The Planning Commission’s draft of the General Plan provoked comments by some 70 citizens at a Wednesday night public hearing on the document, according to Planning Commission Secretary Karen Haney-Owens. 

Comments addressed building height and density in downtown Berkeley, the exclusion of the arts from the city’s building bonus guidelines and traffic and congestion. 

“It was a very good meeting with a lot of discussion. It was much more interactive than the first one,” Haney-Owens said of the second public hearing on the document.  

Finding an appropriate density and height for the downtown area remains the priority issue for the Planning Commission, with the current draft calling for three to five stories with a bonus of up to two floors for including affordable housing units.  

The General Plan is the city’s roadmap for development for the next 20 years. Earlier drafts of the revised General Plan called for building heights to rise above 12 stories in the downtown area. 

There appears to be general agreement that the downtown doesn’t need “sky scrapers” or to be “Manhattanized” but people differ on where and when a building can go up to six or seven stories.  

For Planning Commissioner Susan Wengraf the real issue behind the height and density controversy is protecting neighborhoods from negative impacts while creating more affordable housing. 

“I feel that our building height should reflect the size of our city. I’d like to see downtown remain at five to seven floors. I do, however, think there are many other opportunities elsewhere in the city for height and density development.” 

Developer Patrick Kennedy agreed. Kennedy said that he doesn’t think that downtown needs high-rises but argued that downtown is an area where you can have “some height and density” to make it more alive. 

“I’ve been pushing for Parisienne style density. Five to seven floors with room and opportunity for the arts culture to expand.” 

According to the commission the height limit for downtown will remain at five to seven floors. 

Members of the Berkeley arts community expressed concern regarding the lack of affordable space in Berkeley and said they fear that the trend of being evicted and displaced that is currently underway in San Francisco may spread. 

In an effort to focus in on affordable housing the commission changed the requirements for bonus floors. An earlier draft made bonus floors available to developers who set aside some space in new buildings for housing, retail and arts and cultural organizations. The new draft omits retail and arts and cultural organizations and a specifically requires affordable housing units in order to build bonus floors.  

For every 5,000 square feet of affordable housing created the developer can add a “bonus “ floor to the building with a height cap of seven stories. 

Patrick Dooley of Shotgun Players, a local performance group, argued against the commission’s intentional omission of arts and cultural organizations from the provision and made a case for reinstating it. 

“The bottom line is that it takes away real opportunity for the downtown area to have a real arts community.” 

Dooley, who said his company moved eight times last year, added that his company is ready to grow but that escalating rents are preventing them from doing so. 

“Affordable housing is the right thing to do but you need affordable arts space too. I think it’s shortsighted to exclude arts from the plan.”  

Commissioner Susan Wengraf agreed and said that she would like to see the provision include arts and cultural organizations. 

“We need to support our art community. I would like to see more effort made to help these groups survive.” 

Commissioner Robert Wrenn disagreed, however, pointing out that the provision had been used only once in 10 years and that it is not needed. 

“My feeling is that we really have to focus on affordable housing. I feel that adding arts and cultural organizations to the provision would dilute the impact of an affordable housing bonus.” 

Haney-Owens said citizens came to the public hearing with concerns about the city’s growing traffic and congestion. Residents who live on “collector streets,” streets that collect cars and lead them to bigger and more heavily traveled streets voiced concern about noise and pollution. 

“There is a link between density, height, affordable housing, and the traffic and congestion issue,” Haney-Owens said. “Every new building brings more people and more cars and we were unaware that residents living on collector streets had concerns. 

Haney-Owens added that the commission will be addressing their concerns at a later date. 

“Height and density remains the number one issue with traffic and congestion being secondary,” Henry-Owens said. 

A Draft Environmental Impact Report on the plan is scheduled to be released in January 2001. The report will be followed with public hearings offering community members another opportunity to make comments and suggestions. 

The first year of ACCAL play for the Berkeley High girls’ volleyball team has been an easy one. The team lost just two games in league play, going 12-0 in cruising to the title. 

With their final victory over El Cerrito Thursday, the Yellowjackets clinched a home date for their first-round North Coast Section playoff match. 

“That’s huge,” said Berkeley head coach Justin Caraway after the 15-3, 15-6, 15-0 win. “Being able to host that first-round game will give us a big boost.” 

Despite the home game, however, Caraway feels his team will have to pull an upset to win their first matchup. 

Part of his hesitancy comes from the fact that the ’Jackets haven’t really been tested in league play. The new league has lowered the bar for his team, and that could hurt them in the playoffs. 

“I’m glad we went undefeated and won the league, but I wish we had faced some tougher competition. The only real challenges came from Encinal and Alameda, but that’s not enough,” he said. 

Senior outside hitter Lizzi Akana said the team knew they could go undefeated in the new league. 

“It was definitely our goal,” she said. “We were just hoping for more competition to make our team better.” 

The final victory took less than an hour, as Berkeley’s powerful hitters sapped the spirit from the overwhelmed Gauchos. 

The Yellowjackets ran off a seven-point streak before the visitors knew what his them, and it was a short road to victory in the game, as Akana served out the last five points.  

After jumping out to another 7-0 lead in the second game, the ‘Jackets seemd to ease off, and El Cerrito scored five straight points to pull within four points. But Caraway’s team bore down and didn’t allow another point, and the Gauchos were all but finished.  

A quick final game featured just one side-out by El Cerrito, as freshman Gina Colombatto hit three aces during a 13-point service streak that ended the match and the regular season.

Consider the downside of high density development 

Editor: 

For some of us the future is already here. 

I live in a mixed rental and retail building on a transit corridor. I’m one of the activists who went on rent strike for five years to buy and rehabilitate a dangerously run-down building into the well-maintained cooperative it is today. 

My fellow tenants and I take great interest in city planning, and participated whole-heartedly in the University Avenue Strategic Plan workshops put on by Calthorpe Associates, though we noted that Calthorpe met with developers privately before the public could participate. 

We obediently drew parks, resurfaced streams, and pedestrian-serving businesses on our maps.  

We voiced the need for crosswalks, bike lanes, and rental housing.  

We exhausted ourselves going to meetings. The upshot? The developers’ wish list was fulfilled, and we came up empty. 

Proud though I am of the role my fellow tenants and I played in securing control of our housing, we’re also in a prime position to point out what’s currently missing from the eco-cities dream-scape currently being promoted by local developers and the burden it creates for people like ourselves.  

Density works if and only if certain conditions are in place: 

1. convenient, inexpensive transit.  

All density promoters are invited to stand at the corner of University and San Pablo and gaze at the traffic backed-up for miles in all directions, the exhaust from which is our breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

Bus and bike riders are just as stuck as the CEOs in BMWs. More density? We’re not ready. 

2. neighborhood-serving businesses 

Density planners are invited to read the reams of documented neighborhood opposition to the Blockbuster Video which planners and council representatives allowed to take the place of the neighborhood’s hoped-for area-serving businesses.  

Economics outweighs common sense in current city planning, and has helped unbalance a fragile neighborhood.  

People continue to travel to other neighborhoods for goods and services, because a video is no substitute for stationary or shoes. 

3. neighborhood-serving open space 

The saddest aspect of the eco-city dream-scape is the ready availability of gardens and streams on paper which never manifest or are hidden on private property.  

No rooftop garden can take the place of landscaping in front of and around a building, and such landscaping is hardly a substitute for the public parks and playgrounds people need. 

4. Pedestrian-friendly atmosphere 

Come on to my house.  

Especially on the day when the rendering truck docks near the butcher shop, the smoke-stack idling maybe eight feet from the second-story windows of our apartment building.  

Try to simply cross the street, or find a place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, keeping in mind that pedestrians, stroller-pushers and bike-riders were better represented at the Calthorpe workshops than the drivers from the hills. 

5. laws to address collision of interests between retail and residential 

Suffice it to say that residential dwellers disturbed by trash-can bangers and leaf-blowers have yet to experience the industrial and commercial versions of same, or the futility of trying to get violators cited and stopped. 

When high-rise hype comes to town, my advise is simple. In any workshop or planning session which might be used to influence an area plan or Berkeley’s general plan, insist that high-rises and dense developments come after the manifestation of the transit, the public (not private) open space, the pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, and neighborhood-serving businesses.  

Don’t allow city planners to just move their pencils when you speak, or those ideas will be moldering on a planner’s shelf when you realize your garden will no longer get enough sun to manage a single tomato.  

Without the balance of transit options and open space, Berkeley will become New York while trying to avoid becoming Los Angeles. 

Carol Denney MSL 

Berkeley 

UC Berkeley places undue burden on city budget  

Editor:  

I was heartened to see Nancy Holland’s letter regarding the undue burden the UC places on the city’s budget, especially the deferred cost of sewer repair and maintenance of $500 million - “double the city’s total annual budget.”  

During the 1990’s, a coalition of students, UC neighbors, and faculties for the whole UC system attempted to launch an initiative state-wide that would make the UC Regents elected (from each UC region) rather than appointed by the governor, as occurs now.  

There is no motivation for the regents to be accountable to the regions they serve, to the students, or to faculty or taxpayers state-wide.  

Their positions attain great power and opportunity to make financial gain with no concern for those who experience the consequences of their choices.  

An enlightened city attorney with an imaginative city council and mayor might explore the mirror experiences of other UC communities and join with them to rally for a truly accountable and democratic stewardship of our universities.  

Nancy Delaney 

Berkeley 

Friday, Nov. 10

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Performing the music of Ronald Bruce Smith, Beethoven and Elliot Carter. 

$19 - $35 

Call 841-2800 

Korean Literature Seminar 

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

7768 Duke Ct.  

El Cerrito 

Korean writer and professor Do Chang Hoi will speak on the topics of creative writing and modern Korean literature. Sponsored by the Korean Literary Art Fellowship. Continues on Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

Call 559-7856 for more info.  

PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

Room 303  

2020 Milvia St.  

A groups of PC users who help each other solve problems. They introduce their members to new software, hardware, and invited speakers and technicians from various PC related companies. Meet the second Friday of each month.  

Call Melvin Mann, 527-2177 

Oakland Artisan Marketplace  

Opening Celebration  

Frank Ogawa Plaza 

Oakland  

A new city project that gives artisans an opportunity to sell their own work year-round in Oakland. Performances by KITKA vocal ensemble and a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Marketplace will continue to be open on Fridays, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Cultural and Historical View  

of the Dalmatian Islands, Croatia 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Byron Bass, archeologist with the URS Corporation will speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

Underground Technopagans 

10:30 p.m. 

Fine Arts Cinema  

2451 Shattuck Ave.  

The world premiere of Antero Alli’s “Tragos,” a film about a witch hunt for technopagans practicing rites in a virtual reality world. The filmaker and actors will be present at the screening.  

$7  

Call 464-4640 

Saturday, Nov. 11

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Kitchen Design Fundamentals  

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by independent kitchen and bath designer Beverly Wilson.  

$75  

Homeowner’s Essential Course 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

The annual six-Saturday intensive with lectures, slides, and demonstrations taught by professional builder Glen Kitzenberger. Six Saturdays through Dec. 16.  

$425 per person, including textbook 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

InterPlayce Benefit 

8 p.m.  

Large Assembly 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way 

A benefit concert featuring the Wing It! Performance Ensemble. The project is to renovate and retrofit an 8200 square foot building to include a dance studio, visual art spaces, office and meeting rooms. Free, but donations are requested. 

Get Your Garden Ready for Winter 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

UC Botanical Garden  

Ted Kipping of Tree Shapers will offer advice on pruning your shrubs and trees, while Anthony Garza of Magic Gardens will suggest how to improve the health and appearance of your plants. Free, but space is limited.  

Call 287-0591 

Sunday, Nov. 12 

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

“Road To Mecca” Auditions 

2 p.m.  

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is auditioning roles for two females, 60-70 and 25-35, and one male, 60-70. Auditioners should prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes. No appointments. 

Call Debra Blondheim, 667-9827 

Solar Electricity for Your Home 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar instructed by engineer Gary Gerber of Sunlight and Power.  

$75 per person  

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Parenting Book Club 

11 a.m.  

Cody’s Books 

1730 Fourth St.  

Take part in a discussion of “The Good Enough Parent” by Bruno Bettelheim. New group members always welcome. The group meets the second Sunday of each month.  

Call 559-9500 

Carpentry Basics for Women 

9:30 - 4:30 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

A hands-on workshop taught by carpenter Tracy Weir. This workshop is a two-day workshop and runs Nov. 12 and 19.  

$195 per person  

“Collecting Ethnic Notions” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut. St.  

Live Oak Park 

A book signing and reception for Jan Faulkner. 

Call 644-6893 

Monday, Nov. 13

An Evening with  

Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

Community Open House on the  

Underhill Area Projects  

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Unit II Residence Hall 

Lower Recreation Room 

2650 Haste St.  

Join architects, housing officials, parking and transportation officials, program representatives, key administrators and campus planners for an open house on these projects, which include a new apartment building at the southeast corner of College and Durant, and a new Central Dining and Office Facility on the east side of Bowditch between Haste and Channing.  

Call Jennifer Lawrence, Principal Planner, 642-7720 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit  

www.parentsnet.org 

— compiled by  

Chason Williams 

“Timber Framing - Ancient and Modern” 

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar led by contractor/Timber Framers Guild member Doug Eaton.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Soulforce Candlelight Vigil 

6 p.m.  

SF Chancery 

445 Church St.  

San Francisco  

In conjunction with an action by Soulforce/Dignity in Washington D.C., at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, to stop spiritual violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, local members of Soulforce will be holding a vigil to demonstrate their solidarity.  

Call SF Dignity, 415-681-2491 

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

Three Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

649-3943 

More Little Pigs 

7 p.m.  

Berkeley North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets huff and puff and blow the house down.  

“A Jewel in History” 

7 p.m. 

St. Paul AME Church 

2024 Ashby Ave.  

A documentary about the Homer G. Phillips Hospital for the Colored. The hospital, despite providing superior medical care for decades, was closed in the ‘70s. Donations will be accepted.  

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

Quest for Justice 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Bade Museum 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

A reception and discussion with the artists of “Quest for Justice: The Story of Korean Comfort Women as Told Through their Art,” an exhibit on display at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.  

849-8244 

Even Seniors Get the Blues 

1 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A holiday blues support group with Lyn Rayburn.  

Recognizing Alzheimer’s Disease 

10 - 11:30 a.m.  

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit North Pavilion 

Annexes B & C  

350 Hawthorne Ave.  

Oakland  

Susan Londerville, MD, Gerentologist, will discuss how to recognize the signs and common symptoms of Alzheimer’s and how to distinguish them from normal aging. Free 

Call Ellen Carroll, 869-6737  

Our School Open House 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Our School 

St. John’s Community Center 

2727 College Ave. (at Garber St.) 

An open house for prospective parents.  

Call Martha Knobler, 704-0701 

Wednesday, Nov. 15

Even More Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Library Claremont Branch 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets help Little Red Riding Hood get to Grandma’s house.  

Healthful Holiday Cooking 

11:30 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Natalie. Free 

Unity of Diversity in the Bay Area 

7:30 p.m. 

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley  

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Ramona Lucero of the United Indian Alliance will give a presentation addressing the exploration and significance of unity as a basis for the Native American community.  

Call 642-9460 

Community Action Commission & 

Berkeley Homeless Commission  

Joint Public Hearing  

7 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. (at Ashby) 

The purpose of this hearing is to allow low-income residents of Berkeley, and people who use the services to inform these agencies about what services they need.  

Call Marianne Graham, 665-3475  

Making Additions Match 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by architect/colunist Arrol Gellner.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Citizen’s Humane Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr.) 

Review the support of a ban on leghold and body-crushing traps.  

Commission on Labor Board 

6 p.m. 

1950 Addison St., Suite 105 

Civic Arts Commission 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Energy Commission 

5:30 p.m. 

Discussion and possible approval of a resolution regarding the expiration of the electricity rate freeze.  

Human Welfare & Community Action 

7 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. 

Task Force on Telecommunications 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Board of Education 

7:30 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Commission on Aging 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Thursday, Nov. 16 

Reminiscing in Swingtime 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Library  

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

George Yoshida, author and jazz drummer, presents a multi-media program recounting the big band experience in the Japanese American internment camps. The presentation will be capped with a set of live jazz by the George Yoshida Quartet. 

Call for more info: 644-6850 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

Free blood pressure screenings 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

free 

869-6737 

Three Little Pigs  

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library West Branch  

1125 University Ave.  

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

Tai Chi for Seniors  

2 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Tai Chi master Mr. Chang. Free 

Sea Kayaking in the Bay Area and Baja 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Mitch Powers of Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center presents slides of some of his favorite paddling destinations and gives tips on selecting gear, paddling safety and planning trips. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Native American Heritage Celebration Dinner 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

International House 

UC Berkeley  

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Chef, Zachary Runningwolf will be supervising the preparation of Indian breads, pumpkins, and more. At 8 p.m., a cultural night will commence featuring arts & crafts, a drumming performance, and a fashion show.  

$8 dinner, $3 cultural night & performances  

Call 642-9460  

HVAC for Beginners 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning for beginners seminar taught by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Transportation Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Fair Campaign Practices Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Design Review Committee 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Friday, Nov. 17 

Community Dance Party 

7:45 - 9:45 p.m. 

Live Oak Park 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Come learn to dance with easy instructions presented by the Berkeley Folk Dancers.  

Teens $2; Adult Non-members $4 

Information: 525-3030  

California Energy Re-Structuring 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Severin Borenstein, director at the UC Energy Institute will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Housing Clinic for Seniors 

3 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A housing clinic with the East Bay Community Law Center. Free  

“Beneath Our Feet” 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

James Moore Theater  

1000 Oak St. 

Oakland  

This all-day conference involves Native Americans, archeologists, anthropologists, historians, naturalists, photographers, and sound artists, joining together to evoke a sense of the people of the East Bay and the landscape they have inhabited over the past ten thousand years. 

$12 - $27, lunch ($12) optional  

Call 636-1648  

Saturday, Nov. 18 

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Fourteen hours of free concerts, workshops, jam sessions and to top it off a Saturday night dance. The fifth annual Folk Festival will feature Shay & Michael Black, Spectre Double Negative & the Equal Positive, Larry Hanks, Wake the Dead and many others. Sponsored by Charles Schwab and the City of Berkeley.  

