Beast Blog

Ashby Arts District

There is a fabulous movement afoot in South Berkeley!

It's called The Ashby Arts District, and its a cooperative effort spearheaded by Epic Arts (which serves as its fulcrum). The partnership includes La Peña Cultural Center, The Shotgun Players, Epic Arts Studios, The Black Repertory Group, Nomad Café, Northern California Land Trust and the Triptych Gallery. This district is unique in that it has been organized by artists and arts organizations from the grassroots up, and is now supported by the local business community, neighborhood associations, and was officially recognized by the Berkeley Mayor's office in the summer of 2003.

The recent emergence of this affiliation of arts venues in the South Berkeley/North Oakland neighborhoods surrounding Ashby BART station has finally given a name to an area long known for its proliferation of artists, writers, musicians, dancers, actors and other performers, as well as residents who appreciate community-based arts.

Through collaborative events and programs, the District’s members are working to bridge gaps between neighboring organizations, increase public awareness of the arts, and unify the communities they serve. Undertakings include:

* Publishing a monthly arts calendar that reflects events and performances throughout the Ashby Arts District

* Compiling and sharing a database of nearly one thousand local artists, musicians and other performers in order to allow broad saturation of favorite acts within the district

* Working with city officials to move new arts organizations into the area.

* Planning our first annual street festival for the summer of 2005, during which a section of the Arts District will be shut down to celebrate the 30th anniversary of La Peña and the Northern California Land Trust.

* Partnering with local businesses, organizations, and community groups to expand the reach of and base of support for the arts as an integrated part of community

* Continuing to develop public art projects such as the 2003 Ashby/MLK mural project that involve local residents as designers and architects of thier own creative environment.

The main goal is the continued development of the Ashby Arts District and the creation of a better world through art, one thriving community at a time.

Fun Night of Spoken Word for a good cause!

Jesse Townley for Berkeley City Council and daniland productions presents...

A Spoken Word Benefit for Jesse's Campaign Featuring:

Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys, Alternative Tentacles records)
Daphne Gottlieb (Award Winning Poet)
Meliza Bañales (Award Winning Poet)
many other speakers!

Friday, October 15th, 9:30 PM
$10, 21 and over
Starry Plough- 3101 Shattuck (@ Prince), Berkeley

Jesse Townley is a community-minded musician, KALX DJ, activist and volunteer running for Berkeley City Council (District 5).
Endorsed by progressive politicians, parties, & people, (Dona Spring: Berkeley City Councilmember, Matt Gonzalez: President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Paul Hogarth: Vice Chair, Berkeley Rent Board, John Selawsky: President, Berkeley School Board, Bands Against Bush, Bay Area, Do-It-Yourself Politics, Green Party of Alameda County are a few), Jesse needs your support in order to win! He does not have the deep pockets that other candidates do.

This great night of spoken word is a benefit for his campaign.

Jello Biafra: is former fronman for The Dead Kennedys, a former candidate for President of the United States, current head-man for Alternative Tentacles Records, and spoken word artist.

Daphne Gottlieb:This San Francisco-based Performance Poet stitches together the ivory tower and the gutter just using her tongue. She is the author of Final Girl , Why Things Burn, and Pelt. Why Things Burn was the winner of a 2001 Firecracker Alternative Book Award (Special Recognition - Spoken Word) and was also a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for 2001.  Recent press has praised her work as "fierce," "unapologetic," "scorching" and "deliriously gutsy." She has been widely published in journals and anthologies including nerve.com, Exquisite Corpse and the forthcoming Short Fuse: A Contemporary Anthology of Global Performance Poetry. She is the poetry editor of the online queer literary magazine Lodestar Quarterly , as well as Other Magazine and is a co-organizer of the all-girl spoken word festival debuting in September 2002, ForWord Girls.

Meliza Bañales: has been called, "The girl with the sense of humor of a jackknife." She originally hails from Los Angeles and is the youngest of four kids from working-poor parents. The first Latina to ever win a Bay Area slam championship, she has been a fixture in the poetry slam community for the past six years.  She has performed in just about everywhere--parks, bars, street corners, universities, restaurants, cross-country, internationally-- and with just about everyone from school children to Alice Walker, June Jordan, and Ana Castillo. Her work can be found in numerous anthologies and magazines, including Revolutionary Voices, Lodestar Quarterly, and Laundry Pen, and through her own publications, published on both Chula and Monkey Press.  Her work has often been called "edgy", "political", and "muy caliente". Always looking to fight the good fight, Meliza's work uses humor and personal stories to display larger truths and oppressions. Her first collection of poems, Say It With Your Whole Mouth, will be out in June, 2003 on Monkey Press. Her core belief, "The people are what make change. Look to each other, always, and you will have the power to change the world."  --Dolores Huerta.

Jesse Townley's campaign written up in the East Bay Express!

