News

The Berkeley Wire: 05.23.13

May 23, 2013 5:05 pm by Berkeleyside Editors
Crates Beck Cowles

Photo: beckcowles

Indecent exposure incidents investigated in Albany, Berkeley (BANG)
Graduate exhibition at BAM features six artists (Mercury News)
Cal student in exotic bird death takes plea (KTVU)
Complaints filed against USC, Cal over rape reporting (LA Times)
Berkeley High combo hits right note at festival (Coco Times)
Student UNICEF clubs sponsor Berkeley concert (Coco Times)
UC Berkeley grad student receives new fellowship (Daily Cal)
Chez Panisse to reopen with $2,500 dinner  (BANG)
The top 10 best scents in Berkeley (Daily Clog)
It’s commencement time at the Peralta colleges (Mercury News)
Keith Carson: State must protect local safety net in health care reform plans (BANG)
Berkeley heckler interrupts President Obama’s speech (TPM)
Citizen scientists tag bug collections online (Futurity)

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Barbara Oliver, iconic Bay Area theatre figure

May 23, 2013 3:00 pm by Berkeleyside Editors
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Barbara Oliver, the founding Artistic Director of Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre and an instrumental figure in Bay Area theatre for more than 40 years, passed away peacefully from complications of a stroke on Monday at her Berkeley home. Her family was with her, as they have been throughout the duration of her recent illness. She was 85.

A veteran actress and director, Oliver  co-founded Aurora Theatre Company in 1992 and was its Artistic Director until stepping down in 2004.

“Like many people in the Bay Area, my life has been irrevocably changed for the better by having met Barbara Oliver,” said Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Tom Ross. “Little did I know that our initial meeting, a job interview 22 years ago, would take me, and hundreds of Aurora Theatre artists, staff, Board members, and patrons, on such a long and significant journey, one that will no doubt continue for many years to come. Trying to distill the legacy that Barbara left as founding Artistic Director is difficult, as she created such a vast foundation, but ultimately, I think that she instilled the belief that we should move forward and grow steadily with absolute integrity, and to show unequivocal fairness to all. Barbara not only preached these messages but personified them. It goes without saying that she was a talented actor, director, and teacher as well. Her passion was endless and she could inspire nearly anyone.” … Continue reading »

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Kai Eckhardt’s zeitgeist: Berkeley bassist plays home

May 23, 2013 2:30 pm by Andrew Gilbert
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Kai Eckhardt is recognized internationally as one of jazz’s most prodigious electric bassists, but few people know the extraordinary sojourn that brought him to Berkeley.

He was born in the Rhineland to a Liberian father and West German mother who settled in Monrovia after fleeing her homeland as an outcast due to having a mixed-race child. Eckhardt returned to Germany by himself at the age of 10, taken in by a foster family, and was already an acclaimed artist when he came to the United States to study at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, which is where guitar legend John McLaughlin recruited him for his expansive trio with Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu.

It’s not surprising that Eckhardt’s new band Zeitgeist, which performs Friday at the Jazzschool, reflects his global aesthetic. The ensemble has spent the past 18 months playing low-profile gigs and honing a repertoire of intricate original tunes while gradually peeling off personnel. These days Zeitgeist is a world-fusion quartet featuring Eckhardt on bass and vocals, Egyptian-born keyboardist Osam Ezzeldin, El Cerrito High alum Deszon Claiborne on drums, and Australian guitarist Chris Robinson, who’s now based in Benicia.
… Continue reading »

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Transportation

Parking changes slated for 3 Berkeley business zones

May 23, 2013 1:00 pm by Emilie Raguso
A driver unable to find a spot in The Elmwood neighborhood parks instead in the crosswalk. Photo: Emilie Raguso

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Later this year, three Berkeley business districts will experiment with new approaches to parking aimed at reducing double parking and circling, and making it easier for visitors to find a metered spot.