More info or to volunteer: 525-5099 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of local filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

Zuni Fetish Show  

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Gathering Tribes  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Fresh from a trip to Zuni, Janet & Diane from Beyond Tradition will have new fetishes and jewelry. This is the last fetish show of the year for Gathering Tribes.  

Call 528-9038 

Sunday, Nov. 19 

Soprano Deborah Voigt 

Cal Performances  

3 p.m.  

Voigt’s performance is a postponment from her original Oct. 15 date. The program will remain unchanged. 

$28-$48 For tickets call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

“Drawing Marathon”  

Merritt College’s Art Building 

Live models, group poses.  

$12 for half a day, $20 for a full day, senior and student discounts available. No cameras or turpentine. 

523-9763 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of Berkeley filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

Monday, Nov. 20 

The Music of Israel 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the music of Israel, from the early pioneers of Palestine to the latest rock.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7 p.m. 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Tuesday, Nov. 21 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m.  

Alta Bates Medical Center, Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Call D.L. Malinousky, 601-0550 

Environmental Solutions! 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332  

Thursday, Nov. 23 

Disaster Council 

7 p.m. 

Emergency Operations Center 

997 Cedar St.  

Friday, Nov. 24 

“Yoga Poems”  

7:30 p.m. 

Piedmont Yoga Studio 

4125 Piedmont Ave. 

Piedmont 

Leza Lowitz will read from her new book, which contains over 60 poems inspired by different yoga poses, and do a yoga performance. Free. 

Call Miki, 558-7826 

Saturday, Nov. 25 

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612 

Papersong Grand Opening Celebration 

Noon - 5 p.m.  

Swan’s Marketplace 

936B Clay St.  

Oakland 

Featuring free musical performances by Big Brother & The Holding Co., Caravan of All Stars Revue, The Charles Dudley Band, and Jane DeCuir.  

Call 436-5131 

Monday, Nov. 27 

To Make the World Whole 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses songs of peace, protest and change from labor, feminists, peace, and environmental activists of the past 125 years, that inspired others to action. 

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

Educational Philosophies Roundtable 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

At this roundtable, Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, parents will learn about the following educational philosophies: Developmental, cooperative, Montessori, bilingual, Waldorf, religious, homeschooling, and charter schools.  

Free to members; non-members, $5 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org  

Wednesday, Nov. 29 

Wanderlust: Tales of Adventure and Romance 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Jeff Greenwald and other travel writers discuss the art of writing travel literature and how to make a living doing it.  

Call 843-3533 

Thursday, Nov. 30  

Pro Arts Juried Show Reception 

6 - 8 p.m.  

Pro Arts 

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland 

With the work of 70 artists, this annual show features the work of emerging and mid-career artists. The show runs through December 30. See A&E calendar for details.  

Snowshoeing Basics  

7 p.m . 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional snowshoe guide Cathy Anderson-Meyers gives basic instruction on how to get out and experience Tahoe’s winter terrain on “shoes.”  

Call 527-4140 

Friday, Dec. 1 

Spanish Book Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books  

2454 Telegraph Ave.  

A discussion of “Dona Barbara” by the Colombian writer Rumulo Gallegos. New members welcome. The group meets the first Friday of each month.  

Call 601-0454  

Saturday, Dec. 2  

Wild About Books? 

10:30 a.m. 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Storyteller Kellmar draws from her African-American roots with stories that touch the heart and the funnybone. For childen aged 3-7. 

Call 649-3943  

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612  

Publish Your Own Book 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Regent Press 

6020-A Adeline St. 

Mark Weiman of Regen Press presents an overview of the business of book publishing oriented towards the author considering self-publishing.  

$60 per person 

Call Mark Weiman, 547-7602 

Friends of Berkeley Youth Alternatives 

Wine Tasting  

1 - 4 p.m. 

Rosenblum Cellars 

2900 Main St.  

Alameda 

All proceeds benefit the children and families served by Berkeley Youth Alternatives. 

$25 

Call 845-9010 

Sunday Dec. 3 

Connecting with Nature 

1 - 3 p.m.  

Rotary Nature Center  

600 Bellevue Ave. (at Perkins) 

Oakland 

Children aged six to twelve, accompanied by a parent, are invited to explore nature with all their senses. Cathy Holt, author of “The Circle of Healing” will lead the event. Free 

Call Stephanie for reservations, 238-3739 

Richmond Holiday Arts Festival 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Richmond Art Center 

2540 Barret Ave.  

Richmond 

A silent auction, craft sale, gifts and services auction, and hands-on art projects. Proceeds benefit the Richmond Art Center. Free  

620-6772 

Kitka’s “Wintersongs Holiday Tour” 

7 p.m. 

Lake Merritt United Methodist Church 

1330 Lakeshore Ave. 

Oakland 

In it’s first annual winter holiday concert, this women’s vocal ensemble will perform Eastern European seasonal songs.  

$15 - $20 

444-0323 

Winterfest 

Noon - 4 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

A celebration of winter family traditions like music, dance, craft activities, and food. Included in museum admission. 

$6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

Tuesday, Dec. 5 

Design the Perfect School  

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332  

Thursday, Dec. 7 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

Women’s Travel Book Club 

6:30 p.m. 

Cody’s Books 

1730 Fourth St.  

Join a discussion of M.F.K. Fisher’s “Two Towns in Provence: Map of Another Town & A Considerable Town.” New members are always welcome. The group meets the first Thursday of each month.  

Call 482-8971 

Friday, Dec. 8  

PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

Room 303  

2020 Milvia St.  

A groups of PC users who help each other solve problems. They introduce their members to new software, hardware, and invited speakers and technicians from various PC related companies. Meet the second Friday of each month.  

Call Melvin Mann, 527-2177  

Saturday, Dec. 9  

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612  

Friday, Dec. 10 

Parenting Book Club 

11 a.m.  

Cody’s Books 

1730 Fourth St.  

Take part in a discussion of “Mothers Who Think” edited by Camille Peri. New group members always welcome. The group meets the second Sunday of each month.  

Call 559-9500 

Saturday, Dec. 16 

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612  

Tuesday, Dec. 19 

Planning for the Future 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332  

Thursday, Dec. 21 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

Friday, Jan. 5  

Zen Buddhist Sites in China 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Andy Ferguson, author of “Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings,” presents a slide show of Zen holy sites in China. Ferguson will read from the book and engage the audience in a brief meditation session. Included in museum admission. 

$6 general, $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

Thursday, Jan. 11 

Toni Stone and the Negro Baseball League 

1 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Marcia Eymann, curator of historical photography, discusses memorabilia of Toni Stone, a woman who played in the Negro Baseball Legue in the 1940s. Free. 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

Sunday, Jan. 14 

Teaching Chinese Culture in the U.S.  

2 p.m. 

Oakland Museum of California 

1000 Oak St.  

Oakland 

Educators from Bay Area Chinese schools explore issues related to teaching Chinese culture and language. Included in museum admission.  

$6 general; $4 seniors and students with ID 

Call 1-888-OAK-MUSE 

ONGOING EVENTS 

Sundays 

Green Party Consensus Building Meeting 

6 p.m. 

2022 Blake St. 

This is part of an ongoing series of discussions for the Green Party of Alameda County, leading up to endorsements on measures and candidates on the November ballot. This week’s focus will be the countywide new Measure B transportation sales tax. The meeting is open to all, regardless of party affiliation. 

415-789-8418 

Mondays 

Baby Bounce and Toddler Time 

10:30 a.m. 

Oct. 16 - Dec. 11 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

For children ages 6 to 36 months. Get those babies off to a good start with songs, rhymes, lap bounces, and very simple books. 

649-3943  

Tuesdays 

Easy Tilden Trails 

9:30 a.m. 

Tilden Regional Park, in the parking lot that dead ends at the Little Farm 

Join a few seniors, the Tuesday Tilden Walkers, for a stroll around Jewel Lake and the Little Farm Area. Enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, turtles, and warblers, and waterfowl. 

215-7672; members.home.com/teachme99/tilden/index.html 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Computer literacy course 

6-8 p.m. 

James Kenney Recreation Center, 1720 Eighth St. 

This free course will cover topics such as running Windows, File Management, connecting to and surfing the web, using Email, creating Web pages, JavaScript and a simple overview of programming. The course is oriented for adults. 

644-8511 

Wednesdays  

10:30 a.m. 

Preschool Song and Story Time 

Berkeley Central Library 

2121 Allston Way 

Music and stories for ages 3-5.  

649-3943 

Thursdays 

The Disability Mural 

4-7 p.m. through September 

Integrated Arts 

933 Parker 

Drop-in Mural Studios will be held for community gatherings and tile-making sessions. This mural will be installed at Ed Roberts campus. 

841-1466 

Fridays 

Ralph Nader for President 

7 p.m.  

Video showings to continue until November. Campaign donations are requested. Admission is free.  

Contact Jack for directions at 524-1784. 

Saturdays 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Center Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Poets Juan Sequeira and Wanna Thibideux Wright 

2nd and 4th Sunday 

Rhyme and Reason Open Mike Series 

2:30 p.m. 

UC Berkeley Art Museum, 2621 Durant Ave. 

The public and students are invited. Sign-ups for the open mike begin at 2 p.m. 

234-0727;642-5168 

Tuesday and Thursday 

Free computer class for seniors 

9:30-11:30 a.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. 

This free course offers basic instruction in keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Windows 95, Excel and Internet access. Space is limited; the class is offered Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Call ahead for a reservation. 

644-6109 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright 

Rosario Castellon, the Nicaraguan economist who came up with the concept of Fair Trade, visited the Bay Area Sunday, where she explained how U.S. and European retailers’ trade agreements with agricultural cooperatives in the developing world help coffee farmers earn a better living. 

Berkeley has been at the forefront of the movement in the Bay Area. In June last year, Mayor Shirley Dean proposed to the Council that the city buy only Fair Trade Coffee, following the tradition set by the European Parliament in 1997. The legendary venue Peets’ Coffee has been selling Fair Trade coffee since October. And the Free Speech Movement Café, at UC Berkeley’s Moffit Library, has been offering it for six months. 

For a movement unknown in the United States until 1998, Fair Trade has certainly acquired momentum. After protests by organizations such as San Francisco-based Global Exchange and Oakland-based Transfair, Starbucks, the country’s foremost coffee retailer, announced that it would start distributing coffee produced under Fair Trade conditions. 

“All of our house coffee is Fair Trade,” said Jaime Diaz, manager of the Free Speech Movement Café. “We sell 80 pounds a week, but only a few people have actually asked for Fair Trade coffee.” According to Transfair representative Nina Luttinger, the biggest challenge to overcome is lack of consumer awareness. The movement needs to establish a brand name which consumers can recognize. 

Fair Trade coffee has been fairly successful in Europe, but it still represents only a small portion of the U.S. market. But Transfair expects the amount of coffee sold in the U.S. to reach 12 million pounds in 2003, from the 1.5 pounds sold today. “In today’s competitive market, this is a way for coffee houses to distinguish themselves,” said Luttinger. 

Coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity, after oil, representing a market of $80 billion dollars – 75 percent of American adults drink it. The market has grown since the 1990s, when frapuccinos became the drink of New Economy workers. 

But coffee farmers didn’t benefit from this bonanza, according to a 1999 Transfair survey in Central America. They received an average of about 38 cents per pound, while the market price is around one dollar. “This is not enough to buy medical insurance, or put kids to school,” said Luttinger. 

The fair trade movement has built a network of small farmer cooperatives. It provides them with transportation and a guaranteed price of $1.26 per pound, with a premium for organic coffee. After transportation costs are deducted, approximately $1 per pound goes to the cooperative. 

According to the United Kingdon-based Fair Trade Foundation, this price is expected to cover the cost of production, a basic living wage, and to allow a margin above the market for social or environmental investment. 

Retailers must agree to pay $1.26 per pound of coffee from a certified cooperative to be able to display the Fair Trade logo. For cooperatives to be certified, they must be composed of small farms employing family labor. The cooperatives must also be democratically run, and invest a certain amount of money in education and health care. 

When the Cal women’s soccer team steps onto the field in their playoff game against Santa Clara Saturday, they know one thing for sure: they can count on Maite Zabala. 

“She’s a big-game player,” says Cal goalkeeper coach Henry Foulk. “She’s a stronger player when the chips are down.” 

Zabala is the team’s senior goalkeeper, a four-year starter and team leader who is undoubtedly one of the best in the country at her position. After consecutive all Pac-10 selections the past two seasons, she has stepped her game up even more this year, recording a career-best 0.57 goals-against average and 9.5 shutouts while starting every game the Bears have played. 

“She’s got a crazy combination of balance, power, strength and poise,” says Cal sweeper Tami Pivnik. “She just gives us so much confidence when she’s back there.” 

Pivnik, also a senior, works closely with Zabala during games, organizing the Cal defense and distributing the ball into the offense. The Bears use only three defenders, an unusually aggressive formation that allows the team to push players forward in bunches. 

“In order to be a good attacking team, you have to put numbers into the attack,” Pivnik says. “If you don’t get six or seven people up there, you won’t score. So we’ve committed ourselves to that all year, and having Maite allows us to do that and not worry about giving up shots.” 

Cal head coach Kevin Boyd agreed that much of Cal’s success can be attributed to Zabala’s presence. 

“She gives us confidence, plain and simple,” Boyd says. “We know she’s going to make the everyday saves, and we know she’s going to make some unbelievable saves. We know that we can let people shoot from 25 yards out and it doesn’t scare us.” 

But Zabala contributes just as much off the field as she does on it. She is known as one of the hardest workers in practice and in the weight room, and her accomplishments, work ethic and elder status on the team make her a natural leader for the younger players. 

Raised in Boise, Idaho, Zabala came to the Bears in 1997 as a much-recruited player, having been pursued by numerous west coast schools, including Washington, Arizona and Santa Clara. 

“It really came down to Arizona and Cal,” Zabala says. “They’ve had some trouble with their program since then, and I’ve had a great time here, so I obviously made the right choice.” 

Zabala made an immediate impact on the program, starting eight games and recording two shutouts as a freshman. But for a player who is used to succeeding at everything she does, it was a bit of a letdown. 

“I struggled a little at the beginning, but the competition was good for me,” she says. 

Zabala says the competition for the starting spot in goal is fierce every year. 

“It’s been really cool because we’ve had really good keepers while I’ve been here, and that helps a lot because it makes practice that much harder. It makes me play better.” 

Zabala has been the unquestioned starter for the last three seasons, starting all but two games and leading the Bears to the postseason each year. The Bears lost first-round games in both 1998 and ’99, but they earned a first-round bye this season with their 17-2-1 record, including wins over eight teams that made the tournament. The Bears played their opponent Saturday, the Santa Clara Broncos, to a 1-1 tie in the Bay Area Final Four Tournament in September. 

“We’ve made such huge strides this year,” she says. “That’s why we came here, to make the program better.” 

Zabala has enjoyed her four years at Cal, and plans to graduate next fall with a degree in political science. She says she almost didn’t come to Cal because she had a skewed sense of California life. 

“I had been down to southern California for tournaments, so I had a taste of that, which I was a little sketchy about,” she says. “But the Bay Area is awesome. It’s very different from Idaho.” 

Boyd has not only coached Zabala during her college career, he also coached her during her high school years on a club team, Les Bois United. So he has seen her play since 1992 and is probably most familiar with her maturation as a player. 

“The reason for her greatness is her stability and her character,” Boyd says. “She’s the toughest on herself, and she’s always the first to build up a teammate. Those things make her a great player and a quality person in general.” 

Cal’s goalkeeper coach, Henry Foulk, has only worked with Zabala for one season, but he sees many of the same qualities in her. 

“She’s so well-respected by all her players, and they all look up to her,” Foulk says. “She’s a leader on and off the field for this team.” 

In the past, Zabala probably wouldn’t have the option of pursing a career in soccer after she graduates. But that has changed with the formation of the Women’s United Soccer Association, the first attempt at a professional women’s league in the U.S. 

Born from the considerable enthusiasm over the U.S. National Team’s dramatic victory at the 1999 Women’s World Cup, the WUSA will begin play next April. Zabala says she’s waiting until next year to look into playing professionally. 

“I don’t even want to worry about it until I’m done with school, but I want to play for as long as I can,” Zabala said. “That would be pretty cool.” 

Foulk says she has everything it takes to move up to the next level of competition. 

“She has the ability to become better and improve her game,” he says. “I haven’t seen her reach her limits yet.” 

Boyd has held out hope in the past that Zabala might get a national team tryout, and says she has the ability to make the team. But the player herself seems somewhat awed by the possibility. 

“I’d have to have time to get ready for it,” she says. “It’d be great if it happens, but I’ll be okay if it doesn’t. It’d really be icing on the cake.”

Four Landmarks Preservation Commission officials who defied the city attorney’s advice and refused to disqualify themselves from participating in matters related to the controversial Beth El Synagogue proposed development are taking their cause to the City Council. 

Last Monday’s Landmarks Preservation Commission meeting came to a sudden halt when the seven commissioners present voted 5-2 to adjourn before hearing any agenda issues. Many of the standing-room-only crowd were shocked at the decision.  

“The whole thing was very, very bizarre,” said Patricia Dacy, who said she had come for an item unrelated to the Beth El project.  

The sudden decision was made when City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque advised Chair Burton Edwards not to recognize the four commissioners whom she says are in violation of conflict of interest laws. Two LPC commissioners were not present at the meeting. 

“This is the first time I’ve met with public officials who refused to disqualify themselves when they’ve been advised about a conflict of interest,” Albuquerque said Thursday.  

The four commissioners, Becky O’Malley, Lesley Emmington-Jones, Doug Morse and Carrie Olson, believe Albuquerque’s opinion is flawed and have asked for the issue to appear on the Nov. 21 City Council meeting agenda. They’re hoping the City Council will discard Albuquerque’s advice and allow them to continue serving on the commission. If not, they are prepared to take the issue to court. 

“It will be much more efficient for the City Council to discount the City Attorney’s opinion,” said land-use attorney Antonio Rossmann, who is advising the four commissioners pro bono. “If the Council decides to agree with the city attorney, (the four) will go to court.” 