Whoop! Whoop! What's That Sound?

From my email inbox:

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Office of Emergency Services William Greulich, Manager

Announcement of
Outdoor Warning and Notification System Testing

What it is:
City staff are conducting a study to provide suitable outdoor warning to the
Berkeley community. As part of this study, consultants will conduct sound
surveys at four locations. The sample locations were chosen to ensure
complete coverage of the City, taking into account background noise levels
and our complicated terrain.

The testing involves placing a mobile siren at each location. The test at
each location will involve four siren soundings lasting one minute, with
several minutes of silence in between.

Sirens could be used to alert the community in the event of emergencies,
such as a hazardous material spill or a fire in the hills.

When:
Thursday, April 22 and Thursday, April 29
9:00-4:00

Where:
Indian Rock and Oxford
Panoramic Way at the Oakland border
Bonar and Allston
Cragmont and Regal

For information, call the Office of Emergency Services at 510-981-5502.

Berkeley Neighborhood Forums

Get active! Take part!

Here are two neighborhood forums to get your voice heard about civic issues:

CNA Forum with the City Manager and Fire Dept.
Wed. 1-21-04, 6:30-9 pm St. Johns. Pres.--Fireside Rm.
Earlier this year we had the chance to share with Weldon Rucker, than City Manger our concerns regarding the day-to-day operations of the City and make suggestion for improvements. This forum will allow us to express those same concerns to the new manger, Phil Kalmarz. The second half of the meeting will be a presentation from the BFD. We'll learn more about who they are and the public safety services that they provide to our City. If you would like a neighborhood presentation prior to this meeting please contact, Greg Louzao, Second Vice President, Berkeley Firefighters Association, Local 1227 atfiremang@pacbell.net or call 707-980-4876.

CNA and Berkeley Party Forum on Land Use
Wed. 1-28-04, 7-9pm St. John's Pres., Fireside Rm.
We will have the opportunity to speak w/ Dan Marks, Director of Planning, Steve Barton, Director Of Housing and various commissioners to discuss current land use issues and Berkeley's future as it relates to land use. Additional details to follow. There will be a budget presentation FAQ from Michelle Pelligren from 6:10-6:20 on 1/21 and 6:25-6:45 on 1/28. neighborhoods will be able to schedule future
budget presentations with Michelle.

6,000 Homeless In Alameda County

The Chronicle covers a new detailed census of homelessness.

Also, the Chronicle has a good collection of East Bay stories today.

Save The Shipyard: Final Use Permit Hearing

Heads count in many situations, and this-here is one of them.
Do your part to keep Berkeley a place where art can thrive! (Free tacos, too!)

On Thursday, October 23rd, get yerself on down to:
City of Berkeley Council Chambers
2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, 2nd Floor
People's Republic of Berkeley

Taco truck catering starts at 6PM. Hearing starts at 7PM.

The Shipyard is a shipping container artist community in Berkeley. The Shipyard is yet another amazing Bay Area artist resource and venue that has been struggling for survival the last couple of years and could really use your help.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This report from Jim, tireless leader of The Shipyard:

The hour of reckoning has arrived for the Shipyard.

Two years and $12,000 after we started the Battle of the Papers and
Processes with the City of Berkeley, the Final Use Permit hearing for
The Shipyard is scheduled and guaranteed to happen October 23rd at 7pm.

This is the hearing where they decide whether we get to continue to
exist or we rent a truck and haul away all the containers.

We have submitted all the required drawings, environmental studies,
statements of intent, paid the fees, talked and retalked, redid the
drawings 4 times, brought in high end architectural consulting and
services, and all the rest of the stuff that always happens in these
messes.

And now the whole thing is on the line a! nd we need a big showing to
convince Berkeley that people care about the place and want to see it
continue to exist. Exist not just to collect large machine tools and
build unlikely edifices to misguided hubris, but also to have events,
workshops, gatherings, and shows- all those things we haven't been able
to do for two years while we were under the thumb.

WE NEED 200 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM FOR THIS HEARING.

200 people cannot be said no to.

Our neighbors are happy with us so I don't expect them out in force
against us, but who knows what will happen. These hearings are
arbitrary and you stand there helpless as decisions are made over the
foundation upon which you and many, many other people create, play,
live and generally do the things that matter most to them. Everything
could be fine, (as it was at the last hearing for design review, which
we passed), or everything could suddenly be all wrong. That is why we
ALL need to be there- to make sure it will all be OK, and not yet
another art space gets axed in the Bay Area, as has been the recent
trend.

So, with humility, concern, deep gratitude and all the other soft
things, I ask, actually plead, that you consider joining us for this
hearing.

The hearing starts at 7pm. You have to submit a speakers card by
7:15pm to speak. Speaking in favor of the project is good, especially
if you are a Berkeley resident, or even if you are not.

