UC Berkeley researchers Bill Jesdale, Rachel Morello-Frosch and Lara Cushing published the study Tuesday in Environmental Health Perspectives. Using U.S. census data and satellite imagery, the researchers found that heat-prone neighborhoods without tree canopy and surrounded by hard surfaces like cement were disproportionately populated by African Americans, Asians and Hispanics.

The study found that African Americans were 52 percent more likely than Caucasians to live in neighborhoods that were “urban heat islands” — microclimates that cause their environments to be slightly hotter than areas with trees — while Hispanics were 21 percent more likely and Asians were 32 percent more likely.

“There is a lot of literature and a lot of evidence that shows in the U.S. how low income communities of color are disproportionally burdened by pollution and have less access to environmental amenities,” Cushing said. “We are concerned that disadvantaged populations might be at greater risk because of climate change.”

Researchers say the findings highlight the racial disparities of different neighborhoods during a time when some experts say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves.

Incidents of extreme heat are responsible for about 1 in 5 natural hazard deaths, and studies of extreme heat have shown large racial disparities in heat-related deaths, the study says.

Cushing said the lack of tree canopy and number of impervious surfaces like sidewalks, roofs and driveways in such neighborhoods trap heat and can actually create “urban heat islands.”

Diana Almanza Camarena, an East Oakland community organizer with Communities for a Better Environment, a California-centered environmental justice organization, said that the study confirms the conditions she sees when organizing in communities of color.

“You’ll see no trees for the entire stretch of a whole block,”Almanza Camarena said. “(The study) definitely sheds light on the fact a lot of these communities are suffering disproportionately. (They) don’t have a lot of greenery. There is a lot of industry, not trees and not community spaces — like parks, for example.”

Morello-Frosh said the findings reveal the residential segregation of communities of color on a national scale.

The researchers looked at 304 metropolitan areas across the United States, which included more than 63,000 census tracts. Some of the most pronounced racial and ethnic disparities were in the midwest, northeast and southern parts of the country, she said.

Many of these communities have the least resources — like access to air conditioning — and therefore need more aid in protecting their families against heat-related illnesses.

“Not everyone is equally protected,” Cushing said. “We need to make sure that (these communities) are getting the resources and the attention needed. Those who are exposed to more heat risk-related cover are often least able to protect themselves so it is kind of a double jeopardy.”

Researchers suggested that to minimize heat risks in neighborhoods, city planners can plant more trees, paint roofs white and use pavement surfaces that absorb less heat.

“These social equity issues are going to have be taken into account if we are going to protect the most vulnerable populations,” Morello-Frosh said.

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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The vote to strike — which passed with more than 97 percent support — comes after the university and the union failed to come to an agreement during ongoing contract negotiations, which began last June. The union alleges that the university’s prioritization of profits reduces patient-care quality, while the university argues that the strike is an attempt to gain bargaining leverage and divert attention from the union’s refusal of pension reforms during negotiations.

The suggested pension reforms include an increased contribution from both the university and employees toward the costs of pension benefits as well as revised eligibility rules for retirement health benefits, according to Shelly Meron, a media specialist with the UC Office of the President.

However, AFSCME, which represents nearly 13,000 patient-care workers from medical centers and student health centers across all 10 UC campuses, said the union is striking because the suggested pension reforms are another attempt by the university to maintain high-paying executive pensions. Representatives from AFSCME say those funds should instead be used for patient care.

“At this point, (the university has) certainly made clear they will not negotiate until we agree to protect their entitlements,” said AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger. “Pension reform subsidizes their massive benefits. We are not going to stand for that.”

Such pensions and high-paying executive salaries have caused understaffing and cost-cutting in the UC medical system that is impacting the quality of patient care, said union spokesperson Todd Stenhouse.

The union says these new cuts and financial decisions have left the medical centers unable to provide the care patients deserve due to unnecessary stress and inadequate training on the use of hazardous materials in patient-care areas.

