Arts & Events

This month I have eight mystery/thriller novels to recommend. -more-

Nigerian Highlife singer and bandleader Okwy Osadebe, musical heir to his famed late father Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, will perform a Berkeley dance concert with his band Highlife Soundmakers International, 8 pm (doors open at 7), Thursday, July 25 at Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, between Shattuck and Milvia. -more-

Long-time Berkeley residents can tell you, in a flash, the name of the prolific local street poet known as "The Bubble Lady of Telegraph Avenue." Back in the Sixties (and beyond), Julia Vinograd was a living icon of our tumultuous Free Speech City—a wielder of words, an irrepressible social protagonist, and an activist sprite who left both ballads and bubbles in her wake. -more-

Worth Noting:

August is when City Council, Boards and Commissions take a break, the summer recess.

We are looking at a packed rest of July, before they all take off.

Note that the Fair Campaign Practices Commission, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, Transportation and Infrastructure Commission should all be meeting the coming week and no meeting announcements are posted.

The City Council summer recess is from July 31 – September 9, 2024, however, City Council will meet August 5 to take action to place ballot measures on the ballot for the November election.

The July 23 City Council agendas are available for review and comment. The 3:30 pm Council meeting is on zoning changes for “middle housing” aka duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, small multi-unit buildings/projects, etc. Includes fire zones/hillside overlay, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R2A.

• Monday: At 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format. (Public Safety Committee is cancelled)
• Tuesday: (no council meeting)
  • At 3:30 pm no agenda or location is posted for the Civic Arts Public Art Subcommittee.
  • From 6 – 7:30 pm is the Mental Health Services Act Community Input Meeting in the hybrid format.
• Wednesday:
  • At 1:30 pm the Commission on Aging meets in person.
  • At 2 pm FITES meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 5 pm is the Mayor Forum in the hybrid format,
  • At 6 pm the Planning Commission meets in person with hearings on Zoning changes for R&D under title “Keep Innovation in Berkeley.”
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person.
• Thursday:
  • At 5:30 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person.
  • At 6 pm the Sugar Sweetened Product Panel of Experts meets in person.
  • From 6 – 7:30 pm is the Mental Health Services Act Community Input Meeting in the hybrid format.
  • At 6:30 pm the Design Review Committee meets in person on two projects.
  • At 7 pm the Rent Board meets in the hybrid format.
• Friday:
  • From 9 am – 12 pm is the CEMTF webinar on Climate and Biodiversity.
  • At 9 am the Elmwood BID Advisory Board meets in person on Cal football parking.
• Saturday:
  • At 9 am is shoreline cleanup.
  • From 10 am – 12 pm is the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) Review Workshop.

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

At the bottom are Agenda Committee and Council Agendas, Land Use Calendar, planned special council meetings and the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary.

For how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts, saving CHAT and converting YouTube to a transcript go to https://tinyurl.com/3jau6ym8

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

Worth Noting:

With no board or commission meetings during the week of the 4th of July the coming week is packed. Some boards and commissions that were rescheduled from the holiday week are meeting on “unusual” days. Additionally, August is when City Council, Boards and Commissions take a break, we are looking at a packed rest of July, before they all take off.

The City Council summer recess is from July 31 – September 9, 2024.

• Monday, July 8, 2024:
  • At 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format to finalize the July 23 City Council Agenda.
  • At 4:30 pm City Council meets in closed session.
  • At 6:30 pm the LPC meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday, July 9, 2024: All Tuesday meetings are hybrid.
  • At 5 pm City Council meets on youth voting in school board elections.
  • At 6 pm is the regular City Council meeting.
  • From 6 – 7:30 pm is the Community meeting on the Mental Health Services Act.
• Wednesday, July 10, 2024:
  • At 10:30 am the 4 x 4 Task Force Committee meets on a ballot measure to amend the Rent Board Ordinance.
  • At 11 am is a free Chair Yoga class.
  • At 5 pm the Commission on Disability meets in person with presentations on DEI and AC transit (bus stop) design guidelines.
  • At 6:30 pm the PAB meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Homeless Services Panel of Experts meets in person with a presentation on the SCOTUS Grants Pass decision on the agenda.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, July 11, 2024:
  • From 6 – 7:30 pm is the Community meeting on the Mental Health Services Act.
  • At 6:30 pm BOLT meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the HAC meets in person with Middle Housing Zoning on the agenda.
  • At 7 pm the ZAB meets in the hybrid format with only one project to review which is on consent.
• Friday, July 12, 2024:
  • At 2 pm the Civic Arts Commission subcommittee on grants meets on ZOOM.
  • At 8:35 pm is family night movie Trolls Band Together in Strawberry Creek Park.

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

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary.

For how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts, saving CHAT and converting YouTube to a transcript go to https://tinyurl.com/3jau6ym8

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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

With the With the Fourth of July Holiday on Thursday there are only two meetings this week. -more-

It was around 1970 on one of those trips from visiting my parents when I looked out into the night sky through the plane window and felt the thrill of seeing the expanse of bright lights down on the ground as we descended for the landing. The lights were Los Angeles and I was on my way home. -more-

Before getting into the meat of this Activist’s Diary:

At the City of Berkeley’s July 1, 2024 Land Use, Housing & Economic Development Committee meeting, two proposals, Councilmember Taplin’s Affordable Housing for Artists and Berkeley Green New Deal: Just Transition Framework for the General Plan’s Environmental Justice Element were continued to a future meeting with no action or discussion. A message came from Taplin’s office to continue the items.

COPA/TOPA (Community Opportunity to Purchase Act / Tenants’ Opportunity to Purchase Act) is moving on to council, after attempts by Councilmembers Humbert and Wengraf to kill it with a negative recommendation. Lunaparra voted against the Humbert-Wengraf motion. -more-

Berkeley mayoral candidates Kate Harrison, Sophie Hahn and Adena Ishii will tell of their visions for Berkeley's future on Wednesday, July 17th at 5:00 PM at The Way, 1305 University Avenue, Berkeley. The three will answer questions from the Berkeley People's Alliance, Our Revolution East Bay, Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, Berkeley Community Action (BCA), the Berkeley Green Party and the public. The meeting will be in person and on Zoom. All welcome, wheelchair accessible. -more-