Daily Archives: October 17, 2011
The Berkeley Wire: 10.17.11
Berkeley doctor’s solar suitcase saves lives in poor nations [Chronicle]
Wind, overgrown trees and brush still a hazard in the hills [Tribune]
BUSD and Council plan move out of City Hall [Daily Cal]
Billionaire may buy Berkeley’s occupied public housing [Bay View]
UC grads freed from Iran to speak at Occupy Oakland [Oakland Tribune]
Actor Johnny Depp at Cal tonight for “Rum Diary” screening [Daily Cal]
Man starts project to “out” BUSD students who live elsewhere [Patch]
Joshu-ya gets a redo [Mercury News]
College provides unexpected money lessons for Cal freshman [Daily Breeze]
UC journalism professor wins Daniel Pearl Award [School of Journalism]
Photo by dougsmi/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
Breaking: Andronico’s to shutter University Avenue store
The new owners of Andronico’s Markets announced Monday that they will close the store at 1414 University Avenue, but will not shutter the other three locations in Berkeley.
Renwood Opportunities Fund, a partnership between Rosewood Private Investments and Renovo Capital, took over the bankrupt grocery chain last week, buying the seven-store business for a reported $16 million. Andronico’s, founded 82 years ago in Berkeley, had filed for bankruptcy in August.
City officials learned of the closure on Monday … Continue reading »
Urban farm Urban Adamah celebrates the harvest
Urban Adamah, a community organic farm and Jewish environmental education center on Parker and San Pablo, celebrated the holiday of Sukkot on Sunday. There was music, yoga in the sun, a food festival, and good eats. People were asked to bring a can of food to donate to local food banks. Sukkot is a celebration of the harvest.
In memoriam: Constance Minzey Holton
Constance Minzey Holton, community volunteer and world traveler, died on October 5, 2011, in Oakland, California, of cancer at age 86.
Born in South Bend, Indiana, Connie grew up with her extended family on a farm in Green Township. Her memories of depression-era farm life always remained with her, becoming stronger in the last few years of her life. From this quintessentially American start she went on to become a world traveler, study 3 languages, and become involved in global issues. This was all experienced hand-in-hand with her husband of 58 years — and love of her life — Richard H. Holton. The life they created for themselves and their children included passions for public service, music, travel, wilderness, and friends. … Continue reading »
Berkeley’s program of handing out free bike helmets to encourage more cycling is ending today. Your last chance for the free helmet is to go to the Public Health Division of the Department of Health Services at 1947 Center Street before 5 p.m. today. According to Nancy Xiong in the unit, the city has given out more than 1,400 helmets through the program.
Inspired to make The Sims after losing a home
Will Wright’s home was one of the first to burn in the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. His quick thinking in fleeing without delay probably saved his life, and that of his first wife and immediate neighbors whom he took with him. The experience also had another consequence: it inspired him to create what became the best-selling personal computer game in history.
Wright, one of the world’s leading video game designers, sprang to prominence when his company, Maxis, launched Sim City in 1989. Maxis was sold to Electronic Arts in 1997. Wright’s new company, Stupid Fun Club, was formed two years ago and is based in West Berkeley.
The process of assessing his losses and material needs after his home burned down set Wright to thinking about the value of possessions and the promise they hold of fulfillment. Having always been passionate about architecture, he began to develop an idea for a game where players would simulate daily activities in a suburban household, including building a home from scratch: The Sims was born.
Wright’s home was on a ridge on Norfolk Road, very close to the site of the incompletely extinguished grass fire that is believed to have sparked the catastrophic fire that swept through the hills on October 20.
Wright remembers waking up that morning and smelling smoke. … Continue reading »
Peace & Justice Commission to Obama: Apologize
Berkeley’s Peace and Justice commission wants President Obama to write a letter to the Apache people apologizing for using the name of Native American Indian leader Geronimo in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The name of the action should be changed from “Operation Geronimo,” to “Operation Bin Laden,” according to the commission, which has forwarded its recommendation to the Berkeley City Council for consideration on Oct. 25. Equating the famed Indian leader with America’s most-wanted terrorist is insulting, according to Commissioner Wendy Kenin, who introduced the resolution.
“The use of the name Geronimo for the country’s most wanted terrorist is offensive, particularly to Native Americans and negatively impacts the identity and social position of Native American youth,” reads part of the resolution the commission wants the city council to adopt. … Continue reading »
A fancy hat is the star of the show at Fountain celebration
Many people turned out on Sunday for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Fountain at the Circle in north Berkeley. But, despite the beloved landmark being the center of attention, it was a hat which threatened to steal the show.
Shirley Dean, the former Mayor of Berkeley, was wearing the broad-brimmed velvet hat which is decorated with clusters of appliquéd flowers and leaves. Dean also wore the hat to the 1996 ceremony held to mark the fountain’s restoration. And — most remarkably — her husband Dan Dean’s grandmother, Margaret, wore the very same hat to the inauguration of the original fountain in 1911.
