2/12/10

Heinz Avenue

looking west from the Bowl

 

the medical cannabis people and the old chocolate factory

(what'll happen, in 25 words or less)

If the cannabis people get their permit and the city council approves it, there will be lawsuits. RP

 

A view of-it-all from an old, and former, doper and "grower."

In The Day, I was the security for grower-friends in Mendocino--as growing spread poaching became a problem.

(How good was the dope? You could get "f@#ked-up" walking through the drying shed. )

 

I believe in medical marijuana, I believe the medical-people should be welcomed in the community. I also believe recreational use should be decriminalized.

I DO NOT believe that marijuana should be grown and/or sold close-to schools. And I believe the spirit of the approved Berkeley ballot-initiative prohibits a medical marijuana facility within 1000 feet of ALL schools. If, indeed the two French School campuses and the pre-school are within 1000 feet of the proposed new location, its use for medical marijuana SHOULD BE PROHIBITED. RP

(Eventually, our chemist was awarded a Nobel Prize--but that's another story.)RP

 

 

Kubik emails about Monday night's neighborhood meeting.

I dropped in on the meeting briefly.  There were 23 folks there - including me.
I was interested in the presentation by the city planners on The Plan..
However, the planners didn't show up! . . .
I left when Rick wanted to fill the group in.

 

Tuesday morning KTVU-TV reported that Monday evening our city council approved the "medical" marijuana people's request to move to the old chocolate factory.

But, reliable Berkeley sources say that the council "voted" to take no action--this done in closed session.

 

 

 

"What Should We Do About Medical Marijuana?" Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD

Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Past President, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

at medscape.com.

"You may well wonder what marijuana has to do with staying well. After all, the new report by the American Medical Association's (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health says that 'marijuana is the most common illicit drug used by the nation's youth and young adults.' Some people get hooked on it. If marijuana becomes more readily available for medical use, will increased nonmedical use follow? As a primary care physician and as the mother of 2 college students, this concerns me. In fact, I had a very negative view of physician organizations even talking about medical marijuana until recently, when I read this new report."

 

 

"A Brief History of Medical Marijuana" by Patrick Stack, with Claire Suddath at time.com.

"On Oct. 19, the U.S. Justice Department announced that federal prosecutors would not pursue medical-marijuana users and distributors who comply with state laws, formalizing a policy at which the Obama Administration hinted earlier this year. Currently, 13 states allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to patients suffering from ailments ranging from AIDS to glaucoma, and in Maryland a prescription can soften punishment if a user faces prosecution. But until now those laws didn't provide any protection from federal authorities. (Read "Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?")

Should Professors Cheech and Chong ever receive university tenure teaching the medical history of their favorite subject, the course pack would be surprisingly thick. As early as 2737 B.C., the mystical Emperor Shen Neng of China was prescribing marijuana tea for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria and, oddly enough, poor memory. The drug's popularity as a medicine spread throughout Asia, the Middle East and down the eastern coast of Africa, and certain Hindu sects in India used marijuana for religious purposes and stress relief. Ancient physicians prescribed marijuana for everything from pain relief to earache to childbirth. Doctors also warned against overuse of marijuana, believing that too much consumption caused impotence, blindness and 'seeing devils.' "

 

 

 

"Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States" is an article at wikipedia.com.

"Attempts to decriminalize cannabis in the United States began in the 1970s. Several jurisdictions have subsequently decriminalized cannabis (also referred to as marijuana or marihuana) for non-medical purposes, as views on cannabis have liberalized, peaking in 1978.[1] The decriminalization movement supports efforts ranging from reducing penalties for cannabis-related offenses to removing all penalties related to cannabis, including sale and cultivation. Proponents of cannabis decriminalization argue that a substantial amount of law-enforcement resources would be freed, which could be used to prevent more serious crimes, and would reduce income earned by street gangs and organized crime who sell or traffic cannabis. Opponents argue that cannabis on street level today has a much higher percent of THC with a stronger drug effect, the decriminalization will lead to increased crime, increased cannabis usage, and subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs."

 

 

 

"Marijuana could face strict regulation, big taxes" is a story at sfgate.com.

"Legislation is in the works at the state capitol that would dramatically change how marijuana is regulated in the state and bring in a good chunk of cash to California's beleaguered state budget.

It has not been introduced yet, but the plan would require everyone involved in the marijuana industry in the state, from growers to distributors to retailers, to register with the state and pay a licensing fee. Marijuana would also be subject to an excise tax, perhaps up to 41 percent, along with other taxes.

Just to help with the score keeping, this is not the proposal to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana, the Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, bill that died a legislative timeline death last month but that should be reintroduced in the next several days."

 

 

At 6:35 2/3/10, Channel 4 News reported the the mayor of Los Angles signed the bill banning all but 70 cannabis dispensaries and those mostly in industrial areas. Depending on the source, LA presently has between 600 and 800 such facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

our Ryan Lau emails

 

 

 

a reader sends this Wikipedia link

"Hydrofluoric acid" From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is a solution of hydrogen fluoride in water. While it is extremely corrosive and difficult to handle, it is technically a weak acid.[2] Hydrogen fluoride, often in the aqueous form as hydrofluoric acid, is a valued source of fluorine, being the precursor to numerous pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine (Prozac), diverse polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), and most other synthetic materials that contain fluorine.

Hydrofluoric acid is best known to the public for its ability to dissolve glass by reacting with SiO2 (silicon dioxide), the major component of most glass, to form silicon tetrafluoride gas and hexafluorosilicic acid. This property has been known since the 17th century, even before hydrofluoric acid had been prepared in large quantities by Scheele in 1771.[3] Because of its high reactivity toward glass, hydrofluoric acid must be stored (in small quantities) in polyethylene or Teflon containers. It is also unique in its ability to dissolve many metal and semimetal oxides.

The danger in handling hydrofluoric acid is extreme, as skin saturation with the acid in areas of only 25 square inches (160 cm2) may be relatively painless, yet ultimately fatal. High concentrations of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen fluoride gas will also quickly destroy the corneas of the eyes."

 

 

 

 

Jarad emails

We have a chance to get a modern 21st century fiber optic network in Berkeley. I've asked the City Council to consider applying with Google for this program. Ultra-fast Internet connectivity in Berkeley would be beneficial for residents, businesses, students, researchers -- it would be a major draw that could promote job growth locally.

If it is something you are interested in, please take a look at the information provided below and voice your support to the city council via email.

All of their email addresses are listed below in my original email.

Jarad
 

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2010/02/10/berkeley-should-apply-for-1-gigabit-per-second-internet/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/technology/companies/11google.html

 

 

"Bill would boost CalPERS, CalSTRS election transparency" is a report at sacbee.com.

"Candidates running for spots on the boards of California's two largest public employee pension funds would be required to complete and publicly file more detailed campaign finance information under a bill introduced in the Senate today.

Senate Bill 1007, by Democratic Sen. Loni Hancock of Berkeley, would require candidates for board seats with the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System to file ongoing campaign contribution and spending reports during and after an election.

The bill would make pension-fund board candidates comply with reporting rules that already exist for other elected officials in the state, Hancock said."

