Feature Archives

On November 7th, voters around the US will go to the polls. While most of the national focus is on the chance that Democrats will take at least one branch of Congress, Republicans, and conservative issues appear to be making some gains, especially in California.

It appears that some California Democratic Party leaders have been rallying support for Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Proposition 85, which would require parental notification before a teen can have an abortion, appears to be passing. In Bay Area races, the business community and major newspapers are working to get progressive supervisor Chris Daly out of office, and in Berkeley progressive City Council member Kriss Worthington is on the receiving end of the most expensive campaign in the city’s history.

On October 25th, Judge Charles Breyer dismissed three counts involving marijuana cultivation against Richard Watts, ruling that the U.S. Attorney's Office had violated the Speedy Trial Act. Judge Breyer, who sentenced Ed Rosenthal to one day in jail after the previous trial, openly challenged Assistant U.S. Attorney George Bevan several times about the federal government's justification for retrying Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. Watts. Attorneys have to submit several documents before a December 6th appearance about how to proceed with the case.

Several local hard rock bands have organized a show that will be a fundraiser for Sandra Tellis, the 45 year-old woman from Oakland who was was beaten, tied up, and set on fire on September 1st. She survived, and is reportedly recovering slowly in a Bay Area hospital. The bands will play on Friday night, October 27th at the Uptown, at 1938 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. Doors are at 8pm for this 21+ event. Participating bands in the show include Placenta, Soul Broker, The Greenhouse Effect, and Stonecutter. The bands' share of admission will go to a fund that has been set up to benefit Tellis.

Two FCC commissioners will appear at the Oakland Marriott this Friday, October 27th, at 5pm to hear comments from local broadcasters, listeners and media activists as they debate new media ownership rules that would allow a few big corporations to own even more of what we read, watch and listen to. This is the only hearing in the Bay Area dealing with corporate media consolidation and lack of diversity in the media. Details

A Rally for Police Accountability was held in Berkeley on Wednesday October 25th. Berkeley Copwatch, the Clown Army, and the Tactical Ice Cream Unit called for people to gather at the Berkeley Public Safety Building (Martin Luther King at Center St) at 6 pm, and then march to North Berkeley Senior Center (Hearst and Martin Luther King) for a Public Hearing on "The Future of Civilian Review in Berkeley," beginning at 7:30 pm. The march and rally demanded that the Police Review Commission (PRC), the nation's oldest independent civilian review organization, take bold action to preserve civilian review.

Free Battered Women presented Our Voices Within: Out of the Shadows, on Saturday October 21st from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, at the Humanist Hall in Oakland (390 27th St. between Telegraph & Broadway). Flyer/Volante This event celebrated the freedom of formerly incarcerated survivors of domestic violence, and honored those who remain imprisoned. Arts and crafts by incarcerated battered women were featured, and battered women who have been released from California prisons were present.

The San Francisco Bay Area is a Mecca for vegetarians with nearly 100 vegetarian restaurants in the region. Bay Area Vegetarians (BAVeg) sponsors the annual "Best of Veg" survey to recognize the top vegetarian restaurants in the area and to raise awareness of how easy it is to dine with compassion and good health, vegetarian-style. The public is encouraged to dine at vegetarian restaurants of their choice and vote for their favorites in several categories through November 15th.