Responding to a request under the Public Records Act, the Berkeley Planning Department has released a Memo of Understanding (MOU) between the City Manager’s Office and a consortium of international shipping companies. The MOU calls for a major expansion of the Berkeley Marina to accommodate a new container terminal, and the Berkeley Marina Area Specific Plan (BMASP) has been modified to include expansion of bay fill to accommodate the new industrial development. Because of the expanded scope of the plan, BMASP is now WSP, for Waterfront Specific Plan. 

The document request included non-privileged emails between the City Manager and Transportation consultant Rick Shaw, explaining that the relatively modest plan for a ferry terminal in the Berkeley Marina was scrapped after a thorough economic analysis. 

“The ferry, as proposed, would have been a financial negative for the City,” Shaw wrote. “The ferry terminal plan would have required Berkeley to spend about $29 million in land-side facilities, particularly parking and road access improvements, with virtually no new revenue for the Marina Fund. We also concluded that the ferry would not have made any significant contribution to relieving traffic congestion.” 

“There are only two kinds of development with a proven track record of providing new revenue on the required scale:,” legislative analyst Eileen Wright added to the discussion thread. “Hotels and container terminals. The City Council is averse to new hotel development, so a container terminal is the only remaining option.”  

Economic consultant Ben Dover added that the container terminal is a “fresh, new, ‘outside the box’ approach to the Berkeley Waterfront,” writing that revenue is projected at tens of millions annually. “There are social and cultural benefits as well: This plan will help relieve supply chain backlogs during the next global transportation and shipping crisis.” 

Another email participant questioned the project based on the requirement imposed by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) that new bay fill must support recreational activities.  

“That’s been considered,” wrote Barb Dwyer, one of the landscape architects under contract to the consortium. “Container operations provide a rich assortment of recreational opportunities. Visit the Port of Oakland on any weekend afternoon, for example, and you’ll find families watching the container loading operations. It’s a fascinating thing to see, especially close up. And don’t forget, we’ll get a new fishing pier alongside the ship berths as part of the deal.” 

“People tend to forget that BCDC stands for Bay Conservation AND Development,” Wright added. 

One email participant from the Parks and Waterfront Commission, who had been completely unaware of the direction the planning process had been taking until after the MOU had been signed, questioned whether the project was in compliance with the EIR and Cal CEQA requirement to present alternatives to the project. 

“We conducted public hearings, and focus group workshops by invitation, evaluating four alternatives,’ wrote Ella Phyno from the planning consulting firm of Kay, Serra & Serra. “Yes, there were alternatives presented. The consultants offered a choice among various ship docking configurations: bow-in, stern-in, side-tie, or diagonal. Side-tie was the clear favorite, providing the largest area of wind shadow in the lee of the giant ships for hiking, picnics and dog walking.”  

Wright added a follow-up comment, writing “We are strong advocates of mixed use development,” she wrote. “This project puts open space and industrial space in close proximity, adding to the value of both.” 

The transcripts of several invitation-only focus groups were also provided under the Public Records Act. The attendees included an assortment of hikers, dog walkers and rowers, but various business interests were also very well represented. 

Restaurant developers Sal Manella and Lo Fat proposed renovating the building formerly occupied by Hs. Lordships to create a restaurant space offerring Italian-Chinese-vegetarian fusion cuisine, but they logged out of the zoom session abruptly when the Mayor’s aide mentioned that the City would soon be making another attempt to convince the State Lands Commission to allow an RV park on the adjacent parking lot. 

“Restaurants are very minor economic contributors in the context of industrial-scale commerce,” explained Wright, who was moderating the focus group. “A very successful restaurant might contribute $100K a year to the Marina Fund, but the waterfront needs millions to cover long-overdue capital upgrades and repairs.” 

Hotel developer Isadore Adjarr was similarly disappointed that his vision of a five-star hotel covering most of the old Hs. Lordships parking area was no longer feasible. His concept called for a sprawling low-rise structure with a sloping, living roof that would transform the parking lot into a grassy hillside. 

“Rooms with views of the Golden Gate Bridge will go for upwards of $500 a night,” he claimed, “and think of the room tax revenue that would flow uptown. It won’t compromise the park-like nature of the living roof - those west-facing windows would not have been visible from anyplace on land. But the hotel clearly not feasible in the current plan.” 

Additional documents supplied under the Public Records Act, possibly by mistake, included some communication between City officials with names redacted. 

“It’s really a shame,” wrote one staffer, “that we spent all that money on consultants and planning to get a major ferry terminal on track, and now all that work has to be scrapped to make room for the container port.” 

“Not really,” answered another individual, name redacted. “The ferry process demonstrated how easy it can be to get a controversial project to the binding MOU stage. The key was minimal interference from the commissions, sidestepping the more onerous CEQA requirements, and leaving virtually no public record of the by-invitation focus group commentary. It was well worth it, showing us the way forward for the container port, which will grow to a cash cow for the City on a scale that the marina could never sustain despite our past efforts. Managing a public process is child’s play if done right, especially when the end result is known from the start.”  

In another focus group session, Moderated by Council aide Berndt Bridges, concerns were expressed by open space advocate Milhouse Creak about the extent of bay fill required for container handling and storage. “While It’s true that the port projects a throughput of 9,000 containers per day,” answered Dover, “we believe we only need storage space for 2,500 boxes. Optimized routing and just-in-time pickup and delivery management can work around the limited storage space. Recreational users of the waterfront will not be affected, except that the marina entrance will be blocked by large ships at intervals published in advance, with few exceptions.” 

“This was all planned even before lower University Avenue was repaved and re-aligned to get rid of the bumps,” added Clay Foote from the Road Repair Division of Public Works. Does anyone really believe we would have spent all that money on fixing the bumps in the road if it was just for access to a marina and a park? The traffic circle at U. Ave. and Marina Boulevard, for example, is really a truck pad. The curbs are low and sloping, so big rigs with containers can use the pad to make the turns. Notice that we recently laid out the recommended tire paths on the red brick pad, although this was done a few years ahead of schedule due to a typo in the City’s request for bids.” 

