison and ing materials call 595-7417. Senior Center. 981-5190. Oxford, Thurs. at noon and 1247 Marin Ave., Albany. 536- ing scale. 848-1196. Free Garden Tours at Sun. at 1 p.m. to oppose UC Superhero Weekend at Play- 3720. Summer Dance Party Every- Regional Parks Botanic Gar- weapons labs contracts. 848- land-Not-At-The-Beach Sat. Thurs. at 7:30 p.m. at Live Oak den Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m. 8055. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to Park. Teachers will lead a variety and 2 pm. Regional Parks 5p.m.. at 10979 San Pablo Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 of dances from around the Ave., El Cerrito. Cost is $10- a.m. at Jewish Community Cen- Our Arts and Community calendars are two of world. All ages at 7:30, teens Call to confirm. 841-8732. $15. 592-3002. ter, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. and adults at 8:30. Cost is $2 www.nativeplants.org the most popular features in the paper, but children, $5 adults. Summer Dance Party Every- Free Garden Tours at they do not generate any revenue for us. Lawn Bowling on the green at Thurs. at 7:30 p.m. at Live Oak Regional Parks Botanic Gar- “Backpacking 101” covering the corner of Acton St. and Park. Teachers will lead a variety den Sat. and Sun. at 11 a.m. all the fundamentals at 7 p.m. Bancroft Way every Wed. and and 2 pm. Regional Parks If you are a reader, please consider donating to at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. Sat. at 10 a.m. for ages 12 and of dances from around the the Daily Planet. See our ad in the paper, or world. All ages at 7:30, teens Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. 527-4140. up. Wear flat soled shoes, no and adults at 8:30. Cost is $2 Call to confirm. 841-8732. click the “Fund for Local Reporting” button Circle of Concern Vigil meets heels. Free lessons. 841-2174. www.nativeplants.org children, $5 adults. on our website. on West Lawn of UC campus Open Shop at Berkeley Lawn Bowling on the green at across from Addison and Boathouse from 1 to 5 p.m. at the corner of Acton St. and If you are an established business or non-profit, Oxford, Thurs. at noon and FRIDAY, JULY 31 at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Bancroft Way every Wed. and please consider advertising with the Planet. Sun. at 1 p.m. to oppose UC Take part in constructing a wood- “Celebrating the 10th Sat. at 10 a.m. for ages 12 and Please contact [email protected] weapons labs contracts. 848- en boat or help out with other Anniversary of Berkeley Lib- up. Wear flat soled shoes, no 8055. maritime projects. No experience eration Radio 104.1” with heels. Free lessons. 841-2174. for more information. Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 necessary. First time is free, cost is music at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fel- Car Wash Benefit for Options Anne Wagley a.m. at Jewish Community Cen- $10 per day. 644-2577. lowship Unitarian Universalists Recovery Services of Berkeley, ter, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. www.watersideworkshops.org 1924 Cedar at Bonita. Cost is held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 Arts and Calendar Editor $5-$10. 776-4422. p.m. at the Lutheran Church, www.bfuu.org SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 “Out of the Ashes” A Project Earthquake Safety Class for Toddler Nature Walk to look East Bay Track Club for girls Peace Film Festival, featuring WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5 families from 10:30 a.m. to for butterflies, bees and other and boys ages 3-15 meets Mon. films by Bay Area female film- SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 Walking Tour of Jack London noon at Habitot Children’s creatures, for ages 2-3 and their and Wed. at 6 p.m. at Berkeley makers, to benefit Oakland Eliz- Waterfront Meet at 10 a.m. at Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. grown-up friends, at 10:30 a.m. 12th Annual Bay to Barkers High School track field. Free. abeth House, from 7 to 10:30 the corner of Broadway and 647-1111. www.habitot.org at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Dog Walk and Festival from 776-7451. p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at North Embarcadero. Tour lasts 90 Circle Dancing, simple folk Park. 544-2233. Allston Way. Tickets are $10. World Affairs/Politics Discus- Parking Lot of Golden Gate minutes. Reservations can be dancing with instruction at 7:30 Little Farm Open House For reservations see www.pro- sion Group, for people 60 Fields, 1100 Eastshore Hwy. made by calling 238-3234. p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Come grind some corn to feed jectpeaceeastbay.org years and over, meets at 9:45 Take the Buchanan St./Albany www.oaklandnet.com/walking- Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at Uni- the chickens, pet a bunny, a.m. at Albany Senior Center, Circle Dancing, simple folk exit from I-80 or I-580. Cost is tours versity. Donation of $5 request- groom a goat, or help out in dancing with instruction at 7:30 $25 per dog, $30 on day of 846 Masonic Ave, Albany. Cost ed. 528-4253. www.circledanc- is $3. Berkeley Path Wanderers the Kid’s Garden, from 1:30 to p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood event. Self-guided Walk of Thou- ing.com 3 p.m. at the Little Farm in www.berkeleyhumane.org Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at Uni- Berkeley CopWatch organiza- sand Oaks Meet at 10 a.m. at Berkeley Women in Black Tilden Park. 544-2233. versity. Donation of $5 request- tional meeting at 8 p.m. at Walking Tour: 20 Years Indian Rock Park, 950 Indian weekly vigil from noon to 1 Walking Tour of Chinatown ed. 528-4253. www.circledanc- Later: Loma Prieta & Oak- 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. Rock Ave. 520-3876. p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. ing.com Oakland Meet at 10 a.m. at land’s Downtown Meet at 10 Dragonboating Year round www.berkeleypaths.org Our focus is human rights in the fountain of Pacific Renais- Berkeley Women in Black a.m. at The African American classes at the Berkeley Marina, Red Cross Blood Drive from 9 Palestine. 548-6310. sance Plaza, 9th St. between Museum and Library, 659 14th weekly vigil from noon to 1 Dock M. Meets Mon, Wed., a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jacobs Carter Berkeley Chess Club meets Webster and Franklin Streets. St., Oakland. Sponsored by p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Thurs. at 6 p.m. Sat. at 10:30 & Burgess, 300 Frank Ogawa every Fri. at 7 p.m. at the Hill- Cost is $10-$15. Sponsored by Oakland Heritage Alliance. Cost Our focus is human rights in a.m. For details see www.drag- Plaza, Suite 10., Oakland. To side School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. Oakland Heritage Alliance. 763- Palestine. 548-6310. is $10-$15. 763-9218. onmax.org schedule an appointment go to 843-0150. 9218. Yanga Celebration A carnaval Three Beats for Nothing www.helpsavealife.org Family Explorations Day Mostly ancient part music for of black culture in Mexico with TUESDAY, AUGUST 4 “Bum’s Paradise” a documen- Sumer Reading Program with fun and practice meets every music and dance from noon to SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 tary of the people who lived in stories, art activities, magic, car- Fri. at 10 a.m. at the North 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of National Night Out/Stop the Bay Area Peace Lantern Cer- the Albany Landfill community, tooning and more from 12:30 Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst California, 10th and Oak Violence Block Party from 3 emony at 6:30 p.m. at North at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, to 4:30 p.m. at Oakland Muse- at MLK. 655-8863. Sts.Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. to 8 p.m. on mcGee St., end of Aquatic Park, in honor of 390 27th St., Oakland. Dona- um of California, 10th and Oak asiecker@sbcglobal www.museumca.org between Stuart and Oregon. the 64th Anniversary of Hiroshi- Sts. Free.238-2200. Free. 981-5147. tion $5. www.Humanist ma (Aug. 6) and Nagasaki (Aug. Berkeley Chess Club meets Social Action Summer Forum Hall.org www.museumca.org every Fri. at 7 p.m. at the Hill- “Rights of Farm Animals” Over the Hills Gang Hikers 55 9) Bombings. www.progressive- side School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. with Kristie Phelps, of In Defense years and older explore Red- “The Life of a Wildlife Pho- portal.org/lanterns “The Living New Deal in the 843-0150. of Animals at 10 a.m. at the wood Regional Park from 10 tographer” with Suzi Eszterhas Walking Tour of Old Oak- East Bay” a slide show and dis- Unitarian Universalist Church of a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For details at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San land Uptown to the Lake to dis- cussion with Gray Brechin at 7 Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kens- call 544-2233. Pablo Ave. 527-4140. cover Art Deco landmarks. Meet p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 ington. 525-0302, ext. 306. East Bay Innovation Group: at 10 a.m. in front of the Para- Unitarian-Universalist Hall, 1924 Tuesday Twilights: Sunset Cedar St. 841-4824. Walking Tour: Rezoning: Fac- Free Garden Tours at Moonrise Hike at 7 p.m. at Best Practices for Adapting to mount Theater at 2025 Broad- ing Oakland’s Future A walk way. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Regional Parks Botanic Gar- the Miller/Knox Regional Shore- new Technologies, at 6 p.m. at Social Action Summer Forum and discussion of density, height, Reservations can be made by den in Tilden Park Sat. and line, led by Bethany Facendini, RHI, 1999 Harrison St., Suite “The Obama Administration views and historic preservation. calling 238-3234. Sun. at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call naturalist. There are some ups 1100. Cost is $10, free for and Social Justice” with Prof. Meet at 11 a.m. at the Key Sys- to confirm. 841-8732. and downs on this 2.5 mile members. www.ebig.org, Berkeley Path Wanderers: Charles Henry, at 10 a.m. at the tem Mural, 11th and Broadway, www.nativeplants.org hike. For details and meeting [email protected] Campus, Holy Hill and Unitarian Universalist Church of NE corner, Oakland. Sponsored place call 544-2233. Northside Walk Meet at 10 Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kens- Lake Merritt Neighbors Walk Berkeley for Seniors by Oakland Heritage Alliance. a.m. at Founders Rock, Galey ington. 525-0302, ext. 306. Cost is $10-$15. 763-9218. Organized for Peace Peace Lawyer in the Library Sign up meets every Wednesday at 9:30 in advance for a free 15 minute a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, Rd. at Hearst. This walk has Free Hands-on Bicycle Clinic Walking Tour of Old Oak- walk around the lake every Sun. some steep hills. 520-3876. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colon- consultation with an attorney, just west of the I-80 overpass. Learn how to repair a flat, from land around Preservation Park from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Albany Everyone is welcome, wear www.berkeleypaths.org 10 to 11 a.m. at REI, 1338 San to see Victorian architecture. nade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org Library, 1247 Marin Ave., comfortable shoes and a warm Walking Tour of Piedmont Pablo Ave. Bring your bike and Meet at 10 a.m. in front of Albany. 536-3720, ext. 5. hat. 548-9840. Avenue Meet at 2 p.m. at the tools. 527-4140. Preservation Park at 13th St. Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join Theraputic Recreation at the Avenue Elementary School, Benefit for Nangchen Nuns and MLK, Jr. Way. Tour lasts 90 MONDAY, AUGUST 3 4314 Piedmont Ave. at John St. a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 Berkeley Warm Pool, Wed. at “A Day of Meditation & Tibetan minutes. Reservations can be Cost is $10-$15. Sponsored by Golden Gate Audubon Soci- a.m. in the parking lot near the 3:30 p.m. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at Qigong” at 10 a.m. at Dondrub made by calling 238-3234. The Oakland Heritage Alliance. ety Field Trip to Martin Little Farm for an hour or two the Berkeley Warm Pool, 2245 Ling Dharma Center, 2748 Ade- www.oaklandnet.com/walking- 763-9218. tours Luther King, Jr. Shoreline to walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. Milvia St. Cost is $4-$5. Bring a line. Donations. To register call look for newly arriving shore- Survivors International “The End the Occupation Vigil towel. 632-9369. 707-224-5613. Mega-Science: Make Things birds, raptors and passerines, Massacre in Gatumba” with every Tues. at noon at Oakland Free Garden Tours at That Go “Pop” An interactive from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil testimonies, video presentations program for ages 7-12 from Arrowhead Marsh. For details Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. at 6 p.m. at the Berkeley BART at 3:30 p.m. at Oakland Main Regional Parks Botanic Gar- 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the call 845-5001. www.golden- www.epicalc.org Station. www.geocities.com/ Library, West Auditorium, 124 den in Tilden Park Sat. and Tilden Nature Center, Tilden gateaudubon.org Street Level Cycles Commu- vigil4peace/vigil 14th St., Oakland. Sun. at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call Park. Cost is $6-$8. Registration nity Bike Program Come use Teen Chess Club from 3:30 to to confirm. 841-8732. required. 1-888-327-2757. Reduce Your Personal and The East Bay Chapter of The www.nativeplants.org Community Carbon Foot- our tools as well as receive help 5:30 p.m. at the North Branch Great War Society meets to Helmet Safety for Toddlers print Four-session Climate with performing repairs free of Library, 1170 The Alameda at discuss WWI Fighter Planes, pre- Lake Merritt Neighbors and a tricycle rodeo, from Change Action Group. Mondays charge. Youth classes available. Hopkins. 981-6133. sented by Jim Folger & Bob Organized for Peace Peace 10:30 a.m. to noon, and 3:30 Tues., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. or Tuesdays from 6-8pm at the Berkeley CopWatch Drop-in Denison at 10:30 a.m. at the walk around the lake every Sun. to 4:30 p.m. at Habitot chil- Ecology Center. www.ecolgy- from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Boli- Albany Veterans Hall, 1325 Meet at 3 p.m. at the colon- dren’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge var Dr., Aquatic Park. 644- office hours from 6 to 8 p.m. at center.org 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. Portland Ave., Albany. 527- nade at the NE end of the lake. St. 647-1111. www.habitot.org 2577. 7118. 763-8712. lmno4p.org July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 7 B.N. Duncan, 1943-2009 By ACE BACKWORDS the cancer ward at Alta Bates hospital. So I knew it was trouble. The last time I elegraph Avenue legend B.N. saw him, I knew it was just about over. I Duncan died in June at the age of sat there in his hospital room and cried T65. I first met B.N. Duncan in and cried. For 30 years Duncan had 1979 at Krishna Copy on the corner of always been out there on Telegraph Telegraph and Dwight. He was xeroxing Avenue whenever I was there. But now copies of Tele Times, a little homemade it hit me for the first time that he would magazine he published. And I was never be out there again. I went from xeroxing copies of Ass Backwards giving him pep-talks about “Hang in Comix #1. So we were on the same page, there! Hang in there!” to “Let it go! Let literally, from the word go. Geez, I must it go!” You know? “God loves you, and have been 23, so Duncan was 36. He you’re going to heaven,” and all that looked like a weird old man with his crap. But while I sobbed and weeped, disheveled hair and thick horn-rimmed Duncan laid there on his hospital bed glasses and ratty old clothes. He looked and he was stoic the whole time. He like your weird uncle that you kept in always admired tough guys. And I the basement out of sight. He was the always thought he was doing Humphrey arachetypal weirdo artist. Bogart and James Cagney in his head. At the time he lived in a dusty little (“I never met a dame who didn’t under- hotel room on the fourth floor of the stand a good slap in the face!”) And in a Berkeley Inn. His room was just begin- way, that was the secret of our artistic ning to clutter up with his boxes of art- chemistry. I supplied the emotional and work. He had one or two friends who Duncan supplied the intellectual. were just as weird and alienated as him. Though in truth, we both had plenty of Aside from that, he had almost no social both sides. Duncan was no cold-blooded life. Duncan spent his whole life on the intellectual, he had plenty of heart. And fringe of society, a lifelong SSI recipient. I could talk a line of intellectual BS with I figured we were both a couple of losers the best of them, in between my emo- who would spend our lives xeroxing 20 tional tantrums. But we were both copies of our latest cartoons and mailing strong where the other was weak. Dun- them out to an indifferent world. “Out- can was like an anthropologist of the sider art” he called his work. In fact, he gutter. And he studied the Berkeley had a strong identification with Van street people, and all of life, like a scien- Gogh, and figured his work would never tist would study an exotic tribe in New be fully appreciated in his lifetime. Guinea. Duncan would place his latest In the late 1960s he had gone com- artistic specimen under his microscope pletely nuts. He was completely alienat- B.N. Duncan. and study it, as if looking for clues. He’d ed and couldn’t find any place to fit into hold the slide up to the light and say to society He’d hear voices—six distinct borrow some money, I thought, ‘Well, Our working relationship was akin to himself: “Hmmm. Now what does this characters who would carry on private there’s $10 I’ll never see again,’ and Laurel and Hardy. Duncan was the skin- tell me about this cock-eyed human life conversations in his head. He ended up mainly was concerned that he wouldn’t ny guy and he’d always screw up (“Gee, of ours?” getting locked up in a mental institution. come by the store any more. He repaid Ollie...”). And I was the fat guy and I’d Duncan was one of the most relent- The head psychiatrists told him he was a me within a week. I regularly lent him always rage and bluster at Duncan lessly creative people I’ve ever met. For hopeless case and would probably have money and always got it back, usually (“This is another fine mess you got us the 30 years that I knew him, he was to spend the rest of his life in the nut with a nice note on a xeroxed page of into, Stanley!”) and screw things up constantly working on a new artistic house. So that shows you how far he awesome cartoon art. What a sweet- even worse. But we always forgave each project. And unlike so many artists, came to have the magnificent life he had. heart. He taught me not to judge people other afterwards. I used to say about our when he got an idea, he almost always He published the first 20 issues of by their crusty tan corduroy jackets, and friendship: “Duncan, you’re one of the saw it through from beginning to com- Tele Times—“Telegraph’s Tight Little I’m grateful.” (But watch out for most few people strong enough to withstand pletion. Even on his death bed, when he Monthly”—in relative obscurity, with of those guys in crusty corduroy jackets; me.” And after every joint success no could barely speak, gasping and hacking print runs of about 100 copies. In truth, Duncan was the one-in-a-thousand matter how great or small—whether it for air, Duncan talked excitedly about Duncan probably lost money on every exception to the rule.) was producing yet another artistic mas- three different publications that would single publication he ever put out by And in a way, I thought that was the terpiece or merely scrounging up be publishing his work: “I’m gonna get a himself. He was one of the first publish- secret of why Duncan struck a chord enough dough to buy the next pack of review in the next issue of Mineshaft. ers to focus on homeless street people with so many people. Duncan was so cigarettes—we’d always high-five and And Claire Burch is putting out a book and so-called ordinary people, treating obviously weird. The rest of us are prob- say: “Yet another successful Backwords of my writing from Street Spirit. And them the same way that most main- ably just as weird, we just try to hide it. and Duncan collaboration!” Terri Compost is going to publish some stream publishers treated celebrities. And by the end of his life, Duncan’s His last few years were spent in failing of my photos and drawings in a book Then he began coreseponding with social circle included people from all health. Forty years of smoking and about People’s Park!” famed underground cartoonist R. walks of society, from successful lawyers drinking had finally caught up with him And his last words to me before he Crumb. They immediately clicked. and famed artists to bums on the street, (Basic 100s and Old English malt liquor, drifted off into a fog of morphine were: Crumb recognized a fellow traveler, and everyone in between. natch). In his last week they had him in “Every day is a triumph!” calling Duncan “the quintesssential underground cartoonist.” And Crumb should know. Duncan published an interview with Crumb and his wife in Tele Times, and that opened up whole A Telegraph Avenue Fixture new worlds for Duncan. For Duncan was an artist’s artist. Though his work By DAN McMULLAN and I took Duncan to the Scottish Games in Pleasanton. was vastly under-appreciated by the There was this huge tent proclaiming “Family Duncan.” general public, he was revered by many .N. Duncan had been a fixture at the corner of Haste Being a old hand with the members of my own clan, I of the greats in the cartooning field; and Telegraph for so long that the word “fixture” brought Duncan in and introduced him to the folks there. I people like Kim Dietch, Dan Clowes, Bseemed to fit him well. He seemed as permanent as was moved by the emotion I could see in his face as they sat Peter Bagge, and Harvey Pekar. Maybe the street sign or as we once thought of Cody’s Books. His him down and gave him a cold drink, and was happy that he with guys like Duncan, who are so weird Telegraph Avenue Street Calendar, produced with longtime stayed with them most of the afternoon swapping stories. and unique, it just takes time for the friend Ace Backwords, documented a street scene that was And they say you can never go home. world at large to catch up with them. rapidly succumbing to the erroneous business and city view After that my wife asked Duncan about his health and he In 1989, on a whim, I got the crazy that people came to the Avenue to shop, not to experience denied that he had ever had the big “C.” He never wanted idea to publish a photo calendar of its colorful denizens. us to fuss over him or waste time not discussing the bigger Berkeley street people. I wanted to take I came to love Duncan with his deep, resonant “Feel free issues of life. But lately it was very clear that something was the raw and quirky work Duncan was to look at anything you like” greeting to visitors and town- wrong. First he broke his leg a few months back. Alta Bates producing with Tele Times and put a bit ies alike that were looking at his collection of comics, cal- put him out without even the cheapest of wheelchairs. His of a commerical sheen on it. It was an endars and videos, produced by local artisans. Even if they love of being amongst his friends on Telegraph Avenue immediate local hit. And for the next 15 found nothing to buy, they always found a man with a keen drove him to try to make it up there leaning on the shoulder years, from 1990 to 2004, we would interest in them and the human condition in general. The of his good friend Richard. He pulled this off for awhile, but annually publish the Telegraph Avenue calendar he co-produced had the wonderful effect of show- again he fell, breaking a hip. His cancer-ridden bones just Street Calendar. We got written up in all ing people that we walk by and ignore everyday as some- couldn’t hold him up any longer. He seemed to be passing the local newspapers and Dan Rather thing special and worthy of note and even just a tad bit away, but again he rallied. did a national feature on it. So Duncan famous. I was always amazed how many students bought his This time Alta Bates sent him to a care home, but in a began getting some long-overdue recog- calendars to send back home to show the family and friends matter of a couple of days he mercifully died quietly in his nition. what a wild and original place they were calling home for sleep. In his honor Ace Backwords continued setting up his “When I was the manager of Comic the next four years or so. table on the corner of Telegraph and Haste—something I Relief in Berkeley I used to see Duncan I will always be grateful to Duncan for including me in found strangely comforting. A week or so later, a memorial a lot,” said Kristine. “Frankly, initially that eclectic mix and goading me to be something maybe was held at “Duncan’s Corner.” What a group that was— he gave me the creeps. A half-dozen just a little bit bigger and better than I was before. I know a neighborhood people, homeless people, naked people... conversations later and I was looking lot of people felt the same way and when we found out that pretty much the whole gamut of our beloved Berkeley char- forward to his next visit. He was the first Duncan had cancer a few years back it was very much as if acters. Duncan would have loved it and would have been person to show me Dick Briefer a family member was in peril. That summer Moby Theobald snapping pictures and taking names. Frankenstein and that alone puts him in the pantheon. Later, when he asked to Page 8 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 Oil and Blood: The Looming Battle for Energy n the past month, two seeming unrelat- gon. But according to Escobar, three Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan over energy resources. ed events have turned Central Asia into months before the 2001 attack, the United founded the Shanghai Cooperation Orga- This past April, Russia and China signed Ia potential flashpoint between an States, Iranian, German and Italian offi- nization (SCO), which now has observer a $25 billion oil agreement that will supply aggressively expanding North Atlantic cials got together in Geneva and discussed status from Iran, Pakistan and India, and Beijing with 4 percent of its needs through Treaty Organization (NATO) and a nas- toppling the Taliban because it was “the growing relations with the 10-member 2034. The two countries are currently cent strategic alliance between Russia and proverbial fly in the ointment” in a scheme Association of Southeast Asian Nations, negotiating a natural gas deal. China. At stake is nothing less than who to run a $2 billion, 800-mile natural gas formally a U.S.-dominated alliance. Beijing is planning an almost 4,000-mile, holds the future high ground in the compe- pipeline from Turkmenistan to Karachi, Unlike NATO, the SCO is a regional $26 billion Turkman-Kazakh-China tition for the world’s energy resources. Pakistan via southern Afghanistan. organization, not a military alliance, but pipeline to run from the Caspian Basin to Early this summer, the U.S. Energy According to the Pakistanis, the United one—counting observers—that embraces a Guangdong Province in China. Included in Information Administration (EIA) pre- States developed a plan in July for launch- growing percentage of the world’s GNP, the deal is a proviso to keep “third par- dicted a sharp drop in world oil reserves, ing attacks into Afghanistan from bases in and 75 percent of both the world’s energy ties”—NATO bases—out of the country which energy expert Michael Klare says Tajikistan. resources and global population. In the meantime, Russia is paying premi- means that the “era of cheap and plentiful Following the collapse of the Soviet However, the Collective Security Treaty um prices to lock up Kazakh, Uzbek, and oil is drawing to a close” and is likely to Union, NATO moved aggressively to fill Organization (CSTO) is a military alliance Turkman gas. It is also negotiating to buy result in “a new era of cutthroat energy the vacuum left by the demise of the War- that, besides being made up of all of the more Azerbaijani oil, which if successful, competition.” saw Pact. One time Soviet allies Romania, SCO members, also includes Belarus and could end up bankrupting the western-con- Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic, Armenia. trolled BTC pipeline that runs through along with the former Soviet provinces of Last February CSTO created a collective Georgia. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were recruit- rapid reaction force, which Russian Presi- Writing in Business Week, S. Adam Car- Dispatches From ed. The Ukraine and Georgia are currently dent Dmitry Medvedev says, “will be just dais, former editor of the Prague Post, says up for membership. as good or comparable with NATO.” The that Russia is “doing its damnedest to keep The Edge According to Escobar, one of NATO’s force will consist of a Russian airborne Europe out of Central Asia,” and that Rus- By Conn Hallinan first forays in the energy war was the division and air assault brigade, a Kazakh sia and China “may have already outma- Balkans. air assault brigade, and battalions from neuvered Europe.” While NATO represented the Yugoslav each of the other members, excepting But Washington is hardly throwing in In early July, after a full-court press by war as a fight to liberate the Albanians in Uzbekistan. According to Russian expert the towel. The Manas coup is a case in Washington and an agreement to increase Kosovo, Moscow and Beijing viewed it as Ilya Kramnik, the collective action force point, and the Obama administration is its yearly rent, Kyrgyzstan reversed a deci- an opportunity for the Albanian Macedon- “will give CSTO a quick tool, leaving no increasing aid to Kyrgyzstan and Tajik- sion to close the U.S. base at Manas, thus ian Bulgarian Oil Corporation (AMBO) to time for third parties to intervene.” istan. Apparently the gas pipeline project allowing the United States a powerful toe- build a $1.1 billion pipeline to bring Caspi- The only “third party” capable of inter- from Turkmenistan to Pakistan that fell hold in the countries bordering the oil- and an Basin oil to the West, thus bypassing vening in Central Asia is NATO. apart shortly before the United States gas-rich Caspian Basin. Iran and Russia In many ways, Beijing is the lynchpin in invaded Afghanistan has also been revived. While Manas is portrayed as a critical The AMBO pipeline—due to open in this 21st-century “great game,” because In short, the Central Asian chessboard is base for the ongoing campaign against the 2011—will transport Caspian Basin oil via China is weathering the current worldwide enormous, the pieces are numerous, and Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia and depression better than most countries. the stakes are high. Pipelineistan is not lim- war in Central Asia is less over “terrorism” Albania. The pipeline is protected by the While its exports have taken a beating, the ited to the Middle East and Central Asia. It than it is over energy. “Never reading the huge U.S. “Bondsteel” base in Kosovo, Chinese have successfully fallen back on exists wherever gas and oil flow, from the words ‘Afghanistan’ and ‘oil’ in the same “The equivalent of a giant immobile aircraft their enormous internal market to take up steamy depths of Venezuela’s Oronoco sentence is still a source of endless amuse- carrier, capable of exercising surveillance some of the slack. As a result, China Basin, to the depths of the South Atlantic ment” says the Asia Times’ Pepe Escobar, not only over the Balkans but over Turkey recently opened the aid spigots to nations off the coast of Brazil. author of Globalistan. and the Black Sea region,” says Escobar. in the region. “Oil and gas by themselves are not the Escobar, who has coined the term Certainly the AMBO pipeline, as well as In June, China loaned Turkmenistan $3 U.S.’s ultimate aim,” argues Escobar, “It’s “Pipelineistan” to describe the vast net- the current Baku-Tblisis-Ceyhan (BTC) billion, which will give it a stake in the all about control.” And if “the U.S. controls work of oil and gas pipelines that “criss- pipeline, makes little economic sense. It Turkman’s enormous Yolotan Osman gas the sources of energy of its rivals—Europe, cross the potential imperial battlefields of would be vastly easier and cheaper to send field, rumored to be the world’s largest. Japan, China, and other nations aspiring to the planet,” sees Afghanistan as strategi- the oil through Iran. The Turkmenistan loan also benefits be more independent— they win.” cally placed between the Middle East, Cen- “How could Russia, China, and Iran not Moscow by underwriting the Russian oil The United States has enormous mili- tral and South Asia, “at the core of interpret the war in Kosovo, then the inva- company Roseneft, and the pipeline tary power, but as Iraq, and now Pipelineistan.” sion of Afghanistan (where Washington buildier, Transneft. Kazakhstan got a $15 Afghanistan, makes clear, the old days As Escobar points out, “It’s no coinci- had previously tried to pair with the Tal- billion loan, giving China a 22 percent when one could corner a market by engi- dence that the map of terror in the Middle iban and encourage the building of another share in Kazak oil production. neering a coup or sending in the Marines East and Central Asia is practically inter- of those avoid-Iran, avoid-Russia According to former Indian diplomat are fast receding. The old imperial nations changeable with the map of oil.” pipelines), and finally Georgia (that critical and current Asia Times commentator M.K. are fading, and the up and comers are more As the old joke goes: It’s not all about energy transportation junction) as straight- Bhadrakumar, after years of tension likely to be speaking Portuguese, Chinese oil; some of it is about natural gas. forward wars for Pipelineistan?” Escobar between Moscow and Beijing, the two and Hindi than English. The trick over the For most Americans and Europeans, asks. countries are burying that past and “steer- next several decades will be how to keep Afghanistan appeared on their radar For every action, however, there is an ing their relationship” in the direction of a the competition for energy from sparking screens shortly after the 9/11 assaults on opposite and equal reaction. “strategic partnership in the overall inter- off brush fire wars or a catastrophic clash of the World Trade Towers and the Penta- In 2001, Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, national situation,” rather than competing the great powers.

