2017 – Teen Observer Archive

August 6, 2017

The kite festival: Taking it all in from a seat at the park

BERKELEY, Calif. — The 31st annual Berkeley Kite Festival was in full swing by mid-afternoon Sunday. People were flying kites, selling popcorn or ice cream or jewelry, or watching their kids ride ponies.

Michael Goran watches both professionals and amateur fly kites at the Berkeley Marina. Photo by Joelle Tan

“Outstanding. We really like the variety of kites,” Michael Goran said. He was relaxing on a grassy hill with his family while admiring the colorful kites in flight, more than 75 by 3 p.m.. It was his family’s first time there, but he said they would come again next year: “We’ve already marked it in our calendars.”

“I like it!” Victoria Varrientos, Goran’s 6-year-old granddaughter, piped up. “I like the little balls on the water. And the pirate ship,” she added. (The bouncing castle, Goran explained.)

Among the many canopied-tents there was Fookie, a business dedicated to fudge cookies. Owner Gregory Dobson said 2017 was his first year at the festival, but his third year running the business. “We just came from the Orange Country Fair,” he said.

Fookie originated in Lincoln, to the northeast of Sacramento, with an aim to become “the next Famous Amous Cookies.”

“It’s exciting here. I haven’t seen the giant kites before,” Dobson said. “It’s very family-friendly.”

The stall opened at 10:15 in the morning, and was expected to run until the festival ended at 6 p.m.

“The schedule consists of us working together and setting up together, to be as efficient as we can. We’ll definitely be coming back in future years.”

Alongside the food stalls were those selling souvenirs, and, more memorably, bubble shooters. Jackie Medina had been running the same stall for three years and is participating in her third kite festival at Cesar Chavez Park near the Berkeley Marina.

Her bubble shooters are highly popular, and she attributes her success to the nature of the Kite Festival. “I love it. It’s very busy and family-oriented, and keeps business going,” she said.

August 6, 2017

Lots of food choices, even when school’s out

BERKELEY, Calif. — From spicy ethnic fare to sweets, this university town boasts an eclectic mix of restaurants.

“Lots of students come here; it’s very diverse, for sure,” Valencia Towner, a worker at The Melt, said. The Melt is a 5-year-old restaurant specializing in grilled-cheese options, a popular stop for students at the University of California.

Taco’s Sinaloa is a 2-year-old Mexican restaurant. Formerly operating out of a truck, they recently found their first brick-and-mortar location and started “growing to a real restaurant,” employee Vanesa Durant said.

Durant said that their clientele found “the authentic Mexican food comforting,” and that Berkeley’s diverse community allowed the restaurant to do well, adding that they hope to expand.

Koja’s Kitchen, a restaurant that specializes in Korean and Japanese food, found their success in a large Asian population. “Many students do support the business, and take advantage of the discounts here,” employee Steven Rodriguez said as he pointed behind at the advertisements.

Their location on Telegraph Avenue helped bring in business. and the lack of other similar restaurants helped contribute to its success. “The restaurant’s really unique, so there’s no competitiveness [in the community],” Rodriguez said.

But at Yogurtland, which has been in Berkeley for six years, the competition is stiff.

“The restaurant business is one of the hardest to open, run and maintain over a long period of time. Consumer trends always change,” Ted Johnson, the manager, said. And lately, with everyone trying to reduce their sugar intake, there has been a drop in business. Berkeley now has three yogurt stores but used to have six.

Despite the decline, Yogurtland has managed to stay afloat due to the large student population and the “stellar primary location,” where families and groups of friends are constantly walking by. “Events at Telegraph and at the campus also helps to bring business in,” Johnson said.

But he added, “Whenever school is out of season, we have to shorten our hours.”

Cupcakin’ Bake Shop, started in 2009 but which moved to its current location only obtained three years ago, is also a student-fueled business. “We have a very diverse clientele,” Bri’aun Randolph said.

When asked about whether the shop was experiencing the same decline due to the avoidance of sugar, she shook her head. “Sugar attitude doesn’t necessarily affect business. Everybody comes. Everybody loves cupcakes and their designs,” she said.