May Day and Lilly Pond, representing the Cal Sailing Club and Cal Adventures at another focus group, pointed out that the interaction of small sailboats with large ships will be a challenging addition to the their training regimen. “At last we’ll have a dredged approach channel to the marina, Lilly wrote. “Although, we didn’t need to go all the way down to a depth of forty feet.”

I have recently read many complaints in local newspapers about “NIMBYs” using the California Environmental Quality Act to prevent the University of California from building housing on People’s Park. These complaints are just the latest in an ongoing attack on the California Environmental Quality Act.

Those who want less planning and regulation of development are fond of asserting that CEQA is “abused” by those who use it to prevent or modify destructive projects. They claim that CEQA was never intended to apply to private development, or that CEQA should only protect the natural environment, not urban neighborhoods. Both claims are refuted by the intent, language, and specifics of the law. (Read the broad legislative intent at www.sharonhudson.com/urbanrights.) California’s citizens who value quality of life should hold CEQA tight, because it is their only weapon against environmental degradation.

Some are surprised when courts actually enforce CEQA, much to the chagrin of developers pushing for rapid and unexamined urban densification. But courts do not (and should not) bend the law for those with “altruistic” goals, nor do courts have to answer to public demands for housing and sports stadiums. But politicians do respond to public opinion and so they have occasionally carved out exemptions to CEQA. Careful, limited exemptions for some small projects may be justified, but exemptions for large, potentially highly damaging projects are not.

Some outraged commentators also have a Polyanna-ish view of the University of California, which they view as a noble and benign entity, doing its darnedest on its shoestring budget, to educate deserving young Californians. Outsiders may believe this, but, as they say, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Most of UC’s near neighbors are sadly familiar with the brutal side of Cal. UC Berkeley has a history of broken promises, profit-maximizing, housing destruction, and freeloading off the resources of the City of Berkeley. And anyone who believes that universities are benevolent institutions primarily committed to education should read the 2005 book “University, Inc.” by Jennifer Washburn. 

Before CEQA, there was California’s 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. This popular plan, which had statewide scope and acceptance, fully took into account California’s population increases and addressed anticipated density impacts of host cities. In spite of a shortage of campuses at the time, it aimed for UC campuses to top out at 27,500 students, in deference to the needs of students, faculty, and host communities. 

How would UC do this? Under the Master Plan, UC enrollment would be limited by (1) making better use of the state college and community college systems; (2) tightening UC admissions standards; and (3) distributing students to other (new) UC campuses (note: Berkeley’s population density is more than twice as high as most UC host cities). Under CEQA, these options, along with the use of any local potential development sites, are called “alternatives,” and must be explored as means to prevent unnecessary damage to environmental “goods” like open space, quiet, and historical resources. CEQA is the only law that requires this. 

UC Berkeley had 28,525 students in 1970. Then a student could hoof it around town for a few days before school started, and find an ample apartment for a reasonable price. In 1990 UC Berkeley had over 30,000 students, but promised to lower its enrollment; instead, by 2000 it had 31,267 enrolled. In 2005 UCB said its enrollment would be around 33,000 by 2020, but in 2010 it was 35,833, and in 2020, 42,327. The City of Berkeley and neighbors relied on those promises and projections when deciding on policies related to the university. Now UCB’s student body is 45,307—with thousands not even Californians. This—and the accompanying housing shortage—can’t be blamed on CEQA or NIMBYs. 

A city of less than 120,000 can’t support 45,000 young, short-term residents and “visitors,” not to mention ballooning non-academic institutional uses (where housing used to be), without paying a high price. The neighborhoods directly around the campus bear 90% of the livability burden. Under CEQA, adding 20,000 residents is called “cumulative impact.” CEQA is the only law that requires decision-makers to question it and/or plan for it. 

Some Californians who live far away from any likely development view people who try to protect their neighborhoods as deep-pocketed NIMBYs who are afraid of poor people. This idea is happily promoted by developers. In fact, the people impacted most by new developments are poor people. It is a godsend to them when a wealthier person volunteers time and/or money to help them protect their environs. So thank you to those who have sued to hold UC to its promised enrollment figures, and to maintain People’s Park as much-needed open, public, and historic space in the densest part of a dense city. 

Many view People’s Park as a dump because, for fifty years, UC has made sure it remains unusable and unlovable. Occasionally they test to see whether park neighbors are fed up enough with the problems there to support replacing the “park” with (more) student barracks. They have even held fake “community input” processes, in which unwitting neighbors waste their time proffering ideas to improve the park. But all this is yet more UC deceit; their goal has always been to build on People’s Park just like they bulldozed and built all over the rest of Southside—as soon as nobody is looking. 

So far People’s Park has been saved by people committed to one of more of its symbolic values: its long, unlikely, contested, anti-institutional history; its being a “free space” for the unfortunate and unhoused; and its potential value as a public park. Historically, People’s Park is the single surviving piece of open space, preserved for use by “the people,” in the neighborhood with the most actual people in Berkeley, in the face of an all-devouring institution. Physically, it should be a public gathering place—a venue for music, performance, and public affairs—with greenery and open space, providing a little breathing room for the landmark Maybeck Christian Science church on one side and a busy business district on the other. But allowing People’s Park to be a community asset would defy both the imagination and moral fiber of UC Berkeley. CEQA is the only thing powerful enough to push UC in that direction. 

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Sharon Hudson is an urban livability activist and former Southside resident. 

 

Hunkering Down in the Dark
After our electric power went out for two days during the latest onslaught of an Atmosfearful River, we had an opportunity to revisit the magic of candlelight—and the frustration of discovering that most of our flashlights didn't work. 

