June
2004
6/1/04
Think "classical
music" boring? It's not!
Check out
the Berkeley Early Music
on the Fringe June 9-13, 2004
Then, also
check out The
San Francisco Early Music Society.
And as I've
already written, I recently heard Joanna Blendulf and JungHae
Kim's CD of Johann Sebalt Triemer's 'Cello Sonatas. I believe
this private production to be a major effort the equal of Harmonia
Mundi. I will soon write a full review, but for the moment offer
a paraphrase from Dick Clark's American Bandstand. When the kids
really liked a 45 they blurted out, often self consciously, "Great
tunes and I can dance to it. Give it a ten!" For a more studied
reaction, as well as some history, down-load and read the SFEMS
October 2003 Newsletter PDF.
Should you want to order a copy of their Triemer CD now, go to
Ms. Kim's website, ici.
Ms. Kim will
perform the J. S. Bach Concerto for Two Harpsichords and Strings
in c, BWV 1060 with Gilbert Martinez at 2:30 PM on Thursday, June
10 in the Chapel of the First Congregational Church, Berkeley.
The First Congregational Church is located on Dana and Durant.
Ms. Blendulf will play in the Vivaldi string concerti on the same
program that afternoon.
Symphonic
music isn't boring either, now read
Symphonic
Music on CD and the Anti-System--Batteries not Included
In 1991 Sony
issued CD SK 44939. This historic release contains Charles Ives'
Symphony No. 4, five hymns quoted by Ives in the symphony, and
Ives' Symphony No. 1. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the Chicago
Symphony and Chorus in these works-Steven Epstein is the producer
and Bud Graham the recording engineer. The pieces were recorded
in the Medinah Temple, Chicago on April 15 and 17, 1989. Listening
to this digital production is a revelation. What strikes the listener
immediately is the apparent ease with which Tilson Thomas reveals
the massive and complex Ives' Fourth Symphony. Of the symphony
Paul Echols, Ives Society Vice-President, writes: "Ives's
Fourth Symphony has ranked as the ne plus ultra of the
American symphonies. Its reputation stems partly from the formidable
performance problems it poses. Although not overly long, . . .
the work requires extraordinary forces-an augmented orchestra,
an elaborate percussion battery, a mixed chorus-and this array
of performers must negotiate a host of daunting rhythmic and textual
complexities unprecedented in any symphonic composition up to
Ives's time. . . . The first publication of the work was prepared
by a team of editors for Leopold Stokowski's 1965 premiere performance.
Despite the enormous amount of work done on the score, it was
soon recognized that a more thoroughly researched critical edition
was needed. In 1976 the Ives Society commissioned William Brooks
to begin the work on such an edition, which in 1989 reached its
final stages of completion." It is from this critical edition
that Tilson Thomas conducts this Sony production. Michael Tilson
Thomas also conducted the edition's premiere performance in 1988,
in Miami, with the New World Symphony. Perhaps it is Tilson Thomas'
early acquaintance with this score that explains his apparent
ease of performance, or, perhaps by 1998 this revolutionary work
of 1916 simply had become understandable. Echols further observes
that the symphony's "compositional techniques themselves
represent . . . Ives's most far-reaching and arresting musical
ideas, developed over two decades of experimentation. Densely
layered textures are formed by superimposing two, three, and even
four separate ensembles, centered on different tonalities and
proceeding in different meters and tempi, constantly shifting
in and out of synchronization. This polytonal, polyrhythmic fabric
is (made) from fantastically intricate webs of contrapuntal lines,
moving in different rhythmic patterns and often at different dynamic
levels-now prominently in the foreground, then receding to a middle
or barely audible backround. The individual melodic lines are
frequently derived from the familiar Ivesian mix of old hymn tunes
and popular and patriotic songs (over thirty have been identified
to date in the work). . . . The borrowed material is sometimes
directly quoted . . . But just as often the tunes are skewed .
. . or fragmented (as they) skitter, in a dream-like fashion,
back and forth . . . now distinct, now fading into (silence)."
