A 70-year-old woman died in a collision with a city of Berkeley vehicle this afternoon, California Highway Patrol officials said. -more-

Once again the Republicans under the leadership of their self-proclaimed “genius”, Donald Trump, has issued a fatwa to deport 200,000 Salvadorans living in the United States, many of whom have been living, working and raising families here for more than 20 years. This is excessively cruel and heartless, especially given our own dark history supporting the right wing repressive Salvadorian military rulers who adopted a scorched earth policy against the so called left-wing guerrillas, who were largely made up of peasants and farmers. -more-

Released this Tuesday is the "Final Environmental Impact Report Response to Comments Document" about the egregious proposed vista-busting high-rise at 2190 Shattuck Avenue. And I believe the Final EIR will be on the Zoning Adjustments Board's January 25 meeting agenda— even for potential certifying then. -more-

The Bay Area is reeling from revelations about charges by employees of sexual harassment by several well known and successful businessmen, including chef and restauranteur Charlie Hallowell, owner of three popular Oakland restaurants, Pizzaiolo, Penrose and Boot & Shoe. All three continue to be open, though others in San Francisco have been closed, but Hallowell is taking a leave of absence. -more-

A clear reflection of the disinterest and insensitivity of the federal government to the needs of working people is its refusal to raise since 2009 the deplorably low minimum wage of $7.25. Meanwhile prices have continued to climb. No government official has proposed limiting costs. So the federal minimum wage is worth 10 percent less since its last increase. Since 1968 its value after adjusting for inflation is 25 percent lower. Had the minimum wage over the years kept up to the increase in worker output, it would have climbed to about $22 an hour. -more-

Editor’s Note: The Berkeley Daily Planet was the enthusiastic beneficiary of Dorothy Bryant’s many talents almost from our first print issue in the new millennium. . Searching the Planet archives on her name produces hundreds of links to articles by her and about her: click here to see them. She wrote book reviews, author profiles, and created a unique feature called My Commonplace Book, excerpts from favorite authors with her own comments added.

Most of her pieces for the Planet, written during her last two decades, explored the theme of how we should best exist in the world, including her own interior meditations on the topic as well as lessons drawn from the lives of those she admired. In the end, her own life, as recounted by her devoted daughter below, provides us with an outstanding example of how to live with honor and virtue in an age where bad examples unfortunately abound.

--Becky O’Malley

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Dorothy Bryant, teacher, novelist, and playwright, died December 21, from complications related to cancer. Dorothy was born in San Francisco on February 8, 1930 Italian immigrant parents, Giuditta (“Judy”) and Giuseppe (“Joe”) Calvetti. Dorothy attended Mission High and San Francisco State, earning a B.A. in music and an M.A. in creative writing. She taught music and English for many years at Lick-Wilmerding High School, Continuation High School, and Contra Costa College.

First married in 1949, Dorothy had two children, John and Lorri Ungaretti. The marriage ended in divorce after about 12 years. Dorothy met Robert Bryant in 1968, and they were married after a few months. They loved each other very much and were married for 49 years.

Dorothy, real maverick, defied the “rules” of life and opened doors for others to do the same. She was first to create a “black studies” class at Contra Costa College in 1965. She participated in civil rights marches and demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. And she began self-publishing long before it was popular.

Dorothy began writing in her late 20s. She wrote reviews and essays for The Freedom News, published in Richmond, California, in the 1960s. Her first novel, Ella Price’s Journal, was published by Lippincott. After Dorothy married Bob, they worked together to pioneer self-publishing, founding Ata Books in the 1970s. The first book she self-published was The Comforter, which sold well through word of mouth and was eventually published by Random House under the title The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You. She went on to write and publish eight other novels, one nonfiction book, Writing a Novel, and a collection of essays and short stories. Some of her books are still available through Feminist Press.

Dorothy was a founding member of the Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley. Aurora’s first play, Dear Master, was written by Dorothy. Several of her seven plays were performed by various theatre companies.

