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September 2004

Peter Hurney is making and selling ukuleles full-time. The craftsmanship he learned as a Rolls Royce mechanic is now being applied fully to his instruments.

Detail photos of his Peter's work

Check out his web site

9/1/04

We're back. Check out The Potter Creek Billy Goat Page

The kids are "back" at É'cole Bilingue, Hourra!

9/2/04

Isa's White Chocolate Ice Cream

5 1/3 oz white chocolate (150 gr.)
1 1/4 c milk
1/4 c sugar (50 gr.)
1 1/4 c heavy cream

Melt chocolate on very soft fire with with sugar and milk
Refrigerate until cold
Lightly whip heavy cream
Fold whipped cream into chilled chocolate mixture
Put everything in an ice cream maker
Should serve 6

9/3/04

It's the beginning of the month and in a half-hour, at delivery time this morning in Potter Creek, I saw at least a half dozen tractor-trailers blocking streets, blocking lanes, or stopping traffic as they slowly made or could not make corners. Felt like South of Market

Kava got a delivery of dry wall this morning for his 8th Street project and Denny's crew have the foundation forms in.

John and Suzanne's electric fence seems to be finished.

The Billy Goats left.

When the west-Berkeley Plan is reviewed next year, lets make some green-space a requirement as part of new projects, developments, etc.

Boy, I hope those young women waiting for buses on San Pablo get one. You'd think after a day or two of waiting, a bus would have come by that they could use.

Yup, Rick's back.

D@#n, I need a beer and an chicken enchilada verdi at Juan's.

9/4/04

Our very own author and publisher, Malcolm Margolin is the feature in the business
section of the West County Times. Check it out. You may have to register to complete the link

By popular demand I repost how to eat-out three good meals a day within bicycling distance of Potter Creek for under $6.00 total tax included. First, have a late breakfast at IKEA of their open-face shrimp sandwich--a piece of buttered Swedish-rye, topped with one hardboiled egg and a big handful of shrimp on a leaf of lettuce with a little mayonnaise, and garnished with cucumber and lemon slices, $2.16-- and coffee is free with this before 11:00 AM and so are the sample-cookies in the bins at the food-shop on the first floor; lunch at Subway on the corner of San Pablo and Solano on a 6-inch meatball-sub with everything for $2.15 but bring a drink in your water-bottle; then finally have a heavy dinner at Costco of their foot long Polish sausage on a bun and a medium drink, making sure you top the Polish with mustard, kraut, onions, relish, catsup, etc, etc, the cost $1.63. (Don't worry, you have the bike trip back to work it off.) All this totals $5.94 tax included. If you want to come closer to $7.00, have a cheese, turkey, or veggie burger for lunch at Gustavo's lunch-wagon at 7th and Potter.

The Nazis couldn't lay "Fast Eddie" Saylan low in the skies over Europe, but a couple of weeks ago, during a work-out for his knee replacement, he had another heart attack. It was touch and go for a while but now he's coming home from the hospital.

9/6/04

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

"In an attempt to appease the nation's workers, Labor Day is born" offers the News Hour's web site.

The U. S. Department of Labor gives its history here.

And a feel-good history is here.

9/8/04

There is a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on September 13 at 7:30 PM in the North Berkeley Senior Center concerning our Nexus Building--now a art gallery. Designed by the Austin Building Company it is one of their oldest surviving buildings in the city. It is now being considered for Berkeley Landmark designation. Please attend the meeting if you have an interest or email your concern to gsorensen@ci.berkeley.ca.us For more information email Bob Brokl at broklcrofts@earthlink.net. The North Berkeley Senior Center is at Hearst and Martin Luther King.

The Eastshore State Park development is proceeding with the grading of their southeast section at University and Frontage Road.

Caffe Trieste will open soon on Dwight Way and San Pablo and will have a retail store selling, among other things, coffees.

Andrew is excited about moving to Potter Creek in October after his trip to Europe. Regan's right-hand-man will occupy one of their elegant new units.

Kava drove his beautiful vintage T-bird to Potter Creek this morning.