Also: we had no way to tell which of our scores of back-up batteries were still working. 

A neighbor was able to let us use an ancient rotary-dial phone to reach PG&E, but the utility's recorded message offered little comfort: it suggested that customers who had questions about the extent of the outage and an expected time for restoring service could simply "go online" for the latest updates. 

Only one problem: You can't "go online" when the power's out. 

Ghostlighting
Late in the second day of our outage, the power suddenly returned to our house. The lights lit, the radio boomed, the microwave beeped, and you could almost hear the entire neighborhood cheering—for the six seconds the power was restored. 

Having been titillated, we were once again found ourselves plunged into darkness. With one perplexing exception: A single globe light hanging in the living room continued to glow. Not at full force (maybe one-sixth of its regular brilliance) but with a spooky flickering effect. 

Checking the other switches and outlets, we discovered that—despite the overall outage—the electric heaters that we had been using to thwart the cold, still flashed their red "on" light when plugged in (cries of joy!) but that was it—they wouldn't operate and produce any heat (cries of disappointment). We'd have to continue huddling in front of the open door of our gas oven—sucking up the heat along with the nitrous oxide. 

A Loco Move: Too Many Cars on the Tracks
Since the partial derailment of a 212-car (that's more than 2.5 miles long!!!) Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, the public has been alerted to health hazards posed by shipments of toxic vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a deadly compound that threatens the lives of anyone living alongside or near railroad lines. A government that allows such risk-heavy operations to continue may find it accused of allowing people to be sacrificed for profits. It could be argued that a mass-gassing atrocity that mostly targets poor communities could be called "The Vinyl Solution." 

The eco-activist group Food & Water Action is calling on the EPA to ban vinyl chloride. You can sign on to this appeal here.
A Mural for the Times: The Madonna of Refugees
For much of the past month, a lone artist could be seen standing atop a stool on the south-facing wall of the Bi-Rite Liquors store at the southeast corner of Sacramento and Dwight Way. This remarkable mural is now finished and it's stopping pedestrians in their tracks and drawing art-lovers from afar. 

The artist, Mokhtar Paki, has created an incredibly detailed testament to the global plight of impoverished refugees. They are represented by hundreds of hand-drawn figures seen clinging desperately to the robes of a Mother of Migrants shown navigating a rescue ship as the waves of an massive ocean reach out and threaten to pull the desperate passengers back into the sea. 

A visit to the artist's website reveals that he frequently displays his work at Berkeley's Firehouse Art Collective. 

Car Squawk
In the tradition of Car Talk—National Public Radio's beloved on-air-auto-repair-call-in show hosted by Tom and Ray Magliozzi (aka the Tappet Brothers)—the good folks at Dana Meyer's Auto Care in Albany have posted a handy list for customers who drop in to complain about strange noises haunting their vehicles. In the NPR version, car-folk would dial-in live and, at the invitation of Tom and Ray, do their best to mimic the weird sounds they were hearing. 

With the show long gone from our airwaves, Dana and crew have posted a sign to help distressed drivers identify noises that are linked to certain common car-related problems. And here's that list—suitable for framing or tucking inside that sunshade above the steering wheel. 

Tell Us What You Are Hearing! 

BOOM—A sound like a drum roll or distant thunder 

BUZZ—Like a bumblebee 

CLICK—A light sound like a ballpoint pen being clicked 

CLUNK—A metal-to-metal sound like a hammer striking steel 

CREAK—Like walking on an old wood floor 

GRIND—An abrasive sound, like a grinding stone 

GROWL—A low sound, like an angry dog 

HISS—The sound that a leak in a tire makes 

HUM—A low-pitch steady sound like the note of an organ 

KNOCK—Like a knock on a door 

POP—A sound like opening a bottle of Champaign 

RATTLE—Like shaking a baby rattle 

RUMBLE—Low, heavy, continuous sound, like thunder 

SQUEAK—Like tennis shoes on a clean flood 

SQUEAL—A high-pitched sound like fingernails against a chalkboard 

TAP—A crisp, dull sound, like tapping your fingers on a table 

THUMP—Heavy, muffled, knock noise 

TICK—Like a clock's second hand 

WHINE—A high-pitched sound like an electric motor or drill 

WHISTLE—A high-pitched sound like a note on a flute. 

Fashion Plates
White Subaru: LUV HY ("Love HYways" or just getting high on love?)
White Nissan: A1 SUN 4 (The plate frame reads: "Solar Leaf: Power For the People"). 

Persimmon-colored Mini Cooper: PERSMMN (Emphasis on the "MM!")
Grey Tesla: DSAPAR8 (No such word as "Disaparate." Maybe Disparate? As in "no basis for comparison.")
White Toyota: S[heart]PHIRA ("I love Sophira"?)
White Honda: BND2CVR (Bend to Cover?)
White Honda: SIK FON (Sick Fun? And is that a handcuff hanging above the front bumper? The frame reads: "Dragon Heartless"]
Big black van: BJ4EVA (No comment on this one. My lips are sealed) 

Bumper Snickers
I've got 99 problems and White Heteronormative Patriarchy is basically all of them 

"I will feast on your corpse" (Uttered by a cartoon mushroom) 

"OMG You Guys. That's Not What I Said" (Uttered by an image of Jesus on a cross) 

Ban the Bible: Too Much Illicit Sex!
The Daily Kos recently posted a story with a headline I thought I'd never see: "It's Finally Happened! A Call to Ban the Bible for Pornography." 

The Daily Kos explains: 

"Anyone who has actually read the Bible can tell you it’s full of stories that should not be read by children. Here is a quick—and very incomplete—list: 

• Samson and Delilah: Delilah seduces Samson, then robs him of his masculinity.
• Judah has sex with his widowed daughter-in-law, thinking she is a prostitute.
• Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar.
• Lot’s daughters get him drunk and have sex with him
• Noah (the “righteous man in his generation”) gets drunk and is found naked by his son Ham.
• The Song of Songs is an extremely powerful paean to sex between two people who are not married.
• David commits adultery with Bathsheba, then has her husband killed so he can marry her."

