Berkeley filed the suit against the businessman in Alameda County Superior Court on January 28th 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 … Continue reading »]]>

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

Last year, around this time I wrote an article about New Year’s resolutions and exercise. So, how did you do?

The holiday season is upon us once again, and it is time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the new. The new year is a time to make resolutions, if you are so inclined, which is merely another way of setting goals for yourself for the coming year. How are you doing … Continue reading »]]>

A hiker and her dog going up Claremont Canyon fire trail. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

By Susan Helmrich

Last year, around this time I wrote an article about New Year’s resolutions and exercise. So, how did you do?

The holiday season is upon us once again, and it is time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the new. The new year is a time to make resolutions, if you are so inclined, which is merely another way of setting goals for yourself for the coming year. How are you doing with your health and wellness? Do you have goals that you would like to accomplish? Does the whole process feel impossible and overwhelming to you? It doesn’t have to be.

Here are 12 of the best health and wellness changes you can make in the New Year:

1. Get a pedometer and work towards logging 10,000 steps each day.
2. Keep a journal and write it down – what you eat and how much you exercise.
3. Get 8 hours of sleep.
4. Reduce your intake of processed food and limit salt, sugar and fat
in your diet.
5. Read Michael Pollan’s book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual.
6. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water – stay away from high-sugar soft drinks, sodas — as well as drinks like Starbucks venti Java Chip Frappuccino which has 620 calories.
7.  Set S.M.A.R.T goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-dependent.
8. Find activities that you love and recruit a friend to do them with you.
9. Snack smart – fruits, vegetables and nuts rather than chips, candy and cookies.
10. Turn off your inner critic and negative thoughts, and focus on your strengths and successes.
11. Visualize yourself where you want to be — a strong mental image provides motivation.
12. Be grateful. This is the one factor most highly correlated with happiness.

Susan Helmrich is a health and wellness coach and the owner of Health and Wellness Matters. She swims 4,000 yards every morning at 6 am.

By guest. | Permalink | 6 comments |
Post tags: Susan Helmrich

Berkeley city workers came into Civic Center Park around 1 pm on Thursday and cleaned out the … Continue reading »]]>

Public works workers remove a Christmas tree from the Occupy Berkeley encampment in Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park in Berkeley, California, Thursday, December 22, 2011. Photo by David Yee

Update 10:30 pm: By 10 pm Thursday there were no more tents in Civic Center Plaza. Protesters had left the park by then or thier tents had been picked up by public works crews. The sprinklers were on and about 20 police officers were patrolling the park. Those remaining from Occupy Berkeley were hanging out across the street by Berkeley High School.

Berkeley city workers came into Civic Center Park around 1 pm on Thursday and cleaned out the majority of the Occupy Berkeley encampment.

Workers from the public works department, some dressed in light blue haz mat suits, drove a big truck onto the grass and started loading abandoned tents, sleeping bags, chairs, and other items. The 14 workers were accompanied by about 30 Berkeley police officers who stood ready to moderate any clashes with protestors.

But the bulk of the camp had already vacated. Protestors had taken down more than half of the 70 tents at the park by Wednesday night, and another dozen in the morning.

“What we are doing here is a collaborative project to pick up trash and unattended property,” said Sgt. Mary Kusmiss of the Berkeley police department. She said police would not be dismantling occupied tents since it is legal to be in the park in daylight hours.

But the city strategy seemed very effective. By mid-afternoon there were only about seven tents left in the park. The huge mounds of garbage were gone and only ghosts of tents remained, mainly in patches of grass that had turned brown because they had been covered by nylon tents for so long.(...)

Read the rest of Bulk of Occupy Berkeley camp cleaned out (306 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 64 comments |
Post tags: Jesse Arreguin, Mary Kusmiss, Occupy Berkeley

Instead of being a greenish-gold, fruity, fresh oil made from olives, rich in antioxidants and delicious to drizzle over a beautiful caprese salad, more likely than not it is a blend of oils, some made from olives, and some not.

In fact, a recent study by UC Davis that tested a number of the best-selling olive oils in … Continue reading »]]>

Tom Mueller: many extra virgin olive oils are "a big hoax'

That bottle of extra virgin olive oil you take off the grocery store shelf may not be what you think it is.

