Fifteen years ago, Peter McColl walked out of his north Berkeley home. He told his younger brother Joseph that he was taking the bus to visit Cody’s Books on Telegraph. No one in his family has seen him since. McColl, who was just days away from starting his junior year at Berkeley High, disappeared around [...]
Posts under ‘Berkeley History’
World record set at Berkeley Kite Festival
By Elinor Holland Participants in the Berkeley Kite Festival set a new world record Saturday when they flew the most giant octopus kites together at one time. The Octopile joined forces with the Gomberg Kite Production to fly 22 octopus kites. The previous record had been 20 kites. The octopus kites are massive and heavy [...]
South branch library demolition opposed
The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association is opposing the city’s plan to tear down and rebuild the South Berkeley Branch and Tool Lending Library. BAHA sent a letter to the planning department on July 16 protesting the proposed demolition because the existing building on Russell Street, designed by architect John Hans Ostwald in 1961, is an [...]
The Berkeley public library: a few facts
First library in Berkeley opened in 1893 with 264 books Rose Shattuck donated site of her old rose garden for library in 1905 John Galen Howard designed the original building built at Kittredge and Shattuck Andrew Carnegie donated $40,000 to build the structure In 1934, James Plachek designed building that is now called Central Placheck [...]
Ed Roberts Day decreed for California
California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger on Monday signed a bill creating Ed Roberts Day, in honor of the Berkeley pioneer for disability rights. Ed Roberts Day will be each January 23rd, and the bill encourages schools and other institutions to commemorate Roberts’ drive for disability rights. State Senator Loni Hancock, a former neighbor of Roberts, introduced [...]
Magnes Museum collections will move to UC Berkeley
Berkeley’s Judah L. Magnes Museum and UC Berkeley today announced a partnership whereby the treasures of the Magnes will be transferred to the university. The Magnes’ 10,000-piece collection of precious music, art, rare books and historical archives will retain the Magnes name but be distributed to various parts of the university. The bulk of the [...]
Is demonstrating part of “The Berkeley Experience?”
In the 128-page document released Wednesday by UC Berkeley’s independent Police Review Board is an interesting reference to something called “The Berkeley Experience.” It may have played a significant role in the demonstrations against budget cuts last fall. “The Berkeley Experience,” according to the report, is every student’s desire to do something that is very [...]
Bancroft Library takes in William Saroyan gift
UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library has received a gift of hundreds of books, drawings, correspondence and other personal communications to and from one of America’s best-known writers, the Armenian-American author and playwright William Saroyan. The collection was assembled by Saroyan’s niece, Jacqueline Kazarian, who is also the founder of William Saroyan Literary Foundation International. “UC Berkeley is [...]
Comment: Does anyone else have protest fatigue?
When I heard the news on Wednesday that: 1) The organization World Can’t Wait will be picketing the Berkeley Law School graduation at the Greek Theater on Friday to protest the presence of John Yoo on the faculty; 2) State Senator Gloria Romero won’t be attending the Latino students’ graduation to protest the fact that [...]
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