It is this
challengingly rich score that is brought to life on CD by digital
technology, the Sony production staff, the Chicago musicians,
and Michael Tilson Thomas. Digital technology seems well suited
to this massive work for it simplifies complicated music. And,
although it is digital recording that encodes, its associated
production techniques-refined close miking and sophisticated mixing-illuminate
recorded-music with extraordinarly fine detail. Together these
technologies render the complicated and cacophonous Ives Fourth
with a new clarity. Ironically, though digital sound captures
wide dynamic range and extreme frequency response, the sound itself
is quite delicate, even fragile. In playback, digital sound does
not stand up well to the rigors of the listening room, in which
it sounds cooly cold. Digital sound is heard most accurately,
and pleasantly, through delicate mid-ear earphones. Indeed, subjecting
digital software to listening room playback is expecting something
of it that it cannot satisfyingly deliver. Pushing all the air
around in a listening room seems to exhaust the CD, leaving its
music pale and same sounding. In lending itself to earphone playback,
CD listening becomes a satisfying cyber experience-happening as
it does completely in one's head. It is experienced as is a phone
call, for the phone-voice and the earphone-music do not interact
with the whole body-as, for instance, a recorded jazz bass in
the listening room does. This listening room experience-a leftover
from live Edwardian parlor entertainment-is replaced by a more
detailed, cerebral experience. One that perfectly fits an analytical
and sometimes embarrassingly self-aware digital production. The
digital sound that we hear in this way may have had its origin
in live performing but we have now moved into a different world,
a world more analytically revealing and at the same time one more
removed from the fullness of life. We hear more but we sense less-and
this is so with the Tilson Thomas Ives Fourth CD. And sadly, the
Stokowski analogue production of this work, in spite of its robust
aliveness, is at times unlistenable-for the symphony's musical
complexity is greater than the LPs' ability to reproduce it.
Ottorino
Respighi's Roman Festivals, though not a particularly complicated
piece, is certainly a colorful, dynamic work and one that pushed
LP technology to its limits. In fact, many of its LP releases
can be played satisfactorily only through a perfectly tuned reproducer
with a brand-new stylus. Yet a CD easily captures this dynamic
and colorful music poem and, in fact, can provide a satisfying
cyber experience when played back on a Sony Discman through Sony
mid-ear earphones. And, although these in-ear earphones do not
capture the illusion of a concert performance, neither does this
digital production. But, the ability of digital technology to
encode wide ranging dynamics and extreme frequencies in detail
is perfectly fitted to this music. In 1994 Telarc released CD-80356
which contains, in addition to Roman Festivals, two of
Respighi's other music poems, Brazilian Impressions and
Church Windows. For this production Jesus López-Cobos
conducts the Cincinnati Symphony with Michael Bishop as producer
and Robert Woods as recording engineer-the works were recorded
in Music Hall, Cincinnati on May 2-3 1993. A typically American
production of clear texture and crisp playing, it is also one
to which López-Cobos brings passion and sensitivity. Altogether
this is a satisfying CD and a fine example of digital hyper-realism.
Hyper-realism-the
recorded illusion most commonly rendered through digital technology-is
a music experience characterized by an emphasis on detail and
is, at its best, an effective way of revealing musical texture
and structure. Sadly, concert-realism-the relaxed recorded illusion
of a concert hall performance, and a product of the analogue era-is
not often encoded in digital production.
A satisfying
exception is Latin American Ballets (Dorian DOR-90211 [c1995]).
This CD of exciting, often passionate dance music contains Carlos
Chavez' Suite de Caballos de vapor (c1926-32), Alberto
Ginastera's Estancia (c1941) and Heitor Villa-Lobos'Uirapurú
(c1917). The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra
of Venezuela is conducted by the late Eduardo Mata-David H. Walters
is the producer and is, with Brian C. Peters, also one of the
recording engineers. The recording was made in July 1994 in the
Aula Magna of the Universidad Central de Venezuela,
Caracas. This production is a worthy digital descendant of
the Mercury Living Presence LP catalogue. It is similar in its
music-rich, colorful, and symphonic; its musicians-skillful and
often inspired; its performance-energetically confident; its perspective-detailed
yet concert-like; and its sound-bold and powerful. This is a fine
CD and an important release of the '90s.