Albuquerque released the opinion, written by Deputy City Attorney Laura McKinney, Oct. 31. The opinion said the four commissioners, who are either directors or paid staff of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, could not be impartial because of a letter written by Sarah Wikander in her capacity as president of BAHA . The letter criticized the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Beth El’s proposed development at 1301 Oxford St. contending the developer did not thoroughly take historical aspects of the development site into consideration. 

Before the sudden adjournment, the LPC was prepared to issue an opinion about the project’s Final Environmental Impact Report. The Zoning Adjustments Board would have considered the LPC’s opinion before voting to accept the document. 

The project, which will include a synagogue and school on a two-acre site, has been controversial because of possible damage to Codornices Creek, neighbors’ concerns about parking and traffic and the possible altering of property the city has designated historically significant. 

Rossmann said Albuquerque exceeded her authority when she told the chairman not to recognize the four members during the meeting. 

“The City Attorney was out of bounds when she told the chairman ‘you have to do this,’” Rossmann said. “What the city attorney does is give advice, not issue legal mandates.” 

Albuquerque said she did not tell the chairperson what to do but rather gave him advice when he asked how to proceed. She added that her only concern was that the due process procedures remain fair and that the city not become vulnerable to lawsuits. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington put the item on the City Council’s agenda. He said the Council may seek the opinion of outside attorneys to determine the validity of Albuquerque’s opinion. But he is concerned what it would mean to the city’s boards, commissions and staff if her opinion is valid. 

“I understand there are people in (the city attorney’s) office who are on the boards of advocacy groups who are in favor of development,” Worthington said. “What would it mean for the work they do for the city?” 

This race is too close to call. Sound familiar? 

The Berkeley High Yellowjackets (5-5, 5-1 ACCAL) rolled to a 34-13 win over the Alameda Hornets (5-4, 2-4), to clinch a share of the ACCAL championship. But there’s a catch: entering into this week’s games, Berkeley found itself in a tie for first place with Pinole Valley and El Cerrito.  

If Pinole Valley and El Cerrito also win their regular season finales, a three-way tie for first in the ACCAL occurs with just one North Coast Section Playoff berth up for grabs. The remaining four coaches in the league would then vote for who they think deserves that berth. If there is still a tie in the vote by the coaches, ACCAL commissioner John Nules would make the deciding playoff pick. And you thought Al Gore and George W. Bush had it tough. 

Of course, none of this would have mattered if Berkeley didn’t win Thursday. Alameda’s first offensive play from scrimmage reminded the ‘Jackets of that when Hornet tight end Chris Cheng found himself wide open for a 46-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Steve Pagones. But Berkeley outscored the Hornets 34-6 points for the remainder of the game and sailed to a conference championship. 

"We’re even a better team than what we showed in the last couple of weeks," stated ’Jackets running back Ramone Reed, and it’s hard to imagine a hotter team than Berkeley, which closed out the regular season with five victories in their last six games. Reed lived up his capabilities by rushing for 242 yards and scoring two touchdowns. But an 88-yard dash by Reed with four minutes remaining in the first half was called back because of a holding penalty.  

In fact, penalties marred an otherwise solid performance by the ‘Jackets. Whistled 11 times for 100 yards, Berkeley had two touchdowns erased due to the dreaded yellow hanky, as a 20-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Franklin to Charles West on a wide receiver option was also nullified because of holding. 

One thing Berkeley did ensure was that Alameda wouldn’t put too many points on the scoreboard. After giving up the early touchdown to Cheng, Berkeley’s defense didn’t allow another touchdown by the Hornet offense. The Yellowjackets swarmed the Hornets and produced two interceptions by Anthony Franklin, a fumble recovery by Dwaine McFadden, and two turnovers on downs. The only other score by Alameda would be a 75-yard kickoff return by Ryan Smith with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter. On this night, the Yellowjackets — not the Hornets — created all the buzz. 

While Reed dominated the rushing attack, other players stepped up for Berkeley when they needed a big play. Wide receiver Chavallier Patterson opened up the second half scoring blitz with a 29-yard touchdown reception down the left sideline on a beautiful pass from quarterback Muhammed Nitoto, who ran for a score on a sneak in the second quarter. Running back Germey Baird closed out the ‘Jacket scoring with a five-yard TD rush with nine minutes left in the game. 

The Yellowjackets sit atop the ACCAL. It is a remarkable turnaround considering Berkeley started the season with four consecutive losses. Will they make the playoffs? The votes have yet to be tallied. It’s almost like trying to elect a president… only this one wears shoulder pads to work and could care less about the Sunshine State.

On a dark night in 1993, a San Francisco Chronicle photographer headed to her car in the dimly lit streets surrounding the North Berkeley BART station, when she was brutally beaten with a piece of wood. 

City Councilmember Linda Maio, in whose district the North Berkeley BART station lies, says the event, along with other muggings around the same time, moved her to ask the council to approve an escort program for the station.  

Ove Wittstock, Executive Director of the Berkeley Boosters Association, a non-profit community service organization which works with youth, got the call to put an escort program into action. He said with the help of BART funding, which provided uniforms and police radios, and funding from the city, the BART Safety Escorts program got started Nov. 1, 1993. The program was so successful that an identical program was started at the Ashby BART station the next year.  

The program currently employs 12 escorts, seven of whom are high school students. Escorts provide their services during the winter, weekday rush hours, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wittstock said. On average, they provide 50-60 escorts a night at each station. Escorts, who work in pairs, are uniformed and carry police radios in case of emergency. 

Wittstock recalled that on several occasions the police radios have come in handy to catch criminals. The use of the radios by escorts were instrumental in the capture of a man who sexually assaulted a BART passenger and in the capture of another assailant who attacked a food vendor at the North Berkeley station. “While we are there, there is no purse snatching,” said Wittstock.  

Maio said she thinks that the BART station is an opportune place for criminal activity because people are vulnerable and the escorts’ presence there is a deterrent to would-be muggers. “When you come out of the BART station and you have to walk to your car alone in the dark, it gives you a sense of fear.”  

Maio said she has received nothing but positive feedback about the escorts and that people are delighted to have an alternative to walking alone. She said the response has been so great that the council put the program into the budget permanently.  

Wittstock said he receives between 50 and 100 thank you letters from people who use the escort service every year. “It would be great to have it all year round.” The program runs through the start of daylight savings time in March.

Measure T, the street light tax, was the only tax measure which didn’t pass Nov. 7. Although it got 63.3 percent of the vote, the measure needed at least 66.66 percent of the votes. 

But Berkeley won’t go dark. 

“We’re not going to let the lights burn out,” Public Works Director Rene Cardinaux said. 

Instead the city will have to take funds from other projects, such as roads or sewers to keep up the lighting, Cardinaux said. Or take it from the General Fund, added Deputy CIty Manager Phil Kamlarz. 

There’s an annual shortfall of $300,000 which needs to be made up, Kamlarz said, adding, “We’ll talk to the council about it in the budget workshop on Monday.”  

The only other measure that could be in trouble is Measure Q, the fire equipment measure, which got 68 percent of the votes. There are still outstanding provisional and absentee ballots to be counted. 

The council is meeting Monday from 5-7 p.m. on the budget. Call 644-6480 for location.

Feeling weary? A biologist says playing bridge may be good for the immune system. 

Marian Cleeves Diamond, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, presented research recently showing that an area of the brain involved in playing bridge stimulates the immune system. 

In particular, her research found, playing bridge stimulates the thymus gland — which produces white blood cells that patrol the body in search of viruses and other invaders. 

It is the first time a specific area of the brain’s cortex has been linked with the immune system. 

Diamond, who presented her research this week during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans, focused on a group of 12 bridge players from Orinda. 

She chose bridge because the game stimulates an area of the brain called the dorsolateral cortex — located behind the forehead — that is involved with issues such as planning ahead and initiative. 

“Bridge players plan ahead, they use working memory, they deal with sequencing, initiation and numerous other higher-order functions with which the dorsolateral cortex is involved,” Diamond said. 

“People are aware that voluntary activities like positive thinking and prayer work to keep us healthy, but no one has had a mechanism. These data, though preliminary, show that brain activity affects the immune system.” 

Diamond’s experiments, which showed players’ immune cells increased after a game of bridge, were the culmination of more than 15 years of work on rat and mouse brains in search of a link between the immune system and the cortical area. 

SAN FRANCISCO — The three billionaires whose money helped persuade voters in California and four other states to soften drug laws now plan to take their case nationwide. 

“Politics is perception, and the perception up to this point is that voters want tougher and tougher drug policies,” said Bill Zimmerman, executive director of the Campaign for New Drug Policies. 

“The votes we saw (Tuesday) night represent a sea change in that perception.” 

California decided to send thousands of first- and second-time drug users to community treatment programs instead of prison or jail.  

Colorado and Nevada approved using marijuana for medical purposes, and Oregon and Utah restricted government seizures of drug offenders’ property. 

“It shows that the war on drugs is slowly being strangled and eventually the federal politicians are going to have to face up to their 20-year failure,”  

University of Phoenix founder John Sperling said Wednesday. “How do you get a mule’s attention? You have to slam them over the head with a two-by-four.” 

Sperling, along with New York philanthropist George Soros and Ohio insurance executive Peter Lewis, have spent millions the last four years backing ballot initiatives they say collectively amount to a referendum on the drug war.  

Their successes include previous medical marijuana laws in Alaska,  

Arizona, California, Maine, Oregon  

and Washington. 

Two states – Massachusetts and Alaska – rejected more sweeping drug initiatives. But opponents fear that the billionaires’ deep pockets will allow them to engineer more successes in elections to come. 

“I think the initiative process is becoming dangerous,” said Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, which advocates a zero-tolerance approach to drugs.  

“The very wealthy who have the money to do it are buying public policy all over the country.” 

The drug war itself was not on the ballot in any state, stressed Fay, who accused the billionaires of campaigning through misinformation. 

“I don’t think that the voters perceive that they’re voting to end the drug war. I don’t think the voters perceive that they are voting for drug legalization. They don’t see the big picture,” she said. 

But proponents say Tuesday’s votes were all about the drug war – which voters are beginning to perceive as a failure. 

“It’s really about changing the tenor of the debate,” said Ethan Nadelmann, Soros’ drug policy adviser and executive director of the Lindesmith Center in New York and San Francisco.  

“We’re slowly moving from the fringes into the mainstream.” 

Now it’s time to connect the dots between the states that have approved drug law changes, and proponents may focus next on Middle America. 

“Michigan and Ohio are probably the places where you have the largest number of people affected, and you would send the loudest message — and they have the initiative process,” said Dave Fratello, campaign manager for the California initiative. 

Nadelmann suggested Florida may be ripe for a measure similar to that approved by California voters Tuesday. 

California’s Proposition 36 will require treatment instead of prison or jail for an estimated 36,000 California drug users who are convicted each year of drug possession or use for the first or second time. 

California’s law enforcement establishment was overwhelmingly opposed to the change, and drug treatment providers generally supported it. 

Both sides agree on one point: treatment centers will be overwhelmed, at least initially. 

But Zimmerman and Nadelmann already hope to use California’s experience to prove to the rest of the nation that treatment works. 

California voters’ decision is particularly significant not only because it is the most populous state, but because it led the way in jailing drug users two decades ago, and now jails more drug offenders per capita than any other state. 

The three philanthropists spent $1.2 million each on the California initiative alone. 

Nadelmann said the three contributed a combined $6 million to $7 million toward changing the nation’s drug policies during the 1997-98 election cycle, roughly the same amount during the last two years, and he expects them to give a like amount over the next two years.

Burning all those leaves you raked up used to be a rite of fall. But it’s against the law in many places now, and it’s also wasteful. 

Dry leaves are a key ingredient in compost – decomposed yard and kitchen waste that does wonders in the garden. Dawn Pettinelli, manager of the soil nutrient analysis lab at the University of Connecticut, says leaves combined with grass clippings, a little soil and water are the heart of a natural decomposition process that forms compost in as little as three months.  

Used as an additive, compost makes soil easier to work and provides nutrients to plants. Compost will even improve the disease resistance of plants. You can simply throw garden and kitchen waste in a pile and leave it alone.  

Eventually it will decompose. But building a hot compost pile speeds  

the process. 

“It can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be,” says Pettinelli about making a hot compost pile. “It’s almost as much art as it is science.” 

Building a containment area for the pile is not necessary, although it will make the pile look neater and keep animals out. More important is the right proportion of materials high in carbon and those rich in nitrogen.  

Materials such as sawdust, hay and dry leaves have a lot of carbon, which supplies food for the compost.  

Grass, manure (but not dog or cat droppings) and kitchen waste all have a high nitrogen content, which gives the compost energy. Don’t use meat scraps, though. They attract animals. 

The standard recipe for a hot compost pile, according to Pettinelli, goes like this: Start with a 6- to 8-inch layer of brown stuff – leaves, wood shavings or salt marsh hay. 

Then add 2 inches of a material high in nitrogen, then a shovelful or two of good garden soil or commercial compost booster and a handful of both green sand and rock phosphate, available at garden-supply centers. 

If you’re short of grass clippings or other greens for the nitrogen, use 1 cup of fertilizer or blood meal for every 6 or 8 inches of brown material. Repeat the layers until you have a cube roughly 4 feet on a side.  

If the material is very dry, add water; make it moist but not saturated. When the pile is assembled, mix it thoroughly. If the ingredients are correct, the pile should get to 140 degrees Farneheit in about 24 hours. 

The pile should be turned at least once a month while the material decomposes, a process that takes three to 12 months. The pile does not need to be covered, although that is a good idea if the weather is unusually cold, rainy or dry.  

Commercial barrel composters, which claim to drastically shorten the time needed for decomposition, do work, Pettinelli says.  

But there’s a catch: You have to turn the barrel three to five times every day. 

IT’S ALSO A GOOD TIME TO: 

l Replace standard thermostats with programmable models. They are easy to install, and pay for themselves quickly. 

l Make sure the ground slopes away from foundation walls. Proper grading will prevent puddles from forming around the foundation, keeping the basement or crawl space dry. 

l If you haven’t done so, schedule an inspection and tuneup for your furnace or boiler with a service technician.

The Associated Press 

Burning all those leaves you raked up used to be a rite of fall. But it’s against the law in many places now, and it’s also wasteful. 

Dry leaves are a key ingredient in compost – decomposed yard and kitchen waste that does wonders in the garden. Dawn Pettinelli, manager of the soil nutrient analysis lab at the University of Connecticut, says leaves combined with grass clippings, a little soil and water are the heart of a natural decomposition process that forms compost in as little as three months.  

Used as an additive, compost makes soil easier to work and provides nutrients to plants. Compost will even improve the disease resistance of plants. You can simply throw garden and kitchen waste in a pile and leave it alone.  

Eventually it will decompose. But building a hot compost pile speeds  

the process. 

“It can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be,” says Pettinelli about making a hot compost pile. “It’s almost as much art as it is science.” 

Building a containment area for the pile is not necessary, although it will make the pile look neater and keep animals out. More important is the right proportion of materials high in carbon and those rich in nitrogen.  

Materials such as sawdust, hay and dry leaves have a lot of carbon, which supplies food for the compost.  

Grass, manure (but not dog or cat droppings) and kitchen waste all have a high nitrogen content, which gives the compost energy. Don’t use meat scraps, though. They attract animals. 

The standard recipe for a hot compost pile, according to Pettinelli, goes like this: Start with a 6- to 8-inch layer of brown stuff – leaves, wood shavings or salt marsh hay. 

Then add 2 inches of a material high in nitrogen, then a shovelful or two of good garden soil or commercial compost booster and a handful of both green sand and rock phosphate, available at garden-supply centers. 

If you’re short of grass clippings or other greens for the nitrogen, use 1 cup of fertilizer or blood meal for every 6 or 8 inches of brown material. Repeat the layers until you have a cube roughly 4 feet on a side.  

If the material is very dry, add water; make it moist but not saturated. When the pile is assembled, mix it thoroughly. If the ingredients are correct, the pile should get to 140 degrees Farneheit in about 24 hours. 

The pile should be turned at least once a month while the material decomposes, a process that takes three to 12 months. The pile does not need to be covered, although that is a good idea if the weather is unusually cold, rainy or dry.  

Commercial barrel composters, which claim to drastically shorten the time needed for decomposition, do work, Pettinelli says.  

But there’s a catch: You have to turn the barrel three to five times every day. 

IT’S ALSO A GOOD TIME TO: 

l Replace standard thermostats with programmable models. They are easy to install, and pay for themselves quickly. 

l Make sure the ground slopes away from foundation walls. Proper grading will prevent puddles from forming around the foundation, keeping the basement or crawl space dry. 

l If you haven’t done so, schedule an inspection and tuneup for your furnace or boiler with a service technician.

Q: Our 1973 automatic frostless refrigerator-freezer forms ice in the bottom. What do you suppose is wrong? 

A: First, check that the ice does, in fact, melt when your unit is in its automatic-defrost cycle. Open the door and see if water runs down the tube at the back. 

Then inspect to be sure that the water passages from the freezer section are clear. Remove any food or packaging material that may be obstructing the water passages. 

Remove the cover over the defroster mechanism and check for a blocked hose.  

You can run a flexible wire carefully into the tube to help remove any obstructions.  

While the cover is opened, check the defrost-unit action by advancing the defrost timer. Rotate the dial clockwise. 

The fact that your refrigerator runs frequently could indicate that fan, coils, and compressor need cleaning.  

You may also have a low Freon level. Check this and add Freon if the level is too low. 

Q: I recently purchased a home with Z-Brick on one of the kitchen walls. I’d like to remove the Z-Brick, and wallpaper the entire kitchen. Can you recommend a product that is fast, easy and safe for removing Z-Brick? 

A: For those of you who are not familiar with it, Z-Brick is a molded ceramic type material measuring about three-eighths of an inch thick. It’s applied with a mastic to an interior wall, giving it the appearance of a real brick wall. 

Removing the Z-Brick without damaging the surface behind it is virtually impossible.  

Knocking the Z-Brick off the wall with a hammer is somewhat hazardous because pieces of Z-Brick will fly all over. 

The fastest, most economical way to remove the Z-Brick is the most radical.  

That is, take the wallboard with the Z-Brick on it off the wall, ripping it back to the studs, then re-cover the wall with new gypsum board.  