fter six months in office, the consequences of health care reform. If Obama administration has arrived Obama’s health care plan becomes law, it Aat a defining moment: the battle Obama’s Defining Moment will not only guarantee affordable health over health care reform. The outcome will care to all Americans, it will fatally dis- shape future White House initiatives, the care reform and relied upon Congress to aside and they’ll have to charge competi- credit the Republican Party and severely 2010 mid-term elections, and the future of fill in the details. Obama wants universal tive fees. In Obama’s words, “I don’t damage their chances in the mid-term elec- the Republican Party. coverage. The dueling congressional plans believe government can or should run tions. Since the Roosevelt presidency, Democ- come close to this, but fail to cover roughly health care. But I also don’t think insur- At his July 22 press conference, Obama rats have tried to reform America’s Byzan- 3 percent of Americans. Obama also wants ance companies should have free reign to linked health care reform to America’s tine health care system. Health care costs a health care plan that reduces costs and do as they please.” Desperate to continue long-term economic recovery. He reiterat- too much, isn’t available to everyone, and the federal deficit. So far, the competing their iron grip on the system, insurance ed his programmatic objectives—expand drags down the economy, thereby limiting congressional plans fall short of accom- companies falsely claim the Obama plan coverage, improve quality, lower costs, U.S. competitiveness. plishing this objective. would reduce Americans’ access to health honor patient choice and hold insurance Because health care reform is a complex care. companies accountable—and pledged his and contentious issue, some members of The second face of opposition is ideolog- plan will not add to the federal deficit. The Public Eye Congress have suggested the entire process ical. Most Republican members of con- Congress will not vote on health care By Bob Burnett slow down. On July 23, Senate Majority gress are deeply conservative. They recog- reform until after Labor Day. During the Leader Harry Reid indicated that while nize that passage of the Obama plan would next six weeks expect the unholy alliance committees would complete legislation, the be more than a policy setback, it would of Republicans and insurance companies While four components comprise the full Senate would not vote on it before its deal a mortal wound to American conser- to rain down withering fire on the Obama system—patients, doctors, hospitals, and Aug. 7 recess. This delay will work to the vatism. Shortly after Obama’s election, a health care proposal. They will lie about insurance companies—most Americans Republican’s advantage, give them a leading Cato Institute conservative writer, every aspect of the plan, deny the need for understand the key problem is the role of month to chip away at Obama’s plan and Michael Cannon, wrote, Blocking change, and attack the president. insurance companies. Many observers popularity with a coordinated death-by-a- Obama’s health care plan is key to the Obama must fight back, joined by every- want a single-payer plan, similar to thousand-cuts campaign that distorts the GOP’s survival. His point was that Democ- one who supported his Presidential cam- Medicare, which would eliminate insur- nature of the president’s health care pro- rats could win over Republican voters by paign. This is the defining moment for ance companies and the for-profit nature gram. improving the social safety net. “National health care reform. The president has to of the system. While Obama’s plan has the support of health care... will bring reluctant voters continue to explain his plan to the Ameri- In 1993 President Bill Clinton proposed the American Medical Association and the into the Obama coalition.” Desperate to can people. He must use his political capi- a solution to the health care crisis. His plan American Nurses Association, insurance hold onto power, Republicans falsely argue tal to rein in wayward Democratic legisla- was defeated because the Clinton adminis- companies are spending $1.4 million per that the Obama plan would insert a federal tors. He has to pull out all the stops. tration had not coordinated effectively day to defeat Obama’s initiative and bureaucrat between patients and their doc- Obama became president because he with their congressional allies. Sixteen employ an army of former government tors, ignoring the reality that in the current trusted voters to act like adults. The cam- years later, the Obama administration staff workers and retired Congress mem- system insurance companies place a paign for health care reform tests this hopes to avoid the fate of the Clinton bers to lobby against it. bureaucrat between a client and his or her belief. Americans must see through the vir- health care proposal by working closely Health care reform opposition has two doctor. ulent Republican propaganda campaign with House and Senate Democrats. conceptual faces. One is economic. Insur- Republicans see health care as the deci- and support the president’s plan. In his effort to build consensus within ance companies realize their profits will sive battle of Obama’s first term. They are the Democratic Party, Obama has diminish if the Obama plan becomes law; throwing millions of dollars into their anti- Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer. He can be sketched out broad objectives for health the rules of monopoly capitalism will be set Obama campaign and are lying about the reached at [email protected]. July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 9 Pat Buchanan’s Unchecked Bigotry and Racism t used to be that a public figure could To even have to re-publish an accounting and 38 wounded. (My great-grandfather make such choices precisely because they immediately lose his public standing by of the numbers of those dead, for the sake served in the 1st Louisiana, but did not were actively denying such freedom to Iopenly and avowedly making unmistak- of answering Mr. Buchanan’s assertions, take part in the Port Hudson fighting.) African-Americans. There were 56 signers able white supremacist-racist remarks in defames the memory of the thousands of So much for Mr. Buchanan’s ignorant of the Declaration of Independence. Of the the public domain. non-white soldiers who died in service to statement that “100 percent” of the sol- 21 who signed from the five Southern Or at least it was, for a while. America. diers who died “at Vicksburg” where white colonies (Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, and In 1987, in an interview with Ted Koppel We will do so only in the case of the men. the two Carolinas), 15 were holders of on ABC’s Nightline program, Los Angeles investment of Vicksburg, Mississippi, That brings us to Mr. Buchanan’s con- slaves. Dodger general manager Al Campanis was where Mr. Buchanan most demonstrates tention that “white men” comprised “100 The Constitution had many authors and asked why there were so few African- his ignorance. The Union Army attack on percent” of the people who wrote the Con- some of them were ardently antislavery. American baseball managers and no gen- Vicksburg was part of General Ulysses stitution and signed the Declaration of New York and Pennsylvania’s Gouverneur eral managers. African-Americans, Mr. Grant’s overall strategy of clearing the Independence. Certainly that is true, but Morris, one of the five men on the Consti- Campanis replied “may not have some of Mississippi River of all Confederate forts we’re not quite certain what point it makes, tutional Convention committee that actu- the necessities to be, let’s say, a field man- in order to both isolate the western Con- or why it should justify Mr. Buchanan’s ally wrote the document, argued at the federacy from the eastern and to free the defense of the fact that more than 98 per- Convention that: “Upon what principle is it river for federal shipping down to New cent of the United States Supreme Court that the slaves shall be computed in the Orleans and the gulf. While Vicksburg was Justices down the years were chosen from representation? Are they men? Then make the key to Confederate control of the mid- the ranks of white men. them citizens and let them vote. Are they dle Mississippi, the strong Confederate White women were second class citizens property? Why then is no other property positions north and south of that town had in colonial America, not allowed by law included? The houses in [Philadelphia] are to be cleared out for Mr. Grant’s strategy either to vote or to serve as delegates to the worth more than all the wretched slaves to be completed. various governing bodies, so their absence that cover the rice swamps of South Caroli- On June 6, 1863, Confederate troops from the list of Declaration of Indepen- na....The admission of slaves into the rep- attacked a Federal force at Milliken’s dence signatories can be attributed to the resentation when fairly explained comes to Bend, Louisiana just north up the river white male tradition of shutting them out, this: that the inhabitant of Georgia and from Vicksburg. The Federal forces includ- not to any lack of courage or revolutionary South Carolina who goes to the coast of ed the all-Black regiments of the 9th and zeal on the white women’s part. Mr. Africa and, in defiance of the most sacred the 11th Louisiana and the 1st Mississippi. Buchanan’s argument justifying exclusion laws of humanity, tears away his fellow The 9th Louisiana was driven back on its of women from the Supreme Court Justice creatures from their dearest connections earthworks and afterwards, according to ranks for so many years amounts to saying and damns them to the most cruel “A History Of The Negro Troops In The that two hundred years of post-Revolution bondages, shall have more votes in a gov- War Of The Rebellion, 1861-1865” by Civil discrimination against women is justified ernment instituted for the protection of the By J. DOUGLAS ALLEN-TAYLOR War veteran George Washington by some thousands of years of pre-Revolu- rights of mankind than the citizen of Penn- Williams, “a desperate struggle … ensued, tion discrimination against women in sylvania or New Jersey who views with wherein Negro recruits and veteran rebels Britain and the American colonies. The laudable horror so nefarious a practice.” ager, or, perhaps, a general manager.” (In engaged in a hand-to-hand conflict. Bayo- same applies in spades (pun intended) But Virginia’s James Madison, upon the same interview, Mr. Campanis also said nets were freely used, and many of each when it comes to Mr. Buchanan’s justifica- whose writings the Constitution was large- that African-Americans “don’t have the force were transfixed, and hand-to-hand tion of the long lack of Supreme Court jus- ly based and who was thus considered by buoyancy” to be good swimmers.) Follow- conflicts with clubbed muskets and swords tices of color. The largest non-white minor- contemporaries as “the Father of the Con- ing the ensuing media and national uproar, were numerous.” ity during America’s history and virtually stitution,” held some 100 slaves himself on Mr. Campanis was forced to resign his posi- The Confederates were repulsed but not the only one at all during the colonial years, his Montpellier plantation. Had Mr. Madi- tion with the Dodgers, and never lived without enormous casualties to the Federal free African-Americans had few political son, later the fourth President of the Unit- down the controversy. side. Mr. Williams quotes the official rights in the pre-Revolution colonies, and ed States, been forced to walk through the A year later, CBS football commentator record of the Millikens Bend battle that “of enslaved African-Americans had no rights fields all day plowing, planting, weeding, and independent betting handicapper the enlisted men [in the Negro force], one at all. In many parts of the colonies and “cropping”, and curing the tobacco that Jimmy “the Greek” Snyder told a Wash- hundred and twenty-three were killed, one later in the states until the Civil War, was the plantation’s main source of ington D.C. television reporter that hundred and eighty-two wounded, and one enslaved Africans were forbidden to learn income, it is almost certain that he would African-Americans were superior athletes hundred and thirteen missing.” to read, with violations punishable by have been too weary in the evenings to because they were bred that way in slavery. Captain Matthew M. Miller, one of the whippings and, on occasion, even death. write the soaring words that make up a “The black is a better athlete to begin with white officers who commanded the For Mr. Buchanan to now imply some lack portion of the Federalist Papers. because he’s been bred to be that way,” African-American troops (Black commis- of civic responsibility by African-Ameri- To agree with Mr. Buchanan’s con- Mr. Snyder said, “because of his high sioned officers were not then allowed by cans by not, somehow, forcing themselves tention that “this has been a country built thighs and big thighs that goes up into his the U.S. Army) wrote later that “Our regi- to the table (by petitions or sit-in demon- basically by white folks,” you have to sub- back, and they can jump higher and run ment (Company I, Ninth Louisiana) had strations, is he suggesting?) to sign the stantially alter and amend any common faster because of their bigger thighs. This about three hundred men in the fight. … Declaration or help write the Constitution understanding of the term “build.” goes back all the way to the Civil War We had about forty men killed in the regi- would be bizarre, at the least, were it not That Mr. Campanis and Mr. Snyder can be when during the slave trading, the owner - ment and eighty wounded, so you can for the fact that it rubs raw many historic skewered and sacked 20 years ago for com- the slave owner would breed his big black judge of what part of the fight my company wounds. ments far less bigoted than Mr. Buchanan, to his big woman so that he could have a sustained. I never felt more grieved and And, of course, Mr. Buchanan’s strange while Mr. Buchanan sails on untouched, big black kid.” CBS immediately fired Mr. sick at heart than when I saw how many reasoning and contentions that many of the without taint or scratch, is perhaps the sad- Snyder, and he dropped from public view brave soldiers had been slaughtered-one Declaration signers as well as the principle dest and most sobering comment on our thereafter. with six wounds, all the rest with two or Constitution writer had the freedom to current racial climate and times. That was then, folks. This is now. three, none less than two wounds. Two of This month, MSNBC national commen- my colored sergeants were killed, both tator, conservative columnist, former pres- brave, noble men, always prompt, vigilant, idential candidate, and former Richard and ready for the fray. I never more wish to Nixon speechwriter Pat Buchanan hear the expression, ‘The Niggers won’t appeared on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow fight.’ Come with me, a hundred yards Show to talk on the subject of affirmative from where I sit, and I can show you the action and to Sonia Sotomayor Supreme wounds that cover the bodies of sixteen as Court nomination. Mr. Buchanan opposes brave, loyal and patriotic soldiers as ever Ms. Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican drew bead on a rebel.” descent. “I can say [of the African-American The subject of the overwhelming his- troops],” Mr. Miller added, “that I never toric, um, whiteness of the United States saw a braver company of men in my life. Supreme Court came up, and Ms. Maddow Not one of them offered to leave his place asked of Mr. Buchanan “Why do you think until ordered to fall back. I went down to is that of the 110 Supreme Court justices the hospital, three miles, today to see the we’ve had in this country, 108 of them have wounded. Nine of them were there, two been white?” In answer, Mr. Buchanan having died of their wounds. A boy I had said that he thought it was because “white cooking for me came and begged a gun men were 100 percent of the people that when the rebels were advancing, and took wrote the Constitution, 100 percent of the his place with the company; and when we people that signed the Declaration of Inde- retook the breastworks I found him badly pendence, 100 percent of people who died wounded, with one gunshot and two bayo- at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Probably net wounds. A new recruit I had issued a close to 100 percent of the people who died gun to the day before the fight was found at Normandy. This has been a country built dead with a firm grasp on his gun, the bay- basically by white folks in this country.” onet of which was broken in three pieces. This is a bigoted conclusion based upon So they fought and died, defending the flawed facts. cause that we revere. They met death cool- I don’t know the racial breakdown of the ly, bravely; not rashly did they expose soldiers killed during the battles at Gettys- themselves, but all were steady and obedi- burg or the Normandy D-Day invasion ent to orders.” and, frankly, I don’t care. Gettysburg and In the equally horrific May 27th attack Normandy were portions of major wars on the Confederate stronghold at Port (the Civil War and World War II) fought in Hudson, Louisiana, also a part of Mr. hundreds of battles over several years each, Grant’s Vicksburg campaign, the 1st in which large numbers of American (or Louisiana Native Guard regiment had 24 Federal, in the case of the Civil War) sol- enlisted men killed and the 3rd Louisiana diers died who were not of white descent. Native Guard regiment suffered 10 killed Page 10 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009

