SEPTEMBER 2007
Really, just who is this
chil'?
He's Jack, Steve Smith's
boy
9/1/07
Ben, Natalie, Tracy and Morgan
have a Cal Banner hanging from an upstairs window.
Dozens and dozens and dozens
of working artists in Potter Creek? I'd nominate all the men and
women at Tippett Studios. They are not only artists but computer
graphicists and . . . magicians.
And, just what are they working
on now?
Scheduled for release on
November 21 this year is Disney's Enchanted. Of it imdb writes
A classic Disney fairytale
collides with modern-day New York City in
a story about a fairytale princess (Amy Adams) from the past who
is
thrust into present-day by an evil queen (Susan Sarandon). Soon
after
her arrival, Princess Giselle begins to change her views on life
and
love after meeting a handsome lawyer (Patrick Dempsey). Can a
storybook view of romance survive in the real world?
In one scene, Prince Edward
rides a bus through Times Square. In the
background a large poster can be seen advertising the musical
play
"Wicked," which originally featured Idina Menzel, who
plays Nancy in
"Enchanted," in the starring role.
Much more here.
And based on the Philip Pullman
novel adapted by Chris Weitz, is Golden Compass. Again, from imdb
In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far
North
to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible
experiments by a mysterious organization. In leading roles are
Nicole Kidman and Daniel
Craig.
It is scheduled for release
7, December this year.
More here.
Finally, the project for
which Tippett Studios needs a generator to power additional computors
is Spiderwicke, based on the Spiderwicke Chronicles, a series
of childrens' books about which mumsnet writes
"Surely the Lemony Snicket books are the best books EVER
to read aloud to your children?"
Read about these books here.
There is a SERIOUS year-end
deadline for this project.
"Group says [Berkeley] steel plant emits
toxic metal traces: Global Community Monitor contends tests show
manganese, nickel from Pacific Steel Casting" reports Doug Oakley of our
Times.
"Pacific
Steel Casting is showering West Berkeley's skies with toxic metal
traces that can cause cancer and neurological problems, according
to a group of activists who have been monitoring air around the
plant since May.
Global Community
Monitor, a nonprofit environmental justice group based in San
Francisco, started monitoring the air with a $25,000 grant from
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The group
released preliminary data Tuesday from 12 air monitoring sites
around Pacific Steel Casting, which has been making steel parts
such as fire hydrants, truck parts and bridge pieces in Berkeley
since 1934. It found levels of manganese and nickel much higher
than those deemed safe by the World Health Organization and the
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
The group
plans to continue monitoring through December, director Denny
Larson said.
Larson and
consultant Peter Guerrero called on Pacific Steel to shut down
the plant or install additional pollution-control devices."
Pacific Steel
Casting is featured in Zelda Bronstein's beautifully crafted mini-film
about west-Berkeley manufacturing, Made in Berkeley. Also featured in her film are
Potter Creek's Adams and Chittinden Scientific Glass and John
Phillips, Harpsichord Maker.
Our Councilman, Darryl Moore
emails about Labor Day crime in Potter Creek.
Ron,
We have sent your concern to our areawide police officer Officer
Frankel. I have asked the police department to provide greater
service to the Potter Creek neighborhood during the Labor Day
weekend.
Darryl
9/2/07
Block Party today!
The 2800 block of 9th is
closed for a barbecue between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM--food and free
music. It is being put on by the work-live units on 9th and Grayson.
Doc wants to know whaz up
with Retromobilia? No website, no info?
And Susan Wengraf emails
Ron,
Can you please send me the link for the motorcycle event on Fourth
St? I have a friend who is very interested and can't find the
original info. Thanks very much.
Susan Wengraf
First day of École
Bilingue's Fall Semester is Tuesday, September 4 with classes
beginning at 8:30 AM. They ask for the neighbors' patience with
their increased traffic between 8:00 AM --8:30 AM and 3:30 PM--4:00
PM. And, they're organizing carpools.
Acme has installed solar
panels on the roof of the old welder's building.
Tippett is working on the
roof-ventilating-units on the building they lease from Kava.
Right now Canned Food has
in stock, Ben & Jerry's ice cream bars, Ball Park franks,
and Johnsonville mild Italian sausages.
In a nationwide ESPN interview
during the Second Quarter of the Cal/Tennesse game, a University
of California official said bottom line, the new sports faciltiy
will be built in the Oak Grove, probably off-season.
Ryan Lau emails to Bob Kubik
about Tippett's generator
Hi Bob,
Just to give you the latest. We found out what the situation is
on Tippett's side. Apparently they had some major PG&E equipment
failure and were required to reduce the amperage that they were
drawing from the grid. They were unable to get the turnaround
that they needed in order to avoid shutting down the operation,
so they had to install an emergency generator to satisfy their
power demands, especially during these warm months when the grid
is already heavily burdened. Darryl and the Mayor's office are
working closely with PG&E toward expediting the service request
and we are also working with planning to see what we can do about
dampening the sound from the generator. We apologize for the inconvenience,
but we are working towards a speedy and positive resolution for
all involved. Thank you for your patience Bob.
Sincerely, Ryan Lau
Bob Kubik replies
Thanks for the follow up.
And thanks for what Tippett is putting out as the cause of this
problem. Their story is disingenuous at best! Now here is what
really happened...
Over the last several years Tippett has been installing more and
more computers in this building and also more air conditioning
on the roof to cool the computers. Each piece of equipment is
clearly labeled, by law, with the power it demands. One need only
add up all of these power demands to see what the overall power
demand is. Prudent practice is to do that when adding new equipment
and compare that with what the utility service can safely supply.
Then, when demand nears supply one asks the utility IN ADVANCE
to upgrade the service. It appears that Tippett did none of this,
but rather waited until they smelled smoke from charring insulation
to realize their situation! This was actually a very dangerous
situation that could easily have caused a fire which might have
spread to the surrounding houses.
They seem to now be blaming PG&E for their lack of prudent
planning. PG&E had no way of knowing what equipment Tippett
was installing or when it would be turned on. It isn't PG&Es
business to know when you turn on your computer(s) or how many
you have!
9/3/07
Today is Labor
Day
And a week ago Saturday was
Cal Players Day
Our Natalie, Ben, and . .
. Justin
Forsett
Great Block Party yesterday
held by the work/live folks on 9th--good food, music and pretty
much 40 people at all times. At which, Lipofsky smart-cracked
about Cal's 45-31 victory over Tennessee "Not this much excitement
in Potter Creek since the Berkeley Bowl."
And, lots of stuff about
our Bears here.
"Coffee revolutionary, Peet's founder dies
at 87: Netherlands native brought specially roasted beans to Bay
Area"
reports Blanca Torres of our Times.
"There was a time when
most people were content drinking mediocre coffee. Cup by cup,
Alfred Peet helped change that."
Last Monday, August 27th
there was a meeting of west-Berkeley neighbors to discuss the
proposed Community Benefit District for west-Berkeley. This district,
according to its proponents "shall fund all of the services
not provided by the City of Berkeley." These funds are to
be raised by a weighted assessment based on property size and
are to be paid along with, and at the same time, as the Property
Tax. The proposed services are in the nature of security, transportation
and maintenance. These services, and District policy in general,
are determined by weighted vote based on property size.
The meeting was sponsored
by an expanded Potter Creek Neighborhood Association, now an ad
hoc group of Sarah, Rick and a dozen or so members--the usual
suspects. The meeting was held in the École Bilingue facility
on 9th and Heinz and began just after 7:00 and lasted until just
after 9:00. Slightly over 100 attended, most from from the proposed
District, including Michael Goldin and other Benefit District
advocates. Notice of the meeting was given largely through leaflets,
the area being canvassed by about a dozen leafleteers including
non-resident, Zelda Bronstein. This new ad hoc group is called
the West Berkeley Concerned Neighbors.
The meeting was chaired by
Suzanne Herring, the owner of Potter Creek's Aerosol Dynamics.
After Suzanne's introductory remarks, Sarah and Rick presented
their group position which is outlined in detail in their op-ed
pieces in our Planet--a link to Rick's can be found in
my 8/4/07 post and a link to Sarah's
in my 7/30/07 post.
After their presentation,
Suzanne opened the meeting to discussion. (Of the 100 or so present
I gauged roughly 65% to be residents and 35% to be business owners.
About 30 of those present spoke.) Comments wove into these threads;
the residents were not consulted and this was being imposed upon
them, the weighted voting placed power in the hands of a few large
land-holders, the City already provides services or should, as
taxes are paid to the City for services. Also mentioned was that
the assessment could be passed onto renters/lessors who would
have no vote what-so-ever. There was general agreement among the
speakers that no one wants more taxes and that they did not want
to be part of the District. (Margret Elliott offered fact-filled,
fresh comments. A link to her Planet letter which expands
on her comments is here.)
