Sureya Melkonian/Staff

High school students, teachers and administrators from eight cities gathered at UC Berkeley’s Alumni House last week for a three-day national summit for Y-PLAN, an initiative that invites youth to engage in city planning for struggling neighborhoods.

Participants from high schools in areas ranging from Richmond, Calif., to Tohoku, Japan shared their community projects with each other before working on the redevelopment of Telegraph Avenue. The event culminated in participants presenting their ideas to a panel of judges, including a representative from Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates’ office, UC Berkeley professor emeritus David Stern and Moe’s Bookstore owner Doris Moskowitz.

Deborah McKoy, director of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities and Schools, first created Y-PLAN as part of her dissertation when she completed her doctorate in educational policy at UC Berkeley. Y-PLAN stands for “Youth – Plan, Learn, Act, Now!” and is a five-step program that gives youth the opportunity to collaborate with each other and educators to present ideas for change to city officials.

“I was frustrated because we do so many school reforms that are great for adults but don’t make learning particularly relevant for kids,” McKoy said. “Y-PLAN is really about getting young people at the planning and policymaking table.”

Recent Richmond High School graduates Melissa Avalos and Jose Castillo presented ideas to integrate the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory campus into the Richmond Bay neighborhood as part of their high school senior project. Avalos introduced a farmers market to help diversify the community around the new Berkeley Lab campus, and Castillo worked on ways to make transportation efficient around the campus.

On Friday’s summit meeting, participants used Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue as a case study of an area that could benefit from redevelopment.

After a 45-minute visit to Telegraph and a 15-minute brainstorming session, small groups presented their findings to a panel of judges.

Some ideas that came out from the workshop included replacing the street’s uneven pavement with cobblestones, closing it to traffic during the weekends for festivities and replacing empty storefronts with artwork representative of Berkeley’s history.

Moskowitz said she was excited to see some of the ideas applied to Telegraph, which, in recent years has seen some of its businesses struggle financially.

“If teenagers really cared about this street, it could come back in a minute,” Moskowitz said.

Moskowitz said the ideas were judged not solely on their feasibility but also on the innovation and dedication behind them. All suggestions for Telegraph Avenue redevelopment will be sent to the mayor’s office for consideration.

“We’re incredibly grateful for all of the ideas and the time that the youths have provided to us,” said Sbeydeh Viveros-Banderas, senior aide to the mayor.

Contact Lydia Tuan at ltuan@dailycal.org.

The post UC Berkeley summit encourages youth to participate in city redevelopment appeared first on The Daily Californian.

June 29 to 30: San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade
SF Pride has beginnings that date back to 1972, with a few name changes over the years, and is the largest gathering of LGBT people and allies in the nation. Celebrating its 42nd anniversary with the theme “Embrace, Encourage, Empower,” the two-day celebration will take place at Civic Center Plaza in downtown San Francisco. The Pride Parade is open to all ages with a donation entrance fee of $5; proceeds support over 40 local nonprofit organizations. SF Pride’s mission is “to educate the World, celebrate our culture, commemorate our heritage, and liberate our people.”

Aug. 24 to 25: First City Festival
First City Festival is a reincarnation, so to speak, of the Monterey Pop Festival, a three-day concert held June 1967, which featured artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin. At this year’s inaugural festival, First City is set to feature a taut lineup of artists, including headliners Passion Pit, Modest Mouse, Neko Case, MGMT, Toro y Moi and Beach House. Other standout acts are Devendra Banhart, Purity Ring, Tennis and Generationals. The festival’s location at the Monterey County fairgrounds also provides a carnival atmosphere, with rides and games to accompany the music.

First Fridays: Oakland Art Murmur
As it has been since 2006, First Friday of the Oakland Art Murmur takes place the first Friday of every month. If you haven’t had the chance to venture into the neighboring city on a first Friday during the school year — what with all the frat parties, co-op functions, excess study sessions and what have you — summer provides a good chance to do so. First Friday is an eight-block festival with live music and food trucks as well as 25 art vendors that open to the local East Bay community. First Friday’s hours are 5 to 9 p.m.

Sundays on Telegraph
Stay close to home, and get your street fair fix right here in Berkeley. Telegraph Avenue closes for three blocks between Dwight Way and Durant Avenue every Sunday in the summer for the weekly street fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., displaying all that Berkeley locals have to offer, including street vendors, food and live music. Vendors sell jewelry and other handmade wares while jazz, blues, Hawaiian and even Indonesian musicians are invited to perform. While the campus is relatively barren during the summer months, Sunday street fairs on Telegraph bring some life back to Berkeley.