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Editorial The Planet’s Open-Door Policy LETTERS TO THE EDITOR n the city of Annecy, in Savoie at the friends in Israel are in the same position as UC FOOTBALL MONEY ance. Healthcare costs are bankrupting beginning of the French Alps, there’s a many Americans were under Bush: strong- Editors, Daily Planet: the insured. More Americans daily lose Ibeautiful Alpine lake in the middle of ly critical of their nation’s leaders but pow- Has no one noticed the $18-plus million their coverage. If we do nothing it will town. A grand city park surrounds the lake erless to do anything about it. She said that that the UC Board of Regents allocated to only get worse, not better. This is with everything there to delight a child: she’d always supported a two-state solu- the football program at the same session embarrassing for a developed nation. boats, merry-go-round, playground, picnic tion, but that now she feared even that as the one where the employee furlough Other developed societies have appro- tables. When we were there last week I saw would be impossible without enormous plan was adopted? priate healthcare for all citizens without that there was also an elementary school and prohibitive removal of populations. Is this money from existing, dedicated the throat-clutching fear of being one and day care center right there in the Then she said that she just couldn’t bear to funds? Or is it part of the annual general medical emergency away from the loss park—how nice, I thought, it must be for talk about it any more, so we dropped the budget? Why not have the entertainment of a home and/or personal bankruptcy. I the children who are students in the middle subject. effort “feel the pain” as the furloughed am a retired elementary school princi- of a children’s paradise. Many friends of Israel are starting to feel employees are being required to do? In pal whose employer paid for health Then I noticed a modest wooden plaque that way. Even though close to half of the effect the furloughed employee could be insurance for 37 years. I have prostate next to the door of the school, with a few current citizens of Israel are opposed to its paying for fun and games of alumni. A cut cancer, and if my employer had not pro- sentences in French painted on it. Some current course, just as many of us here back in the extramural program would vided retirement health care benefits sort of historical marker, I thought, and were in this country under Bush, they fear bring the message to alumni, “Yes there is until I’m 65, I would not have been able walked over to read it. that they can’t do anything about it any a problem. Help.” to get health insurance. This is not right. I didn’t take notes—I couldn’t even tell more. They are in despair. Don Reynolds Those who profit from the existing the people with me what it said, or explain That’s what makes the ongoing cam- system have fought against it for more why I seemed to have tears running down paign of vituperation against the Daily • than 20 years and today are again my face. Roughly, I remember that it said Planet by a few individuals who pose as TEACHERS bankrolling the fight against any change that on a certain day in perhaps 1944, four friends of Israel very sad. We’ve gotten Editors, Daily Planet: to the status quo at the rate of $1 million girls (names listed, ages between 8 and 13, reports from our sales staff that yet anoth- In response to M. Wheeler’s July 23 let- per day. like my granddaughters who are traveling er missive has been sent to our few remain- ter: Open, tactful debate keeps the blood Provide affordable healthcare to all with me) were taken from this very school ing advertisers, threatening dire conse- flowing in a free press. I stepped out of Americans and spread the cost. Provide and put on a train to Auschwitz. quences if they don’t pull their ads by Aug. bounds by offending a devoted teacher and expand choice to all Americans, Imagine that, if you will. You dress your 1. A couple of them have already canceled, with a limerick. Our excellent teachers including a public insurance program. daughter, braid her hair perhaps, and send one saying plaintively that it would just be deserve the highest respect, and I apolo- Reduce costs via efficiency, reform and her off to school one day with her book- better never to mention Israel again. gize for the negative effect of my words. re-structuring incentives. Regulate bag, and she never comes back. All the We appreciate the nice ad taken by Jew- Ove Ofteness insurance providers to require coverage mothers and fathers who leave their chil- ish people supporting the paper, which we of all Americans not just those without dren at the Annecy elementary school on have been able to see on the Internet. It’s • pre-existing conditions. the lake can see this modest plaque every people like the signers who will eventually THE HOMELESS Delay is an obstructionist tactic. Pass day, in case they are in any danger of for- save Israel, if it’s still possible to save it. Editors, Daily Planet: reform in 2009. History is watching. The getting the fragility of human life. We plan to continue our open-door policy Why are homeless folk in this great land American people cannot wait any While I was in London I had lunch with as long as we’re around, because really of ours walked on, around, over, and just longer. my old college friend Susan Hiller, who there’d be little point to doing any of this generally stigmatized? Could it be that Bob Kelly-Thomas currently has a show at the Jewish Museum if we had to be censors on top of every- they’re...un-American? How dare they be in San Francisco that is another reminder. thing else. here with us, penniless, just lying there, • Reviewed a couple of weeks ago in these The publisher has jokingly suggested instead of joining in on scoring the Amer- WALKING DISTANCE pages by Peter Selz, it consists of photo- that we should auction off our position on ican dream like those off-the-boat immi- Editors, Daily Planet: graphs taken all over Europe of the streets Israel. A bid of something like $200,000, grants we heard about in school, the ones Low-income senior and disabled where Jews used to live before they were perhaps, could guarantee no mention of who built industries, cities, and cheese fac- housing should be within easy walking taken away to extermination camps. Susan Israel in the Planet for six months. Unfor- tories, and then became philanthropists? distance of a grocery store (preferably told me that although she’s had many tunately, a large percentage of our Mercy is a national virtue. Don’t we hop with indoor ATM), a drugstore (i.e. major shows with a historic bent (her piece reporting staff and columnists might quit up to help every time our lessers in foreign pharmacy), bus stops, a library, a bank on Freud is in the permanent collection of if we did that. We’re still working on lands get buried in earthquakes, drowned (if grocery store does not have indoor the Tate Modern in London), she hasn’t shifting from being advertiser-supported in tidal waves, bugged by pandemics? ATM), and a senior center. Put these in been interested in topics like this until to reader-supported, but that’s an uphill Well? If we won’t help our own, or at least your own priority order. recently. “I don’t come from a religious struggle. let ‘em sleep in peace, let’s do the right Helen Rippier Wheeler family,” she says. “My father wasn’t even In the long run, completely suppressing thing: turn them into pet food. Bar Mitzvah’d.” mention of alternatives for Israel, in this Gotta go; I just heard about a vacant • But she’s gotten concerned about the paper and elsewhere, is bound to have dis- bush under an overpass. It’s “clean” and MEAN TO HOMELESS? fate of Israel, and with exploring the mean- astrous consequences for the future of the sort of dry, and I’ll get to hear the roar of Editors, Daily Planet: ing of her Jewish identity. Although she’s country. If the country is to survive, it will success on the roadway above, as big I am writing in response to the article an American, she’s lived in London with need the best ideas of all kinds of people, trucks and cars and whatnot zoom past on “Is Berkeley Mean To Its Homeless?” her British husband for several decades. not just the party line spouted by a militant their way to something better, somewhere. This article aired the grievances of a few She was one of the original British organ- group who has managed to take over the Phil Allen homeless people in Berkeley (complain- izers of Jews for Justice in the Middle East, dialog for the time being. We’d like to con- ing about the quality of free meals, no formed in response to Israel’s invasion of tinue to be able to do our small part in • one gives them money, etc.), and Lebanon. Now she’s preparing a show for making exploration of alternatives possi- HEALTH INSURANCE offered little to nothing in regards to exhibition in Israel featuring the work of ble, but it’s getting harder. Editors, Daily Planet: what people who are homeless see as a women, including some Palestinian Do we need it? Yes, more than 40 mil- women. She reminded me that many of her —Becky O’Malley lion Americans are without health insur- Continued on Page Twenty-One July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 11 COMMENTARY Opinions expressed in Daily Planet commentary and letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Daily Planet or its staff. The Dangers of an All-Cuts Budget By ARIEL BOONE, NIK DIXIT and in the emerging knowledge economy, pays three-quarters of the cost of Cal- ated $1 billion by placing an “extrac- MIA PSKOWSKI tarnishing the future of our Golden WORKS. tion” fee on oil drilling. Such a tax is not State. Moreover, cutting them is morally only reasonable but overdue—Califor- hough it ends our embarrassing Also under siege are cities and coun- questionable. These services, from nia is the only oil-producing state with- episode with IOUs, California’s ties, from which the state is raiding $4 unemployment to health insurance, are out one. The budget forgoes such a fee, Tnew budget is a giant leap back- billion. Local governments need this needed now more than ever. During a sparing oil companies despite its call for ward. money, and they will be devastated by recession, the last thing we should do is shared sacrifice. To meet Republican demands, it cat- its loss. They will be forced to reduce shred our safety net. The budget’s cuts to education, local egorically avoids taxes. Thus, it is left police, emergency, and fire services, and Though reductions were inevitable, governments, unemployment, and with only one option: cut, cut, cut. some may even file for bankruptcy. To Sacramento’s refusal to consider taxes health care would be painful under any Unfortunately, such haphazard slashing avert this nightmare, 180 cities, from was disappointing. Taxes fund valuable circumstances. However, they are espe- does have consequences. Though San Jose to Los Angeles, are actually investments in our future, and we need cially so because they could have been Republicans claim to be fighting considering legal action. them to function. While balance must be mitigated. Reasonable, common sense “waste, fraud, and abuse,” their plan But perhaps the most brazen cuts are found, right-wing zealots went too far. fees on cigarettes and oil companies will do real harm to real people. As it aimed at social services. CalWORKS, They ignored new, common sense rev- could have softened their impacts, all ignores revenues and relies on cuts our welfare-to-work program, stands to enues which could have offset cuts and without threatening businesses. alone, it will cripple even the most lose $528 million in the coming year. improved our outlook. Though such rea- With a few modest taxes, we could basic of services. Healthy Families, which provides health sonable taxes were proposed, none were have taken a balanced path. We could For example, education will be insurance to low-income children, will included in the final bill. have used painless fees to minimize placed on the chopping block. Our K- be slashed another $124 million. Even One measure, supported by 75 per- painful cuts. Instead, when forced to 12 system, already 47th in per capita in-home supportive services for the dis- cent of Californians in an April Field choose between services and cigarettes, funding, will lose $4 billion. UCs, slated abled will lose $226 million, forcing poll, would have placed a $1.50 fee on we regrettably picked the latter. for a 9 percent fee increase, will also 39,000 off the system. cigarettes. In addition to raising $1.7 bil- face the axe: together with CSUs, them- Cutting these programs makes little lion, it would have reduced smoking and Ariel Boone is UC Berkeley Associated selves looking at a 20 percent hike, they economic sense. Since they qualify for saved lives. Moreover, it would not have Students senator; Nik Dixit is policy will be deprived of $3 billion. Far from federal matching funds, their removal hurt businesses. Tobacco is a luxury director for Cal Berkeley Democrats; investing in students, the budget throws would pull much-needed cash from our item, not a business expense. Mia Pskowski is magazine editor for Cal them under the bus. It handicaps them economy. For instance, Washington Another proposal would have gener- Berkeley Democrats. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s BELLA Laser By MARK McDONALD operations at LBNL’s controversial Tri- 130 feet from the stack. Numerous times emy of Sciences in their Biological tium Labeling Facility which has been when I went to the back of the museum Effects of Ionizing Radiation 7 report, was one of several commentators closed. to photograph the stack, I witnessed have concluded that there is no safe who penned an opinion piece for the In the July 16 Daily Planet, former adults and children outside in the back exposure to anyone. Children have IJuly 9 Berkeley Planet which criti- Berkeley Environmental Commission recreation area which was eventually always been assessed as more vulnera- cized Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Chair Elmer Grossman took issue with made into an environmental science ble to long term ill effects from radia- (LBNL) for their fast-tracked and inad- some of my points and I leave it to the exhibit. tion exposure. Mr. Grossman in the equate review of potential hazards from reader to decide who’s blowing blarney Then, like now, the public had access recent past has called for the re-opening their proposed BELLA laser-accelera- here. The Tritium Facility first came to to the back where the tritium stack was of the Tritium Facility and thus has tor facility. the public’s attention years ago when unloading its invisible, tasteless, odor- become the only environmental board By issuing themselves a “No Danger two papers, one by a post-doctorate stu- less killer cloud. I really do not know member I have ever heard of who sup- To the Public” environmental assess- dent, measured dangerous levels of tri- why Mr. Grossman would quibble 10 ports the re-opening of a controversial ment unlike a normal EIR review under tium in surface water in Albany and feet versus 130 feet as I wouldn’t feel polluting facility. Before the BEIR 7 the NEPA-CEQA federal and Califor- Kensington, and another by a post-grad- that much safer in either case. report he could hide behind the now dis- nia statutes which allow citizens a uate student measured dangerous tri- The two research papers triggered credited ‘threshold’ theory, but now that chance to inquire, learn and comment tium levels in vegetation at the public reaction and a radiation monitor threshold has been debunked, his call to on any development in their area, and Lawrence Hall of Science Children’s was placed inside the Lawrence Hall of reopen a facility which made an adja- by issuing it to themselves at this time Museum, which sits just north of the Science to calculate tritium content in cent children’s museum Superfund eligi- when many folks are on vacation, LBNL facility’s chain-link fence. I stated that the museum air. The monitor showed ble is unconscionable. has once again demonstrated arrogant the Tritium facility was dumping clouds levels that exceeded EPA safe levels for Concerned folks should contact disregard for the well being of neigh- of radioactive tritium 10 feet from the adults which made the Hall of Science Berkeley Councilmembers and Con- bors. The brief comment period for the Children Museum’s back play area. The eligible for Super-fund clean-up. The gressmember Lee and demand an EIR assessment has already ended, so there emission stack was 10 feet inside the monitor was immediately removed. for the BELLA laser. is no point in anybody sending anything fence at the Tritium Facility’s property. Since then, the national deciders on now because it will be ignored. The corner of the museum building is radiation exposure, the American Acad- Mark McDonald is a Berkeley resident. The proposal to erect another acceler- ator facility deserves extra scrutiny at this time because an independent expert scientific consultant hired at Berkeley taxpayers’ expense revealed that LBNL had under-calculated the amount of dangerous radiation Berkeley citizens living outside the lab’s perimeter received from past accelerator opera- tions. The consultant, B. Franke from IFEU of Germany, was hired after LBNL refused to cooperate with the Berkeley’s first consultant, IEER, an American scientific outfit, to evaluate

The Daily Planet accepts commen- tary page submissions at opin- [email protected] and at 3023A Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705. Submissions should be no more than 1,000 words in length. Please include name, address and phone number for contact purposes, as well as a tagline to identify your- self for our readers. We prefer not to publish open letters. Page 12 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 COMMENTARY Opinions expressed in Daily Planet commentary and letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Daily Planet or its staff. Listening Disappointed in Obama? By MARVIN CHACHERE ject is identified and encapsulated in the Eric Alterman, The Nation, July 6). Conse- fourth paragraph: quently, any country that is not with us is To Both f you voted for Obama believing he’d “Ringing in my ears is something I against us. be a better president than John thought I heard you say: America does not Obama, on the other hand, does not Sides IMcCain, then you have no reason to be torture. And if this is true, now, under your divide the world. In Cairo, on June 4, he disappointed. watch, this letter is unnecessary. I also was conciliatory: “The cycle of suspicion By HARRY S. PARISER Then again, if you voted for Obama thought I heard you say indefinite deten- and discord must end” and up-front: “Just believing he could actually correct all the tion without charge was gone with the wind as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, s a frequent visitor to the East Bay wrongs he cited in his campaign, then of George Bush’s administration. Was I America is not the crude stereotype of a from San Francisco, I make a either it’s too early to tell or you expected wrong?” self-interested empire.” Apoint of picking up your publica- too much. The contrast between the first letter’s When it comes to style, Barack is very tion regularly. In the latest issue, I was The momentum of the herd of problems unrestrained loving advice and the sec- nearly the opposite of George. Barack is amazed at the number of diatribes against Obama inherited, like stampeding cattle, ond’s unvoiced subtext of disappointment smart, eloquent and confident; he writes Palestinians and “self-hating Jews.” I am cannot be turned around with one shot of is apparent. books. George was dull, inarticulate and perplexed by the negative energy chan- executive action, no matter how powerful it It would take super-human wisdom to insecure and boasted of not reading books. neled towards your publication just is or well aimed. Real change takes time. order the multitude of problems President George spoke in simplistic terms: Iran was because you have dared to air dissenting Even so, the record of recent occupants of Obama faces and if he had the genius to do evil, Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) was a dic- (and therefore apparently unpalatable) the Oval Office suggests that actions taken it, then the order chosen would no doubt tator and Evo Morales (Bolivia) a socialist. views. in the early months tell a lot about what be susceptible to change, to trial and error. But Obama shook hands with Ahmedine- Because I live in the Bay Area, I am eventually developed; the first moves are There are just too many problems in too jad and thanked Chavez for the gift of a privileged to listen to such programs on the most revealing. So, what can we con- many areas. Multidimensional chaos is not book. KPFA as Flashpoints, Democracy Now, clude after six months? easily quieted by linear triage. George made a big deal of declaring the and other news programs that give more Scan the context. There are a thousand Where do we stand? Did we who voted mission in Iraq accomplished although the than just the blind pro-Zionist viewpoint. and one things demanding President for Barack Obama get what we voted for? nature of the mission was unclear even And I’ve read such excellent books as Obama’s attention, some deemed urgent— Sure, he was obliged to hang onto the tails after its accomplishment. And he never Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel (penned universal health care, the plunging economy, of dozens of tigers bequeath to him by admitted to mistakes. by two Jews) and Helen Nathan’s The closing Gitmo, leaving Iraq, subduing the George W and not surprisingly up to now Where Bush was provocative, Obama is Other Side of Israel and such documen- Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, arrest- none have been caged. Is it, then, too early flexible; where Bush was divisive, Obama taries as James Langley’s Gaza Strip. In ing the spread of nuclear weapons—others to tell? is appeasing. This aspect of Obama’s style addition, I’ve read many of the excellent appear less urgent—reforms in immigration, Perhaps not. Certain acts stand out and is on display even in a molehill event made columns by Gideon Levy in Haaretz and education and energy policy, eliminating although they do not merit ecstatic mountainous: he offered one hand to Har- am a regular reader of Robert Fisk, who DADT, setting pollution standards, holding applause they do indicate Obama’s direc- vard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and has regularly reported from the Middle the previous administration accountable for tion and his style. the other to James Crowley, the policeman East for decades. mendacity and malefactions. The direction, sad to say, differs ever so who “stupidly” arrested Gates in his own I think that all of us understand that The great jubilation and hope of hun- slightly from the one set by at least four of home. Generally, Obama seems to view all there are many nasty, corrupt Palestini- dreds of thousands of people gathered the his predecessors: our values are universal opponents as potentially cooperative. ans—just as there are many nasty, corrupt day after the election in Grant Park, Chica- values on which we must rely if we are to Style, the manner in which actions are Israelis and many nasty, corrupt U.S. citi- go to celebrate Obama’s victory was shared lead the world and solve its problems. taken, is a combination of background, zens. On the other hand, there is no com- by millions across the country. Such From this basic principle Obama decided training and experience. Intelligently parison in scale between the most severe extreme joy inevitably fades. to send more troops to Afghanistan; to deployed style always overlaps with sub- attacks by the Palestinian resistance has For example, on that same day, Nov. 5, withhold from the public some photos of stance, in some areas more so than in oth- done with the horrors and devastation vis- 2008, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice torture; to not release and not prosecute ers. For instance, style is essential in Alice ited on Lebanon and Gaza by the Israeli Walker addressed an open letter that some prisoners; to order some soldiers to Walker’s profession, less so in Obama’s, military. Inside Israel itself, there are began “Dear Brother Obama” and ended, remain in Iraq. And at home he decided I am disappointed with what the man I many who will acknowledge this. Pales- “In Peace and Joy.” The letter was suffused that some financial institutions must be voted for has done—I confess I expected tinians lack bombers, white phosphorous, with loving advice summarized in urging saved, others left to die out, that forty- too much—but I greatly admire his style. If cluster bombs, the bulldozers to demolish the brother to preserve his soul as a pre- some million must get government paid he becomes the “credible leader” Alice homes and thousand-year-old olive trees, requisite for being “a credible leader.” health insurance and the rest covered by Walker wants him to be, if Obama’s the ability to construct huge walls, and the Eight months later (July 2009) the same the insurance industry. imprint on history lifts us out of the mess ability to search Israelis and Israeli homes author addressed an open letter that began Bush based foreign policy on the belief we’ve been in for so long then it will have at will. Nor do they have hundreds of “Dear President Obama” and ended, that other countries could not solve their been facilitated, I think, by his unique style. nuclear warheads. Or receive an astonish- “With loving kindness and despite the problems unless they “…go about it in the ing $3 billion in U.S. aid every year. gravity of the subject, Joy.” That grave sub- same way as the United States” (Reference Marvin Chachere is a San Pablo resident. In short, the power disparity between the two sides is so large as to make any comparison impossible. The Palestinians today are largely a product of a half-cen- tury of misguided Israeli policies. Unfor- tunately, many American Jews (both sec- CARTOON TO THE EDITOR ular and religious) have all too often given the Israeli government a pass. Some have done this because they are neoconserva- tives; some because they are uninformed or misinformed or both; and some because they have sensed this is the pre- vailing view, and they go with the flow. Baah! I would urge ardent Zionists to recon- sider their carte blanche endorsement of the path Israel is ploughing. Thus far (as with Western policies in the Middle East as a whole) these have proven disastrous. Of these, the illegal settlements stand out as particularly wrongheaded. The resources I have detailed above are avail- able to one and all. Being uninformed is a lifestyle choice! Rather than trumpet Zionist views, such religious and secular American Jews might well put their efforts towards redi- recting the mindless consumerism that has colonized the minds of many of their brethren and re-channel it towards the social justice-oriented movements that have long characterized contemporary Judaism. That energy should also be redi- rected towards resolving the numerous social inequities within Israel itself, a “democracy” where Arab Israelis and Reform Jews alike find themselves dis- criminated against.