Randolph noted that the smaller student population during the summer does affect business, but that they “still have a good clientele base,” encouraging them to maintain the quality of cupcakes. “It’s real fun and real chill,” she added, listing, “with clothes, henna, food, real fun. Groups of friends going to restaurants or shopping for clothes.”

August 1, 2017

Family takes its fruit from the field to Berkeley

BERKELEY, Calif. — “No spray, no pesticides, no chemicals,” Lisa Kashiwase proudly proclaims. Wearing a sun hat with a low brim, she deftly cuts peaches for samples — 13 varieties. Their peach farm, in Merced County, has been a family business for three generations.

As she talked to us, her niece and son greeted the oncoming customers, some of whom had come to taste the samples.

Her husband, Steven Kashiwase, was back home managing the farm. Lisa waved her free hand around the stall when talking about their business.

“[We are] everywhere…Santa Cruz, San Mateo…”

She said the farm had a canning business back in the 1980s, but shakes her head when asked about selling through commercial supermarkets. “No, never a supermarket.”

Along with Kashiwase Farms, Woodleaf Farm, which has been at the Farmers’ Market for 15 years — also sells a large variety of organic peaches. Andrew Seidman and Danny Lazzarini often alternated between taking care of the stall and working back at the farm in Oroville, about an hour north of Sacramento.

Seidman said it was hard work in order to transport the equipment and peaches from the farm, nearly two and a half hours away.

Woodleaf Farms chose the Berkeley markets back when “it was becoming a popular and a new way to have direct sales. It was better than selling wholesale retail price.” Seidman said he liked the market because it allowed farmers to directly connect with buyers. He noted that he had a good community with the buyers and with the other vendors. “I know almost everybody here,” he said.

In addition to the peaches making up the majority of the stall, Woodleaf Farms also had cucumbers sitting in the front. Seidman said, “It’s nice to have vegetables in addition to food. And I just really like cucumbers and I grow a lot of them. But I have too many so I bring it to the customers.”

His good connection with his customers is seen when a customer walked up and started a conversation about a wildfire several weeks back that destroyed most of Seidman’s home, equipment and about 10 percent of their trees. Seidman reassured her: “We are doing everything we can.”

Golden Rule Organics has been at the Berkeley market for three years. The 8-year-old farm is a family business in Hollister, in San Benito County. It started out small, but gradually grew to become a 17-acre farm.

Eddie Diaz, one of its owners, noted how difficult it was to get a stall.

“It’s a bit hard to try to get in here, because they give first priority to the older farmers. So it’s tougher for a new farmer to get into the farmers’ market,” he said. While Diaz was content now, he said that they may expand if the opportunity arises.

Golden Rule Organics boasts a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables.

“We have a lot…we have two types of kale…chard, collard greens, five different types of squash, like eight different types of tomatoes. We try to keep a variety in order to keep customers happy,” he said.

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017

Woodleaf farm still at market despite wildfire damage

Woodleaf Farm focuses on harvesting a variety of fresh peaches. Photo by Alexis Suk

BERKELEY, Calif. — Evacuations in Oroville, California, have left townspeople uprooted and disoriented for the past six months because of the widespread Butte County Wall Wildfire. At Woodleaf Farm, also known as Peach Jamboree, the fire took all but the crop itself.

Owner Danny Lazzarini bought the farm in the Sierra Mountains in 2016. She and partner Drew Seidman planned to continue the farm’s current produce offerings; they have more than 2,000 fruit trees, according to the Ecology Center’s website, planted on eight acres.

They produce many varieties of peaches, including white, yellow and red peaches. Although they produce a variety of crops, they only have “three months of the year to make a living,” Lazzarini said in a recent interview.

Woodleaf Farm made one of their first appearances since the fire at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market on Saturday. Photo by Jordan Willis

The raging wildfire set the two back right in the middle of their short harvest season, only adding to the devastation. The fire took all three of their homes on the land, along with a cabin, barn, packing shed, personal possessions and all of their tools and equipment. But the fruit was spared. They were at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market on Saturday, one of their first public appearances since the fire.

“About 95 percent of the peaches are fine,” Woodleaf Farm employee Em Reaves said, explaining how the farm can survive for now but the future is unpredictable with all of their supplies destroyed.