Often these opposition speakers were greeted with to-the-barricades
applause.
Several advocates spoke,
foremost Michael Goldin who said it was his intent to bring the
community together through the Benefits District and that small
property owners had been notified and invited to participate,
that the services the District were proposing were needed, and
that the City could not afford them--this was from first hand
experience here as a resident, that an informal group had already
met and cleaned up the railway rite-of-way which included a substantial
$100,000 outlay from the Northern Pacific Railroad, and further
that the group, including our Councilman Darryll Moore, had worked
to reduce abuses by campers in west-Berkeley, and finally, that
the Benefits District could have been better explained. He received
no to-the barricades applause, though after he spoke the applause
for others lessened somewhat.
Suzanne wound the meeting
down about 8:30 and people left a little after 9:00 talking-together
in small groups.
Though an emotional meeting
it was by-and-large, civil.
There will be another meeting
of the West Berkeley Concerned Neighbors, Monday, September 10
at 7:00 PM in the 9th and Heinz, École Bilingue Campus.
The Community Benefits District
advocates are planning a mid-September public meeting to explain
the district in detail.
Was this two hours of genuine
grass-roots democracy or political theater? The activists are
directors, no doubt. Still, there is a genuine and almost fully
emotional resentment against what some small property owners perceive
as being told what to do by land-Barons.
And so, they are, according
to Karl Marx, class conscious.
9/4/07
Quote of
the week on raising taxes, from an old Boston ward-politician
as told to a young Barney Frank, now Massachusetts US Representative.
"Kid, haven't you heard the news? Everybody wants to go to
Heaven, but nobody wants to die."
École
Bilingue has a new combination-gate-lock on their 8th and Grayson
playground-gate. The old access combination no longer works. And,
over the long weekend a dozen or so Potter Creek residents were
not able to get in thru the gate and play. This included David
W; Tracy, Ben and Natalie; and me.
So, we decided
yesterday afternoon to go down to Aquatic Park to read and relax
in the shade. What I forgot is that the park is a Disc-Golf Course.
We moved twice to get out of players' ways and thought we'd found
safe haven behind a clump of bushes on a knoll, when a disc hooked
around the corner and slammed into the ground some few feet from
my head. We moved three more times before finding a sheltered
spot in a grove of trees.
There are
nude male sun-bathers in the south-end of the Park--beyond rude.
Our Sarah
stopped running in the park after encountering an otherwise completely
nude man dressed in women's undergarments.
"Berkeley rejects UC sports complex settlement:
City officials say they turned down deal because it didn't address
concerns"
reports Kristin Bender of our Times. "City Council members
late Tuesday shot down a proposal from UC Berkeley to settle a
lawsuit over the university's plan to build a $125 million sports
training center on a site straddling the Hayward fault.
The council
voted -- 7-1 with one abstention -- against the settlement offer
after a short closed-session meeting. It was a speedy vote on
a proposal the university made earlier Tuesday."
More a celebration
of Marin music culture than a business story, Joel Selvin writes
"Renowned
record store fading out: Legends, fans say bluesy goodbyes to
Mill Valley's Village Music.
Joe Burgess,
who used to live in Marin County 20 years ago, has come down from
Truckee for one last visit to Mill Valley's Village Music, scheduled
to close at the end of the month after more than 60 years
in business.
Burgess buys
a couple of Village Music T-shirts sporting the familiar logo
- a cartoon of Cab Calloway - and an old-fashioned long-player,
'The Best of the Pilgrim Travelers,' even though he admits he
no longer owns a turntable and has all his other albums in storage.
'You're the
reason I'm going out of business,' says owner John Goddard, not
unpleasantly."
Fuzzy-warm
nostalgia aside, John's out of business and I'm not. Fact is,
there is an active world-market in collectible LPs with hobbyists
in India, China, Argentina, Kuwait, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Sweden,
Germany and many, many other countries.
Portland
based ScanianKemperBardCos bought the Berkeley Tower, a building
on the corner of University and Shattuck.
9/7/07
Geralyn emails
Aloha,
Just a reminder
that the San Francisco Ukulele Festival is
this weekend.
Jake Shimabukuro
will be at Herbst Theater on Friday, September 7th.
Free music
festival on Saturday, September 8th at Yerba Buena Gardens
from 11am to 4pm.
These events
are associated with the Museum of Craft and Folk Art's
exhibit "Evolution of the Ukulele: The Story of Hawaii's
Jumping
Flea", which will be on view through October 21.
A hui hou,
Geralyn
Curious that
Bayer always and often, grooms and trims lawn and growth inside
their barbed-wired compound but the shrubbery around their parking
lot on 8th and Dwight is overgrown and unkept--in fact blocks
the side-walk.
And the shrubbery,
sidewalk, and street surrounding the French-American School on
8th and Grayson could use some maintenance. Of course, that's
seen through German-American eyes.
"Coastal cleanup event open to all" reports Ned Mackay in his Times
column.
"On
Saturday, Sept. 15, thousands of volunteers will join in California's
big annual Coastal Cleanup Day, removing trash and debris, much
of it dangerous to wildlife, from beaches and shorelines throughout
the state. If you'd like to help out, there are several local
shore areas that will be part of the effort."
The AHA project
on 9th and Ashby looks about ready for occupancy.
The trucks
hauling dirt from the Potter Creek Berkeley Bowl excavation often
exit onto Ashby thru the temporarily opened 9th Street, reducing
traffic in Potter Creek. Well, Ok then.
"Merchants feeling trampled by Stroll,
business association: Some Berkeley shopkeepers upset they pay
BID dues but don't see additional revenue during the annual event" writes Martin Snapp in our
Times.
The theme
of the 33rd annual Solano Stroll this Sunday is 'Going Green --
It's Easy.' But some merchants on the Berkeley end of the street
are seeing red.
A handful
of businesses are planning to boycott the event, which draws more
than a quarter of a million people each year. The decision culminates
a year of division that has gripped the Solano Avenue Association,
with several Berkeley merchants complaining that they've seen
little return from the money they've pumped into the organization.
Let me see
if I understand this. Berkeley merchants are boycotting a stroll
in the sun celebtrating Green because they won't make enough money.
And, another
Berkeley business owner is concerned about profit in Doug Oakley's
"Tilden
Park newt protection stirs debate. Part owner of Redwood Valley
Railway says road closures costs her business thousands of visitors
a year.
Ellen Thomsen
thinks newts are cute, but closing a road in Tilden Regional Park
for six months to save them from being run over is going way too
far."
"Sea breeze to improve hazy East Bay skies:
Haze from Moonlight fire in Plumas County still will linger a
little bit longer, officials say" reports Scott Marshall in our
Times.
"A sea
breeze is expected to begin flushing the East Bay skies of wildfire
smoke today, but the haze will hang around to some extent."
"State air board lists new emissions rules
for 2010: Proposed regulations would be part of an ambitious greenhouse
gas reduction law scheduled for the years ahead" writes Mike Zapler in the Times.
"Environmental
regulators on Thursday proposed a slate of new emissions rules
for the semiconductor, trucking and port industries -- measures
designed to kick start the state's compliance with an ambitious
greenhouse gas reduction law."
The new rules,
which would go into effect in 2010, are among the first steps
the state plans to take under AB 32, the far-reaching global warming
legislation that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed last year."
The measures
released Thursday by the state Air Resources Board represent just
a sliver of the overall reductions needed to reach the law's greenhouse
gas targets -- a roughly 25 percent reduction by 2020 -- but environmentalists
nonetheless said the proposals represent a solid step forward."
"Office property may fall"
report Hui-yong Yu and David M. Levitt in the Times.
"U.S.
commercial real estate prices may fall as much as 15 percent in
the next year in the broadest decline since the 2001 recession
as rising borrowing costs force property owners to accept less
or postpone sales."
It also may
not--this is NOT a news story.
Today's Racing the Republic Seminar information is
here and here
9/8/07
Labor Day
weekend in Potter Creek was peaceful with lots of folks out walking,
biking, skate-boarding, rollerskating and playing.
Tippett's
behind-Bob-and-Carol's-generator is now fitted with a high exhaust
stack--and for a while now has been running in what looks like
a large shipping container.
In keeping
with the better-late-than-never, Kruse Plumbing's August 22 Green
Chamber of Commerce mixer was a smashing success with about 80
people in attendance from all over the Bay Area. It lasted three
hours and began with Dave Kruse introducing founder James Carter
who spoke about the organizations' goals--food and drinks were
served.