Harry S. Pariser is a San Francisco resident. Nancy Anderson July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 13 Foreclosed and Evicted in Oakland By DAVID BACON TruthOut

t eight in the morning on Monday, July 20, 10 Alameda County sher- Aiffs arrived in their patrol cars in front of the tan house on the corner of Tenth and Willow in West Oakland, the oldest African- American neighborhood in the city, and one of the oldest on the West Coast. The renovated home is surrounded by an iron fence, and the sheriffs poured through its open gate and up the stairs. Tosha Alberty had just left for work, for her job as a transportation services coordi- nator for Alameda County. Her children were still at home. Sheriffs told her adopt- ed son Christian, a 9-year-old with autism, still in his undershorts, to get dressed. Alberty’s daughter Sharquita rushed to collect the bottles and diapers she needed to take care of her 9-month-old baby Zmy- lan. All of them were then hustled out of the front door, down the steep steps, through the gate in the iron railings, and onto the sidewalk. Sheriffs had threatened to evict the fam- ily before, an action stymied when a local locksmith, seeing that he was about to shut the family out of their home, had refused to cooperate. This time, however, a more compliant locksmith drilled out the door locks so the family couldn’t get back in. Other workmen nailed sheets of plywood over every window to keep the Albertys out. And a new brass and steel padlock was fastened to the gate. Above: Tosha Alberty’s father Charles speaks his mind. Below left: Tosha Alberty. Below right: Daughter Sharquita and her baby Zmylan. Tosha Alberty and her husband James, a cancer survivor, had lived in the home with four children and two grandchildren for four years. Tosha had grown up in the same neighborhood, and had been househunting for a long time when she found the place in 2005. Although she was unemployed at the time, her mother had died and left her a lit- tle money. She talked with a real estate bro- ker, who pushed her into a non-conforming loan with no down payment, with First Franklin Mortgage Services. “I thought my loan was for $520,000, and that I’d be paying $2800 a month,” she recalls. “But I discovered that it was for $550,000, and the payment was much more.” Alberty got a union job with the county, though, where her husband had also worked. She barely made the pay- ments. But then the monthly installments ballooned to close to $5000. “I knew I couldn’t do that,” she says. “But when I tried to renegotiate them, they said that of $2.4 billion, it’s second straight prof- huge bonuses for executives, on fees for Daniels, who herself had been threatened since I’d been paying before, they wouldn’t itable quarter since the mortgage crises credit card holders, and even on home with a foreclosure eviction, held an help me. So I stopped paying.” The loan started, despite losses from bad loans. No mortgage lending to other Oakland resi- impromptu press conference that after- went into default. wonder. The bank received $45 billion in dents. noon in front of the padlocked iron gate. First Franklin, which moved from mak- bailout money from the Troubled Asset When First Franklin’s “hassle-free solu- She vowed, “We will find a way to put ing normal mortgages to non-conforming Relief Program. tion” became her eviction, Alberty joined Tosha and her family back into this house. loans back in 1994, boasted on its website None of that money is going to the ACORN’s Home Defender campaign. There is no justice here.” Representatives that “First Franklin makes it easy for mort- Albertys though, despite promises that the Twice in May the sheriffs came to put the of city council members and a county gage brokers to find flexible, hassle-free bailout would enable the renegotiation of family out, and twice they met a resolute supervisor announced their support. home loan solutions.” loans, and keep people in their homes. group determined to keep the Albertys As Tasha Alberty leaned on her brother The lender was bought by Merrill Lynch Bank of America, however, did spend $2.3 from being dumped on the sidewalk. That’s and cried, though, her father Charles won- in 2006. Merrill Lynch closed in last year’s million in 2008 on lobbying Congress, and undoubtedly why they swooped down dered, “There’s something wrong with this meltdown, and was bought for $50 billion another $1.5 million this year. The bank without warning on July 20, just after country. My daughter just needed a house by Bank of America. Last week Bank of wants flexibility on how it spends that Tosha had left for work. for her family. What was she supposed to America reported second-quarter profits TARP money, with fewer restrictions on ACORN Home Defender Martha do?” he asked.

Left: The padlocked home at Tenth and Willow. Right: Home Defenders put up a banner across the locked gate. Page 14 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 ‘The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour’ By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet

n case you haven’t heard,” comedian W. Kamau Bell said, “I“A black guy’s president now. I’m not fighting against the Evil Empire anymore! I mean, how many Bush jokes SF Mime Troupe’s ‘Too Big Too Fail’ can you do?” Bell was elaborating on some of the By KEN BULLOCK Valdez left the company to found changes in his solo show, The W. Kamau Special to the Planet Teatro Campesino; Peter Coyote, a for- Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an mer Digger, went into movies; Bill Gra- Hour, playing at La Peña tonight oo Big to Fail, the San Francisco ham, Mime Troupe business manager, through Saturday. The show was named Mime Troupe’s 50th anniversary started his career as impresario staging by the comic after both himself and The Tshow, swings through Berkeley benefits for the troupe’s bail fund. Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Struc- again this weekend, playing outdoors in (Davis remembers seven busts, on vari- ture in American Life, the controversial Willard Park Friday evening and Satur- ous charges.) 1994 book on intelligence test scores by day afternoon. Davis, who remains on the board of Richard Herrnstein and Charles Mur- It’s a storytelling play, “in the tradi- the troupe, left the company in 1970, ray. tion of the West African griots,” with partly in disagreement over a shift in song and dance, that follows a villager style towards a kind of musical comedy who takes a loan from a new Wall Street in the streets, what the Mime Troupe THE W. KAMAU BELL CURVE subsidiary in his neck of the jungle to TOO BIG TO FAIL has performed ever since. Joan Holden, 8 p.m. tonight through Saturday La Peña become the Goat Lord of Kanabeedo- who wrote about 30 plays for the troupe, 6:30 p.m. Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. $15- mo. Then economic downturn, symp- counters that “melodrama,” as Davis Willard Park, Berkeley. All shows are free. For $20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org. toms of investment bubbles, of pyramid characterized what succeeded Comme- information on the continuing celebrations, schemes—and Filije is faced with losing dia, was a more familiar American sto- exhibitions and discussions of the Mime Bamusa the goat, his original, beloved rytelling style with “undreamed power” Troupe, through this coming fall and winter, “It’s more compelling to talk about collateral. to put over the social issues the Mime call (415) 285-1717 or go to www.sfmt.org. something more nuanced than ‘Bush is The troupe will perform Too Big To Troupe addressed, particularly, in the bad!’” Bell continued. “People say Fail at 6:30 p.m. Friday and at 2 p.m. ’70s, the Women’s Movement. about Obama, ‘But he’s not funny!’ Yet Saturday at Willard Park, with other leading to shows in the style of Comme- Holden, director Dan Chumley and he’s more interesting as a person—how local performances at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at dia Dell’Arte, the Renaissance physical composer Bruce Barthol (once of Coun- smooth he is, how under control. Writ- Oakland’s Lakeside Park; 2 p.m. Aug. comedy with antecedents in the mimes try Joe and the Fish) typified the ing comedy about Bush is like writing 22 and 23 at Berkeley’s Live Oak of classical antiquity. troupe’s production team for the closing about somebody falling downstairs—it’s Park; 2 p.m. Aug. 29 at Oakland’s Performing in the parks from the decades of the last century; Sullivan, too easy. The best comics are the ones Mosswood Park; and 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at early ’60s, the Mime Troupe found itself Velina Brown and Ed Holmes are dealing with what they have in front of Laney College in Oakland. All shows in run-ins with the law, from obscenity names more familiar to its audiences them. If comedians are sad to see Bush are free and preceded by a 30-minute busts for reciting Jean Genet’s “Chant today. go, they’re bad writers!” music set. D’Amour” to its civil rights satire A The old timers exclaim over its unex- He talked about the challenge of a The show was written by Michael Minstrel Show, immortalized in Robert pected longevity. But Sullivan has live satiric act: “The show always pushes Gene Sullivan—who first saw the Mime Nelson’s film, Oh Dem Watermelons. expressed what may be the real heart of me, because it’s topical. The fun part is Troupe in Golden Gate Park as a Davis has spoken about the close collab- the company’s continuing mission: to to write it as it’s happening, to break the teenager when he aspired to teach histo- oration at the time with now well-known contribute to the creation of a world in news stories. I read about O.J. Simpson ry (“It was everything I wanted to do, in composers like Steve Reich and Morton which the Mime Troupe would be getting convicted and talked about it in one event”)—and Ellen Callas, and fea- Subotnick, experimental poets, film- unnecessary. “We still have a long ways the show that night. I realized some of tures stage direction by Wilma Bonet makers and political journalists. Luis to go,” he ssid. the audience hadn’t heard about it. It’s a and musical direction by Pat Moran (who penned music and lyrics). It is the Continued on Page Seventeen latest and most topical offering of the Mime Troupe’s mission—as Sullivan put it—to challenge the stories of Ameri- Roy Zimmerman At The Freight can-style capitalism. don’t know if Obama can unite ROY ZIMMERMAN That mission came with the founding the Democrats and Republi- 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage, of the troupe in 1959 by R. G. Davis as a cans,” said satiric songwriter- “I 1111 Addison St. project of Actors Workshop, the semi- singer Roy Zimmerman, who will per- $18.50-$19.50. nal San Francisco theater company. form at Freight and Salvage Friday 548-1761. www.thefreight.org. Davis, a student of dance and of the night, “but he can unite a subject with a founder of modern mime, Etienne predicate! But fortunately, my job’s not Decroux (teacher of Jean-Louis Bar- just to make fun of the president.” (www.royzimmerman.com) announces rault and Marcel Marceau, who played Zimmerman nonetheless hit the cam- “Funny Songs About Ignorance, War Barrault’s father in Marcel Carne’s film, paign trail last year, with a “campaign and Greed,” has been praised by Tom Children of Paradise), started a studio to promise” to tour all 50 states, including Lehrer and Joni Mitchell. Raised in the explore mime and language, eventually going to the conventions. “I made it to Bay Area, where he now lives again with 47 of them.” At the Republican conven- his family, he co-founded the quartet tion, he saw “Every kind of white per- The Foremen in Southern California in son! ... The rest were staged carefully. It 1988, a kind of revival of ’50s-’60s was amazing to be there.” There’s a groups like The Kingston Trio and The “soundtrack” for his tour, Thanks for Limelighters, with a satirical mission. the Support, Roy. His own output features more than Concerning the post-election scene, six solo CDs and songbooks with DVDs, Zimmerman said, “Considering the like How (and Why) To Play Republicans represent both kinds—the ‘Peacenik’—Peacenik being an earlier Haves and Have-Lots—they’re having CD. hard times finding the narrative link; His material bears an obvious left- nothing to hang it on. And of course wing slant. He’s aware of a difference: people are concerned about what’s hap- “We used to have a name for right-wing pening with Obama’s promises, Hope satire: we called it ‘cruelty.’” and Change. But it’s been six months and there’s no slump in interest.” Zimmerman, whose website —Ken Bullock July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 15 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Youthful ‘Les Miz’ Brims with Excitement at Julia Morgan By KEN BULLOCK Special to the Planet

hether it’s toiling in a chain gang, getting pickpocketed in a Wlowlife inn or fighting with hopeless courage on a Parisian barricade, the swirling onstage action and musical fanfare of Les Miserables would keep any company of actors and techs busy with the breakneck scene changes alone— much less a troupe of aspiring teenage

