Daily Archives: January 20, 2011
The Berkeley Wire: 01.20.11
Ex-World Bank economist named new vice chancellor for administration and finance [UCB NewsCenter]
Berkeley-based Bay Area Magazine celebrates 10th birthday [Bay Citizen]
Assemblywoman Skinner pushes for online sales tax [LA Times]
Berkeley Overmind wins Starcraft AI competition (alert: geeks only) [Ars Technica]
Moonset at sunrise this morning from Panoramic trail. Photo by David Sklansky.
Teacher and coach Tim Moellering passes away
Tim Moellering, a history teacher and baseball coach at Berkeley High, died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. Moellering had come to BHS in 2002 after 19 years teaching at Willard Middle School, where he was both a teacher and the football coach.
BHS Principal Pascuale Scuderi wrote to parents that Moellering “remained humorous and selfless throughout his struggle. Tim was an exceptional practitioner in the classroom. Students got significant quantities of humor and perspective to compliment the … Continue reading »
New Berkeley taxi association seeks change
The new Berkeley Taxicab Association has been formed to “put muscle behind years of complaint that have gone nowhere”. The East Bay Express has a fascinating article on the problems faced by taxi drivers in Berkeley, who find rivals from Oakland and Emeryville poaching their fares, fee changes, and unwritten rules that make their job harder.
It’s a window into another aspect of business in Berkeley that hasn’t been covered before. Read the whole thing.
Interested in issues surrounding … Continue reading »
Is it hard to do business in Berkeley?
On May 5, 2010, Robin Dalrymple walked excitedly into Berkeley’s Planning Department to apply for a use permit. She wanted to convert the vacant Ritz Camera store on Solano Avenue into an ice cream parlor.
Eight months later, her store is still not open.
Veronica Bradley signed a lease in April 2010 to transform what had been Left Coast Cyclery on Domingo Avenue into a store selling olive oil from around the world. After working with five city departments — building and safety, health, zoning, public works and engineering, and fire prevention – she finally got a permit in November. The store opened Dec. 24.
It took Jim Meyers only six weeks to launch his store, Wine Thieves, in Lafayette. It hasn’t been that easy in Berkeley. He has been trying since March to open a branch on Domingo Avenue. He is crossing his fingers that he can open the store next week.
“We have had the most difficult time,” said Bradley, who said she paid more than $50,000 in rent before Amphora Nueva opened. “We heard this about Berkeley, but we had no idea it would be so challenging. I blame it on the city of Berkeley. Given the vacancies you would think they would do whatever they could to make the process a little less painful, a little less costly. In other parts of the country cities bend over backwards to help business.”
Berkeley has long had a reputation of being a difficult city in which to do business. There are many factors contributing to this perception, including complex zoning laws, neighborhood business quotas, and a 60’s era desire to give neighborhoods, rather than the planning department, discretion in saying what kinds of businesses can move into nearby commercial districts.
The impediments to doing business, and the large number of vacant storefronts, so frustrated City Councilmember Laurie Capitelli that he introduced a number of measures in December to overhaul regulations governing Solano Avenue. The City Council directed city staff to return with a series of recommendations to simplify Berkeley’s zoning ordinances, permit processes, design review and neighborhood quotas. Staff is scheduled to go back to council with a set of ideas in early February.
“If we make some simple tweaks for things that aren’t controversial, we can make a significant difference,” said Michael Caplan, Berkeley’s manager of economic development.
Remembering Kyle Strang
Jacqueline Barber writes:
Kyle was 16 years old when he died. He and his close friend Prentice lost their lives in a fiery crash on the Richmond Parkway, March 31, 2010, in a tragic end to two promising lives.
Kyle, a junior at Berkeley High School, had more to do in this world. He dreamed of going to Israel, because of a deep connection he felt, and his desire to make a difference for peace and security within the region. While his classmates were taking the SAT prep classes, Kyle was earning money to pay for a one-way ticket to Tel Aviv. His determination and passion were such that no one doubted he would get there. The only question was how he would choose to engage in the struggle for peace. With knowing eyes and a heart bigger than most, Kyle formed deep friendships everywhere he turned. He was gifted in finding ways to bridge differences; he exuded empathy and understanding. Kyle was everyone’s friend.
Kyle’s classmates and teachers have taken on his dream, and are pushing to make the trip that Kyle was unable to make. In his honor, a group of 17 Berkeley High School students and teachers are raising funds to create the Kyle Harty Strang Leadership Program and 2011 Middle East Encounter Trip. The group has partnered with an international, nonpartisan, non-profit organization called Seeking Common Ground, based in Denver. … Continue reading »
Berkeley wakes up to strong, gusty winds
KTVU reported 50+ mph gusts on Grizzly Peak and Fish Ranch Road in the Oakland-Berkeley hills. At 6.55 a.m., Wunderground was recording 31.2 mph winds from the North East with gusts of 55.1 mph. On Twitter @ced1 … Continue reading »
