Berkeleyside » Government

Arsonist sentenced for destroying $100 million of wine

Frances Dinkelspiel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:05:45 +0000

Mark Anderson: sentenced Tuesday

More than six years after a devastating fire ripped through a Vallejo warehouse, destroying 4.5 million bottles of premium wine worth more than $100 million, a man has been sentenced for the crime.

A federal judge in Sacramento on Tuesday sentenced Mark. C. Anderson, 63, who was born in Berkeley and who resided in Sausalito, to 27 years in prison for the Oct. 12, 2005 fire at Wines Central.

“This was an enormous crime,” Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Steven Lapham said after the sentencing. “He damaged so many lives. We tend to think of winery owners as rich, fat-cat types. But by and large, the people who were storing wine at this facility were doing so because they didn’t have their own storage. They were small family-owned wineries that couldn’t afford these losses.”(...)

Read the rest of Arsonist sentenced for destroying $100 million of wine (679 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: Jan Kurowski, Judge Lawrence K. Karlton, Long Meadow Ranch Winery, Mark C. Anderson, R. Steven Lapham, Ted Hall

No sitting to eat pizza at Berkeley’s Gioia, at least for now

Frances Dinkelspiel — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:30:45 +0000

T-shirts, not pizza eaters, line the counter at Gioia's Pizzeria. Photo: Neil Mishalov

The marble counter at Gioia Pizzeria on Hopkins Avenue used to be crowded with people eating slices of formaggio or funghi pizza.

Not any more.

Now the counter is stacked high with black and white Gioia Pizzeria T-shirts and is verboten to customers.

In the last few weeks the pizzeria has had to stop offering patrons a place to eat their pizza pie. The restaurant, it turns out, did not have a permit for eating on site. And, before December, it did not even have a permit to operate as a take-out restaurant.

“The city of Berkeley has determined that we are to be a ‘to go’ only operation,” reads a sign perched on one of the counters. “Unfortunately, this means we may not provide seating of any kind, nor may we offer a counter at which our customers may stay and ‘dine in’ at. In addition we have been asked to remove our outside counter.”(...)

Read the rest of No sitting to eat pizza at Berkeley’s Gioia, at least for now (201 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 63 comments |
Post tags: Art Kinsey, Gioia Pizzeria, Jill Martinucci, Karen Gioia, Laurie Capitelli, Will Gioia

Berkeley’s Mayor lays groundwork for reelection bid

Lance Knobel — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:25 +0000

Bates: "I will make an announcement in the next couple of weeks." Photo: Lance Knobel

Mayor Tom Bates this week filed the necessary campaign finance forms that would enable him to run for reelection this November.

“I had to file the report, but I’m not officially running for reelection,” Bates told Berkeleyside. “I will make an announcement in the next couple of weeks.”

Bates, who is 73, has been mayor for ten years, serving one two-year term, followed by two four-year terms.

According to Acting City Clerk Mark Numainville, there is an important distinction between required campaign finance forms and the paperwork necessary to become a qualified candidate. The form Bates filed allows him to raise or spend money, but nothing else.

“It doesn’t commit you to run and it doesn’t qualify you as a candidate,” Numainville said.

Bates’ wife, State Senator Loni Hancock, preceded him in the Berkeley mayor’s office where she served for two terms. No other names have yet emerged as candidates for mayor.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley’s Mayor lays groundwork for reelection bid (64 words)

By lance. | Permalink | 49 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley City Council, Berkeley government, Mayor Tom Bates

New addition to North Branch library almost complete

Frances Dinkelspiel — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:22 +0000

A view of the side of the new addition to the north branch of BPL. Photos: Frances Dinkelspiel

While the reopening of the north branch of the Berkeley Public Library is still three to four months away, its new contours are apparent. Construction crews have completed the building and painting of two-story addition to the building, which will house a new multipurpose room, a teen reading area, and a staff room.(...)

