Daily Archives: June 21, 2012
The Berkeley Wire: 06.21.12
Grand opening on Saturday for new basketball courts in San Pablo Park [CoCo Times]
City Council urges decommissioning of two California nuclear plants [Daily Cal]
Berkeley based Grocery Outlet to open in San Jose [Biz Journal]
Comal goes beyond tacos [East Bay Express]
UC abandons lawsuit against Gill Tract farmers [Occupy the Farm]
Photo: Sunset from Berkeley hills, by seaangel12/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
Eve Ensler hopes to spark “girl revolution”
Eve Ensler wants nothing less than to start a revolution, and she is hoping Berkeley will be its epicenter.
Friday night marks Berkeley Rep’s world premiere of Emotional Creature, a 90-minute play based on Ensler’s bestselling 2010 book, I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World.
In its stage adaption, six young actresses sing, dance, and talk about the promises and perils of being a young woman in the world today. They confront social pressures, homophobia, sexual slavery, female circumcision, factory work and the pressures to conform, but they also celebrate the power of their own voices and convictions.
“What if girls were really encouraged and supported to be their own selves?” said Ensler on Thursday as Berkeley Rep made final tweaks on the production. “How different the world would be. What we tell girls is ‘you are too alive. You are too passionate.’ We put words on it like hysterical and out of control. We put definitions on their life force.” … Continue reading »
Berkeleyside launches redesigned Daily Briefing email
As a few thousand of Berkeleyside’s readers know, you can get your daily dose of our news in a handy email at the end of the day. We’ve been publishing our Daily Briefing email almost from the start of Berkeleyside back in 2009, but we recently revamped and improved the newsletter.
If you want to receive our Daily Briefing, just click on this link to add yourself to the mailing list. The newsletter will arrive in your inbox every … Continue reading »
Juneteenth festival celebrates silver anniversary Sunday
The festivities, which run from 10am to 6pm, take place along Adeline Street, between Ashby and Alcatraz streets, and include a dynamic lineup of entertainers and performers with a vast array of blues, jazz, reggae and new school music, along with a multitude of arts, crafts, cultural events and ethnic foods. Berkeleyside will be there too to enjoy the celebrations, and as an official media sponsor.
This year’s festival theme is: “We’re Still Standing!” — a testament to how long the festival has been held for residents throughout the Bay Area. “Many black festivals have come and gone over the years,” said Delores Nochi Cooper, Festival Publicity Chair. “However, the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival has been steadfast in its longevity to mark the celebration, and recognize this important historical event in the lives of African Americans.” … Continue reading »
Woman killed in early morning house fire in Berkeley
Update, 06.22.12: The woman killed in the house fire at 2919 Lorina Avenue in the early hours of June 21 has been identified as 26-year old Meredith Ann Joyce of Oakland, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Joyce died of burns and smoke inhalation due to the blaze which investigators believe started in the historic Victorian home’s basement. Two heat detectors and a smoke detector were in the home, but it is not clear whether they were working.
Original story: A young woman was killed and two others were injured when a fire broke out Thursday morning in an old Victorian house at 2919 Lorina Avenue.
Firefighters responded to the fire at 2:36 am and found thick smoke and flames coming from the rear area of the house, located near the intersection of Shattuck and Ashby. One of the residents of the home told firefighters that someone was still inside, according to Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong.
Firefighters made their way to a small attic-like space on the third floor where they found an unconscious woman, said Dong.
“Firefighters were told there was still someone inside,” said Dong. “It was difficult to get to where the person was because of the amount of heat and a narrow stairway… She wasn’t breathing. They attempted to resuscitate her but ultimately pronounced the victim at the scene.” … Continue reading »
George Brooks and Kai Eckhardt’s tangential experience
Tenor saxophonist George Brooks and electric bassist Kai Eckhardt share a vast universe of sound, from classical Hindustani music and jazz to blues and R&B. Their latest project, George Brooks and Kai Eckhardt’s Tangential Experience, expands their sonic purview exponentially with Egyptian pianist Osam Ezzeldin, Brazilian drummer Celso Alberti, and special guest vocalist Mahesh Kale, a master of classical Hindustani and semi-classical Maharashtrian styles.
More often heard on far-flung stages around the world than at home, the Berkeley neighbors Brooks and Eckhardt perform Wednesday at Freight & Salvage, a concert that highlights what might be their most important connection.
“Kai is a great ally on a human, spiritual and musical level,” Brooks says. “We live near each other. We have sons the exact same age at Berkeley High. We’re colleagues in fatherhood and as world traveling musicians.” … Continue reading »