Diana Whitehead,
Kruse' Controller organized the event. Diana is also a member
of the Green Chamber's Board of Directors. For information about
the the Green Chamber check out www.greenchamberofcommerce.net. They plan to meet every 2 months.
Tulip Graphics
has leased warehouse space across from Consolidated Printing.
Bill from
Mobility Systems stopped by yesterday morning. In addition
to providing transportation for the disabled for decades, Bill
raced dirt cars in 1980s/90s. I've been trying to get photos of
those days from him--he's still looking.
Our new mailwoman starts
this week.
Claudia emails
Ron
Thanks for pointing out the landscaping needs at the French School's
play yard. Sometimes I feel that I am being "attacked"
by all those long vines and low tree branches and was hoping that
with school starting that they would do something about that.
That plus it simply looks so unkempt.
Claudia Kawczynska
Don Yost emails
Ron
Check out the DaSilva
Ukulele Co. web site. Go to the schedules for this
Sunday and scroll down to Kimo's info. This should be a great
event . . . either the
workshop or the concert.
Don
About a film edited in Potter
Creek's Fantasy Studios Patricia Yollin writes
" The making of a feel-good film: 2 Bay Area women trace
the (shocking) history of vibrators
Bay Area filmmakers Wendy
Slick and Emiko
Omori never imagined that it would take more than seven years
to make a documentary about one electrical appliance. They were
wrong.
Their subject was the history
of vibrators.
'Wendy and I both came out
of the sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll
generation,' Omori said. 'We thought we knew it all. We hardly
knew
anything.'"
I met Wendy and Emiko at
lunch a week or so ago at 900
GRAYSON. I was with Marvin and Ruth,
and Emiko, a friend of Ruth stopped at our table.
Marvin and Ruth were having
Grayson Burgers.
900's Demon Lover recipe should be widely available
soon--it's their waffle, fried-chicken and gravy.
I understand that Zelda Bronstein
has requested information from the City about our proposed Community
Benefit District under the Freedom of Information Act.
9/9/07
Marvin Lipofsky just had
a Birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
you Ole Fart!
Find out a lot more about
Marvin here.
And maybe more than
you want to
here.
There will
be a meeting of the ad hoc committee opposing the west-Berkeley
Community Benefit District, tomorrow, Monday, September 10 at
7:00 PM in the École Bilingue 9th and Heinz Campus. Organizer,
Sarah Klise stresses that she wants the meeting to form a PLAN
OF ACTION.
"We
have met the enemy and he is us" Pogo.
9/10/07
Yesterday
I talked to Amy for a while, a Potter Creek resident for a year
and a half who is leasing a condo with her roomate in Kava's 8th
Sreet complex. During our conversation she explained what she
liked best about Potter Creek in order; it's quiet at night; there
are lots of good restaurants here--she's a gourmet who has taken
advanced cooking-classes; and there are great neighbors--we are
friendly, helpful, etc.
What she
doesn't like is the crime and vandalism. Even with her two dogs
she doesn't feel safe walking at night in all parts of Potter
Creek, and cars of residents in her and surrounding complexes
are broken into regularly. Then, there was the "strange woman"
at the corner of 8th and Heinz who bated her dogs last week.
She had to
leave after ten-or-so minutes for her Italian roomate's folks
were here from Italia and all were going to the Napa Valley for
a Sunday afternoon of food and wine.
Seen at 900 during lunch today were Margret and David,
Phil Tippett and guest, the Fantasy crew, and many more.
"Berkeley may tell U-Haul to pack it up:
Neighbors are 'pretty much fed up' with parking problems caused
by too many trucks in the lot" reports Doug Oakley of our Times.
"Berkeley
may soon close the U-Haul on San Pablo Avenue after trying for
10 years to get the business to stop parking trucks on public
streets.
"Neighbors
have complained that overflow trucks from the business block their
driveways and take up street parking."
Miltiades
emails about the aftermath of his west-Oakland community meeting
Victor Ochoa,
Dellums' Deputy Chief of Staff, who showed up in the mayor's stead
at the West Oakland community meeting I organized in July and
who made the comment that he wasn't aware that the MLK corridor
was a particularly crime-ridden area - a comment which was reported
in the press (by Chip Johnson) has been canned, along with Dellums'
former press secretary. We all hope the "reorganization"
has a salutory effect.
9/11/07
Isa
Preparing
to leave Mexico City for France, there to begin her Doctoral program.
Isa emails
I'm working
so much right now, I need to finish my thesis, but that's
ok because I'm leaving in a month !
I'm sending you a few pictures taken during the last months.
Love and respect,
Isa
Perhaps a
recipe will follow from Paris.
"French School Celebrates 30 Years" reports Riya Bhattacharjee
in our Planet.
"Merci
is a word that's thrown around quite a bit at Ecole Bilingue,
East Bay's oldest bilingual school, and it's not just because
its 500-odd students have a lot to thank their teachers for.
Conversational
French is encouraged at this private French-American institution
located in West Berkeley, and teachers, students and parents can
be spotted talking fluent French at any given point of the day."
"Fiddling around in Berkeley: Fifth annual
fest celebrates American music -- and irreverence" reports our Times.
It might
be thousands of miles away from the Blue Ridge Mountains, but
beginning Thursday, Berkeley's going to sound a lot like the heart
of Appalachia.
Dozens of
local and visiting performers and their fans will descend on venues
throughout the city for the fifth annual Berkeley Old Time Music
Convention, a free-wheeling celebration of early American music."
9/12/07
Last Saturday,
Pete and Geralyn attended the Jake
Shimabukuro
ukulele performance at Herbst Theater in San Francisco. After
the concert, Geralyn presented Jake with a lei, on stage BUT before
the show, Pete recorded a Jake-Schimabukuro-ukulele-minute for his KALX
Alternate Tunes series.
Pete's next
Alternate Tuning features the machete, the uke's predecessor.
I've heard an early mix and it's an extraodinary, fact-filled
and entertaining effort. I believe Koelani, Geralyn, is the cohost.
(Jake Schimabukuro's ukulele minute
will be on a later show.)
Also, during this Saturday
afternoon Herbst Theater show, Tippy and Uni performed on Pete's
ukes.
"State Cites Health Hazards at Richmond
Field Station"
reports Richard Brenneman in the Planet.
"Hazardous
metals and chemicals at UC Berkeley's Richmond Field Station pose
potential threats to the health of children who play in its marshland
and workers who dig in its soil, state scientists have concluded."
"East Bay primed for housing slump: Market
is particularly vulnerable to a downturn that could be the
worst in 25 years, economist predicts" reports George Avalos in the
Times.
"The
East Bay is among the regions most vulnerable to a slump in California's
housing market, a downturn that could be the worst in a quarter-century,
an economist said Monday.
A previous
boom in residential construction and the subsequent collapse of
home sales has imperiled fast-growing regions of the East Bay
such as eastern Contra Costa County and the Dublin-Pleasanton-Livermore-San
Ramon areas. And in a grim forecast, home sales activity could
plunge more deeply by the end of the year, Robert
Kleinhenz, an economist with the California Association of Realtors,
told a conference meeting in San Francisco."
9/13/07
Today is
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a celebration of new
beginnings.
About 6:30
this morning there was an attempted break-in to the food-locker
at 900 GRAYSON. Anthony, one of the owners,
was notified by the alarm company at 6:39 and arrived at the restaurant
about 7 AM--Officer White from Berkeley PD arrived just a little
later.
The flood-lights above the locker-door were removed from their
sockets and the door was pried open with a 4-5 foot crowbar. The
burglar set off the motion-sensor and left, dropping the crowbar.
Parts of a syringe were on the ground to the right of the door.
Berkeley
PD CSI was called and examined the scene. Our Berkeley PD Area
Co-ordinator, Officer Andrew Frankel will also be informed.
Of an expanding
Potter Creek business Janis Mara writes in the Times "Founder
of law self-help firm returns: Publisher in Berkeley adding to
its online offerings, hiring workers as co-founder steps up."
"A pioneer
of the do-it-yourself law movement is returning from semi-retirement
to lead the charge at Berkeley's Nolo Press, which is expanding.
Ralph 'Jake'
Warner, who co-founded Nolo in 1971 with his wife, Toni Ihara,
and their fellow attorney Ed Sherman, has replaced David Rothenberg
as the company's chief executive. Warner left day-to-day operations
three years ago, though he continued to serve as chairman of the
board of directors.
Warner had
no comment as to why Rothenberg is leaving, but he praised the
departed executive, saying, 'David Rothenberg was the best CFO
we ever had. He stepped up and became CEO for a couple of years.