This sounds harder and more radical than it is. 

Be careful not to damage any wires that might be in the wall cavity. Also, be sure to wear eye protection and a respirator or dust mask during the job. 

Although removing the Z-Brick is somewhat messy, the job should go relatively fast. Since there is only one wall with Z-Brick, cover the wall and remove the mess all within a half day’s work. 

Any other removal method will not give the wall the smooth surface necessary for wallpapering. 

Q: What is the reason for the warning about using specific maximum wattage (such as 60-watt) bulbs in lamps and fixtures? 

A: The reason for such warnings is to minimize the chance of heat buildup and fire that can result if you use a higher wattage bulb in that fixture.  

Recessed and flush-mounted ceiling light fixtures are especially at risk from this problem because there is no circulation around the fixture to cool the bulb.  

Some installations use a cover that traps heat from the bulb.  

Additionally, the bulb itself lies flat against the metal base, which in many cases is attached directly to acoustic tile. 

Q: I am building a new home and was told that my septic system needs to use a seepage pit rather than a leaching field. Can you explain what a seepage pit is and why it’s necessary? 

A: A seepage pit is used instead of a leaching field in residential sewage disposal when the lot the house is located on is too steeply sloped to allow building a field. The pit allows effluent to percolate into the ground the way a leaching field does, but it takes up less surface area. Sewage leaving a house settles in a septic tank before it flows into the pit. 

The pit’s bottom should be filled with 6 to 12 inches of coarse gravel, and the space between the pit liner and the surrounding soil with 3 to 6 inches of coarse gravel. The specific amount of gravel depends on local codes. 

Q: My TV and VCR are plugged into an outlet that my kids can reach. Although it has a childproof cover, would I gain additional protection from a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet?  

Are there disadvantages, other than cost, of having a GFCI breaker in the panel box versus one in an outlet? 

A: A GFCI outlet receptacle certainly provides additional protection against a shock hazard. To do this, the circuit in a GFCI monitors the current in the “hot” and “neutral” lines.  

Under normal conditions, these two currents are always equal. If the circuit detects a difference between them as little as 5 milliamps, it interrupts the power in as little as 1-40th of a second. However, childproof covers on an outlet are effective, and it shouldn’t be necessary to install a GFCI outlet. 

A GFCI receptacle has one advantage over a GFCI installed in a circuit breaker.  

The GFCI circuit breaker monitors the branch circuit.  

With it, there is a greater chance of nuisance tripping caused by a buildup of leaking currents due to deteriorated or damaged sections of insulation, multiple splices and moisture accumulation. When a GFCI breaker trips, the entire branch circuit goes out. Whereas when a GFCI receptacle trips, it de-energizes just itself, or the rest of the branch that follows it, depending on how the electrician has it installed. 

Q: How do you drill in bathroom wall tiles? I would like to put rails in the shower area. 

A: One method is to place a finish nail on the title, and tap it with a hammer to score the glazing. Bore on the scored mark with a masonry bit. 

The second method is to simply buy a carbide- or diamond-tipped drill to bore the hole. Using these bits eliminates the need to score the glazing.  

The diamond-tipped drill is more expensive but preferable to the carbide-tipped bit. 

Both bits are available at hardware stores and industrial suppliers.  

Use a variable-speed drill when using these bits so that you can drill at a slow speed. 

To submit a question, write to Popular Mechanics, Reader Service Bureau, 224 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. The most interesting questions will be answered in a future column. 

To submit a question, write to Popular Mechanics, Reader Service Bureau, 224 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. The most interesting questions will be answered in a future column. 

You can always tell where water has been because it contains a little bit of whatever it has touched.  

The minerals, chemicals and bacteria water picks up from both nature and man give it its taste and color.  

Some of the things that find their way into our drinking water are beneficial to our health. Others are dangerous and can lead to serious illnesses. 

Last year, Americans spent more than $700 million on in-home filters and devices designed to rid water of impurities.  

The larger the water supplier, the more likely that it is in compliance with EPA standards.  

Even so, there may be periods when the contaminant level rises until corrective action is taken. 

A clean bill of health at the treatment plant might not tell the whole story. Water can pick up contaminants as it travels from the utility, and can even become tainted while sitting in your pipes. 

And, if you’re one of the 40 million people who get water from private wells, it’s your job alone to monitor and control water quality. 

Your water can be checked for the presence of lead, bacteria or other contaminants by your local health department or an independent, state-certified testing lab as listed in the Yellow Pages.  

Expect to pay from $20 for a single test to more than $100 for a full range of tests. 

There are two places to treat water in your home: where the water enters your house and at the tap.  

Some of the commonly used systems include sediment filters which remove particles and partially dissolved solids.  

They’re often used in conjunction with a larger system to remove particles before they reach other filters. 

Distillation units use a heating coil to turn water into vapor, leaving the impurities behind. A condensing coil returns the vapor to its liquid state. Disinfecting units use an ultraviolet light or chlorination or ozonation to kill bacteria. 

Carbon filters are designed to screen out certain contaminants that may give the water an unpleasant odor or taste.  

But it takes solid-block filters to remove heavy metals such as lead or mercury.  

Filters designed to reduce the level of fluoride may contain activated alumina. 

Reverse osmosis systems use a membrane to screen contaminants. A percentage of water is cleaned and collected in a storage tank. 

The remainder flushes away impurities. Water softeners don’t improve the quality of drinking water, but they reduce the hard water mineral film left on clothes and dishes, as well as scale deposits inside pipes.  

Water softeners work by exchanging the ions in minerals with sodium. 

You might need more than one technique to take care of your own drinking water problem.  

It’s common for all the treatment techniques to be accompanied by carbon filters. But whether you’re hiring a professional installer or doing the job yourself with a system bought from a hardware store or home center, be sure to check what each system is designed to do before buying.

WASHINGTON — In an election for the ages, the presidency remains in doubt, the House remains Republican by the slenderest of threads and the GOP Senate majority teeters, depending in part on the longevity of 97-year-old Strom Thurmond. 

And not even Thurmond, who first won local office in 1928, has ever seen another election like this one. 

And as close as it is – George W. Bush and Al Gore each went to bed early Wednesday morning with victory a possibility in the race for the White House – divided government emerged the winner by far. It’s a safe bet little thought has been given to building a governing majority in a country that split its ballots almost exactly down the middle. 

“Our campaign continues,” Gore’s campaign manager William Daley told hopeful Democrats waiting out a long, rainy night in Nashville. 

“Unbelievable,” said Bush adviser Karen Hughes after Gore called the Texas governor to retract a concession offered in an earlier conversation. 

Clearly, tax cuts, health care, Medicare and a debate over the defense missile shield will have to wait for another day. Confirming new Supreme Court justices, if any retire, should be interesting. 

Should Bush win Florida and the White House with it, his call for an era of civility in Washington will be almost wholly dependent on the Democratic leaders in Congress.  

Should Gore take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2001, he’d be confronted with at least one chamber of Congress controlled by the political opposition. 

Organizing the House for business figures to be, if anything, more complicated than it has been the past two years. 

Republicans must elect new chairmen to replace those who were term-limited in the heady days of the Contract with America six years ago. Democratic leader Dick Gephardt has yet to publicly discuss the results of the House elections, or offer any hint of his own plans. 

“Dick Gephardt’s goal was to run against a do-nothing Congress,” Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said in an election-night interview.  

“Now is the time to put politics aside.” 

The House trend showed Republicans in control, but with a handful of races still out, likely to suffer losses in their already meager majority. 

In the Senate, Democrats whittled the Republican advantage by half or more. With a Washington state race still too close to call, the GOP held a majority of 50-49.  

But that could yet change if Gore wins the White House and Sen. Joseph Lieberman resigns his Senate seat to become vice president. 

If so, his seat would go to a Republican by virtue of Connecticut GOP Gov. John Rowland’s authority to appoint a replacement. 

Other possible departures are talked about openly by aides in both parties. 

Thurmond, for example, who walks unsteadily on the arm of an aide, is two years from the end of his term. 

All of this makes some of the other remarkable developments of the evening seem mundane by comparison. 

New Yorkers elected first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Senate, a first for the spouse of a president.  

Now her husband will have the opportunity to attend her oath-taking in the very chamber where he was tried on impeachment charges two years ago. 

Missouri voters cast their ballots for a dead man, the late Gov. Mel Carnahan, with full knowledge that his widow will be appointed to that seat. 

Carnahan’s victory at the ballot box is unlikely to be the last word on that race, though. Republicans have talked openly of a lawsuit, noting that the Constitution requires a senator to be “an inhabitant” of their state when elected. 

Beyond that, the GOP leadership would be confronted with a decision of whether to challenge Mrs. Carnahan’s credentials. 

The presidential race alone was closer than any in history. 

By a lot. 

In 1968, Richard M. Nixon barely beat Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey by 0.7 percent of the vote.  

In 1960, John F. Kennedy defeated Nixon by 0.2 percent of the vote. But in both those cases, the Electoral College outcome was clear. 

This time, with votes tallied from 96 percent of the precincts, Gore had 47,242,846 and Bush had 47,101,968 votes.  

Green Party candidate Ralph Nader was at 3 percent and Pat Buchanan barely registered. 

The Electoral College showed Bush with 246 votes and Gore 255. It takes 270 to win. Florida, Oregon and New Mexico were unsettled, but the Sunshine State was the key. And there, nearly 12 hours after the polls closed, Bush held a lead of fewer than 2,000 votes. 

Recount to follow. 

SAN FRANCISCO — California, which jails more drug users per capita than any other state, now quickly must implement the most ambitious drug treatment program in U.S. history. 

Passage of Proposition 36, a sweeping initiative requiring treatment instead of jail or prison for a projected 36,000 drug users each year, thrusts California into mostly uncharted territory. 

But as counties rush to make the change by July 1, they can learn from San Francisco, which has bucked the state for years by diverting nonviolent drug offenders into treatment, and Arizona, where voters approved a similar initiative four years ago. 

Arizona hands out movie and sporting event tickets and hosts picnics for drug offenders who complete treatment programs – anything to reward them for staying clean with the threat of jail no longer hanging over their heads. 

“It’s changed the whole way in which we kind of play the game,” said Barbara Broderick, Arizona’s state director of adult probation. “Now that you have this law, you really have to embrace it and figure out how to make an incentive-based program work without the hammer.” 

The bad news is that will cost money — lots of it, and likely much more than the $120 million a year allocated by Proposition 36. The good news is in projections that much of the cost will eventually be offset because treatment is cheaper than building and operating prisons. 

Bill Zimmerman, executive director of California Campaign for New Drug Policies and the man who directed the initiative drive, on Thursday called on the Legislature to come up with more cash for drug testing and for county probation departments that suddenly will be in the business of monitoring thousands of offenders and their treatment. 

That shouldn’t be a tough sell, Zimmerman said, given that 61 percent of California voters favored the proposition. 

“I’m sure every elected official in the state is going to want to stand with the 61 (percent) and not the 39 (percent who opposed it), and get this implemented,” he said. 

Gov. Gray Davis and Attorney General Bill Lockyer already are promising to work with an initiative they once opposed. 

Both Arizona and San Francisco faced an immediate crunch in finding enough treatment providers — and their experience will be eclipsed by California. 

Arizona had to find just 4,000 new treatment slots to handle about 6,000 offenders each year. California will have six times as many offenders, and its existing community treatment programs already have long waiting lists. 

San Francisco still can’t find enough treatment slots five years after District Attorney Terence Hallinan made it his policy to funnel many drug offenders into treatment programs. His office handles 8,000 felony drug arrests each year, 60 percent of its caseload. 

Proposition 36 devotes $60 million for a crash effort to create, expand and license enough treatment providers to handle the flood that will start July 1. 

“Six months really isn’t enough time, so we’re really going to have to start as best we can,” warned Hallinan.  

Even given San Francisco’s five-year head start, he said, “right now what we have is a drop in the bucket.” 

Mimi Silbert, president and CEO of the Delancey Street Foundation, San Francisco’s largest treatment provider and the nation’s largest privately funded treatment program, worries California mistakenly will turn to quick-hit treatment programs in its rush. 

“There’s always pressure to come up with a quick fix. It’s a complex issue and it requires a complex solution,” Silbert said. “The danger is to jump in quickly, to make the assumption that because they’re not going to jail their problem is solved.” 

Both treatment programs and probation departments now will have to deal with the sort of incorrigible drug addicts who had been shuttled off to prison, said K. Jack Riley, director of the Rand Corp. criminal justice department that has studied both Proposition 36 and Arizona’s experience. 

“We’re finding that 25 percent of people sentenced to probation are thumbing their nose at the system,” said Maricopa County Special Assistant District Attorney Barnett Lotstein, whose jurisdiction includes Phoenix. “People are walking away from treatment.” 

Without the threat of jail, Arizona has tried punishing offenders with more frequent court appearances, treatment sessions, community service — “We’ll even have them read books and give book reports in open court,” said Broderick. “We’ve tried to be very creative with our sanctions.” 

San Francisco has tried the sort of experiments Proposition 36 proponents say will have to be copied by counties across California. 

Its “mentor diversion court” for 18- to 25-year-old small-time drug dealers combines intense supervision with a requirement that participants work toward a high school diploma and attend college classes. 

Yet, in three years barely 200 drug offenders have participated. And though the idea was that each offender would have his own mentor, there aren’t enough mentors to go around. 

The problem, again, is money. 

“I’ve always had money for putting people in jail, but I’ve never had money for providing treatment,” Hallinan said. “Money is the key.” 

He and Silbert are optimistic Proposition 36 will provide enough money to eventually meet demand. 

Hallinan, who bills himself as “America’s most progressive district attorney,” has been sharply criticized by newspapers, political opponents and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown for emphasizing treatment over incarceration. Hallinan was the only one of California’s 58 district attorneys to publicly back Proposition 36. 

Now that it’s law, however, he and other supporters fear there will be a backlash by opponents. 

San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, a supporter of treatment programs, warns that some drug offenders are going to commit headline-grabbing crimes while they are undergoing treatment. 

“You will have spectacular failures, and you can’t scuttle your approach because of those failures,” Hennessey said. “You have people who are philosophically opposed (to Proposition 36) and they are looking for the failures to fan the flames of law-and-order.” 

PORTLAND, Ore. — The TV monitors, tuned to network election coverage, didn’t even show the Green vote. It was always Democrats this, Republicans that. 

No wonder that Green activists who gathered at a local tavern on Election Night said numbers didn’t matter. No wonder that the day after, with Oregon’s outcome still undecided, they had few regrets – even as they were vilified as election spoilers by supporters of Vice President Al Gore. 

At the political fringe, it turns out, conventional concepts of winning and losing don’t necessarily apply. 

“Everything’s a victory, bro,”’ said Tre Arrow, a Green candidate who polled 5 percent in Portland’s 3rd District congressional race but is better known for sitting on the ledge of a Portland building for 11 days last summer to protest logging in national forests. 

“The bottom line is that there’s an underlying grass-roots movement that’s really fed up with the duopoly, with the oligarchy, with the Republicrats,” Arrow said. 

Ralph Nader’s spoiler potential was clear: With 85 percent of Oregon’s vote counted, Gore trailed Republican George W. Bush by about 26,000 votes, about half the number Nader received. 

In the pivotal state of Florida, Nader received 20,294 votes, or 2 percent of the total and 12 times the razor-thin margin separating Gore and Bush. In New Hampshire, meanwhile, Nader got 22,156 votes, or 4 percent, about three times Bush’s margin of victory over Gore. 

Exit polls suggest that at least half the Nader voters would have voted for Gore if it had been a two-way race, while about 30 percent said they wouldn’t have voted at all. 

Environmentalists, labor unions, women’s rights organizations and other liberal groups once aligned with Nader immediately blamed him for the presidential race’s uncertainty. 

“Reprehensible,” said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO. “An electoral tragedy,” said an Oregon group called Greens for Gore. 

“Ralph Nader has taken something very beautiful and turned it into something ugly,” said Greens for Gore spokesman Gary “Spruce” Houser, a former Nader supporter and Green activist who switched to supporting Gore in an effort to defeat Bush. 

“Nader was playing with fire,” Houser said Wednesday. “He was warned by innumerable leaders in the activist community, including many of his closest former associates and prominent members of his own Green Party, and yet he persisted.” 

Nader responded defiantly, saying Gore had caused his own problems, and Nader fans in the trenches echoed that tone. 

“Gore had all the advantages of an incumbent administration, but he never generated enthusiasm, and many voters cast votes for him out of the least-worst attitude, not out of conviction,” Nader said. 

Trey Smith, treasurer of the Pacific Green Party in Oregon, blamed Gore’s problems not on Greens but on voter apathy and Democrats’ inability to reach alienated Americans. 

“Why have they spent so much time going for this small 4 to 7 percent of the Nader vote, when 40 percent of the electorate is not voting?” Smith said. “If the Democrats tapped one million people, they wouldn’t have to worry about us. They spent so much time trying to appeal to Nader voters, they shot themselves in the foot.” 

For many of the 200 Greens gathered at Portland’s Mount Tabor Pub for an Election Night party, dissecting this election was less interesting than plotting future activism. 

Many of those present had protested last December at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle; some were activists of much longer standing. 

“This was not about an election,” said Storie Mooser, 63, a white-bearded veteran of political protests dating back to the 1950s. “It’s about a movement. It’s about expanding the public consciousness. The Nader campaign is this generation’s equivalent of the civil-rights movement. I know. I’ve been there. I can sense it. What we don’t win at the polls, we’ll win in the streets.” 

“Gore or Bush, it doesn’t matter,” said Deborah Howes, a Green Party organizer. “They are both beholden to corporate interests.” 

Nader supporters knew going into the election that he had no chance of winning, but they hoped he would garner 5 percent of the vote nationwide to qualify the party for federal campaign funds in 2004. 

Nader fell short with just 3 percent nationwide, but supporters shrugged off their disappointment. 

“This isn’t about matching funds,” Howes said. “We’ll be around regardless of matching funds. “This is about giving people an alternative to the two corporate-controlled parties.”

The Associated Press 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — George W. Bush’s lead over Al Gore in crucial Florida shrank to fewer than 300 votes by unofficial count Thursday with allegations of irregularities swirling and ballots from overseas residents still to be counted. 