One of the
most successful of the original Mercury Living Presence productions
is a record of Percy Grainger's music called Country Gardens
(MG 50219/SR 90219[1959]). In addition to the title piece,
the record contains Children's March, Colonial Song, Handel
in the Strand, The Immovable Do, Irish Tune from County Derry,
Mock Morris, Molly on the Shore, My Robin is to the Greenwood
Gone, Shepherd's Hey, and Spoon River. All these are
short, light and tuneful pieces, but Percy Grainger composed more
adventurous works and some of these, along with some of the traditional
favorites, appear on the 1997 EMI release Percy Grainger: In
a Nutshell (7243 5 56412-2 9). Of the composer and his compositions
Lyndon Jenkins writes; "Grainger was one of the most extraordinary
figures of the century. A man ahead of his time in his thinking
as much as his approach to music. He was . . . a man of genius
mixed in with a touch of madness. . . " (It is said he always
traveled with a cased-set of custom-made whips). Grainger's In
a Nutshell CD contains Country Gardens , In a Nutshell
(c1916), Lincolnshire Posy (c1939), Train Music (c1901), The Warriors
(c1916), an arrangement of Debussy's Le estampes: Pagodes
(c1928), and an arrangement Ravel's Miroirs: La vallée
des cloches (c1944). The City of Birmingham Symphony is conducted
by Simon Rattle and the producer is David R. Murray. All but one
of the recordings were made in Symphony Hall, Birmingham on January
6, 1996 and August 15, 1996-the exception, the Ravel arrangement,
was recorded in Butterworth Hall, University of Warwick in 1990.
The stimulating Warriors; an Imaginary Ballet is a work
written for symphony orchestra with an augmented percussion section
and three pianos. Grainger wrote of his piece that "it is
an orgy of war-like dances, processions and merry making, broken,
or accompanied, by amorous interludes." His description seems
apt. Less orgiastic but still exciting is In a Nutshell; an
arrangement for large orchestra of four previously composed pieces-my
favorite is "Gum-suckers" March. But the most
startling piece on the CD is Grainger's treatment of Debussy's
Le estampes: Pagodes. To hear this piano piece arranged
for what is essentially a percussion ensemble is at first upsetting,
then funny and finally charming. And if you love steam trains
you will loveTrain Music. This CD can be successfully played
back on the old fashion listening room reproducer or the discman
and mid-ear earphones.
Of course,
the discman and in-ear earphones are of efficient, simple circuitry
and design, run on excellent and consistent DC battery electricity,
always give the perfect recorded perspective, are not effected
by ambient listening room distortion, allow you to listen while
moving about, and are suited by temperament to digital reproduction.
And, because this small and light reproducer is portable and easy-to-use,
you will probably listen to music more often.
Make no mistake, the playback experience of the discman and in-ear
earphones is a dramatic break from the listening room experience-in
fact, it is more like the virtual reality of the computer world.
And, though the home theater experience seems to be a result of
just adding a television set to a stereo system, it too is a dramatic
break from the listening room, for its roots are in the sensations
of the movie theater most of which are not important to music
listening. Indeed, in the movies, music is usually just backround.
The Sony
Discman and Sony in-ear earphones together cost well under US$100.00.
Batteries not included.
6/2/04
Seems the
Berkeley
Fringe aren't
the only ones having fun playing music.Check out "Home
is Where the Music is"
by Jackie Burrell of the West County Times. Then read her
"Magazine Names Top Local Talents."
6/3/04
A community meeting, mostly
about west Berkeley prostitution, was held last night in the screening
room of Tippett Studios. (One can only wonder what those empty
story-boards held during the day.) Over forty people were present
including our Council woman, Ms Breland and staff, Calvin Fong
of the Mayor's Office, Office Warren of BPD, and Lieutenant Al
Yuen of BPD's fourteen-person, mobile Special Enforcement Unit.