We all
owe David a big debt of gratitude.'
With Rothenberg
stepping down after more than 10 years, the company is beefing
up its Web offerings, adding video and other Web 2.0 associated
features. Nolo is also hiring, looking to recruit about a dozen
new employees. The privately held company 'grew 10 or 12 percent
last year, and we anticipate about 20 percent for 2007,' said
Warner."
"Armed robberies spike around UC Berkeley" writes Doug Oakley in the
Times.
"UC
Berkeley students are being kicked, punched and robbed at gunpoint
in an alarming wave of violent crime on and around campus since
they started returning in late August.
Armed robberies
on campus and in the nearby neighborhoods usually increase at
the start of the school year, according to police. But this year,
the number of robberies has gone way up."
"Forecast predicts short East Bay recession:
Economists say housing slump will cause a downturn for East Bay
in the next six months" writes George Avalos in our Times.
"The
housing market slump is likely to shove the East Bay into a recession,
albeit a short one, in the coming six months, a forecast released
today predicted.
By late this
year or early next year, the Alameda County-Contra Costa County
area has a 75 percent chance of suffering from job losses and
income erosion. The chances of a mild slowdown in economic activity
are just one in four, according to the report by two California
economists, including a former analyst with the closely watched
UCLA Anderson Forecast."
"Incomes lagging behind home values" reports Stephen Ohlemacher
of the AP in theTimes.
"An
Associated Press analysis of new census data provides insight
into the reasons for the slumping housing market: Since 1990,
homeowners have faced a growing gap between their incomes and
the price of their homes."
The widening
gap in all but a handful of the nation's 500 largest cities helped
make the recent boom in housing prices unsustainable, according
to analysts. The rising prices were fueled largely by low interest
rates and risky borrowing, rather than increasing incomes."
Listener
sponsered KCSM-FM, jazz radio, is having its Fall Pledge Drive.
Check
it out!
9/14/07
Pete and Geralyn's next Alternate
Tunings features the machete, the ukulele's predecessor. The show will air next
Wednesday, September 21 at 9:00 AM on KALX. It's an exceptional
effort, filled with information and music. Their
interview with ukulele historian and player, John King is the
program's highlight. Though most memorable are the pieces played
by John and guitarist friend, Richard Long which were written
for the machete and guitar in the 1800s, especially a 1846 Maderan
waltz--remarkably like sophisticated Viennese music of the time.
Extraordinary stuff!
Why is this
old white man linking to this Rap group? Because they're cousins
of my young black friend who I respect. So, . . . check out 2heated here!
And our Koz is promoting
TEASE-O-RAMA--October 5th and 6th, Bimbo's Club, San Francisco.
"America's FIRST weekend-long convention dedicated to the
foxy-fabulous and all-around over-the-top world Burlesque."
Check the details out here!
This morning,
a worker was policing the grounds outside the Bayer/City Parking
Lot on 8th and Dwight. At the same time, a large machine was vacuuming
up waste-paper which was spread all-over 8th Street south of Dwight.
Potter Creek's
old clean-up-man was working yesterday, policing the area with
his black bag and pick-up-stick.
And, last
week, an old-scarfed-woman was sweeping the sidewalk in front
of the building on the south-west corner of San Pablo and Ashby.
I noticed
an increased police presence today.
City services
in Potter Creek? Both City Parking Enforcement Officers and City
Hazard Material Specialists have been working hard down here.
While looking
at my 1940s' US Commemorative stamps, I was struck by a 1947,
3-cent Joseph Pulitzer issue. Emblazoned across it is "OUR
REPUBLIC AND ITS PRESS WILL RISE or FALL TOGETHER." Seems
right.
Thinking
about going to Europe? Be aware, the WSJ reports that "The
dollar hit its lowest mark on record against the Euro, which ended
the session at $1.3906."
The European
Central Bank pumped about $104 billion in three-month credit into
money markets, its second injection of longer-term funding in
recent weeks reports the WSJ.
And, the
WSJ reports that a federal judge ruled Vermont can restrict vehicles'
greenhouse emissions and that it is a decision likely to draw
an industry appeal.
Our
Councilman, Darryl Moore emails about events important to the
Community
The first
is a Shoreline Clean-up on Saturday, September 15th. Everyone
should be ready at the staging area, the SeaBreeze Market on University
Ave. and Frontage Rd, at 9AM. If you'd like to learn more about
this, please visit: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/marina/marinaexp/cleanup.htm
The second
is a public hearing on the U-Haul at 2100 San Pablo (at Addison)
at Tuesday, September 18th at City Council. If you have been affected
by U-Haul's operation, September 18th is a prime opportunity to
address the City Council on whether or not the city should revoke
the business' use permit. It is difficult to say what time it
will come before City Council, but I would venture to say that
8PM is a safe time to show up. If you would like to learn more
about the history of this case, please go to http://www.cityofberkeley.info/council2/UHaulStaffReport.pdf
for the full
Zoning Adjustment Board staff report.
The third
is a Community Action Forum on the 2007 Health Status Report on
Tuesday, September 25th from 6:30 to 8:30PM at St. Paul AME Church,
2024 Ashby Avenue (at Adeline). As a response to the results of
the 2007 Health Status Report, that demonstrated that we still
have some significant health disparities in Berkeley and that
despiteour past efforts we have not made as much progress as we
would have liked, the Berkeley Public Health department is holding
a Community Action Forum. This will not only be a community education
experience to make people more aware of the type of public health
issues that affect your community, but it will also be opportunity
to become part of the solution. For more information, please go
to http://www.cityofberkeley.info/news/print.asp?id=3D22362
And for a printable flyer, please go to http://www.cityofberkeley.info/council2/ActionForumFlyer.pdf
The fourth
is a Town Hall meeting for the Public Commons for Everyone Initiative
(PCEI) proposal. As part of the research and policy-making process
for PCEI, the City is hosting a large public meeting to discuss
our goals for our shared public areas, as well as our commitment
to protecting people's civil rights and providing necessary services.
It will take place on Saturday, September 29th, 2007 from 10AM
to 1PM at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901Hearst Ave. For
more information, please go to http://www.cityofberkeley.info/council2/PublicCommonsMeetingFlyers.pdf
The fifth
is a Community Walk on Wednesday, October 3rd at 7PM at El Nopal,
3136 Sacramento St. The concept of the Community Walks really
came as a response to much of the crime issues that have arisen
lately, ie. shooting incidences, graffiti, property crimes. We
thought that the best way to combat crime in a proactive way is
to help build community and this way, as a community, we can approach
the issue in a much more comprehensive manner. The route hasn't
quite yet been hammered out, but as soon as we finalize it we
will make sure to provide that for people. Remember, the best
way to resolve problems is as a community, we hope to see you
there.
9/15/07
Acme Bread
has applied to Bay Area Air Quality for a Emergency Diesel Engine
Powered Generator that will be used for providing mechanical or
electrical work during emergencies. There is a 30-day period for
a response to this proposal. Public comment ends October 12. Email
echeng@baaqmad.gov or phone (415) 749-5122 Box
6.
Did you hear
close-by-sirens around 10 AM this morning? Well, an independent
production company was filming a bright-red Piedmont FD paramedic-unit
for a movie on stroke prevention, the camera-man shooting the
ambo driving north on 8th "responding to a call," then
a few close-ups.
Yesterday
at 900, Tippett's women-computer-graphicists
filled the ten-top to overflowing--quite a scene.
Today, Tippett
is moving equipment from the apparently overloaded 10th Street
facility to their Grayson place.
I got a brief
look into one of our artisits-work-live-units this week. But really
didn't get much further than the foyer. There, as you open the
door you see a high ceiling, ceiling-high "sculpture."
It's a wonderfully preserved bare-aluminum tailplane of a Lockheed
T-33 trainer mounted flat on the wall. Beautifully made with flush
rivets, it is here covincingly presented as art, yet still it
remains a important piece of aviation history. The T-33 was the
trainer version of the P-80 "Shooting Star," our first
really operational jet fighter. (They bought the tailplane surplus
at the Oakland Airport.)
The Kruse
girls and guys are going really Green, not just the now more-common,
washing Green.
Two people
from the City of Berkeley are taking a transportation survey down
here--they're, fresh, young and real, and asking questions about
how you get around.
I met CL
Cook this morning, a Parking Enforcement Officer with the City
of Berkeley and one of the best informed people I've recently
met. A philosopher, economist and sociologist, he talks common
sense. Seems that if I've thought about it, he's figured it out.