Recount results from 66 of the state’s 67 counties gave Republican Bush a lead of 229 votes out of nearly 6 million cast, according to an unofficial tally by The Associated Press. The original “final” margin had been reported at 1,784. 

AP called each county election official to get the final recount total for each candidate in their county. 

The official recount lagged behind, and Secretary of State Katherine Harris told an early evening news conference that it could be as late as next Tuesday – a week after the election – before the state has certified ballot results from all 67 counties. She also pointed out that it would take even longer – at least until Nov. 17 – to tabulate ballots cast by thousands of Floridians overseas and postmarked by Election Day. 

Harris said Bush had 2,909,661 votes to 2,907,877 for Gore, a difference of 1,784. 

One election board member, Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford, defended the pace of the recount. 

“Nobody ever said that democracy was simple or efficient,” he said. “But this is democracy in action.” He said anyone wanting simplicity should look to the south, to Cuba, a reference to the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. 

The Gore campaign criticized the ballots in use in Palm Beach County as confusing, and asked for a hand count of votes cast there and in three other counties. Palm Beach County agreed to hand-count ballots in three precincts on Saturday. 

In the meantime a circuit judge issued a preliminary injunction barring the canvassing commission in the county from certifying the final recount results until a hearing is held Tuesday. 

That was in response to a legal challenge filed with the support of Democrats who say a poor ballot design in the county led some Gore supporters to inadvertently mark their ballots for Pat Buchanan. 

The court order said the ballot was designed and printed in such a way that voters were deprived of their right to freely express their will. 

“We expect legal challenges,” said Clay Roberts of the Department of Elections, refusing to comment further. 

Harris said that thus far 53 of Florida’s 67 counties have forwarded recount materials to the state. She said the board count was behind the AP tally because the board is only reporting “those that are unofficially certified.” 

It was unclear how many ballots from Floridians living overseas were still uncounted – in fact still unreceived.  

An informal survey of 28 of the 67 election supervisors found that they had mailed just over 7,000, that a little less than half had been returned and no information was available on how many had been counted. That tally did not include some of the state’s largest counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. 

Harris said she had been glued to her television Thursday watching the unofficial recounts, and “I hope they’re going to be a lot more accurate than the other night.” 

That was a reference to television networks that prematurely declared Gore the winner in Florida and then reversed course and said Bush had won the state – and with it the White House. 

In addition to the partial recount-by-hand in Palm Beach County, the board in Broward County arranged a meeting for Friday to discuss the Gore campaign’s request for a manual recount there. 

Gore campaign manager William Daley said courts may find the Florida result “an injustice unparalleled in our history.” Bush chairman Don Evans countered, “The Democrats who are politicizing and distorting these events risk doing so at the expense of our democracy.” 

More than a thousand Gore supporters demonstrated outside a government building in downtown West Palm Beach, demanding another election in the county.  

They said the confusing configuration of their ballot had cost the vice president votes. 

“Gore got more,” they chanted. 

The Gore campaign contended the ballots in Palm Beach County were illegal. Reform Party candidate Buchanan said “ineptitude” in ballot design may have caused many Democrats to vote for him inadvertently. 

James A. Baker III, the former secretary of state brought in by Bush to represent his interests in Florida, said, “That ballot was posted, as required by Florida law, in newspapers and public places all over the state of Florida.  

“And we haven’t heard one gripe about that ballot until after the voting took place.” 

Across the state, other allegations of voting improprieties ranged from missing ballots to problems with tabulations and intimidation of black voters.  

The Gore campaign requested that some 1.78 million ballots be hand-counted in Palm Beach, Volusia, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. 

Eight lawsuits challenging the results were filed in state or federal court, including six in Palm Beach County and two in Tallahassee, where race discrimination was alleged. 

The first case to reach a judge was dropped by the plaintiff in federal court in West Palm Beach. 

In one of the other cases, Palm Beach voter Kenneth Horowitz, owner of the Miami Fusion soccer team and a registered independent, filed a lawsuit along with two other people.  

The suit contended poll workers told voters they had only five minutes to cast their ballots and anyone who took longer would have his ballot tossed out. 

Officials in the heavily Democratic county rejected 19,120 ballots on election night because more than one presidential candidate was selected. Gore supporters blamed the ballot design. 

Confusion arose from the way the county’s punch-card style ballot was laid out.  

Candidates were listed in two columns, separated by holes for punching. 

The controversy prompted an emotional midday demonstration in West Palm Beach. Democrats noted that the 3,407 votes for Buchanan were by far the most of any Florida county, and almost 20 percent of his total vote in the state. 

“Our vote was stolen,” Gore supporter Don Liftman said. “Three thousand Buchanan supporters in a county full of Jewish condo residents? I don’t think so.” 

George W. Bush’s lead over Al Gore in all-or-nothing Florida slipped beneath 300 votes in a suspense-filled recount Thursday, as Democrats threw the presidential election to the courts claiming “an injustice unparalleled in our history.” The Bush campaign was considering recounts in two other close-voting states. 

Chaos reigned. It may take weeks to untangle the thickening legal and political webs and determine the nation’s 43rd president. 

“The presidential election is ... on hold,” said James A. Baker III, the secretary of state in the Bush administration brought in to protect the Texas governor’s interests. 

Gore wants a follow-up recount in four Florida counties and perhaps a new election in the Palm Beach area – ideas the Bush camp said amounted to “politicizing and distorting” the electoral system. 

Amid a campaign-style flurry of charges and countercharges, Gore campaign chairman William Daley said his party will support legal actions by voters and supporters who say a confusing ballot may have led them to vote accidentally for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan. 

“We’re raising some very serious questions and legal actions will be taken,” Daley said at a Florida session with Warren Christopher, the former secretary of state acting as Gore’s recount consigliere. 

The Bush campaign fired back by staking its own claim to a Florida victory and questioning Gore’s motives. Still, Republicans eyed recounts elsewhere in case Gore prevails in Florida, raising the specter of a lengthy, multistate battle. 

“One of the options that they seem to be looking at is new elections. Our democratic process calls for a vote on Election Day, it does not call for us to continue voting until someone likes the outcome,” Bush campaign chairman Don Evans said in Austin, Texas. 

Both sides dispatched dozens of lawyers and political operatives to Florida and geared up fund-raising drives to finance what is exploding into a post-campaign recount campaign. 

As the drama unfolded in Florida, Attorney General Janet Reno said in Washington she saw no reason for federal authorities to “jump in” the controversy. The former Miami prosecutor said she would review any complaints brought to her. “We are not here to generate controversy,” she said. 

There was already plenty of that. 

An unofficial tally by The Associated Press showed that Gore had cut Bush’s lead to 229 votes with 66 of 67 counties recounted. One by one, the counties reported throughout the day, as the candidates and their staff agonized over each return. 

The official total lagged behind, and Secretary of State Katherine Harris said it could be as late as Tuesday — a week after the election — before the state certifies ballot results from all 67 counties. Nearly 6 million votes were cast Tuesday in Florida. 

She said it may take until Nov. 17 to tabulate ballots cast by Floridians living overseas. “Nobody ever said that democracy was simple or efficient,” said election board member Bob Crawford. 

The winner of Florida stood to gain the state’s 25 electoral votes – and the keys to the Oval Office, unless Bush’s team makes good on a threat to contest Gore victories in Iowa and Wisconsin, among others. 

With votes still dribbling in from across the country, Gore’s lead in the popular vote was shrinking to about 200,000 votes out of 100 million. With a few precincts still unreported (as of 8 p.m. EST): 

— Gore had 49,113,600 votes. 

— Bush had 48,906,647 votes. 

It is the tightest election since 1960, when John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by 118,574 votes. Though it has no bearing on who is the next president, the total-vote lead gives Gore added psychological standing in his fight to overturn Florida’s results. 

Republicans and Democrats alike said the Florida-vote challenge poses incredible risk for both candidates, because an evenly divided electorate will soon tire of the political suspense and begin looking for somebody to blame. 

“This is serious stuff; it’s time to cool partisan passions or risk being damaged goods, even if you win the presidency,” said Democratic consultant Jim Duffy. 

In competing news conferences Thursday, the strategies gelled: Bush’s camp portrayed Gore as a poor loser who wants to overturn election-night returns that gave Bush the edge in Florida; Gore’s camp accused Republicans of selfishly ignoring ballot irregularities and attempting to scare Americans with talk of a constitutional crisis. 

Christopher and Baker met Thursday in what was described by Democrats as an uneventful session. 

Christopher dismissed Baker’s election-on-hold remark as “self-serving myth” and pointedly said: “Let me assure you that the presidency goes on until January 20 in a vigorous way, and none of our allies are in any doubt as to who’s in charge of the government until January 20.” 

But the election standoff rattled Wall Street, where stocks plunged after Daley’s news conference but later recovered. 

Eight lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts to challenge the Florida results, including six in Palm Beach County and two in Tallahassee. One of the federal cases was withdrawn by the voter who filed. Democratic Party-backed lawsuits won’t be filed until next week, party officials said. 

The Tallahassee cases alleged race discrimination, and Palm Beach County voters sought a new election because they said the ballot was too confusing. Thousands of ballots were not counted because they were punched twice. Democrats say Gore backers voted for Buchanan – then voted for Gore after realizing their mistake. 

Bush aides said Palm Beach county is home to 17,000 voters allied with the Reform Party, and thousands of Palm Beach County ballots were invalidated in 1996. 

In Florida, Daley said Democrats would seek a more thorough, second recount of ballots cast in Palm Beach, Dade, Broward and Volusia counties — some 1.78 million votes, many of them Democratic. 

He said the Bush campaign was willing to “blithely dismiss the disenfranchisement of thousands of Floridians as being the usual mistakes” that afflict elections. 

“I would assume that the courts will take a serious look at what may be an injustice unparalleled in our history,” Daley told CBS. 

Both candidates were working simultaneously to prepare their transitions to power and fight the ballot dispute. Democrats were trying to raise $3 million to finance Gore’s challenge, while Republicans geared up their own fund-raising drive. 

The Bush campaign conducted conference calls with allies across the country to rally the troops, but instead heard a slew of complaints. GOP governors, in particular, warned that Bush’s camp was losing the public relations battle to Gore and needed to send more political and media operatives to Florida, said sources involved in one of the calls. The Bush campaign said aides were being sent and promised to be more aggressive. 

Nearly 48 hours after the polls closed, Bush had won 29 states for 246 electoral votes. Gore had won 18 states plus the District of Columbia for 255. New Mexico and Oregon were too close to call. 

Hedging their bets, Bush officials were scrutinizing close-vote states other than Florida and pondering whether to press for recounts. High on the list were Iowa and Wisconsin, with a combined 18 electoral votes. A recount was under way in New Mexico’s most populous county, too. And Oregon law requires a recount in close races. 

Bush and Gore laid low, leaving their advisers to compete in news conferences from Florida and Austin, Texas. 

LOS ANGELES — The nation’s Hispanic voters showed they have become a political force to be reckoned with, turning out for this year’s election in record numbers after months of courting by Democrats and Republicans. 

The biggest beneficiary, at least in the short term, appeared to be the Democratic party. Hispanics voted about 2-1 in favor of its candidates, while helping Vice President Al Gore secure several key states in his run for president. 

But Hispanics also cast enough ballots Tuesday for Gore’s opponent, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, to convince political analysts that they can be tapped as a potent force for Republican candidates in the future. 

Still, the biggest longtime beneficiary of the surge in Hispanic voting may have been the electorate itself. 

“Talk about a night-and-day approach to Latinos, 1996 compared to 2000,” said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials. “What this election does, on a national level, is show Latinos are a permanent element of a winning strategy.” 

Hispanics, excluding residents of Puerto Rico, accounted for 31.7 million U.S. residents in March 1999 or 11.7 percent of the general population, according the Census Bureau’s most recent estimate. 

Running up to the election, both major parties ran ads in Spanish and conducted aggressive voter outreach drives that included using Spanish-speaking relatives of the candidates. 

On Wednesday, figures were not available on Hispanic voter turnout. But exit polls showed Hispanics accounting for about 7 percent of the vote, up from about 5 percent in 1996. 

Andy Hernandez, senior adviser of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago, attributed the upsurge to get-out-the vote efforts. He also credited the particular attention paid by campaigns to Hispanic communities. 

Both parties targeted Hispanics early on, pouring money into ad campaigns, showcasing Hispanic speakers at their conventions, appearing at meetings of Hispanic groups and peppering speeches with Spanish phrases. 

George W. Bush, for instance, sometimes referred to himself as “Doble v,” Spanish for “W.” 

His nephew, George P. Bush, whose mother is from Mexico, warmed up Spanish-speaking crowds. Karenna Gore Schiff drew on a year spent in Spain to drum up support for her father. 

The efforts bore fruit for Gore, analysts said, ensuring his victory in California and New York and helping push him over the top in harder-fought battleground states not typically associated with a Hispanic population, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

According to exit polls, Gore won among Hispanics nationwide, 62 percent to 35 percent, and in Bush’s home state of Texas, 54 percent to 43 percent. 

Gore won among Hispanics in every state except Florida, where Republicans traditionally secure the vote of Cuban-Americans, who account for 4.3 percent of U.S. Hispanics. The candidates nearly split the Hispanic vote in Florida, with Gore at 48 percent and Bush at 49 percent, according to exit polls. 

Some analysts said they were expecting a stronger overall showing by Bush because of his campaign’s strong push for the Hispanic vote, along with his relative popularity among Hispanics in Texas. 

Even so, Bush’s showing was far stronger than that of 1996 GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole, who won just 21 percent of the Hispanic vote. The Federal Election Commission reports that 4.9 million out of 18.4 million voting-age Hispanics cast ballots in that race. 

Bush’s limited successes were attributed to his distancing himself from Republican-backed anti-immigrant initiatives of the past. Most notable among them were efforts in California during the 1990s to deny social services to illegal immigrants and to end most forms of bilingual education in public schools. 

“For too long one party was addressing Latino issues, one party was courting the Latino vote,” said Robert Aguinaga, research coordinator at the William C. Velasquez Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “What we’re seeing now is a Republican strategy, spearheaded by the Bush camp, that hey, maybe we shouldn’t concede this community.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov 

Federal Election Commission: http://www.fec.gov 

National Association of Latino Elected Officials: http://www.naleo.org 

NEW YORK — On most days, a class discussion of the electoral college, absentee ballots and the intricacies of tallying presidential votes would be a good way to get junior high schoolers snoozing at their desks. 

But the morning after one of the tightest, most dramatic national elections in living memory was not like most days. 

Around the country, students pestered teachers for the latest Florida vote counts Wednesday and spent classtime in unusually lively discussions of the mechanics of democracy. 

“It’s almost like they couldn’t stay up late enough to watch the end of the World Series,” said James Hayes, principal of the Epiphany School, a Roman Catholic middle school in New York. “They wanted to know who won the game.” 

From Vice President Al Gore’s home state of Tennessee to Gov. George W. Bush’s Texas and 2000’s electoral epicenter in Florida, teachers took advantage of the learning opportunity presented by the high-stakes tossup. 

With many students — not to mention their parents — confused by a non-result that appeared to change by the hour through election night, the lessons were sorely needed. The possibility that Bush might win the presidency with an electoral vote majority even as Gore captured the popular vote complicated things even further. 

“I don’t know why it’s taking so long,” said 13-year-old Micky Thorbecke, a student in Hayes’ history class. “I don’t even really know what’s going on, I just know they have to go to Florida or something, for some reason.” 

Complicated as the muddle was, most were riveted. 

“Our kids came in today exhilarated, flabbergasted, the whole thing,” said Michele Ballard, an eighth-grade science teacher at Seymour Middle School in Sevier County in the Great Smoky Mountains north of Knoxville, Tenn. “I just think it’s awesome that you’ve got 11- and 12-year-olds going up to 13- and 14-year-olds that are so interested. They have a million questions. They want to know more information and they want to know now.” 

Aside from the obvious “Who won?” topic No. 1 was one that’s usually relegated to the driest of civics lessons — the electoral college. 

Teachers struggled to explain the idea of electoral votes, and students debated the merits of a system that might let a popular-vote loser take the White House. 

“It’s kinda weird,” said Thomas Brown, 13, a student in Hayes’ class. “I think it should be popular vote, because the people really should choose who the president is.” 

In a room filled with bookshelves and computers, 11 boys in gray slacks and striped ties peppered their teacher with questions about the state-by-state voting system. 

“I have no idea what it is,” Adam Sanchez said. “I’m gonna need to know it soon. In five years, I’m going to need to vote.” 

Some had a firmer handle. 

“I’ve had students tell me, ’I had to tell my parents how the electoral college works,”’ said Jane Ann Craig, a government teacher at Westlake High School in a suburb of Austin, Texas, not far from the governor’s mansion. 

There were other questions too. 

“How can you trust the counters?” wondered Guenole Benjamin, 13, referring to the crucial recount of Florida votes. 

“Isn’t that kind of sketchy that George Bush’s brother is the governor of Florida?” remarked Joel Collier, a student at Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tenn. 

And what effect did Ralph Nader’s Green Party candidacy have on the outcome? 

The presidential race wasn’t the only election to offer lessons in the eccentricities of democracy. 

New York students were well-informed about first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate victory, and some were puzzled by the Missouri Senate race, won by the late Gov. Mel Carnahan. 

“He was elected, even though he’s dead,” Hayes explained. 

“So what happens now?” asked a student. 

But the day’s most important lesson was far less arcane. 

“I’m going to definitely vote when I’m 18,” said Peter Torre, 13, at the Epiphany School. “I always thought that one vote can’t make a difference. But the margin is so close, now we know it can.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

Facts about the Electoral College: http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/elctcoll 

The Associated Press 

PHOENIX — They are among the rarest birds on earth, rescued from the brink of extinction in the late 1980s. Now, biologists are turning back the clock for the California condor. 

Fifteen of the giant birds with the nearly 10-foot wingspans are roaming the cliffs near the Grand Canyon with 13 more scheduled to join them by late next month. 

Ultimately, biologists hope to have a population of 150 condors in the Arizona wilds along with 150 more off California’s mountainous northern coast and 150 others in captivity. 

