Category Archives: News
Accolades for Edie Meidav and other East Bay authors
The East Bay Literary scene is heating up. Never before in the 31-year history of the Northern California Book Awards have the Fred Cody Award for Lifetime Achievement, plus nine nominations for book awards, all been given to East Bay writers.
The authors who have been nominated represent a wide range of disciplines, expertise, and artistic talent. They include: Barry Eichengreen, Adam Hochschild, Andrea Lingenfelter, Mary Mackey, Edie Meidav, David Meltzer, Michael Pollan (Fred Cody Award Winner), Amy Reed, and Katherine Silver.
Each week, from now until the June 10 Awards Ceremony, Berkeleyside will spotlight one of these writers. … Continue reading »
Berkeleyans closer to being able to sell backyard produce
In August 2010, Sophie Hahn told a reporter it was easier to have a pot collective in Berkeley than to have a vegetable collective. Last night Hahn’s desire to see the city allow residents to sell the food they grow in their backyards came one step closer to reality when the Planning Commission unanimously passed the Edible Garden Initiative.
Until now, Berkeley’s zoning codes have prohibited selling or otherwise conducting commerce outside a house in a residential neighborhood.
The legislation covers fruit, vegetables, nuts, honey, and shell eggs from fowl or poultry, provided they are all whole, intact, and organically grown. (Read the Sale of Non-Processed Edibles from Residential Lot memorandum.) … Continue reading »
Activists accuse Bayer of killing bees, protest in Berkeley
A group of about fifty protesters from Taking Back Our Food System, an East Bay coalition of food, Occupy, and environmental and human rights activists, staged a demonstration outside Bayer’s plant on Parker Street in west Berkeley Wednesday afternoon to protest what it said was the pharmaceutical company’s role in creating pesticides that killed bees.
The demonstrators claim that Bayer is a major producer of Neonicotinoid pesticides (Neonics) and that research show this line of pesticides has a direct role in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). “Because bees pollinate a most of the world’s food, Bayer’s Neonic pesticides are a threat to our food supply,” they said in a statement read at the demonstration. … Continue reading »
Berkeley murder suspect DeWitt breaks deputy’s jaw
Daniel Jordan DeWitt, the 23-year old charged with murdering Peter Cukor, 67, outside his Berkeley Hills home on February 18, yesterday punched an Alameda County sheriff’s deputy and broke his jaw, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
DeWitt was being placed in waist and leg chains ahead of being transported to Napa State Hospital when he punched the deputy without warning at John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro.
DeWitt, who according to his family was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia five years ago, allegedly punched and kicked a nurse at the same psychiatric facility in 2010.
Sheriff’s Sgt. J.D. Nelson told the Chronicle: ”Unfortunately, there are people in society who will strike out at a moment’s notice and for no reason. Those are the kind of people we have to deal with on a daily basis.” … Continue reading »
Olympic star Natalie Coughlin runs with King students
On Monday, 11-time Olympic medallist Natalie Coughlin introduced First Lady Michelle Obama at a Let’s Move press conference in Dallas. Yesterday, the Cal grad and Lafayette resident took time out from her training schedule to join with students at Berkeley’s King Middle School at its annual runathon.
The Berkeley Wire: 05.16.12
Food authors, academics urge Cal to embrace Gill Tract Farm [Fog City Journal]
Berkeley’s Fred Rodriguez boost Olympic dream with Cal Tour [Merc]
Praise for BAM benefit honoring SF arts patron Cissie Swig [Huff Po]
UC Berkeley picks 4th St spot for Shared Services Center [UCB]
King teacher takes teenagers to protest at UC Berkeley [Chronicle]
Cal Golden Bears win record-setting six titles [Cal Bears]
Photo: Helios building, by Avi Hesterman/Watershed Photography.
West Berkeley plan held for further council debate
For the third consecutive week, Berkeley City Council heard many passionate arguments against the third phase of the West Berkeley Project and a handful in support. But a vote on amending the West Berkeley Plan, certifying the environmental impact report and adopting CEQA findings and the Mitigation Monitoring Program was held over to yet another special council meeting — scheduled for 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22.
Last year, the City Council approved zoning amendments for reusing and expanding existing buildings and businesses and which allowed new uses. The third part of the project deals with a new Master Use Permit (MUP) process which provides for greater flexibility in developing large sites. The project would allow the creation of a maximum of no more than six MUP sites over the next ten years. … Continue reading »
In memory: John Quigley, Cal leader, inspirational mentor
John M. Quigley, a leading scholar of housing markets, local public finance, energy efficient buildings, homelessness, and racial discrimination in housing, passed away in Berkeley on Saturday May 12. He was 70.
Quigley, the I. Donald Terner Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Business, and Economics at UC Berkeley, was a campus leader, an inspirational mentor, and a leading figure in urban economics and housing policy.
During his career he produced fourteen books and over 150 scholarly articles. Quigley excelled at finding clever ways to use empirical data about housing and urban areas to answer important public policy questions such as the macro-economic impact of rising housing prices on consumption behavior, the impact of segregation on African Americans’ opportunities to accumulate wealth through investment in housing, the effect of governmental and voluntary energy standards on energy efficiency and the value of buildings, and the relationship between housing markets and homelessness. … Continue reading »
Berkeley home, crime hotbed, declared a public nuisance
Last night, a West Berkeley home that has been the nexus for serious crime and drug dealing for 30 years was declared a public nuisance by the City Council.
The household at 1722 Ninth Street, owned by 77-year old Roberto Alcala, many of whose extended family live there with him, was described by local residents as “the neighbors from hell.”
The Council’s decision follows a recommendation made in February by the city’s Zoning Adjustments Board not only to slap the home with a public nuisance order, but also to evict its inhabitants. The council chose not to have the house vacated, but instead imposed 11 conditions on the property owner in order to “abate the nuisance activity,” all of which need to be met within one month. These include eradicating illegal substances and unregistered guns from the property, eliminating excessive noise and applying for the permits necessary to demolish an illegal kitchen addition. (Read the full recommendation.) … Continue reading »
The Berkeley Wire: 05.15.12
Berkeley places third on Amazon’s Best Read Cities list [AP]
Berkeley Symphony’s new season, conductor’s contract extended [Merc]
Berkeley home of late prof. Robert Scalapino for sale [MarketWire]
BUSD looks at amalgamating language immersion program [Patch]
Berkeley Youth Alternatives gets funds to boost attendance [Tribune]
Vigil for UC Berkeley sophomore (photos) [Mercury News]
Photo: Campanile and Albany hill, by TJ Gehling/Berkeleyside Flickr pool.
