• In March 2021, Deputy Speaker Vaturi, made a controversial statement on social media that Israel’s war on Gaza was “too humane” and called for the burning of Gaza. -more-

A recent holiday jaunt took us to the Caribbean where, on arriving, we discovered my checked-in luggage had acquired a long gash somewhere in transit between Frisco and Port of Spain. -more-

There is a belief among many White evangelical Protestants that Trump was anointed by God to lead this country. It is fair to ask—why doTrump supporters believe Trump is even a Christian when he is so un-Christ like, a man who is more intimately acquainted with the seven deadly sins than the contents of the Bible? Robert P. Jones, the author of and the CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute suggests: -more-

Can demilitarization put an end to global hunger? -more-

The bigger local news of the week we finished on January 13, 2024, is definitely not the meetings I attended; it is the people who are leaving their Berkeley careers behind and moving on. -more-

Worth Noting:

Goto meetings and agenda items are bolded.

• Monday:
  • At 10 am City Council holds a special meeting in the hybrid format with item 2 rules for conduct at public meetings.
  • At 4 pm the 8-part series on Mindfulness begins. Registration required.
• Tuesday: A
  • t 10 am the Solano BID meets in person.
  • At 3 pm City Council holds a closed session in the hybrid format with agenda item 4 relating to council meetings and public participation.
  • At 6 pm City Council holds a special meeting on Re-imagining Public Safety update
• Wednesday:
  • At 5:30 pm is the in person San Pablo Specific Plan Presentation and Open House.
  • At 1:30 pm is an online HAC subcommittee meeting.
  • At 6 pm the Environment and Climate Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person.
  • From 12 – 3 pm the City offers appointments for displacement certificates. Pre-registration for appointments required.
• Thursday:
  • At 10 am the Budget & Finance Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6:30 pm the Community Health Department meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Mental Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the ZAB meets in the hybrid format. Note the 2587 Telegraph project chopped 2 feet off of the standard height for ground floor commercial (13 foot height instead of 15 foot height).

City Council Regular Meeting Agenda for January 30 is available for review. Item 29 is a budget referral on Security cameras and proposed locations. See Agenda at the bottom of the post or go to https://berkeleyca.gov/city-council-regular-meeting-eagenda-january-30-2024



Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

Directions with links to ZOOM support for activating Closed Captioning and Save Transcript are at the bottom of this calendar.

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

*****

A historical mystery set in 1944 Berkeley. One of 2023’s best debuts.

This multi-layered mystery features Berkeley Detective Al Sullivan struggling to determine who murdered a presidential candidate, Walter Wilkinson, at Berkeley’s famous Claremont hotel. The novel features wonderful period detail. And Amy Chua, who grew up in Berkeley, is not afraid to talk about the rampant racism of the period – for example, Al Sullivan was born Alejo Gutierrez but took his mother’s surname because it was impossible to get a decent job as a Hispanic. -more-