 

 

 

"Newspaper Shifts From Print to Web" is a report at nytimes.com.

"The Berkeley Daily Planet newspaper announced Thursday that it would shift to an online-only edition at the end of the month. In a letter posted on the paper's Web site, the editor, Becky O'Malley, and publisher, Mike O'Malley, cited falling advertising sales, absentee business owners, and a continuing boycott by a group that accuses the paper of being overly critical of Israel. 'The campaign against the Planet's free-speech policy by a few misguided zealots who represent themselves as friends of Israel has certainly contributed to our advertising problems in some measure,' the O'Malleys wrote."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/13/10

On 2/11/10 this site had 1009 visitors and 3932 hits with an average browsing time of 39 minutes

 

 

"Low Hispanic Population Remains at UC Berkeley" is a story at dailycal.com.

"UC Berkeley may be missing out on opportunities for federal funding due to the campus's low population of Hispanic students.

Funding is available to what the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities classifies as Hispanic-serving Institutions, or institutions that have a Hispanic population of 25 percent or more, according to the association's Web site.

The organization also offers associate membership for campuses in which Hispanic students make up 10 percent of the student population."

 

 

 

"New fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing" by Sarah Yang at physorg.com.

'These nano-sized generators have 'piezoelectric' properties that allow them to convert into electricity the energy created through mechanical stress, stretches and twists.'

This technology could eventually lead to wearable 'smart clothes' that can power hand-held electronics through ordinary body movements,' said Liwei Lin, UC Berkeley professor of mechanical engineering and head of the international research team that developed the fiber nanogenerators."

 

 

 

"iPhone enthusiasts mount Berkeley photography exhibit" by Jennifer Modenessi, Contra Costa Times.

"When a flower or fog-enshrouded landscape catches Knox Bronson's eye, he reaches for his iPhone.

It doesn't matter that the cell phone camera lacks a flash. It doesn't even matter that it can't zoom. With a sharp eye, a handful of apps and some creative muscle, Bronson, a composer and singer, has all he needs to make a work of art.

In fact, the Berkeley resident is so enamored of the iPhone camera's charms that he recently set up a Web site, pixelsatanexhibition.com, where anyone can submit photos taken with an iPhone. "

 

 

 

"Recycling Success Trashes Berkeley's Budget" by Ariel Goldring at freemarketmojo.com.

"The city of Berkeley, California­which is grudgingly still part of the United States­has posted a $10 million budget deficit due to recycling, city officials have said.

Berkeley is one of the few cities in the country that still runs its own garbage pickup, and the combination of a strong recycling program and a general decline in trash has left a $4 million hole in the city's budget."

 

 

 

"San Francisco Bay Area Water Agency Selling Build America Bonds" by Jeremy R. Cooke and Brendan A. McGrail is from Bloomberg News

"The East Bay Municipal Utility District, which provides water to 1.3 million customers around Berkeley and Oakland in California, will lead municipal borrowers [Thursday] with a $400 million Build America bond sale."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/14/10

 

HAPPY YEAR OF THE TIGER

 

 

"Berkeley police officer honored for work helping to catch three robbery suspects" by Kristin Bender, Oakland Tribune.

"An off-duty Berkeley police officer was given the Northern California Officer of the Year award by the California Robbery Investigator's Association in Reno earlier this week.

Berkeley police Officer Douglas Golden was off duty picking up some beverages at a San Leandro convenience store when he spotted one of two men in ski masks draw a pistol from his waistband and enter the store, police said.

The two men got into a car with a driver and sped off. Golden called San Leandro police and followed the car in his personal car. Suddenly, the car, with its lights off, stopped in the middle of a street, and the men began firing at Golden's car, which was struck several times.

By this time, police responding to the robbery were in the area. With Golden's help, police arrested the driver. The other two men later were arrested by other police agencies, police said.

The incident occurred at 9:22 p.m. May 27, 2009, when Golden was driving home after his patrol shift ended in Berkeley. As Golden passed the Quik Stop Mart at 1001 MacArthur Blvd., he saw two men lurking suspiciously outside the business, said Berkeley police spokesman Officer Andrew Frankel."

 

 

 

"Unlicensed Drivers Are Caught in Net for Drunken Ones" is a report at nytimes.com.

" In Sunday's Bay Area Report, Ryan Gabrielson, a fellow with the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley, writes about how sobriety checkpoints have increasingly become profitable operations that are far more likely to seize cars from unlicensed - and often illegal immigrant - motorists, than to catch drunken drivers."

 

 

 

" 'The Fallacy of 'Fairness' " 'by Thomas Sowell at townhall.com.

"A recent flap in a Berkeley high school reveals what a farce 'fairness' can be. Because this is ultra-liberal Berkeley, perhaps we should not be surprised that a proposal has been made to eliminate four jobs as science teachers and use the money saved for programs to help low achievers.

In Berkeley, as in many other communities across the country, black and Latino students are not performing as well as Asian and white students. In fact, the racial gap in academic achievement at Berkeley High School is the highest in California-- no doubt a special source of embarrassment in politically correct Berkeley. "

 

 

 

"Storm Runoff and Sewage Treatment Outflow Contaminated With Household Pesticides" is a report at sciencedaily.com.

"Pyrethroids, among the most widely-used home pesticides, are winding up in California rivers at levels toxic to some stream-dwellers, possibly endangering the food supply of fish and other aquatic animals, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Southern Illinois University (SIU).

 

 

"From waste to biofuel: Bugs the way" is a story at timesofindia.com.

"Researchers have genetically engineered one of the most common bacteria on the planet - E coli - to digest simple sugars from plant

They said their study, published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, is the first demonstration of a one-step conversion of a renewable nonfood plant to fuel.

The technology could lead to low-cost, low-carbon, high-performance renewable fuels, researcher Stephen del Cardayre said."

 

 

" 'We' not 'me' couples resolve conflicts better" is a story at timesofindia.com.

"Haven't our elders been telling us that it should always be 'we' and never 'I', especially when we are in love? Well, now the fact is backed by research which says, spouses who use "we-ness" language are better able to resolve conflicts than those who don't.

To reach the conclusion, UC Berkeley researchers analyzed conversations between 154 middle-aged and older couples about points of disagreement in their marriages and found that those who used pronouns such as 'we,' 'our' and 'us' behaved more positively toward one another and showed less physiological stress."

 

 

 

"Neo-Nazis rally on Dresden bombing anniversary" is an AP story at sfgate.com.

"Thousands of protesters formed a human chain in Dresden on Saturday, determined to stop neo-Nazis from exploiting the German city's painful history on the 65th anniversary of its deadly Allied bombing in World War II. . .

Three successive waves of British and U.S. bombers on Feb. 13-14, 1945, set off firestorms and destroyed Dresden's centuries-old baroque city center.

The total number of people killed in the Dresden bombing has long been uncertain. In 2008, a panel commissioned by state officials found that the firebombing killed no more than 25,000 people - far fewer than scholars' previous estimates that ran as high as 135,000.

Dresden has been rebuilt painstakingly over the years. Its landmark domed Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady - for decades no more than a mound of rubble - reopened in 2005."

