A new mitigation fee gives developers flexibility on how to handle affordable housing requirements in Berkeley. Photo: Tracey Taylor Developers of new residential rental properties in Berkeley can now choose to pay into a special city fund instead of including on-site affordable housing after an 8-1 vote Tuesday by the City Council. It’s the latest […]
Emilie Raguso
Emilie Raguso (former senior editor, news) joined Berkeleyside in 2012 and covered politics, public safety and development until her departure in 2022. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist of the Year by SPJ NorCal. In 2021, she won SPJ NorCal's longform journalism award (print, small division) for her investigation into the death of Gulf War veteran Michael Hermon after he was attacked at Santa Rita Jail. Her reporting on homelessness has also been recognized by SPJ NorCal, and she has been part of Berkeleyside teams to win Community Journalism awards from SPJ NorCal three times. Emilie previously launched and ran beloved community news site Albany Patch.
Posted inCommunity
On walk signal, are two buttons better than one?
Two walk signal buttons on Solano Avenue. Photo: Justin Huang Last week, a local resident asked Berkeleyside about this signal pole on Solano Avenue. He wondered what the purpose of the street-level “walk signal” button was. We posed the question to readers on the Berkeleyside Facebook page, and their answers ran the gamut from the […]
Posted inCity
How much to mail an absentee ballot? Take your pick
The mail-in 2012 ballot for Berkeleyans involves putting four separate pieces into the envelope. Photo: Creative Commons Update, Oct. 18, 2016: We got the official word from the Registrar of Voters office: “You can use 3 Forever stamps to return 4 Voted ballot cards in the mail. Just to let you know we have 24 […]
Posted inSchools
2020 Vision symposium highlights progress in Berkeley
A packed cafeteria at the 2020 Vision Symposium, Oct. 11, Longfellow Middle School, Berkeley, CA. Photo: Emilie Raguso Last week, more than 100 community members, educators and city and school officials came together to share a meal and a vision for a future of equal opportunities for all children in Berkeley schools. The theory behind […]
Posted inCity
Capitelli, Hahn go head to head in Berkeley’s District 5
Laurie Capitelli and Sophie Hahn are facing off for the second time for the District 5 Council seat. Photos: Emilie Raguso Incumbent Laurie Capitelli and challenger Sophie Hahn will face off in November for the second time in a pitched battle for Berkeley’s District 5 City Council seat, in a race that has been tinged with […]
Posted inCrime & Safety, Schools
UCPD officer in hospital after accidental shooting
A veteran officer of the University of California Police Department was taken to the hospital Tuesday morning after he accidentally shot himself in the leg while holstering his weapon, officials said. Lt. Eric Tejada of the university Police Department said authorities are investigating whether an equipment malfunction may have resulted in the shooting. Tejada said […]
Posted inBusiness
Shop Talk: The ins and outs of Berkeley businesses
Pizza Moda aims to open in November. THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM? The University Avenue restaurant formerly known as Divino (and, before that, Fellini) closed in late summer after receiving mixed reviews from diners on Yelp. With no explanation via Twitter or Facebook, a reader told us, “they shut down and a sign popped up on the windows saying it would reopen in […]