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By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: North Branch library

Berkeley files suit against owner of blighted Telegraph lot

Frances Dinkelspiel — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:17 +0000

The city of Berkeley holds $640,000 in liens against this lot at 2501 Haste Street. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

The city of Berkeley has filed a lawsuit against Ken Sarachan, telling him they intend to seize his lot at the intersection of Telegraph and Haste to pay off the $640,000 he owes in liens and interest.

Berkeley filed the suit against the businessman in Alameda County Superior Court on January 28^th and served Sarachan’s place of business, Rasputin Records, on Monday, according to Zach Cowan, the city attorney.

“The city is alleging that Mr. Sarachan has not lived up to his agreement to pursue development of the site in a diligent and timely manner,” said Cowan. “As a result, we want to recover the liens we offered to waive if he did so.”

Mr. Sarachan could not be reached for comment. The suit also names Laurie Brown, his wife, as a co-defendant since California is a community property state.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley files suit against owner of blighted Telegraph lot (407 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 21 comments |
Post tags: 2501 Haste, Haste and Telegraph, Ken Sarachan, Laurie Brown, Pagoda Project, Zach Cowan

City council to consider switch from Wells Fargo

Lance Knobel — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:30:09 +0000

Wells Fargo, the nation's largest mortgage lender, is also the bank for the City of Berkeley. Photo: Lance Knobel

Update, 01.31.12: Wells Fargo spokesperson Ruben Pulido sent us the following statement at 4:30 pm today:

“Wells Fargo is committed to the city of Berkeley. We are working with local leaders to support the community and help people who are facing financial challenges. Over the past three years, Wells Fargo has donated more than $3 million to 89 nonprofits in Berkeley. Wells Fargo works diligently with customers to find solutions that prevent foreclosures. Over the past year, less than 2% of homeowner-occupied loans in our servicing portfolio have proceeded to foreclosure sale. Wells Fargo currently owns less than 10 properties in the Berkeley market.”

Original story: The City of Berkeley might switch its banking from Wells Fargo, seen as one of the major banks at the heart of the financial crisis and mortgage meltdown.

At tomorrow night’s City Council meeting, a proposal by Jesse Arreguín and Darryl Moore asks staff to evaluate shifting the city’s banking relationship from Wells Fargo when the current contract expires at the end of 2012.

“We have a responsibility to show we are investing the taxpayers’ money not only in a fiscally responsible way, but in a socially responsible way,” said Arreguín. “We want to do business with someone who invests in our community.” (...)

Read the rest of City council to consider switch from Wells Fargo (266 words)

By lance. | Permalink | 11 comments |
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Berkeley property company in court over deposits

Frances Dinkelspiel — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:59:18 +0000

A protest at the Lekas' home in Oakland. L to R: Ruby Sato, Kriss Worthington, Jesse Arreguín, Jerome Gourdine, Alyson Sato

A Berkeley property company that has refused to return the security deposits of a number of former tenants agreed Wednesday to make some reparation.

Cleo and Eula Lekas, the mother and daughter behind Lekas & Associates, agreed to pay Alyson Sato $2,487 by Jan. 31, according to City Councilmember Kriss Worthington. The two sides reached the agreement after a two-hour, closed-door meeting in front of a judge in an Alameda County courtroom.

The resolution, if carried out, would end a 19-month-old fight over the return of Sato’s security deposit, a disagreement that made its way into small claims court, prompted a protest outside a meeting of the Berkeley Property Owners’ Association, led to a demonstration in front of the Lekas’ home in Oakland, and led the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Cleo Lekas.

“The landlord has now agreed to pay Alyson by January 31 and she has signed a document, witnessed by the judge, that the check will be in the mail and received by Jan. 31^st,” said Worthington.(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley property company in court over deposits (248 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 7 comments |
Post tags: Alyson Sato, Berkeley Property Owners’ Association, Cleo Lekas, Eula Lekas, Graeme Baldwin, Kriss Worthington, Lekas & Associates

Alameda County bans use of some plastic bags

Frances Dinkelspiel — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:42:01 +0000

Alameda County has acted on plastic bags. Photo: Polandeze/Creative Commons.