 

 

 

Charlie Rose conversation with Brazilian entrepanure Eike Batista is definitely worth watching.

A viewer comments

"While it was fascinating to listen to this man's virtually value-free assessment of de-regulated business landscape, I felt the interview length allowed for Rose to dig a little deeper into what Batista means to do with the world once he owns it... No mention of environmental issues, no concrete public policy ideas aside from obvious logistical and infrastructural ones. . . .

I must say it was refreshing to witness his candor on the subject of business after having to hear swindling politicians apologize all the time. Aside from that, it's hard not to feel like your being bitten by a snake. Especially his noting the failure of America's technology to market an electric car to the world. It hurts because its true."


Check it out here.

 

 

 

 

 

2/15/10

finally

a reason to go downtown

the Harley in front of Blockbusters

 

 

post from the past

April 2007

Berkeley PD Harley-art

 

 

 

2/15/10 return

our Jarad emails

Hi Ron,

Eva and I saw this minutes after it happened on our way to the theatre. The murderer is a member of the WSB (Nortenos), which is one of two gangs that several of us have been working with the city to try and suppress over the past 2 years in the area. . . .

The Nortenos / WSB recruits Latin teens in the area . . .

It doesn't matter what racial background a person comes from, there are no excuses for gang affiliation and the criminal behavior that it glorifies and encourages.

Jarad

 

 

 

our Janine emails

 In a few short weeks violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock and I (fortepiano) will be performing three Mozart Sonatas and one set of Variations for your enjoyment!  There will be two concerts here at my house Saturday March 6th at 10:30 AM. Coffee and treats on Saturday. Suggested donation is $15.00.  There will also be CDs for sale at this event. Please RSVP, as space is very limited and we are likely to fill up! Happy Winter!

 

Oops!  We didn't realize that Philharmonia is doing a Matinee performance on the 7th of March, so have decided to simply do two concerts on Saturday the 6th. -  10:30 AM and 2:00 PM!  Sorry for the confusion!  Again, it is two concerts of Mozart Violin and fortepiano Sonatas Saturday March 6th 10:00 AM, and 2:00 PM!   Thank-you!

Janine

 

 

"Berkeley Honors Their Very Best:The Jr. Wheelchair Championships" by Gary Norris Gray, blackathlete.net.

"Last weekend, 60 young people in wheelchairs invaded the floor of the Berkeley High School Gym in California .

These young people wanted to show the world that they could BALL too, for you older folk it means playing good basketball."

 

 

"Affirmative rights group to challenge Prop 209" is report at kgonews.com.

"Affirmative rights advocates will file a lawsuit Tuesday challenging California's Proposition 209. Approved in 1996, it prohibits the UC system from considering race, sex, or ethnicity in student admissions. "

 

 

"Climate change threatens fog and redwoods -study" reports reuters.com.

"The coastal fog that gives San Francisco its romantic ambience is thinning out, a boon to drivers but a real threat to the giant redwoods there, researchers reported on Monday."

Jeez, . . . really? RP

 

 

"Air pollution can lead to atherosclerosis--study" by Neha Jindal, themedguru.com.

"In a first of its kind study, researchers have found a significant link between air pollution, and progression of atherosclerosis-- thickening of artery [a blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body.] walls, a key factor for cardiovascular diseases, and stroke.

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley, America have discovered that atmospheric pollution is the main culprit behind heart diseases, since the artery [a blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body.] walls coagulate due to assembling of fatty particles inhaled from air. "

 

"Cities Prepare for Life With the Electric Car" is a story at nytimes.com.

If electric cars have any future in the United States, this may be the city where they arrive first.

The San Francisco building code will soon be revised to require that new structures be wired for car chargers. Across the street from City Hall, some drivers are already plugging converted hybrids into a row of charging stations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/15/10

Yesterday this site had 991 visitors and 3838 hits with an average browing time of 23.5 minutes.

 

"Berkeley mayor hopes to cut builders' red tape" Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer.

"How do you persuade developers to hire local workers, pay fair wages and build ecofriendly structures with housing for the poor in downtown Berkeley?

The mayor proposes giving them a carrot that's particularly enticing in Berkeley: shortcuts through the city's notorious red tape.

Mayor Tom Bates' new proposal is an attempt to salvage a downtown planning process that's been bogged down by years of meetings and a proposed referendum.

Although the requirements would be costly, shortening the planning process could yield big savings for developers. This is, after all, a city where getting through city bureaucracy and its active citizenry can be a herculean task.

A project to build a 148-unit apartment complex combined with a new Trader Joe's took five years to get permits. The process of building a second Berkeley Bowl grocery store took seven." 

 

 

"California Watch: How the Journalism 2.0 Investigative Reporting Sausage Gets Made" by E.B. Boyd at mediabistro.com.

"So you've heard from here to Sunday about how newsrooms are struggling to cover the same amount of ground with staffs that have been smashed to smithereens. Here's a different story, one about one organization that's trying to do something about that. Mark Katches posted an inside look at California Watch's most recent investigation, which provides a case study in how the organization is collaborating with other outlets to produce and then publish its reports.

California Watch, a project of the Berkeley-based Center for Investigative Reporting, is implementing a new model for journalism. Instead of following the old model-producing a juicy story for a single outlet-they're actively collaborating with others, who are, in turn, happily publishing the stories, even though they know will appear in other newspapers."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/18/10

If I were a betting man, right now I wouldn't bet a whole lot a money on a negotiated solution to the "medical marijuana problem." RP

 

 

"Berkeley slaying victim is identified" Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer.

"A man fatally stabbed in Berkeley was identified by police Wednesday as 40-year-old Michael Joseph Mayfield of Richmond."

 

 

"'Faculty need to participate directly in remaking the State of California,' says Academic Senate chair:A conversation with faculty leader Christopher Kutz" at berkeley.edu.

 

 

"$16-Million Gift Will Support Campus Diversity and Transfer Students at Berkeley" by Josh Keller at chronicleofhighereducation.com.

"The University of California at Berkeley will announce on Thursday a $16-million donation to support diversity initiatives, including five endowed chairs and a new scholarship fund for students who transfer from community colleges."

 

 

"Gregory's departure mostly a surprise" by Ted Miller at espn.com.

"There was a way for California defensive coordinator Bob Gregory's departure to Boise State to not raise more than an eyebrow or two: If Gregory had bolted Berkeley for Boise on the day after national signing day and became the Broncos defensive coordinator, replacing Justin Wilcox, who was hired at Tennessee. "

 

 

"A Thought on Evan Bayh and Partisan America" by Robert Reich at csmonitor.com.

"Not long ago I was debating someone on television. I thought the discussion was going well until the commercial break when a producer said into my earpiece 'be angrier.' "

 

 

"Silicon Valley losing allure for top brains" by Bhagyashree Garekar, US Correspondent at asiaone.com.

"A looming foreign talent crunch has been pinpointed as a top factor that threatens to rob the Silicon Valley of its title as the world's innovation centre."

 

 

 

"Is There a Fountain of Youth?" is opinion at abcnews.com.

"Scientists Report Progress in Slowing Aging Process."

