Wildfire smoke turns Berkeley air unhealthy and obscures the hills
Smoke from wildfires in Oregon and far North California brought the smell of smoke to Berkeley Tuesday, with AQI readings in many places topping 150, a level unhealthy for the general public.
Top stories
Berkeley company shakes up coffee industry with new, zero-emission roaster
Bellwether Coffee is forging a new approach to sustainability for Bay Area cafes.
What emergency services are offered in Berkeley on smoky days?
The city is recommending that people concerned about being outdoors head toward their nearest library or senior shelter.
Berkeley Old Time Music Convention has come long way from days when 1st prize was a bag of rutabaga
Its origins date to 1960s music contests. Relaunched 20 years ago, the convention is being held Wednesday-Sunday this week in Berkeley’s Civic Center Park.
Update: State housing regulators shot down Berkeley’s limits on cottages in the hills. Will the city court another fight?
The City Council deadlocked on a parking requirement for ADUs in the hills Tuesday, pushing a decision to its Oct. 3 meeting.
CITY
Protest at landlord party devolves into physical fights
After protesters took over a private party of landlords celebrating the end of the eviction moratorium, multiple fights broke out between both groups.
See designs for hotly debated North Berkeley BART housing
The public is getting its first look at renderings for 750 new homes, half of them affordable, at the BART station’s parking lot.
In Berkeley police off-duty lawsuit, public agencies keep silent
The man accusing a BPD sergeant of a racist attack in July 2022 filed a claim notice in January of this year with the city of Berkeley. It is unclear who, if anyone, knew about the allegations before then. The city’s own civilian police watchdog agency didn’t hear about it until Tuesday.
Most BART train lines will run more often starting next week
The transit system will run on a new schedule starting Sept. 11 with the goal of decreasing wait times for riders but fares will soon increase.
Crime & Safety
BPD investigates 2nd shooting in as many days
Police investigated a shooting in South Berkeley a day after another incident in the Southside.
schools
New Berkeley High girls flag football team debuts with blow-out victory
The new team is breaking gender barriers in California’s fastest growing sport. The Yellow Jackets won their first game 19-0.
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ARTS
Watch a documentary about San Quentin’s marathon runners this weekend in Berkeley
The new film ‘26.2 to Life,’ shot almost entirely within the walls of the Marin County prison, opens Friday at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood.
Business
Sweet Dreams owner dies shortly after closing 50-year-old Elmwood toy store
Gary Gendel built a toy store evoking the ornate style and whimsy of a 19th-century childhood. His wife, Lucia, plans to keep running the candy shop he also opened in the neighborhood in the 1970s.
Community
100 years after Berkeley’s 1923 fire, another tragedy could be even likelier
Fire detection is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was. Some of the strategies of the last century, like fuel breaks, remain the same, however. But safety advocates warn the risk may be even higher.
Nature
E-bikes now allowed on 850 miles of East Bay park trails
E-bikes could provide greater access and are already in use in many places. But some are worried about their impact on other trail users.
Berkeley Wire
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Opinion
Opinion: Animal rights groups say they helped end horse racing at Golden Gate Fields
Activists at Berkeley-based Direct Action Everywhere and Stop Blood Sports say that years of pressure played a key role in ending the sport in the Bay Area.
Opinion: Berkeley moving closer toward ferry service
The vision of restoring ferry service at the Berkeley Marina has reached three major funding milestones this year.
Opinion: Preventing the next catastrophic wildfire in Berkeley
The rain we received this winter will drive the fires of the future. Whether this year or next, there is a certainty that California’s golden hills will continue to burn.
Opinion: Denying a new Willard Park clubhouse is a vote against Berkeley’s children
Over 80 people wrote in support of the clubhouse redesign, the majority being our fellow parents of young children.
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