performing artists, who take on the singing, dancing, emoting roles of princi- pal and supporting characters, besides making up the ever-changing, ever-active chorus. But backed by a full orchestra, 15 musi- cians under the familiar hand of Dave Malloy (Shotgun Players, Ten Red Hen, CalShakes), the players of Youth Musical Theater Company trouped through the tumultuous epic that frames both inspira- tional and love stories, learning about becoming an ensemble in the process, Chuck Cornwall perhaps the greatest triumph any band of The ensemble of young actors, backed by a cadre of adult volunteers, makes Les Miserables a winning production. actors can experience—to be a company. One of the clearest examples came near the conclusion, when Marius, LES MISERABLES wounded in the streetfighting, but saved Youth Musical Theater Company by constantly self-sacrificing Jean Val- 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday jean, returns to the cafe where he joined Julia Morgan Center for the Arts the insurrection, singing mornfully as he 2640 College Ave. sees, in his mind’s eye, his dead comrades $8-$20. make a silent uproar in their old haunts, 595-5514. www.brownpapertickets.com. just as they did before being sacrificed in the 1832 Revolution—the event that inspired Victor Hugo to write his histori- Johnson, a Lick-Wilmerding senior, cut cal romance, as well as Stendhal’s con- good figures onstage in their roles, ception of what many consider the first Moreno-Johnson singing sweetly in the modern novel, The Red and the Black. higher registers, the quieter numbers. (Though the story of Les Miserables is As the romantic ingenues Cosette and remembered more for Jean Valjean, who Marius, Sofia Christensen (a Berkeley changes his life when a priest he’s stolen High senior in her sixth YMTC show) and from intercedes with the police to save David Crane (a UCLA sophomore) have him, and the implacable figure of Inspec- much presence, Crane having the voice of tor Javert, ever dogging Valjean’s foot- a stage singer. Marnina Wirtschafter (a steps to catch him when he falls, it’s worth Berkeley High junior, whose third YMTC saying that Hugo is credited with writing production will be A Chorus Line) pumps the first books with titles naming masses, out her breaking heart as Eponine, hope- not individuals, as subject: Les Miser- lessly in love with Marius, and Dorothy ables, Toilers of the Sea ... ) Gray (a junior at Albany High) flashes a Opening night was a sell-out at the wicked grin, missing a tooth, as Mme. Julia Morgan Center, alive with the Thenardier. (Gray notes that, after play- excitement of family and friends and the ing an insane granny in Into the Woods fervor of the cast. Some of the YMTC last year, she can’t decide if the abusive players are off to university in a few mother in Les Miserables is a step up or weeks, but even a few of those may be down.) back to audition in late March for next Gabe Hermann (a freshman at Ameri- summer’s show, Mothers of Ludlow, the can River College) plays the factory fore- premiere of a new musical. The Les Mis- man who mistreats Fantine with appro- erables cast of 31 includes seventh- priate menace, but it’s Jacob Basri (Sarah graders through college sophomores. Lawrence freshman and seven-time (The next YMTC production is A Cho- YMTC player) who has the plum role as rus Line, opening Oct. 16 at the Julia comic villain Thenardier (alternating with Morgan, like other YMTC mainstage Berkeley High sophomore Alex shows.) Senauke)—and makes the most of it, Founded in 1997, as Youth Musical stepping into “Master of the House” with Theater Commons (formerly Middle a funny, snaky walk between a slink and a School Musical Theater), YMTC strut, leering and picking pockets when acquired its present name along with non- nobody but the audience is watching—a profit status in 2004. The continuity of the charming ogre to offset the stiff upright- program and dedication of its young per- ness of antagonist Javert. formers can be judged by the participa- Yet, again, it’s the kaleidoscopic chorus tion of Simone Kertesz, playing tragic, that gives Les Miserables its substance exploited Fantine, who—dying—exhorts and its tone, as a face or two surfaces, dis- Valjean to care for her little girl, Cosette, appears, and comes around again, playing the role that Simone, now a sophomore at a different role—Hugo’s seemingly Chico State, performed in 2003 when anonymous crowd, the ensemble of Restaurateurs! YMTC first essayed Les Miserables. young actors, backed by a cadre of adult Introduced at the start, when Javert volunteers, that puts the story over with To have your eatery admonishes Jean Valjean as a prisoner their excitement and hard work, not (as included here not to forget him, Jordan Anderson, a YMTC artistic director Jennifer Boesing, please call senior at Berkeley High and a five-show who directed Les Miserables, points out) YMTC veteran, and Tomas Moreno- in spite of their youth, but because of it. 841.5600 x105 Page 16 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 ARTS CALENDAR THURSDAY, JULY 30 FILM Juried @ BAC 2009 Annual Poetry Flash with Lucille Lang Berkeley Poetry Slam with Kelly Park Trio & Friends at 8 juried exhibition featuring works and Roz Spafford at 3 p.m. at host Charles Ellik and Three p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 CHILDREN “Out of the Ashes” A Project on paper. Opening reception at Diesel, 5433 College Ave., Oak- Blind Mice, at 8 p.m. at The Allston Way. Cost is $8. 841- Peace Film Festival, featuring 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Cen- land. 525-5476. Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841- JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com Active Arts Theatre for Young films by Bay Area female film- ter, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893. 2082 www.starryploughpub.com Vinny Golia & Friends, jazz, Audiences “If You Give A makers, to benefit Oakland Eliz- www.berkeleyartcenter.org MUSIC AND DANCE abeth House, from 7 to 10:30 at 8 p.m. at Flux 53 Theater, Mouse a Cookie” play based MUSIC AND DANCE on the book by Laura Numeroff, p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 THEATER Oakland Municipal Band 5300-5312 Foothill Blvd., Oak- Thurs., Sat, Sun. at 4 p.m., Fri. at Allston Way. Tickets are $10. Concerts from 1 to 3 p.m. at Native Elements, reggae, at land. Cost is $10. 842-8841. 6 p.m., through Aug. 16, at Chil- For reservations see www.pro- San Francisco Mime Troupe The Bandstand at Lake Merritt, noon at Oakland City Center, 7 Orange ABC, Dialectic, dren’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue jectpeaceeastbay.org “Too Big To Fail” at 2 p.m. at 666 Bellevue Ave. Free. Lawn 12th and Broadway. Tremor Low at 9 p.m. at The Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10- Willard Park. www.sfmt.org chirs, blankets and picnics wel- Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841- Peter Zac Trio at 8 p.m. at $12. 296-4433. activeartstthe- MUSIC AND DANCE Shotgun Players “The Farm” come. 338-2818. 2082. atre.org Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Quartet Rouge, acoustic pop, Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Yanga Celebration A carnaval www.starryploughpub.com Hinkel Park, Southhampton Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. at noon at the Kaiser Center of black culture in Mexico with The Deep at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. THEATER Ave., through Sept 13. Suggest- www.AnnasJazzIsland.com Roof Garden, on top of the music and dance from noon to 843-8277. ed donation $10. 841-6500. “The W. Kamau Bell Curve” parking garage, 300 Lakeside 4 p.m. at Oakland Museum of Bill Cope and Friends at 8:3o www.shotgunplayers.org Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at La Peña Drive, Oakland. Free. www. California, 10th and Oak p.m. at Ashkenaz. Blkan dance Cultural Center. Tickets are $15- KaiserCenterRoofGarden.com Stone Soup Improv Comedy Sts.Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. lesson at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 $20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org Kalil Wilson, jazz, at 4:45 p.m. at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Cen- www.museumca.org 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com THEATER at the Cheesboard Collective. ter, 511 48th St. at Telegraph, Avotcja at 7 p.m. at La Peña. Whiskey Brothers at 9 p.m. at Youth Musical Theater Com- Oakland. Cost is $7-$10. www.KalilWilson.com Cost is $10-$15. 849-2568. Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. pany “Les Miserables” Thurs.- www.stonesoupimprov.com Actors Ensemble of Berkeley Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at “Pirated Mid-Summer Night www.lapena.org 843-2473. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 Col- Dreams—Purple and Black FILM Swoop Unit Sextet at 8 p.m. www.albatrosspub.com Brown” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. lege Ave. Tickets are $8-$20. Ball” with Lolita Sweet, The Chair- at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 All- Ray Cepeda Latin Jazz at 7 at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shat- www.brownpapertickets.com tuck Ave. at Berryman, through man and Triple Ave. at 7 p.m. at San Francisco Jewish Film ston Way. Cost is $10. 841- p.m. at Chester's Bayview Cafe, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Festival at the Roda Theater, Aug. 15. Tickets are $12-$15. JAZZ. 1508 B Walnut Square. 849- EXHIBITIONS Universalists, 1924 Cedar St. Cost 2025 Addison, through Aug. 8. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 649-5999. is $5-$10. 776-4422. For schedule and tickets 866- 9995. www.aeofberkeley.org “Deep Water” Paintings by Stompin’ the Blues at 6:30 Celebration of Faith, gospel 558-4253. www.sfjff.org Patience Chaitezvi & Erica Altarena Playhouse “Spitfire Ryan Blackman. Opening recep- p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson Azim at 8 p.m. at Freight and tion at 7 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, performances with Ronnie Mills, Grill” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., READINGS AND LECTURES at 6 p.m. Cost is $10. 525- Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 2911 Claremont Ave. Exhibit Linda Jackson, Godsend and 5054. www.ashkenaz.com Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Play- runs to Aug. 30. 848-1228. others at 8 p.m. at Hilltop Com- Bay Area Poets Coalition 548-1761. www.freightandsal- house, 1409 High St., Alameda, giorgigallery.com munity Church, 3118 Shane open reading from 3 to 5 pm. Ditty Bops at 8 p.m. at Freight vage.org through Aug. 16. Tickets are Drive, Richmond. Tickets are at Strawberry Creek Lodge, and Salvage. Cost is $22.50- Kalil Wilson at 8 p.m. at $17-$20. 523-1553. $23.50. 548-1761. www.freigh- READINGS AND LECTURES $10. 778-1903. 1320 Addison St. Park on the Jupiter. www.KalilWilson.com www.altarena.org tandsalvage.org Eric Swinderman’s Straight street. 527-9905. Stage Door Conservatory Novella Carpenter, author of Outta Oakland at 8 p.m. at BluesSunday with Roger “Farm City: the Education of an THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 “Grease” performed by Teens Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston MUSIC AND DANCE Brown & Friends at 8 p.m. at on Stage Fri. and Sat. at 7:30 Urban Farmer” reads at 7:30 p.m. Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. Berkeley Art House Gallery, The African American Pres- p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Julia at Pegaus Books Downtown, 2349 www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 2905 Shattuck Ave. Donation CHILDREN ence in Mexico with Son de la Morgan Theater, 2640 College Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. $5-$110 and potluck. 472- Joe Warner Trio at 8 p.m. at Tierra at 8 p.m. at Oakland Active Arts Theatre for Ave. Tickets are $10-$20. 521- 3170. MUSIC AND DANCE the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. Museum of California, 10th and Young Audiences “If You 6250. 845-5373. Oak Sts. Tickets are $10. 238- Give A Mouse a Cookie” play [email protected] Natalie Cressman, trombone, 6942. www.museumca.org MONDAY, AUGUST 3 based on the book by Laura Woodminster Summer Musi- at noon at the downtown Berke- Danjuma & Onola, Makuru featuring Ousseynou Kouyate at Numeroff, Thurs. Sat, Sun. at 4 cals “Singin’ in the Rain” at 8 ley BART Station. Yancie Taylor Jazztet at 8 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 FILM p.m., Fri. at 6 p.m., through p.m. at Woodminster Johnny Nitro & The $10-$13. 525-5054. Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841- Aug. 16, at Children’s Fairyland, Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Doorslammers at 8:30 p.m. at San Francisco Jewish Film Bluehouse, acoustic female JAZZ. 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Park, 3300 Joachin Miller Rd., Ashkenaz. Blues dance lesson at Festival at the Roda Theater, duo, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, www.AnnasJazzIsland.com Tickets are $10-$12. 296-4433. Oakland, through Aug. 16. Tick- 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. 2025 Addison, through Aug. 8. 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Pellejo Seco at 9:30 p.m. at activeartsttheatre.org ets are $25-$40. 531-9597. www.ashkenaz.com For schedule and tickets 866- www.woodminster.com Dwight. 548-5198. Ashkenaz. Cuban salsa lesson at 558-4253. www.sfjff.org Gerry Tenney with California 8:30 p.m. Cost is $10-$13. EXHIBITIONS Roy Zimmerman at 8 p.m. at EXHIBITIONS Klezmer & the Lost Tribe at 8 Freight and Salvage. Cost is 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost “Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. Claudia Russell and the Folk TUESDAY, AUGUST 4 “Sounding Art: Instruments is $21.50-$22.50. 548-1761. and Burma, 1775-1950” An Unlimited Orchestra with Dan as Art Pieces” Works by Perry www.freightandsalvage.org Guitar Duel: An Evening of CHILDREN overview of the upcoming exhi- Classical Guitar with Jard and Navarro at 8 p.m. at Freight bition at the Asian Art Museum Cook, Lisa Coons, Anne Hege, Dan Stanton Sextet at 8 p.m. at Fred at 7:30 p.m. at 150 Frank and Salvage. Cost is $18.50- Bonnie Lockhart at 6:30 p.m. at 1:30 p.m. at the Albany Peter Musselman and Dan Tru- Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston H. Ogawa Plaza. Tickets are $12- $19.50. 548-1761. www.freigh- at the Albany Library, 1247 Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526- man opens at 7 p.m. at Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. $18. guitarduel.eventbrite.com tandsalvage.org Marin Ave. 526-3720. 3720. Oakopolis, 447 25th St., Oak- www.AnnasJazzIsland.com Wendy Darling, The Graham land, and runs through Sept. 5. The P-PL at 10 p.m. at Beck- Paintings by Antonio Guer- Planet Loop at 10 p.m. at Beck- Patzner Band, Mirror Fauna FILM [email protected] ett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck rero, one of the Cuban Five, ett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. “Dream Pools, Light Drifts” Ave. 647-1790. San Francisco Jewish Film with Alice Walker at 7:30 p.m. Ave. 647-1790. www.beck- Cost is $10. 841-2082. recent paintings of Jenn Shifflet. Festival at the Roda Theater, at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost ettsirishpub.com Tony Rich at 10 p.m. at www.starryploughpub.com Opening Reception at 6 p.m. at 2025 Addison, through Aug. 8. Maxwell’s Lounge, 341 13th is $10-$20. 849-2568. Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, Sotaque Baiano at 9 p.m. at For schedule and tickets 866- St., Oakland. Tickets are $15. www.lapena.org 25 Grand Ave., upper level, FRIDAY, JULY 31 839-6169. Shattuck Down Low, 2284 558-4253. www.sfjff.org Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. Oakland Art Association Oakland. Runs to Sept. 26. The Skye Steele Trio at 8 415-577-7537. www.chandrac- THEATER 548-1159. www.shattuckdown- MUSIC AND DANCE Group Show in the windows p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. low.com at 54 Washington St., Jack Lon- errito.com Actors Ensemble of Berkeley George Cole & Vive Le Jazz Kalil Wilson at 8 p.m. at the Sauce Piquante at 8:30 p.m. don Square, through Nov. 12. Maya Kabat “Cities and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie at 8 p.m. at Berkeley Art House Jazzschool. Cost is $10. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 Desire” paintings and Mary V. Brown” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Gallery, 2905 Shattuck Ave. www.KalilWilson.com p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. FILM Marsh “Everyday Readers” artist Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Donation $10-$12. www.ashkenaz.com San Francisco Jewish Film book and prints. Opening Ave. at Berryman, through Aug. www.georgecole.net reception at 6 p.m. at Mercury Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Festival at the Roda Theater, 15. Tickets are $12-$15. 649- SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 20 Gallery, 25 Grand Ave., Oak- Fear the Fiasco, Keeping Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s 2025 Addison, through Aug. 8. 5999. www.aeofberkeley.org land. 701-4620. www.mercury- Score at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. For schedule and tickets 866- Altarena Playhouse “Spitfire CHILDREN twenty.com Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. 558-4253. www.sfjff.org Grill” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Cost is $10. 548-1159. Rafael Manriquez & Ingrid www.AnnasJazzIsland.com “How Do You Know” An Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Play- Free Outdoor Movies at Jack Rubis at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Powell St. John at 8 p.m. at exchange show of Irish artists house, 1409 High St., Alameda, London Square “Big Fish” Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. Freight and Salvage. Cost is curated by Gallery 126 in Gal- through Aug. 16. Tickets are SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 Come at 7:30 p.m., movies begin www.ashkenaz.com $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. way, Ireland. Opening reception $17-$20. 523-1553. at sundown. Bring blankets and CHILDREN at 7 p.m. at Blankspace, 6608 www.altarena.org EXHIBITIONS stadium seat. 645-9292. San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 547- “Dinosaur on My Head” a WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5 www.jacklondonsquare.com Oakland Summer Theatre Squeak Carnwath: Painting 6608. musical program with Peter “Aladin and the Wonderful Is No Ordinary Object, Apel at 3:30 p.m. at Kensington EXHIBITIONS READINGS AND LECTURES Lamp” a multi-generational docent tour at 2 p.m. at Oak- MUSIC AND DANCE Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kens- musical Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 land Museum of California, ington. For ages 3 and up. 524- “The Continuation of an Indigo Moor and Alena Hair- Pure Ecstasy, motown, at and 8 p.m. and Sun. at 3 p.m. 10th and Oak Sts. Admission is at Malonga Casquelord Center 3043. Ancient Tradition: Cloisonné ston read their poetry at 7 p.m. noon at the Kaiser Center Roof $5-$8. 238-2200. www.muse- Enamel from Georgia” on at the Albany Library, 1247 Garden, on top of the parking for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., “My Cat Pearl” A reading by umca.org Oakland. Tickets are $9-$10. display at the Christensen Heller Marin Ave., Albany. 536-3720. garage, 300 Lakeside Drive, author and illustrator Dona Gallery, 5829 College Ave., Oakland. Free. www.Kaiser- 597-5045. Tuner, followed by a feline craft FILM Oakland, through Aug. 14. MUSIC AND DANCE CenterRoofGarden.com “The W. Kamau Bell Curve” project at 1 p.m. at Museum of 655-5952. www.christensen- Through Sun. at 8 p.m. at La Children’s Art, 538 9th St., Oak- San Francisco Jewish Film Julian Pollack and Infinite Gateswingers Jazz Band at Festival at the Roda Theater, heller.com Peña Cultural Center. Tickets land. 465-8770. www.ocha.org Playground at noon at the 7:30 p.m. at 33 Revolutions are $20. 849-2568. www.lape- 2025 Addison, through Aug. 8. Record Shop amd Cafe,10086 For schedule and tickets 866- FILM downtown Berkeley BART Sta- na.org EXHIBITIONS tion. San Pablo Ave. at Central, El 558-4253. www.sfjff.org New Cuban Filmmakers at Cerrito. 898-1836. San Francisco Mime Troupe The Enamelist Society Inter- 7:30 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Stu Allen & Sandy Rothman “Too Big To Fail” at 6:30 p.m. national Juried Exhibition READINGS AND LECTURES at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is Grupo Falso Baiano at 8 p.m. Shattuck Ave. Cost is $7-$10. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost at Willard Park. www.sfmt.org Exhibits of enameled art, jewel- $TBA. 525-5054. www.ashke- Kala Salutes Karl Kasten with 849-2568. www.lapena.org is $12-$14. 849-2568. Youth Musical Theater Com- ry, sculpture and wall pieces, naz.com from local, national and interna- reading from his new memoir www.lapena.org pany “Les Miserables” Thurs.- “Foghorns & Peacocks” at 3 READINGS AND LECTURES Led Kaapana at 8 p.m. at Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at tional artists on display from p.m. at Kala Gallery, 2990 San Freight and Salvage. Cost is Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 Col- Aug. 1-16 at Oakland Art William T. Vollman reads at Gallery, 199 Kahn's Alley, Oak- Pablo Ave. for tickets call 549- 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. lege Ave. Tickets are $8-$20. 2977, ext. 314. Continued on www.brownpapertickets.com land. 526-3668. www.enam- Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. www.freightandsalvage.org elistsociety.org Page Seventeen July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 17 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour’ Continued from Page Fourteen bit,” said Bell, who’s based in San Fran- adapted the material to what was going and said, ‘You finish it!’ Unlike TV, cisco. “But those have been some of the on in the room. I felt it was more of a we’re aware in a room together. I’m just great feeling: to be ahead of the news most exciting times. It’s more diverse in teaching moment, but I still wanted to leading the charge. But if I’m not having cycle—and to be funny! Part of comedy the East Bay; that strengthens the show. be funny, to have them come to it in fun, how can it be comedy?” of course is honing something over time. Not just black and white, but across all their own way, not to be didactic.” Bell has played twice now at the Com- Both of my directors have told me that I lines. And it’s a younger crowd, too. Bell, who advertises a two-for-one edy Central Stage in Los Angeles, a like to do new stuff because it’s danger- When I played the art gallery, we won- deal, “bring a friend of a different race,” development space where solo perform- ous. Martha Rynberg, my original direc- dered about it. It was way off the beaten spoke about his fascination with the ers are invited to perform for 30 minutes tor, who still works with me, developing path. But people found it—and they had dynamics of working with an audience: in front of an audience that’s admitted my act, would let me open on the new to seek it out. I was kind of shocked.” “How they get their information—one free. Paul Stein, the artistic director of stuff—which is considered kind of the “Every stand-up comic has to work in saying, ‘I never thought about that!’ and the Comedy Central Stage and formerly wrong thing to do; you’re supposed to every kind of location, environment, cir- another, “I think about it every day.’ with HBO’s Workspace, who has a the- hide it in the middle.” cumstance,” Bell went on, “Bars, cafes, The buzz of recognition or comprehen- ater background, is directing Bell’s solo Bell reflected on other things that’ve with and without microphones. ... It’s sion in the room; I react to that. Some show now, which will play twice in the changed since he performed The Bell good training, makes you very adapt- laugh Yes! Others laugh No! The New York Fringe Festival, Aug. 14-30. Curve at Pro Arts Gallery near Jack able. There’ve been times I’ve come in crowd’s divided, but they’re all laugh- The La Peña shows this weekend will be London Square just a year ago, and on and they’ve pointed and said, ‘You play ing. That’s the best reaction: to pick a Bell’s last Bay Area dates before leaving his eagerness to play for East Bay audi- over there’—and I’ve said ‘Huh?’ Once side, not to sit there passively. You for New York. ences again. at Cal State-East Bay, I was performing don’t have to be with me. In my solo Speaking of Dick Gregory, who For starters, Bell was married last on a 3-by-3-foot stage with a wireless show, I encourage people to talk. Doing played at the Rrazz Room last week in March 21. “Two big things that make mic; if I moved, the stage would come stand-up in a club, they talk to interrupt. San Francisco with Mort Sahl, Bell comics funnier are marriage and kids. up off the ground. And I was twice as One time, doing my solo show, they remarked, “How he lived his life com- I’ve got the first one now.” old as the audience. Their concept of started talking to each other. It was like pletely, Dick Gregory, of all comics— “I’ve only played the East Bay a little race was totally different than mine. I a town hall meeting! I sat on the stage that’s the way you do it!” Point Molate Casino Plan Draws Concerns, Praise Continued from Page Two tive impacts which include adverse identical preprinted form letters with ried about the impacts of gambling. “My effects on traffic at the Richmond/San spaces for signatures from a “concerned grandfather suffered the effects of a addressed in the draft EIR, which was Rafael toll plaza and on a Marin County member of the community.” Several gambler’s dream of hitting the big time; scheduled at that time for release six intersection. came from individuals who had spoken not only did he suffer a personal bank- months later. at the scoping session. No form letters ruptcy, but the entire family suffered as Speakers from Richmond’s African- Letters were sent by proponents. a result of his losses.” American community were solidly The BIA received 26 letters opposing One strong endorsement came from Many of the arguments, pro and con, behind the proposal, which had gained the project, including several from Don Gosney, who has served as co-chair were the same as those raised during the the backing of 17 local churches—a organizations, and three negative writ- of the Point Molate Restoration Adviso- original scoping session four years ago group that has traditionally opposed ten comment cards submitted at the ry Board, which was created by the and reported in this paper on April 4, gambling. scoping session. Navy to advise on reuse of the site, a 2005. (See http://www.berkeleydailyplan- African-American speakers praised Nine supporters sent letters, and five former refueling station for navy ships. et.com/issue/2005-04-05/article/21086.) the project, though the majority of peo- comment cards offered support. Other Gosney described Levine’s proposal The draft EIR document is available ple who spoke were in opposition by a letters for cities, Contra Costa County as “one of the most innovative proposals for public review at the Richmond Pub- ratio of 27 to 16, including representa- and local and state regulatory agencies imagined that can be an economic lic Library, 725 Civic Center Plaza, and tives of a variety of environmental raised concerns they wanted to see engine for revitalization of the commu- on the second floor of City Hall, 450 groups. addressed in the EIR. nity. I see thousands of good paying Civic Center Plaza. One of those who spoke was Gayle Opponents included: career jobs with benefits; I see training The draft EIR is also online for view- McLaughlin of the Richmond Progres- • Citizens for Eastshore State Park, for many of our residents both young ing or downloading at http://www.point- sive Alliance who had been elected to which called the project “ill conceived and old. I see tax dollars streaming into molateeis-eir.com. the city council after that body had and detrimental to the shoreline and the our city coffers; I see business opportu- Anyone with questions about the voted in favor of Levine’s project. interests of the community.” nities that this community has not seen project may attend either or both of two Now Richmond’s mayor, McLaughlin • The Sierra Club, which declared in a lifetime; and I see a renewed pride workshops with technical experts, to be said she remains opposed to a casino at that the casino EIR process was in our community that was lost a long held at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 and 27 at Rich- the site. “improper and illegal.” time ago.” mond Municipal Auditorium, 725 Civic She has since been joined on the • Save the Bay, which stated that the Critics such as George Blair, former Center Plaza. council by another casino opponent, Jeff “project is inconsistent with both local owner of Bay Excavators, Inc., worried Two public hearings soliciting com- Ritterman, whose presence would have and regional plans for the area of Point about the dangers of gambling addiction ments to be addressed in the final draft represented a decisive vote in the coun- Molate.” on an already impoverished community. of the EIR will be held on Aug. 12 and cil’s 4–3 decision to approve the project. • The California Native Plant Society, “Upstream will have all the money, and Sept. 17 at the municipal auditorium. The council must certify the final which said the site, on a priceless piece everyone else will be down the river,” The project also faces a legal chal- EIR, which will include a finding of of the bay’s original landscape, “is he declared. lenge from a coalition of environmental overriding considerations declaring that unsuitable for such a large-scale devel- City reference librarian Tarnel groups, though the legal proceedings the project’s benefits outweigh its nega- opment.” Abbott, granddaughter of author Jack have been stayed while negotiations are tive environmental impacts. The nega- Of the opposition letters, 11 were London, wrote that she, too, was wor- underway. ARTS CALENDAR Continued from SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 “Alan Osborne: Expressionist 1870 Antonio Peralta House, George Cotsirilos Jazz Trio at Oakland Museum of Califor- Page Sixteen Enamels” Recption at 3 p.m. at 2465 34th Ave., Oakland. Films 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San nia at 1 p.m. at 10th and Oak THEATER the Richmond Art Center, 2540 are free, tours are $3. RSVP for Pablo Ave. Cost is $3. 843-2473. Sts. Free. 238-2200. Bartlett Ave., Richmond. Exhibition tour to 532-9142. http://peral- The Eric Mcfadden Trio, HurLyBurLy Productions runs through Aug. 29. 620-6772. tahacienda.org MUSIC AND DANCE “Cat’s-Paw” Sat at 8 p.m., Teddy Presberg at 9 p.m. at Candice & Her Trio at 8 p.m. Sun. at 2 p.m. at Periscope Cel- “Wildlife of Costa Rica” Pho- “Back to the Future” at dusk The Starry Plough. Cost is $12. Bob Harp at 1 p.m. at Rasputin at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 All- lars, 1410 - 62nd St., tographs by Dan Suzio. Open- at the outdoor big-screen at 841-2082. Music, 2401 Telegraph Ave. 1- ston Way. Cost is $12. 841- Emeryville. Tickets are $20. ing reception at 2 p.m. at The Cerrito Vista Park, 950 Pomona Michael Shiono and Friends 800-350-8700. JAZZ. periscopecellars.com LightRoom Gallery, 2263 Fifth at Moeser Lane, El Cerrito. Free. at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. St.Exhibition runs to Aug. 28. www.el-cerrito.org San Francisco Renaissance www.AnnasJazzIsland.com Shotgun Players “The Farm” 649-8111. Voices “The Bawdy and the Antioquia, Free Peoples at 9 Sat. and Sun. at 4 p.m. at John Chaste” 7:30 p.m. at First Hinkel Park., through Sept 13. Maya Kabat “Cities and MUSIC AND DANCE SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $1, $8 Presbyterian of Alameda, 2001 Suggested donation $10. 841- Desire” paintings and Mary V. with a bike. 525-5054. Duniya Dance & Drum Com- CHILDREN Santa Clara, Alameda. Tickets 6500. www.shotgunplayers.org Marsh “Everyday Readers” artist pany at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cul- are $15-$18. www.SFRV.org www.ashkenaz.com book and prints. Artist talk at 2 Stage Door Conservatory tural Center. Cost is $15-$20. Solo Cissokho at Ashkenaz at 3 Single Payer Puppets “The Earl Brothers at 8 p.m. at “Grease” performed by Teens p.m. at Mercury 20 Gallery, 25 849-2568. www.lapena.org p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. Freight and Salvage. Cost is Grand Ave., Oakland. 701-4620. Sound of Moolah” at 6 p.m. on Stage at 7:30 p.m. and Sun. Frankye Kelly & Her Trio at 8 at La Peña. Cost is $5-$10. $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. at 2 p.m. at Julia Morgan The- p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 THEATER 849-2568. www.freightandsalvage.org ater, 2640 College Ave. Tickets FILM are $10-$20. 521-6250. Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841- “Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad” Kyle Athayde at 8 p.m. at Jessee Brewer, Brad Brooks, San Francisco Jewish Film JAZZ. Joel Streeter at 9 p.m. at The at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $10. Festival at the Roda Theater, Low. Tickets are $15-$20. Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841- EXHIBITIONS Tambores Remelexo at 9:30 841-JAZZ. 2025 Addison, through Aug. 8. www.brownpapertickets.com 2082. p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10- Farewell to 1111 Addison, “Isaura: A Life in Focus” Pho- 866-558-4253. www.sfjff.org $13. 525-5054. www.starryploughpub.com tographs of the Afro-Brazilian open mic, at 8 p.m. at Freight Growing Up in Oakland: Phil Marsh at 8 p.m. at Freight READINGS AND LECTURES and Salvage. Cost is $8.50- Paul Manousos at 8 p.m. at dancer. Artist talk at 2 p.m. at Youth Film Festival from 2 to and Salvage. Cost is $18.50- $9.50. 548-1761. Jupiter. 843-8277. Berkeley Pubic Library, 2090 5 p.m. at Peralta Hacienda, Architecture Tour of the Kittredge St. 981-6240. $19.50. 548-1761. Page 18 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009

