December 2007

 

\

workmen at Merryll's

 

 

12/1/07

The Cajun Savoy Family is giving a free performance in front of the 4th Street Down Home Music. It's Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM. Definitely check it out!

 

 

"Berkeley puts up balance of funds for disability center" writes the San Francisco Chronicle's Carolyn Jones.

"Somewhere, Ed Roberts is smiling.

A one-of-a-kind regional campus named in honor of the pioneering disability rights activist won its final round of funding Tuesday night when the Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to pay the remaining $2 million.

The Ed Roberts Campus will be a Bay Area center for disability services, policy research and education. Ground will be broken in May or June, after 12 years of fundraising.

"Everyone's a little stunned," said Dmitri Belser, president of the Ed Roberts Campus. 'People are feeling pretty happy right now. But they're also feeling a lot of incredible gratitude.' "

Marsha Wacko sent me the link to this story from her law office. Marsha got her first real job in California with the help of our Center for Independent Living.

 

 

 

"BioFuel Project Clashes with Kandy's Car Wash at Corner" reports Riya Bhattacharjee in our Planet. "A vehement burst of community protest compelled the Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) to postpone permitting BioFuel Oasis to establish a filling station at 1441 Ashby Ave. Thursday."

Is race an issue here?

 

 

"Planners Tackle West Berkeley Density, Housing Rules" writes Richard Brenneman of our Planet.

Planning Commissioners began their trek through one of Berkeley's most complex and cabalistic arts Wednesday night-deciphering the city's policies on density bonus and inclusionary housing.

Spurred by a City Council request made last spring, the city planning staff was ready to propose a zoning ordinance amendment that would have changed the law applicable to West Berkeley's mixed-use residential (MU-R) zone, easing requirements (in that area only) for developers to provide low-income housing.

But a majority of the commission wasn't willing to schedule a hearing on the proposed ordinance without first considering its overall impacts on affordable housing supplies and its relationship to city policies designed to encourage development of less expensive housing.

The inclusionary ordinance requires that 20 percent of units in projects of five or more apartments or condominums must be allocated for lower-income tenants in the case of apartments, or in condominium buildings for buyers who make less than 120 percent of area median income.

In lieu of building the units, developers may pay a city fee that is supposed to be used to build affordable units elsewhere in Berkeley.

The impetus for the council's request for the West Berkeley zoning change was its rejection of an appeal by Berkeley developer Edward Adams to build a four-unit, three-story housing project at 2817 Eighth St."

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/2/07

the new AHA (Affordable Housing Associates) complex on 9th and Ashby

 

 

 

"The Return of the Jumping Fleas! Or how we learned to stop worrying and love the ukulele" writes Ian Lendler in the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

"It is, admittedly, a long way from Hawaii. Twenty-four hundred miles, to be exact. But if you were to sail from the postcard beaches of Honolulu to Berkeley, you wouldn't know they shared the same ocean. Landing on the shores of Berkeley, you would encounter a dispiriting swath of highways and warehouses dumped there by a society that no longer needs the sea.

Among those warehouses, however, you would find one building filled with evidence that the two cities are, in fact, long-distance next-door neighbors. In West Berkeley's Sawtooth Building, a faint smell of Hawaii lingers in the air. This is the workshop of Mike DaSilva, one of America's premier ukulele-makers, and the sawdust on his
workshop floor is koa wood, imported from Oahu. In the rafters, his pet parakeet flaps and squawks above the 30 or 40 people sitting below, chatting amiably and tuning their ukuleles. Or trying to.

This is the sixth meeting of the Berkeley Ukulele Club, and many members began playing only a few weeks ago, so tuning is a skill not yet fully mastered. Some of them picked up the ukulele on a whim. Some are here because a friend convinced them it would be fun. Few are aware that by playing the ukulele, they're joining a tradition
that has deep roots in the place-memory of the bay, harking back to a time when the ocean's presence defined this shipping port that was known as the Gateway to Hawaii."

 

Da Silva is just one of the two ukulele makers in Potter Creek, the other is Pete Hurney.

And it's Pete's uke in many of the story's photos--for instance, in this shot of Tippy Canoe by Chronicle photographer Chris Stewart.

This photo by Chronicle photographer, Chris Stewart

may be purchased through the story web page.

 

 

"Solano Avenue district throws in towel: Disputes about how money was spent blamed for end to the marketing, maintenance program" reports Doug Oakley of our Times.