Made my day! He also told me there are more unregistered vehicles
and parking violators here than anywhere in Berkeley that he's
worked.
Wareham Security
was seen regularly on 8th Street today--probably driving between
their 7th Street and 9th Street properties.
How to be
heard by City Hall? A very thoughful member of our city government,
with experience in hearings, suggests that rather than waiting
for your three-minutes-of-expression at a city meeting, write
a letter. He values them much more.
9/16/07
Ron,
. . . Friday
night, gang members driving a car down 4th street near Channing
crashed into my brother's car in the wee hours. Gina, Michael's
little daughter climbed upstairs to [tell] her parents that there
were a lot of flashing lights outside. It turns out the gang members
abandoned the car but were not far off, as at least one of them
seemed to be injured from the crash. . . .
Actually,
this also happened last year, but Michael and Debra's car was
parked inside. That time, with nothing to stop it from happening,
car met building.
Take time
to report crime!
Steve Goldin
The property
between 9th and 10th on the north side of Parker is being cleaned-up--trimmed,
vacuumed, swept-- by a worker this morning.
It's just
west of our "Bakery Cafe" where you can get a delicious,
traditional California Breakfast. The "Bakery Cafe"
was greatly influenced by the Buttercup and The California Breakfast.
The
Buttercup and The California Breakfast
And just
what is The California Breakfast that Richards and Mike Haley
invented? Well, it's most likely the eggs-breakfast that you now
have when you eat out. (But, as breakfast is the lowly meal, you
probably haven't even thought about that.)
Yet, it's
important to remember that Richards and Mike Haley not only developed
The California Breakfast but they made breakfast a proper and
respectable meal out.
Mike, as
long as I can remember, loved his morning meal best. When we lived
together on Carl Street in San Francisco in the '50s, Mike would
sometimes make breakfast for both of us, and I too came to love
this meal.
Years later,
when Mike and Richards lived together, Richards would make Mike's
favorite, adding her own Georgian touch. An excellent cook from
the South, Richards was well aware of the hearty country breakfast.
So in the
'70s, when they bought the Buttercup Bakery and Coffee Shop on
College Avenue and made it into a bakery and restaurant, it was
only natural for them to make it into a breakfast-restaurant.
(Understand, at that time there were coffee-shops and diners but
not proper breakfast restaurants.) Simply, Richards knew about
the Southern country breakfast and Mike loved breakfast best.
This was the start.
If there
was an exact moment when The California Breakfast Out came into
being I suppose it was when Richard's started making Michael's
favorites for the restaurant: Fresh-eggs, quality meats, home-fries
with onions and sour cream, and a good toasted-bread were part
of Michael's morning meal at home. (Occasionally I was at their
house at breakfast time and it was always a treat.)
Then, I suppose
if you own a bakery-restaurant it's natural to offer fresh baked-goods
with the meal: And early-on you could substitute a pastry for
toast. Bagels and croissants were also offered, but bagels and
croissants were still popularly thought of as foreign food and
breakfast is a very American meal. Also, it is important to remember
that at this time breakfast out was pretty much a meal you had--often
rushed--before your day's work. It was not so much a special meal--and
social event--as it was just a way to get food before working.
Kruse Plumbing was then down the street, and I remember some of
the original customers were plumbers having breakfast before going
to a job. There were also truck drivers who stopped before their
run as well as milkmen taking their break.
(Perhaps
the fruit garnish was added when it became apparent to all that
breakfast was now social, even special.)
So there
you have it; The California Breakfast Out. Was this just a variation
of the country breakfast that, through good-timing, people found
pleasure in eating in a restaurant? Is California Cuisine just
fish and under-cooked vegetables?
Of course
not.
Many people,
other than Mike and Richards, were involved in making the Buttercup.
Moe Moskowitz lent money and support, Mary Guenther provided heart
and soul, Karl Mullis provided color and was a hard worker, Suze
Orman found-herself and brought loyal customers, and Nancy Lawrence
at Wells Fargo Elmwood was simply indispensable. She was always
there. (Oh, Nick Victor, with failing health and eyesight, and
preoccupied with his business and building two large warehouses,
took time to give sound, solid business advice. ) Me? It was a
place to hang out.
Cal banner's
out at Ben's again.
9/17/07
Jim, glass-artist
and former tenant at ActivSpace emails
Ron
About 3 1/2
years ago I was looking for studio space
in West Berkeley, wanting to settle in an arts-friendly
area. With the Sawtooth building having a two to three
year wait, I checked out the ActivSpace building.
After all, their signage read "Art - Hobby, and
Business". I talked to the then Manager, Jamie, and
she said 'we love artists here at ActivSpace'. She
said they had about 70 to 80 artists in the building
doing a wide variety of different artwork and
ActivSpace was all about supporting artists. I was
shown different spaces in the building and asked about
the spaces on the 7th street side of the building.
These were the Storefronts and the most expensive
spaces ActivSpace had. I was told that retail was not
allowed but as long as a person made the product on
site there would be no problem selling out of their
storefronts. Wow -- a dream come true, having a studio
to work and sell out of. The extra cost of the space
seemed a small cost compared to the benefits of
selling out of one's space.
It took a
while for more artists and craftpeople to
make the move to the storefronts but things were
looking up. At one time there were 9 of us working
together utilizing display windows and keeping regular
business hours. We were attracting walk-in foot
traffic and people would stop, park and shop. We had
other artists in the building wanting to be a part of
doing business in the storefronts. When we lost an
active member of the group, another would take their
place to help us all collectively build our business.
The managers
of ActivSpace assured us that they were
screening people to insure a good mix of unique and
one of a kind shops in the hopes of making ActivSpace
a destination not unlike 4th Street in the early days.
What happened instead was people would move in and
never be seen and the space would look empty.
Remember the cost of a storefront is charged at retail
prices so unless there's sales, it's hard to absorb
the cost. The managers seemed to be willing to work
with us on a number of issues but had to get approval
from the ownership and that's where things fell apart.
The suggestions
offered were simple and of either no
cost or low cost to the ownership. 1) Public
directory, 2). separate list of rules governing anyone
wishing to rent a storefront, i.e., display, temporary
signage, regular business hours, etc. Also, many
people from a 2 to 3 block radius park their cars in
front of the building during the hours of 9:30 a.m. to
4:30p.m. because no one messes with their cars but
with little or no parking, customers stay away. The
ownership would not consider asking for a 1.5 hour
parking limit in front of the ActivSpace building.
ActivSpace
has lost a lot of the artists over the last
2 years (partly due to rent increases) and is running
at about 75% capacity. There are about 4 or 5
vacancies of storefronts with several more being used
as storage space and another 3 spaces being used for
retail space. For a business promoting ART, it has
done little to support artists or the Arts. At a time
when many cities across America view the Arts and
Crafts movement as a valuable industry, why then is
the city looking the other way?
Best regards,
Jim
"Uncertain future: Berkeley store will
be remodeled, may stay closed"
reports Martin Snapp of our Times.
"Elmwood
Hardware, a Berkeley neighborhood icon since 1923, will close
Oct. 1 for extensive remodeling, and owner Tad Laird said 'he
chances are only 50-50 that it will ever reopen.
'The store
isn't losing money,' he said. "But the property absolutely
needs to have about $4,000 to $5,000 in upgrades, and I'm not
sure I can afford that.'
Laird said
the building, which was declared a city landmark last year, needs
to be seismically retrofitted and brought up to standards of the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
'Plus, we
have no running water, our heat comes from a ceiling heater with
an asbestos flue, and the electrical wiring is so old, every computer
in the store is on a battery backup. So you hear a click every
time we turn on the paint shaker.'
He had hoped
to fund the remodeling by adding two senior housing apartments
to the second floor.
But that
was effectively blocked by the Elmwood zoning ordinance, the strictest
in the city, which would have required him to go through the costly
and time-consuming process of applying to the Zoning Adjustments
Board for a variance.
'I've been
told it could cost me $40,000 to $50,000 in legal fees, with no
guarantee of success at the end,' he said. 'I don't have that
kind of money.' "
Miltiades
Mandros, architect, presevationist and west-Oakland activist writes
about trains, train-stations and Oakland's old Central Station
My regular
jogging (the reality: trudging) route through the mean
streets of Oakland takes me past the long-closed and extremely
decrepit main train station way out on the west edge of the city.
This stalwart survivor from the past was erected square in the
tradition of the great neo-classical behemoths built a hundred
years
ago to trumpet the importance of a city when railroading was in
its
primacy in America. This great sleeping giant is fully two-thirds
the
size of Grand Central Station in New York. Similarly, it was called
Central Station.