The effort is part of a new campaign underway by the city — dubbed goBerkeley — and is funded by federal grants to help staff analyze data, collect input from the public and study the impact of changes to parking-as-usual; drivers can expect to see changes start in September and last for a year. … Continue reading »

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Places

Community farm buys 2+ acres in West Berkeley

May 23, 2013 11:00 am by Frances Dinkelspiel
Adam Berman, the founder of Urban Adamah, stands on the boundary of the property the group has purchased on Sixth Street. Cordonices Creek is behind him. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

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Urban Adamah, the community farm that has been operating out of rented quarters on Parker Street for two and a half years, has purchased a 2.2-acre lot next to a restored section of Codornices Creek in West Berkeley.

The organization, which integrates Jewish traditions, environmental education, mindfulness and social action, purchased the land at Sixth and Harrison streets from the U.S. Post Office for $2.1 million, according to Adam Berman, the founder of Urban Adamah. The land, at 1151 Sixth, is undeveloped and sits next door to the post office’s main processing facility. … Continue reading »

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Crime

8-time felon arrested after attempted homicide

May 23, 2013 9:00 am by Emilie Raguso
Image: Google Maps

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An Oakland man with eight prior felony convictions has been charged with the attempted murder of another man after a nearly deadly attack in South Berkeley in April.

According to court documents, Roy Lee Savage, 42, stabbed another man twice with an 8-inch knife while the victim was sitting in a van in the 1600 block of 63rd Street on April 19.

“Doctors reported that the knife cut through his entire liver and punctured his small intestines,” according to the documents. The injury exposed the victim’s internal organs and resulted in a 3-centimeter-in-diameter wound, which penetrated 15 centimeters. Authorities say Savage also stabbed the victim in the arm, cutting through his entire arm with the 12-centimeter-deep injury, puncturing his armpit near a main artery. … Continue reading »

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Hayward chief named Berkeley schools superintendent

May 22, 2013 11:53 pm by Tracey Taylor
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The Berkeley Unified School Board on Wednesday night formally appointed Donald Evans as the new Berkeley superintendent of schools by approving his contract. Evans, who was has been superintendent of the Hayward Unified School District for the past two years, will take up the position on July 1.

Berkeley Unified Board President Karen Hemphill said the board had been impressed with Evans’ experience and achievements, as well as his reputation for forging fruitful partnerships and having a collaborative leadership style. In Hayward, Evans held two town hall meetings for the community every year, for example.

“When we look at his body of work, he ticks a lot of the boxes that we wanted in Berkeley,” Hemphill said.

One of Evans’ last tasks in Hayward was submitting a plan to the district to raise the achievement levels of African American students, an issue of direct relevance to Berkeley. … Continue reading »

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News

The Berkeley Wire: 05.22.13

May 22, 2013 5:05 pm by Berkeleyside Editors
Fabrica by William Newton

American. Photo: William Newton

Oakland shooting victim identified as Berkeley man (BCN/Patch)
Help wanted: Public needed to uncover clues in natural history collections (UCB)
Sociologist a KQED Asian Pacific American ‘local hero’ (UCB)
BUILD Pizzeria soon to be lunchtime hotspot (BHS Jacket)
Occupy the Farm work party, land occupation comes Saturday (IndyBay)
UC Berkeley a pioneer in citizen science (UCB)
LeConte to emphasize Spanish-language immersion (BHS Jacket)
Berkeley High School graduation rates exceed state average (BHS Jacket)
Two convenient west Berkeley spots for new apartment owners (Daily Clog)
Berkeley Art Museum renovation brings excitement to students (BHS Jacket)
At Berkeley’s Cottage Food Market, homemade means homemade (EBX)
Berkeley teachers rally for share of school district funds (BHS Jacket)
Instacart expands its grocery delivery service to Oakland, Berkeley (TNW)
Cal targeted in federal complaint over its handling of rape allegations (CBS)

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Berkeley council looks to IT to transform city operations

May 22, 2013 4:06 pm by Lance Knobel
An IBM AS/400 minicomputer. It was once high technology. Photo: nSeika

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Discussion about potential rival ice cream stores on Telegraph Ave. consumed nearly two hours of the Berkeley City Council meeting on Tuesday night, with supporters of the two retailers crowding the chamber. For the first public hearing on the city’s budget for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, and comments on the citywide work plan for FY2014? Less than an hour in a council chamber emptied of the public, but with every city department head in attendance.

But despite the apparent lack of public interest, a lively debate sprung up among council members about how the city should be using technology.

