Daily Archives: December 7, 2010
The Berkeley Wire: 12.07.10
City and university join forces against excessive partying [Chronicle]
Commission on the Future reports on keeping UC’s fiscal viability [Daily Cal]
City Council to consider Iceland plans [Chronicle]
Maoz becomes first certified green restaurant on Telegraph [East Bay Express]
Photo of The Circle Fountain by Daniel Parks/Berkeleyside Flickr pool
New armed robbery brings total to six in December
A robbery which took place on California Street at Virginia at around 7.20pm on Monday December 6, brings the total number of armed robberies in the city to six in almost as many days this month. There were at least as many in November.
The incident took place north of Ohlone Park which has seen a concentration of similar hold-ups over the past few weeks.
The victim, a 47-year-old man, was walking on California talking on his cell phone when … Continue reading »
Jake Gyllenhaal to spread the Alice Waters gospel
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal has joined the Chez Panisse Foundation as an Ambassador for Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard program.
Gyllenhaal, who is currently baring more than his good conscience alongside an equally naked Anne Hathaway in the newly released movie Love and Other Drugs, will bring some Hollywood wattage to the Berkeley-based program which teaches students in schools across the country how to grow and cook their own food.
Gyllenhaal’s appointment represents the launch of an Ambassador program … Continue reading »
Skynet takes shape in Berkeley lab
We have no intention of turning Berkeleyside into yet another gadget site, but this video of work from UC Berkeley’s Electric Engineering and Computer Science Department is too cool (or, depending on how worried you are about science fiction dystopias, chilling) to miss.
Patrick Bouffard and Professor Claire Tomlin from the Hybrid Systems Lab have used Microsoft’s Kinect controller to create a quadrocopter which can maneuver around obstacles autonomously. (Hat tip: Engadget)
Big Screen Berkeley: Tiny Furniture reviewed
Perhaps this confession reflects badly on me, but writing a bad review is easier than writing a good one: snark flows more freely from my pen (or through my keyboard) than praise. When the subject is your average Uwe Boll or Michael Bay summer schlockbuster, a bad review is the best kind: it will have absolutely no effect on the film’s box office prospects, is unlikely to hurt someone’s feelings, and is devilishly fun to write (see, for example, my … Continue reading »
Teachers celebrate BPEF grants
More than 200 teachers gathered on Friday evening for a celebration of their grants from the Berkeley Public Education Foundation. Teachers and supporters of the BPEF enjoyed a lavish spread of food — prepared by members of the BPEF board of directors — and drink at the Northbrae Community Church. BPEF awarded $185,000 this year in 230 grants to 300 teachers. All of the district’s schools, from pre-school to Berkeley High, received grants.
BPEF board member Christina Kellogg also took the occasion to pull some of the teachers away to do videos interviews about their grants. The stories from last year’s grants were shown in a video (above) at the celebration.
Front Row Video on Solano to close after 26 years
Front Row Video, a fixture on Solano Avenue for 26 years, is closing at the end of the month. Rentals are continuing until this Sunday, and the stock of DVDs and videos is being sold off.
“It’s tough to say, ‘This is the end’, but we’re at the point where social security will give me more than the business,” said a visibly saddened Harvey Whittenburg, owner of Front Row for the last 16 years. “When I work it out, … Continue reading »
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights will look into the case of Anthony Smith, a counselor at Berkeley High School accused of sexually harassing a 16-year-old female student, after the girl’s lawyer filed a complaint. Berkeleyside broke the story of this case in September. In October, an out-of-court settlement was reached on a restraining order which had been placed against Smith who continues to work at BHS.
In his statement to the OCR, Stephen Rosenbaum, the lawyer for the student, wrote that the student “was subjected to harassment by a Recipient [Berkeley Unified School District] employee based on sex, and the Recipient failed to respond promptly and equitably to notice of the harassment”. The OCR responded on December 1 that the complaint was appropriate for investigation and that it would begin the complaint resolution process.