The Alameda County Waste Authority voted Wednesday to ban the use of plastic bags at pharmacies and grocery stores county-wide, starting in 2013.

The authority, which also goes by the name Stopwaste.org, also voted to require businesses and multi-family dwellings to recycle all “high-market value materials,” as part of an initiative to reduce waste going the landfill.

The plastic bag ban will apply to 2,000 stores around the county. The ban does not include restaurants or retail stores. Stores can provide customers with paper or reusable bags, but must charge 10 cents for them.

“Setting restrictions on single-use bag distribution will help local jurisdictions meet their storm water permit and litter control requirements at lower costs and reduce environmentally harmful trash in storm drains and creeks,” the authority said in a press release. “Despite voluntary efforts to promote reusable bags countywide for several years, plastic bags comprised 9.6% of litter collected during coastal cleanup days (based on 2008 data) in Alameda County.”

Berkeley may soon see a more restrictive law. City Councilmember Kriss Worthington plans to urge the city to enact its own ban on plastic bags, but one that also applies to retail stores. The City Council will discuss the matter at its Jan. 31 meeting.

The mandatory recycling law adopted Wednesday will require businesses and multifamily structures that generate more than four cubic yards per week of solid waste to not only recycle newspapers and cardboard, but compostable materials, like food. The current California law does not stipulate which materials should be recycled.

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 7 comments |
Post tags: Kriss Worthington, plastic bag ban, StopWaste.Org

Will Berkeley pass a plastic bag ban soon?

Frances Dinkelspiel — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:05:15 +0000

Berkeley drew up a model ordinance about banning plastic bags in 2009, but nothing has happened since then. Photo: Creative Commons

Kriss Worthington is tired of waiting.

More than six years ago, the Berkeley councilmember suggested that the city ban the use of plastic grocery bags.

At the time, the idea was new and Worthington liked the notion of Berkeley leading the nation by passing an environmentally friendly law.

Since then, more than 100 cities, counties and countries have banned the use of plastic grocery bags. In 2007, San Francisco was the first city in the country to pass legislation outlawing the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and pharmacy chains.

Berkeley has done nothing.

“It’s an important environmental policy,” said Worthington. “To me, it’s sort of embarrassing that it was proposed in Berkeley before anywhere else. Now all these other places have policies. It’s time we get a policy.”(...)

Read the rest of Will Berkeley pass a plastic bag ban soon? (474 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 19 comments |
Post tags: Alameda County Waste Management Authority, Jeff Becerra, Kriss Worthington, plastic bag ban

Commission aims for more transparency in elections

Frances Dinkelspiel — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:30:37 +0000

The Fair Campaign Practices Commission will meet at the North Berkeley Senior Center

Berkeley’s Fair Campaign Practices Commission will consider changes to local campaign laws on Thursday that members hope will bring greater transparency to election finances.

The commission will consider adding new restrictions on independent committees, which are defined as groups spending money independently rather than in coordination with a candidate or measure. While the 1974 Berkeley Election Reform Act prohibits businesses from contributing to a candidate, and limits individuals to a $250 donation, businesses and other interested parties can set up separate independent committees that accept unlimited donations. The independent committees can then use those funds in support of ballot measures and candidates.

The proposed law would require any independent committee spending $1,000 or more on a ballot measure to notify the City Clerk’s office of that expenditure within 24 hours. The City Clerk would then be required to post that expenditure online within two business days, and to alert those affected by the expenditure. The law would apply 40 days prior to an election.(...)

Read the rest of Commission aims for more transparency in elections (409 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Fair Campaign Practices Committee, Steve Wollmer