“We’re trying to rebuild with no resources, and it’s really hard, but what else are you going to do?” Lazzarini said. She added that they are constantly being faced with new challenges on the farm but will continue to work through them. Despite the demolition, Woodleaf Farm does not plan on abandoning the land; instead, they are going to rebuild. They are focused on going to markets and asking for donations on GoFundMe.com.

“This is an incredibly shocking loss, but we are grateful to be alive and safe…This will be a true test of strength and willingness to carry on and recover,” Lazzarini said in a recent Instagram post.

August 1, 2017

Berkeley Playhouse merges professionalism and community

The Berkeley Playhouse’s production of “Tarzan,” the musical with words and lyrics by Phil Collins runs through Aug 13. Photo by Keon Morley.

BERKELEY, Calif. —The Berkeley Playhouse, founded by Elizabeth McKoy 10 years ago, uses art to bring a sense of community, producing shows for all ages.

The wood-paneled walls and red doors of the historic Julia Morgan Theater make the exterior appear barn-like and give the impression of a community theater. But the Playhouse is home to professional productions. The advertisements, equipment and costumes for the current production of the musical “Tarzan” further exemplify the theater’s professionalism.

“I have a spotlight here. I have a crew here. They got a brand new light board… We have LEDs, we have M-Faders… A little bit of everything,” Jeff Bristow, three-time stage manager at the theater, said. The theater boasts youth conservatory and after-school classes in addition to a full slate of productions.

Catherine Manning, the mother of one of the actors, says her daughter, Jaina, found the summer theater experience enticing.

“It was much more intense…An amazing experience for her to be side by side with professional adults,” Manning said. “…within the six-week rehearsal period I heard her voice change.”

After a recent matinee, actors and crew alike commented on how McKoy strives to bring a sense of family to all of her cast and crew members while maintaining a professional environment.

Actor Tiana Paulding said,“Elizabeth…exudes family. She will take everyone under her wing.”

She added that “everyone here is just so supportive and very uplifting…It’s just a very good sense of camaraderie here.”

Bristow said his favorite part of being with the theater is “just working with the people. I’ve met a lot of new people, I’ve met a lot of great people, and I know a lot of them will remain my friends after this is over.”

Actors Aurelia Jordan, left, Adam Niemann, and Tiana Paulding greet the audience after the show. Photo by Rachel Winterhalter

Adam Niemann, another actor, said, “The people here [keep me coming back].”

““The theme of the show ‘Tarzan’ is family,” Nieman said of the show based on the Disney film, with music from pop legend Phil Collins.

“And I think it is quite appropriate that that’d be produced by Berkeley Playhouse because I definitely think that’s … a mission of Berkeley Playhouse.”

August 1, 2017

Alan Lipton brings fantasy and music to market

Alan K. Lipton performs original music every week at the Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market. His music has strong elements of fantasy and political commentary. Photo by Sophia Pietkiewicz.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Tents stretch for two blocks, covering nearly every inch of Center Street at the weekly Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market. The smell of fresh produce and the sounds of street performers fill the air. Sitting between two vendors with a black acoustic guitar in his hand and a jar for collections in front of him, Alan K. Lipton sings folk songs about the adventures of the legendary “Chronomariner.”

“Many years ago, I had the idea that I was going to do a vast, sprawling concept album,” Lipton said. “It was about a character named the Chronomariner. He sailed on a magical ship that went through all manner of times and places in a parallel universe where the dominant technology is magic.”

The Chronomariner, plays a strong role in Lipton’s imaginative storytelling and songwriting process. The character was created when Lipton developed a self-published ’zine titled “Information Sickness,” which took the form of news reports from parallel universes.

“I had a lot of ideas as a younger writer that I just kind of tossed in there. The Chronomariner was one of them, and so I sort of furthered the story through news reports from his world, called Universe Five. We’re in Universe One.”

Lipton, who has been writing songs since he was 14, began playing at the market more than 10 years ago. As a former rock critic, he said he became disillusioned with the restrictions on creativity that music business executives imposed on the performers in the name of commercial success.