On a number
of occasions over the last forty years, it narrowly
escaped demolition, then slowly slipped away into not-so-benign
neglect. Every day I plodded by, I wished I could find a way to
slip
into the boarded-up interior. I even snuck through the chain-link
fence on one or two occasions, but found no way inside - until
today,
that is. Today, as I huffed and puffed by, I saw the gates
surrounding the abandoned property festooned with balloons - and
open! With not a second thought I detoured the hundred yards up
to
the massive and now open front doors. Inside I basked in the sight
of
the derelict but astounding central hall with its sixty foot high
ceiling. The musty hundred year old air was pure elixir. Barely
detectable traces of immense murals festooned the end walls along
the
long axis. Photos of the building from its salad days were placed
all
around. It seems that this noble relic is to be recycled into
some
kind of urban shopping mart or arcade somewhat akin to what is
done
in other cities that have managed to save their old railroad stations.
While adaptive
reuse is certainly far preferable to demolition, for
me it's a bit sad to see such edifices not again used for their
original purposes. Oakland's current Amtrak station is little
more
than a two-bit shed. There are worse, however. The station in
St.
Louis is a prefab metal box.
When I used
to visit my cousins in Steubenville as a young
kid, I would spend countless summer hours down by the tracks which
ran along the Ohio River watching seemingly endless freight trains
hauling coal and steel ore back and forth to the mills. Then,
when I
was at OSU twenty years later, I used to regularly visit [a friend],
who
worked at Columbus' humongous Corinthian-columned main station.
By
that time it was closed as passenger station but was still open
as a
freight depot. Going inside the belly of the beast was always
a
treat, just the same.
"Ice loss opens Northwest Passage"
reports
the BBC. "The most direct route through the Northwest
Passage has opened up fully for the first time since records began,
the European Space
Agency (Esa) says.
Historically,
the passage that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through
the Canadian Arctic has been ice-bound.
But the agency
says ice cover has been steadily shrinking, and thisyear's drop
has made the passage navigable.
The findings
- based on satellite images - have raised concerns about the speed
of global warming."
Of one England's largest mortgage lenders the BBC reports
"Northern
Rock shares plunge 32%.
Shares in one of the UK's largest mortgage lenders, Northern Rock,have
fallen 32% after it had to ask the Bank of England for emergency
funding.
But experts
and officials insist that Northern Rock, which has 113bn in assets,
is not in danger of going bust.
Despite the
reassurances lines of customers formed outside many Northern Rock
branches around the UK."
"Hedgehog survives 40-degree wash" reports the BBC.
The hedgehog
had been nesting in a pile of washing by the machine. A hedgehog
is recovering after surviving a spin in a 40-degree washing machine
cycle.
The female
creature was nicknamed Lucky by staff who have been caring for
her at the Brent Lodge wildlife hospital, near Chichester, in
West Sussex.
Hospital
manager Penny Cooper said the hedgehog wandered into a private
home and burrowed into a pile of washing that was then put into
the machine.
Lucky is
now being cared for by a hospital volunteer in Hampshire'
Ms Cooper
said she was undergoing rehabilitation care before being given
a 'soft release' back into the wild."
9/18/07
Acme expects
a 50% cut in their electric power cost with their extensive array
of solar panels. However, some of this saving will be off-set
by a recent 50% increase in the cost of flour.
Does Acme
Bread, our Potter Creek bakery, need a back-up power generator
for emergencies? Well, I've used mine half-dozen--dozen times
in the last 10-15 years--really saved my tush on those two Saturdays
with no PG & E service, what-so-ever.
Gene Agress'
house and garden were recently filmed by HG-TV for a future show
on the House and Garden Network.
The WSJ writes
of CAL's Business School "HAAS takes new tack on investing"
as "MBA students to begin focusing on socially responsible
investing."
Bay Area
personality and Trad-Jazz trombone player, Mal Sharpe emails about
his band, Big Money . . . "Playing in the San Francisco Airport"
Well, we're
actually going a few exits past the airport to
Burlingame-Broadway Exit. This Thursday night, Sept 20,
we will be at the wonderful Broadway Grill in Burlingame at 7:30.
Lady
Mem'fis will be with us. She's from New Orleans by way of Baton
Rouge.
She loves singing with our band. Dave Getz, the drummer with Big
Brother and The Holding Company will be there too---as well as
the regulars.
My old friend,
the publicist, Kenny Wardell helped set up this gig. We
worked together back at "The Camel" KMEL in the early
80s--- then he
was the publicist for KTVU for 10 years. He wrote a press
release which has some amusing personal inaccuracies plus an old
photo, which he grabbed online, taken at the historic Alligator
Ball
in 1992. It's fun to see some of the band members who
are still with us. Kenny is the best and is working with the Broadway
Grill to make music a big part of their lifestyle.
Nick, the
owner, who also runs Lefty O'Doul's in Union Square
told me, confidentially, that there will be other food options
if you
cannot go for the big $50 Prix Fixe meal.
We are looking
forward to this gig and to seeing you seated at a
place that has TABLECLOTHS!
Mal also
has a program on KCSM on Sunday night.
9/19/07
On Wednesday,
19 September, 1893 New Zealand became the first country to introduce
universal suffrage, following the women's suffrage movement led
by Kate Sheppard.
"Property owners won't be bothered about
graffiti : After calls from angry recipients, city is rewriting
notice that threatens $500-a-day fine" reports Doug Oakley in our
Times.
"Berkeley
is trying 'a little more honey and a little less mustard' to get
property owners to remove graffiti and has stopped sending out
a Notice of Violation that threatens a $500-a-day fine.
"Default numbers continue to climb: Foreclosure
filings more than double from last year as homeowners struggle
with mortgages"
writes Barbara E. Hernandez in he Times.
"The
number of foreclosure filings reported in the United States last
month more than doubled from last August and jumped 36 percent
from July."
9/20/07
"Mortgage woes 'exceed
forecasts'" reports
BBC News "Losses from sub-prime mortgages have far
exceeded 'even the most pessimistic estimates', US Federal Reserve
chairman Ben Bernanke has said."
Goldman's
managers of the flagship Global Alpha hedge fund promised to better
handle borrowing and shrink the funds size reports the WSJ.
9/21/07
Merryll will
begin remodelling very soon and has posted part of the street
in front of her property on 8th Street as a Construction Zone.
As construction developes her entire frontage will be needed and
Merryll has aquired and paid for the proper permits to post and
use this entire area.
École
Bilingue has a new lock on their 8th Street playground-gate. For
the new access codes call Libby at the school between 8: 00 AM
and 4:30 PM for an appointment. Her phone number is (510)-549-2851.You
have to go to the Middle School and meet her.
Yesterday
a maintenance crew was tidying-up the work-live property on the
corner of 9th and Pardee.
Bob Kubik
forwards an email sent to echeng@baaqmad.gov
at Bay Area Air
Quality.
I received
your Public Notice on permit application #16277 in the mail. I
have no problem with Acme Bread installing an emergency generator,
but I do have a question. My neighbor Tippett Studio has installed
a huge diesel generator that is running 11 hours a day 5 or 6
days a week. They said it was for an emergency that would last
3 weeks, but it has now run for 4 weeks and they can give me no
date when it will be shut down. Don't they need a permit too?
Chris Readway
writes about graffiti in our Times. "A
communitywide effort in San Jose has resulted in a 99 percent-plus
drop in tagging and other graffiti since 1997, according to Rob
Boyles, who addressed the Richmond Beautification Committee this
week.
Demand for
the secrets and success of the San Jose program has been so great
that Boyles and Rick Stanton, recently retired from that city's
recreation department, have formed a consulting firm to start
similar programs elsewhere. . . .
The reasons
for an aggressive eradication program are well-documented, the
two said. Graffiti lowers property values, instills fear, invites
other crime and diminishes an area's self-worth. . . .
Boyles
asked audience members at the committee meeting how they feel
when they see graffiti; responses ranged from 'anger' to 'disgust'
to 'violated' to 'sad' . . .
[italics mine]
When Stanton
was charged with setting up the San Jose program, his first step
was to send city workers to every street to inventory all the
tags. The initial count in 1997 was 71,541 tags.
'It was way
more than everyone expected,' he said. By contrast, the 2006 survey
counted 129 tags. Over that same time, the program grew from 124
volunteers to 3,221.
There is
no single approach to tackling the problem and discouraging persistent
taggers, they said. . . .
'If your
strateg' is to paint it over as soon as it happened, it's not
going to work," Stanton said. 'They're just going to come
back over and over.'