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/19/10

"Oakland police seek injunction against gangs" Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer.

"In a bold move to reduce escalating gang violence, Oakland asked for a court order Thursday to severely restrict gang activity in a 100-block swath.

Nineteen people police identified as gang members would be placed under a curfew and prohibited from associating with one another, loitering and possessing guns in the "safety zone," an area in North Oakland near the Berkeley and Emeryville borders, if the Alameda County Superior Court approves the order.

 

 

'Cannabis Planet' TV show arrives in Bay Area by Josh Richman, Oakland Tribune.

"Hot on the heels of new research showing marijuana's pain-relief value and the reintroduction of a bill to legalize, regulate and tax the drug, the Bay Area this week saw'the premiere of its first marijuana-themed television show.

'Cannabis Planet," a 30-minute weekly program, is slated for a 26-week run on KOFY-TV Channel 20 at midnight Fridays.

The show - focusing on the merits of the marijuana plant in medicine, industry and agriculture, and 'the benefits this plant brings to planet Earth, mankind and the United States,' according to a news release - is already seen in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, and will roll out in Sacramento in March and in Colorado this spring.. . .

Lane said the producers have 'remastered' the 13 original Los Angeles episodes with minor touches to make them geographically appropriate for other areas - San Diego and Bay Area backdrops, for example - and are now producing a second run of 13 new shows with more local content.

Lane said the Berkeley Patients Group is the flagship Bay Area sponsor, with other support from San Francisco's Ketama Collective, Richmond's Seven Stars Holistic Healing, and Berkeley-based KZee Novelty Products, maker of the 'Lollipipe' edible candy smoking pipe. 'We plan on bringing in more sponsors; we've just started dipping our toe in the water in the Bay Area,' he said."

 

 

 

"East Bay Then and Now: Railroad 'Lobster' Controlled State Politics for a Decade" by Daniella Thompson in our Planet.

"The Judah L. Magnes Museum announced last week that it will be relocating to 2121 Allston Way, a former printing plant it has owned since 1997. The building had been leased to the Berkeley Public Library and the Bancroft Library during their respective renovations."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/20/10

Local luminaries share their personal libraries.

Please join DWR (Design within Reach) Berkeley for an evening to celebrate personal libraries. Guest collectors will display selections from their book collections for you to peruse and enjoy. Take a peek into these fascinating personalities and what inspires their work and creativity. You might be surprised at what tomes they bring to share. Our guest collectors include architect Craig Steely, graphic designer and AIGA fellow Mary Scott, celebrated wood artist Merryll Saylan, Rare Book Dealer Jeffrey Maser and Cafe Rouge chef/owner Marsha McBride. For those inspired, our new neighbor Books Inc. will have some of the favorite titles readily available for purchase. Stop by for an informal discussion, raffle, refreshments and wines from Diseno and Red Guitar.

RSVP to berkeley@dwr.com

Personal libraries of local luminaries
Thursday, February 25, 6:30-8:30pm
DWR Berkeley Studio
1770 Fourth St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: 510.524.1994
Information & directions:
http://news.dwr.com/rd/9z1zd65o0n9pgq18adclkipfdgefblecglre3kl72h8

Lisa Russell
Studio Proprietor
 
Design Within Reach
1770 Fourth Street
Berkeley, CA  94710

 

 

 

"Berkeley woman overcomes major obstacles to graduate from Yale" by Doug Oakley, Oakland Tribune.

"Homeless people, drug dealers, prostitutes and mounds of junk filled Lily Dorman-Colby's south Berkeley home before she was separated from her brothers and placed in foster care. Although living with her drug-addicted, bipolar mother seemed like freedom at the time - no bed times, homework or general supervision - Dorman-Colby knew something was wrong.

Her mother, once a college-educated drug counselor, was losing her mind, going on 'manic rampages.' Her father was absent. Trash piled up inside the home. Sometimes there was no electricity, phone service or water. Then there was a fire. Social workers materialized.

In two years, she lived in five foster homes.

'At that time, I realized if I didn't get my act together and I didn't start doing well in school, I could end up like my mother, stuck in this low-income neighborhood and be surrounded by poverty and drug abuse,' Dorman-Colby said.

That was when she was 11. Now 22, she's preparing to graduate from Yale with a 3.56 grade-point average."

 

 

 

"Calif. moves to expand solar market for homeowners" reports Business Week.

"More Californians who put solar panels on their roofs could sell the excess electricity they generate under legislation approved by California lawmakers.

The bill by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, would allow utilities to buy up to 5 percent of their energy from customers. Current law limits those purchases to 2.5 percent.

The Assembly adopted the bill Thursday on a 53-1 vote. Rachel Arrezola, a spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the governor intends to sign it."

 

 

 

"Nanofiber Batteries Turn Movement Into Power" David Ayala, PCWorld.

"Scientists from University of California, Berkeley have developed fiber nanogenerators that could harness the energy of your everyday movements and convert it into an electrical charge. Does your smartphone need a midday charge? Just go out for a run!"

 

 

"Chemicals suspected in breast cancer, US experts want tests" is a report at google.com.

"US experts called Friday for toxicity tests on chemicals they suspect play a role in the development of breast cancer, a leading cause of death in American women.

'We're currently not identifying chemicals that could be contributing to the risk of breast cancer,' said Megan Schwarzman, a physician and environmental health researcher at the University of California, Berkeley.

According to Schwarzman, only a handful of the more than 200 chemicals in the environment linked to mammary tumours in lab animals have been regulated by the US authorities "on the basis of their ability to cause breast cancer."

She was speaking at a major science gathering, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/21/10

I love this new almost completed project between Milo's home and the Victors' warehouse. I'm told, they do too.

 

 

City maps seem to confirm that both French school campuses and the Heinz preschool facility are within 1000 of the old chocolate factory, the proposed site of the "medical" marijuana move. And it seems, the CEID school on Grayson off of 10th is within 1000 feet of the current "medical" marijuana location. I'm told the "medical" marijuana people are generous contributors to the school.

 

The one and one-half block Flint Ink facility south of Gilman recently sold for 2 million dollars. Some of its structures are now being upgraded and some of these are now ready for leasing. The one-half block parcel is being resold, its land marked structure in need of much and expensive restoration.

 

 

 

 

 

"Nap 'boosts' brain learning power" is a BBC report.

"A nap during the day doesn't just beat tiredness, but actually improves the brain's ability to absorb new information, claim US scientists.

Volunteers who slept for 90 minutes during the day did better at cognitive tests than those who were kept awake.

The results were presented at a conference in California. "

 

YES!

I love nappies. How' bout you Boz?

 

 

 

"Research finds brain link for words, music ability" is an AP story at sfgate.com.

"Words and music, such natural partners that it seems obvious they go together. Now science is confirming that those abilities are linked in the brain, a finding that might even lead to better stroke treatments."

Go figure, I'm a much better writer than I was a cellist. RP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/22/10

"Research Shows 3-D Movies, TV Can Cause Eye Strain, Headaches" Vidushi Sinha, voanews.com.

