UPDATE:
CHADWICK ANNOUNCES SYSTEM-WIDE HIRING FREEZE
ARRAIGNMENTS POSTPONED BY JUDGE WITH CONFLICT
1.
Pacifica National Board member, Dr. Jewelle Taylor-Gibbs,
a sociology professor at the University of California, has
resigned abruptly from the Pacifica National Board.
Dr. Taylor-Gibbs had tried to serve as intermediary
between
board chair Mary Frances Berry and the KPFA staff and community.
Meanwhile, Kevin Cartwright, training director at
KPFA,
has also resigned.
This means a total of four key African-Americans
have left
KPFA during Dr. Berry's supposed "diversity" campaign (program
director Lawrence Shorter and producer/anchor Sheryl Flowers
having quit earlier).
Pacifica's by-laws would seem to indicate
that the last
remaining KPFA board member (Roberta Brooks having resigned last
April, after pressure from the KPFA community), Pete Bramson,
would now have to be a member of the Pacifica executive committee.
Bramson is KPFA's strongest (and sometimes only) supporter on
the Pacifica board.
2.
Pacifica executive director Lynn Chadwick has instituted a
system-wide hiring freeze, according to Berkeley's Daily Planet
newspaper.
If true, this would mean that KPFA would
be unable to replace
at least five staff positions now vacant: station manager, program
director, co-host of the morning show, training director, and
subscriptions assistant.
3.
Berkeley-Albany municipal court judge Jennie Rhine yesterday
recused herself from arraigning the 53 protestors arrested when
Pacifica took over KPFA's airwaves July 13, including staff members
Dennis Bernstein, Aileen Alfandary, and Marc Mericle.
Rhine, a close friend of former
Pacifica executive director
Pat Scott, was formerly a Pacifica national board member.
Rhine set a new arraignment date
of August 20 for the 53
arrestees...which happens to be the date of the state legislative
audit committee's hearing in Oakland! (However, those with attorneys
need not appear in court that day, the attorneys may make an
appearance for them.)
NOT ONLY IS PACIFICA REFUSING TO
DROP THE CHARGES AGAINST
THOSE ARRESTED...SEVERAL PEOPLE NOW FACE MORE SERIOUS CHARGES...
LIKE INTERFERENCE WITH POLICE AND RESISTING ARREST!
IF YOU WITNESSED THE EVENTS OF
JULY 13...OR HAVE ANY PHOTOS
OR VIDEOS OF THE EVENTS THAT NIGHT...YOUR TESTIMONY
MAY BE NEEDED! Call the National Lawyers Guild in San Francisco...
(415) 285-1055.
And don't
forget...the "Where do We Go From Here?" forum this
Friday 8/13 at 7:30, Mission High School, 18th and Mission Streets,
San Francisco, with Dennis Bernstein, Kris Welch, Lavarn Williams,
J. Imani and others...
AND the music, dance, and information festival...SATURDAY 8/14...
Mosswood Park in Oakland (Broadway at MacArthur) starting at noon...