Daily Archives: November 16, 2012
Cal razes latest Occupy the Farm greens at Gill Tract
The latest development in the battle over the future of a hotly contested research field in Albany took place Friday when the UC Berkeley dean who oversees the land released a new open letter about his goals for the stewardship of the space.
Urban farming activists recently broke into the fenced-off Gill Tract field to plant about 2,000 winter greens. They announced plans to continue working part of the field in the coming months, in conjunction with hosting several community forums and vegetable distributions. In October, they held a pumpkin carving event, and last week they organized a forum in North Oakland to “discuss how we can work together to strengthen local struggles for land, food, and power — at the Gill Tract Farm and beyond.”
UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said, as of Friday evening via email, that “The occupy crops are no longer there.” … Continue reading »
The Berkeley Wire: 11.16.12
Berkeley hills. Photo: Paul Miller
Occupy holds small anniversary party on Cal campus (Berkeley Daily Planet)
In memoriam: Stuart Freedman, renowned nuclear physicist (Berkeley Lab)
Berkeley woman pepper sprayed during attempted purse snatching (Mercury News)
Cal students drop out to start tech companies (Daily Cal)
Berkeley High teachers question Rally Day, call for better culture (BHS Jacket)
Hiker who fell to death on Grizzly Peak identified (Chronicle)
Speak up for Telegraph! (ELS Architecture and Urban Design)
This week on NOSH: Hot spots, truffles, Corpse Revivers
In case you missed the news, Berkeleyside recently launched NOSH, an exciting new East Bay food section.
Here are the stories we published on NOSH this week:
Bites: What’s new, what’s hot, what’s happening Our regular round-up of East Bay food news, including new restaurants and bars.
Why Norman Rockwell’s turkey dinner sets us up to fail Just in time to ensure perfect results on Thanksgiving day, The Local Butcher Shop’s Monica Rocchino shares an expert view.
To Die For: Kao Mun Gai at Hawker Fare Former America’s Test Kitchen cook Kate Williams finds out what all the fuss is about the poached chicken and rice dish at this hot Oakland restaurant.
Raising the dead at Revival Bar & Kitchen Ms Barstool, aka Risa Nye, gets more than she bargained for sipping a Corpse Reviver in downtown Berkeley.
Three mouth-watering views of Asian cuisine Japanese farm food, the flavors of Burma, and Charlie Phan’s new tome: three exciting new cookbooks that would make perfect gifts. … Continue reading »
New Roman-style pizzeria to open in Berkeley
A hotel development and design group has chosen downtown Berkeley to launch its first restaurant, a high-end Roman-style pizzeria called A90. (Update, Jan. 2013: the restaurant has since been renamed Build.)
A90 will be located at 2286 Shattuck Avenue, on the corner of Bancroft Way. The space was most recently occupied by Indian restaurant Pasand Madras, next door to the recently shuttered Shattuck Down Low music club. Lisa Holt of DLS Hotels & Spas said work has begun on the building and they hope to be open by the spring.
DLS Hotels & Spas, whose projects include Milliken Creek Inn & Spa and Hotel Yountville, plans to replicate the A90 concept in other locations, both around the country and globally.
“Berkeley will be our flagship,” said Lisa Holt who is working on the launch in partnership with David Shapiro and the Rustic Restaurant Company. … Continue reading »
Final election count shows no change in Berkeley tallies
Alameda County is the first populous county in California to complete its election count, according to Registrar of Voters Dave Macdonald (“If I can brag a little,” he said). The countywide turnout of 74.3% was slightly down on 2008, when it reached 78.3%. The registrar published the final, uncertified count last night.
Detailed precinct by precinct votes will be available shortly after the results are certified, which Macdonald expects to do next Wednesday. Today and Monday, his staff are doing the required 1% tally before certification: a random 1% of precincts is checked manually to see whether there are any discrepancies between the voter machine-reported tally and the manual tally.
In Berkeley, the final count revealed no changes since election day. The close count on Measure T, which would have changed zoning in West Berkeley, finished with the opponents ahead by 512 votes. The narrow margin Alejandro Soto-Vigil had for the fourth seat on the Rent Stabilization Board also held up: Soto-Vigil finished 210 votes ahead of incumbent Igor Tregub. Yesterday, Councilmember Jesse Arreguín appointed Tregub to the Zoning Adjustments Board. … Continue reading »
The It List: Five things to do in Berkeley this weekend
VOCAL VIRTUOSOS Famed folk singer Joan Baez will make a guest appearance at Ashkenaz in Berkeley on Friday night to sing with the French performer Marianne Aya Omac. The pair joined forces in 2011 and have done three Northern California tours, as well as recording the song Duele together on Omac’s album Solo. The music is a departure from Baez’s usual folk repertoire with a melding of Gypsy and Flamenco music. Baez’s son, Gabriel Harris, will also be performing. Ashkenaz is at 1317 San Pablo Avenue
THE PLEASURES OF BACCHUS Berkeley’s Urbano Cellars is holding a party this Saturday to celebrate the release of its 2009 Sangiovese, a red Italian wine grape varietal whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, “the blood of Jove.” This Sangiovese is made from grapes in the Dry Creek area of Sonoma County. There will be lasagna to accompany the wine, and the local bluegrass group Get Offa My Lawn will be performing. The Sangiovese celebration runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Urbano Cellars, 2323 4th St., Suite B. … Continue reading »
Mountain lion sightings in Berkeley raise concerns
Concerns about mountain lions prowling the Berkeley hills are mounting with new reported sightings and the posting of signs alerting local residents to their possible presence.
On Thursday Nov. 15, UC Berkeley police received unconfirmed information of a mountain lion sighting near Building 26 at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). UCPD conducted a search of the area and was unable to locate any signs of mountain lion activity or presence.
The last sighting reported in the media was on Oct. 19 when a woman walking with her child in a stroller and their dog on a trail spotted a cougar next to a Kensington home near the Berkeley border. … Continue reading »
Police Blotter: Recent crime in Berkeley
The calls for service spreadsheet is available on Google Docs. (Please note that the numbers reflected in the report are only a snapshot of what occurs in the City of Berkeley. The numbers are considered for informational purposes only and should not be used for data analysis or comparison to other agencies. Cases may be reclassified after further review of the incident, by supervisors, investigating detectives or the District Attorney as appropriate.)
See also Local Crime News’ regularly published list of arrests of Berkeley residents. For other sources of information on crime in Berkeley see BPD’s CrimeView Community and Crimemapping.com. … Continue reading »