Summer Concerts at the Greek Theatre
Built in 1903, the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, better known simply as the Greek Theatre, has set the stage for graduations, public speakers and shows. Its beautiful outdoor setting makes it an ideal venue for summer concerts. Located right on campus, the Greek Theatre will host a number of notable shows this summer, including Los Angeles-based indie groups She & Him and The Postal Service. Cal Performances is also scheduled to present the Great Rodeo Sessions, featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma, fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin player Chris Thile.

Aug. 9 to 11 Outside Lands Festival
Set in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands boasts music, food, wine, beer and art and has seen the likes of headlining acts such as Radiohead, Beastie Boys, The Black Keys and Stevie Wonder since it began in 2008. This year’s headliners are Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails and Phoenix. Other acts will include Vampire Weekend, Zedd, Daughter, Jessie Ware and Young the Giant. There will also be a supplementary DJ dome, featuring the Plump DJs and Whitenoize, among others. Tickets for the three-day festival go for about $250 a pop.

The post The Daily Cal Summer Arts Calendar appeared first on The Daily Californian.

To all incoming freshmen,

I will first say that CalSO is terrible, and if you walk away with nothing but a sweaty Cal ID photo and an unbearable desire to transfer before August, you’re in good company. If you’re enjoying yourself, kudos. If not, hang in there. The school year is so, so much better.

I recently packed up my dorm room to prepare for a journey home to Los Angeles, commemorating my first year of college by stripping away my life in the square box I had occupied since August piece by piece. My unused shower caddy occupied the same bag I had packed it in. I shoved photos, new and old, into a thin manila envelope, stuffed comforters and sheets into the back of my mom’s car, and that was it. 613 Davidson Hall looked just as it had more than nine months ago.

My roommate and I often talk about how we’d gladly remain freshmen forever.  After move-in day, you’ll quickly realize that Crossroads, the main dining hall, cycles the same inedible delights through the menu every couple of weeks, and the beef goulash will begin looking like dog food, not a luxury. Your favorite fraternity will become riddled with faces that you vaguely recognize from English R1B or Math 16A, and you’ll spend 90 percent of your time exclusively with people who live on your floor. But that’s the beauty of being a freshman. At times, it will feel like you have two friends in the entire school, and at others, you’ll realize you actually know your way around. Either way, you’ll familiarize yourself little by little, and each day will bring something new. And that’s exciting.

I could tell you about smart scheduling or the different types of homeless people and absurd professors you may encounter in the coming months, but that’s a task better left for you to experience. What I can address are the fears that plagued me, leaving CalSO and preparing to leave home, and why you’re going to be okay.

Senior year of high school, for me at least, was the culmination of many amazing things. I spent a final year with friends I had known since preschool; classes were easy; life seemed simple and exciting. Getting into college was an invigorating and nerve-wracking process, and committing to Cal was equally thrilling. I continually told people I couldn’t wait for college, couldn’t wait to leave. But the last summer was strange. As the days crept by, it was hard to imagine that everything I had known would change permanently in the coming months. Home would always be there, but what is home once the people who define it have left?

Turns out that my fears were founded. Each journey home will be different as you grow out of your childhood self. If you’re the type to visit your high school campus over Thanksgiving break, embrace this. The desire to return will be fleeting.

But returning to Berkeley gets better each time. Coming back, you’ll be excited to see your new friends and enjoy the freedom of living on your own. When my family first dropped me off, my brother had to physically force me to go socialize with my floormates. When I return this fall, I’ll be living in a house with those same people I begrudgingly introduced myself to. You will find and forge a community here, whether you expect to or not.

Leaving will come to somewhat feel like returning home.

To finish, a few quick pieces of advice. Eat at Qualcomm Cyber Cafe or Pat Brown’s, not the Golden Bear Cafe, better known as GBC. Hike the Clark Kerr fire trails. Talk to people in the elevator (you’ll be seeing them all year). Bring a vacuum to the dorms. Don’t wait in line for CREAM if the line is around the block. Don’t live in Foothill.

And finally, believe that this place is your home. Telegraph Avenue may not look like your small town, and your floormates may not look like your siblings, but give Berkeley some time. It’ll make all the difference in the world.

See you this fall.