What does
work, he said, is a multifaceted approach that engages city agencies,
outside jurisdictions such as BART and Caltrans, and strong community
involvement. Stricter penalties for those caught tagging also
must be enacted, they said. . . . [italics mine]
Asked if
Richmond has the financial resources for such a program, City
Councilman and Beautification Committee Chairman Tony Thurmond
said, 'Personally, I do. If you can't use redevelopment funds
to
eradicate blight like this, what can you use it for?'
In contrast
to those asked who feel 'anger' to 'disgust' to 'violated'
to 'sad' when they see graffiti, Rick Auerbach, one of our
community activists, believes tagging sometimes inhances. A view
shared by some in the "Art Community."
9/22/07
Geralyn reports
that Pete's Potter Creek rain gauge shows .24 inches from yesterday
through this morning.
Sally's off
to Italia tomorrow.
Our
Councilman, Daryl Moore
emails
Dear South
and West Berkeley Neighbors,
Some of you may have heard that my office, in conjunction with
the Office of Economic Development, was planning a meeting to
discuss the proposal for a possible of a Community Benefit District
in West Berkeley scheduled for September 27th. We have decided
to postpone the meeting because the Steering Committee of the
West Berkeley assessment district (CBD) has decided to respond
to feedback and concerns brought up at the September 10th meeting
at the Ecole Bilingue French school. Although we would like to
be as timely as possible, the Steering Committee is trying to
be as responsive to the the community's concerns and needs time
to integrate these changes into their proposal. The additional
time will also allow us to give proper notice to the community
and do additional outreach. The new date is Tuesday, October
16th at 7PM. We have also changed the location from Frances
Albrier to Rosa Parks Elementary at 920 Allston Way (at 8th
Street) to make the meeting more central to the assessment
district.
The September
10th meeting of the ad hoc committee opposed to the Community
Benefits District was about two hours long and attended by over
50 people, not the over 100 of their first meeting. Those opposed
said the district was undemocratic, provided unecccessary services,
was not accountable, and was a power grab. In contrast to the
previous meeting, applause was lukewarm and several times the
Chair asked "Where's the enthusiasm?" WEBAIC members
spoke and said they were also opposed to the plan and that their
interests and those of the residents were the same. The few advocates
said their position was being caricatureized. A vote was taken
and almost all those present oppose any district plan what-so-ever.
Our Councilman, Darryl Moore was present and announced a Town
Meeting on the subject to be held on September 27th. (This has
been changed to October 16th.)
Bob Kubik
emails
On August
27 Brennan Doyle of Tippett Studio told my wife and I that the
diesel generator that had been installed next to our house would
be needed for three weeks until a deadline was met. Now, four
weeks later, it is still running 11 hours a day! And now Brennan
tells us it will continue to run for an indefinite time even after
their deadline is met! Tippett continues to blame PG&E.
The facts of the matter are that Tippett, (or a previous tenant
perhaps), installed a service panel of much larger capacity than
the service provided by PG&E! Predictably this eventually
overloaded PG&E's wires since the panel's circuit breakers
were rated for a much higher load than the service could safely
offer. Tippet smoked PG&E's wires...
And now that the wires and their insulation are compromised Tippett
can't even get enough current for normal operations.
We have the sound of a large diesel truck coming at us directly
over the fence, being reflected from Tippett's building and also
reflected from our neighbors building. We have the smell of the
diesel all around us.
Tippett should shut this diesel down - they have had the chance
to meet their deadline - we need the chance to live in our house
and yard without noise and diesel pollution.
"Kavanagh Arrested, Charged with Five Felonies" reports Judith Scherr of our
Planet.
"Berkeley
Rent Board member Chris Kavanagh was arrested Friday morning by
Oakland police and is currently (Friday afternoon) in Santa Rita
jail, according to his attorney, James Giller. The date of his
arraignment has not been set.
Kavanagh
is charged with five felonies, according to Alameda County District
Attorney Tom Orloff, who spoke to the Planet Friday afternoon.
"The
first three relate to voter fraud," Orloff said. One is registering
to vote where he is not eligible, the second is voting where he
is not eligible to vote, and the third is filing a false declaration.
The fourth
count is perjury and the fifth is grand theft, relating to having
accepted a stipend and health benefits as a rent board member."
"East Bay: Then and Now Orchids and
Industry Thrived Side-by-Side in Berkeley" writes Daniella Thompson in
the Planet.
"At
the turn of the last century, wharves, lumber mills, farms, breweries,
tanneries, and Victorian residences dotted West Berkeley. The
largest employer south of University Avenue was the Standard Soap
Company, which had occupied half a block between the bay shore
and Third Street north of Allston Way since 1876.
The San Francisco
earthquake and fire profoundly changed the area's character, filling
it with industrial plants. Across the railroad from Standard Soap,
the Van Emon Elevator Company built a factory taking up a quarter
of a block on the corner of Third St. and Allston Way. Incongruously,
the adjacent property was the flower nursery of Joseph Antoine
Boirard, a Frenchman who had lived at 2216 4th Street since 1892
or '93 and would still be there in 1930.
Boirard was
not the first nurseryman in the area. On the next block to the
east, John Anthony Carbone (18651946) had been growing roses
since 1888."
9/23/07
Want to know
what was happening in Potter Creek two or three years ago? Or
even five years ago? Check out Scrambled Eggs' Archive.
"Deputy cracks down on illegal dumping" reports Karl Fischer in our
Times.
"Deputy
Felipe Monroe slid on worn, leather gloves from his back pocket
with the practiced air of a connoisseur.
A bulging
bag of roadside garbage lay open on Giaramita Street, perhaps
dislodged by rummaging recyclers. Damp, unidentifiable bits peeked
out.
'Oh, I'm
not digging through that,' the eight-year veteran of the Contra
Costa County Sheriff's Office said after examining the contents.
Evidence
rarely holds up in court when wet and reeking, and Monroe knows
from experience that a soggy sack doesn't often yield the clues
he needs to track down the owner -- and bust another illegal dumper
who trashes North Richmond."
"Condo parking problem gets a lift: Father-son
development team installs system that works much like an elevator
for cars"
writes the Times' Theresa Harrington.
"With
parking in Walnut Creek getting tighter and the cost of land skyrocketing,
developers are looking for innovative ways to fit more cars and
residents into smaller spaces.
The father-son
development team of Pat and Sean Joy from Orinda is betting that
what works in urban areas such as Berkeley and San Francisco will
catch on in the Contra Costa County suburbs.
They've installed
Walnut Creek's first 'parking lift' system -- which works much
like an elevator for cars -- in their'new Iron Horse Place condo
development on Creekside Drive.
"We
installed them because land is valuable and land is scarce,' Sean
Joy said."
"Artists with Asian roots exhibit individualism"
writes
Robert Taylor of the Times.
The exhibit
"One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now' brings the work
of 17 young artists to the UC Berkeley Art Museum with all the
spirit that the title suggests -- not to mention the 1978 hit
song by Blondie that may ricochet through visitors' minds. It's
not on a gallery soundtrack, but it could easily score the fresh,
edgy, ingenious displays.
That title
also describes the wide-ranging influences and material, and the
determined individualism among the artists, including four who
live in the Bay Area. Two other artists were born in San Francisco
and Berkeley and now live and work elsewhere in the United States.
'One Way
or Another' opened Wednesday in Berkeley and continues through
Dec. 23, with several artists talks, tours, demonstrations and
performances taking place throughout the run."
"French mime artist Marceau dies"
report
the BBC.
"The
French mime artist Marcel Marceau has died at the age of 84, his
family has announced.
The performer
was known around the world for his portrayal of a white-faced
clown with battered hat.
Born in Strasbourg
in 1923, Marceau studied under mime master Etienne Decroux in
Paris."
9/24/07
The Chronicle
reports "Police are investigating Berkeley's third and fourth
slayings of the year, both of which occurred on Saturday.
In the first
case, a man was found dead about 4:30 a.m. outside his West Berkeley
home after a friend called 911 to report that the man had fallen
and hit his head.
Berkeley
Fire Department paramedics found the man, described only as a
Latino in his 30s, on the ground in the 1800 block of Eighth Street.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are treating the
case as a homicide.
Police have
detained several people for questioning and those people are assisting
detectives, said Lt. Wesley Hester.
Neither police
nor the Alameda County coroner's office would release the victim's
identity so as not to compromise the investigation, according
to Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.
Anyone with
information about the slaying is asked to call police at
(510) 981-5741 or (510) 981-5900.
A second
man was shot to death at 3:34 p.m. while walking at the intersection
of 63rd and King streets, according to police.
Emergency
dispatchers received multiple calls about the shooting. When police
arrived, they found that the man, whose identity has not been
released, had been hit several times in the upper torso, Hester
said.