“I would see a lot of these really creative and idealistic bands trying to squeeze themselves into whatever flavor of the month the A&R people were looking for…It was very disheartening to see them squashed out of that,” Lipton recalls. “From that point on, I decided I was going to do music on my terms. I wasn’t going to do it to get rich. I was going to do it to have fun.”

Lipton’s imagination knows no limits. As he explains on his website, “It’s my life mission to tell stories, and my ongoing vision to tell them in new ways. That’s why I call myself a fictioneer.”

July 31, 2017August 1, 2017

‘Ugly’ can be beautiful (& healthy)

BERKELEY, Calif. ― Imperfect Produce set up shop at the Berkeley Kite Festival over the weekend to show how “ugly” crops — bought directly from farms and delivered to customers in personal boxes for a cheaper price than many grocery stores — can be a great find. Many of these “ugly” crops don’t meet grocery store standards of perfection and are often thrown away, despite having the same quality and nutrition as regular produce.

Imperfect Produce’s stand offers passerbys the chance to sign up for customizable produce packages. Photo by Katie Liu.

The company sources its produce from California farmers based on seasonal availability. The crops are fresh and organic. A box of “ugly” produce costs up to 50 percent less than grocery-store prices. For example, a small box can cost between $11 and $15, while a large box can cost about $20, depending on the types of items that customers order.

Christopher Steinei, who was staffing Imperfect Produce’s booth at the festival on Sunday, said that people are drawn to Imperfect Produce because of both price and the good cause.

Their mission to reduce food waste is an important step to combatting climate change as well.

“For every pound of produce, it usually takes 55 gallons of water,” Steinei said. Wasted food also releases carbon dioxide, making it the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.

So far, Imperfect Produce has been able to save 220 million gallons of water as well as 15 million pounds of carbon dioxide. It has saved and delivered 4.4 million pounds of produce to its customers, who in turn have collectively been able to save $2 million, according to the company.

Imperfect Produce comes in all shapes and sizes, some too small and others misshapen or twisting or bulging. And these raw fruits and vegetables demonstrate “the beauty in imperfection.”

July 31, 2017July 31, 2017

Community forms bonds within farmers’ market

Street Spirit Newspaper.
Photo by Jolie Ebadi

BERKELEY Calif. — The downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market is an ongoing tradition within the small community. All around the neighborhood, people look forward to coming to see the vibrant colors, diverse group of people, different produce, street performers and most important, the relationships and friends they have made over the years.

Anthony King, a spirited man selling Street Spirit newspapers, had much to say about what he thought about the market and community at Berkeley. “Here you meet a lot of different people, from a lot of different places.”

Etanna Sack, who works at Octoberfeast Bakery, had been an artist and writer before picking up a weekend job at the market for about the last seven years.

Sack described the bakery as a mother-daughter duo and a “women-run bakery,” making authentic, organic German bread and pastries. “It feels like family working for them. I look forward coming to work every day,” Sack said.

Sacks’ daughters also have gained much from the family-oriented business. “My daughter had become a foodie herself growing up around the bakery,” she said, and baked for the family this summer.

She said the community at the farmers’ market was her home and her family, not only the venders that come every weekend, but also the customers as well.

“I feel like community has become lost in American culture. Coming here, I work for people, not a corporation. I know my customers on a first-name bases and treat them like human beings rather than a number,” she said.

Sack said she never had such a market in her hometown.

“It makes me tear up a bit,” she said, adding that “everyone here is family. Some jobs I dreaded coming to, but this one, if I won the lottery, I would still come to this job. This is my home.”

July 31, 2017July 31, 2017

Coffee shop helps refugees settle in California

BERKELEY, Calif. — The 1951 Coffee Company is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping refugees settle in California. It is named after the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, which first introduced guidelines to protect refugees.

When refugees arrive in California, they often have no resumes and little work experience. The 1951 Coffee Company, founded in 2015, has helped provide job training. Additionally, the shop educates locals about the many challenges that refugees face, including cultural shock.

The 1951 Coffee Company offers several opportunities to teach its customers about re

fugees. Next to the counter is a wall featuring the process that many refugees go through in order to become an American citizen. While customers drink their coffee and eat their pastries, they can also read about the long, arduous steps that refugees must take to enter and settle in a new country.