so that we eliminated, in large part, any of the reservations that we had about it, from City Council Approves Ashby Senior Housing Project the commitment to back the loan to the Continued from Page Three zens housing project “in order,” according housing trust fund money for the project— commitment to step up to the require- to the city staff report, “to address changes and Arreguín, who had opposed the origi- ments of providing the health services for would come back to the council in the fall in the housing market and to position the nal project, the result of the city–developer the seniors there. This has been a model for with proposals for the city to manage the project for funding available through the negotiations brought along Councilmem- the kind of cooperation that is necessary to cutbacks. Low Income Housing Tax Credit program ber Anderson, who admitted he had also produce outcomes like this in difficult The council also approved, on a 7–2 and the city’s Housing Trust Fund.” had some reservations. times.” vote (Arreguín and Worthington voting Part of the deal between the city and Anderson said that the revised project Public speakers were divided on the no), a use permit and variance and demo- Citycentric Investments for the Ashby Arts “reflects a commitment by the city to its Ashby Arts project, with some saying that lition permit allowing Wareham Develop- Project included a personal guarantee of senior citizens” as well as “a commitment it would improve a blighted, underdevel- ment of San Rafael to demolish all but two the $1.4 million housing trust fund loan by by this builder and developer, whose entre- oped area, while others saying that the walls of the former Copra Warehouse at both Kashani and Rhoades. preneurial agility resulted in changes that Ashby and San Pablo avenues corner, with 740 Heinz Ave. and build in its place a Aside from bringing over Worthing- others might have resisted. But [they] its dangerous intersection and lack of near- 92,000-square-foot, four-story research ton—who co-sponsored with Councilmem- stepped up and made the kind of changes by open space, was not the proper place to and development laboratory, warehouse, ber Moore the resolution to approve the that brought this into the rubric of all of us locate a senior home. and sub-surface garage. The Copra Ware- house is a landmarked building, and the Zoning Adjustments Board and the Land- Council Tables Measure Endorsing SCA 21 marks Preservation Commission had split on the project, the zoning board approving Continued from Page Three “After two years of fighting against the stitutional amendment was doing,” said the environmental impact report and the university to get a contract, which would Keigwin. “SCA 21 does not authorize the use permit and the landmarks commission did not support the resolution. Coun- bring many workers out of poverty, we state to run the UC. It gives elected offi- declining to approve the demolition per- cilmembers Susan Wengraf and Kriss Wor- have still not been successful,” said a work- cials the same relationship they have with mit. thington were absent during the vote. er who is a single mom with three kids. the CSU. Regents would still have the Meanwhile, the council moved two con- Councilmember Gordon Wozniak blast- “The university in the meantime has given same authority. All it would change is that troversial items from Thursday night’s ed the plan. executive pay raises and increased perks.” it would allow the people to decide agenda to its next meeting in September, “I don’t see how taking away the auton- Blanca Misse, a UC Berkeley student whether the UC would be subject to all including proposals to make changes to the omy of the Board of Regents solves the and teacher assistant who attended the laws which pass the Assembly and the state ordinance governing the city’s massage problem,” said Wozniak. “Maybe if there meeting, said that many high school stu- Senate. It would end the era of the UC therapy establishments and to revise the was a good argument for the resolution dents in Berkeley do not attend UC Berke- being above the law.” permitting process for property owners to made on the dais, I would support it. How- ley because of fee increases. On July 10, UC President Mark G. build out on public rights-of-way. Coun- ever, I don’t think that the executive pay “Every day the university is getting more Yudof sent a letter to the mayor and the cilmember Jesse Arreguín tabled his own raise scandals at the UC alone warrant a privatized,” said Misse. “I don’t know a City Council urging the council to not only resolution to support a constitutional change of structure.” single student that comes to UC Berkeley oppose Arreguín’s resolution but also amendment to put the University of Cali- At one point during the night, Bates from Berkeley, because they are always introduce a resolution to oppose SCA 21. fornia system under legislative authority remarked that the UC system was “the increasing fees. The university belongs to In his letter, Yudof made claims that after council debate indicated the resolu- worst employer in the state.” the people of California who pay taxes.” SCA 21 would complicate budget issues tion might fail, and also held over until the “However, the state is another out-of- However, Councilmember Laurie and also endanger academic freedom. fall his far more popular proposal to name control institution,” said Bates, whose wife, Capitelli said that, although he agrees that “Not only is this legislation unnecessary, the I-80 pedestrian-bicycle bridge in honor former Berkeley Mayor Loni Hancock, the university has problems, he doesn’t it would also impose costs that would exac- of former Councilmember Dona Spring. serves in the state Senate. trust the state to do a better job. erbate the fiscal crisis already facing UC The Ashby Arts approval and funding During public comment, two union “I am very sympathetic to the union,” and the state,” said Yudof. “SCA 21 could was a complicated matter that was difficult members and one teaching assistant from said Capitelli. “However, it is ironic that the jeopardize the principle of academic free- for observers to follow, even with a pro- the university spoke in support of the pro- state Legislature is approving a budget that dom that underpins the university’s teach- gram, a scorecard, and a thick packet of posal. Tanya Smith, Local 1 president, is cutting education and will raise the tuition ing and research missions.” backup documents. UPTE-CWA 9119, argued that members at UCs, among other bad things. The irony Due to objections from UC and some Citycentric Investments, the develop- ofthe Board of Regents were more con- for me is that we suggest that the Legislature state senators, SCA 21 is being held in the ment company founded by Ali Kashani cerned about their salaries than about the can run the UC better than the regents. I Rules Committee. Keigwin added that and Mark Rhoades, originally won split welfare of the university. think it will open up Pandora’s box.” Yee’s office has received more than 6,000 council approval for a five-story, mixed-use “It is very important when talking about Adam Keigwin, Sen. Yee’s chief of staff, letters in support of SCA 21 and only one building on the Ashby and San Pablo the state crisis for the UC to do its part and said that some of the councilmembers were letter in opposition from a group called avenues site last May (Arreguín voted no, not fill the pockets of its executives,” said incorrect in their assumption that the state Californians for an Independent UC, Worthington abstained), but later modified Smith. would run or manage the Board of “started by family members and friends of the proposal into an affordable senior citi- Many UC Berkeley workers feel that Regents. the Board of Regents,” according to Keig- this bill is important for their livelihood. “They did not understand what the con- win. Campaign Gets Underway for Referendum on Downtown Plan Continued from Page One after the mayor returns from vacation attention during the extended meetings committee are Berkeley School Board Aug. 17. in which the council passed the plan ear- member John Selawsky, Berkeley Rent If at a minimum 5,558 valid signatures One of the first to sign the petition was lier this month, Worthington said by Stabilization Board Chair Lisa Stephens, of registered Berkeley voters are collect- Berkeley City Councilmember Jesse telephone this week that height was not Planning Commissioners Gene ed and turned in to city officials by Aug. Arreguín, who, along with Councilmem- his major concern about the council ver- Poschman and Patti Dacey, Austene 20, the City Council has the option of ber Kriss Worthington, is on the com- sion of the plan. Instead, he said, he was Hall of the Berkeley Architectural Her- either invalidating the Downtown Area mittee coordinating the signature-gath- disturbed about the lack of adequate itage Association and the Landmarks Plan itself or putting a referendum on ering. Arreguín and Worthington voted affordable housing, support for public Preservation Commission, and Tom the November 2010 ballot for voters to against the Downtown Area Plan when transportation, and mitigations of green- Hunt. decide if they want the plan implement- it was approved by the council July 16. house gas emissions in the plan. Stephens, Poschman, Dacey, and ed. During council deliberations on the In a telephone interview, Worthington Arreguín all served on the Downtown The petition wording says “we the plan, Worthington had hinted several said that opponents of the referendum Area Plan Advisory Committee, the undersigned voters of the City of Berke- times that a referendum petition drive were already using what the coun- council-appointed citizens’ group that ley protest the passage of [the resolu- was likely. cilmember called “scare tactics” to try to wrote the original version of the Down- tion] adopting a new plan for our down- “I voted against the downtown plan get people to refuse to sign the referen- town Area Plan. That version was later town. The plan gives developers the because I felt that the final plan doesn’t dum petitions, including telling individu- modified by the Berkeley Planning Com- right to build massive skyscrapers (up to really address a lot of the critical needs als that it would cost $200,000 to hold a mission, and the Planning Commission 22 stories) without environmental pro- that we have as a community,” Arreguín “special election” for the referendum. version became the foundation for the tections and improvements essential for said by telephone this week. The coun- Worthington said that, if the petition final plan passed by the council. a vibrant Downtown. The Council’s plan cilmember cited the need for more campaign is successful and the referen- City Clerk Deanna Despain certified lacks good transit options, protections affordable housing, ensuring that new dum is held in November 2010, during the referendum petition for circulation for all workers, mitigations for green- buildings “are contributing to the revi- the next general election, that the actual on July 23, two days after she certified house gas emissions, and does nothing to talization of downtown Berkeley cost to the city would be in the neighbor- the Downtown Area Plan itself and preserve the quality of life for neighbors through providing public benefits,” hood of $10,000. released its final, passed version to the in and around the Downtown. This plan ensuring that we have adequate protec- Also on the petition coordinating public. promotes tiny apartments and condos tions for workers in businesses in the for millionaires, but fails to provide the downtown area, and protecting for affordable housing ordinary people need neighborhoods as among the reasons he to live in our community. Instead of opposed the final version of the plan. He School District Not Surprised reflecting our values, our future is placed felt that “the council’s plan is really a in the hands of corporate developers and blank check for corporate developers By State Budget Cut Proposal UC. The plan should be put before the and university executives. It doesn’t voters.” reflect the values of the people of Berke- Continued from Page Four some funding flexibility, a move O’Con- Representatives of Livable Berkeley, ley and doesn’t reflect our priorities. I nell called unfortunate. one of several groups that supported the think it’s critical that we get enough sig- close the achievement gap, and I fear “Many thousands of students with dis- final version of the Downtown Area natures on the petitions so we can put that the last decade of progress in abilities have passed the exit exam, and Plan, and the Berkeley Chamber of this on the ballot and let the voters statewide student test scores will be many more will continue to take and Commerce did not return calls asking for decide the future of downtown and that interrupted.” pass this test,” he said. “Eliminating this comment on the petition drive. A we’re not just leaving it in the hands of a The new state budget proposal also requirement for students with disabili- spokesperson for Mayor Tom Bates said few property owners and developers.” excludes the California High School ties who are on a diploma track does that if the mayor issued a statement on And while debate over the various Exit Exam requirement for disabled stu- nothing to help prepare these students the petition drive, it would not be until building-height limits got much of the dents, to provide school districts with for success after high school.” July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 19 George Yoshida Continued from Page One details 35 years of Japanese-Americans hearing, playing, singing and dancing to swing and jazz. He also touches on Japan, where the young, like young Europeans, embraced American pop music. But the heart of his book is the section on the detention camps of the 1940s, where young men and women created ensembles (some led and taught by interned music teachers), playing on their own or on donated, shared instruments. Sheet music ranged from new, mail-ordered “big-band” arrangements to worn, incomplete, donat- ed scores. These groups provided music for dances in the grim, bare mess halls. George played alto sax in the Music Makers, an 11- piece band at Poston. “One advantage of the camps,” says George, “was an ade- quate pool of musicians who could play or wanted to learn, so we had no trouble get- ting full instrumentation for a band.” George’s book quotes Tad Hascall, director of instrumental music for the broad inmate-run program in a desert camp called Amache, in Colorado. Describing the impassioned work of imprisoned staff and students, Hascall con- cludes, “In spite of the difficulties and the problems to be solved, I am enjoying my work here more than I ever have before.... I can see clearly the wholesome results of music.” Or, as George puts it, with a shrug, “We were playing for our lives.” After a year, many detainees, including George, were released on condition that Contributed photo they not return to the West Coast. Where George Yoshida, second from left, playing saxophone with the Music Makers in 1942 at Detention Camp No. 1, Poston, Ariz. to? George chose Chicago, which offered several advantages: little prejudice against the tiny Japanese-American population accounting for men, so George gave that a Oakland got him into the Black Musicians’ led me to other contacts. I’m so glad they (which soon increased to more than try. He hated it. “Debits and credits? I was Union, not yet integrated into the then-all- got me started then—because a lot of the 20,000); a severe labor shortage—tough so bored.” His sister was studying for a white Musicians Union. When they people I interviewed are gone now.” and dirty labor, but not “G-man” work (he teaching credential. He applied to UC and merged a few years later, “I missed those While his book was still in production, could finally afford to buy his own tenor was accepted, although he was warned by a monthly meetings with the black musi- George got another idea: a male choral sax!); a vibrant pop and jazz scene, which counselor, “You just might get a teaching cians. They really were great.”) group, about a dozen Japanese-Americans, was rigidly white/black segregated, but job, if you’re twice as good as a white appli- George’s move out of elementary educa- most of them recent immigrants. They sing George moved easily between the two cant.” Granted credits for his army service tion started in the early 1970s, when he was old songs, “You know, songs my mother worlds. “I’ll never forget one Earl Hines and for classes at Armstrong, he earned asked to help establish bilingual classes. taught me—a few of them Western-sound- show,” Yoshida says. “I was mesmerized (within three years) a BA in geography Then he moved on to adult and senior edu- ing but predominantly from Japan.” He by his new singer, her extraordinary range, along with an elementary teaching creden- cation, coordinating and evaluating classes hums a melody to illustrate a distinctly rich timbre. It was Sarah Vaughan!” tial (later picking up an administrative cre- and programs at senior centers and nursing Asian-sounding tonality. “We shouldn’t Deepening his exhilaration was the fact dential as well). “In 1952 I applied to homes, teaching tai chi and yoga for seniors, lose this music.” that, for the first time, he was on his own, almost every school district in the Bay leading classes and discussions on issues of George continues to teach tai chi, miss- “away from parents, free of traditional Area. Not one response. Then, just as aging: retirement, health, memory, recre- ing only a few classes when Helen’s health community ties, out in the world, in the school was starting, Berkeley called me. ation, death and dying. “After all, I had hit declined sharply, and her death ended their mainstream!” In Chicago he met Helen There was an opening at Washington my 60s, so I had some of the same concerns.” 63-year partnership. When he picked up Furuyama, also just released from a camp. School—at that time a two-story wooden But he could never bear to be far from the class again, he made a point of thanking George was now subject to the draft but building on Grove (now MLK Way).” music. In 1975 George organized a quartet, the class for easing his grief by their need luckily was sent not into combat but to the Unable to have children, George and Sentimental Journey, in which he played for his work. He’s doing more writing, too. Military Intelligence Service Language Helen adopted, at one to two-year inter- drums. The group performed at various “My memoirs. I don’t care if it never gets School at Fort Snelling, Minn. As the war vals, four infants of mixed parentage: one Japanese-American parties and events. published. I just want to leave something wound down, he took intensive training parent Japanese, the other parent of a dif- And in 1989 (after his official retirement for my children and six grandchildren.” (his Japanese was a bit rusty) in prepara- ferent ethnicity. Asked for details, from teaching) he started the J-Town Jazz Someone once asked George why he tion to be a post-war interpreter in the George’s answer is brief: “These are our Ensemble, a 17-piece swing band based in had switched from saxophone to drums, an occupation of Japan. At Fort Snelling he children. We’re a family. Period.” San Francisco. “We’ve been going about 20 instrument the questioner described as played sax in the nisei Eager Beavers band He sold his sax and put his energy into years now, but we’re sort of dying on the boring—“no melody; no one notices you.” (named in homage to Stan Kenton). On fatherhood and teaching. “I wanted to be vine—yes, we’ve integrated, accepting George’s answer seems to define him: VE Day, May 9, 1945, he and Helen were part of my children’s lives. One highlight some white musicians to fill the gaps.” “Boring? Never. The drummer’s responsi- married. His luck held—he won an honor- was our (my sabbatical) year in Japan, In 1991 George established the Nikkei bility is to hold things together, keeping able discharge to help his aging parents 1963, surveying and reporting on arts edu- Music History Project for the Japanese- consistent time, listening to every member resettle after their camp ordeal. cation in elementary schools.” Back at American Historical Society. That was of the group, enhancing the musicality of In 1946 George and Helen settled in Washington School, Principal Herb Wong, when he started the research and writing the whole. The joy that comes from this Berkeley, where they could attend Arm- a jazz fan, encouraged a faculty jazz band, that became Reminiscing in Swingtime. perfect blending can be a sensation of undi- strong Business College. Helen studied ste- which eased George back into performing. “Some young cats came to ask me what I luted rapture.” He smiles. “Remember nography and other then-“female” office He joined the faculty ensemble in the mid- knew about other musicians who’d been in what the Duke taught us, ‘It don’t mean a skills. Classified ads listed many jobs in 1960s, as a drummer. (His drum teacher in the camps, urged me to call contacts, who thing, if it ain’t got that swing.’ ”

ed to do.” processes are very complicated and cum- Ellis Partners, LLC, announced that Clif Deputy Planning Manager Wendy Cosin bersome and sometimes contradictory.” Bar’s new Emeryville facility would be Clif Bar said that the company had never applied In August 2006, Power Bar announced redesigned with large atriums and “soaring Continued from Page Three for a variance to expand at their Fifth its move to Southern California. Immedi- glass-filled ceilings,” which would allow for Street location in Berkeley. ately after, Clif Bar made the announce- more energy-efficient light and a data cen- Caplan said that company officials were Caplan added that he didn’t think Clif ment that it, too, would be looking for a ter. Clif Bar is currently applying for a not keen on staying at their current spot. Bar’s move would affect the number of new location. LEED Gold certification, a third-party cer- “They really wanted to be in another jobs in the area significantly. Clif Bar, Initial plans indicated that the company tification program that uses a national place,” said Councilmember Linda Maio, which has 185 employees, reported $212 would move to Alameda in 2008. However, benchmark for measuring how “green” a echoing Caplan’s comments in a phone million in earnings in 2008. the timeline proposed by the developer, building is. message. “People who were employed in Berke- Catellus Development Corporation, did Emeryville officials are getting ready for Caplan, who met with company officials ley are likely to remain employed in not meet Clif Bar’s needs. Clif Bar’s move. to search for a new spot, said the city tried Emeryville, since they are so close geo- Alameda’s Base Reuse and Community “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Clif to keep Clif Bar in Berkeley, but there graphically,” said Caplan. “I have to look Development manager, Debbie Potter, Bar to the Emeryville community,” said were no sites that suited Clif Bar’s needs. at these kinds of things as regional issues. said the city was disappointed but not sur- Emeryville City Manager Pat O’Keeffe in Unlike other cities, Berkeley does not It’s an opportunity, not a loss.” prised by Clif Bar’s decision not to move to a statement. “We’ve made a deep commit- have a large amount of money to allocate Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates could not be Alameda. ment to fostering growing, innovative busi- for redevelopment incentives, said reached for comment by press time. “We were very sorry to have missed the nesses and we’re proud to count Clif Bar Caplan. Councilmember Kriss Worthington said opportunity for Clif Bar to move in,” said among that group.” “We referred them to property owners that the city’s complicated zoning laws may Potter. “Our city shares a lot of the same Clif Bar, then known as Calisports Natu- and developers,” said Caplan. “Ultimately, be to blame in Clif Bar’s departure. values as Clif Bar, such as green sustain- rals, first opened in Emeryville in 1992, but it was not just one thing. There weren’t any “Power Bar left, Clif Bar left,” said Wor- ability, fitness, and health.” then moved to Berkeley in 1996 in order to buildings that let them do what they want- thington. “Certainly the city’s zoning Emerytech complex building developers expand. Page 20 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 REI Evacuation Continued from Page One my family and I were exposed to.” just watched him walk away,” The deputy fire chief said he said Michael Kauzer, who had believes the chemical the man been shopping at the outdoor was carrying may have been supplier with his family. some type of pepper spray. “We didn’t know what he “We can’t be sure until we was carrying, and they just let have it analyzed,” he said. him go along with his pack. The department was plan- That’s ridiculous.” ning to take a sample to Dong acknowledged that the Lawrence Berkeley National suspect had left, adding that Laboratory, where Dong said the Fire Department has no he hoped a spectrometer power to detain suspects at the analysis would determine the scene. precise nature of the noxious “We’re not peace officers,” compound. he said. Berkeley police fanned out The suspect, described by from the scene in search of the Kauzer as a man “who man, though no arrests had appeared to be homeless and been made by deadline. carrying everything he owned One firefighter said he sus- on his back,” was wearing pected the man had been in the noise-canceling headphones. store in search of a new con- “He appeared to be about tainer for the liquid. 40,” Kauzer said. “When I last In addition to the five peo- saw him, he was walking south ple sent to the emergency Richard Brenneman on San Pablo.” room, paramedics had asked The Berkeley Fire Department’s HazMat team evacuated the REI store on San Pablo Avenue Wednesday. “I went up to one of the fire- three others to go, but they fighters and asked him to stop refused, said the deputy chief. the guy, but they just let him The crowd of employees and Fire Department tape for word “We’re not going to let any- the air and determine that’s it’s go. So I still don’t know what customers waited behind the that the store was safe to enter. one back in until we can check safe” Dong said.