"The yearlong division among business owners on Solano Avenue in Albany and Berkeley is apparently coming to an end with the decision to no longer assess Berkeley businesses mandatory annual fees.

The board of Berkeley's Solano Avenue Business Improvement District voted last month not to assess its approximately 250 members yearly dues ranging from $60 to $400 each for a total of about $30,000. The dues go toward marketing and sidewalk-cleaning programs.

Following the vote by the board not to assess members in 2008, the Berkeley City Clerk's office received 147 petitions from business owners asking the Berkeley City Council to dissolve the district. The council has not yet done so, and could bring up the issue at an upcoming meeting.

But since the district board voted not to assess dues for 2008, it is, in effect, dead, said board Chairwoman Jan Snidow."

 

 

"Bears get kicked around" laments Jonathan Okanes in the Times.

"The Big Game was supposed to give Cal the kick in the pants it needed. Instead, Stanford kicked the Bears while they were down."

 

 

 

 

 

12/3/07

On page 112 of the current The Bark issue is a display of Holiday stuff for your pet, all photographed in our Sally's dinning area. Will the fame never end?

 

 

"Wood-burning ban at critical mass: Bay Area pollution control agency seems poised to enact a ban on fireplace and stove fires on bad air days" reports Denis Cuff in our Times.

 

 

"One more ring around the oak trees: Tree sitters celebrate one year on perch, vow to continue protest for as long as necessary" reports the Time's Kristin Bender.

"Tree sitters marked their one-year anniversary of oak-grove occupation Sunday with a peaceful party that included a food delivery from a group of grandmothers, two dancing bears, chocolate cake and a promise to stay in the trees another year -- if that's what it takes to save the oaks.

About 200 people stood on the sidewalk outside two chain-link fences Sunday afternoon, craning their necks upward to get a look at the guests of honor -- a dozen or so tree sitters perched on platforms and branches that are draped with pulleys, ropes, banners and bathroom buckets."

 

 

 

 

12/4/07

No

Andrew and Kirsten's condo isn't on fire

 

This is the often-seen-at-night Potter Creek cloud forming at about 6:00 AM this morning. It forms up from the ground some where around Dwight and 4th. I believe it to be vaporized waste-water.

 

"Four cities to go green together: Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond and Emeryville form alliance to nurture environmental industry" reports Katherine Tam of our Times.

Rather than be rivals, the mayors of four East Bay cities vowed Monday to work together to create a "green corridor" to do for this region what high tech has done for Silicon Valley: create jobs and revenue with the added bonus of being environmentally friendly.

Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland will nurture the green industry together and go after federal money to train locals so they can land jobs in the field. An annual summit will examine progress and how to move forward, officials said. The economic development directors for each city will hold similar local forums quarterly.

'What we're doing is putting down our cities' chauvinism and saying, 'Look, we're all part of the area and need to work together,' Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said."

 

 

 

"Lawsuit holding up city from moving U-Haul out: Council ruling meant business, which is now suing, had to close after complaints" writes Doug Oakley in our Times.

A lawsuit is keeping Berkeley's troubled U-Haul business open nearly three months after the City Council declared it a nuisance and ordered it to close."

 

 

 

Two readers from Paris

browsing not-Scrambled Eggs

 

 

"Ethanol's big player" reports the Times' Kimberly Kindy.

"Pacific Ethanol was a fledgling business in 2005 when its founder, former Secretary of State Bill Jones, persuaded state officials to give him the small but exclusive fuel deal that es

Pacific Ethanol was a fledgling business in 2005 when its founder, former Secretary of State Bill Jones, persuaded state officials to give him the small but exclusive fuel deal that established his company as a player in California's burgeoning alternative fuel market.

Two years later, that company is an ethanol empire. And Jones is the most influential champion for the fuel in the state, using his political connections and 21 years of Sacramento experience to shape =20
policies that are dramatically boosting California's thirst for ethanol -- stemming the state's dependence on gasoline, but at a cost of millions in taxpayer subsidies."

 

 

"Plan in works to stem foreclosures: Proposal to temporarily freeze mortgage rates could be set by the end of the week, Treasury secretary says" writes Martin Crutsinger of the AP.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Monday that an agreement was near on a proposal to help thousands of at-risk homeowners avoid foreclosures by temporarily freezing their mortgage rates.