Ms Breland opened the meeting with introductory remarks and then
turned it over to Officer Warren--one really smart and saavy policewoman.
Warren introduced Lieutenant Yuen and then spoke of her own current
overtime efforts including escorting prosititues to the Oakland
border. Warren also strongly encouraged citizens to keep on, or
to install, lighting on their properties. Lt. Yuen talked generally
of the current employment of his unit in west Berkeley and encouraged
citizens to use his number-981-5815-to report drug and vice problems
in progress. Also mentioned for the reporting of drug and vice
problems, was Berkeley PD's THECOPS number. More specifically,
Yuen reported twenty recent arrests including high profile stops.
Seems BPD is taking care of business. But, many community members
reported that they continued to observe and call in incidents.
(One wonders what Potter Creek citizens could learn about Community
and organization from west Berkeley's Black folks.) And, it was
good to see some folks from east of San Pablo Avenue. Sadly, no
further meeting was scheduled.
6/4/04
Tomaso's
is my all-time favorite Italian pizza restaurant, mostly because
it's oak-fired-oven pizza is like the kind I have in Italy. A
few weeks ago, I went there with my friends Velma, and Sylvia.
Now run by Augustino and Carmen, it's a family owned place I've
gone to since the '60s. Tomaso's is long and narrow with booths
along either wall and a long table between, and is really comfortable.
Velma, Sylvia and I got there early on a week night--Tomaso's
is always crowded--and sat in one of their booths. We looked forward
to an evening of talk and food. But before our pizza we had another
of my favorites, a plate of assorted vegetables--lightly blanched
broccoli, green beans, asparagus and roasted red and yellow bell
peppers marinated in lemon, garlic and olive oil--a delicious
and gorgeous dish. Just as we finished, our pizza arrived. It
was a large, with roasted garlic and fresh clams on one half and
Italian sausage and mushrooms on the other, beautifully presented
with clams in their shells placed around the outer border. I had
a house Chablis filled almost to the top of the glass for only
$4.50. Talking between bites and sips we had a fun evening. Finally,
full and caught up on "current-events," we left. By
then there was a line out the door and up the steps--people waiting
and talking, often as not with a glass of wine in hand. Kimar
Oh,. . .
our pizza was $18.00 and Tomaso's is in San Francisco, down Kearny
from Broadway.
6/5/04
On Monday,
June 7 at the South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St., 7:00-8:30
PM there will be a City meeting conducted by the City Manager
to explain the latest budget proposals for Berkeley's current
fiscal crisis. It will provide the community with information
and a chance for input during this difficult budget year.
This is a
good opportunity for everyone to bring their questions and concerns.
Hope you
can attend--Margaret Breland, Councilwoman.
6/7/04
From last years
Berkeley Baroque Festival? Hardly, . . . that's a modern piano.
But check
out this year's at, Berkeley
Early Music on the Fringe June 9-13, 2004
6/8/04
This page received over 200
visitors yesterday, including twelve from US military servers,
and the visitors made over 1,000 hits. Maybe it was the babes?
Maybe Early Music
on the Fringe June 9-13, 2004? Other "Scrambled Eggs
. . . "pages also had many visits. More than I can patiently
count.
6/9/04
Next to the
register, at A Dollar Warehouse, you can buy an eighteen-pack
of purse-size Tempo. They are "multitask"
sheets--a cross between Kleenex and paper towels. They cost $1.00.
The A Dollar Warehouse is at 10730 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito.
Their phone number is 510-559-9088. Kimar
Everyone's
got a mascot, ours is Levon
6/10/04
It's rumored
that the Nexus Gallery might be replaced by a pound-a Berkeley
Humane Society facility. So, Potter Creek's going to the dogs?
Apparently
no one in Potter Creek is interested enough in the Berkeley PD's
Neighborhood Watch program to start it and take charge. Hmmmm,
. . . does that mean our Police Department takes our crime more
seriously than we do?
