Daily Archives: February 14, 2012
The Berkeley Wire: 02.14.12
Berkeley’s BeBop gives Korean food a California twist [BANG]
UC Berkeley cop cleared in Nov. broken finger case [Chronicle]
Poet Andy Clausen returns to Berkeley for reading [Tribune]
Cal in top 3 most politically active universities [PolicyMic]
Beloved Telegraph Ave shop owner remembered [Patch]
BHS Junior a winner in Rep’s One-Act Teen Festival [Broadway World]
Berkeley Patients Group gets a Federal letter [EBX]
Spike strip helps end CHP chase of car in Berkeley [Mercury News]
Whistle-blowers conference this weekend at Cal [Fresh Juice Party]
Photo: Amtrack station by dyannaanfang/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
New arrival from Brooklyn joins Startup Berkeley panel
Kalimah Priforce describes himself as “a madman on a mission”. Through his startup Qeyno Labs, Priforce works with local partners and schools to bring technology-enabled career discovery into under-served classrooms, using game-like rewards and mentorship from real-life professionals.
Priforce will be joining the panel at Berkeleyside’s Local Business Forum on March 5th to discuss his experience moving his project from Brooklyn — which is a considerable tech hotspot these days — to Berkeley.
“I needed to be tied into the ecosystem out here,” Priforce said. “There’s a lot happening in New York, but there’s no ecosystem there yet.”
He originally thought he’d locate in Silicon Valley or San Francisco, but decided the East Bay would be more fertile ground for his work in under-served classrooms. … Continue reading »
Shop Talk: The ins and outs of Berkeley businesses
DISCOUNT DRUGS Kenneth Okwuegbe, who worked for CVS for years, opened Drate Pharmacy about five weeks ago at 2930 Shattuck near Ashby. Drate is a discount pharmacy offering generic drugs at prices lower than you can get in the big chains, said Okwuegbe, who originally hails from Nigeria. “Berkeley is a beautiful place,” he said. “It’s a place where everyone can fit in. Berkeley supports small businesses. It will support the little guy, like us.”
HIGH REGARD FOR TWO WHEELS Zach Cohen wasn’t a bicycle enthusiast until he moved to Berkeley four years ago. Now he’s hooked on bicycling as a way to reduce his carbon footprint and help the community. His new venture, Biketopia, which opened in January, is a bicycle store and community center rolled into one. At the nonprofit “community workshop,” at 1752 Alcatraz Avenue near Adeline, people can buy parts, get a new bike, or sign up for fix-it workshops. Cohen also has an extensive internship program that teaches at-risk youth how to build and repair bicycles. Businesses interested in promoting biking to their employees can contract with Biketopia to come in and perform regular bike tune-ups. By joining Biketopia as a member, rates are reduced. … Continue reading »
Dates set for reopening of North and Claremont branches
The renovated North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library will reopen on April 7, and the remodeled Claremont Branch will open shortly thereafter, on May 5, library officials announced Saturday night.
The re-opening of the two branches comes less than a year after they were shut for remodeling. It means that construction on Berkeley’s other two branches can start soon.
As a first step towards tearing down and rebuilding the South Branch, the Tool Lending Library at 1901 Russell Street will relocate. The Tool Lending Library will close Friday, February 17 and reopen March 20 in the Sawtooth Building at 2547 8th Street. Patrons are asked to return all tools by Friday this week. The South Branch will close on March 17 and the West Branch is scheduled to close at the end of April, according to Donna Corbeil, the library’s executive director. … Continue reading »
Where in Berkeley? Valentine’s Special
Update: 4:58 pm: Ta da! We have a winner! Alan Aki correctly guessed four of the photos above at 10:42 am this morning. He will be the lucky recipient of a box of bon-bon chocolates from Casa Des Chocolates. Congratulations Alan.
Thanks to all those who played today.
And here are the answers:
1. Tennis courts at on Hopkins and Carlotta
2. Crowden School Sacramento
3. Chain links fence near Jimmy Beans on 6th Street
4. Sawtooth building at Dwight and 8th Street
5. Safeway construction on Shattuck Avenue
6. Children’s playground near King’s Middle School
Update, 3:50 pm: We’ve had a number of guesses for our special Valentine’s Where in Berkeley? contest, and we will announce the winner at 4:45 pm here, and alert the winner directly by email. Anyone else want to play? Send us an email with your answers!
Original story: Today, for this special day where matters of the heart reign supreme, we bring you a special-edition “Where in Berkeley? competition — with a suitably romantic prize for the winner.
The large felted wool hearts that have been appearing all over Berkeley in recent days are the work of Streetcolor, known to many of our readers as our local yarn bomber extraordinaire.
Streetcolor tells us she made the Valentine’s heart from handmade wool because she wanted them to look like paper but be durable to the weather. The other reason for the new medium, she says, is because she feels people in Berkeley may have been yarnbombed enough.
“They need something new to be surprised,” she says, adding: “I have been wanting to bomb chainlink fences — they offer a large open surface to do flat textile graffiti. They also can look so industrial and harsh. They make a good contrast for the felted hearts.” … Continue reading »