"Three dimensional movies, like Avatar, are wowing us with their visual display. The science fiction epic Avatar won best drama and top director for filmmaker James Cameron at this year's Golden Globe awards. But a study at the University of California Berkeley found that 3-D movies can cause eye strain. "

 

 

"Junk DNA could provide vital clues to heart disease" is a report at dnaindia.com.

"Scientists have linked a region of junk DNA, the 98% or so of the genome that does not code for proteins, to the risk of developing at least one form of heart disease.

The research, published online in Nature, drew on previous genome-wide association studies that linked a non-coding stretch of chromosome 9p21 with coronary artery disease (CAD) and showed that people who carry certain single nucleotide mutations in this stretch of DNA have an increased chance of developing the disease.

Principal investigator and geneticist Len Pennacchio of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, based the study on the equivalent chromosome in mice and found a potential mechanism for how the region of non-coding DNA might increase the risk of heart disease."

 

Ex Buttercup night manager Dr. Kary B Mullis had alot to do with DNA. Check him out here.

And while there, check out his book on Mendocino and more in The Day, "Dancing Naked in the Mind Field." If you read it carefully you'll find some references to me, . . . really carefully. RP

 

And Buttercuper, Patrick Treadway remembers The Cup, Suze Orman and more here.

a Dean Davis photo

Patrick worked under Kary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/23/10

"Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents Matthew Sweet's Girlfirend" is a story at broadwayworld.com.

"This spring, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, romance unfolds in a new musical wound around the love songs of the landmark album Girlfriend. Associate Artistic Director Les Waters stages the world premiere of this tender new show, which features music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet and a book by Todd Almond. Starring Ryder Bach and Jason Hite alongside a live band on Berkeley Rep's intimate Thrust Stage, Girlfriend begins previews on April 9, opens April 14, and closes May 9, 2010. The executive producer of Girlfriend is the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, the production sponsor is the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and the season sponsors for Berkeley Rep's 41st year of fearless theatre are BART and Wells Fargo."

 

 

 

"Evidence That Little Touches Do Mean So Much" by Benedict Carey, nytimes.com.

"Psychologists have long studied the grunts and winks of nonverbal communication, the vocal tones and facial expressions that carry emotion. A warm tone of voice, a hostile stare - both have the same meaning in Terre Haute or Timbuktu, and are among dozens of signals that form a universal human vocabulary.

But in recent years some researchers have begun to focus on a different, often more subtle kind of wordless communication: physical contact. Momentary touches, they say - whether an exuberant high five, a warm hand on the shoulder, or a creepy touch to the arm - can communicate an even wider range of emotion than gestures or expressions, and sometimes do so more quickly and accurately than words.

'It is the first language we learn,' said Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of 'Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life' (Norton, 2009), and remains, he said, "our richest means of emotional expression" throughout life."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/24/10

"Class War:How public servants became our masters" Steven Greenhut from reason.com.

"In April 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly 1 million cars and light trucks-out of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewide-were protected by a "shield" in the state records system between their license plate numbers and their home addresses. There were, the newspaper found, great practical benefits to this secrecy."

 

 

 

our Ryan Lau emails Moore news

$250,000 Grant for the YMCA-PG&E Teen Center
Vote Today. Vote Tomorrow. Vote Everyday!
There's only 5 more days left in the Pepsi Refresh Project competition.  We need your help for the final push.  The YMCA-PG&E Teen Center Building Project is currently ranked #11 of the 200 projects competing for a $250,000 grant award as part of Pepsi's Refresh Everything Campaign. (The two projects with the most votes on February 28, 2010 will receive the grant award. We've moved up from a starting position of #77 - Incredible!)
 
You can help us move further up the leader board by voting today ­ and every day ­ until February 28, 2010.
Don't forget you can vote everyday!  Because of your votes, the Teen Center Project is moving on up!  With only 8 days left to vote, we need your help more than ever.  Let's see if we can move further up the leader board today!

Vote for the Teen Center Project here: www.refresheverything.com/ymcateencenter
Did You Know?
The YMCA-PG&E Teen Center will:
·       Renovate an old unused building into a Teen Center offering more than 13,000 sq ft of program space (spread out over two floors) to all teens who spend time in Berkeley.
Create a Tech Center/Media Lab, Career Opportunity Zone and more
Create a LEED® Gold certified 'green' building
Double the number of teens served - from 2,500 to 5,000 teens

Need Some Help Voting?
Be sure to sign in or register before voting.
Try using Explorer or Google Chrome, and Safari browsers (Firefox works for some people, but not all).
Press the "Vote Here" button. If it still says "Vote Here", press it again until Pepsi thanks you for voting.
If you still can't sign in/register, email development@baymca.org and we will help get you registered.

Next Steps
Please don't forget to forward this email to coworkers, friends and family. 
If you're on Facebook or Twitter, place the URL in your status ­ social networking is the best way to promote voting!
Vote for the Teen Center once per day EVERYDAY until the end of February.

 

Berkeley's Green Scorecard Website
The City of Berkeley launched an interactive web-based tool today that presents scorecards on local sustainability trends such as annual energy use, waste disposal, and tree planting in our community.  The website enables residents to, with a few clicks of a mouse, access relevant, up-to-date information about Berkeley's progress toward its climate action goals.  In addition, the site provides a forum for questions and feedback regarding implementation of the City's Climate Action Plan. 
The website is called the "Berkeley See-It."  See-It is a performance management and communications software developed by Visible Strategies with support from the San Francisco Foundation and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 
To view the Berkeley See-It website, please visit the City of Berkeley website at: www.cityofberkeley.info/climate

 

Community Meeting with the Police Chief
Just a quick reminder that we rescheduled our community meeting with our new Police Chief to March 4th at 7PM.

What:Community Meeting to Introduce the New Police Chief, Michael Meehan
Time: 7PM ­ 8:30PM
When:Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Where:Multipurpose Room, Rosa Parks Elementary, 920 Allston Way (at 8th Street)

Sincerely,
Ryan Lau

 

 

 

"UC Berkeley Starts Quidditch League For Harry Potter Fanatics" by the California College News Team.

"The sport of Quidditch first became known to the world in 1997 when British author J.K. Rowling released the first Harry Potter fantasy novel. She developed the sport specifically for the series of books, and it is featured in all but the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In 2005, students at Middlebury College in Vermont turned the fictional sport into a intramural league, then in 2007 Alex Benepe founded the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association which now has over 200 institutions participating. California universities surprisingly are not big participants into the sport, as UC Berkeley is only the third school to have a Quidditch league in the state. UC Davis is also part of the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association, as is Stanford which is a long time rival of UC Berkeley. On Facebook the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association group is very popular with over 5,700 members."

 

 

 

"Net Metering to Shine on in New York, California" by Jennifer Kho at earth2tech.com.

"Rooftop solar companies are breathing a sigh of relief ­ and are getting ready to install more projects in New York and California. That's because legislatures in the two states have passed new rules that boost net metering, an arrangement that allows customers with small-scale solar and wind installations to get credit for the electricity they deliver back to the grid.

With net metering, as the arrangement is called, customers pay only for their net electricity usage. Their meters run forward when they are using more electricity than they are producing and run backward when they are producing more electricity than they are using. The absence of net metering could cut out much of the economic benefit of building solar systems, at least in places without other financial incentives, such as a feed-in tariff.