“Maybe in 10 to 20 years. That is the goal,” Jeff Cilek, vice president for the Idaho-based Peregrine Fund that is heading the condor reintroduction program, said Thursday. 

If reached, that goal would almost triple the current condor count of 164, which includes 40 in the wild plus 124 in breeding facilities in California and Idaho. 

The world’s population of the California condor – North America’s largest flying bird – was down to 27 when the federally funded, $1 million per year program began in 1987 with help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

The vulture-like scavenger was once abundant from Texas to British Columbia. But by 1849, in the California gold rush, miners discovered that condor quills — light, hollow and nearly half an inch in diameter — were ideal containers for gold dust. 

The birds also were shot because they preyed on hunters’ kills, and still more died when they ingested shotgun pellets and got lead poisoning or flew into high-tension electrical wires. 

By 1924, there were no wild condors left outside California. It was named an endangered species in 1967. 

Enter the Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit conservation group that helped bring the peregrine falcon back from near-extinction in the 1970s. The reintroduction program for the condors began in December 1996 with the first release of captive birds back into the wild from the towering Vermilion Cliffs, 60 miles northeast of the Grand Canyon. 

In November 1998, more condors were released from holding pens atop Hurricane Cliffs near the Arizona-Utah border. The condors were first reintroduced to the California wild, near Big Sur, in 1998. 

Of the 13 condors awaiting release in Arizona over the next six weeks, eight were hatched at the Peregrine Fund’s breeding facility in Boise, four were hatched in California zoos and another – labeled “Condor 186” – was originally released in 1998 as a 1-year-old and then recaptured in April 1999 after exhibiting no fear of humans. 

“It went through a human aversion program in Boise,” said Jeff Humphrey of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Phoenix. “It displayed the curiosity that makes scavengers successful. We had to shape its behavior so it didn’t associate humans with positive activity.” 

The four California-born birds are between 8 and 9 years old. Scientists believe the two male-female pairs are prime candidates to be the first condors to breed in the wild since the start of the reintroduction program. 

“The wild birds we started releasing in 1996 are starting to exhibit some nesting behavior, but they’re still too young – perhaps a year or two away,” Cilek said. “Maybe being around the older birds will help accelerate that.” 

A female condor in the wild usually lays one egg every other year, according to biologists. 

“We’re hoping this pair will act as good mentors for the other birds,” Humphrey said. “This has not been done yet in the California program.  

“It’s going to be a great year to watch in Arizona.” 

But of the 35 condors released so far into southwestern Utah and northern Arizona, 15 have died – many from lead poisoning. Four birds also have been recaptured after they had difficulty adapting and a fifth is presumed dead although its carcass has never been found. 

“We expected to have a tremendous mortality rate because these birds have never been in the wild,” Humphrey said. “We’re had a couple good years where we only lost one or two. 

“It’s the second-generation birds that we’re looking at now. Those are the precursors to success.” 

On the Net: 

http://www.peregrinefund.org

LOS ANGELES — The presidential election isn’t over and neither is television’s gleeful skewering of the cliffhanger race and its candidates. 

“So here’s the deal: we have George W. Bush, not the president of the United States; Al W. Gore, not president of the United States – whaddaya say we just leave it that way?” David Letterman wisecracked on CBS’ “Late Show” Wednesday. 

The uncertain presidential outcome, being decided by a recount of the Florida vote, proved as irresistible to television comics as the lengthy campaign had been. 

The issue, said Jay Leno on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” has international ramifications. 

“The rest of the world is getting nervous. Like today, the Chinese said, ‘We don’t know who to write our checks to,”’ Leno joked in his monologue Wednesday. 

If the recount fails to settle the issue, Jon Stewart said during a promotional spot for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” that Bush and Gore “will stand in opposite corners of the country, call to Florida in a soothing voice and see which one the state comes to.” 

Even ABC’s “The Drew Carey Show,” which aired live Wednesday, got in on the act. In the middle of one scene, Carey breaks for a “bulletin” from ABC News. 

“All the votes from Florida have been counted,” says Carey, reading from a slip of paper, “and it looks like Al Gore is the president-elect of the United States.” 

He is handed another slip of paper. 

“This is incredible! After counting all the overseas absentee ballots, George W. Bush is now the president-elect of the United States.” 

He is handed yet another slip. 

“Hold on!” he erupts. “It now appears, ladies and gentlemen, that I’ve just been screwing with you. I don’t know a damn thing!” 

The candidates themselves, predictably, were prime comedic targets. 

“The outcome of the election still has not been determined, and now apparently it all comes down to how the Floridians voted,” Conan O’Brien said on NBC’s “Late Night.” “After hearing this, George W. Bush said ’please, let’s not bring foreigners into this.”’ 

“Both candidates are feeling the pressure,” Bill Maher joked on ABC’s “Politically Incorrect.” “Al Gore has been testy with his staff .... and late today George W. Bush broke down and yelled at his parents, ‘You promised!”’ 

“I’m not saying Bush is getting confident he is going to win, but today he spent all day trying to pronounce ‘inaugural,”’ Leno said. 

Letterman dished it out to both presidential contenders. 

“In times like this, it really makes you wonder about George W. Bush. ... Does he understand what’s going on? Earlier today down in Austin, George W. Bush held a press conference and demanded a refill.” 

And of Gore: He “voted the same way yesterday that he does for every election: He went into the voting booth, closed the curtain and made out with Tipper.” 

The late-night gang made it clear the Clinton comedy era hasn’t wrapped either. 

“Yesterday, after President Clinton cast his ballot in New York, he took a picture with four women wearing Hillary Clinton masks,” O’Brien said. “The women said the reason they put the Hillary masks on was because that way, the president wouldn’t hit on them.” 

Joked Leno: “I guess you know Hillary got elected (to the U.S. Senate). Hillary is going to Washington. Of course, Bill is ecstatic because, you know, he’s leaving Washington.”

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors reluctantly told a judge Thursday they will not retry financier Charles Keating on state fraud charges in a case that made him a symbol of the savings and loan scandals of the 1980s. 

Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, who presided over the 1992 state trial, granted a prosecution request for dismissal of the case in which Keating was convicted but won a reversal on appeal due to improper jury instructions. 

“We take no satisfaction in the request we made today,” Deputy District Attorney Bill Hodgman told the judge as the case quietly came to an end. 

Keating, who remains convicted on some federal charges, planned to celebrate the end to his years of legal troubles involving his Lincoln Savings and Loan, which collapsed at a cost to taxpayers of $3.4 billion, and its parent, American Continental Corp. 

“I’m sure in the hell going to have a party,” Keating said outside court. 

If the government had left him alone, he said, the investors “would all be rich.” 

Hodgman said dismissal was sought because pursuing a conviction could result in just a six-month sentence if Keating was found guilty.  

He also said that many witnesses who testified in the 1992 trial have either died or are in bad health. 

Keating’s attorney, Stephen Neal, said his client was “every bit as innocent as anyone in this courtroom.” 

Last month the U.S. Supreme Court, without comment, let stand rulings that threw out Keating’s California fraud convictions because of faulty instructions to the jury. 

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year agreed with a federal judge’s 1996 ruling that Keating’s Superior Court convictions on charges of defrauding investors in American Continental Corp. were tainted because Ito’s instructions improperly allowed the jury to convict Keating without deciding whether he intended to swindle them. 

Investors lost nearly $200 million when American Continental Corp.’s unsecured “junk” bonds turned out to be worthless.  

Many of the investors were elderly Lincoln Savings customers who claimed they were duped. 

In separate state and federal trials, prosecutors alleged that Keating looted Lincoln of its assets to prop up American Continental.  

They claimed that bond buyers were not told of the risky nature of their investments. 

“He knew American was on the edge and he continued to sell bonds,” said Deputy District Attorney Paul Turely. 

“American didn’t have any liquid assets.” 

Keating was sentenced to 10 years in prison on the original state charges. 

He was then convicted in the 1992 federal case and served nearly five years of a 121/2-year prison sentence before the federal conviction was reversed on grounds that some jurors learned of his state court conviction and discussed it in the jury room. 

Federal prosecutors said they would retry that case but in 1999 they accepted his guilty pleas to three counts of wire fraud and one of bankruptcy fraud in a deal that allowed him to remain free, with no fines or restitution required.  

Investors won a $1.5 billion judgment against Keating in a civil suit, but his lawyer has said he can’t pay it. 

When asked if he had learned any lessons from the lengthy legal battle, Keating said, “Stay the hell out of the government’s way.”

True to its left-of-center image, Berkeley voters chose the more progressive candidates and measures on Tuesday in every local race when they were presented with the choice. 

They returned radical Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek and liberal-progressive Margaret Breland; they voted for Green candidate John Selawsky.  

They elected Derryl Moore for the Peralta Community College Board, over his moderate-backed opponent, voted in all four pro-rent-control Rent Stabilization Board candidates and approved Measure Y – even though property owners backed the owner move-in eviction restrictions’ measure with more than $55,000 (compared to the yes on Y campaign’s approximate $11,000) and claims of “dirty” campaign tactics that included mailers with misleading claims, telephone solicitors pretending they were members of the League of Women Voters and more. 

What do these results mean? 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, member of the Berkeley Citizens Action-backed council faction, called the election “a referendum on the mayor,” but Mayor Shirley Dean shot back that the notion was “silly.” 

“I believe (Dean) tried to make the election a referendum on her, but the voters are too sophisticated. They saw through it,” Worthington said. 

The choice of a new city manager is among the most important tasks ahead for the progressive majority, Worthington said. Even though the progressives have been in the majority, “we were stymied by (former) City Manager Jim Keene, he said, contending that Keene left affordable housing out of most of his budgets and supported “buildings skyrocketing all over downtown.”  

A new city manager would not be someone who would always agree with the majority faction, he said. “Hopefully, we will pick someone who will work with all of us.” 

Pointing out, however, that many of the issues and candidates she supported won their races – Miriam Hawley, endorsed by both progressives and moderates and incumbent Betty Olds, for example – Dean argued that losses in the election did not reflect on her. 

She explained that her support for candidates was based on their individual merits. She had much praise for District 2 candidate Betty Hicks whom Councilmember Margaret Breland defeated. “(Hicks) just dipped her toes in the water,” Dean said. “I think she has a long way to go in Berkeley politics.”  

The result of the elections: “It’s absolutely the status quo. So – huh?” Dean said. 

Worse than the outcome on the council, are the results of the school board, the mayor said, hypothesizing that the five-member board would become politicized with Selawsky’s entry on the scene. “I place the blame squarely on Mr. Worthington,” Dean said. “They’ve made (the board) very partisan. It’s a really unfortunate result.” 

Dean pointed to votes she said candidate Irma Parker had siphoned away from Morton. Parker, who quit the race, remained on the ballot and got 3,686 votes. Morton needed about 2,000 more votes to beat out Selawsky for a place on the board. Dean intimated that Worthington had something to do with Parker’s candidacy and Morton’s eventual defeat. 

(Murray Powers, another school board candidate who quit the race early and was also on the ballot, received over 5,000 votes.) 

Dean had hoped that, with her candidates of choice winning and a new moderate majority emerging, that there would be a new cohesion on the council.  

“It’s one city,” Dean said, getting her licks in at the winning District 2 candidate. “It’s not the hills versus the flats that Margaret is so happy to talk about.” 

The winning District 2 candidate, however, did not want to talk about partisanship. Breland said she has her sights trained on her projects – the moratorium on fast food on San Pablo Avenue, correcting the health disparities between the hills and flatlands communities, supporting small business and jobs. 

The election results mean that “we have to keep working together,” Breland said.

Three Cal players were named to the Pac-10 All-Conference women’s soccer teams, the conference office announced Tuesday. 

Sophomore striker Laura Schott was Cal’s lone representative on the first team, and sweeper Tami Pivnik and left midfielder Natalie Stuhmueller were named to the second team. 

Despite the Bears finishing second in the conference with a 7-2 league record, two teams that finished behind them in the standings, UCLA and Stanford, had more players selected. The Bruins and Cardinal had four players each on the All-Conference teams. 

Schott, who is second in the nation in goals per game, was beaten out for Pac-10 Player of the Year by UCLA senior forward Tracey Milburn. Milburn ranked sixth in the conference in scoring with 29 points and tied for fourth with 12 goals. 

Schott finished the regular season as the league’s leader for points (47), goals (23) and game-winning goals (9). Schott seemed surprised to have been beaten by Milburn. 

“We have the same number of points (in our careers), and she’s played for four years and I’ve played for two,” Schott said Wednesday. “I hope it’s because she’s a senior and she’s leaving and she’s had a good year. I don’t know what the other reasons could be.” 

Stuhlmueller, a senior, was a first-team selection the last two years, while this is Pivnik’s first selection. Stuhlmueller scored four goals, including two game-winners, and has five assists. She is now tied for second all-time at Cal with 20 assists. 

“It’s nice to be recognized for your effort, but it’s not why you play the game,” said Pivnik, a converted midfielder who has anchored a Bear defense that has allowed just 0.58 goals per game. “It’s not something that’s in the back of my mind when I’m on the field.” 

Cal head coach Kevin Boyd agreed that the individual honors are a sidelight to the Bears’ outstanding season. 

“It’s nice for the players who win, but it’s not the most important thing,” Boyd said. “Besides, the selection process is so random, it’s hard to take it too seriously.” 

One surprise omission was Cal goalkeeper Maite Zabala, who was a first-team selection the last two years. Zabala ranks ninth in the nation in goals-against average with 0.57 and has 9.5 shutouts this season, making her all-time school leader with 26.5 in her career. 

The Pac-10 coaches picked Washington’s Hope Solo as the first-team goalie, and Washington State’s Lindsey Jorgensen and Stanford’s Carly Smolak tied for second-team honors. 

“I honestly didn’t expect to make first team,” the senior said. “There’s no shame in coming in behind Hope Solo. She’s a great ’keeper, and she’s come up big in some of their games.” 

Cal goalkeeper coach Henry Foulk said the selection process for selecting the teams may have contributed to Zabala’s snub, as well as several other players who deserved recognition. 

“A lot of political stuff goes on in those meetings,” Foulk said. “Maite’s one of the best, if not the best, ’keeper in the country, and she should have been first team.” 

“Those decisions are made a lot of times by people who don’t have all the information.” 

Pivnik was more blunt in her assessment of the selections. 

“I think it’s crap. We dominated so many of those teams, in the conference and across the nation, our team and our players deserve better than that. We just have to be more satisfied with our work as a team and not as individuals.” 

Seven Cal players got honorable mention honors: Zabala, defenders Amy White and Ashley Mueller, midfielders Brittany Kirk, Kim Yokers and Ashley Valenzuela and forward Kyla Sabo.

The U.S. presidential elections are closely watched by foreign governments and media. This report was compiled before Tuesday’s elections. 

By Leticia Hernandez, Hoseung Terry Lee and Raj Jayadev 

Pacifc News Service 

Next to World Cup soccer finals and the Miss Universe pageant, the result of the U.S. presidential election may be the event most anticipated by an international audience. Here's how some governments, foreign media and journalists line up. 

Despite 50 years of hostility North and South Korea agree on one thing – they would like to see a Democratic U.S. president. While the South Korean government, which has close ties with both American parties, is not commenting on the election, the North does not hesitate to state its choice. 

After the GOP Convention in Philadelphia, the Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang, North Korea, blasted George Bush as a threat to peace in Southeast Asia.  

The North likes that the Democrats, during their convention, credited both Koreas for their peace efforts and indicated that talks between North Korea and the U.S. would resume. 

HanKook Ilbo, a daily newspaper in Seoul, South Korea, after the Democratic convention in August featured a cartoon of North Korean leader Kim Jung-Il, cheering in front of a TV set, with a newspaper next to him with the headline “Al Gore Leads in the Polls.” 

Joongang Ilbo, another Seoul daily, said the North clearly does not want to deal with the Republican Party's foreign policy, which might stop the talks once again. 

A Democratic victory is also important to the South Korean government because the only positive thing it has going is improved relations with the North.  

Critical of Kim Dae-Jung's administration, South Korean newspapers are filled with predictions of another financial crisis, increased taxes, the downsizing of giant corporations. 

Under the Clinton administration the United States has tilted closer to India than to Pakistan and its military rulers.  

Despite assumptions that Indian leaders would lean towards Gore as a natural extension of Clinton’s stance, editorials and opinions from some of India’s leading papers suggest otherwise.  

The key issues for India – nuclear arms and China. 

The Hindustani Times, which is sympathetic to the ruling BJP, says Bush is closer to India’s position on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).  

The paper’s Pramit Pal Chaudhuri wrote on Nov. 2 that "New Delhi’s foreign policy wonks" think George Bush’s world view will be easier on India than Al Gore’s: “Bush publicly and loudly opposes the CTBT. Gore praises the treaty, calling it ‘the tide of history.’ Bush says it is “not the answer” to proliferation’.” 

New Delhi has avoided signing the CTBT, “and believes missile control regimes are baloney. All top the Gore foreign policy agenda and could slow progress in Indo-U.S. relations if the Democrat wins next week.” 

“Indo-US relations tend to run aground on small rocks, minor disputes that cause disproportionate acrimony,” Chauduri continued. “CTBT is a very noisy small rock. And under a President Gore, the racket would be tremendous...Generally on nukes, Bush should be India’s choice – by a neck. “ 

Aziz Haniffa of India Abroad News echoed this analysis. “Bush has said he would favor the immediate lifting of all U.S. sanctions against New Delhi [imposed on India after its May 1998 Pokharan nuclear tests] while Gore has remained circumspect on this score.” 

On China, which India views as a huge threat, Haniffa wrote: “While Bush has strongly repudiated the Clinton administration’s policy of seeing China as a ‘strategic partner’ and said Beijing is nothing but a ‘strategic competitor,’ Gore and his party platform have spoken of the imperative of engaging China – ‘a nation with 1.3 billion people, a nuclear arsenal and a role to play in the 21st century that is destined to be one of the basic facts of international life.’” 

In Mexico, meanwhile, Carlos Salazar, international director of President-elect Vicente Fox’s political party PAN, claimed the party does not endorse either Al Gore or George W. Bush.  

But the PAN’s leanings might be gleaned from the interaction and comments between Fox and the candidates. 