One of the last remaining issues to be resolved, officials said, was the exact length of time the low teaser rates will be frozen.

Speaking at a national housing conference and in later interviews, Paulson expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached very soon, possibly before the end of the week."

 

 

Michael Caplan was just named City of Berkeley Director of Economic Planning. Michael has been reading and recommends The World Without Us. A "fantasy" in which Humankind vanishes and the earth evolves without us.

Check it out!

 

And, Zach Cowan was just named acting City Attorney.

 

 

 

 

 

12/5/07

Today is the first full-day of Hannukkah.

Zo , . . .

HAPPY HANNUKKAH!

Pete's Potter Creek rain total from Monday night through Tuesday morning is .3 inch. And Pete says this is the first rain since November 11th.

 

Dave Kruse' brief email

Yes, The World Without Us.
Excellent

 

From my Log

Tuesday, 12/4/07--2:00 PM--SERIOUS irritant in front room, wear mask, leave. 4:00 PM-- same. 5:17 PM--light-head.

 

 

"Senators focus on emissions: Boxer leads committee that will consider 150 possible amendments to legislation intended to limit warming" reports David Whitney in our Times.

"After 20 hearings and countless speeches on the Senate floor warning of the risks of failure, a key committee starts work today on historic legislation to dramatically reduce global warming."

 

 

 

This morning, Morgan and Tracy hipped me to it

and Kubik, already hip, took the photo

of a burst watermain on 10th and Carleton in the middle of the intersection drainage-construction

 

 

 

 

 

12/7/07

Pete's Potter Creek rain total for yesterday AM through this morning us 1.1 inches.

 

 

Wednesday evening a van was broken into on 8th and Grayson and Merryll's crew's tools were stolen.

In the past in Potter Creek, break-ins increased this time of year.

 

 

David Snipper, friend, neighbor and a volunteer in the raptor program on the Marin Headlands, emails about the Golden Eagle photo in my recent email.

What a great shot. Can you tell me where and when that was taken? Also may I forward it to some of my fellow birdwatchers?

David

 

Don't know. It came from a reader in New Mexico and was sent by email.

 

 

Councilman, Darryl Moore emails

Be Fit Berkeley Walk
Some of you may have heard about the Be Fit Berkeley campaign that we launched on the first of October, a City-wide public awareness campaign around physical fitness and healthy eating habits. Councilmember Capitelli and I decided to turn this into a weight-loss competition between the two of us. Councilmember Capitelli decided to have an event in his district, so I figured that I couldn't let him get the drop on me, so I thought I would tag along. Come join me and Laurieon Saturday, December 8, 9:30 am for a walk around District 5. We will meet at the North Berkeley Library, and take a casual stroll - 1 to 2 miles max. - during which we will be happy to talk about issues and concerns. This will be my second "Be Fit Berkeley" event, and for those interested in taking on the challenge, we will provide free Be Fit Berkeley T-shirts and an opportunity to win prizes from local businesses.

"Be Fit Berkeley" is a citywide, cross-district campaign to encourage Berkeley residents to exercise regularly and enjoy healthy foods. It is the Council's light hearted response to the very serious health impacts of our high fat, sedentary life styles, as outlined in the Health Department's 2007 Health status report. . . . join us on the 8th! Hope to see you there!

 

Parent Group and Computer Classes at Rosa Parks Elementary

These are some flyers, English and Spanish, for some programs that are being held at Rosa Parks Elementary. A parent group that meets every Thursday from 6PM to 7:30PM in the Family Resource Center (Free child care available), and computer classes from 6:30PM to 7:30PM. Call Lamont Snaer for more details, (510) 644-8537.

 

West Berkeley Plan Revisited

Also, if you are interested in providing input on the West Berkeley Plan revisions, the plan that guides the planning process for West Berkeley, please see that attached email from Jordan Harrison. It will be before the Planning Commission on December 12th. The Planning Commission meets at 7PM at North Berkeley Senior Center at 1901 Hearst Avenue.