In California, the solar installation industry faced the possibility of suffering from a lack of effective net metering rules up until last week. Utilities in the state were limited to accepting only up to 2.5 percent of their electricity from net-meterin' customers, and one utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, is expected to reach that amount this year. Last year, Adam Browning, the executive director of Vote Solar, said installations would 'grind to a halt" in PG&E territory if the net-metering cap wasn't raised. And Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who wrote the bill to raise the cap, called net metering 'absolutely fundamental' to the success of solar in the state."

 

 

 

California's high speed rail dream" is a story at cnn.com.

"California's high speed rail plan is eye candy for anyone who likes big, fast shiny things.

If built, it would connect Los Angles to San Francisco via one of the fastest trains in the world. Traveling along its own separate track, proponents say the bullet train would hit speeds exceeding 220 miles per hour, stopping periodically to pick up passengers in a network of sparkling steel and glass stations.

Total travel time for the trip: Just over 2 and a half hours - nearly twice as fast as driving. Projected one-way ticket price: $55 - less than half the cost of a flight.

 

 

 

"Bust the Health Care Trusts" opines Robert Reich at nytimes.com.

"My health insurer here in California is Anthem Blue Cross. So far, my group policy hasn't been affected by Anthem's planned rate increase of as much as 39 percent for its customers with individual policies - but the trend worries me, as it should everyone."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/25/10

Pete's Potter Creek rain total for this week's storm is 2 inches, for this rainy season 22 inches. Pete thinks that's a little above average.

 

 

The City of Berkeley Monday announced a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Kevin Alvarado. Bay Area Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $2,000 reward. Alvarado is a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a Richmond man in west Berkeley.

 

our Jarad emails about

. . . the gang injunction in Oakland yesterday on the radio.
http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R201002230900

 

 

our Ryan Lau emails Moore news

5th Annual Black History Month Event
The theme this year is "Redefining Community," Urban Cities; Inner Conflict: African Americans/Blacks Stepping Up
It will be a wonderful a community celebration including:
A Healthy Soul Food Meal
Community Discussion and Planning
Entertainment
Children Activities

Time:   3:00 P.M. ­ 6:00 P.M.
Date: Saturday, February 27th
Where:  South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis Street. 

 

Spring Schedule for Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) Classes
The Office of Emergency Services offers free training in emergency preparedness to anyone who lives or works in Berkeley. You must be 18 or older to participate.  Appropriate and comfortable clothing should be worn and closed-toed shoes are required.
Please see the schedule below for the current course offerings.  To register for courses please email Khin Chin at kchin@ci.berkeley.ca.us or call 510-981-5605 including the following information:
Name:
Address:
Zip Code:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Class Date and Name:
I live/work (choose one or both) in Berkeley.
If attending from IFC, Panhellinic, or Co-op, provide Chapter or House name:
You will receive an email confirmation once the class has enough enrollees.

Current Schedule of Classes (Schedule subject to change depending on instructor availability)
Saturday, March 13 - 9am-12pm Fire Suppression
Sunday, March 14 - 9am-12pm Disaster First Aid  
Tuesday, March 23 - 9am-12pm Fire Suppression
Saturday, March 27 - 9am-12pm Basic Personal Preparedness 
Thursday, April 1 - 9am-1pm Light Search and Rescue
Sunday, April 18 - 9am-12pm Disaster First Aid  
Monday, April 26 - 9am-1pm Light Search and Rescue
Tuesday, April 27 - 9am-12pm Fire Suppression
Tuesday, May 11 - 6pm-9pm Disaster First Aid  
Classes are held at the Fire Department Training Center at 997 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 94710.
For more information on basic preparedness, search and rescue, disaster medical and mental health, neighborhood organization, and more download the Disaster Preparedness Handbook.  This is a 214 page reference manual utilized in our CERT trainings.  (PDF 11 megabytes)
For questions please email oes@ci.berkeley.ca.us or call 510-981-5605.
<<2010 Wait list Open.pdf>> <<BHMCommunityflyer10%20(2)[1] Copy.pdf>>
Sincerely,
Ryan Lau
Council Aide
Councilmember Darryl Moore, District 2

 

 

our Joe Lee emails

This is a friendly reminder of the Berkeley Complete Count Committee (CCC) meeting that will take place Thursday, February 25th from 4:00 p.m. ­ 5:00 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center (1901 Hearst at MLK Jr. Way). Feel free to invite all of your staff and community members.
 
Joe Lee
Census Coordinator, City of Berkeley, Office of the City Manager
2180 Milvia St., 5th Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704, tel: 510-981-7028
 

 

 

our Claufdne Asbagh emails

Public comment on the West Berkeley Project Draft EIR will be taken at the March 10, 2010 Planning Commission meeting.  This will provide more time for speakers to hear each others' ideas before finalizing their writing comments, the due date for which will remain Thursday, March 25th.  New public comment will also be taken at the March 24th Planning Commission meeting as was originally planned.
To see the original Notice of Availability or for further information, please check the West Berkeley Project website: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/WestBerkeleyProject/

Claudine Asbagh
Assistant Planner
Land Use Planning Division
Planning and Development Department

 

free expression/harassment

At community meetings with our city representatives is it necessary for some of the citizens present to be so confrontational that they reduce some of those city people present to tears?

And what is the city worker union's position on such confrontations? RP

 

 

our Angela forwards an email from Celinda Aguilar-Vasquez

Berkeley Housing Authority wait list for Section 8 and project based voucher programs opens.

6:00 a.m. Monday, March 1 through 6:00 p.m. Friday, March 5, 2010
To Apply, Visit: www.cityofberkeley.info/bha

Who May Apply
Families with child(ren)
Families where the head of household or spouse is 62 years or older
Families where the head of household or spouse is a person with disabilities
*Other singles, single person households that are not 62 or older or disabled

Eligibility Conditions
At least one person in the household must be a U.S. citizen or be an eligible immigrant
*The following individuals are not eligible for assistance:
oIndividuals subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender
Individuals convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in any Public Housing program
* The total annual income for everyone in the household, including children, (before any amounts are taken away for taxes, garnishments, etc.) is less than or equal to the amounts shown below:

Maximum income Maximum income
1 Person $31,250 5 People 48,200
2 People 35,700 6 People 51,800
3 People 40,200 7 People 55,350
4 People 44,650 8 People 58,950

How to Apply
The application process will be conducted by Internet at www.cityofberkeley.info/bha; no paper applications are available.
You can apply using your computer or the computer of a friend or family member;
You can apply using a computer at your church, synagogue or place of worship; or
You can apply using computers at the following agencies-all in Berkeley except for the last one (Lion Creek, Oakland):

East Bay Community Law Center, 2921 Adeline, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Center for Indep. Living (CIL), 2539 Telegraph, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am- noon and 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, (disabled only please)
Berkeley Senior Centers, various locations, Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Berkeley Drop In Center, 3234 Adeline, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
North Cities One Stop Career Center/Rubicon, 1918 Bonita, Monday - Thursday only, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Affordable Housing Associates, 1250 Addison, Suite G, Monday - Thursday only, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Ashby Lofts, 2919 9th Street, Suite 101, Monday - Wednesday only, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Lion Creek Crossings: 881 69th Avenue, Oakland, Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - noon.