This short list leaves out some really wretched illicit wenching on the part of Biblical figures. It all starts with Adam and Eve, who had two sons and two daughters. After Cain slew Abel, he seized Abel's sibling/consort and set about propagating the human race by procreating with, not one, but both of his sisters. 

And then there's Lot who opted to protect his male houseguests by offering his daughters to be gang-raped by a randy pair of visiting angels. 

Here is a biblical scholar trying to explain why this (and many other examples of sexual depravity) are found in the Bible. 

 

Apparently unconvinced by these rationalizations for "divine depravity," a parent in Utah, after watching other books being tossed from school libraries, has demanded that action be taken to ban the Bible—“one of the most sex-ridden books around.” The aggrieved parent went on to provide a list of Biblical Porn that included presentations of “incest, onanism, bestiality, prostitution, genital mutilation, fellatio, dildos, rape, and even infanticide.” The parent claims the Holy Writ, under Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1227, has "no serious values for minors" because "it’s pornographic by our new definition.”
Comparing Putin's Invasion of Ukraine and Bush's Invasion of Iraq 

On the 20^th anniversary of the WMD Big Lie that unleashed "Shock and Awe" on Iraq and the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine, here are some statistics to contemplate: 

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: "at least 8,006 civilians have been killed and 13,287 injured over the past 12 months in the Ukraine fighting." 

According to Brown University's Costs of War project: "Since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, between 550,000-580,000 people have been killed in Iraq and Syria—the current locations of the United States’ Operation Inherent Resolve—and several times as many may have died due to indirect causes such as preventable diseases. More than 7 million people from Iraq and Syria are currently refugees, and nearly 8 million people are internally displaced in the two countries." 

And here are some videos that are also worth contemplating. 

Marking 20 years since the beginning of the invasion of Iraq 

 

WMD Inspector: Bush should have faced a war crimes court over Iraq invasion

 

Iraq, 20 years on: Fallujah bears brunt of legacy of a brutal war

 

Iraqis reflect on country 20 years after the US invasion

 

Fallujah birth defects: A toxic remnant of the US invasion of Iraq

 

 

The current psychiatrist I have in comparison to previous ones is more authoritarian toward me, but he is also thick with excuses. He is a stickler for the rules. He doesn't allow any bending of dosage guidelines (put forth by the AMA) --and he gives 'doctors orders' to that effect. But he will find ways to avoid being put on the spot. He is, actually, an RNP, a Nurse Practitioner. The psychiatrist who supervises him is a person whom I will probably never meet. I could have seen him or her in passing, and I would never know it. These authorities are making things uncomfortable and difficult. Other psychiatrists have not been as strict, and they gave credit for me having a modicum of intelligence. 

However, this treating professional is only doing his job. He is providing medication to treat my psychiatric condition, and he asks pertinent questions. He does the things that a psychiatric professional should be doing. Therefore, I would have no justification of raising any significant objection. He is better to deal with than many. 

You cannot trivialize your psychiatrist. For one thing, your psychiatrist has a substantial legal authority over you. If he believed that you are a risk on the road, he could get your license suspended. If he believed you posed a threat to people, he can get you put under physical restriction, including but not limited to inpatient psychiatry, wherein you'd be locked into a mental hospital. If he believed you met the criteria for an involuntary hold, he is the one to do it. 

And I need to tell you that while I am using the word "he", many psychiatrists are female. I've been in treatment by several female psychiatrists. Because of gender inequality, a woman could have more motive than a male, to become a full M.D., so that they can be treated with due respect. I'm using the word "he" here simply because the one I have currently is a man. 

A psychiatrist can be difficult to deal with. They have power and they use it. They tend to disbelieve in anything that can't be proved with science. Many psychiatrists are atheists. Atheism is also a belief system. It is where you believe that only things that you can see and/or measure are real, versus believing in the unseen and the unknown, for which atheists don't give any credence. You can't prove the existence of God with science. 

I'm transitioning to a new medication. I have taken olanzapine for decades and its effectiveness has lessened. And I have been branded as paranoid and delusional. And to an extent it is probably true. Yet the new medication has yet to show me its superior ability at making me better. 

New medications involve a lot of unknowns. Until you try them, you don't know if one of them will be a resounding success or a complete failure at helping you. This RNP tried to convince me to go inpatient while trying the new medication. This is the con artist approach. Some doctors love it when they can exert more control over you. There is no justification for me going inpatient at present. 

However, currently a psychiatrist would not be able to put me on an involuntary hold and would not be able to force involuntary treatment on me, because I am well enough, and I am functional. When we start to get fearful over the power of treatment professionals, we should realize that if we can demonstrate basic sanity, there is not that much they can do. Secondly, we should soften our beliefs, some of which are likely paranoid, such as a belief that a doctor is out to get us. Usually, they aren't, and they are just trying to keep us safe, and keep others safe. 

And, this morning, after a good sleep that was hard to initiate, I'm doing better than I was the other day, and I think I can probably adapt to the new medication. 

---

Jack Bragen is a writer who lives in Martinez, California.

In a media post, Trump predicted that “potential death and destruction” may result if the Manhattan district attorney charges him for paying hush-money to a porn star during the 2016 presidential election. At his rally in Waco, Texas, he again railed at what he called the district attorney’s “prosecutorial misconduct” for following the law. (After all, he has dodged the law for so long.) 

These rants come awfully close to an attempt by Trump to incite another January 6-type riot. Trump is taking advantage of his possible indictment by sending out numerous fundraising emails asking his supporters to donate to his third presidential campaign. 