And Ford Focus 5GTD747 screeched to a stop through a crosswalk on University and 6th while talking on his cell phone. I'm glad I wasn't crossing the street in front of him.

9/11/04

Want to bedazzled? Treat yourself to a walk past the Caffé Trieste on the corner of Dwight Way and San Pablo. You can now see inside. We ain't in Kansas anymore.

The first owner has now occupied his condo at 2709 10th Street--the "New York Style Condos."

The property at 1014 Pardee may soon be for sale.

Curtis Plus Partners Development is making a proposal for a 35 unit affordable-condo at 2700 San Pablo--the old Kennedy site. Ms.Curtis will present it to the City of Berkeley Design Review Committee on September 20, 2004 at 7:00 PM. If you have questions or comments before the meeting, call Ms. Curtis at 415-733-2570. I will post details Monday.

9/12/04

Happy Birthday Gracie

Gracie as a pup some two years ago.

9/13/04

I'd forgot how good Uncommon Grounds Cafe espresso is. My memory was refreshed this morning when a friend and I each had a single. It's simply still the BEST ESPRESSO I've had in the States. Their coffee is roasted fresh every morning.

The Curtis Plus Partners Development proposal for 2700 San Pablo is 35 condominiums--3829 sq.ft of commercial area, 38 parking spaces on four stories. 18 of the units will be one bedroom/one bath of 6340-810 sq. ft., 12 units will be two bed room/two bath of 901-1028 sq. ft., and 5 will be lofts of 706-1051 sq. ft. There will be 1256 sq.ft. of neighborhood retail space along San Pablo, 2573 sq.ft. of live/work/commercial along San Pablo, and 1869 sq ft. of open space including 935 sq.ft. of garden at grade. Six units will be "affordable."
It is being built on the lot of a former gas station.

Kava drove his T-Bird to work again today. Then again, Regan rides his vintage BMW everyday.

"Coach" isn't working with the École kids any more. I miss his good-natured growls.

9/14/04

Neighbor, Bob Kubik writes "There will be a meeting on Sept 20, Monday at 6:00 p.m. at the CEID School--on Grayson between San Pablo and 10th-- to plan our opposition to Measure Q which would decriminalize prostitution."

A member of a North Berkeley neighborhood association, Jerry Landis writes "If you are one of the 2000 Berkeley residents who own a home within 30 feet of the centerline of a creek, either open or culverted, the value of your home is diminished by the Berkeley Creek Ordinance, which was passed by the City Council in 1989, without public hearings. If your home is destroyed by fire or quake you do not have the right to rebuild it without a special variance from Berkeley's Zoning Adjustments Board. And if you want to sell your home today the realtor must inform a prospective buyer of that uncertainty. (Further, it is the stated objective of some in Berkeley to eventually remove as many "non-conforming" structures as possible in order to replace them with walking and bike trails.) There will be a special meeting scheduled for 6:00 PM September 28 at Longfellow School, 1500 Derby, to discuss revisions to the ordinance."

The City of Berkeley is planting trees on the north side of Carleton between 8th and 9th.

Not unheard of, but unusual, Sally is a grandmother at the age of 39. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

9/15/04

Bob Brokl writes about the Nexus appeal for landmark status at the Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing Monday evening "The Humane Society [the owner of the Nexus building] asked for and got a postponement until Landmarks Commission November 1 meeting. Vito Lab from Ohmega Salvage, Bonnie Hughes from the Cultural Commission attended and several of our other supporters showed up. The Humane Society was represented by board members, staff, and their new director. They submitted letters, all stating they acquired the property to expand their operations That was 30 years ago. The Daily Planet should have article Friday."

ABC News reported last week that a Justice Department study showed no measurable decrease in violent crime as a result of the assault weapon ban. And, if I were in law enforcement I wouldn't want to face one.

The tape-clip widely shown on network TV last week of a shoot-out between bank robbers and L. A. Area law enforcement infers that the weapons used were like ones covered by the ban. THEY WERE NOT. They were, in fact, fully-auto military weapons "banned" by Federal Law since the 1930s--and they are still banned. Let's get it right TV guys and girls.