If you have any questions about any of these issues/events, please feel free to call my office at (510) 981-7120

Sincerely,

Councilmember Darryl Moore

 

Here's the email from the Planning Commision

Tuesday, December 04, 2007 2:26 PM

Consideration of Increased Flexibility in the application of Development Regulations for development in West Berkeley

On December 12, 2007, the Planning Commission will begin consideration, at direction of the City Council, of potential amendments to the Citys existing development regulations to provide increased flexibility in West Berkeley. At this first meeting, staff will discuss scope and approaches to these changes. At future meetings staff will ask for direction from the Commission. The public is invited to provide comment to the Planning Commission; subsequent meetings on the topic will provide additional opportunity for public comment.

Jordan Harrison, Secretary to the Planning Commission, 510-981-7416

 

 

 

"Foreclosures reach record in 3rd quarter: Survey says number of problem loans should stay elevated as more rates readjust next year" reports the AP's Jeannine Aversa

Home foreclosures shot up to an all-time high in the third quarter, fresh evidence of the problems afflicting distressed homeowners amid the housing meltdown.

In its quarterly snapshot of the mortgage market released Thursday, the Mortgage Bankers Association said that the percentage of all mortgages nationwide that started the foreclosure process jumped to a record high of 0.78 percent during the July-to-September period. That surpassed the previous high of 0.65 percent set in the prior quarter.

More homeowners also fell behind on their monthly payments."

 

 

"Solid job gains, wage growth in Nov." writes Jeannine Avera of the AP. "Employers added a solid 94,000 jobs to their payrolls in November, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent and wages grew briskly, encouraging signs the nation's employment climate is holding up in the face of turbulence in the housing and credit markets."

 

 

"Recession expected to bypass region: Closely watched forecast says economy is strong enough to withstand slow job growth, mortgage woes" reports George Avalos in our Times.

 

 

The Wall Street Journal reports "Auto-loan defaults are ticking up to their highest level in several years amid tighter lending terms and rising interest rates."

 

And, "Productivity rose at an annual rate of 6.3% in the third quarter, the fastest in four years. Unit labor costs, a guage of inflation, fell a revised 2%."

 

Also, "Drug industry faces plunging sales as patents on some blockbusters are set to expire. Bristol-Meyers will cut 4,300 jobs as pary of a restructering."

 

 

"Big polluters forced to report emissions" writes the AP's Alicia Chang.

"California on Thursday became the first state in the nation to require oil refineries, electricity generating plants, cement kilns and other major polluters to report their annual greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2009."

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/9/07

cars in Berkeley?

here's a street-full yesterday in north-west-Berkeley

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, some Potter Creekers had no power for an hour or so, included were Geralyn and John. PG&E said it was part of a larger outage affecting about 2,000 customers. Earlier in the week, PG&E discontinued service to the wrong building at Merryll's. The house was disconnected instead of the studio. It took PG&E about two days to corect the error.

 

 

Our Tak emails

Ron

I wanted to alert you and others of us living and or working in West
Berkeley to pay attention to discussions now ongoing at the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Transportation
Commission and the State Legislature regarding the upgrading of the
capacity of Northern California's railroad network to carry more
containers. . . .

The shipping, freight companies and the Port of Oakland have applied
to the State Transportation Commission for a large allocation of funds
from the recently passed state transportation bond initiative to
upgrade the rail system from Oakland all the way through the Sierras
to carry more container cargo. . . .

What does this mean for West Berkeley? Certainly this will mean more
trains will be passing through Berkeley on the Union Pacific (formerly
SP) tracks that border our neighborhood. Both UP and Santa Fe
Railroads run freight on these tracks as well as Amtrak. This will
mean more diesel smoke from locomotives, more noise and more frequent
stopping of traffic at rail crossings. . . .

Heavier rail traffic might affect our access to Aquatic Park and our
level of enjoyment of the park once we're there. . . .

Since this is a partly publicly funded project, the opportunities for
pressing for mitigation of negative impacts will emerge at some point.
Those of us who live here might want to start thinking about what
kinds of things we might want to press for when the time comes for
public input. . . .

It is not too early to start to think and talk about this issue.

Tak Nakamoto

 

 

Our Councilman, Darryl Moore emails

More updates that I wanted you all to know about:

 

Community Assessment of Unmet Library Needs in Southwest Berkeley.

I wanted to let you know about a survey that the Berkeley Public
Library is doing to evaluate service gaps in Soutwest Berkeley.