Normally, I would expect Trump’s behavior to alienate likely voters. Instead, however, it has helped him to surge ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis in the polls. 

Americans — be afraid, very afraid.

One thing that the MAGA Republican and the liberal Democrat pols apparently agree upon is that the US should increasingly confront and provoke China, forcing an American-Chinese war that can reinforce US worldwide supremacy. That policy is not the will of the American people. It also stands against the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese people because China will become the world’s most economically and politically powerful country only if peace prevails. Indeed, the course being charted here could doom modern civilization. That threat exposes the US two party system as no more a democracy (and perhaps less rational) than China with its single Chinese Communist-Capitalist Party. A multi-polar world is likely the only way toward a sanguinary future.  

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Since Trump announced, erroneously, that he would be indicted last Tuesday, news media have been speculating breathlessly.  

Newsflash: Trump thrives on media attention. As long as people talk about him and think about him, he has influence. When the media report on what he says, on what he posts on his blog, and speculates on what he may or may not say, on what he may or may not do, Trump gets attention that empowers his influence. Media attention fuels a trumpster fire that few can resist looking at.  

Responsible reporters and pundits who want this alleged criminal to be accountable through our system of Justice must stop speculating on his every word and action, and let the system do its function in the dispassionate, objective way it is designed to work.

I am writing to express my concern about the United States' support of the right-wing Israeli government. The current government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been accused of multiple human rights violations against the Palestinian people, including illegal settlement building, home demolitions, and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters. 

Despite these allegations, the United States continues to provide significant financial and military support to Israel, which is being used to oppress and subjugate the Palestinian people. This support not only contradicts the values of democracy, human rights, and freedom that the United States stands for, but it also contributes to the ongoing conflict and instability in the region. 

As American citizens, we have a responsibility to hold our government accountable for their actions and policies, especially when they involve human rights violations and injustice. We should demand that our elected officials use their power to promote peace, justice, and human dignity for all people, regardless of their nationality or religion. 

Therefore, I call on the United States government too withdraw their support of the right-wing Israeli government and instead prioritize a just and equitable solution that respects the rights and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians. The United States should promote dialogue and peaceful negotiations to achieve a two-state solution, which would ensure a future of security and prosperity for both peoples.  

In a brilliant researched article, the Nation magazine recently exposed how Israel influenced the 2016 election in favor of Donald Trump in compete violation if our election laws. The article discusses the relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump, as well as their shared interests in the intelligence industry. Investigative journalist, James Bamford argues that the two leaders have worked together to expand and improve the Israeli intelligence industry, which has in turn benefitted US intelligence agencies. Bamford details how Netanyahu has used his influence to lobby for US government contracts for Israeli intelligence companies and how these companies have been involved in controversial activities, such as the creation of spyware and the targeting of human rights activists. Bamford also examines how Netanyahu's political fortunes to have been tied to his relationship with Trump, and how Trump's defeat in the 2020 election has left Netanyahu politically vulnerable. Finally, Bamford suggests that the Israeli intelligence industry is likely to continue to play a major role in global affairs, regardless of who holds power in Israel or the US. 

It is time the US government demand an immediate halt to Israeli interference in US elections and funding an apartheid, racist, government.

My father when I was young tried to describe "mob rule.” I had no reference in my life for understanding what he said, and I remember only a fragment due to my memory loss brought about by pharmaceuticals. I had not been alive during WWII, and he had. He had spoken to people I had not, including his father, who apparently had been in the U.S. Navy in WWI. My heritage consists of many who’ve had close brushes with being killed. But when he’d spoken of Mob Rule, I’d had no concept of what he was talking about. However, looking back on the January sixth insurrection incited by the outgoing president, I have witnessed The Devil on television.

Scottish-born violinist of Italian heritage Nicola Benedetti is in great demand internationally as a violin soloist with the world’s leading symphony orchestras. In addition, over the last decade she has been performing chamber music with German cellist Leonard Eischenbroich and British-Ukrainian pianist Alexei Grynyuk in a trio format. On Wednesday, March 22, this trio made its local debut at Herbst Theatre sponsored by San Francisco Performances. On the program were two Piano Trios: the E-flat Major Trio, D. 929, by Franz Schubert, and Piotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50. 

These are two heavyweights in the trio repertoire. The last time I heard the Schubert trio was in early March, 2020, just before the Covid pandemic put a stop to public concerts for almost 18 months. That 2020 performance was led by local pianist Audrey Vardanega, and it also featured local cellist Tanya Tomkins and local violinist Nigel Armstrong. I lauded that performance of this Schubert Piano Trio for its refinement, elegance, and attention to emotional range while emphasising Schubert’s wealth of gorgeous melodic material. Now, by contrast, the Benedetti/Eischenbroich/Grynyulk Trio wins my approval for its sinewy character, its turbulence, its monumentality and passionate intensity as well as its faithful commitment to Schubert’s gorgeous melodies. Let me state it clearly: both interpretations seem viable. Schubert’s music can be embraced in many different ways, especially if the composer’s extraordinary gift for melodies is paramount. Schubert once said that “As soon as I write down a melody, many new melodies invade my mind.” 

Lasting three-quarters of an hour, Schubert’s E-flat Major Trio is of gigantic proportions for a piano trio. Written in the last year of his tragically short life, this trio offers some of Schubert’s last and greatest music. The opening theme is introduced in just six measures, but it opens the way for amazing counter themes that ensue. As the program notes indicate, “It is as if that basic shape is so pregnant and Schubert’s melodic gift so fertile that themes are being born in front of us.” The second movement, marked Andante con moto, begins with the piano offering an unsteady rhythm that throws us off our usual rhythmic base. The piano and cello offer what seems to be a funeral march. Over this irregular rhythm the cello offers a soaring main melody. Midway through this movement there is a dramatic episode full of Sturm und Drang. Finally, it rises to a huge climax before ending quietly on the opening theme. 