“The (university) needs to get its priorities straight,” Stenhouse said. “They need to stop this idea that executive salaries are their top fiscal priority … These are publicly funded hospitals that are here to serve California, and we are here to make sure they stay the crown jewels of the state.”

However, Meron asserts that the pension reforms are needed to ensure the university’s pension programs are financially sustainable.

“We are dealing with a $24 billion unfunded liability,” she said. “We want to make sure the (pension programs are) sustainable over time.”

In a press release from April, the university stated that AFSCME is trying to use patient care as a tool in contract negotiations, which can endanger the patients’ health. Meron said the university will prepare contingency plans for medical center operations — which include patient care — in case of a strike.

But a report published by AFSCME last month alleged that the UC hospitals have increased executive payroll by $100 million since 2009 and are the ones endangering patients by cutting care jobs and outsourcing them to less experienced workers.

The union is also preparing to take patient protection measures, including a 10-day notice of a strike and the formation of a Patient Protection Task Force in the event of an emergency.

The dates and duration of the union strike have not yet been finalized.

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

Clarification(s):
A previous version of this article may have implied that the University of California will prepare contingency plans for patients. In fact, the university will prepare contingency plans for medical center operations, which include patient care.

Correction(s):
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the vote to strike came after the University of California and the union failed to come to an agreement during contract negotiations last June. In fact, the vote to strike comes after the university and union failed to come to an agreement during ongoing contract negotiations, which began last June.

A previous version of this article also incorrectly quoted Meron as saying that pension that the UC wants to make sure the UC medical centers are sustainable over time. In fact, she said that the university wanted to make sure that pension programs are sustainable over time.

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The appeal was signed and mailed at the same Downtown Berkeley post office slated for sale at a ceremony attended by more than 30 people. The U.S. Postal Service recently approved relocating its Downtown Berkeley space as part of a nationwide effort to cut costs and consolidate offices.

“We’re not going gently,” Bates said. “We’re asking Congress to have a moratorium on all post office sales.”

The letter, sent to the Postal Service vice president of facilities, stands in allegiance with various Berkeley community members. Residents have contested the Postal Service’s intent to sell since its announcement last June.

“(The letter) is a small step but a unified effort,” said Berkeley resident Claudia Smukler. “It’s good to see Berkeley and local representatives unanimous.

Members of the local committee Save the Post the Berkeley Post Office also reiterated how the sale is part of attempts to privatize public services across the nation.

“This is the heart of Berkeley and the center of civic life,” said Harvey Smith, president of Save the Berkeley Post Office. “During the New Deal, they built the post office among a community theatre and a credit building that is now City Hall. In the depth of the  Depression, the government put people to work, and now, they are doing just the opposite.”

Bates said the Berkeley community will continue rallying against the sale even after the Postal Service’s 15-day appeals period. At the signing, Save the Berkeley Post Office members said they have planned a rally for May 7 and are preparing to file lawsuits under the National Historic Preservation Act in an effort to stop the sale.

 “(The letter) is a good beginning for phase two, because we will be fighting and fighting,” said Sally Nelson, a member of Save the Berkeley Post Office.

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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The city sent the information to Bay Area News Group on March 11 for a database of municipal salaries published yearly and realized the error at the beginning of April. The city sent employees a letter, dated April 15, apologizing for the error and notifying them that the information had been destroyed.

“Unfortunately, a staff member made a mistake,” said Donna LaSala, director of the city’s department of information technology. “There was another column deeper (in the email) that was not labeled Social Security number, and they didn’t catch it and didn’t delete it.”

Bay Area News Group requested a specific format that the city did not follow because the format required a lot of staff time, according to LaSala.

“Instead, they sent us this voluminous file of data, and shortly after, someone realized that data included Social Security numbers,” said Bert Robinson, managing editor for content at Bay Area News Group.

The news group immediately responded to the city’s request to destroy the information, Robinson said.

Some city employees, however, have criticized the amount of time it took the city to inform them of the error and are concerned about identity protection.