Contact Libby Rainey at rainey@dailycal.org

The post Lessons learned as a freshman appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Mary Zheng/Staff

Berkeley City Council remained divided on a proposal to consider temporarily relaxing the quota system on Telegraph Avenue at its meeting Tuesday night.

The city currently has numerical and size limitations on businesses such as restaurants, gift shops and barber shops in the Telegraph Avenue commercial district. A proposal brought before the council on April 30 proposed that the city planning commission consider temporarily relaxing the quotas for three years. Tuesday’s meeting reconsidered the proposal, and council members voted to table the item for a later date.

Much of the debate focused on restaurant restrictions. The current quota system allows 19 quick-serve restaurants and 30 service restaurants to operate, and although there is still room for more service restaurants, the quota for quick-serve restaurants has been met.

But some council members, including Gordon Wozniak, support the proposal to relax quotas, saying that the current system is outdated and does not allow the area to adapt to changes in consumer spending.

According to a May 21 report by the city’s Office of Economic Development, retail sales on Telegraph have decreased by 56 percent since 1990, while food service sales have increased by 19 percent.

“The problem with setting quotas is that business changes, and retail is a much different business now with the Internet,” Wozniak said. “Keeping the quotas now will keep Telegraph the way it is now — a state that is slowly dying.”

Others, including Councilmembers Kriss Worthington and Jesse Arreguin, oppose the proposal, saying that relaxing the quotas will harm the retail stores that currently occupy space on the street. According to Worthington, Telegraph Avenue will become a “food court” if the quotas are relaxed, and landlords will favor renting their properties to restaurants because they can charge higher rents.

Owners of quick-serve restaurants are also concerned. They fear the relaxation of quotas will create a competitive environment that would be destructive for their businesses.

“If the quotas are relaxed, the number of restaurants will increase, and no one will really make a lot of money, because there will be so much competition,” said Jahanshah Jowharchi, owner of Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiana.

Owners of Gypsy’s, along with 33 other restaurants, including Thai Basil and CREAM, signed a petition against removing the quota system prior to the April 30 meeting.

However, not all restaurant owners are opposed to the proposal. Craig Becker, owner of Caffe Mediterraneum and president of the Telegraph Business Improvement District, agrees that the quotas are not beneficial for Telegraph.

“My business is one that will supposedly be protected by the quotas, but even I don’t support the quotas,” Becker said. “I think they restrict business.”

Contact Jane Nho at newsdesk@dailycal.org.

The post City Council debates eliminating Telegraph restaurant quotas appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Mary Zheng/Staff

Even with many UC Berkeley students gone for the summer, city officials say they are hoping to maintain a festive atmosphere on Sundays by closing off city streets to cars and hosting weekly all-day fairs with entertainment, musical performances and outdoor restaurant seating.

In an effort to revitalize business on Telegraph Avenue, the city of Berkeley will close the three blocks between Dwight Way and Durant Avenue to cars from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays during the summer, beginning June 9. The program, called Sundays on Telegraph, will continue for a trial period of six weeks and, if successful, will be extended for 10 weeks until Sept. 22.

“The vendors should be elated because more people are going to come,” said Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates. “It’s going to be lively — there’s going to be lots of entertainment. We’re just hoping to showcase Telegraph and make it a place where people want to come to on a nice Sunday afternoon.”

The program will be funded by the city of Berkeley and the Telegraph Business Improvement District, said Janet Klein, who has been a Telegraph street vendor for 30 years and is coordinating the program with the mayor’s office.

“At first, the vendors were a little unsure about having it, because they thought they were going to be charged for a booth,” Klein said. “But then when they learned they weren’t going to be charged for it, they warmed up to the idea.”

The program will bring in musicians to play on the street and allow restaurants to set up seating outside. Music will include jazz, blues, Hawaiian, Indonesian gamelan and a variety of other international music, according to Klein.

Many vendors, shops and restaurants on Telegraph said they welcome the opportunity for more business during the summer. Pappy’s Grill & Sports Bar general manager Tempest Hoover said she agreed that the street closure will bring more business.

“It brings a lot more foot traffic, especially with all the students gone during the summer,” Hoover said. “The cars don’t really do much for us, because there are so few places to park, so foot traffic is more important for us.”

Louis Cuneo, who has been a Telegraph street vendor for 20 years, said he liked the program’s goal but called it a “quick fix” for stimulating business.