1951 Coffee Company’s walls are decorated with its logo and history. Photo by Grace Liu

Many of 1951 Coffee’s customers support the company’s efforts to aid refugees. Cathy Lee is a returning customer, and calls the coffee shop a “perfect storm.” Its efforts to help refugees acclimate to their new life and culture, she says, is “amazing” and “very unique.”

Another customer, Joyce Ting, says that she goes to the coffee shop once or twice a month. She said the mission of the shop is “really awesome,” and that “anyone that believes in something and does something about it” is good.

She also said that the biggest impact that the coffee shop has is not particularly enormous, as it is a small company, but the “meaningful impact on individual people” it has made is just as important.

Anna Pastor, a student at University of California, Berkeley, says that she goes to the coffee shop weekly. She said, “If I’m going to purchase coffee anyways, I might as well use my purchasing power for a social cause.”

The 1951 Coffee Company’s mission to support refugees and teach the surrounding community about the hardships experienced by refugees is admirable and will impact many more refugees in the future.

July 31, 2017July 31, 2017

Barresi soars to new levels in kite flying

Barresi featured his red and white quad-line kite at the Berkeley kite festival on July 30. This type of kite is anchored by four lines allowing the pilot to take control of forward/reverse motions, speed, hover and rotation motions.

BERKELEY, Calif. — The audience was in awe as the thin red-and- white kite transformed into a human-like creature, taking on actions like walking and waving. The triangular shaped kite was a stand-out crowd pleaser of the annual Berkeley Kite Festival on Sunday and standing behind the magic was 42-year-old professional kite flyer John Barresi.

Barresi has been hooked on flying kites ever since he first placed his hands on one in 1990. What started off as a small hobby has turned into Barresi’s full-time job, permitting him to fly kites in more than a dozen different countries. Barresi acknowledged that kite-flying is his true passion and he enjoys both the entertainment and competitive aspects of his occupation.

“I like to be funny with the folks,” Barresi said as he touched on his actions of comedically maneuvering his kite right into the faces of amazed Berkeley kite festival attendees.

Although, Barresi sets these lighthearted tricks aside when he takes on a much more serious persona as a competitor in kite flying tournaments.

A fairly new aspect to many, kite competitions consist of multiple different divisions most broadly separated by individual categories and team categories. Individually, Barresi participates in the “square” category, which is an evaluation of how a pilot displays straight lines and sharp turns precisely.

Barresi shares his experiences as a kite flyer with Berkeley Kite Festival attendees.

Additionally, Barresi competes in the “ballet” division, which consists of making a unique kite routine to a song of the pilot’s choice. Ballet competitions are judged on the choreography and variety of their performance. A performance to an iconic AC DC song was pointed out by Barresi as his favorite ballet production. Barresi said that the performance “took me on a journey.”

Aside from his talent individually, Barresi also leads teams of three or more in kite competitions. Within the team division groups of pilots intricately weave their lines together, creating unique visuals and stunts to later be judged on. Barresi and a teammate founded iQuad in 2006, which promotes team flying across the kite community.

Despite his talent competitively, Barresi never ceases to remember the original reason he fell in love with kites in the first place.

He has been attending the Berkeley festival for 27 years and said this one was his favorite.

“There’s just such a wide diversity of everyone,” Barresi said. He also said he enjoyed that both professionals and amateurs shared the hillsides of Cesar Chavez Park near the Berkeley Marina.

“Anybody can fly kites whether their 90 or 5,” Barresi said.

When reflecting on what advice he would give potential kite flyers, Barresi acknowledged that his talent comes from many years of practice but ultimately kite flying centers around one simple principle.

“It all comes down to relaxing,” Barresi said. And after taking one long deep breath, he explained how the peaceful aspect of kite flying should never go unnoticed.

Barresi will continue to use his passion as a passport to many unique experiences in his lifetime. He has been a flyer for 26 years, 11 months, 1 week, 3 days, 17 hours, 43 minutes, and 15 seconds, according to his website,

Barresi only hopes to spread his love for kites to more people around the world.