6/11/04
RAY
CHARLES HAS DIED
In the '50s
and '60s there was a group called "The Ray Charles Singers."
They recorded very mid-American material for American Decca--not
unlike Lawrence Welk's. In Berkeley, in the '60s, we carried their
records at Campus Records on Telegraph Avenue. They didn't sell
at all in Berkeley, but we stocked them out of deference to our
Decca rep--a former liquor-salesman immaculately dressed in Italian
silk-suits. Also, Albert the owner, would sometimes try out some
"straight-kid," from maybe Hayward, in an attempt to
broaden sales. It was such an employee who took a well-dressed,
elderly Black-woman to the Ray Charles Singers section. "No"
she protested "I want OUR Ray Charles." Actually, we
all thought of him as our Ray Charles. Well, maybe not that kid.
Ray
Charles taught me the meaning of soul.
I spent yesterday
afternoon at Berkeley's Early
Music on the Fringe.
My senses were assaulted by scores, recorders, recorderists, old
cellos, new gambas, books, scores, musicians, musicians, and musicians.
But I have two lasting memories--JungHae Kim and Gilbert Martinez
playing the harpsichords with a lovely pizzicato accompaniment
in Largo of the Bach c Concerto and Joanna Blendulf playing
on Peter
Hütmannsberger 's
indescribably beautiful gambas in his stall after the performance.
(But please tell me why the string players in the Bach were elevated
on risers while the solo harpsichordists were buried below most
of the audience of the first row.) Still, this was a wonderful
afternoon.
And, . .
. there was that moment when John Phillips came up to the beautiful
instrument he made for JungHae, ran his finger lightly between
strings on the sounding board and showed her the dust on his finger.
"But it still sounds good" she offered quietly.
6/12/04
Some music
web sites that come to mind after my Thursday's visit to the Berkeley
Early Music on the Fringe
John
Phillips harpsichord maker
Peter
Hütmannsberger gamba maker
Junghae
Kim, harpsichordist
Joanna Blendulf
Early
Music America
Viola
da Gamba Society of America
The
San Francisco Early Music Society
6/13/04
"Poaching of Recyclables Stings Berkeley" writes Martin Snapp in the West County Times
and also reports "Berkeley
Advances on Public Financing."
6/14/04
"Bay Street Looks to Draw Crowd" by James Temple and Guy Ashley's story about
the development of our San Pablo Avenue, "Rising
Hope for Hodgepodge" are in the West County Times.
Also in the Times is "Unions
Take on White-Collar Offshoring" by the AP's T.A. Badger--a
story about unionizing the Middle-Class.
6/15/05
My old friend
and music lover, Jerry Landis, offers of the Berkeley Early Music
on the Fringe "There were a group of students and two of
their teachers from the University of North Texas. Turns out this
campus in Denton has a Collegium Musicum with a large collection
of authentic instruments, a crack faculty, and sixty students
devoted to performing early music with great enthusiasm and musicianship.
About a dozen of them came to Berkeley - three dazzling violinists,
gamba, theorbo, harpsichord, baroque organ, three brilliant sopranos,
two tenors and a bass. They served up some magical Monteverdi
along with a handful of other Italian masters. The University
of North Texas is a national treasure."
Last week
the Chronicle's Charles Burress reported "Cal's
Cost to City Estimated $11 Million per Year."
6/16/04
ADULT
BROWNIES
18 tablespoons
(2 sticks plus - -
2 tablespoons) unsalted butter,
plus more for pan
12 ounces
best-quality bittersweet
chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon
baking powder
3large eggs
1 1/4 cups
light-brown sugar, packed
13/4 cups
pecan halves, coarsely chopped
(1) Preheat
oven to 325°. Butter an 111/2-by-7-by-2-inch baking pan. Line
bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
(2) In the
top of a double boiler or in a heat- proof bowl set over a pan
of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Re move from
heat, and let stand until cool.
Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder;
set aside.