 

Celebrate the Season with a Holiday Treat from the BREAD PROJECT

THE BREAD PROJECT is a non-profit organization that teaches students
to bake breads, pastries, and cakes; to decorate cakes; to make
soups, pizzas, and salads; and other food preparation skills.
Students also learn job readiness skills - how to write resumes, fill

out job applications, conduct successful interviews and look for
jobs. The program offers job placement assistance and follow-up
services to students and graduates for as long as they need them. Theprogram also provides a cafe management course to aspiring students.

Internships are available to graduates to manage THE BREAD PROJECT
bakery/cafe located at the training sites. A nationally-accredited
ServSafe course in food safety and sanitation is offered to enhance
the employability of our graduates. We have assisted victims of
Hurricane Katrina by providing them with marketable skills, social
support, and job referral assistance.

For baked goods, forms and detailed information call or email Ryan Lau, aid to Darryll Moore - 981-7120 rlau@ci.berkeley.ca.us

 

 

 

 

 

 

12/12/07

Two weeks ago, paint spraying equipment was stolen from the job site at Marvin and Ruth's.

 

In the last few days, Graffiti was removed--painted over-- from the back of the Xoma building on 7th and Heinz.

 

Some years ago in Scrambled Eggs, I asked if anyone could confirm that the Julius Hyman known for research on pesticides was the same Julius Hyman who had a lab on 8th and Heinz. I've since received several confirmations, including today's email.

"He's one and the same. Knew him well."

 

 

The New York Times reports "Andrew Imbrie, a prolific composer and influential teacher best known for his harmonically rugged but appealingly lyrical 1976 opera, "Angle of Repose," and for a rich catalog of chamber, vocal and symphonic scores, died on Wednesday at his home in Berkeley, Calif. He was 86.

His death was announced by Robert Commanday, the retired chief music critic of The San Francisco Chronicle, a longtime friend."

 

"Composer Karlheinz Stockhausen is dead" reports Melissa Eddy in our Times.

Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most important and controversial postwar composers who helped shape a new understanding of sound through electronic compositions, died at his home in western Germany. He was 79.

 

"Classical Music Shop Celebrates Busoni" writes Ken Bullock in the Planet.

"The premiere recording of Ferruccio Busoni's Complete Two Piano Works (EMI/Angel) will be celebrated by the Musical Offering (Bancroft Avenue below Telegraph), this Wednesday 5-7 p.m., with a reception for and signing by pianists Daniell Revenaugh of Berkeley and Lawrence Leighton Smith, currently musical director of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.

'Fantasia Contrappuntistica' and the 'Berceuse Elegiaque,' as-well-as works based on Mozart and Bach, were transcribed by Egon Petri, Busoni's protege, who later taught at Mills College in Oakland. While Busoni was composing his opera, Doktor Faust, and reducing his own concert schedule, he composed these two works for a full concert program both would play, in order to promote Petri's career.

Busoni and Petri memorabilia will be featured, including photos, as well as letters and manuscripts related to the compositions, which were recovered by Revenaugh in Europe. The public is invited, free of charge, and refreshments will be served."

 

 

"W. Berkeley Zone Change on Commission Agenda" reports Richard Brenneman of our Planet.

"Berkeley planning commissioners Wednesday will tackle the controversial issue of what the city calls a new policy of 'limited flexibility' in West Berkeley zoning.

Also on the agenda is a proposal to convert a five-unit tenancy-in-common (TIC) property at 1552-1556 Milvia St. into five condos.

While all parts of a TIC property are owned equally by all tenants, condominium units are individually held. Commissioners had no objections when the proposal for converting the two-building property was first brought before them last month.

The West Berkeley rezoning was far more controversial, and two rival proposals both failed when each failed to obtain the needed five votes, due to the absence of commissioner Susan Wengraf.

The immediate trigger was a City Council request made early this year after the council upheld a Zoning Adjustments Board vote denying a four-unit project at 2817 Eighth St.

The denial was based on the current standards for mixed use-residential zoning, a unique-to-West-Berkeley district designed to create a transition zone between the area's industrial and manufacturing zones and the inland residential districts.

Developer Edward Adams, with the support of neighbors, wanted to build a four-unit housing project where zoning standards call for six, which could be increased to seven with the city's inclusionary bonus for affordable housing.

Some commissioners wanted to stick with the current requirements, citing the city's need for more housing for lower-income residents, while others wanted to exclude Adams from the requirements so he could build the smaller project neighbors want."

 

 

"Berkeley considers role in mortgage crisis" writes the Times' Doug Oakley.