“I just feel like as an employee, it is really disheartening not only that this happened but that it took so long for us to find out,” said Jennifer, a city employee whose last name is held out of concern for her career. “An apology just isn’t enough to make up for that mistake.”

LaSala said, however, that it took a while to send out the letters because there were so many to distribute. She said that 11,000 city employees’ Social Security numbers were shared and that only 2,000 were those of active employees.

The city informed employees that they are currently entitled to free credit reports to ensure their identities are protected, she said.

Others city employees, however, are glad that the city responded to the error in an appropriate manner.

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, whose Social Security number was also shared, said he would have disputed the error further if the city manager had not handled the situation as carefully. The city manager put a staff member to work putting information into the format originally requested for the news group and sending the letter to employees, he said.

The city came up with an automated report system for public records requests to avoid this problem in the future and save staff time, LaSala said.

“The people involved feel horrible,” she said. “It is a big mistake, and everyone feels very sorry. We automated the report so a person will no longer do it individually.”

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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Shirek, who served as a council member from 1984 to 2004, was the oldest elected official in California. Shirek first came to Berkeley in the early 1940s from Jefferson, Ark., to escape racism in the South and became one of the city’s oldest and most influential social justice activists. As a granddaughter of slaves, Shirek supported movements for civil rights, local credit unions and health issues in the Bay Area.

“Shirek often told the story that she had witnessed the lynching of a relative and was highly motivated to live in California,” said close friend and former vice mayor Carole Kennerly. “She came to California thinking that it was roses, milk and honey, only to fight for social justice and civil rights.”

Shirek began her long career of activism at the Berkeley Consumers Co-op Credit Union. Kennerly, who served on the board of the credit union with Shirek, said she was instrumental in ensuring that people of color were allowed to receive housing loans from the credit union that other banks would never have given them at that time.

Shirek later helped found the New Light Senior Center and the city-run West Berkeley Senior Center, said close friend Barbara Lubin.

“She would cook a hot lunch with five other women,” Lubin said, “and at the end of the day, (Shirek) would pack all the stuff into the car and sometimes drag me to go around with her to all the homeless people who were too old or sick to go to the elderly center.”

Renee Kitchen, Shirek’s niece and primary care giver, added that the food Shirek served to the elderly was always healthy. Kitchen said that while she was a child, her aunt was the “health guru” who encouraged the family to eat fruits and vegetables.

“I believe that is why she lived for as long as she did,” Kitchen said. “She always believed in cooking fresh vegetables and eating fruit every day. That is what she loved.”

But Shirek was never one to be slowed down by old age. Michael Berkowitz, Shirek’s close friend and former campaign manager, said that by the time she turned 70, the city forced her to retire her position as a senior city director, causing her to turn around and run for City Council.

“The city had a discriminatory policy,” Berkowitz said. “They tried to phase her out when she was 70, so when she was 72, she ran for council and became the boss of the people who were trying to phase her out.”

Shirek served on City Council until 2004. According to Councilmember Kriss Worthington, Shirek worked diligently during her tenure to move millions of dollars into affordable housing and programs to help Berkeley youth and seniors.

Shirek left behind a long and illustrious career in activism and civil service. In 2007, Old City Hall was renamed after her in honor of that career.

Shirek leaves behind her two sisters, Neodros Bridgeforth and Lennie Jean Draughan, along with many nieces, nephews and cousins. A public memorial service is being planned by friends and family.

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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The child was climbing up a whale sculpture outside of the museum when she was struck on the left leg by an arrow, said UCPD Supervising Lt. Marc DeCoulode. The child was visiting the museum on a field trip with a school from the San Rafael area and was getting ready to board the bus when the shooting occurred, according to UCPD Capt. Stephen Roderick.

UCPD has located a few witnesses but is currently checking the surrounding area of the Lawrence Hall of Science for witnesses with further information, DeCoulode said. UCPD does not know where the arrow was shot from or whether the shooting was deliberate at this time.

According to Roderick, the child was taken to Oakland Children’s Hospital & Research Center and sustained no critical injuries from the incident.