The third movement is a Scherzo, brief and bouncy, a mix between a minuet and a rondo. The concluding final movement, marked Allegro moderato, is quite long, lasting nearly twenty minutes even after the cuts Schubert made before publishing it. Twice in this movement Schubert repeats a theme, often called “the Swedish theme,” from the slow movement. This rhythmically varied reappearance is one of the most striking elements of this work, here beautifully performed by the Benedetti/Eischenbroich/Grynyuk Trio. 

Closing this program was Piotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op.50. Conceived in 1882 as a tribute to the memory of Nikolai Rubenstein, the recently deceased brother of the pianist Anton Rubenstein. This piano trio is the only chamber music work in which Tchaikovsky consented to combine a piano with strings. Consisting of two massive movements that last 50 minutes, this work has confounded critics, who debate endlessly over whether the opening movement’s form is that of a sonata or a rondo. It opens with a somber melody from the cello, and there follows a contrasting descending theme from the piano. 

The second movement offers a huge set of 11 variations on a simple peasant melody much loved by Nikolai Rubenstein. These variations are endlessly fruitful, though the composer was dumbfounded and distraught when critics tried to associate each variation with an episode in Nikolai Rubenstein’s life. The conclusion, marked Lugubre (Lugubrious), brings a repeat of the cello’s theme from the opening movement, now played “weepingly,” as the work gradually fades away into silence. 

After passionately involving themselves in performing these two demanding Piano Trios, the Benedetti/Eischenbroich/Grynyuk Trio gratefully acknowledged the standing applause of the audience. However, after concentrating their efforts on these two weighty piano trios, they wisely eschewed performing any encores, which would have been superfluous.

Worth Noting:

City Council is on spring recess until April 11, 2023. Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/ The Agenda Committee and Zoning Adjustment Board will meet in the hybrid format: in-person and online via ZOOM. All other City Commission meetings this coming week are in-person only with no ZOOM option.

Thursday is the GO TO MEETINGS day, pick your priority.

• SUNDAY, March 26:
  • Women’s Herstory celebrating Black Women leaders on ZOOM sponsored by Friends of Adeline
• TUESDAY: Another rain storm is on the way. Watch for severity predictions.
  • The Zero Waste Commission meets in-person at 7 pm with a 5-year rate hike and FoodWare To Go presentation on the agenda.
• WEDNESDAY:
  • The Agenda Committee meets at 2 pm in the hybrid format to finalize the City Council agenda that now lists 42 agenda items for April 11.
  • The Loan Administration Board meets at 3 pm to review requests to defer loan repayments.
  • The Environment and Climate Commission meets at 6 pm.
• THURSDAY – the Go To Meetings of the week:
  • The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) meets at 7 pm with the Hopkins Corridor Plan and the Turtle Island project in Civic Center Park on the Agenda
  • At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) will review the 25-story 2190 Shattuck mixed-use project.
  • At 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 pm) the Willard Neighborhood will have a presentation and Q&A on the Telegraph Plan for Dwight to Woolsey.
  • From 6 - 8 pm Open House for San Pablo Ave Corridor Project on safety enhancements and parallel bike routes.
• SATURDAY, April 1:
  • From 10 am – 12 pm the City is sponsoring a family centered free swim safety event at the West Pool (bring swimwear and towels)

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS 

Sunday, March 26, 2023  

WOMEN’s HERSTORY from 6 – 8 pm 

Videoconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85029824515 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 850 2982 4515 

AGENDA: Celebrate Black Women Leaders with Pamela Price & guests 

Sponsored by the Berkeley Equity Summit Alliance and Friends of Adeline 

Monday, March 27, 2023 – No city meetings listed 

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 

ZERO WASTE COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person Only: 1326 Allston Way, Ratcliff Building, Willow Room 

AGENDA: 7:15 pm – 4. Public comment non-agenda items, 7:30 pm – 6. Staff Updates, Discussion and Action Items: 7:45 pm – 1. Proposed 5-year Rate Schedule, 8:05 pm – 2. FoodWare To Go Presentation 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zero-waste-commission 

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:00 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor – Redwood Room 

For a full list of sites go to website 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1617314166 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 161 731 4166 

AGENDA: Public Comment on non-agenda and items 1 – 7. 1. Minutes, 2. Review and Approve 4/11/2023 draft agenda – use link or read full draft agenda below at the end of the list of city meetings, 3. Berkeley Considers, 4. Adjournment in Memory, Scheduling: 5. Council Worksessions, 6. Referrals for scheduling, 7. Land Use Calendar, Referred Items for Review: None, Unscheduled Items: 8. a & b. COVID, 9. Discussion of Potential Changes to City Council Legislative Process, 10. Modification or Improvements to City Council meeting Procedures, 11. Strengthening and Supporting City Commission: Guidance on the Development of Legislative Proposals, 12. Discussion Regarding Design and Strengthening of Policy Committees Process and Structure (Including Budget Referrals), 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-agenda-rules 

ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE COMMISSION at 6 pm 

In-Person Only: 2939 Ellis, South Berkeley Senior Center 

AGENDA: Update from staff: a. Just Transition, b. OESD staffing, c. Youth Commissioners, e. BESO, f. Building electrification, 7. Presentation Zero Waste Strategic Plan, 9. Workplan Subcommittee Updates: a. Transportation, b. Native Plants 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/environment-and-climate-commission 

LOAN ADMINISTRATION BOARD at 3 pm 

In-Person Only: 2180 Milvia, 1st Floor, Cypress Room 

AGENDA: B. Program Review Revolving Loan Fund, C. Action Items are all requests to defer monthly payments, i) East Bay Media Center loan balance, ii) California Jazz School 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/loan-administration-board 

Thursday, March 30, 2023 

 

LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION at 7 pm 

In-Person Only: 2800 Park, San Pablo Park Frances Albrier Center 

AGENDA: 

6. Hopkins Corridor Improvements Project – Receive a presentation from the Public Works Department 

7. 0 Center St - Structural Alteration Permit Turtle Island Monument Installation at MLK Jr. Civic Center (the address is “0” Center Street as there is no address number assigned to the Turtle Island Monument) 

8. 3030 Telegraph at Webster - Demolition Referral 

9. 2132-2154 Center at Oxford – Demolition Referral – Thomas Block Building 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/landmarks-preservation-commission 

ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD at 7 pm 

A Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 1231 Addison St. in the School District Board Room 

Videoconference: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83465361771 

Teleconference: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-669-444-9171 Meeting ID: 834 6536 1771 

AGENDA:  

2. 2190 Shattuck at Allston – Construct 25-story (267 feet, 6 inches) 397,212 sq ft mixed-use building with up to 326 dwelling units (including 32 very low income units), 21 studios, 71 one-bedroom, 113 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom, 69 four-bedroom, 23 five-bedroom, 983 bedrooms total, 7500 sq ft commercial space, 51 underground parking spaces, 271 bicycle spaces 

3. 2403 San Pablo at Channing – demolish 1-story commercial building and construct 4-story mixed usebuilding with 603 sq ft retail tenant space and 36 dwelling units (condominium) totaling 53,013 sq ft with 19 parking spaces and 42 bicycle spaces 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/boards-commissions/zoning-adjustments-board 

WILLARD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION at 7:30 pm  

(Doors open at 7 pm) 

In-Person: 2727 College Ave, St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Fireside Room 

AGENDA: What is the “road diet” and what are your questions? Changes coming to Dwight to Woolsey) Neighborhood concerns how to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, ways to make AC transit more efficient for bus riders, Ensuring access for public safety (emergency access and evacuation routes) Parking, Truck deliveries, etc. 

South East Berkeley Neighborhood Forum sponsored by: Bateman Neighborhood Association, Claremont Elmwood Neighborhood Association (CENA), Le Conte Neighborhood Association, Willard Neighborhood Association 

SAN PABLO AVENUE CORRIDOR PROJECT from 6 – 8 pm 

In-Person Only: 1701 San Pablo, Berkeley Adult School between Virginia and Francisco Streets 

AGENDA: Open house to discuss roadway changes proposed to make it safer to walk and bike in the San Pablo Avenue Corridor (Albany, Berkeley, Oakland) This is an Alameda County Transportation Commission Project. 

https://www.alamedactc.org/programs-projects/multimodal-arterial-roads/sanpabloave 

Friday, March 31, 2023 – No city meetings listed 

Saturday, April 1, 2023  

APRIL POOLS DAY from 10 am – 12 pm 

In-Person at 2100 Browning, West  

AGENDA: Event for families new to swimming, swim basics, swim safety, bring towels and swimwear 

https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/events/april-pools-day 

Sunday, April 2, 2023 – No city meetings listed 

++++++++++++++++ 

 

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 

AGENDA AND RULES COMMITTEE Meeting at 2:00 pm 

Draft Agenda for April 11 City Council Regular Meeting at 6 pm 

Hybrid Meeting 

In-Person: at 2180 Milvia, 6th Floor, Redwood Room 

For a full list of meeting sites use the website 

Videoconference: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1617314166 

Teleconference: 1-669-254-5252 or 1-833-568-8864 (Toll Free) Meeting ID: 161 731 4166 

https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-committees/policy-committee-agenda-rules 

AGENDA on CONSENT: 