The Berkeley City Council will consider a plan tonight to give homeowners facing foreclosure one-time loans and counseling to keep up with their mortgage payments.

The council may ask the city staff to investigate how hard Berkeley has been hit by the nationwide problem of rising foreclosures and what can be done about it.

Berkeley foreclosures rose 330 percent, from 10 in the first 10 months of 2006 to 43 in the same period this year, according to DataQuick, a San Diego company that tracks real estate trends.

And the number of Berkeley homeowners behind on mortgage payments who are facing foreclosure rose 85 percent, from 67 in the first 10 months of 2006 to 124 in the same period this year.

'People who own homes may be feeling overwhelmed, and this item is to make them feel that they are not all by themselves,' Councilman Darryl Moore said. 'We're asking the city manager to come back with some programs and proposals the council can look at.' "

 

 

"Cody's President Steps Down" reports Judith Scherr of the Planet.

"Once again, changes are afoot for Cody's Books, with president and three-decade former owner Andy Ross announcing his retirement as president last week and Hiroshi Kagawa, former CEO of the corporation that bought Cody's, stepping in as interim president and head of a new ownership group.

In September 2006, Ross, after shuttering Cody's Books on Telegraph in July, met with reporters in the airy Fourth Street store to announce the sale of the business that included both Fourth Street and the San Francisco stores to Yohan, Inc., a Tokyo-based foreign publications dealer, publisher and retailer.

Introduced to reporters at the same time, Kagawa expressed an affinity for the store. 'I've loved Cody' s ever since I visited the store in 1983,' he said.

Yohan closed down the San Francisco store in April, the same month that Tokyo-based Polaris Principal Finance, an investment bank, acquired 60 percent of InterCultural Group, the holding company that has controlled Yohan since December 2006."

 

 

"WaMu cutting staff, services offered: Bank announces it will shutter home loan centers as well as exit subprime mortgage business altogether" reports George Avalos of our Times.

Washington Mutual, battling to extricate itself from a worsening mortgage quagmire, said Monday that it will chop 3,150 jobs, close nearly 200 home loan offices, shut call centers and double provisions for loan losses."

 

 

"Luxury retailers hit by middle-class scrimping: Less affluent buyers shy away from expensive items this holiday season as international shoppers pounce" writes Cotten Timberlake in the Times.

"Tiffany & Co., the world's second-biggest luxury jewelry chain, Nordstrom Inc. and Coach Inc. may see December sales growth slow in what the National Retail Federation is predicting will be the worst U.S. holiday shopping season since 2002.

Retailers that cater to America's richest consumers are losing their least affluent customers -- those who buy jewelry and designer scarves only when flush with cash --during the biggest selling season of the year. Falling home values are discouraging purchases in the fourth quarter, a period that accounts for a third of retailers'
annual earnings, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers."

 

 

 

 

12/14/07

the Foggy Gultch Band emails

For those of you doing some shopping in Berkeley this coming Sunday 12/16, stop by Cody's books (1730 Fourth Street) between 2:30 - 3:30 and hear Foggy Gulch live...

Happy Holidays from the Foggy Gulch Band!

 

More and more Holiday lights and stuff now up in The Creek. Check it out!

 

 

One of the Buttercup favorites in the '70s, were Granny Fenster cookies. Thought to be from a relative of mine, in fact, their recipe was found by manager, Mary Guenther in a 1940s Wisconsin Gas and Electric Cook Book--the Gas Company's. Further confusing their origin, during one of the first bakes, Haley, unknown to me, taped a large handwritten sign to my back reading GRANNY FENSTER

Granny Fenster Cookies

pre heat oven to 375

1 cup Butter (2 sticks)
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Raspberry Jam, Dickinson's seedless (sometimes strawberry is used)
2 cups fairly finely chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt until blended. refrigerate 1 hr.
Shape into 1" balls, roll in beaten egg whites (left over from the yolks used in cookies), then roll in chopped pecans. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet, (I use parchment paper, you can use nonstick spray also) about 2" apart, gently make indentation.
Bake 5 minutes, remove from oven, you may need to press the indentation again, fill with jam and bake another 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen

 

Richmond Ramblers Motorcycle Club, Cliff Miller's holiday recipe.

"This is a wonderful recipe, and it's just in time for the Holidays. Enjoy!