“We’ve cut our employees and we’ve cut our days of work and we’ve been able to maintain core services very well,” said Councilmember Susan Wengraf. “But as we continue to cut and try to be more effective we have to pay more attention to our technology department. This is basically the circulation system of the entire city. The key to becoming more effective in the future is to implement better use of the Internet and to get more efficient programs for whatever the city has to do.” … Continue reading »

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News

Dog licence fees to rise, other Berkeley Council decisions

May 22, 2013 4:03 pm by Lance Knobel
Animal services head Kate O'Connor in front of the new animal shelter. Photo: Emilie Raguso

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Raised fees for a number of city services were agreed on Tuesday night by the City Council with relatively little debate and no public comments. Dog licenses will at least double: from $7.50 to $15 for a one-year altered dog licence and from $18 to $40 for a three-year altered dog license. Fees for animal adoptions from the city shelter are also going up.

Kate O’Connor, manager, Animal Care Services, said that her department estimated there were about 40,000 dogs in Berkeley. In FY12, 1,722 animal permits were issued (virtually all for dogs — she said only two cat licenses were issued). O’Connor’s estimate was that 20-25% of Berkeley’s dogs are licensed, which Councilmember Laurie Capitelli pointed out is probably an overestimate given the number of issued licenses.  … Continue reading »

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UC, Sutter nurses on strike over contracts, patient care

May 22, 2013 2:30 pm by Tracey Taylor
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Two separate groups of medical staff have gone out on strike in Berkeley.

For the ninth time in two years, a significant number of Sutter Health nurses, including many who work at Alta Bates in Berkeley, have walked out, this time for seven days, protesting what they say are highly unreasonable contract demands by their employer, as well as what they see are its attempt to “bust the union.”

Meanwhile, AFSCME’s patient care and service workers at five UC medical centers, as well as the UC Berkeley Student Health Center, went on a two-day strike yesterday. Health care professionals who are members of UPTE-CWA agreed to go on a one-day sympathy strike yesterday to show their support for their AFSCME colleagues.

Nurses began the 7-day strike at five East Bay Sutter hospitals on Friday May 16, and expect to return to work on Friday this week. The walkout affects more than 3,100 registered nurses (RNs) as well as respiratory, X-ray and other technicians, at Alta Bates Summit facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, and Sutter Delta in Antioch, according to the the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United. … Continue reading »

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Cream vs. Dream: Telegraph Ave. ice cream face-off

May 22, 2013 11:00 am by Emilie Raguso
Supporters of Cream line up to speak before the Berkeley City Council. Photo: Emilie Raguso

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The owners of one of Telegraph Avenue’s most popular ice cream spots have asked Berkeley officials to revoke the permit for a new ice cream take-out window set to open right across the street, at Rasputin Music.

Tuesday night, Berkeley City Council members heard the appeal, by Cream ice cream parlor, 2399 Telegraph, against Rasputin’s Dream Ice Cream, which won approval in September from the city’s zoning board.

Problem was, a city staff member said the city failed to notify nearby businesses about the proposal. If Rasputin’s permit is ultimately approved, the two businesses would essentially stare each other down across Channing Way. … Continue reading »

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BHS Ultimate team are state champs, rank 13th in nation

May 22, 2013 10:00 am by Tracey Taylor
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The Berkeley High School Ultimate Frisbee team were crowned State Champions this past weekend after competing in the California State Championship tournament in San Luis Obispo.

The BHS team, known as Coup, beat the nine-time winners from Alameda in the finals 11-6, which puts them at 18-3 on the season and ranked 13th in the nation.

The team now move on to the Western United States Championships in Corvallis, Oregon, on June 1-2, and hope to bring home another victory as they faces off against powerhouse rivals from across the western United States. … Continue reading »

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Crime

Berkeley Police arrest 4 after auto burglary report

May 22, 2013 8:30 am by Emilie Raguso
Kitteridge 2000

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Police arrested four Berkeley men, including three probationers, after receiving a report early Sunday morning that several people were trying to break into cars in a parking structure downtown.

According to officer Jennifer Coats, Berkeley Police spokeswoman, police responded to the 2000 block of Kittredge Street on Sunday just before 12:50 a.m. for the auto burglary report.  … Continue reading »

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