There will be a taco truck catering the event (at the curb) out front
from 6-8pm. Free tacos and horchata for all who show.

Again, the meeting is at:

Council Chambers, Berkeley
2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, 2nd Floor
Thursday, Oct 23rd, 7:00 p.m.

There will be a party (celebrating our success) afterwards at the
yard. More details on the after party will emerge soon.

Thank you in advance for helping to bring all this silliness to an end.

- Jim Mason

directions for west bay folk:
-off 80 at University, go east for about a mile.
-turn right on Martin Luther King Jr Way.
-go three blocks and find taco truck and venue on your right.

The Shipyard website

Know Your Landmarks!

A list of every Berkeley landmark.

Berkeley's Hysterical Landmarks

A good read is the latest East Bay Express cover story on "Berkeley's Hysterical Landmarks", and how zealous and often unreasonable the Landmarks Preservation Commission can be.

Such opinions are familiar to anyone who reads the Berkeley Daily Planet, a normally decent newspaper that descends into scathing fury when the subject of development comes up.

As someone who recently moved to Berkeley, it's eye-opening and frustrating to witness thoughtless anti-development fervor. I mean, yes preserving landmarks is important, and yes, preventing runaway development and urban hideousness is important. But that doesn't mean the only other option is not to build. All that that does is lead to stagnation, a quality that a city as vibrant and dynamic as Berkeley cannot afford to embrace.

Keep Your Martinis Away!

The neighborhood playground:

I find it odd that the martini glass (with olive!) is the universal symbol for alcohol. Particularly because the folks at whom this sign is directed are likely drinking something that has it's own identifiable silhouette.

Telegraph in the 20's

Today's Chronicle discusses Mayor Jerry Brown's recent move to the 2500 block of Telegraph, in Oakland, and his reaction to the criminal activity that pervades that neighborhood.

Reading the article, I was surprised to learn just how down-trodden that neighborhood is. I've recently "found" the neighborhood for myself. I've attended a show at the Stork Club (great for pinball!), I've heard about events at Mama Buzz Cafe (though why are they never open when I'm happening by?), and I've been intrigued by all the Korean shopping. Oh, and art/venue space 21 Grand is right there, too.

Now, I don't live near there, nor claim to be an expert. I'd love to hear from folks who are more familiar with the neighborhood, who could confirm or dispute whether it's as unsafe as the article makes out.

Me, I think it looks like a neighborhood just *prime* for gentrification. Burgeoning art scene. Lofts that can attract the mayor's girlfriend. I wouldn't be surpriised if in 10 years this area is all quaint boutiques and restaurants. It would be a good time to get in there, real estate-wise. It's also close-ish to downtown, not too far from BART, and well-served by other transit.

Who Loves Maps? I do!

The City of Berkeley offers a treasure trove of online maps showing different aspects of the city. I love the Zoning Map and Bicycle Network maps.

A quick browse and Google of Oakland's and Albany's municipal sites suggests neither city offers a similar resource. Disappointing!

Preparing for National Night Out

I was forwarded the following email. It was sent by a neighborhood-active southwest Berkeley woman to a reporter at the Berkeley Daily Planet:

Hi Angela,
I wanted to let you know about what we hope will be a big event for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5th in Southwest Berkeley. You can get some info on NNO from the Berk PD website. With many of the recent shootings, violence, drug arrests, etc. in the neighborhoods of SW Berkeley we recognized California Street as a common denominator for a lot of the crimes and problems. Some of us got together to discuss this and called our group "California Corridor". Our desire is to have healthy neighborhoods to benefit all. We include members of the Alcatraz Neighbors Assn, the Lorin District Neighborhood Assn, Lorin Safe, 63rd and 62nd St neighbors. Our plan is to have events for NNO at three locations, 62nd and 63rd St at California St, on Alcatraz at California St, and a staging area on California St from Woolsey to Fairview. We hope to have food, music, socializing and strolling among the locations.

We communicated with members of ROC (Russell, Oregon and California). They are having a potluck in Grove Park 1730 Oregon at 6:30. At 7pm they will have a stroll, encouraging members to bring flashlights, singing voices, signs and walk to California St joining us at Woolsey. Our hope is that at Woolsey and California we will have news media to give us some coverage for the neighborhood participation. Can you help us? We have appreciated your excellent coverage of the "border wars" so much.

Oakland - Up the Creek?

Using Oakland's largely-unknown Berlin Creek as the central metaphor, writer John Fall provides a meandering and quirky look at his city of residence (or should I say city of citizenry?), contrasting the low-key needs of his community with high-profile incidents such as sideshows and senseless murders. An essay that benefits and suffers from its author's heartfelt approach.

Upcoming South Berkeley Civic Meetings

Thursday, July 17, 7:00pm
Town Hall meeting about Community Policing
South Senior Center
2939 Ellis Street (at Ashby)
Questions and comments will be taken in written form.