“They surgically removed the arrow from her leg,” Roderick said. “She is in stable condition. She is being kept for observation overnight.  Because she is so young, they want to make sure everything is OK.”

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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Wilson, who was elected board president in 2010, will be stepping down March 31. Wilson said her new position may be problematic if the Berkeley Unified School District were to undergo any lawsuits in Alameda County.

The last time a school board member resigned was in 1909, according to district spokesperson Mark Coplan.

Wilson, who is currently an analyst in the Alameda County Administrator’s Office, will soon take over as court executive officer, according to an Alameda County Court press release.

“(The position) is like being the city manager of the court,” said School Board Director Karen Hemphill. “She schedules court meetings and does all the paperwork. Her name will appear on a lot of documents of the court. If there is litigation involving the school district, her name would be on all of those, and it could be intimidating.”

The resignation of a school board member is rare and only happens during situations of conflict of interest and for pressing personal reasons, Hemphill said.

According to Hemphill, the president sets the tone for the rest of the board and represents it in conversations with the superintendent.

“It is hard to tell what is going to happen,” said Tom Killilea, president of the Berkeley PTA Council. “We don’t know how she will be replaced and who it will be.”

Wilson, who has been a large part of the board’s current search for a new superintendent, will have to be succeeded by someone whom the board can fill in on its process and progress, Killilea said.

Hemphill said, however, that the board president’s resignation will not delay the superintendent search in any way.

“This is a very good time to look for a superintendent,” she said. “We have got some dates set. We are scheduled to review applications next Wednesday and will hold interviews in the beginning of April.”

Wilson is scheduled to start her new position with Alameda County Superior Court on April 15. The school board will discuss replacing Wilson Wednesday night at a special board meeting at 6:25 p.m. in room 126 of the school district administration building at 2020 Bonar St., according to Hemphill.

Alyssa Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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The Class Pass referendum, SB 124, is in support of renewing a semesterly fee that would allow students to continue to have unlimited access to AC Transit and Bear Transit services. If passed by the senate, the referendums will be placed on the ballot for students to vote on during the upcoming spring elections from April 9 to 11.

The referendum comes after the initial referendum was disqualified from passing last spring due to misleading election ballot language. If passed, this new referendum will offer a less expensive fee than last spring’s, effective during the fall 2013 semester.

The fee will charge $4.50 less than the per semester fee from 2012 for the first three years, an increase to $76 for the fourth and fifth years and another increase to $80 for the sixth and seventh years, according to the meeting agenda.

“(Connor and I) were especially careful,” said External Affairs Vice President Shahryar Abbasi.“We got the language approved by University of California Office of the President, so there is no worry on that end.”

Landgraf’s other bill, SB 125, a bill in support of the Fitness and Wellness Referendum, would raise funds to finance construction and operations of the Wellness Center and new Memorial Stadium Fitness Center. It would also eliminate the $10 per semester RecSports membership fee. The fee would begin in fall 2013 at an initial level of $40 per semester and would increase at regular intervals over the next 10 years.

Under the Wellness and Fitness referendum, University Health Services and the Recreational Sports Facility will be able to offer services like a climbing wall and health and well-being classes.

Though Student Action Senator Mihir Deo said he likes the idea of having more campus health services,  he worries that the combination of the B.E.A.R.S. initiative, initiated in 2010 to fund Lower Sproul construction, and the Fitness and Wellness referendum will charge students too many fees at the same time.

“Right now, I am not really keen on voting for it,” Deo said. “By my calculations before adjusted for inflation, (students) would pay $608 for the B.E.A.R.S. Referendum and Fitness and Wellness fee in 2017 through 2018 in combination.”

However, Landgraf said he has faith the bills will be voted on by the senate.

“(The senate) has been talking about (the referendums) for quite a while,” Landgraf said. “I brought it up almost every week throughout the fall semester and spring semester, so this is kind of a culmination of efforts.”