If you are receiving assistance from another agency or community based organization not listed above, they may also be able to assist you with gaining Internet access, simply ask.
Unfortunately due to limitations on space at the Berkeley Housing Authority office, computers will not be available there.
For information (recorded message) regarding this waitlist opening, please call: English - 510-981-5475 and Spanish - 510-981-5472. Note: messages may not be left on these lines, after the recorded message ends.

Receipt for Application
When you complete your application the computer will generate a receipt that includes a unique application number. This is the only receipt you will have of your application so be sure to print the receipt. If you do not have access to a printer, write down the receipt number that will show up on the computer screen immediately on a piece of paper and keep that waitlist receipt number for your records. The agencies listed above also will provide you with a form you can use to write down your receipt number.

Limited English Proficiency
If you require assistance in a language that is NOT Spanish, Laotian/Thai, or Tagalog, please come to our office for assistance. If you speak Spanish, Laotian or Tagalog, and require assistance, call one of the numbers listed below:
Espanol: Si necesita asistencia para completar su aplicacion en Español, márque uno de los siguientes numeros 510-981-5483 o el 510-981-5485.
Laotian/Thai: If you need assistance to complete the application, please call 510-981-5474.
Tagalog: Kung kailangan ang tulong sa pagpuno at pagkumpleto ng aplikasyon, tumawag sa 510-981-5488.

Lottery
Because of the anticipated high demand for Section 8 rental assistance, a random lottery of all potentially eligible applications will be conducted at the close of the waitlist acceptance period (after March 5) and only 1,500 names will be placed on the Wait List.
It is not necessary to submit more than one application because duplicate entries will be deleted before the lottery is conducted.
* If you are selected in the lottery you will receive written notice from the Berkeley Housing Authority.

Placement on Wait List
If your application is selected in the Lottery you will be placed on the wait list. It is important that you keep documentation of where you currently live, and any preferences you claim. You will be required to produce this information when the final eligibility determination is made.

 

 

 

 

"A Sticky Little Lizard Inspires a New Adhesive Tape" by Arianne Cohen at nytimes.com.

"Keep your eye on the shelves of your local hardware store, where in the next few years you may be able to find new tape from an unlikely source: the gecko.

'Geckos have millions of microscopic hairs on their toes, each with hundreds of tips that adhere to surfaces, with no residue left behind,' said Kellar Autumn, a biology professor at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore.' Their hairs can stay attached indefinitely.'

Mr. Autumn and scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, were responsible for the research that enabled Mark Cutkosky, a professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford, to develop a prototype for a tape based on gecko adhesion. The tape, which is reusable, was so strong, Mr. Autumn said, that when they tested it, he was able to stick his 50-pound, 8-year-old daughter to a window with it.

 

 

 

Find out maybe more than you want to know about the 19 to 28 year olds' generation in "The 'Millennial' Generation Talks Economy, Politics, Media" by Judy Woodruff of the pbsnewshour.com.

"On Wednesday, I'll be spending most of the day focused on millennials, one of the terms being used for the younger generation. I will moderate a daylong conference sponsored by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and aimed at providing a portrait of Generation Next, the name we coined a few years ago when I did a series of reports for the NewsHour and NPR's Morning Edition, and a couple of documentaries for PBS.

I look forward to learning more fascinating facts about these young people born after 1980, including why most of them continue to lean Democratic in their politics even though their support for President Obama has slipped a bit this past year.

I'm also curious to know how they're coping with the unemployment that's hit their generation especially hard; and interested to understand why, since they believe marriage and parenthood are important institutions, more than a third of births to millennials are to single mothers -- a far higher share than for older generations at this stage of life."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/26/10

Overnight, an impromptu riot at the University of California-Berkeley snowballed to include 300 students and resulted in flaming dumpsters, broken windows and dancing in the streets" is a report at huffingtonpost.com.

"The Daily Californian kept a timeline of the riot, which began as a small occupation of Durant Hall, a campus building, in acknowledgment of the state's Campus Action Day March 4. But by 2 a.m., the scene began to turn.

At 1:55 a.m., a dumpster appeared to be on fire in the middle of Telegraph Ave. An individual pushed the dumpster on its side as people appear to be dancing around and on top of it.

At about 2:05 a.m., a fight appeared to have broken out in the middle of Telegraph Ave. and Durant Ave. Berkeley police responded to the scene, pushing people away south on Telegraph Ave.

Police appeared to be using batons to disperse people.

Protesters appeared to be throwing what appeared to be trash and buckets at police officers.

The Californian also reported that rioters threw what appeared to be glass jugs of wine at the police.

According to NBC Bay Area, there were 25 police on the scene, although Berkeley police have disputed that number. A rioter told NBC Bay Area that event was a
'Real battle with cops, rioters winnin [sic]'."

 

"Berkeley Riot: students battle police on Telegraph Av, Thursday" is at sfgate.com.

 

 

"Clinton calls Berkeley a 'crown jewel' " by Tracey Taylor, berkeleyside.com.

"If you missed Bill Clinton's appearance at UC yesterday - and chances are you did as the free tickets were limited to UC students and staff - a couple of reviews of the event are already out."

 

 

"The battle for California's future: James Illingworth explains how the budget crisis got so bad in California--and describes the development of a movement that is challenging the cuts" at socialistworker.org.

On March 4, thousands of students, workers, and teachers will take action across California to resist the ongoing attack on public education. The scale of the fightback in education has inevitably focused attention on the cuts in that sector, but the crisis extends into every area of the state government.

How did things get so bad in California?"

 

"It's money that matters:A new book says economic inequality is the social division we should be worrying about" by Jenna Russell at boston.com.

"If you like to think of America as The Greatest Country on Earth, and you'd rather not examine its claim to that title too closely, 'The Spirit Level' will not be your favorite new book. On nearly every one of its 250-plus pages, a stark, unflattering graph shows the USA topping the charts among developed countries for some social ailment: drug use, obesity, violence, mental illness, teenage pregnancy, illiteracy. But authors Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson, a pair of British social scientists, have another, more enlightening point to make. With striking consistency, they say, the severity of social decay in different countries reflects a key difference among them: not the number of poor people or the depth of their poverty, but the size of the gap between the poorest and the richest."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/27/10

our Andrew Frankel, Berkeley Police Department emails

Ron,
 
Here is what I can share with regard to last night's events:
 
At 1:41a.m. we responded to a request for emergency assistance made to us by UCPD Dispatch.  They were monitoring approximately 200 protestors who had occupied a building on campus and now were moving into the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way.  UCPD Dispatch further advised that the protestors were smashing windows and knocking over garbage cans as they moved Southbound.  Officers arrived on scene minutes later and were pelted intermittently with projectiles launched at them from the crowd (rocks, bottles, a fire extinguisher, and the cap from a fire hydrant). 
 
The rioters set a dumpster on fire in the intersection of Durant and Telegraph Avenue.  The officers formed a line and had to push the crowd back so that Berkeley Fire Department could extinguish the flames. 
 