The victim
was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Though
he was the only person hit, other people were nearby on the street,
police said.
Police are
interviewing witnesses, Hester said, and on the look-out for a
faded dark-blue minivan, possibly 1980s vintage and perhaps a
Chrysler or Dodge.
'We believe
the van is somehow associated with the shooting,' Hester
said."
9/25/07
Our Kruse
guys are in Milwaukee attending the "Catching the Green Wave"
conference, through tomorrow.
Anthy and
Mario just got back from three weeks in Italy--attended the Monza
Grand Prix, toured the Ferrari and Lamborghini factories and ate.
Ok, they did more stuff, too.
"West Berkeley Car Sales Tops Planning
Commission Agenda" reports Richard Brenneman in our Planet.
"Planning
commissioners meet Wednesday to hold their second and final vote
on the zoning ordinance and plan amendments paving the way for
car dealers to set up shop in West Berkeley."
"Center for Independent Living Still Strong
at 35"
writes Judith Scherr in our Planet.
" 'Independent
Living isn't doing everything by yourself-it's being in control
of how things are done.' "Independent living pioneer."
9/26/07
Bob Kubik
emails
Tom, the
facilities manager at Tippett Studio has his crew putting up more
sound barrier around the diesel generator which helps a little.
Also, after coming over and listening to the noise from my vantage
point, he agreed it would annoy him too. At my request he sent
over two pairs of noise canceling earphones so Carol and I can
use our garden again.
I can't wait for this intrusion to stop, but at least, Tippett
is making some effort to mitigate the noise. The diesel fumes
are a given...
Gerard has
found a auto repair shop that will, whenever possible, repair
not replace. It's in Potter Creek--more about it later. And, check
out Gerard and his '66 Chevy pickup here.
Geralyn emails
I just wanted
to let you know that opera season has
started, and to kick it off, San Francisco Opera is presenting
a
simulcast of "Samson and Delilah" at Giants Stadium
this Friday
night. I have a total of 16 passes, so let me know if you'd like
to go.
The American
Dental Association is having their convention in SF this
weekend, so I'll be in the City and can meet you all at the stadium.
The gates open at 5pm. I'd like to sit in the field as opposed
to the
stands, even if it'll be cold, so I'd like to get there early.
We can
always move to the stands later on. The concession booths will
be
open, so how can you beat the most excellent combination of peanuts,
beer and opera?
As for the
rest of the season, I'm really looking forward to seeing "The
Magic Flute", "La Rondine",
"Macbeth" this winter, and "Lucia di Lammermoor"
in summer. I don't
think anyone should miss the world premiere of Phillip Glass'
"Appomattox"in October. Oh, and let's not forget "Madame
Butterfly"
in December.
Geralyn
You can email
Gerayln here at ronpenndorf@earthlink.net.
Need pictures,
paintings, or photos framed? Check out our Barbara Anderson Gallery
& Framing. She's at 2243 Fifth--right next to the Tomate Cafe--and
her phone is 848-3822.
Merryll's
crew is pruning and removing her bushes and vines this morning
for the pending construction.
The WSJ reports
"sales of existing homes tumbled 4.3% in August, and a measure
of home inventories soared to an 18-year high. Meanwhile, Lennar
posted a $514 million loss, the largest quarterly loss in its
history. The worsening housing slump is raising fresh concerns
about economic growth and is beginning to take a toll on retailers."
9/27/07
Ryan Lau
emails
Hello South
and West Berkeley Neighbors,
I wanted to invite everyone to join Councilmembers Moore and
Capitelli for the kick-off of the "Be Fit Berkeley"
campaign. "Be
Fit Berkeley" came as a response to the grim news of the
2007 Health
Status Report and the alarming prevalence of chronic diseases
related
to sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits. It is an educational
campaign to promote healthy eating habits and physical activity
that
will have regular events with Councilmembers and raffle prizes
for
participants. The kick-off will be at noon on Monday, October
1st on
the front steps of City Hall at 2180 Milvia St. where the Department
of Public Health will describe the program and the Councilmembers
will do their first public weigh-in for the campaign and take
a walk
around downtown.
I also wanted
to remind everyone that we have a Community Walk coming
up on Wednesday, October 3rd but the time has been changed to
6:30PM
at El Nopal, 3136 Sacramento St. A Community Walk might seem
insignificant, given all of the recent crime, but the concept
of the
Community Walks really came as a response to much of the crime
issues
that have arisen lately, ie. shooting incidences, graffiti, property
crimes. We thought that the best way to combat crime in a proactive
way is to help build community and this way, as a community, we
can
approach the issue in a much more comprehensive manner, much the
way
that neighborhood associations function. The route is included
on
the flyer and is intended to increase the visibility of neighbors
in
community to demonstrate solidarity. Remember, the best way to
resolve problems is as a community, we hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Ryan Lau
Council Aide
Councilmember Darryl Moore
9/28/07
The Westside
Bar? I'm told that the Westside Cafe is applying for a liquor
license. I'm also told I should try their oat-bran muffins.
Consolidated
is printing election ballots right now. They also print for Nolo
Press.
I've noticed
an increased presence of Wareham Security in the neighborhood
recently. Kubik says "They're all over, even up on 10th."
Also seems there are more Bayer/Wareham shuttles these days.
Gerard has
taken his '66 Chevy pickup to half-dozen garages for repair and
maintenance, with little success. But he's finally found a reliable
and competent repair shop for his old truck right here in Potter
Creek. It's Laurie Bright's D&L Engines--Auto Repair, 2626
San Pablo. Laurie's phone is (510) 843-5797.
The City
of Berkeley's asphalt patching truck has been at work in Potter
Creek this week.
Cal plays
Oregon at Oregon tomorrow--it's on Channel 7 at 12:30.
"Planners Approve West Berkeley Car Dealerships" reports Richard Brenneman of
our Times. "Planning Commissioners Wed-nesday approved
a modified plan and rezoning agenda that will open up the northern
end of West Berkeley to car dealerships.
The measures,
if approved by the City Council, will allow car dealers into land
previously restricted for use by manufacturers, the city's only
M Zone.
Mayor Tom
Bates and the city's Economic Development staff have pushed for
the changes because they say they are needed to keep the city's
remaining car retailers from bolting the city, along with the
sales tax dollars they generate."
The WSJ reports
"Rising prices and surging demand for crops that supply half
of the world's calories are producing the biggest changes in global
food markets in 30 years, altering the economic landscape for
everyone from consumers and farmers to corporate giants and world's
poor."
9/29/07
David Snipper
emails
I've used
Laurie Bright's services a number of times but it was years ago.
He's very good and is reasonable. I'm glad to hear he's still
in business and has remained local.
David
Bob Kubik
emails
Tom, the
facilities manager at Tippett Studio, has seen to it that they
have built an enclosure around the diesel generator from the ground
to above the machine. It has measurably improved the noise situation.
We still know it is there, but the situation is much better. Thanks
Tom.
Ryan Lau emails
Hi South and West Berkeley
Neighbors,
Just wanted to make a few more announcements.
The Berkeley Police Department need your help in the search for
a suspect wanted in connection with the homicide last Saturday
on the 1800 block of 8th Street.
The diligent work of our
Berkeley Police Department has resulted in two arrests in connection
with the Berkeley's first murder of the year. Berkeley Police
Department (BPD) Homicide Detectives have arrested the two men
responsible for the May 6, 2007 murder of Agustine James Silva
Jr. at 2nd and Cedar Streets.
On a lighter note, Pools
for Berkeley, a group of parents, lap swimmers, and pool enthusiasts,
is sponsoring a meeting about the potential for an Aquatic Center
at West Campus on Wednesday, October 10, 7PM, City of Berkeley
Corporation Yard
Meeting Room, 1326 Allston Way. Berkeleys pools need more usage
and popularity and an Aquatic Center at West Campus would be a
big step forward. Come here our ideas and bring your own for an
open discussion. Refreshments
provided.
Berkeley residents can get
free energy-efficient light bulbs courtesy of Pacific Gas &
Electric at three events hosted by the City of Berkeley.
Wednesday, October 3rd
10 a.m. --2 p.m.
Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza
Wednesday, October 3rd
5-6:30 p.m.
Francis Albrier Community Center
Saturday, October 6th
9 a.m. --- 12 Noon
Eighth Street Fire Station, between Dwight and Channing. Note:
This event will also host a Lead Painted Toy & Jewelry Recall
collection. Bring all toys, jewelry, or lunchboxes suspected of
containing lead for proper disposal.
Sincerely,
Ryan Lau
9/30/07
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