“I think it would help business — very much so — but the short-term solution of funding six Sundays in a row is not as good as the long-term (solution), which would be once a month,” Cuneo said.

Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he is pushing to make Telegraph street closures for all-day fairs a more regular occurrence.

“My hope is that after the six weeks, they will expand it and make it bigger and better,” Worthington said. “I think it’s good to do, (but) I just think we should do it more vigorously, with more happenings.”

Contact Yvonne Ng at yng@dailycal.org.

The post Telegraph Avenue to close on Sundays to host summer street fairs appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Kore Chan/Staff

After hearing numerous concerns from local restaurant owners at its meeting Tuesday night, the Berkeley City Council decided to defer voting on a contentious item that would expand the number of restaurants that can operate on Telegraph Avenue.

Restaurant owners voiced concerns that if the quota were relaxed, other restaurants would enter an already competitive environment, which would hurt their businesses. Multiple restaurant owners, including those of Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiana and Pappy’s Grill and Sports Bar, spoke at the meeting in opposition to removing the system.

“I strongly disagree with the proposal,” said Jahanshah Jowharchi, owner of Gypsy’s. “Our restaurant has suffered tremendously in the last two years … Many of us are going out of business due to overpopulation of restaurants.”

Currently, the city has quotas limiting the number of businesses, such as restaurants, barber shops and gift shops, that operate in the Telegraph commercial area. The proposal, if approved, would relax the restaurant quota system for the next three years.

Alex Popov, manager of Pappy’s, initiated a petition against removing the quota system. He also created the Telegraph Restaurant Association last week to voice the sentiments of local restaurant owners.

Thai Basil, CREAM and La Burrita are among 34 local restaurants that have signed the petition in favor of keeping the quotas.

“When I explained to (business owners) the issue, especially to those who are mom and pops, they said, ‘How are we going to survive if this passes?’” Popov said. “(Even) talking to nonfood businesses — they are concerned.”

Yet other business owners, such as Craig Becker of Caffe Mediterraneum — who is also president of the Telegraph Business Improvement District — think the quotas have done more harm than good.

“I think the government has a big role in making any commercial district successful, but I just don’t think that the quotas are the right way to go about it,” Becker said.

Due to time constraints, the council did not debate the restaurant quota matter and decided not to approve it at this time.

“If they would have taken a vote last night, we would have prevailed,” Popov said. “The fact that we didn’t get everything done in one meeting is not that big of a deal, but as long as we’re continuing to have Telegraph in the spotlight … It might take a long time, but as long as we’re looking at ways to improve the business district.”

The City Council voted, in one motion, to adopt of a number of the other items pertaining to Telegraph, such as looking into the financial impact of converting Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue into two-way streets and of creating parklets.

Gladys Rosario covers academics and administration. Contact her at grosario@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @gladysrosario93.

The post Restaurant owners voice concerns over relaxing quotas appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Currently, the city has quotas in place limiting the number of each type of business — such as restaurants, barbershops and gift shops — that can operate in the Telegraph Avenue commercial area.

Thirty-four local restaurants, including Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiana, C.R.E.A.M. and La Burrita, have signed a petition opposed to relaxing these quotas for three years.

Alex Popov, manager of Pappy’s Grill and Sports Bar, created the petition and the Telegraph Restaurant Association to organize the thoughts and concerns of local restaurant owners.

“We’re concerned with the general appeal of (Telegraph Avenue),” Popov said. “We don’t want (visitors) to think of Telegraph Avenue as just a place to go when they’re hungry.”

The current city quotas specify that 19 carry-out and 30 quick-service restaurants may operate in the area, yet the petition counted 72 carry-out and quick-service restaurants in operation.

Some restaurant owners said there are too many restaurants operating in the Telegraph area and that they desire more retail diversity. According to Popov, 17 of the 18 stores on Center Street in Berkeley are restaurants.

City Council members will discuss the quota issue in a meeting Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

Gladys Rosario covers academics and administration. Contact her at grosario@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @gladysrosario93.

The post Mayor proposes relaxing quotas on local businesses appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Mary Zheng/Staff

Berkeley City Council is set to consider investigating the financial impact of converting Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue into two-way streets at its meeting on Tuesday.

If the plan is approved, the city manager will draw up a list of costs for traffic analysis, traffic control methods and construction for the conversion of the two streets.

Benefits of the conversion would include a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists, less traffic due to reduced vehicle speeds and more convenient access to the campus due to the relocation of bus traffic to Bancroft, proponents say.