1. Minutes
2. Formal bid solicitations and Request for Proposals Scheduled for Possible Issuance After Council Approval on April 11
3. Warhuus, HHCS - Amend Contract #31900273 add $80,000 total $11,490,274 with Bay Area Community Services North County Housing Resource Center
4. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $249,413 with JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc for Community Health Assessment, Innovation, and Improvement Plan Consultant for HHCS for 5/1/2023 – 5/1/2025
5. Warhuus, HHCS – Contract $175,000 with Easy Does It for Provision of Wheelchair Van Service for Seniors & the Disabled
6. Warhuus, HHCS – Amend Contract #32100126 add $50,000 total $150,000 with Anjanette Scott LLC for Housing Consultant Services and extend to 6/30/2024
7. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Amend Contract #32000224 add $150,000 total $200,000 with Govinvest Labor Costing, Pension & OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) Analysis Software to cover 3 years of subscription
8. Kouyoumdjian, HR – Side Letter of Agreement – SEIU, Local 1021 Community Services & Part-Time Recreation Leaders Association, MOU regarding Hazardous Substance Special Assignment Pay, effective 7/7/2022 employees who are regularly assigned to perform services to actual hours in the field and performing services in the unhoused setting receive a 3% differential
9. Fong, IT – Amend Contract #31900122-1 add $105,000 total $674,300 with Rolling Orange Inc for additional website maintenance and support 3/1/2019 – 6/30/2025
10. Ferris, PRW – Donation $3,400 for Memorial Bench at the Berkeley Marina in memory of Sophia Pritzos
11. Ferris, PRW – Lease Amendment Cazadero Performing Arts Camp for City to disburse up to $400,000 to tenant to implement capital improvements to satisfy City’s obligations under the lease
12. Ferris, PRW – Contract $3,175,000 includes 17% contingency $464,310 with Power Engineering Construction for Timber Pile Replacement Project at Berkeley Marina
13. Ferris, PRW – Amend Contract #10785 add $100,000 total $1,290,000 with West Coast Arborist, Inc for Tree Removal and Pruning Service
14. Louis BPD – Accept Grant Funding $106,014 from Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Officer Wellness and Mental Health Grant Award Program 7/1/2022 – 12/1/2025
15. Peace and Justice Commission – Support 3/21/2023 Day of Action Urging Banks to Divest from Fossil Fuel Businesses
16. Arreguin – Support AB 40 – Improving Ambulance Patient Offload Times develops 20 minute statewide standard
17. Arreguin, co-sponsor Taplin – Support AB 1001, relates to behavioral health emergency services
18. Taplin – Support AB 1690, Universal Health Care
19. Taplin – Support AB 362, Changes real property taxation to the value of the land without regard to buildings, property or other improvements instead of current real property taxation based on appraisal
20. Harrison – Budget referral $54,000 to increase personnel funding for Berkeley Community Media
21. Harrison – Budget referral $100,000 to fund Harold Way Placemaking Project Schematic Design
22. Harrison – Budget referral $147,000 for annual staffing costs for two full-time Social Workers for Social Justice Collaborative
23. Harrison, co-sponsor Bartlett - Budget referral $100,000 to design a comprehensive Berkeley Police Early Intervention and Risk Management System
24. Harrison – Budget referral $579,000 for staffing costs associated with acquisition of and prevention of displacement of muilti-family housing related to Empty Hoes Tax and implementation of TOPA
25. Harrison – Relinquishment of Council Office Budget Funds to grant Downtown Berkeley Association $500 for 2274 Shattuck Mural Project serving a municipal public purpose
26. Harrison – Support AB 641 auto dismantlers: catalytic converters expand definition to include individuals illegally in possession of two or more catalytic converters
27. Hahn, co-sponsor Wengraf – Proclaim May as Jewish American Heritage Month
28. Hahn, co-sponsor Taplin - Relinquishment of Council Office Budget Funds to grant to Kala Art Institute $500
29. Hahn, cosponsors Harrison, Taplin – Budget referral $250,000 to study to support Housing Element to increase housing on higher-resourced commercial avenues Solano, North Shattuck and College increase housing for households at or below 120% AMI (Area Median Income)
30. Hahn, co-sponsor Bartlett, Taplin – Budget referral $250,000 to study Berkeley’s affordable and social housing needs and programmatic and funding opportunities for incomes from below 30% to 120% of AMI
31. Wengraf – Budget referral $30,000 for yield signs at two unmarked intersections at Shasta and Queens and Quail and Queens
32. Wengraf – Budget referral $150,000 for handrails, lights and signage for City Pedestrian Path Network
33. Robinson – Approval of the Public Bank of the East Bay Viability Study
34. Humbert, co-sponsor – Budget referral $2,200,000 to fully fund sidewalk repair program add $1,000,000 (above the existing $1,00,000 baseline funding for sidewalk repair)

AGENDA on ACTION: 

35. Harrison, co-sponsor Arreguin – Adopt ordinance adding BMC chapter 2.102 to establish a Labor Peace Policy Minimizing Labor/Management Conflict in Bekrley Marina Zone
36. Friedrichsen, Budget Manager – Unfunded Liability Obligations and Unfunded Infrastructure Needs, accept report and provide staff direction
37. Garland, PR – Adopt Resolution Proposition 218 Procedures and 5 Year Zero Waste Rate Schedule and add very low income refund program
38. Homeless Services Panel of Experts – Recommendation for RV Lot and Waste Management on Streets for RV a. Refer to staff to expediate replacement site for 742 Grayson and develop a waste management plan, b. Radu COMPANIAN Report refer (back to) Homeless Services Panel of Experts
39. Peace and Justice Commission a. Budget referral $150,000 for two health educator positions, b. Radu COMPANIAN Report refer (back to) Peace and Justice Commission
40. Sugar Sweetened Beverage Product Panel of Experts – a. Allocation $3,000,000 over two years to reduce consumption and health impacts of sugar-sweetened beverages, b. Oyekanmi COMPANIAN Report – Allocation $2,000,000 (not $3,000,0000)
41. Arreguin – Fred Ross Memorial Bench in Cesar Chavez Park

INFORMATION REPORTS: 

42. Environment and Climate Commission 2023 Work Plan

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LAND USE CALENDAR: 

Public Hearings 

469 Kentucky (single family dwelling) 5/23/2023 

 

WORK SESSIONS & SPECIAL MEETINGS: 

April 18 – Hopkins Corridor Plan 

May 16 - Fire Facilities Study Report 5/16/2023 

Unscheduled Presentations: 

Climate Action Plan and Resilience Update – regular agenda March 14 

City Policies for Managing Parking Around BART Stations – check with Garland ?May 

Berkeley Econmic Dashboards Update 

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Kelly Hammargren’s summary on what happened the preceding week can be found in the Berkeley Daily Planet under Activist’s Diary at: www.berkeleydailyplanet.com. 

This meeting list is also posted at: https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html 

If you would like to receive the Activist’s Calendar as soon as it is completed send an email to kellyhammargren@gmail.com. 

If you wish to stop receiving the weekly calendar of city meetings please forward the email you received to kellyhammargren@gmail.com with the request to be removed from the email list. 

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For Online Public Meetings 

CLOSED CAPTIONING, SAVE TRANSCRIPT OVERVIEW, DIRECTIONS and ZOOM SUPPORT LINKS: 

ZOOM has as part of the program - (for no extra cost) Closed Captioning (CC). It turns computer voice recognition into a transcript. Accuracy of the Closed Captioning is affected by background noise, the volume and clarity of the speaker, lexicons/wordbook and dialect of the speaker. The transcript will not be perfect, but most of the time reading through it the few words that don't fit, can be deciphered, like Shattuck was transcribed as Shadow in one recent transcript. 

Here is the link to ZOOM Support for how to set up Closed Captioning for a meeting or webinar:  

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/8158738379917#h_01GHWATNVPW5FR304S2SVGXN2X 

Here is the link to ZOOM Support for attendees in how to save Closed Captions Transcripts: 

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360060958752-Using-save-captions#h_01F5XW3BGWJAKJFWCHPPZGBD70