Dorm or luxury hotel? Peek inside UC Berkeley’s new $300M student housing complex
The Helen Diller Anchor House in downtown, a 772-bed dorm for transfer students, represents the largest gift in Cal’s history.
latest stories
Paper Plus balloon artist opens shop of his own next door
Ronny Carrillo, who worked at Paper Plus Party Store for 20 years until its closure in June, has launched a new balloon shop on San Pablo Avenue in West Berkeley.
La Peña Cultural Center is facing a financial crisis
The South Berkeley hub for music, art, and activism has been in “emergency mode” since COVID-era grant funds ran out. It’s hoping to raise $50,000 by September
Remembering Sam Eletr, scientist whose work helped analyze DNA and sequence the human genome
The Egypt-born scientist founded several leading biotech companies, including Applied Biosystems, which developed a DNA sequencer and tools that enabled advancements in biology and medicine.
Berkeley police make arrest in fatal July 3 shooting
Berkeley police said they were able to identify 57-year-old Steve Addison of Oakland as the shooter. They tracked him down Wednesday in North Oakland.
California Jazz Conservatory’s degree program to close this year
The program — which has seen its enrollment fall to 16 since 2019 — will close after the fall semester. The Jazzschool community music program in Berkeley will continue, with the California Jazz Conservatory adopting its name.
Gilman Grill, Uptown Oakland Wise Sons shut down
A running list of restaurants that have recently closed in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond and beyond.
The 1970s Berkeley Black cultural center that shaped Kamala Harris’ political imagination
Rainbow Sign was where Harris first “learned that artistic expression, ambition, and intelligence were cool,” she wrote in her memoir.
Around Berkeley: Hear an Oakland cowboy sing, put ducks to sleep at Tilden’s Little Farm
Other events include a city-run block party for National Night Out and a talk with Los Angeles artist Young Joon Kwak, who makes their solo museum debut this week at BAMPFA.
City
Council approves plan to convert more space in storied Fantasy Studios complex
Local filmmakers who have made the West Berkeley building a creative hub fear their landlord wants to push them out and bring in research and development companies.
New property taxes, tenants rights among measures Berkeley Council to mull on Tuesday
Street and sidewalk repairs, library funds, parks repairs and improvements, funding for unhoused Berkeleyans and a number of other health and safety items area all slated for discussion Tuesday.
Photos: UC Berkeley starts construction at People’s Park
Crews have removed the park’s basketball court, restroom and stage, as well as a large redwood tree.
Family with a baseball pedigree prepares young athletes with major-league ambitions
The Guinns’ footsteps can be traced from Berkeley High to UC Berkeley and beyond to a baseball training and management agency for aspiring youth.
Crime & safety
Southwest Berkeley 3-alarm fire guts vacant commercial building
There were no injuries reported in the fire, which began around 2:40 a.m. The structure that burned comprised vacant warehouse and office space.
schools
After a trying year, Berkeley superintendent reflects on state of the school district
Enikia Ford Morthel answered Berkeleyside’s questions about the district’s budget cuts, literacy instruction and what it felt like to testify before Congress on antisemitism.
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ARTS
‘Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties’ lets it all hang out
Playwright Jen Silverman’s tale of five New York women, all named Betty, is a spoof-like comedy playing at the Shotgun Players’ Ashby Stage.
Business
Starving Musician’s Berkeley location to close after 20 years
A liquidation sale at the Shattuck Avenue music shop starts Thursday. The store’s Santa Clara and Santa Cruz locations will stay open.
Community
South Berkeley neighbors are making friends by photographing flowers together
Local photographers Bella Bond and Angela Marlaud organized a photo walk in their neighborhood and urge others to do the same.
Nature
Berkeley to host pair of disaster readiness workshops
Officials will review the city’s local hazard mitigation plan at the second of two hazard mitigation plan forums Saturday.
Berkeley Wire
News about Berkeley from around the web.
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Opinion
Opinion: Demolition ordinance will destabilize the housing market in Berkeley
This ruling will result in the death of the Southside Plan, which the City Council unanimously passed last November.
Opinion: Yes to middle housing, end segregationist zoning and give fair housing a fighting chance
In 1916, Berkeley invented single-family zoning to exclude the poor and non-whites from wealthy neighborhoods.
Opinion: Shellmound victory — the city of Berkeley did the right thing for the Ohlone peoples
A celebration of the transfer of the former Spenger’s site in West Berkeley to a local Indigenous land trust will be held Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Opinion: Time for Berkeley to break up with PG&E and Ava
It’s time for Berkeley to get serious about rooftop solar and storage; we can save millions on overpriced grid energy bills, and reduce our emissions, too.
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