To deal with a crowd of this size, day shift patrol officers were called in early and a request for mutual assistance went out to Oakland Police Department (sent 19 officers),  California Highway Patrol (sent 10 officers), BART Police Department (sent 5 officers), the Alameda County Sherriff's Office (two units), and the Albany Police Department.
 
The crowd was moved out of the area and finally dissipated at 3:06 a.m. with officers remaining in the area until 4:15 a.m.
 
At this point property damage is limited to broken glass doors at a business on the 2300 block of Telegraph (Subway) and four garbage cans and a dumpster were set ablaze. 
 
Two arrests were made in connection with the riot.  The arrested parties have been identified as:
 
1. Marika Goodrich, 3-2-81, of Berkeley
Booked for Inciting a Riot, Resisting Arrest, and Assault on Police Officer
 
2. Zachary Miller, 6-5-83, of Berkeley
Booked for Inciting a Riot, Resisting, Arrest, and Obstructing a Police Officer
 
During the course of the incident two officers received minor injuries but none required medical treatment.
 
As a result of this riot there are several on-going investigations.  I don't anticipate having anything else further to share until Monday.
 
Andrew
 ANDREW J. FRANKEL, #25
Public Information Officer
City of Berkeley Police Department
"Crime, Respect, Accountability"

"UC San Diego: Racial Tensions Boil Over" The Huffington Post.

"Following a night of unrest at UC Berkeley, fresh protests have swelled at UC San Diego after a week plagued by racially charged incidents."

 

Is our police force being downsized as a result of the civilian administration not filling departmental vacancies as they occur because of budget restraints? RP

 

 

the mayor emails (excerpts)

New downntown plan

After months of consulting with members of the community - including environmentalists, developers, labor, affordable housing leaders, and community activists, we have put together an innovative plan that incentivizes environmental and economic public benefits in a way no other city in the Country has done.  The new plan with amendments was passed 8-1 on February 23rd and will now be sent to the City Manager for analysis and a schedule for action that will allow us to prepare for the November 2010 ballot.

Our new plan establishes an accelerated planning process for a Green Pathway that is voluntary. The Green Pathway will:
Create the Greenest Transit Oriented Downtown in America
·  Get around the Palmer decision that says you can't require new building to provide affordable rental housing
Provide jobs for local residence and prevailing wages
Establish realistic buildable heights for new buildings

 

 

kubik emails

Impress your neighbors with  Amazing Garage Door Covers

 

A German firm called "Style Your  Garage" - creates posters for garage doors that make it look as if it's  actually showing the interior of your garage, and what's in  it!

Prices range from $199 to $399 for  the double-door! All but guaranteed to make passersby take a second  look.

I actually don't need these. I mean, I . . . but orur John Philips perhaps could use the Sov steam engine canvas.RP

 

"Foodie paradise in Berkeley:Welcome to the city Gourmet Ghetto, where the California food movement got its start. Decades later, it's still an epicurean's Eden. Nosh on some of the neighborhood's best on Lisa Rogovin's walking tour" at latimes.com.

 

Word is that a Norwegian deli/restaurant is moving on to San Pablo Ave. RP

 

Kubik reports that the old Bowl has become much more civilized with adequate parking and open aisles.

 

 

About 4 AM Saturday morning my friend Gerard was awakened at his place by the sound of heavy rain. An Old School good friend, and knowing the back of this warehouse sometimes floods when it rains heavily and that if it is heavy enough the water could get ahead of just one guy, he called me.

After several unanswered calls, he dressed, got in girlfriend Kim's Toyota SUV and came down.

Seeing no lights on, he walked up the drive to the sliding steel door and bent down to look under it. He couldn't see anything because the crack was too narrow, and he heard nothing.

But he did become aware of something behind him.

Turning around he saw two BPD patrol cars, one in front of, the other behind, Kim's SUV. "What's going on here" one of the officers asked. "I'm a friend of Rons" Gerard got out "and came to see if he needed any help. Sometimes his warehouse floods."

The officers were just checking and Gerard left and went home.

 

Well, Ok then! RP

 

 

 

"Hotel Review: Shattuck Plaza Hotel in Berkeley, Calif." Heidi Schumann for The New York Times.

"The Shattuck Plaza knows its neighborhood. A couple of blocks from the University of California, Berkeley, it greets guests with an oversize peace symbol in black-on-white marble floor tile, and farther inside, the decorating borders on the psychedelic. But this is psychedelia through a filter of 21st-century cool, played for fun: gleaming multicolored glass pillars, bright-red Murano glass chandeliers, checkerboard floors, multicolored rugs and alternating wallpaper patterns that ought to clash but feel lighthearted and urbane instead. Turn a corner in a corridor, and you confront a new color palette. Walk a few steps in the elegant lobby, and mirrors and marble put you in a new space. A reincarnation of the faded 1910 Hotel Shattuck, the Shattuck Plaza opened last fall after a daring renovation that has caught Berkeley's venturesome spirit. If a hotel can be outspoken, this one is. "

 

 

 

 

Eternally useful links

 

Bay Area home prices from sfgate.com

 

Bay Area foreclosures from sfgate.com

Our City Council update is here.

 

Our Planning Commision update is here

 

 

You can find more information about our current weather conditions than is good for you at www.wunderground.com

Want to see weather coming in, going out, beautiful sunsets, and much, much more? Check out http://sv.berkeley.edu/view/ This very hip site was in an email from reader and contributor, Tony Almeida. Read Tony's Jimi Hendrix story on the only page that routinely gets more hits than Scrambled Eggs.

 

Best gas prices in 94710, as well as all of US and Canada, are here at gasbuddy.com

Kimar finds Costco routinely has the lowest price.

 

Richmond Ramblers' motorcycle club member, Cliff Miller emails a very

useful link

If you ever need to get a human being on the phone at a credit card company or bank, etc., this site tells you how to defeat their automated system and get you to a human being within a few seconds.

http://gethuman.com/

 

Markets is not just a reference for Berkeley-Hills radicals with 1.5 mil homes and considerable portfolios.

 

Our City of Berkeley Boards and Commissions page is here--redone and friendly.

 

 

Berkeley Police reports at insidebay area.com are here.

 

Our Berkeley PD Site with crime statistics and more is here.

Crime Log for 94710 is here

This site is NOT affiliated with Berkeley PD.
Take time to report crime!

 

All reports of crime-in-progress should first go to Berkeley PD dispatch--911 or non-emergency, 981-5900. THEN make sure you notify EACH of these City people.

The contacts are below:

Our new Area Coordinator is Officer Karen Buckheit, Berkeley PD - 981-5774 kbuckheit@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Angela Gallegos-Castillo, City Mgr Off - 981-2491 agallegos-castillo@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Ryan Lau, aid to Darryl Moore - 981-7120 rlau@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Darryl Moore, City Councilman dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us

 

More Scrambled Eggs & Lox, here

and

Stories about Berkeley and stories about recorded-music

are at

Journal of Recorded Music 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

 

ronpenndorf@earthlink.net

The original owner of all posted material retains copyright. The material is used only to illustrate.