Daily Archives: May 17, 2011
The Berkeley Wire: 05.17.11
Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (Berkeley) calls for tax hike on state’s richest [Tribune]
Berkeley man, 35, one of three to die in Yosemite on Friday [SF Chronicle]
Aurora Theater puts out call for new works, GAP submissions [Broadway World]
Berkeley designer Erica Tanov in “Undecorate” [SF Chronicle]
Budget deficit means increased fees for boat dwellers [SF Chronicle]
Construction work to restrict traffic on Berkeley’s Piedmont Avenue [UCB]
Photo: The benefits are endless by kershlock/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
Off The Grid to launch street food event in Berkeley
Off The Grid is launching its first event outside San Francisco and, starting next month, a regular group of street food vendors will set up shop every Wednesday evening in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto.
The move signals a switch of direction for Berkeley which, until now, has not made it easy for mobile food trucks to operate in the city. It is also a coup for the North Shattuck Association which paved the way for successful negotiations and prevented the event from going to another East Bay location, such as Oakland, although other East Bay venues are likely in future.
After launching its inaugural event a year ago in Fort Mason, Off The Grid now brings street food vendors together daily in six locations across San Francisco. Organizer Matt Cohen said they had been searching for an East Bay location for some time.
“We looked at the core values of serving great street food and we’re so happy we’ve settled on Gourmet Ghetto,” he said. “We emphasize local, sustainable, organic food, so what better place to launch than in the heart of Berkeley’s food revolution?”
Starting on June 1, permitting issues allowing, eight to 10 mobile food trucks will start operating at the intersection of Shattuck and Rose, using the same footprint as Thursday’s Berkeley Farmers’ Market. They will be there, serving an array of bite-sized dishes, from 5-9pm. Those that are already confirmed include Cupkates, Liba Falafel, Hapa SF and The Taco Guys. The Crème Brulée Guy is also a likely presence. The line-up will alternative every few weeks with four to five new vendors coming in at regular intervals. … Continue reading »
Goodwill out, Pet Food Express in on Berkeley’s Solano Ave
Goodwill Industries is no longer planning to open a store at the top of Solano Avenue, but Pet Food Express is now hoping to snag the 5,000 square foot space.
Goodwill could not come to an agreement with the landlord, but will still look for another location in that part of Alameda County, according to Kimberly Scrafano, the vice-president of development for Goodwill Industries of the East Bay.
“There were some logistical reasons not to open at that site but we are still looking to open in that area,” said Scrafano. “We don’t have much of a presence there so we think it would be a good location.”
The expressions of concern from some Solano Avenue merchants that a Goodwill store would detract from the street’s high-end image had nothing to do with the decision to look elsewhere, said Scrafano.
“It appears a lot of folks have a misperception about who our donors and shoppers are,” she said. “Most of the folks who shop in our store are middle-class women.”
Pet Food Express, a locally owned chain that opened a store in Berkeley in 1990, is negotiating with the landlord for the spaces once occupied by Front Row Video and The World of Dance Studio, according to Michael Levy, who co-founded the company in San Francisco in 1980. Pet Food Express would have to do extensive remodeling of the space and is still working out details to make sure moving there is a viable proposition, he said. … Continue reading »
New state budget is good news for Berkeley schools
The final numbers haven’t been completely crunched, and the legislature hasn’t passed the budget yet, but the fiscal situation for the Berkeley Unified School District for next year looks much better than previously thought.
Gov. Jerry Brown released his “May revise” budget on Monday and it contained an unexpected $6.6 billion in new revenues. Brown applied $3 billion of the money to K-12 education, which means BUSD won’t have to cut as much as $330-$700 per student, the numbers … Continue reading »
Where’s My DVD?: Thumb Tripping
This week, Berkeleyside’s film writer John Seal looks at a movie he recommends you check out on DVD.
It’s 1972, and the watch words around America are acid, amnesty, and abortion. Kids across the nation have already turned on, tuned in, and dropped out, leaving the country with a surfeit of stoned street musicians. They’re still trying to find the meaning of life and their place in the universe, however – and that’s what this peripatetic road movie is all about.
Enter Gary (Michael Burns), a winsome, rather innocent middle-class lad slumming it on the highways and by-ways of the good ol’ U. S. of A. He’s determined to experience life to its fullest and face every challenge squarely – and there are challenges aplenty (albeit mostly formulaic ones) in the 90-plus minutes of Thumb Tripping. … Continue reading »
Photo essay: Berkeley’s 2011 Himalayan Fair
Berkeley’s annual Himalayan Fair was held on Saturday at Live Oak Park. The fair is now in its 28th year and is an important fundraiser for grassroots organizations in Nepal. A couple of Berkeleyside’s regular contributing photographers were there to capture the event.