(3) In the
bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat
the eggs
until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the
sugar. Continue beat ing until mixture is thick and mousselike
and the whisk leaves a clear trail when lifted, about 3 minutes.
(4) Using
a large rubber spatula, gradually fold in the chocolate mixture,
alternating with the flour mixture. Fold in nuts.
(5) Pour
batter into prepared pan, and bake until top is cracked and the
center is just
firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. (The brownies should not
have a cakelike consistency.) Remove from oven; let cool.
(6) Cut into
squares in pan before turning out onto a board; remove parchment
paper, and reinvert. Store brownies in an airtight container at
room temperature up to 3 days.
From Martha
Stewart Kimar
The Potter
Creek songbirds are enjoying the Samuel Barber Violin Concerto
this morning.
6/18/04
I believe
Sunday is Ms. Sally's Thirty-Ninth Birthday.
HAPPY
B-DAY MS. SALLY!
"The global economy
finally caught up with Cliff Cotterill. On a recent Friday, the
software engineer drove his pickup truck to Agilent Technologies
Inc. in Santa Clara. He made his way through the warren of partitions
to his cubicle. Then he turned in his laptop computer and employee
badge and said goodbye to 25 years of his life" writes Warren
Vieth in his "Tech
Workers Feel Outsource Ax." This Los Angeles Times
reporter's story appears in the West County Times.
Want to read a newspaper
report so well done that you'll also enjoy it as a short story.
Then read Meredith May's "Bay
Area Derby Racers Head Downhill to Ohio" in the San
Francisco Chronicle.
6/19/04
And again
as I've already written, I recently heard Joanna Blendulf and
JungHae Kim's CD of Johann Sebalt Triemer's 'Cello Sonatas. I
believe this private production to be a major effort the equal
of Harmonia Mundi. I will soon write a full review, but for the
moment offer a paraphrase from Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
When the kids really liked a 45 they blurted out, often self consciously,
"Great tunes and I can dance to it. Give it a ten!"
For a more studied reaction, as well as some history, down-load
and read the SFEMS
October 2003 Newsletter PDF.
Should you want to order a copy of their Triemer CD now, go to
Ms. Kim's website, ici.
I listened
to this CD yesterday afternoon to relax after my work week and
came to understand that one of the reasons it is so completeeeely
musical is that it was not only performed by, but was also produced
and recorded by, musicians. Arrrgh!
Our songbirds
have discovered Ms Blendulf and Ms Kim's CD. My, what refined
taste.
Willie
Nelson paid tribute to Ray Charles at the funeral yesterday.
6/20/04
Sportman's
Guide.com is selling a two-pack of new Czech
dress-shirts
in light olive-green, in size large, for $2.97. They are a polyester-cotton
blend--pretty heavy on the cotton I'd say, they're nice and soft.
6/21/04
HAPPY
SUMMER SOLSTICE!
I was talking
with Mr. Steve Sunday morning on the corner of Pardee and 10th
at about 10:00 AM--this area is largely residential. In the half-hour
we were talking, a shapely woman in tight jeans walked around
the adjacent block and a car cruised passed. (I left as Flash
paid his respects on the way to church.) A little later, as I
drove down San Pablo Avenue, I was given the come-hither look
by a young woman at the bus stop. Ah, . . . Sunday morning in
Potter Creek.
6/22/04
6/24/04
AP reporter,
Michelle Locke writes "Berkeley residents will have a chance
to vote on whether they think prostitution should be a crime this
November. . . . The ballot initiative would not make prostitution
legal in Berkeley but it would support the decriminalization movement
and would also order the police department to give enforcing anti-prostitution
laws 'lowest priority.'"
The full story is at SF
Gate.com
Patrick Hoge
of the San Francisco Chornicle reports in his not fully
researched story "Berkeley
Voters to Decide on Leniency for Prostitutes, Customers."
This was
mentioned on the Ronn Owens Show on radio this morning.