Instead of being a greenish-gold, fruity, fresh oil made from olives, rich in antioxidants and delicious to drizzle over a beautiful caprese salad, more likely than not it is a blend of oils, some made from olives, and some not.

In fact, a recent study by UC Davis that tested a number of the best-selling olive oils in California, including Bertolli, Star, and Colavita, found that 69% of the extra virgin olive oil imported into the U.S. did not meet the standards for extra virgin.

“It’s a big hoax,” said Tom Mueller, who will be talking about the issue, and his new book, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, on Saturday from 2 to 6 pm at Amphora Nueva Berkeley Olive Oil Works on Domingo Avenue. “What’s written on the bottle does not guarantee what is inside.”(...)

Read the rest of Author: You may not like what’s lurking in your olive oil (610 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 22 comments |
Post tags: Amphora Nueva Berkeley Olive Oil Works, Extra Virginity, Mike Bradley, Tom Mueller, Veronica Bradley, Veronica Foods

Arreguín’s announced his intent after a contentious meeting of the Medical Cannabis Commission on Thursday, Dec. 1. The MCC spent a large part of its meeting debating whether to send a letter to city officials drawing attention to the proliferation of collectives in commercial districts, but could not agree on the wording. The MCC will … Continue reading »]]>

A sign warning against drug dealing near the location of a new medical cannabis collective.

City Councilman Jesse Arreguín will ask the city manager tonight to investigate whether two medical cannabis collectives are operating in violation of Berkeley’s zoning laws.

Arreguín’s announced his intent after a contentious meeting of the Medical Cannabis Commission on Thursday, Dec. 1. The MCC spent a large part of its meeting debating whether to send a letter to city officials drawing attention to the proliferation of collectives in commercial districts, but could not agree on the wording. The MCC will take up the matter again in January.

“I don’t think this should be swept under the rug,” said Arreguín. “It is an important issue. Some action needs to be taken. The city is trying to be sensitive to these particular collectives, which provide medicine to patients. At the same time, they are clearly violating the city’s zoning laws and medical marijuana ordinances.”(...)

Read the rest of Councilmember: Look at unauthorized collectives (863 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 17 comments |
Post tags: 40 Acres, Aundre Speciale, Charlie Pappas, Chris Smith, David Stoloff, Jesse Arreguin, Medical Cannabis Commission, Perfect Plants Patient's Group, Scott B. Smith, Stewart Jones, Toya Groves

The commission noted that two collectives – 40 Acres and Perfect Patient’s Plant Group – were operating much like dispensaries without having to comply with the numerous laws that regulate them, including getting licensed and paying taxes

“It is really important that we watch out for the interests … Continue reading »]]>

The Medical Cannabis Commission at its September meeting. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel

Berkeley’s Medical Cannabis Commission agreed on Thursday to send a letter to the city manager expressing concern about the proliferation of cannabis collectives in areas that are not zoned for them.

The commission noted that two collectives – 40 Acres and Perfect Patient’s Plant Group – were operating much like dispensaries without having to comply with the numerous laws that regulate them, including getting licensed and paying taxes

“It is really important that we watch out for the interests of those people who are abiding by what is asked of them by the City of Berkeley,” said Commissioner Stewart Jones, referring to the three dispensaries currently permitted by the city. “I am concerned about an influx of (groups) coming into Berkeley. There are two now. Next week there could be two more.”(...)

Read the rest of Commission ponders growth of unlicensed pot groups (887 words)

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 27 comments |
Post tags: 3pgs, 40 Acres, Aundre Speciale, Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley, CBCB, Charlie Pappas, Dan Rush, Divinity Tree Wellness Cooperative, Erik Miller, Medical Cannabis Commission, Patients Care Collective, Perfect Plants Patient's Group, Stewart Jones, Toya Groves, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5

The City of Berkeley has partnered with Energy Upgrade California to offer the workshop as a one-stop shop for all Alameda County homeowners to find contractors, get information about the rebates and tax credits available and have all their questions answered.