Window of Marin Avenue resident with bullet hole. A man who held police at bay for hours on Marin Avenue Monday night was found dead this morning of a self-inflicted gunshot. The man entered a house into the 1800 block of Marin Avenue around 7:30 pm and started firing shots out into the street, according […]
North Berkeley
Posted inNosh
Urban farmer Willow Rosenthal plants seeds in Berkeley
Willow Rosenthal harvests Sophie Hahn's garden. Photo: Sarah Henry. The aptly named Willow Rosenthal grew up around trees in Sonoma County in a community that farmed its own food. Raised by hippies who didn’t have a lot of money, she nonetheless ate well. She also learned how to grow her own food by working on […]
Posted inCity
Say ‘adieu’ to the North and Claremont branch libraries
North Branch Library Even though no firm date has been set for the closure of the Claremont and North Branch libraries, Berkeley is throwing a bon voyage party for the two buildings. Library patrons and residents are invited to say goodbye (albeit temporarily) to the structures as they are shuttered and extensively remodeled. The party […]
Posted inNosh
Natasha Boissier forages fruit, feeds hungry
North Berkeley Harvest volunteers Dan Alpert and Sarah Pyle with founder Natasha Boissier (far right)./Photo: Sarah Henry Driving around North Berkeley with Natasha Boissier is an educational experience. Where others see a quiet residential area she sees streets lined with potential pickings and delights when she spots prospective bounty or familiar fruit. Boissier is a […]
Posted inHousing & Development
Protesters in Mitch Kapor case say the battle is not over
Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor-Klein. A group of north Berkeley residents who are contesting the construction of a new home by Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor on his property at 2707 Rose Street say they may move for a new trial after a judge ruled against them in December. “The case is not yet […]
Posted inBusiness
North Berkeley Safeway given green light to remodel
Design rendering for the remodeled Safeway on Shattuck Avene, which should be completed by summer 2012. By summer 2012 North Berkeley should be sporting a new-look Safeway at its Gourmet Ghetto location after the City Council voted this week to support the zoning board’s approval of the store’s expansion and remodeling plan. The renovations have […]
Posted inCommunity, Crime & Safety
Phone lines down along The Alameda
Our call for citizen reporters brought in this photo from Ira Serkes and this email at 11.21am today: “Power/phone lines down on The Alameda between Los Angeles and Marin. They are likely back up by now. I was driving home from the gym and heard sirens behind me — got to that part of The Alameda just […]
Posted inHousing & Development
Lotus founder may yet build his Berkeley home
A model of the home Mitch Kapor hopes to build at 2707 Rose Street in north Berkeley. A group of north Berkeley residents who are trying to prevent Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor and his wife from building a new home in the city lost their case which was heard in the Alameda County […]
Posted inBusiness
Oaks Theatre on Solano closes, future uncertain
The Oaks Theatre on Solano Avenue has gone dark once again. Nine months ago, five men from India formed a group to take over the theater and bring in first-run films and Bollywood extravaganzas and serve dinner and drinks. Few of those plans came to fruition and the group, Merriment Media, stopped showing films shortly […]
Posted inCrime
A report on North Berkeley’s public safety meeting
Berkeleysider Melanie went to the neighborhood safety meeting on December 9 which was called by Councilmember Linda Maio — and which we flagged up in one of our recent stories about the current rash of armed robberies in the city. This is what she has to report: A couple of BPD’s finest were at the meeting, […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Another armed robbery in North Berkeley
A man was robbed at gunpoint last night just before 7 p.m. on the 1600 block of Lincoln in North Berkeley. There has been a spate of armed robbery in North Berkeley recently. According to the Berkeley Police Department, the victim was sitting in his parked car when he was approached by a black male […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
North Berkeley sees rash of armed robberies
Ohlone Park: scene of a mid-morning armed robbery. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Matt Raimi was sitting in Ohlone Park at 11.30 in the morning on the Thursday before Thanksgiving chatting on his cell phone with a cabinet maker about a possible kitchen remodel when he felt something nudge him in the side. He looked up and saw a young man […]