“We’re trying to follow best practices,” said Berkeley Design Advocates President Anthony Bruzzone. “Current best practices suggest that two-way streets are better for traffic and better for business.”

The proposal is one of many improvements to Telegraph Avenue’s current design suggested by Berkeley Design Advocates, a volunteer group of architects and urban planners. Other proposed improvements include extended sidewalks, improved street lighting and more interaction between retail and entertainment spaces.

The campus currently supports the proposal because it has the potential to improve safety, said Christine Shaff, communications director for UC Berkeley’s Facilities Services.

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, however, has introduced a separate list of his own goals.

His proposal, called the Telegraph ACTION Plan, includes improvements like outdoor merchandise tables for retail stores, increased visibility of parking and a monthly music festival, all of which, he estimates, would cost $50,500.

While the financial impact of the project has yet to be calculated, Worthington has said his 12-item plan may cost less than the two-way street proposal.

“The focus on two-way streets and sending all that money at the expense of not doing these things is very problematic,” Worthington said. “I would say that these are more important and more time-sensitive than which way the cars are going.”

The Telegraph Business Improvement District also opposes the conversion of the two streets, said Executive Director Roland Peterson, and would rather see other improvements, like creating parklets — small parking spot-sized spaces for recreation and beautification —  which will also be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.

“We’re very intrigued, but we need to flesh out more about parklets,” Peterson said. “We’re very much interested in possible redesigns of the street in ways that make it better for pedestrians and traffic.”

For those who walk or drive down Bancroft and Durant daily, the change would have mixed results.

“As a driver, two-way streets do have their conveniences,” said senior Amanda Garcia, who has been driving in Berkeley for several months. “As a student, though, one-way streets are kind of convenient. It’s easier to cross. I can see this being a positive change, though.”

Megan Messerly covers city government. Contact her at mmesserly@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @meganmesserly.

The post City Council to consider converting Bancroft, Durant to two-way streets appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Saturday was an opportunity for everyone to relive his or her awkward, excited, confusing senior days of high school. The ones when we had to choose where the heck to go to college in the fall. It’s fun to see kids deciding if Berkeley is in their future, but here are some reasons we think we should all be glad our deciding days are behind us:

1. You know it’s not actually this sunny all the time and have learned to layer appropriately according to the city’s bipolar weather.

2. You’re used to the constant construction and don’t even bat an eye at the sight of cranes and dirt by the Campanile.

3. You’ve figured out shortcuts around Sproul to avoid fliering.

4. You’ve already gone through ASUC elections and know whether or not you want to vote/campaign/avoid people telling you to vote or campaign.

5. You realize that attendance for lectures that are webcast is more of a suggestion than a requirement.

6. You already know how to take BART.

7. You know to avoid Crossroads whenever possible.

8. You’ve survived Tele-BEARS so many times already that swearing at it during your registration appointment has become routine.

9. You already know doing the reading for each class all the time is impossible — unless you get no sleep and have no friends.

10. You already read the Daily Clog.

If you ever have doubts about whether you should have come here or feel sick of the place, just remember all the knowledge you’ve soaked up while living in a place like Berkeley. It’s stuff you’ll never forget. Just look at all the alumni parents coming back to show their kiddies around the school! They’re still Golden Bears at heart.

Image source: dp.hotography under Creative Commons 

Contact Erum Khan at ekhan@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter @erumjkhan.

The post 10 reasons to be glad you already go to Cal appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Meagan Kane/Staff

If you were on Telegraph Friday night you probably noticed the hoards of cyclists that were crowding the streets in a large caravan. If it seemed like there were too many cyclists together at the same time and place for it to be coincidental, then congratulations, you have amazing instincts! The parade of bicycles decorated with twinkling lights and accompanied with blasting music is part of the East Bay Bike Party.

The East Bay Bike Party is an organized group of volunteers and leaders who follow pre-planned routes every month to advocate stopping at red lights and focus on the enjoyment of biking together rather than a mutual hatred of cars. For the most part it looked to us like Berkeley residents having fun on a Friday night. If you’ve ever dreamed about being a bike groupie, get involved in the movement — they meet the second Friday of every month.

contact Meagan Kane at mkane@dailycal.org

Correction(s):
A previous version of this post incorrectly identified the cycling group as Critical Mass Movement. In fact, it was the East Bay Bike Party.

The post We Spy: bicycles invading Berkeley appeared first on The Daily Californian.