Yes, bowls, not balls! The club is enjoying a pandemic-fueled renaissance. Meanwhile, its unused green could become a public park.
Recreation
Posted inCommunity
His madcap recaps of Berkeley softball games have been a hit for 25 years
Raymond Weschler has organized an egalitarian pick-up softball league since 1997, but he prefers writing emails about the games to playing in them.
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley’s ‘prince of pools’ goes out with a splash
Yassir Chadly, raised in a family of Moroccan champion swimmers and known for his sage and silly storytelling, has retired after 30 years as an instructor at Berkeley’s pools.
Posted inCommunity
Young chess masters head to Brazil for championships
Most second and third graders probably have fairly modest plans for next week. Josiah Stearman and Ben Rood, however, will be getting on a plane for Brazil to compete in the World Junior Chess Championships in Caldas Novas. The boys are the latest students of the Berkeley Chess School to represent the United States at […]
Posted inCity, Community
More than $100M needed for parks, rec and waterfront
At a special session of the Berkeley City Council Tuesday night, the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront department presented $100.5 million in infrastructure capital needs. “I’m one of those who has been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the resources we’re going to have to come up with one way or another,” said councilmember Max Anderson, in […]
Posted inCommunity, Nosh
Hungry for better food at Berkeley’s Echo Lake Camp
As we head into the final long weekend of the season, the proverbial last hurrah of summer, it’s time for reflection on summer vacation (mis)adventures before fall sets in and school gets going in earnest. Which brings to mind bad camp food. Specifically, the truly awful eats served at the Berkeley-run Echo Lake Camp. It’s […]
Posted inCommunity
Explore the Bay in a dragon boat this Saturday
By Robert Mills Bay Area boaters and aquatic enthusiasts can look forward to fun in the water this Saturday at the third annual Paddle and Picnic hosted by the Berkeley Racing Canoe Center (BRCC). The free event will feature dragon boat rides, live music, kid’s crafts, an ice sculptor, a raffle and a silent auction at […]
Posted inCommunity, Schools, Video
Berkeley High’s mountain biking team qualifies for state
Berkeley was the first high school in the country to have a competitive mountain biking team — it was established in 1998 by math teacher Matt Fritzinger. Now, the 25-strong team has qualified for the state championships on May 15. Watch the clip from CBS SF, above, to see the team in action.
Posted inArts, Community
Berkeley bicyclists reach new height
The Least Most, a media collective focusing on “bikes, music, art, adventure and the overall pursuit of good times” posted these wonderful pictures of the Berkeley skate park on Fifth and Harrison streets. Clearly, bikers like the park, too. We thought the photos were worth sharing. They were taken by photographer Kyle Emery-Peck.
Posted inCommunity, Events, Schools
New Berkeley teen center opens its doors
Teens in Berkeley will now have a new place to hang out after school. The YMCA-PG&E Teen Center, a joint project that took an abandoned building and turned it into a new downtown center for youth, will officially open its doors today. The “Get Amped” open house will be held from 6:30 pm to 10 […]
Posted inCommunity, Nature
Secret acres: Berkeley’s hidden hillside park
High on a hillside, tucked behind houses lining Alvarado and Vicente Roads sits one of Berkeley’s most hidden parks. The two and a half acre open space is studded with oaks, toyons, bay and pine trees, as well as native plants like purple needle grass, soap plants, coyote bush, and California sage brush. Pathways meander […]
Posted inCommunity, Nature
Aquatic Park advocate wins conservation award
Mark Liolios, founder of Aquatic Park Egret, has been named one of five Cox Conserves Heroes for the Bay Area. The program, run by the Trust for Public Land, honored Liolios for more than a decade of work in environmental education and restoration at the south end of Aquatic Park. Each of the five finalists […]