Before Fox won the elections in July, Bush had openly admitted to a friendship with Fox’s opponent, Francisco Labastida Ochoa, and responded to Fox’s victory by simply remarking that it signified an important change.  

Gore, on the other hand, stated his eagerness to work with Fox and congratulated Mexico on the success of the election process. 

Fox’s proposal last August for an open U.S.-Mexican border drew an “open” reaction from Gore and a rejection from Bush.  

Bush said he would continue to protect the border, while Gore said he would consider Fox’s idea at length if he wins the presidency. 

The Mexican weekly news magazine Proceso expressed boredom and indifference toward the U.S. presidential election, saying it doesn’t much matter anyway (the subtitle of Oct. 29 editorial is “Bush and Gore: the same core [El mismo fondo]). “There are no major issues,” said Proceso; “both come from privileged backgrounds, and both represent the interests of American corporate elites.” 

In the Nov. 1 edition of the Colombian weekly newsmagazine Semana, columnist Antonio Caballero said U.S. elections have become like television news--infotainment.  

Issues are taking a back seat to questions like whether Gore can kiss his wife for a full minute without breathing, or whether Bush can properly enunciate “subliminal.” 

That may be fine for U.S. citizens, Caballero wrote, because U.S. presidents have little domestic power, which is diluted by Congress, the courts, state legislatures, city councils, the Federal Reserve, and numerous other institutions.  

U.S. presidents have great powers only abroad where, deciding “to bomb a city here, impose sanctions on a country over there, overthrow a president somewhere else, and sustain a dictator in yet another place.” 

What an irony, he said, that the U.S. presidential election is decided by those over whom the president has little power but excludes those over whom he has a lot of power.  

Not even Puerto Ricans get to vote! “President Kennedy once said ‘I’m a Berliner!’” writes Caballero. “Maybe he was--all the rest of us are Puerto Ricans.”

Thursday, Nov. 9

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

West Berkeley Project Area  

Commission 

7 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St.  

Review of the initial environmental study and action on the request for a public market on Fifth street between University and Hearst. It would provide crafts, arts, produce, food, and non-amplified entertainment. It is proposed to operate on Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

“Resources on the Web” Class 

(Class is Nov. 16) 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Learn about Web sites on every imaginable subject from history to finance. Security issues and protection from viruses will also be discussed.  

$35 general; $30 for LHS members 

For more info and memberships call, 642-1838 

Black Artists and the Aesthetics 

of Interrogating ‘Whiteness’ 

7:30 p.m. 

1275 Walnut St.  

Live Oak Park  

A slide lecture presented by Phyllis J. Jackson. Free 

Call 644-6893 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Learn how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

Hour of the Furnaces 

4:30 - 6 p.m. 

Hewlett Library, Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd.  

Renny Golden, poet, liberation theologian, and professor of social ethics at Northeastern Illinois University, will read from her new book on the Central American experience of struggle.  

649-2490 

Meeting Life Changes 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With John Hammerman. Free 

Become A Travel Photo Expert 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional photographer Richard I’Anson, who has taken photos all over the globe, shares highlights and insights from his book, “Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures.” Free 

Call 527-7377 

Community Health Commission 

6:45 p.m. 

Mental Health Clinic 

2640 MLK Jr. Way 

Zoning Adjustments Board 

7 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

On the agenda is discussion of a property at 2412 Piedmont Ave. that the board recommends declaring a nuisance. Also, discussion of the Beth El Plan proposed for 1301 Oxford St., a highly controversial proposal which the Sierra Club claims would harm Codornices Creek.  

Undergrounding Utilities Task Force 

Noon  

1900 Addison St.  

Executive Conference RoomDiscussion of the citywide utility undergrounding plan and Berkeley without wires. Also, an informational video on undergrounding.  

Friday, Nov. 10

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Performing the music of Ronald Bruce Smith, Beethoven and Elliot Carter. 

$19 - $35 

Call 841-2800 

compiled by Chason Wainwright

After a long and uncertain election day and night the race for a single seat on the Berkeley School Board remains in question. There may still be some 6,000 absentee and provisional votes still to count, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. 

One thing is certain - Board President Joaquin Rivera will be serving another term. 

With all 110 precincts counted, Rivera received 24,388 votes.  

That’s 10,736 more than second-place candidate John Selawsky, whose votes added up to 13,652. Two school board slots were open. 

The count puts Selawsky ahead of candidate Sherri Morton by 2,128 votes. 

Not waiting a week for the final results to come in, Morton conceded Selawsky’s win Wednesday morning. She expressed disappointment. 

“I really expected people to address the minority and gender issue in their votes,” said Morton, who is African American. “It’s disappointing that that gender and ethnicity of the community is not reflected in the board.” 

Rivera, who is Hispanic, is currently the only minority serving on the board. 

Selawsky said he does not discount Morton’s belief that African Americans should be represented on the board. However, it would be important that the person hold progressive views, he said. Selawsky is a member of the Green Party and was endorsed by Berkeley Citizens Action as well as the Greens. Morton was endorsed by the more moderate Berkeley Democratic Club and Mayor Shirley Dean. 

Selawsky pointed to his experience in working with people of differing points of view. 

And he said he sees one of his roles on the board as bringing in more community involvement. 

“I want to open the district decision-making process,” he said. 

Morton said she wished Selawsky well and said she hopes that the new member will work to close the yawning achievement gap between minorities and Caucasians, the cornerstone issue of her campaign, as well as address the need for more outreach to African American parents in the community. 

“Even though a lot of policies and procedures are passed by the board, the information doesn’t always trickle down to the parents,” Morton said. 

Rivera, Shirley Issel and Terry Doran of the school board expressed regret that the board does not have more minority members, but added that they will continue to work diligently toward meeting the needs of the whole system and, more specifically, closing the achievement gap. 

“John Selawsky has been an active parent volunteer and has many qualities that will serve him well on the board,” Issel said.  

Cal head coach Ben Braun announced Wednesday the signing of three premier prep basketball players to National Letters of Intent. The highly acclaimed trio will enroll at Cal next fall and start playing in the 2001-02 season.  

In signing center Jamal Sampson, forward Julian Sensley and guard Erik Bond, the Bears have what is considered by most recruiting experts as a national Top 10 class.  

“This is high-caliber group of basketball players, some of the very best in the country, and adding this class to our current foundation we have built will help us achieve the high goals we have set,” said Cal head coach Ben Braun. “The other thing that stands out is that they are not just talented, but they’ve all played on teams that have been extremely successful. They’re used to winning and that type of attitude is contagious. Truly, it’s an exciting time for Cal basketball.”  

All three players have established superb reputations and had their choices of virtually any school in the country.  

Sensley, a 6-9, 230-pound forward originally from Kailua, Hawaii, is in his second year at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. The No. 6 recruit in the country according ESPN.com, Sensley is the highest rated recruit that Braun has signed at Cal. He committed to Cal more than a year ago and honored that commitment on Wednesday.  

“Julian can play anywhere on the basketball court, whether it be guard, wing, small forward or power forward - he’s that versatile,” said Braun. 

Nicknamed “The Jewel,” Sensley averaged 16 ppg and 8 rpg last year at St. Thomas More, leading the team to the New England Prep School Athletic Conference’s Class A championship.  

Sampson, a 6-11, 240-pound center, attends Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. A second cousin of former NBA star Ralph Sampson, he averaged 13.7 ppg and 10.6 rpg while blocking 147 shots last year.  

“Jamal is a legitimate post player who has the agility and ability to run the court that you rarely find in a guy his size,” said Braun. “ We expect he’ll be a huge factor for us in his college career.”  

Sampson chose Cal after considering such schools as St. Louis, Connecticut, UCLA and Kansas.  

Bond is a 6-7, 195-pound wing from Seattle, who was widely considered to be the best prep player in the state of Washington.  

He was named the Washington state 3A Player of the Year as a junior last season after leading Seattle Prep to the state championship. He averaged 20.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. During the playoffs, he increased his scoring to 22.5 points a game and was named the state tournament’s Most Valuable Player.  

Bond will give Cal a great outside threat as he shot 46 percent from three-point range last season. He also has some solid growth potential as his father, Jay Bond, is 6-10 and played at Washington from 1968-70.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida officials began recounting nearly 6 million ballots Wednesday to determine the next president, while Democrats and some voters complained of irregularities in the election. 

The recount in all 67 counties was triggered by state law because Republican George W. Bush led Democrat Al Gore by less than one-half of 1 percent. State officials said they will count every ballot over again, and expected to be finished by the end of the day Thursday. 

Florida elections supervisors also waited for an undetermined number of overseas ballots, primarily from military personnel and their families. The state allows 10 days after the election for the ballots to come in. 

The state counted about 2,300 overseas ballots in the 1996 election — more than the margin separating Gore and Bush this time — so there is a remote possibility that those ballots alone could change the outcome. 

The scrutiny was intense because Florida, with its 25 electoral votes, will decide the winner of the presidential cliffhanger. In an added twist, the state’s governor, Jeb Bush, is the younger brother of the Republican nominee. 

“We thought it would be close. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine it would be this close,” Jeb Bush told reporters in the capital city. 

The latest Florida totals, including all absentee ballots received so far, showed Bush with 2,909,135 votes and Gore with 2,907,351 — a difference of 1,784 in a state with 8.75 million registered voters. 

With 28 of 67 Florida counties recounted Wednesday, Bush’s lead over Gore decreased by 663 votes. Gore had a net gain of 839 votes from Tuesday night’s count; Bush, a net gain of 176 votes. 

Both Bush and Gore campaigned hard in the state and regarded it as crucial. 

Some counties completed the count Wednesday and forwarded results to Tallahassee for certification by Republican Secretary of State Katherine Harris and Roberts, a Republican appointee. Jeb Bush said he recused himself. 

Although both candidates typically pick up votes in a recount. Veterans of the process said it is unusual for one side to pick up enough votes to make a difference in the outcome. 

In each county, a county judge, the chairman of the county commission and the local elections supervisor, recounted the votes by feeding punch cards through tabulation machines three times. The makeup of the canvassing board is supposed to insulate the process from politics, state elections director Clay Roberts said. 

Two former secretaries of state — Warren Christopher for Gore and James A. Baker III for Bush — were heading monitoring teams sent to Florida on Wednesday. 

In Florida and elsewhere, Democrats grumbled about long lines at the polls, reports that ballots were late in arriving at polling places and other possible irregularities. 

“We’ve received literally thousands of telephone calls and inquiries and reports of irregularities like ballots appearing and disappearing, voter intimidation, and the totals of this election sort of mysteriously disappearing and growing overnight,” state Democratic Party chairman Bob Poe said. 

Jesse Jackson said he got calls on Election Day complaining that blacks had difficulty voting in Florida and other Southern states. Jackson said some voters were told there were no more ballots, or that polls were closed. 

“What we need is not just a recount by hand, but also a thorough investigation,” Jackson said. 

NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said he has asked the Justice Department to investigate what he called numerous complaints of election irregularities affecting minority voting. He also wants the federal government to oversee the recount. 

“We are not suggesting foul play, but we are very much concerned that foul play can happen,” he said in a statement. 

Separately, Democratic officials and hundreds of voters complained about the way ballots in Palm Beach County were arranged. Voters punched holes in the middle of the ballot, while candidates were alternately listed to the left and then the right. 

“It was virtually impossible to know who you voted for,” said Mark Hirsch, a 30-year-old business executive who voted for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. 

Some Gore supporters said they feared they mistakenly voted for Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan. Gore carried the county by more than 110,000 votes, but the 3,407 votes for Buchanan were by far the most of any Florida county, and almost 20 percent of his total vote in the state. 

Republicans said the ballot was approved by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore, a Democrat. 

“The ballot was laid out within accordance with the statute,” Roberts said. “That’s a voting system that’s been in use for many years in many counties.” 

Jeb Bush said he has seen nothing that indicates fraud, and pledged a fair recount. 

“Voter fraud in our state is a felony, and guilty parties will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. 

The final results of Berkeley’s elections may not known until early next week due to an unusually high number of absentee and provisional ballots.  

City Clerk Sherry Kelly said she did not expect any surprises, but with a possible 6,000 uncounted absentee ballots, at least two close races might be affected by the final count.  

The races in question are the Berkeley Unified School Board election and Bond Measure Q.  

According to the unofficial count, the school board elected two members Tuesday night, Joaquin Rivera, who received 41.7 percent of the vote and John Selawsky who received 23.3 percent of the vote. Selawsky, beat out third place Sherri Morton, who received 19.7 percent, by just 2,128 votes.  

Kelly said there is a slim chance that Selawsky may not have won, but she won’t know for sure until all the votes are counted next week.  

Bond Measure Q, which would authorize the sale of bonds to raise $9.75 million to fund a proposed mobile disaster fire protection system, requires two thirds voter approval, but as of Wednesday morning it was hanging on with an even 68 percent. 

It is not known precisely how many absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted but veteran poll workers said Tuesday night that they have never seen so many. Kelly said there may be as many as 6,000 uncounted absentee ballots and an unknown number of provisional ballots. 

Berkeley voters whose names did not appear on precinct rolls but claimed to be registered were able to vote by provisional ballot. These ballots are subject to verification by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office. The Registrar’s Office said the provisional ballots also may not be counted until next week. 

“We’ve never seen requests for so many provisional ballots,” said Norman Harvey, the precinct inspector at the Oregon Park Apartment Club House polling place. “I don’t understand it.” 

Part of the problem may be a snafu with the Department of Motor Vehicles on Claremont Avenue in Oakland which received complaints from 30 to 40 voters last month who said they registered at the DMV office but never received sample ballots in the mail.  

Sandy Creque, a spokesperson for the Registrar of Voters, said another reason for the unusual number of provisional ballots may be the highly contested election. Voters came out to cast ballots who have not voted in 10-15 years. Creque said their names may have been taken of the rolls and put into an inactive file. 

“I’ve been here for 34 years and I’ve never seen such a huge turnout,” Creque said. “People saw that their vote really mattered.” 

A glitch in Berkeley Tuesday night, held up the release of the semi-official vote. According the Registrar of Voters Brad Clark, because of a broken ballot counting machine, known as a card reader, the count was held up for a least an hour. The card reader was located in the Florence Schwimley Theater on the high school campus. 

Normally the card reader counts local ballots and electronically sends the results to the registrar’s office in Oakland. But Tuesday night, those ballots that were not counted, were driven to Oakland where they were counted on card readers in the Registrar’s Office. 

The semi-final results of Berkeley’s 110 precincts weren’t announced until some time after 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. According to Clark the semi-final results are usually available between midnight and 1 a.m.

SAN FRANCISCO — The three billionaires whose money helped persuade voters in California and four other states to soften drug laws now plan to take their case nationwide. 

“Politics is perception, and the perception up to this point is that voters want tougher and tougher drug policies,” said Bill Zimmerman, executive director of the Campaign for New Drug Policies. “The votes we saw (Tuesday) night represent a sea change in that perception.” 

California decided to send thousands of first- and second-time drug users to community treatment programs instead of prison or jail. Colorado and Nevada approved using marijuana for medical purposes, and Oregon and Utah restricted government seizures of drug offenders’ property. 

“It shows that the war on drugs is slowly being strangled and eventually the federal politicians are going to have to face up to their 20-year failure,” University of Phoenix founder John Sperling said Wednesday. “How do you get a mule’s attention? You have to slam them over the head with a two-by-four.” 

Sperling, along with New York philanthropist George Soros and Ohio insurance executive Peter Lewis, have spent millions the last four years backing ballot initiatives they say collectively amount to a referendum on the drug war. Their successes include previous medical marijuana laws in Alaska, Arizona, California, Maine, Oregon and Washington. 

Two states — Massachusetts and Alaska — rejected more sweeping drug initiatives. But opponents fear that the billionaires’ deep pockets will allow them to engineer more successes in elections to come. 

“I think the initiative process is becoming dangerous,” said Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, which advocates a zero-tolerance approach to drugs. “The very wealthy who have the money to do it are buying public policy all over the country.” 

The drug war itself was not on the ballot in any state, stressed Fay, who accused the billionaires of campaigning through misinformation. 

“I don’t think that the voters perceive that they’re voting to end the drug war. I don’t think the voters perceive that they are voting for drug legalization. They don’t see the big picture,” she said. 

But proponents say Tuesday’s votes were all about the drug war — which voters are beginning to perceive as a failure. 

“It’s really about changing the tenor of the debate,” said Ethan Nadelmann, Soros’ drug policy adviser and executive director of the Lindesmith Center in New York and San Francisco. “We’re slowly moving from the fringes into the mainstream.” 

Now it’s time to connect the dots between the states that have approved drug law changes, and proponents may focus next on Middle America. 

“Michigan and Ohio are probably the places where you have the largest number of people affected, and you would send the loudest message — and they have the initiative process,” said Dave Fratello, campaign manager for the California initiative. 

Nadelmann suggested Florida may be ripe for a measure similar to that approved by California voters Tuesday. 

California’s Proposition 36 will require treatment instead of prison or jail for an estimated 36,000 California drug users who are convicted each year of drug possession or use for the first or second time. 

California’s law enforcement establishment was overwhelmingly opposed to the change, and drug treatment providers generally supported it. 

Both sides agree on one point: treatment centers will be overwhelmed, at least initially. 

But Zimmerman and Nadelmann already hope to use California’s experience to prove to the rest of the nation that treatment works. 

California voters’ decision is particularly significant not only because it is the most populous state, but because it led the way in jailing drug users two decades ago, and now jails more drug offenders per capita than any other state. 

The three philanthropists spent $1.2 million each on the California initiative alone. 

Nadelmann said the three contributed a combined $6 million to $7 million toward changing the nation’s drug policies during the 1997-98 election cycle, roughly the same amount during the last two years, and he expects them to give a like amount over the next two years.

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Willie Brown appeared in danger of losing his majority on the city’s Board of Supervisors Tuesday as voters vented their anger over the wrenching changes the Internet economy has brought to their city. 

Proposition L, an office development ban aimed at curtailing Brown’s pro-growth policies, led narrowly with 92 percent of the precincts reporting: 51 percent of voters were in favor and 49 percent opposed. 

Proposition K, a competing, less-stringent development moratorium proposed by Brown, was rejected by 61 percent of voters. 