Dorothy’s son, John, died in 1994. She is survived by her loving husband, Bob; her daughter, Lorri; her stepdaughter and long-term caregiver, Victoria Bryant; her stepson, Lorenzo Bryant; and her step-grandchildren, Robert and William. No services are planned, although a memorial will be planned for the future. (For more information, please contact Lorri Ungaretti, P.O. Box 640076, SF, CA 94164; or lorrisfATcomcastDOTnet.) To honor Dorothy’s life, enter a brick-and-mortar bookstore and buy a book! Or donate to your local library. -more-

There are some people with mental illness who must be supervised and who are unable to handle their own responsibilities. And at the other end of the spectrum, there are some persons with mental illness who do better at most things than most non-afflicted people. -more-

As we slosh into 2018, it's clear that while there are some negative carryovers from 2017, there's a lot that has changed for the positive over the past 12 months. We're still stuck with predator Trump and the associated madness. On the other hand, there has been a huge wave forming for -- lacking a better term -- a new women's movement. That bodes well for 2018. -more-

Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside Trump's White House, portrays an unflattering view of President Trump and much of his White House. Excerpts of the book had already appeared in New York Magazine.

Among the juiciest claims in the book:

* Trump's "ultimate goal” had never been to win the Oval Office. But he was excited about the exposure and opportunities to develop his brand;

* “I got as far as the Fourth Amendment before his finger is pulling down on his lip and his eyes are rolling back in his head,” former aide Sam Nunberg told Wolff about the time he was sent to explain the Constitution to Trump early in the campaign;

* President Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, described a controversial meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer as “treasonous” and “unpatriotic” to Wolff;

* Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly called Trump a “moron” last year;

* “For (Treasury Secretary) Steve Mnuchin and (former Trump White House chief of staff) Reince Priebus, the president was an ‘idiot.’ For (former Goldman Sachs exec) Gary Cohn, he was ‘dumb as sh-t.’ For (National Security Adviser) H.R. McMaster he was a ‘dope.’ The list went on,” Wolff said;

* “It’s worse than you can imagine. An idiot surrounded by clowns. Trump won't read anything — not one-page memos, not the brief policy papers; nothing. He gets up halfway through meetings with world leaders because he is bored. And his staff is no better. Kushner is an entitled baby who knows nothing. Bannon is an arrogant p---k who thinks he’s smarter than he is. Trump is less a person than a collection of terrible traits ... I am in a constant state of terror and shock,” Gary Cohn said in an email, according to Fire and Fury; and so on. -more-

The draft agenda for the January 25, 2018 Zoning Adjustment Board is available for review and comment: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/zoningadjustmentsboard/

Email comments to: zab@cityofberkeley.info

1734 Spruce – legalize 7^th dwelling bringing total 13 bedrooms are parcel

2556 Telegraph – The Village 5-story, 22 units, 2-live-work, 3358 commercial space

2190 Shattuck Ave – Certification Final EIR, 18-story mixed use building which will obstruct the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Campanile Way

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The City Council January 23 meeting agenda is posted for review and comment:

https://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2018/01_Jan/City_Council__01-23-2018_-_Regular_Meeting_Agenda.aspx

Email comments to: council@cityofberkeley.info partial agenda listing:

16. Broadband Master Plan

30. Student Housing,

31. Ad Hoc Committees to be open to the public with minutes, 24 hour notice of meeting,

34 a. Surveillance Ordinance – Police Review Commission,

34b. Surveillance Ordinance – City Manager requesting delay to complete counter proposal

35. Significant Community Benefits

37a. Porta Potties – Homeless Commission, 37b. Porta Potties - City Manager,

39. Replace Berkeley City Limit signs to “Welcome to Berkeley”, LOVE LIFE!” “Sanctuary City” and “Ohlone Territory”,

43. Information Report – To Achieve Fairness and Impartiality-Report and Recommendations from Berkeley Police

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Indivisible Berkeley's list of actions you can do from home: https://www.indivisibleberkeley.org/actions

The meeting list is also posted on the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition website:
http://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html

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Next week, day by day

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Protect Berkeley Shellmound, Sun, Jan 14, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, 1900 Fourth Street,

Indivisible Berkeley General Assembly, Sun, Jan 14, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, 1970 Chestnut St, Finnish Hall, -more-

Veteran pianist Emanuel Ax returned to Davies Hall Thursday-Saturday, January 11-13, to perform with the San Francisco Symphony in two piano concertos -- Mozart’s 14^th in E-flat Major, K. 449, and Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto Opus 42. Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas led the orchestra in this program. Bookending the two piano concertos were Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, which opened the concert, and Richard Strauss’s tone poem, Till Eulenspiegel and His Merry Pranks, which closed the program. -more-