programs such as Y-Scholars, the Out- Gallego told zoning board members. “This Julie Sinai, chief of staff to Mayor Tom siders Club and YMCA Youth and Gov- is a place where meaningful dialogue will Bates, told the Daily Planet that the Teen Center ernment in a 400-square-foot space down- take place. It’s not as much of a playground mayor’s office hopes to work with the Continued from Page Two town, across from the post office. as it is a place where social interaction can YMCA to bring homeless youth to the new The YMCA hopes to expand these pro- take place [among] the teens and their teen center. Sinai said the city had not built architects and consultants. grams and attract teenagers from all eco- mentors and the adults in the community a dedicated teen center in the past because They have been attending the city’s zon- nomic and social backgrounds—including to really make Berkeley a better place to of a shortage of resources. ing board, landmarks commission and homeless teens—and help them with col- live in.” Berkeley currently has teen programs design review committee meetings, lobby- lege preparation and internship opportuni- John Tidwell, a B-Tech student who spread across several community centers in ing board members to approve the new ties, among other things. serves on the Teen Task Force, praised the the city. design. The center will also host social events for location of the new center. Berkeley-Albany YMCA President At the June 4 Landmarks Preservation teenagers in the evenings. YMCA officials “Downtown Berkeley is a place where Fran Gallati said that the new center was Commission meeting, Vice Chair Gary said there will always be enough security to teenagers from all walks of life go,” he said something for which the community had Parson said he hoped the center would control crowds. at the zoning meeting. “The teen center been waiting a long time. serve as a beacon to the city’s teenagers “The project brings me back to a whole will not be for one group of teenagers. It “Back in 1991, there was a public outcry and that more young people would end up different time in my life, when a project will be for all groups of teenagers. Sadly, a that Berkeley didn’t have a teen center,” there instead of the public safety building like this would have meant so much to lot of negative things take place in down- he said. “This is really a watershed moment across the street. myself and others in the community,” town Berkeley, but the teen center will give in Berkeley. This community needs a teen Currently, the YMCA has to host teen Berkeley-Albany YMCA CFO Angelo students a positive place to go to.” center more than ever now.” Planning Commission Adopts West Berkeley Subdivision Regulations Continued from Page One don’t, and that’s where oversight should be (MUP), as it will apply to future develop- bodies representing Wareham Properties, concentrated.” ment in West Berkeley. Seagate Properties and would-be West The first, a zoning certificate is a simple Auerbach said oversight would be con- For the council majority and its allies in Berkeley developer Douglas Herst, said process, acquired by a simple exchange at centrated on breakup of large buildings UC Berkeley and the development indus- critics “take a rigid point of view” of devel- the counter of the city Planning and Devel- into 10 or more spaces, “because the reali- try, the stated goal is allowing development opment. “But you need to know you’re opment Department and requires no ty is that more spaces means that dispro- of as many sites as needed to accommodate getting a new world” with the demand for extensive review. portionately more people are packed in, the anticipated bonanza from high-tech technology to meet energy needs and glob- The second level of oversight governs more people are parked on the streets.” solutions to the energy and global warming al warming, he said. the administrative use permit (AUP), “We’re really liberalizing” the rules, he crises. Business center owner Ziegler built his where scrutiny by city staff is required said. “Over 10 is really where it gets con- For WEBAIC and its allies, the pro- firm with a master use permit and remains before a permit can be issued. troversial.” fessed desire is to preserve West Berkeley a strong advocate for the process. The third and most complex level is the Asked by commissioners, Alex as a place where artists, small industries City planner Amoroso recommended use permit, for which applicants must sub- Amoroso, the city planner assigned to what and current residents can continue to the city allow a floor-to-area ratio (FAR) mit to a staff review, followed by a public is now known officially as the West Berke- thrive and not be priced out by rising real of 4, double the current city maximum. hearing before the Zoning Adjustments ley Project, said he had no objections to the estate prices from the anticipated green- Heights would be increased from the cur- Board. WEBAIC proposal, and commissioners tech bonanza. rent 45-foot maximum to 70, and could go The two proposals from planning staff voted unanimously to approve it. Under the master use permit, a develop- up to 90 feet for projects that meet “special would have made the administrative use Commissioners also voted unanimously er can build in stages as the market war- considerations and needs.” permit the highest level of scrutiny for to ease regulations on existing manufactur- rants while facing only one regulatory He proposed allowing master use per- demising buildings and allowed a zoning ers who want to open retail outlets to sell process at the very beginning rather than a mits on all four-acre sites, and granting up certificate only for the largest divisions of the products they make. Under the current new one each time something new is built to 10 permits in the five years after the zon- the smallest of three categories of build- city zoning code, they can create “inciden- at the site. ing changes are adopted. Developers ings, based on square footage. tal retail” outlets on site only with a full use While both sides agree the master use would also be able to buy adjacent sites to The third and ultimately prevailing alter- permit and zoning board hearing. permit is a useful development tool, they meet the minimum acre threshold. native from WEBAIC and its allies created Commissioners voted unanimously to remain strongly divided about how many Master use permits could also be granted a simpler system based on the number of lower the requirement to an administrative should be issued and on what sites. on sites smaller than the minimum acreage as proposed subdivisions of a structure. use permit from the current use permit Other issues involve the height and mas- long as they encompass an entire city block. Breakup into two to five spaces, regard- level. siveness of buildings allowed under the Auerbach said four acres is too small, less of square footage of either the building Two other unanimous votes would allow MUP process, with developers asking for with WEBAIC proposing a four-and-a- or the newly created spaces, would be site owners zoned for Material Recovery taller and bulkier buildings than WEBAIC half-acre minimum. “Four-acre sites would allowed with a simple zoning certificate. Enterprise (recycling), Manufacturing, wants; how much parking should be mean 42 percent of West Berkeley. Instead Subdivision into six to nine spaces would Warehousing or Wholesale to freely inter- required for each project; what uses should of six master use permits in five years, require an AUP, while breakup into 10 or change uses of floor space among the cate- be permitted on MUP sites; and what ben- Auerbach said, “six projects in 10 years more spaces would mandate a full use per- gories with a use permit and to switch the efits developers should give the city in would be a lot.” mit with a public hearing before the Zon- numerical categorization of businesses exchange for the right to build their proj- WEBAIC wants the city to hold with the ing Adjustments Board. from the current but outmoded Standard ects. current 45-foot height limit and a maxi- Before the vote, Michael Ziegler, owner Industrial Code to the North American Steve Goldin, a principal at SWERVE, a mum FAR—which compares a building’s of the Temescal Business Center at Sev- Industrial Classification System. West Berkeley furniture manufactory and total square footage to the site area—of 2, enth and Heinz streets, urged commission- The four votes, held within a few short software company and a proponent of “and we want guaranteed benefits.” High- ers to grant demising permits with a simple moments, were followed by a burst of greater development in the area, said, “It’s er FARs mean taller, denser buildings. zoning certificate. applause from the WEBAIC-dominated an economic issue. There is a subtle bias While the commission majority seemed Rick Auerbach, WEBAIC’s lone staff audience. against developers,” but “we need to have to favor the staff proposal during the dis- member, said his group’s proposal would flexibility to make a deal with the city to cussion, the issue was not resolved, and ease the process for owners of small build- Master use permits make it work.” Amoroso will return to the commission in ings, while “people with large buildings By far the hottest potato on the commis- Darrell de Tienne, a developer’s repre- September with draft language for the revi- have resources owners of smaller buildings sion’s plate is the master use permit sentative who has appeared before city sions. July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 21

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CARTOON TO THE EDITOR Continued from Page Ten • CFLs VS. LEDs solution; how do they propose to solve Editors, Daily Planet: the problem of homelessness here? Matt Cantor’s statement (July 23) that There was only one person mentioned LEDs use about one tenth the energy of who made any suggestion of the home- incandescent lamps may be true for the less population giving back to our socie- people he is advising in Orinda, but it is not ty and our city by picking up trash, or likely to be true for most of the people here helping those in need of help, in order to in Berkeley. No, I am not claiming that receive goods or services for their labors. light bulbs behave differently in Berkeley. I live in Berkeley, and must honestly Its the fixtures that tend to be different. admit that I do not like being asked for Older homes in Berkeley have a lot of money everywhere I go. I don’t even like surface-mounted fixtures which spray light to be solicited to buy a Street Spirit out in all directions. Many upscale modern newspaper, since I don’t see people sell- homes have fixtures that are recessed into ing these newspapers as a sustainable the ceiling, which catch and absorb light solution to our homelessness problem. It that goes up or to the sides from the lamp. seemed the people in the article who Two thirds of the light from a regular were homeless by choice were implying incandescent or CFL can easily be lost in it was the responsibility of others to sup- this type of fixture, with the result that a port them and their chosen lifestyle. focused LED really can be 10 times more Why are others “mean” if they don’t give efficient than a regular incandescent. them money? However, you can also double the over- We need solutions that address the all efficiency in a recessed fixture by using systemic problems, such as alcoholism, a reflector incandescent (R or PAR drug abuse, and mental health issues. An lamps), and you can get about the same individual handing someone some factor of 10 from a reflector CFL (but you change or feeding them a free meal does have to check that it is rated to take the nothing to address the underlying prob- heat in the recessed fixture or it will fail lems that are bigger and not as easily early). If you have older open surface- Barry Hunau / Lafayette addressed. An article in the Daily Planet mounted fixtures, like many of us in Berke- dealing with potential solutions to the ley, CFLs are still somewhat more efficient homelessness problem and suggesting (and a lot cheaper) than LEDs, although and personal needs. As a longtime North we substitute our Sturdy Golden Bear for ways for the community to work togeth- that may not be true in another year or so. Berkeley resident, I avoid downtown like that unfairly maligned gorilla? The bear is er towards a solution would be appreci- Robert Clear the plague, as do my friends. I avoid the poised to sit in upper Strawberry Canyon, ated in the future. nearby Gourmet Ghetto after 9 a.m. when an ecological treasure, never supposed to Personally, I feel Berkeley is meaner • the meters take over—except for Androni- have anything built there in the first place. to its Republicans than it is to the home- CUBA REVOLUTION co’s and Longs Drugs, which provide park- But as you read these words, coming our less….not that I’m a Republican, of Editors, Daily Planet: ing. I avoid College Avenue, Telegraph way is a triple-whammy—a UC Atom- course! This year marks the 50th anniversary of Avenue, and the entire UC Berkeley bomb Industrial Park: Helios (BP) biofuel Laura Figueroa the Cuban Revolution. The United States perimeter. Fourth Street? Forget it. It’s project, weighing in at a half-billion; stands alone in this hemisphere stubbornly largely for the gentry who can afford high- Lawrence National Radiation Lab expan- • refusing to open diplomatic relations with priced restaurants and shops. Even Cody’s sion, now touting an “experimental” laser, JUSTICE FOR CHENEY Cuba. Later this week, I will join 250 didn’t make it there. “Bella,” so named by George Orwell—it Editors, Daily Planet: Americans to travel to Cuba to openly defy Monterey and Hopkins is a notable could have come from Star Wars; plus a Justice for Cheney! What does Dick the 50-year old travel ban imposed by the exception. It’s a popular neighborhood super conductor computer facility, so all Cheney need to do before the Depart- United States. We travel to Cuba with high shopping area where people come from all the Dr. Strangeloves can conveniently ment of Justice will prosecute him? hopes that President Obama will finally lift over to patronize its small family businesses hang out in a formerly pristine canyon. Aren’t any of these illegal activities the embargo and travel ban against Cuba. (many there for decades), the Monterey Wait a minute. My friend Dr. Pangloss enough to warrant at least an investiga- Cuba continues to be vilified by the U.S. produce market, and the Berkeley Horticul- (Voltaire’s Pollyanna character) demurs. tion? Illegal torture, illegal murder, war government and the media. While our eco- tural Garden—a lovely, green placeholder He is for Science—and to keep our country profiteering, lying to Congress, lying to nomic crisis is forcing people to go without amid homes and stores. And guess what? “strong.” You mean strong like that goril- the nation, setting secret energy policy, healthcare, people in Cuba have access to There are no parking meters in the area. la, sits on whomever it wants? I hate to tell deceiving the United Nations, exposing free and excellent medical care. While col- People of all generations walk and shop and you, Dr. Pangloss, that’s exactly what Dr. the identity of a covert CIA agent, illegal lege expenses are rising dramatically for us, eat in a friendly small-town environment. Strangelove said—played by our own wiretapping, elimination of habeas cor- college education is free for the Cuban Solano Avenue, one parking spot past beloved Edward Teller. pus, and allowing the tragedy of Sept. 11, people. the Berkeley border, draws many Berkeley Dr. Pangloss is indignant: “Are you seri- 2001 to kill thousands of U.S. citizens. But the Cuban people face great hard- customers to its shops and restaurants ously comparing Alma Mater, with its ros- Cynthia Papermaster ships due to shortages caused by the U.S. because of its welcoming 90-minute diago- ter of Nobel Laureates—(whom I won’t economic embargo. I know that U.S. poli- nal parking with no meters to feed. tarnish by mentioning their Cold War- • cies against Cuba will not change overnight Will Berkeley go the way of Oakland and rior/A-bomb CV’s)—to a gorilla? JEWS AND ARABS and President Obama faces an uphill battle raise parking rates to $2 an hour? Will work- No, ha, ha, gorillas are peaceful crea- Editors, Daily Planet: to change anything. I hope our efforts to ing people and poor families continue to tures. They’ve never designed a firecrack- Hasan Fouda has it all wrong in his defy the travel ban will spur my govern- drive to other cities or in big-box stores for er, let alone an A-bomb. Maybe our bear is July 23 letter. In writing of “Israel’s ment to lift the embargo, end the travel ban necessities? Will gentrification take over all more like King Kong; instead of taking apartheid laws,” he seems unable to and open up long overdue relations with of Berkeley and make it unlivable for work- apart Manhattan, he (she?) is raging grasp that Jews and Arabs should have Cuba, our island neighbor. ing and retired residents and taxpayers? instead through upper Strawberry Canyon. an equal right to live in the area of the Annie Johnston Marianne Robinson Now I don’t believe in arguing with King former Palestine Mandate, between the Kong or Dr. Strangelovers. Look what Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan • • happened to Robert Oppenheimer—he River. However, whereas Arabs live in PARKING FEES HONDURAN VIOLENCE lost out to Dr. Strangelove, who seemed to Israel, go to universities there, play in Editors, Daily Planet: Editors, Daily Planet: know which side his paranoia was buttered the national soccer league, appear I couldn’t agree more with Allen The author of this piece, while critical of on. together with a Jew at the Eurovision Michaan’s recent commentary on the the Obama administration, makes the I’d just as soon be rooting for the foot- competition and vote for Arab parties impact on small businesses of Oakland’s same mistake as the Obama administra- ball team. and be elected to Israel’s parliament, outrageous new hike in parking rates to $2 tion: At no point does he explain how the Go King Kong! Jews are told they can’t live in what is an hour—and, I must add, the impact on ouster of Zelaya was illegal, or could in any Neal Blumenfeld supposed to be this new “Palestine” residents and consumers who keep small way be referred to as a “coup.” state. And during the earlier 1948-1967 businesses alive. The two deaths are tragedies for which • period, Arab terror of the fedayeen and Raising parking rates and extending there may never be acceptable explana- OBAMA, GATES, CROWLEY the PLO, founded in 1964, sought to pre- them into the evening with “state-of-the- tions. That is the nature of violence, be it Editors, Daily Planet: vent Jews from living in the state of art” meters that keep the money we don’t by a mob or a trooper’s nervous trigger fin- It appears that the Obama-Henry Gates- Israel before it began administering use? What a striking contradiction in these ger. But they do not transform Honduras’ Sgt. Crowley controversy has been additional territories gained in defend- times when the president and the politi- constitutional crisis into a “putsch.” resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, much ing itself from Arab aggression in the cians pledge support for small businesses Like many Americans, I am completely to the relief of those of us who were fed up year 1967. and urge citizens to spend more. flummoxed by my country’s reaction to with the media’s obsession with this matter. Yisrael Medad Meanwhile Berkeley’s downtown has these events. If the history that this author Oh, yes, it’s all smiles and politeness now— Israel been losing small businesses and customers refers to should have taught us anything, it even getting together for a beer. for years, as residents are forced go to is to uphold the rule of law. Our failure to Nonetheless, I’m still haunted by the • neighboring towns and big-box stores for support the new government in Honduras mug shots and disturbing picture of Henry CHINESE IMMIGRANTS consumer needs. How does this solve the merely keeps us on the same tragic road we Gates, cowering like a trapped animal in Editors, Daily Planet: city’s need for revenue? How does raising have too often taken before. the doorway of his own house. That these California’s state Legislature did the parking rates encourage local shopping Don Teeter images should be aired night after night, right thing by apologizing for your and prevent small businesses from closing? Orangevale, CA damaging the reputation of this brilliant state’s past treatment of Chinese immi- Buses and BART may work for com- (Berkeley native) Harvard University professor, renowned grants. Hopefully the federal govern- muters and people who cannot drive, but scholar and author is surely an indictment ment will apologize for the Chinese certainly not for local and senior residents • of television and the media for their lack of Exclusion Act. who need to buy goods and services. 900-POUND GORILLA sensitivity and common decency. We may Chuck Mann As a—so far—independent senior in Editors, Daily Planet: in time forget this unfortunate incident, but Greensboro, NC Berkeley, I drive locally for food and Riddle—where does a 900-pound gorilla household goods and for medical, dental, sit? Anywhere it wants to. What happens if Continued on PageTwenty-Five Page 22 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 Berkeley and the General Strike of 1934 Continued from Page Five to protest to the City Council on July 24. Mrs. J. Autio, 1473 Ordway St., said evil of denying innocent children fresh her home was attacked, although her milk, and busied themselves organizing husband was a worker at the Mare local committees to make sure food and Island naval shipyard. Velijo Perala, fuel would be available if transportation 1016 Cedar St., “stated that he was not and businesses shut down, although the affiliated with any Communistic organ- strikers had pledged that necessities ization, although he had received a would be delivered. warning to leave the City.” The Reverend Earl N. Griggs of the Mayor Ament, “after listening to the University Lutheran Church appeared denials of the attack victims stated that to reply to the mayors in a sermon the council regretted the action of the where he said strike conditions might group which sponsored the active cam- have been averted with earlier attention paign against alleged Communists.” to Depression problems of labor and the But he also praised those who had vol- poor. “Why are the little children that unteered in the Berkeley Nationals, are going to be hungry tomorrow any and announced, “All of our special more sacred in the sight of God than activities are now demobilized.” those that have been hungry for four Councilmember and businessman years?” Walter Mork, a leading member of the Some Berkeley businesses closed, local Finnish community, “demanded others stayed open. The strike lasted that a thorough investigation of all only a few days, and the longshoremen phases of the attack be made.” An accepted federal labor arbitration, end- investigation was promised. But the ing the waterfront struggle. But that was next day, the city manager left town for not the end of confrontations. a previously planned three-week fish- Some strike opponents turned to ing trip “somewhere in California.” retaliation, apparently motivated both Local anti-Communist activity con- by exaggerated fears of communist sub- tinued. On July 23, business, civic, and versives, and dismay at the way labor veterans groups in Alameda County unrest had rapidly spread, threatening organized under the leadership of Dis- established power structures. trict Attorney Earl Warren, who called In several cities, including Berkeley, for “a movement against trouble mak- vigilantes struck back against real and ing aliens and any others who by acts imagined Communists who, they of violence or seditious language seek alleged, had ignited and perpetrated the to break down the ideals of our gov- labor unrest as a means to revolution. ernments.” The Board of Supervisors “Aliens”—epitomized by longshoreman ordered the county librarian to purge activist and Australian immigrant Harry “any and all literature pertaining to Bridges—were also demonized as shad- Communism.” owy instigators and potential insurrec- On Aug. 7, Finnish Hall representa- tionists. tives protested the July 19 attacks in In some respects it was both a replay writing to the City Council, saying of the 1919-20 anti-Communist hysteria “irreparable damage has been done to that had resulted in the infamous the cause of liberty and justice unless Palmer Raids across the country, and a swift action is taken to find and punish prelude to the post-World War II those responsible for the McCarthy era. In one series of San outrage…You as members of the coun- Francisco raids “more than 300 suspect- cil, we hold responsible for immediate ed communists, aliens and agitators” action against all vandals involved in were arrested and charged with this crime.” “vagrancy,” the Gazette reported in “The efforts of the chamber of com- July 1934. merce and the police to whip up a fren- Cal alumnus and Roosevelt adminis- zy against our organizations is a part of tration official General Hugh Johnson, the common drive of the bosses to head of the National Recovery Admin- Photos by Steven Finacom destroy all labor organizations, to keep istration, dropped into Berkeley July 17 Top: Today’s “Addison Court Building” at 1950 Addison west of Milvia was Berke- down wages, to build up their monop- and delivered a polemical address at the ley’s National Guard Armory in 1934 and a military headquarters against the water- oly profits,” wrote Karl Paganen, the Greek Theatre in which he said that, front strike. Above: Berkeley’s Toverii Tuppa, Finnish Hall, was vandalized by right organization’s secretary. He added a when confronted with Communist agita- wing “vigilantes” in the aftermath of the 1934 General Strike. The landmark structure call to arrest “the guilty ones who are tors, people “would act to wipe out this still stands at 1819 Tenth Street. well known to the police.” subversive element as you clean off a As summer drew on, the ACLU chalk mark on a blackboard with a wet aided Finnish Hall in a claim for dam- sponge.” gregational Church. There were some which the raids were staged.” ages due to police inaction during the The means to deliver that accounting mysterious men in the audience who “It is deplorable this taking of the vigilante attack. In fall, 1934, the City was already at hand. The Gazette had threatened one radical attendee, but law into their own hands by citizens, of Berkeley paid a settlement to help editorialized on July 15 that during the when the police were called, Berkeley however well meaning they might be,” repair the building. strike “the police force of Berkeley has Nationals showed up instead to escort said Berkeley Police Chief J. A. Green- Although the waterfront strike itself been materially augmented by tried, the men away. ing. “Law and order must prevail and it failed to win its immediate aims, labor experienced and capable men…and vir- Later that night, widespread property is too bad that, just as all matters organizing took off on the West Coast, ile, red-blooded Americanism is being violence was unleashed on Berkeley’s brought about by the strike apparently and by mid-century San Francisco was displayed on all sides.” streets when “almost simultaneous with had been peacefully settled, that a stalwart union town. A local branch “Businessmen with World War expe- similar raids in San Francisco, Oakland Berkeley should be the scene of such of the ACLU solidified, in part as a rience and reserve officers of the Regu- and San Jose, civilian groups here disorder.” There were persistent result of the Finnish Hall case. lar Army were asked to organize a force swooped down and wrecked two head- charges, though, that the police either Saturday, July 18, 2009, the eve of sufficient to meet the emergency and quarters of Communists and left warn- knew of the attacks in advance or the 75th anniversary of Berkeley’s vig- await orders,” the paper retrospectively ings at the homes of alleged radicals,” avoided responding quickly when they ilante convulsion, I happened to be in noted Aug. 3. the Gazette reported Friday July 20, were taking place. San Francisco at the Ferry Building, “Using army organization methods, a 1934. On July 25, a “mass meeting” was epicenter of the 1934 waterfront con- group of citizens was enlisted in almost The euphemistic “warnings” were held on the steps of Berkeley High frontations. No working cargo ships, every block, each with a leader…the actually bricks with anonymous threats School to protest the vigilante attacks. authentic longshoremen, or National entire personnel was sworn in as emer- attached thrown through windows. About 250 attended, “including large Guardsmen were in evidence along the gency police…streets were patrolled by “Badly damaged were Comrades numbers of the merely curious and law utterly transformed Embarcadero, no Berkeley Nationals (the name chosen by Hall, also known as the Finnish Workers enforcement agencies,” the paper said. longer a working waterfront but a busy the organization), who were armed with Hall, 1819 Tenth Street, and the Com- A small advertisement placed in the playground for tourists and locals. clubs.” munist headquarters and reading room Gazette that day announced the meet- There’s some good historic signage, As the strike ended, “the Berkeley at 2600 San Pablo Avenue” (apparently ing and asked, “Will you tolerate mob but I could find nothing about the Nationals, already more than 2,500 on the southwest corner of San Pablo rule?” events of 75 years before, except one strong, will be definitely continued, it and Parker, where the Missouri Lounge Speakers included a student from the photo, dated 1934, in an inside display. was announced, to combat all un-Amer- now stands). The interiors of both build- Pacific Unitarian School of the Ministry, Grinning workers stack boxes of lard ican and subversive influences,” the ings were vandalized and furnishings an attorney for the ACLU, a represen- in what appears to be a staged scene. paper reported July 19. wrecked. Some of the ax handle-wield- tative of the Finnish Workers’ Associa- It’s blandly captioned, “Two long- “Individual members are deputized ing attackers reportedly wore “B.N.” tion, and a number of Socialist Party shoremen return to work following a by the city council and are pledged to armbands. representatives. They criticized “the strike.” maintain law and order and combat any The Berkeley police claimed “the police, city officials, vigilantes, capital- Outside, a Berkeley Farms dairy and all efforts at violence of any kind.” police system of radio patrol cars was ists and others…” One called those who truck pulled up to make a delivery to Mayor Ament, offered a “cordial invita- ‘paralyzed’ by the scores of calls which participated in the July 19 Berkeley the upscale eateries in the Ferry Build- tion to others to join in this work.” literally flooded the police switchboard. raids “skunks, skulking scoundrels, rats, ing. Mayor Ament might have been The evening of July 19, a peaceful Scores of reports were received almost and cowards…” proud; the fresh milk for the children meeting of locals sympathetic to the simultaneously because of the rapidity Some Berkeley residents whose hous- finally got through and it had Berke- strike was held at Berkeley’s First Con- and apparent systematic manner in es had been targeted also came forward ley’s name on it. July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 23 DOONESBURY G. B. Trudeau