Polly Legendre,
a École Bilingue parent writes "I think a woman should
have the right to do what she wants with her own body as long
as it is of free will and does not involve minors. However, if
Berkeley is the only
local city to decriminalize, then it will only increase the problem.
[And since] all the girls, pimps and johns [don't have] dedicated
real estate for this business venture, there is a big possibility
that they [will] stay in the Potter Creek area."
And a Potter
Creek parent writes "Lowering prostitution as a police issue
is not the answer--it just makes Berkeley a magnet for criminal
activity and creates a myriad of real problems for the neighborhood
in which the service is provided. The thought of this activity
in my neighborhood makes my blood boil!"
Last evening,
about seven o'clock, there was a girl in real short, shorts and
heels "waiting for a bus" on the corner of San Pablo
and Heinz. And she was ug . . . !
Residents
who do not live on San Pablo, or on the streets intersecting,
or immediately parallel to San Pablo, should pay a visit. Sometimes
it ain't a neighborly place!
6/25/04
Kimar doesn't
just contribute tips and food stuff--although not credited her
influence is considerable. On the other hand, I have some influence
on her reports. (You know, behind every great woman there's a
good man.) My neighbors of all kinds contribute a lot too, and
just maybe I take them a little for granted. Well, not you, Lipofsky.
Today he reminded me that in the'60s I finessed the Berkeley Art
Center into mounting a show of my model airplanes. "Remarkably
model-like sculpture" wrote Chronicle art critic, Alfred
Frankenstein.
And there's
Byron's quiet, steady presence; Jerry's unexpected wisdom; John's
smart-ass cracks, etc, etc, etc.
6/27/04
In a letter to authorities
a Potter Creek resident writes "Our neighborhood in Berkeley
has been overrun with prostitutes, their customers and their pimps.
They are trashing the place with used condoms, used tissues, broken
whiskey bottles, syringes, etc. They sometimes use our porches
and our yards for their activities. Occasionally, they defecate
on the sidewalk or in the bushes. Lately, the pimps have been
contesting this territory with each other. We have two private
elementary schools in this neighborhood and the young children
are being exposed to blow jobs occurring in cars parked by their
schools."
Another Potter Creek resident
continues "The fact is that prostitution on San Pablo Ave
causes condoms everywhere, including in front of schools and family
residences, harassment of non-working women, children being exposed
to the act in the back of cars, related criminal activity such
as drug dealing and massive increases in traffic off San Pablo
Ave."
Let me say that after recent
communtiiy meetings, Berkeley PD has aggressively addressed these
problems. Something I believe that they would not be able to do
if the decriminalization proposition passes.
Make no mistake, decriminalization
is NOT legalization. Legalization would legitimize prostution,
decriminalization would result in increased illegal activity--activity
that the police would not be able to effectively stop. AND, prostitution
cannot become legal in Berkeley for there is now a state law prohibiting
it.
6/28/04
Planning Commisioner and
reporter, Zelda Bronstein writes in the Dailey Planet,
Businesses
Say Ashby Changes Hurt Safety, Sales.
And, these signals do NOT
now seem properly timed.
6/30/04
If you'd
like to hear an MP3 of music played on one of neighbor, John Phillips'
French harpsichords, check out the Triemer Cello and Harpsichord
Sonatas performed by Ensemble Mirable of JungHae Kim and Joanna
Blendulf. It will be available soon at Magnatune.com
During the
weeks of June 30 to July 14 JungHae Kim will be performing, teaching
and coaching at the
Assisi Summer Festival in Italy. Ms. Kim will be playing works of Handel, Rebel,
Vivaldi, Marini, Sweelinck, Byrd and others.
Joanna Blendulf will be playing
at the Carmel
Bach Festival, from July 17 thru August 7.
Next
week, I will announce the Scrambled Eggs and Lox "Babe of
the Year"-January to June 2004. The winner must not only
be a Babe--the female equivalent of Hunk--but must be intelligent,
sensitive and accomplished, and of course, a woman.
"Well
ok then"
This
site received 35% more visitors this May than last, and so far
this June, 50% more visitors than last June.
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