The referendums are to be discussed by the senate at an ASUC committee meeting on Monday.

Contact Aly Neumann at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

Clarification(s):
A previous version of this article may have implied that the ASUC Senate would be voting to pass the referendums into effect. In fact, the senate will be voting to place them on the ballot for students to vote on.

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At its March 19 meeting, Berkeley City Council will consider a referral submitted by Worthington requesting the city manager to assist Michael Koh, Ann Vu and Jack Huynh, the respective owners of Dojo Dog, Healthy Heavenly Foods and Kettle Corn Star, in relocating their businesses. The move comes more than two months after the vendors were asked to vacate the property in December due to Lower Sproul construction.

Mayor Tom Bates has also called upon the city manager to look into finding alternative locations for the vendors.

Worthington characterized the vendors’ notice to vacate two days before the beginning of construction as “offensive and outrageous.” Usually, authorized businesses are notified one to two months in advance if they need to vacate for construction purposes, he said.

“This construction project has been planned for five years,” Worthington said. “It’s not like some emergency that just sprung up.”

Worthington said he hopes his referral will prompt the city to consider alternatives for the vendors more seriously in the future.

The owners, who invested in the trucks last year under a four-year permit program with the city, are reaching out for either alternative locations or compensation from the city because they cannot afford to keep paying the trucks’ parking permits or insurance.

The vendors say Worthington’s action may bring them the help they need to earn their livelihoods again.

“It’s kind of like when you’re drowning and someone throws you a rope,” said Koh, a UC Berkeley senior. “The city was pretty much going to avoid us. Because of (Worthington), they will start to reinvestigate and put in some serious effort.”

Vu has also been trying to reach out to UC Berkeley students on Lower Sproul for help in further gaining attention from the city.

“I went there last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to reach out to students,” Vu said. “The people support me.”

The vendors said their previous locations near Lower Sproul were ideal but that they are willing to operate anywhere the city allows as long as they will receive business.

Worthington said he hopes the city can come to an agreement with the vendors in the next two weeks, before Berkeley City Council is set to discuss the request.

Aly Neumann covers city government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @AlyNeumann.

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As part of a mandatory procedure before continuing with the sale, the Postal Service hosted the meeting to inform residents about the financial reasons behind its proposal and to allow for public comment before any plans are finalized. More than 100 residents attended the meeting to campaign against the potential sale of the historic building, which they claim is a vital part of Berkeley.

“Our post office is not for sale,” said Mayor Tom Bates at the meeting. “It is something we truly love and value … we are not going to stand by and watch this happen.”

Community members have protested the potential sale since the Postal Service’s decision in June to later close and sell the post office.

The reason behind the proposal is a 26 percent drop in mail volume for the Postal Service since 2006 caused by the increasing use of electronic mailing systems, said Postal Service spokesperson Augustine Ruiz.

“We no longer need the space we once did,” Ruiz said. “The Berkeley post office is a good example of a building that is underutilized.”

However, residents said that the sale is part of larger trend of privatizing public spaces and cutting services.

“The post office was how my family later found a gateway to middle-class life,” said Berkeley resident Moni Law. “Do not slash the jobs that will disproportionately slash the jobs of people of color.”

Postal Service Regional Property Manager Diana Alvarado guaranteed, however, that under the new location, employees would not be impacted.

Still, residents emphasized the historical significance of the city’s post office building, which was recognized as a Berkeley landmark and by the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

“It is a short-term gain for a long-term loss,” said Susan Cerny, a member of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. “Many cities in California and across the country have a beautiful post office. The pride the federal government had should not be lost.”

Alvarado said the Postal Service would acknowledge the historical significance of the building and work with affiliated parties like the city, the Landmark Preservation Commission, the Berkeley Historical Society and the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association to preserve the space once the process has begun.

The Postal Service must meet with the California Office of Historic Preservation next before it makes its decision to sell the property, and the public can make appeals, according to Ruiz.

Alyssa Neumann covers City Government. Contact her at aneumann@dailycal.org.

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