The coming week is likely to present one or surely. (Dec. 8-Dec. 21) -- If ever you considered two situations that, while unexpected, are at the taking a risk with your emotions, now is the time. same time not truly surprising -- especially to Rewards far outweigh possible dangers. those who are "tuned in" to the way the world works, and why. The juxtaposition of apparent CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) -- You're wait- opposites is likely to color a great many ing for inspiration to come your way, but endeavors this week: the old and the new; the you're likely to get ahead only through good expected and the unexpected; the safe and the old-fashioned hard work. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) -- hazardous. Those who want this to be only one You're sure to get some answers, but some may way are sure to be disappointed, and anyone not be to your liking -- at first. who is confused by the simultaneous occur- rence of black and white is in for a tough time. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) -- You may be buffeted about by numerous influences, and Even "yes" and "no" can coexist at this time. it'll be difficult to maintain a straight and true Now is no time to think that things are too heading. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) -- A warning received difficult to do; there is no reason to be over- in the recent past means more to you -- and whelmed right now -- though, of course, some you'll know just what to do about it, too. may be, especially when the pace quickens. Even they, however, will soon discover that PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) -- It's important they have been their own worst enemies. that you assess situations as they happen; don't wait until things have gotten too complicated to LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) -- You'll want to make control. (March 6-March 20) -- You can surely room for more ideas than usual; even the far- minimize risks by getting things done on or fetched has its place at this time. (Aug. 8-Aug. ahead of schedule. 22) -- Don't get so caught up in the details that you forget to lay out the general idea ahead of time. ARIES (March 21-April 4) -- Those who claim to want nothing from you are very likely trying VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) -- Things may seem to deceive you. You can have the truth -- as though they are nearing a boiling point right eventually. (April 5-April 19) -- Focus on doing now, but a little diplomacy can help you cool things in a deliberate way. Avoid being things down just enough. (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) -- random, haphazard or careless. You may find yourself driven by a memory that has no place in your life at this time. TAURUS (April 20-May 5) -- The messages that are most important to you are likely those LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) -- You may feel as that are not out in the open. Look beneath the though you are more responsible than you surface. (May 6-May 20) -- That which you really are for something that went awry recent- seek is not as far from you right now as you ly. Get to work repairing damages. (Oct. 8- might have thought. Look in familiar places. Oct. 22) -- A knee-jerk reaction early in the week may have you saying or doing GEMINI (May 21-June 6) -- You're not likely things you will surely regret. to succeed the first time you try a new thing -- but with each successive attempt you'll get bet- SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) -- You'll want to ter and better. (June 7-June 20) -- Something work quickly during the first part of the week familiar gives you a great deal of comfort today in order to free up your schedule for some- -- but also has you asking questions. thing that promises fun and profit. (Nov. 8- Nov. 21) -- Even a small mistake can have CANCER (June 21-July 7) -- This is a good dramatic consequences in the near future -- time to consider alternate opinions and view- but whether they are good or bad depends points. Remember, yours may not be quite upon your immediate reaction. accurate, after all. (July 8-July 22) -- Follow your instincts -- but be willing to SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) -- Avoid look at the rulebook if necessary. talking so much that you don't put your ideas into action. Now is the time to get things moving, Copyright 2009, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

LOU’S GARAGE Peter Conrad Page 24 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 SYLVIA Nicole Hollander

1.

2.

Complete the grids so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1-9 inclusively. The answers to these puzzles can be found on the following page.

LOU’S GARAGE Peter Conrad July 30-August 5, 2009 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET Page 25 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GET FUZZY Darby Conley

Continued from Page Twenty-One

Professor Gates may well be forever identified with those mug shots! Dorothy Snodgrass

• BERKELEY MEADOW Editors, Daily Planet: Now that East Bay Regional Parks District has turned the Berke- ley Meadow into its private preserve, it has become clear to me that this once beautiful open land will never again be accessible to the public. This is a pork barrel project and EBRPD intends to milk it all the way. Beyond the ominous signs and fences, I really don’t see anything going on in there. The time is now to organize a resistance to this takeover. We cannot afford to lose this open space. There is so little of it left. If they are successful in this takeover, what is next? Possibly the Virginia Street side next to the meadow and north of that all the way to Albany. This is not progress. This is greed and lust for power and if this is not confronted now, there will be no place for the communi- ty to enjoy. All that will be available is some tiny pristine place where you can’t do this and can’t do that. No dogs allowed, no this and no that. Randall Broder El Sobrante

• DICK GREGORY Editors, Daily Planet: A headline on the top of the page of the July 23-29 issue of the Berkeley Daily Planet reads, “Mort Sahl and Dick Gregory at San Francisco’s Rrazz Room, Page 16.” The article itself, however, is only about Mort Sahl who was interviewed by the reporter. This is a disappointment. Dick Gregory has led a very unusual and significant life. A comedian and civil rights activist, Dick Gregory fasted on liquids for two years to protest the Vietnam War. He is an ethical vegetarian who protests the ill treatment of animals. It would have been interesting to read about him. Joan Clair

• HONOR THE GOOD Editors, Daily Planet: Regarding Mr. Allen-Taylor’s July 2 column: Being progressive is all very well and good, but what would it really hurt to honor and cel- ebrate those young people who do not use profanity, who do not smoke or drink, or use drugs, who do not use weapons, who mind their manners, and who carry themselves with dignity? What would that really hurt? John Madonna Oakland

• DE LA FUENTE Editors, Daily Planet: It’s real funny that Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente is the vice president of the Glaziers, Molders, and Plasterers Union Local 164B, who are working with Pacific Steel in Berkeley. There has to be a conflict of interest because he is working with a company in Berkeley as well as being a councilmember in Oakland. De La Fuente had the audacity to blame environmentalists and the residents in Berkeley for Pacific Steel’s layoffs. He claimed they were pressuring Pacific Steel to spend millions of dollars for new technol- ogy for cleaner air. It is easy for him to make the allegation when he does not live near the steel mill, while residents there were having health problems due to the toxic emissions and odors that the Pacific Steel plant emits. The people in Berkeley have a right to clean air, and it seems to me that De La Fuente cares more about profits than people’s health. Billy Trice, Jr. Oakland

• UC POLICE CHIEF Editors, Daily Planet: Mitch Celaya’s tenure as police chief starts with a criminal investi- gation which will end his tenure as police chief. I am pleased to announced that the law offices of Robert J. Beles have joined the Autism Spectrum Liberation Front. Anne Beles is representing the law firm in an investigation into lies perpetrated by Mitch Celaya and the UC Berkeley Police Department. Also under investigation are officers Sean Aranas, Zoe Garlick, and Mike Miceli. I am pleased to announce that the deputy district attorney in the case, Scott Jackson, has accepted the inclusion of the Beles Law Firm into the investigation into Mitch Celaya. I am pleased to announce that the Alameda Appeals Court has Answers 1. 2. accepted the inclusion of the Beles Law Firm into the criminal inves- to the tigation of members of the UC Berkeley Police Department and its new chief, Mitch Celaya. Sudoku Autistic people must defend themselves from the police. Autistics are seven times more likely to be abused by police officers than puzzles neuro-typicals. This isn’t just about me, this is about stopping police from the aggression on autistics. The Beles Law Firm, as well as the Autism Liberation Front are preceding going to change the rules for autistics, so we can get a fair chance at page. a rigged game. Mitch Celaya messed with the wrong autistic. His disdain for the disabled woke a sleeping dragon. Nathan Pitts Page 26 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009

!!!NEW AND ONLINE!!! ters have had a long time to work things Crabs, Whelks, Oysters out. The crabs have evolved an effective predatory strategy; the whelks have Continued from Page Twenty-Eight evolved a well-founded fear of crabs. classifiedsclassifieds Switch whelks and the oyster beds are ENTER YOUR CLASSIFIED ANY TIME, ilar to what happens on land when, say, no longer a no-go zone. Switch crabs DAY OR NIGHT. coyotes are killed off and foxes, freed and you get a top predator that’s inca- from their own predator, wipe out pable of controlling the lesser predator; Musical Services ground-nesting birds. to paraphrase Marx, the big bully is no So it appears that in this ecosystem at longer picking on the little bully. (Grou- PRIVATE PIANO TEACHER least, the pieces are not interchangeable. cho in Night at the Opera, that is.) Either Grad NYC HS of those changes is bad news for the oys- of Performing Arts, The players in an ecosystem have a Oberlin Conservatory, shared history. Spot-bellied rock crabs, ters, and for anyone who’s trying to NYU (Master’s), Acanthinucella whelks, and Olympia oys- raise them. 25+ yrs. teaching exp. www.cdbaby.com/cd/shirleyk www.myspace.com/ !!!NEW AND ONLINE!!! shirleykirsten Contact: shirley_kirsten@ yahoo.com HOMEHOME && GARDENGARDEN Pets & Animals www.berkeleydailyplanet.com 510.841.5600 ext. 105 BACKYARD CHICKEN COOP Construction Home Improvement Landscaping

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Curing the Devon Colic

he people of 17th century Devon with alternative “lead-free” ones. made and enjoyed a wonderful Despite the presence of some minor Tapple cyder, and being a modern lead in these older copper systems, people (aren’t we always modern peo- there isn’t much lead that comes off, ple?) they used a new-fangled mechani- except when significant amount of oxy- cal press to make their cyder. The press gen or acidity in water is present. Our was cleaned using lead shot and, when water supply is fairly well-regulated and combined with the acid of the apples, this remains a relatively small problem (as best as we can gauge at this point). But one lead component has remained all this while. This is the lowly faucet. Faucets, it turns out, still contain some lead and do shed this into our drinking glass. It’s a function of manu- facturing and of leak prevention that we use this in faucets. Lead is pretty good at preventing pinholes in rough brass and copper metals and also provides a plasticizing or lubricating effect in the milling of these metals, especially brass, and brass has been the favorite of faucet manufacturers for a very long time as it is corrosion resistant and easy to work. Brass is largely copper and zinc, but even today, most brass is about 8 per- cent lead. Removal of the brass, while preserving good function has taken By MATT CANTOR some innovation but it’s finally happen- ing. left a residue that made more than a few About two years ago, in the Septem- folks sick. The Devon Colic was identi- ber of 2006, California passed legisla- fied and explained by one Dr. George tion to remove all but one quarter of 1 Baker in the mid-18th century and by percent of the lead in all faucets from the early 19th century, folks finally which we draw water to cook with or accepted the science and got the lead drink. This gave the manufacturers out. more than three years to comply. So this Lead poisoning is as old as lead’s dis- coming January, you should no longer covery and use, and its ill effects were be able to buy any kitchen or bathroom Matt Cantor faucet that will not meet the current noticed as early as 200 BC in Rome Though not used for drinking, this lead closet bend (the waste line below the toilet) (though I would guess that the moms of standard. This isn’t the first lead shows us that lead is still part of many plumbing systems in our homes. Asia Minor called this one first). First removal standard we’ve faced in the mined in Anatolia (ancient Turkey) United States or the state, just the lat- the shelf so that all future work will be a been run for a while. Fill up your water- some 8,500 years ago, lead was easy to est. bit safer. ing can with the first gallon—the plants work and was probably our first real I’ve been perusing websites that dis- Lead is a serious matter, especially for won’t mind. exploration into metalwork. Acetate of cuss California Assembly Bill 1953 children up to the age of 6. All small Strong evidence favors lead paint as Lead was a popular sweetener in (which mandates the lead reduction in children living in older homes should be being our primary source of lead expo- Roman times (and we worry about our faucets) and most are from faucet mak- tested. Ask your doctor. Lead is sure, so water’s probably not our chief artificial sweeteners), even when its tox- ers that start out with something like, extremely toxic and inhibits develop- worry as regards lead. Nevertheless, it icity was suspected. I suppose we should “We’ve always led the way in innova- ment of the brain and other organs and can’t hurt for all of us to clean up our act be able to relate, living in a world where tion” and, “Part of our commitment to can result in behavioral abnormalities just a bit more. To eschew the Devon many of our current activities are the excellence is our guarantee that each and learning disabilities. Lead can also Colic, the morbi metallici or Saturn (as subject of great controversy (are you product will move you to tears, send sicken adults, attacking kidney function were the diagnoses once pronounced) smoking as you read this?). your children to college and help you or raising blood pressure. The current and turn in your 8 percent faucets as we Lead was used by Roman engineers to finish that movie script you’ve been thinking is that there are no safe lead embrace the new decade. form pipe (they were sort of squarish, putting off all these years.” This makes levels and that even minute levels of Thanks to my great friend Charlie, unlike our familiar round ones) and the me wonder if the new faucets might lead can produce illness. raconteur/handyman par excellence for Roman baths in Bath, England (called have problems. Well, frankly, I don’t The EPA has said that they believe tipping me off to the coming spoilage Aquae Sulis after the odd-winged God, know. I know that lead was really good roughly 10-20 percent of our lead expo- date on faucets and for many other Sulis, who inhabited the place) still have for paints and that they’re just not quite sure can come from drinking water. plumb good times. them operating and on display. In fact, as good as they used to be (not that I While not earthshaking, this is certainly our word plumbing comes directly from want to go back to lead paint) and worthy of some attention. They have the word for lead, Plumbum (which is asbestos fibers made for really good also said that roughly half of an infant’s what you get when you sit in a bunch of roof patching compounds (again, not exposure to lead can come from water if plums, right?). wishing). they consume primarily mixed formula ASK MATT It’s apocrypha that our cities still use So it might take us a little while to get (one more reason to breast-feed). If this Got a question about home repairs lead pipes, as these were removed in this right, but I do think the industry is the case, it clearly becomes extremely and inspections? Send them to Matt response to increased awareness and should be supported in this laudable important to consider changing faucets, Cantor at [email protected]. concern for the ill effects of lead over effort and I believe it’s worth investing have one’s piping tested for lead solders the past 130 years or so. That said, we in a new faucet at the place you get most and, most of all, to use that simple prac- were using lead in solder for copper pip- of your drinking water from (if it’s fair- tice of letting the water run a short while ing when I started out as a builder and it ly old). Of course, you don’t have to do before filling the drinking glass (or baby Matt Cantor owns Cantor Inspections and was only recently (about 1988) that, by this to meet AB 1953. The legislation is bottle), especially first thing in the lives in Berkeley. His column runs weekly. mandate, lead solders were replaced only designed to take the old stock off morning or anytime the faucet has not Copyright 2009 Matt Cantor Page 28 THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET July 30-August 5, 2009 Crabs, Whelks, and Oysters: Life in Tomales Bay’s Food Chain e’re surrounded by non-native plants and ani- The crabs, specialized whelk-crackers, leave the oys- mals, most of which would qualify as what biolo- ters alone. Wgists and resource managers call invasive exotics. Enter the invasives. Years ago, when the native oyster The thistles in your garden, the possum in your garage, population had been depleted, growers introduced east- the house sparrows nesting under your eaves, the Argen- ern oysters to supplement them. With the eastern oysters tine ants in your kitchen, the blue gum eucalyptus up the came another predatory whelk, the oyster drill hill—all are invasives. San Francisco Bay has been called (Urosalpinx cinerea). The founding oyster drills at Toma- the world’s most invaded estuary, the adopted home of les Bay originated in Long Island Sound. The European aquatic creatures native to the East Coast, Europe, Asia, green crab (Carcinus maenas) arrived in San Francisco and elsewhere. Many have displaced native species that Bay in 1989 and spread north to Tomales. Both the drill filled a similar ecological niche. and the green crab can tolerate fresher water than their You might wonder what difference that process makes native counterparts and are more common in the inner in terms of overall ecosystem function. Are exotic and portion of the bay, near creek outflows. native species interchangeable parts in the great machine? To the native whelk Acanthinucella, a crab is a crab. What happens when one kind of ant or clam or shrub They avoid the exotic green crab as they do the native replaces rock crab. When the green crabs are in the oyster beds, another? the whelks opt to feed on barnacles instead. But the oys- It has ter drills had evolved in a habitat free of competently Wild Neighbors become pret- Hans Hillewaert predatory crabs. They were, as the researchers put it, ty clear that The European green crab, a recent invader on the naïve; they had no idea how to react to a crab. By Joe Eaton such substitu- West Coast. That would make the drills easy pickings for the rock tions can have crabs. But the green crabs were another story. They’re far-reaching a whelk (Acanthinucella spirata)—and if you’re feeling an more generalist feeders, augmenting their mollusk diet consequences. impulse to snicker, blame that Monty Python routine. with seaworms and algae. Instead of peeling off the shells Exotic species can change what ecologists call the trophic Some references call it the angular unicorn snail or of their prey, they use their claws to crush them. This flow—the way nutrients travel from primary producer to spotted thorn drupe. The whelk in turn was preyed on by works for juvenile whelks of both species, but not for secondary consumer to predator to scavenger-within nat- the spot-bellied rock crab (Cancer antennarius), which adults. Once a whelk grows large enough, green crabs are ural systems. They can increase the frequency and inten- peels open the shells of its victims. no longer a threat. sity of wildfires. They can affect human health and liveli- Kimbro and his co-authors posit that the crabs are The naïve oyster drills, then, are not deterred from hood. indirect benefactors of the oysters. On one hand, a preying on oysters by crab avoidance. The rock crabs In a recent study at Tomales Bay, a team of marine biol- large enough crab population will keep the whelks in could potentially control them, but where the green crabs ogists led by David L. Kimbro at UC Davis looked at the check and reduce predation pressure on the tasty have replaced the native rock crabs, the top-down pres- interactions of natives and exotics in a triple-decker bivalves. On the other, the whelks have evolved anti- sure is off and the oysters bear the brunt. The effect of trophic system. At the bottom rung, there’s the native crab defensive behavior, namely avoiding areas- removing a top tidal-zone predator in Tomales Bay is sim- Olympia oyster (Ostreola conchophila), a sedentary filter- including oyster beds—where the rock crabs are likely feeder. At the study site, its historic primary predator was to be. Continued on Page Twenty-Six

Green Directory Green Tip

Instruction Green Light Artificial lighting accounts SOLAR for 44 percent of the electric- BOOT CAMP ity use in office buildings. 3 Day 2 Night Solar Thermal and PV(Water and Electric) Make it a habit to turn off the installation intensive. Emphasis is “Hand On”. lights when you're leaving any room What: Learn by building solar systems. for extended periods of time. Where: A Potter Valley farm,Mendocino County. Buy Energy Star-rated light- When: Friday 8/7/09 through 8/9/09. bulbs and fixtures, these use What else: All inclusive (food, lodging, instruction) fee $800 at least two-thirds less energy small classes. than regular lighting. REGISTER SOON! Install timers that automat- [email protected] ically shut off lights when (510)717-6090 they're not needed.