With the holidays coming, here's a fruit cake recipe that will help
take the stress out of this normally stressful time.

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups dried fruit
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 ounces lemon juice
1 cup of nuts
vodka

First, sample the vodka to check for freshness. Take a large bowl.
Check the vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality.

Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter in a large fluffy
bowl.
Add water, eggs and 1 tsp. sugar and beat again.

Make surr the vodca is still OK. Cry another tup. Turn off mixers.
Chuck in the cup of dried fruitt or something.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets struck on the beaterers, pry it loose with a
drewscriver.

Sample the vodka to check for tonsistancity. Next, sniff 2 cups of
salt. Or . . . Who cares? Check the vodka. Now sniff the lemon juice
and strain nuts.
Add one Table.

Spoon.
Of sugar. Whatever.
Grease the oven.
Turn the cake ttin 350 degrees.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Whip the bowl out the window.
Check the vidka again.

Ah, . . . forget it. Nobody likes fruitcake anyway."

 

 

"Toy donations falter in Bay Area: Contributions for children fall behind organizers' hopes" reports Sara Steffens of our Times.

Midway through the holiday toy drive season, lagging donations have prompted worries that children could be left empty-handed on Christmas."

Our firehouse -- B.F.D. Fire Station 1 -- collects gifts for children during these Holidays. The firehouse is at 2442 8th Street and you can drop off gifts there anytime. You might also drop off something for our firemen and firewomen.

 

 

"State closer to governing emissions: Ruling pressures EPA to let California regulate auto mileage standards" report Matt Nauman and Frank Davies in our Times.

In a major environmental victory for California and 16 other states, a federal court in Fresno on Wednesday upheld a bid to slash auto emissions to combat global warming, a move fiercely opposed by automakers and the Bush administration.

The fight now shifts to Washington.

A Senate vote might come as soon as today on an energy bill that says cars and trucks must meet a fleet fuel-economy average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

That's compared with 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for trucks today. The House approved the fuel-mileage increase last week."

 

12/13/07--3:14 PM--SERIOUS irritant in warehouse front, light
head, nausea, wear mask.

 

 

 

 

 

12/15/07

"Judge asks more info from UC, protesters" reports Carolyn Jones of the Chronicle.

"An Alameda County judge deciding the fate of UC Berkeley's proposed sports training center wants the university, the city and groups representing neighbors and tree-sitting protesters to provide more evidence of whether the center would lie atop the Hayward Fault."

 

 

"Judge Overturns Council Decision On Gaia Building 'Cultural Bonus'" writes Richard Brenneman in our Planet.

"Berkeley City Councilmembers acted illegally a year ago when they handed developer Patrick Kennedy a victory in the ongoing battle over the cultural uses of the Gaia Building.

That decision by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch, filed exactly one year after the council's Dec. 12, 2006 vote, ends the latest round in the ongoing battle over the city's controversial 'cultural density bonus.'

It was 'inescapable,' the judge declared, that the council's action setting forth rules for applying the bonus 'was an abuse of discretion and must be struck down.'

Roesch cited three specific discretionary abuses he said the council made in their decision, which was portrayed as implementation of a council resolution of the previous April 25 that tackled an ongoing sore point in Berkeley politics.

But just what his decision means remained a matter of dispute Thursday. "

 

"Robbers hold up string of Asian restaurants: No arrests have been made after incidents in El Cerrito,
Oakland, Union City and San Leandro" report our Times Doug Oakley

"Robbers are targeting Asian food restaurants and their patrons in several East Bay cities, according to Berkeley police, who are investigating one incident that occurred this week.

Berkeley police spokeswoman Mary Kusmiss said two gun-toting black men in their late teens or early 20s entered King Tsin on Solano Avenue about 7 p.m. Monday and emptied the cash register and the
pockets and purses of the six diners before leaving. Their take was 'several hundred dollars,' she said.

Kusmiss said robberies of Asian restaurants are 'uncommon' for the city, although there have been similar takeover-style robberies of other businesses in the past six months."

Bob Kubik emails

You no doubt have seen kids with a lemonade stand serving folks passing bye. A few days ago in Berkeley I saw a young boy selling "Organic Free Trade Coffee" by the side of the road on Solano Ave!

 

12/16/07 and following are here


Berkeley 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:

Officer Andrew Frankel, Berkeley PD - 981-5774 AFrankel@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

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