Carolyn Marshall of the New York Times writes about our Measure Q and Potter Creek in"Bid To Decriminalize Prostitution In Berkeley."

Potter Creek resident, Takane Nakamoto writes "We really need to deal with this sooner rather than later. Symbolic issues in Berkeley when reported nationally tend to get completely out of control."

9/20/04

There are two conflicting meetings about Potter Creek stuff today, September 20.

and

We should invite Proposition Q organizer, Ms. Robyn Few to a Potter Creek Community meeting. Perhaps she has some solutions to our problem of low-class street prostitution--now in remission. After all, she is (was) in the business. The again, maybe she's too busy. She's a celebrity now.

"The Vanishing Middle-Class Job" "As income gap widens, uncertainty spreads [and] more U.S. families struggle to stay on track" reports Griff White in the Washington Post.

9/21/04

Details of the Potter Creek meeting on Measure Q tomorrow.

9/22/04

On Monday night September 20, a general organizational meeting against Measure Q was held at the CEID School on Grayson Street. The meeting was chaired by Council Woman Maio with a representative of Council Woman Margaret Breland, Mayor Tom Bates and twenty-to-thirty other citizens in attendence. (Potter Creek was well represented as was the San Pablo Park neighborhood.) Work is well underway with a proper organization already formed to oppose Measure Q with officers, members and budget.

For the proposition itself, and pro-and-con arguments, see"Measure Q Enforcement of State Prostitution Laws." on the City of Berkeley Web Site.

And, Potter Creek resident Annie Kassof comments on prostitution in yesterday's Berkeley Daily Planet.

Also on Monday night, the City of Berkeley Design Review Committee looked at the Curtis Plus Partners Development project for 2700 San Pablo--a 35 unit "affordable-condo." The Commision suggested that the proposed residential units be moved from San Pablo Avenue side of the building since the commision feels the future of the Avenue is business development. (Further review will take place at a future Committee meeting.) Ms.Curtis is aware of the site as a former gas-staion and will clean up as necessary. Her proposal also includes three-thousand square feet of open-space, including an eight-hundred square foot garden at the unit's rear.

Today's Cal Noon Concert features Ting Chin, cello and Siu-Ting Mak, piano in Barber's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 6. The concert is free and is in Hertz Hall.

9/23/04

Caffé Trieste is open!

Photos of the morning of opening day

HERE

9/25/04

Text of pamphlet

VOTE NO on Measure Q Street Prostitution

Measure Q would require Berkeley to weaken enforcement
of street prostitution laws.

MEASURE Q - BAD FOR WOMEN

Street prostitution enriches pimps, not the women
who work for them.

Pimps exploit street prostitutes and expose them to
violence, sexually transmitted disease, HIV.

Shelter and drug counselors report that children as
young as 12 are being recruited into prostitution.

Our successful court diversion project directs women
to programs that save their lives. The project cannot
work without adequate enforcement.

There are $0 in this measure for programs that
protect and serve women.

This simplistic measure will only make it easier for
pimps to exploit and abuse women.

MEASURE Q - BAD FOR BERKELEY

Since this measure qualified for the ballot street
prostitution has been on the rise in Berkeley.

South Berkeley [and West Berkeley] neighborhoods are deluged by open
sexual acts near homes and schools, in cars and on
porches; used condoms and needles litter their
sidewalks.

Children are exposed to sexual acts on their streets
on a daily basis.

VOTE NO ON Measure Q: Dangerous for women and Bad for
Berkeley.

9/27/04

The Canned Food Store has Entenmann's crumb cake at half price--$1.99.

And, the Caffé Trieste page has had over two-hundred visits since I created it at the end of last week, and I estimate about 1400 hits.

9/28/04

Check out the VERY thoughtful "Why Prostitution Initiative Misses;
Measure Q in Berkeley Fails on Three Counts" by Ronald Weitzer at SF Gate.com

Then read about our Free Speech Movement--the front page story in today's West County Times.

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