Daily Archives: June 10, 2011
The Berkeley Wire: 06.10.11
Tilden Regional Botanic Garden: Easy stroll [SF Chronicle]
Soul Sanctuary Dance: special benefit for Ashkenaz Sunday [SSD]
This weekend: last chance to go to East Bay Open Studios [ProArts]
Cal coach David Esquer on Bears’ success [SF Chronicle]
Photo by beckcowles/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
Berkeleyside says thank you to its advertisers
Berkeleyside would like to take a minute to express its gratitude to our current advertisers: Amoeba Music, Barbara Hendrickson/Just Sell My House, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley Rep, Bernardo Lopez Garden Design & Installation, Cal Youth Camps, Carolyn Jones at The Grubb Company, Dan Suich, Energy Upgrade California, Focal Point, Hotel Shattuck Plaza/Five Restaurant, Keneuoe Vivere, Moe’s Books, Photo Laboratory, Sarah Herman Landscape Design, Telegraph Berkeley, and UC Berkeley Optometry. We very much appreciate your support.
If you are interested in reaching Berkeleyside’s 96,089 … Continue reading »
Ashby BART’s new bike station holds Open House today
Ashby Bike Station, which opened in April, is holding an Open House tonight, Friday June 10th, starting at 7:30 pm.
The self-service bike station, which is operated by BikeLink, has space for 128 bikes.
According to an article in Oakland Local, 12% of Ashby BART users bike there from home — the system’s highest percentage by station.
The new bike station will almost double the bike parking available at Ashby BART, bringing the total number of spaces to 323.
All hands on decks for pig roast feast at Berkeley High
At the risk of alienating every vegetarian and vegan reader we have — something we definitely do not want to do — we bring you more carnivorous capers (on the heels of this story about a new gourmet butcher in Berkeley, and this story about a charcuterie business launch).
Students at Berkeley High have become accustomed to eating the fruits of the weekly Seniors BBQ Club – a popular club which, rather astonishingly for this otherwise egalitarian city … Continue reading »
Claremont Hotel gets ready for Michelle Obama
Ever since the news broke that Michelle Obama will be talking at a fundraising breakfast June 14th at the Claremont Hotel, the hotel has been spiffing itself up. Rumor on the street is that the First Lady, or FLOTUS, will be spending Monday night at the resort before a day of activity in the Bay Area.
The First Lady’s penchant for edible gardening is well-known, as she has heralded the new organic garden at the White House and been … Continue reading »
The best pizza in Berkeley? Our readers have decided
Wow. Who knew Berkeley residents were so passionate about pizza? It’s right up there with free speech, free love, and free-range eggs — or so it seemed based on readers’ record responses to our request last week for their choice of the best pizza places in town.
Before we announce the winners of our, let’s face it, less-than scientific survey, a few caveats up front. Stunned by the sheer number of votes (over 220 comments including input on Facebook) we realized, after the fact, that we should have employed a poll counter. Next time. And, we’ll be sure to include a category for “other,” so you can weigh in with a pick not mentioned in the post.
Because it turned out, that despite writing in the story and later in the comment thread (several times) that the dozen pizza purveyors listed represented a sample of savory pies on offer here, many of our readers — including one rather irate pizzeria owner — read it as this site’s “best of” picks.
Privately, folks pointed out, too, that businesses left off that list may have been unfairly handicapped, a not unreasonable assumption, and it is duly noted.
So, we didn’t make it easy on you. And you didn’t make it easy on us. Some voted for more than one place. Some voted on Facebook or Twitter but not here. The crack accounting team at Berkeleyside opted to err on the side of generosity in tabulating results, including all favorable mentions in the count.
Many mentioned that a top pizza pick might vary depending on factors such as deep dish versus thin crust, East vs. West style, delivery, location, and omnivore/vegetarian/vegan options. Some argued that the pie produced at Cheese Board isn’t even pizza. (Where is the sauce? Potatoes and kale topping?) As one self-described pizza snob wrote: “While Cheeseboard is undeniably delicious, it’s not pizza.” … Continue reading »
Berkeley does comedy, goes beyond hipsters and dudes
By Diana Arbas
It’s LGBT Pride Month, and downtown Berkeley’s coming out with a sense of humor.
The first ever Berkeley Gay Comedy Festival kicks off at The Marsh Berkeley on Saturday, June 11, and every adult — regardless of sexual orientation or hairstyle — is invited.
“Too often when you go to comedy nights you’re just going to see a certain demographic, certain age group, kind of just young white dudes,” said the Festival’s founder, Marga Gomez. But this festival is geared to people who like thoughtful, progressive comedy, she said.
A nationally celebrated comedian herself, Gomez is the force behind The Marsh’s 2011 stand-up comedy programming. Inclusiveness has always been her mission.
“The kind of comedy that I think people are used to seeing is … kind of very slacker, it’s hipster and it’s a trend,” she said.
Gomez tries to break that trend. “I have always aimed to make it inclusive for women comics and men comics, comics of every sexual orientation, trans comics. I just want great comics. There’s nothing like our show in the East Bay and probably anywhere,” Gomez said. … Continue reading »
Have your say on City decisions and bullying at school
Two online resources are currently open to Berkeleyans to enable them to make their views known on, respectively, decisions on the City Council’s next agenda, and the issue of bullying and how it is dealt with in Berkeley schools.
Berkeley councilmembers Susan Wengraf and Gordon Wozniak are hosting an online forum through Open Town Hall which invites people to comment on the issues to be voted on by the Council on Tuesday June 14.
Subjects under consideration include: Should the … Continue reading »
