Daily Archives: April 27, 2012
Hit-and-run driver who struck two cyclists is arrested
Berkeley Police have arrested the owner of the car which was involved in a hit-and-run collision with two cyclists on Tunnel Road in Berkeley on the afternoon of April 25.
Michael Patrick Medaglia, 43, of Oakland, was arrested at the Jack London Inn in Oakland late this afternoon after he attempted to shift blame for his crime by reporting that his vehicle had been stolen after Wednesday’s hit-and-run incident.
Medaglia was arrested for possession of heroin, felon in possession of ammunition, violation of probation, and felony hit-and-run, according to BPD. He was taken into custody without incident. Medaglia’s misdemeanor probation violation stems from an August 2010 case for a violation of PC 653(k), possession of a switchblade.
On April 25, after the hit-and-run incident, Medaglia reported to the Oakland Police Department that his vehicle had been stolen. A Berkeley Police alert was placed on the vehicle. This morning, the Oakland Police located the reportedly stolen vehicle and advised Berkeley Police of the recovery. Berkeley Police Crime Scene Unit personnel examined the vehicle, identified Medaglia’s probable place of residence and made the arrest there. … Continue reading »
The Berkeley Wire: 04.27.12
Ernest Callenbach, author of “Ecotopia” dies at 83 [New York Times]
Berkeley shop will recycle disability equipment [Tribune]
Berkeley Art Museum announces new Director of Engagement [Art Daily]
Rep to give away 3,000 tickets to “Emotional Creature” [Broadway World]
Photo: At the Vivarium, by dyannaanfang/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
Berkeleyside says thank you to its advertisers
Berkeleyside would like to express its gratitude to our current advertisers:
Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, Amoeba Music, Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Lab, Berkeley Playhouse, Berkeley Poetry Festival, Berkwood Hedge School, Bernardo Lopez Garden Design & Installation, Carolyn Jones: The Grubb Company, Downtown Berkeley Association, Fantasy T-Shirts, Five Restaurant, Focal Point, GovHub, The Grubb Company, Ira & Carol Serkes: Pacific Union/Christie’s International Real Estate, Jewish Music Festival, LMi.net, Marsh Interiors, McKevitt Fiat, Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts Bookstore, Photo Laboratory, … Continue reading »
University open letter addresses ‘confusion’ on Gill Tract
The University of California Berkeley has responded to the self-styled “Occupy the Farm” protest at the Gill Tract with an open letter to neighbors. In the letter, university administrators describe what they call “confusion and concern” over the property and future plans.
The letter cites a five-year long collaborative “community engagement process” which Occupy the Farm “has little regard for”. It explains that the “agricultural fields on the Gill Tract that are now being occupied are not the site of a proposed assisted living center for senior citizens and a grocery store. The proposed development parcel is to the south, straddling the intersection of Monroe Street and San Pablo Avenue, and has not been farmed since WWII.” It also “categorically” denies the allegations that genetically modified crops are being used on the site.
Here’s the full text of the open letter: … Continue reading »
Police blotter: Recent crime in Berkeley
This is a partial list of recent crimes in Berkeley based on information from the Berkeley Police Department, followed by a snapshot of BPD activity this week. The calls for service spreadsheet is available on Google Docs. See also the San Francisco Chronicle’s regularly published list of arrests in Berkeley. For other sources of information on crime in Berkeley see Community CrimeView and Crimemapping.com.
Sunday, April 22
Violation of Park Hours Leads to Narcotics Arrest – Seawall Drive/Berkeley Marina
On Sunday at about 2:20 a.m., BPD officers were doing a security check of the Berkeley Marina area. One of the officers spotted an Oldsmobile occupied and parked along Seawall Drive in the Berkeley Marina. The individuals were in violation of Berkeley Municipal Codes — Posted Park Hours and No Parking. The officer talked to both the man and woman inside the parked car. Another officer acted as a cover officer. A records check revealed that the Oakland man was on Felony Probation for selling cocaine base aka “crack” and was subject to search. The officer searched the inside of the car and found powder cocaine inside a dollar bill. The officer arrested the male suspect for violations of 11350(a)PC – Possession of a Controlled Substance and a Felony Probation Violation – 1203.2 PC. The woman was free to go and left the scene in the car. … Continue reading »
New group with Berkeley roots aims to get kids outside
Sharon Danks and her colleagues around the world are doing their best to combat so-called nature deficit disorder in today’s children, many of whom are growing up with competing demands such as “screen time,” and other barriers to a romp in the park such as safety concerns or access issues.
Danks, a planner and partner with Bay Tree Design in Berkeley, recently co-founded the global group International School Grounds Alliance to address an increasingly sedentary and risk-averse generation of young ones who, it is feared, are becoming disconnected from their natural environments. Some children, shuttled from school to home to other indoor activities, simply don’t spend much, if any, time in the great outdoors.
The nascent organization, with members in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, want kids to experience the fun and games of outside play. … Continue reading »
Video: Cyclists struck by hit-and-run driver in Berkeley
Update, 1:44pm: The Berkeley Police are investigating the collision between a black car and two cyclists that occurred Wednesday April 25 at about 4:30 pm. Responding to a request for information from Berkeleyside, the police issued the following statement (which has been slightly modified):
On 4/25/12, at about 4:30 PM, two bicycle riders riding east on Tunnel Road were struck by a black vehicle driving east on Tunnel Road. The driver of the black vehicle did not stop after the collision, as required by law.
One of the riders had a camera mounted on his handlebars, and the collision was captured on video.
The riders, both of whom were wearing helmets, suffered from abrasions from the contact with the roadway, but did not require hospitalization for their injuries. A passerby called 9-1-1, and the riders were seen and treated by Oakland Fire. Their clothing and bicycles were significantly damaged as a result of the collision. … Continue reading »