Thursday, July 24th, 7:30pm
Russell, Oregon, and California Streets Meeting
MLK Jr. Community Center
1730 Oregon Street
Agenda:

Recidivism Happens

The Oakland Tribune may be a pathetic rag, but at least one newspaper is writing worthwhile stories about the city. The L.A. Times Magazine's cover story Listening to Oakland discusses how the hard-on-crime, lock-em-up stance California began in earnest in the 80s and has escalated through the present day has lead to disastrous long-term effects on the community.

It's probably the most important thing you'll read today.

Police Response To Shootings in Berkeley

This email just entered my mailbox:

From: "Hambleton, Douglas" Subject: RE: ROC meeting concerns [ROC Stands for "Russell, Oregon, and California Street Neighborhood Organization - ed] Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 14:44:41 -0700

Ms. Menard:

Shootings:

The BPD response to the recent shootings in South Berkeley is an excellent example of what we are trying to achieve with Community Involved Policing. We recognized the problem very quickly and then devoted extensive resources toward reducing the threat in the neighborhoods and solving the cases.

This included the combined efforts of several units in the department including the patrol teams, detectives, community services and the entire special enforcement unit. Several lieutenants have been working together on this problem and six officers have been deployed on overtime each day. We have also been giving information to the Oakland PD regarding the crimes and spending some of our time in Oakland tracking down the involved parties.

The result of this proactive police work has been many arrests, many probation/parole searches and search warrants, the recovery of guns, including automatic weapons. While the violence has stopped, we continue to devote a great many of our resources to this problem.

In addition to this hard police work, Officer Rittenhouse coordinated community outreach by notifying groups on his e-mail list and making
personal contact at local community facilities such as the YMCA, the Young Adult Project and Head Start. We also got the word out to the community through press releases and newspaper coverage.

4th of July:

The department will have over 50 additional officers on duty Friday night for the 4th of July. There will be close to 75 officers working all
together. Many of these officers have been ordered in to work on the holiday and their normal day off. One of the daytime teams will be held over for several hours past the normal end of their shift and the nightshift will come in several hours early to increase coverage. Most of these officers will be devoted to the marina and the fireworks display, which is one of the largest events in the City each year.

Patrol will be handled by the normal complement of officers. Our experience has been that most calls for service on the 4th of July are related to the concerns you have raised. Since other types of calls for service are usually lower on this holiday, officers are able to give more attention to the disturbance calls. Every other community is faced with similar issues on the 4th and like the others, we will do the best we can to keep the peace.

Unlicensed vehicles:

Officers address this problem by citing drivers and towing their cars when the law permits. Officers often tow cars for registration violations after they have been reported as abandoned. Parking Enforcement Representatives issue thousands of registration violation citations each year. If you are aware of specific cars that are in violation, please report them to dispatch at 981-5900 and an officer will be sent to handle the violation.

Loud Car Stereos:

Officers enforce these vehicle code violation when cars are driven on the streets. When the cars are parked the vehicle code does not apply. We can use section 415 of the penal code after giving a warning, but we must have a citizen who is willing to pursue the matter by making a citizen's arrest and following through with prosecution. Officers trend to focus their attention on the issues that generate calls for service. By reporting these disturbances, particularly parked cars with loud music, you and other ROC members can assist us in addressing the nuisance.

I have sent a message to officers requesting additional enforcement of vehicle noise violations.

Douglas N. Hambleton
Patrol Captain
Berkeley Police Department
2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-5800
dhambleton@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Secret Service Questions Students

Three weeks ago, an Oakland High teacher ratted out two students to the U.S. Secret Service for classroom conversation. It's a great drama. Civil liberties and the right to counsel vs. homeland security. Academic freedom vs. safety. Agents telling kids "we own you, you don't have any legal rights." In the crucible that gave us the Black Panthers and the Free Speech Movement.

KRON reported this story (terse, appropriate for the evening news), as did Alex Katz of the Oakland Tribune (more detail and interviews with the Secret Service), and JR at San Francisco Bay View (Long, with pointed commentary as you might expect from the National Black Newspaper of the Year).

Berkeley's Budget Woes

From an email I just received from my Russell, Oregon, and California Streets Organization president:

The COB will hold four budget review meetings. The budget deficit is expected to reach $10 million. City staff will provide information about the current budget crisis and take public comment. In our neighborhood the meeting is May 15, South Berkeley Senior Center 7:00-9:00, 2939 Ellis Street. Should this date present a conflict for you, check the calendar for the other dates www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/communitycalendar. [Ed note: I couldn't find any other dates yet listed.]

See you at the next ROC meeting May 21 7:00.
agenda: brainstrom ideas for community center programs, disaster prepareness planning. oher items for the agenda should be sent asap for inclusion on the flyer.