Daily Archives: September 6, 2011
Berkeley settles contentious library lawsuit
The city of Berkeley has reached an agreement with Concerned Library Users over a lawsuit the group filed to stop the demolition and rebuilding of the South and West branches of the Berkeley Public Library.
In a closed session on Tuesday evening, the city council voted to settle the lawsuit by creating a $100,000 fund to provide grants to preserve historic buildings in the city’s south and west neighborhoods, according to Zach Cowan, the City attorney. The city also agreed … Continue reading »
The Berkeley Wire: 09.06.11
Budget realities drive UC Berkeley’s international enrollment strategy [UCB NewsCenter]
Andronico’s in talks with three potential buyers for rescue [Daily Cal]
Berkeley’s proposed Downtown Area Plan [The Berkeley Graduate]
Tomorrow, Wednesday declared a Spare the Air day [Spare the Air]
Crossover blues singer Sista Monica Paker recording in Berkeley [PRWeb]
Photo: Red flag oubox, by 2812 photography/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
We’re going on a Bear hunt: The Berkeley photowalk
Last week, self-described “photography factory” Thomas Hawk teamed up with Google+ to organize a photowalk in Berkeley. A previous photowalk on the Stanford campus had drawn more than 200 participants — the offer of free Google+ swag probably played a part — and Hawk felt it was only fair to come to the East Bay to avoid fueling the infamous Stanford-Cal rivalry.
Over 100 people signed up for the walk, including many photographers whose work we publish regularly on Berkeleyside — such as Michael Moore, Jef Poskanzer, Ira Serkes and Keoki Seu (to whom we owe a hat-tip for this story) – and others, including Sam Breach, Peicong Liu (aka noExcuseG), and Ryan Anderson (dak1b2006).
Shop Talk: The ins and outs of Berkeley businesses
SAME AGAIN General Appliance, at 2524 Shattuck Avenue, which closed its doors in June after 72 years in business, has been replaced by Airport Home Appliance Annex which has branches in Redwood City and Hayward (hat tip: Rachel Anderson).
SWEET STUFF Berkeley’s Indie Cakes & Pastries started supplying Berkeley’s Saul’s Deli with pastries and cookies a couple of weeks ago. Indie’s cupcakes and macaroons can also be found at Good Bellies and Bica cafes in Oakland and at the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market.
HIPPIE GYPSY … Continue reading »
The Solano Stroll: A Berkeley fixture on day to remember
The Solano Stroll barely needs any introduction. A mile-long block party that has been held annually since 1974, the Stroll is easily the East Bay’s largest festival.
The organizers expect a turn-out of 250,000 this year, but don’t let that put you off. There are 26 blocks to stroll, a parade to watch, and a plethora of free entertainment to enjoy.
This year, the stroll falls on September 11, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and, fittingly, the theme is ”Unsung Heroes”. The event will … Continue reading »
City to consider suing owner of blighted Telegraph lot
The city of Berkeley may finally be getting fed up with the vacant, rat-infested lot on the northeast corner of Haste and Telegraph.
The City Council on Tuesday will consider filing a lawsuit against Ken Sarachan, the owner of the lot, to collect $500,000 in city liens on the property. The idea so delights City Councilman Kriss Worthington, who represents the area and who has long been frustrated by an empty space in such a prime commercial district, that he … Continue reading »
Big Screen Berkeley: The Man Who Fell to Earth
Once upon a time, anniversaries were special things: occasions when couples celebrated fifty years of marriage, companies celebrated a century of commerce, and countries celebrated bicentennials. Then something happened, and we all started buying special 15th Anniversary DVD editions of mediocre situation comedies and 22nd Anniversary editions of bad progressive rock music.
Which brings us to the 35th anniversary re-release of Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth. Rialto Pictures has struck some new 35mm prints of Roeg’s film, one of which is coming to Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas this Friday for a weeklong engagement. Has it really only been 420 months since it first baffled cinemagoers? And is it worth a sawbuck to see it again on the big screen?
Ginger-haired David Bowie stars as Thomas Jerome Newton, an interstellar traveler who one day finds himself in a strange new world of pawn shops and bouncy castles. Newton, who travels on a British passport, is actually from Anthea, a distant planet experiencing severe drought. He’s brought some of Anthea’s super-duper advanced technology to Earth in hopes of swapping it for dollars, which, in turn, will allow him to solve his home planet’s water shortage, assuming Anthea won’t object to his bringing large amounts of foreign currency into the country.
With the help of patent lawyer Farnsworth (Buck Henry), Newton becomes a multi-millionaire. As the years pass, however, people begin to wonder about the stranger with no past, whilst Newton himself develops a serious case of homesickness. Flashbacks to the good old days on Anthea reveal the planet to be a wee bit desiccated—though on the plus side, it does feature good public transportation in the form of what can only be described as a rail-yurt. … Continue reading »