“Willie Brown’s candidates are going down. Prop K is going down horribly. Prop L looks like it’s going to win. People have had it and people really are taking back their city,” said Debra Walker, co-sponsor of Proposition L. 

Brown, who had a 9-2 majority until now, lost ground to a slate of reform-minded challengers organized by Tom Ammiano, the board president whose failed campaign to unseat Brown last year galvanized a grassroots movement. 

Ammiano handily won back his seat and five of his allies were leading. Gavin Newsom, a Brown supporter who was unopposed, was elected outright. Four other candidates Brown endorsed for the 11-member board were leading. 

As many as nine of the races likely won’t be decided until runoffs on Dec. 12. 

Proposition L, a growth-control measure put on the ballot after a signature drive, and Proposition K, a less-stringent alternative proposed by Brown, sought to rein in the city’s spiraling cost of living by limiting new developments blamed for gentrification. Brown’s allies spent almost no money promoting K, focusing on defeating L. 

The other 16 propositions included one urging the Navy to speed its cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard and another that would promote an educational museum as an alternative to a Las Vegas-style development at Pier 45. Both measures were overwhelmingly approved.

LOS ANGELES – Republicans had pinned their hopes on George W. Bush to reinvigorate the sagging California GOP, but the strategy flopped as a powerful Democratic tide again swept the nation’s biggest state. 

It carried Al Gore and Sen. Dianne Feinstein to easy victories Tuesday, sent five additional California Democrats to the House and crushed a school voucher initiative — strengthening the party under the centrist hand of Gov. Gray Davis. 

Democrats also maintained their majorities in the state Assembly and Senate, a result that is likely to solidify their grip on the state in redistricting next year. 

“There is a clear signal that we’ve got to rebuild our party from A to Z, in every sense, from improving our message to our grassroots campaign,” said California Republican Party spokesman Stuart DeVeaux. He said the GOP was taking stock of its losses, which he called “maddening” and “very upsetting.” 

The Democrats’ dominance in California offset strong Republican showings elsewhere in the nation. 

The state’s 54 electoral votes are one-fifth the total needed to capture the presidency, and kept Gore competitive as Bush swept Southern and Rocky Mountain states. 

Gore beat Bush in California by 1.2 million votes, 54 percent to 41 percent. Green Party contender Ralph Nader, once viewed as a threat to Gore in California, was a virtual non-factor, drawing 4 percent. 

And by sending five new Democrats to the House, California helped the party gain two seats, narrowing GOP control to the slimmest of margins. 

In 1998, voters defeated all but two statewide Republican officers, with Dan Lungren losing in a landslide to Davis in the governor’s race.  

One of the successful Republicans that year, Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, resigned in an influence-peddling scandal last June. 

That leaves one Republican in high office: Secretary of State Bill Jones. 

Bush’s solid defeat — despite spending $1.5 million a week on ads in California and repeatedly campaigning here — renewed questions about how a top-of-the-ticket Republican can compete in California. 

Bush’s California campaign chairman, Gerry Parsky, said Bush faced insurmountable obstacles following the GOP debacle of 1998.  

In addition, Democrats outnumber Republicans by 1.6 million in California. 

Even so, Parsky said Bush had helped rebuild the GOP in California. Lungren lost by 19 points; Bush by 13. 

“He has begun the process of transforming the face of the Republican Party, both nationwide and in California,” Parsky said. “Historically, we will see this as a turning point.” 

Demographic forces are also at work. Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, and constituted 14 percent of voters Tuesday. They favored Gore more than 2-1. 

Virtually the only subgroups that went for Bush were white men, voters earning more than $100,000 annually, Protestants and married parents. 

And Californians reaffirmed their preference for centrist representation.  

Fifty-eight percent of self-described moderates voted for Gore, 36 percent for Bush, according to an exit poll. 

“This was about the moderates,” Davis said. “This state will respond to good, fiscally responsible, pro-choice, pro-sensible gun control, anti-tobacco candidates,” he said. “This state’s not about anyone way off on the left or way off on the right.” 

Davis picked his battles carefully in this election, focusing almost exclusively on helping Gore carry the state; defeating the voucher initiative; and promoting another measure to make it easier to win local school bonds. 

He won on all three counts, illustrating his political clout. 

At a Wednesday news conference, Davis took credit for “the way Californians responded to my call to improve and reform public education.” 

Of course, Davis could prove the biggest winner should Gore lose the presidential election. As governor of the largest state, the Democratic governor automatically would be considered a leading White House contender in 2004. 

Davis twice sidestepped questions on the subject Wednesday. 

“I expect Al Gore to win,” Davis said, “and I expect to head up his re-election campaign in 19 — 2000 and whatever it is. Four.”

LOS ANGELES – Turnout for Tuesday’s election was strong and could approach a record, state officials said Wednesday. 

As of Wednesday, 9.8 million ballots had been counted, said Secretary of State Bill Jones. He estimated 1.5 million ballots remained to be counted. 

The record for California was set in 1992, when Bill Clinton defeated both Republican incumbent George Bush and Reform Party candidate Ross Perot.  

In that election, about 75 percent of all registered voters — 11.4 million people — voted. 

In 1996, another presidential election year, 10.3 million votes were cast. 

Before the Tuesday’s election, Jones estimated that 76 percent the state’s 15.6 million registered voters would cast ballots. 

A record 3.2 million voters requested absentee ballots this year. Those votes can take days to count. 

Jones, a Republican, attributed the high turnout to tight races for initiatives and legislative races, plus Bush’s expensive California campaign. 

One analyst suggested voter turnout could have been boosted by early evening news reports on the historically tight presidential race, which still remained too close to call Wednesday. 

“The story last night was that the outcome in California, Nevada and Hawaii will affect the outcome of the presidential race and that’s just not a story we usually hear,” said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, a nonpartisan voter information group.

LOS ANGELES – Californians are hot-wired to the instant Information Age, with the Internet in their palms and cellphones in their ears. But that didn’t help much Wednesday as online Californians waited in line with everyone else to find out who will be president. 

“It’s unbelievable,” said Laird Malamed, executive producer of Santa Monica-based Activision, an independent software publisher and distributor. “I can e-mail every single person counting the votes in Florida and they couldn’t tell me a thing.” 

In the state that spawned Silicon Valley and its speed-to-know culture, waiting was a novelty. 

“We live in this age of wanting everything right now, right this minute, news on demand. People are used to that,” said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, a nonprofit group which promotes putting campaign information online. “I think it’s kind of taken some people aback that we don’t know who the president is.” 

The presidential election was a walkover in California; with voters wrapping up their 54 electoral votes for Vice President Al Gore. 

But nationally, the election went into triple-double overtime, with everything hanging on a recount of the votes in Florida, where Bush was leading but by a very narrow margin. Bush cautiously declared victory Wednesday; election officials expected to finish a recount Thursday. 

Tuesday night, Malamed was sitting in his living room watching TV coverage of the election and scanning the Internet by way of his wireless laptop.  

“I fell asleep thinking Bush won and woke up in the middle of the night thinking nobody won.” 

He wasn’t alone in his confusion. News organizations declared and then undeclared a presidential winner, an example of how instant information can turn into instant misinformation if fast overrules fact. 

The slow vote highlighted the low-tech world lurking behind the curtains of the voting booth. 

Riverside County made history by using computer touch-screens and a few other counties use modern scanning systems, but in many counties a trip to the booth was a step back in time. Voters used straight pins to poke holes in computer punch cards — cutting edge technology of the 1960s. 

Even the timing of the election is a throwback, left over from the days when “farmers went to church on Sunday, came to market on Monday and voted on Tuesday,” said San Mateo chief elections officer Warren Slocum. 

One day, voters may cast their ballots by Internet, if designers can figure out a way to go high-tech without going high-risk. 

Tapping on his laptop in a Santa Monica bookstore, writer Bruce P. Gordon wasn’t quite sure if he was ready for that. 

“Accuracy is more important,” he said.

LOS ANGELES – From Samoa in the north to Poway in the south, public schools and community colleges that have been unable to pass school bonds to build new, technology-wired classrooms are anticipating an easier task. 

Voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 39, allowing approval with 55 percent of the vote instead of the tough two-thirds requirement enshrined in the state constitution since 1879. 

The change, on the third attempt, came as California voters Tuesday affirmed their interest in public education. They also rejected school vouchers for the second time in seven years. 

“I’m very pleased with the way Californians responded to my call to improve and reform public education,” Gov. Gray Davis said at a news conference Wednesday. 

“They trounced, almost a humiliating defeat, the voucher initiative, and they responded positively to our call to support Proposition 39 and fix the schools,” said the Democratic governor, who gambled his popularity by appearing in television ads against vouchers and for school bonds. 

In addition, most districts with bond issues on Tuesday’s ballot were able to achieve the old two-thirds vote, some with votes exceeding 80 percent. 

Twenty of the 27 public school districts and two of the five community college districts made it. Those that would have been successful under Proposition 39’s new 55 percent rule say they probably will be back before voters. 

“Only in light of 39 would we try again,” Bob Reeves, superintendent of the 32,500-student Poway Unified School District in San Diego County, said Wednesday. His $156 million bond received a 62.7 percent vote Tuesday. 

Poway needs to repair 24 of its 30 schools and wants to replace two elementary schools and build a small high-tech high school, Reeves said. 

“Once we try again, I’m sure we can get it with that 55 percent. It’s not going to be easy, though, because we have a lot of retired people out here,” said James Sorter, superintendent of the 90-student Peninsula Union School in the historical logging community of Samoa in Humboldt County. His $1 million bond issue got a 57.3 percent vote Tuesday. 

He said his 37-year-old school is “full of rot” and needs a new electrical system. “We’re mainly running our school off power bars,” he added. 

Since 1986, 54 percent of districts’ attempted bond issues have passed, according to Bob Blattner of School Services of California Inc., which provides financial advice to districts. 

If Proposition 39 had been in effect and districts only had to get 55 percent, nearly nine in 10 of those bonds would have passed, Blattner said. However, many districts never even tried because of the difficulty of achieving two-thirds. 

Districts eager for new bond issues won’t be able to jump in right away, however. A Proposition 39-related law passed by the Legislature last spring allows bond issues to be approved by 55 percent only if they are offered at a regularly scheduled statewide or local election. In the past, many school districts have used special elections held throughout the year for bonds. 

For most districts, that means they won’t be able to try again until the March 2002 primary, when Davis will be seeking a second term. 

Districts are also concerned that there won’t be any state matching funds left by 2002. Voters in 1998 approved a record $9 billion state school and college bond measure, but the money is all committed. The Legislature and Davis would have to put another state bond on the 2002 ballot. 

“We won’t be able to build with just these local funds,” said Donald Remley, superintendent of Oroville City Elementary District, which needs a new middle school, but has lost two bond elections since September 1999. 

“I’m encouraged by what they (voters) were saying in terms of support of local bond measures at a lower percent rate,” Remley added. “The question is whether the timing will help many of us who are facing a lot of growth.” 

The 2002 ballot could also be complicated with yet another initiative seeking to restore the two-thirds vote requirement. 

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the main opponent to Proposition 39, is considering sponsoring such a measure.

There were only partial election results Tuesday night, but some folks partied anyway. 

Early in the evening, people gathered around TV sets and cheer abounded at the twin campaigns: Berkeley Citizens Action folk gathered at the Old Outback Store on Sacramento Street near Dwight Way and Berkeley Democratic Club aficionados came together at the Sante Fe Bar and Grill on University Avenue. 

The gathering at the Sante Fe Bar fizzled before midnight with the news that the Berkeley voter machines had broken down and results would not be forthcoming. Still, the BCA crowd continued to party across town. 

At midnight, the Berkeley votes were in transport between the city clerk’s office and the county registrar’s office. By car. Not cyberspace, as was supposed to happen. 

The height of the evening at the Berkeley Citizens Action event was when Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, introduced candidate Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek. Despite Gore’s impending loss, Lee took the high road, saying that the election had brought out “a lot of young people. There was more activism, more involvement,” she said.  

Shirek was winning by a huge margin – but it was only the absentee votes and one precinct that came in before the technological glitch was confirmed. At that point, Shirek had 543 votes or 71.6 percent of the vote, James Peterson had 151 or 20 percent of the vote and Marcella Crump-Williams had 63 votes or 8.3 percent of the vote. That is with 12 more precincts that remain to be counted. By 12:45 a.m., Shirek’s lead had move ahead to 73.5 percent – still, with only four precincts counted. 

Councilmember Margaret Breland’s supporters had been up and working since 5 a.m. Jane Stillwater was among them.  

“Margaret Breland is the nicest person in the world. If she wins, we can’t go wrong.” At 12:45 a.m., with only two precincts reporting, Breland had a strong lead at 58.6 percent and Hicks followed at 25.5 percent – with only 8 precincts reporting. 

Over at the Santa Fe Bar and Grill on University Avenue, Mayor Shirley Dean partied with incumbent Betty Olds, candidate Betty Hicks, Miriam Hawley and school board candidate Sherri Morton. Morton was leading challenger John Selawsky by a sliver  

and said “the slim lead  

feels good.”  

Dean addressed the question of the rent board. Property owner representative Peggy Schioler trailed the four pro-rent control candidates. 

“No matter what happens, the (rent board) will be doing what they have been doing – nothing and there’s not going to be any change.” As the Daily Planet goes to press, there’s only one race that can be called: the race for the best party goes to Berkeley Citizen’s Action, still going strong as the hour neared 1 a.m. The Santa Fe Group had gone home by 12.

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Tinnitus & Hyperacusis  

Sufferers Support Group 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Public Works Commission Special Meeting 

5 p.m.  

Engineering Conference Room 

2201 Dwight Way 

Discussion and prioritization of Commission work plan priorities for Public Works.  

Board of Library Trustees 

7 p.m. 

South Branch 

1901 Russel St.  

Discussions will include the November election results and electronic classroom policy.  

Homeless Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Among items to be discussed will be the winter shelter update.  

Police Review Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

A public hearing on bicycle and police relations. If you have had problems with discrimination or harassment from police, come speak of your experiences.  

Planning Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Public hearing and public comment on the Planning Commission Draft Plan.  

Waterfront Commission 

7 p.m.  

His Lordships Restaurant 

199 Seawall Drive  

Commission on Disability 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Meeting will include a presentation on a crosswalk warning system by Dean Metzger and Sherwood Parker. Also, Nancy Ferreyra and Alana Theriault from Progressive Research and Training for Action will discuss their report on training of medical personnel.  

Berkeley Food Policy Council Meeting 

7 - 9 p.m.  

2522 San Pablo Ave.  

What is “food security” and how can you get it? This question and more will be answered.  

Call Joy Moore, 548-8838 

Thursday, Nov. 9

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

West Berkeley Project Area Commission 

7 p.m.  

West Berkeley Senior Center 

1900 Sixth St.  

Review of the initial environmental study and action on the request for a public market on Fifth street between University and Hearst. It is proposed to operate on Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

“Resources on the Web” Class 

(Class is Nov. 16) 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Lawrence Hall of Science 

UC Berkeley 

Learn about Web sites on every imaginable subject from history to finance. Security issues and protection from viruses will also be discussed.  

$35 general; $30 for LHS members 

For more info and memberships call, 642-1838 

Black Artists and the Aesthetics 

of Interrogating ‘Whiteness’ 

7:30 p.m. 

1275 Walnut St.  

Live Oak Park  

A slide lecture presented by Phyllis J. Jackson. Free 

Call 644-6893 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Lern how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

Hour of the Furnaces 

4:30 - 6 p.m. 

Hewlett Library, Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd.  

Renny Golden, poet, liberation theologian, and professor of social ethics at Northeastern Illinois University, will read from her new book on the Central American experience of struggle.  

649-2490 

Meeting Life Changes 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With John Hammerman. Free 

Become A Travel Photo Expert 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional photographer Richard I’Anson, who has taken photos all over the globe, shares highlights and insights from his book, “Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures.” Free 

Call 527-7377 

Community Health Commission 

6:45 p.m. 

Mental Health Clinic 

2640 MLK Jr. Way 

Zoning Adjustments Board 

7 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

On the agenda is discussion of a property at 2412 Piedmont Ave. that the board recommends declaring a nuisance. Also, discussion of the Beth El Plan proposed for 1301 Oxford St., a highly controversial proposal which the Sierra Club claims would harm Codornices Creek.  

Undergrounding Utilities Task Force 

Noon  

1900 Addison St.  

Executive Conference Room 

Discussion of the citywide utility undergrounding plan and Berkeley without wires. Also, an informational video on undergrounding.  

Friday, Nov. 10

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Performing the music of Ronald Bruce Smith, Beethoven and Elliot Carter. 

$19 - $35 

Call 841-2800 

Korean Literature Seminar 

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

7768 Duke Ct.  

El Cerrito 

Korean writer and professor Do Chang Hoi will speak on the topics of creative writing and modern Korean literature. Sponsored by the Korean Literary Art Fellowship. Continues on Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

Call 559-7856 for more info.  

PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

Room 303  

2020 Milvia St.  

A groups of PC users who help each other solve problems. They introduce their members to new software, hardware, and invited speakers and technicians from various PC related companies. Meet the second Friday of each month.  

Call Melvin Mann, 527-2177 

Oakland Artisan Marketplace  

Opening Celebration  

Frank Ogawa Plaza 

Oakland  

A new city project that gives artisans an opportunity to sell their own work year-round in Oakland. The Marketplace will continue to be open on Fridays, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Cultural and Historical View  

of the Dalmation Islands, Croatia 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Byron Bass, archeologist with the URS Corporation will speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students Call 848-3533  

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Underground Technopagans 

10:30 p.m. 

Fine Arts Cinema  

2451 Shattuck Ave.  

The world premeire of Antero Alli’s “Tragos,” a film about a witch hunt for technopagans practicing rites in a virtual reality world. The filmaker and actors will be present at the screening.  

$7  

Call 464-4640 

Saturday, Nov. 11

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Kitchen Design Fundamentals  

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by independent kitchen and bath designer Beverly Wilson.  

$75  

Homeowner’s Essential Course 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

The annual six-Saturday intensive with lectures, slides, and demonstrations taught by professional builder Glen Kitzenberger. Six Saturdays through Dec. 16.  

$425 per person, including textbook 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

InterPlayce Benefit 

8 p.m.  

Large Assembly 

First Congregational Church of Berkeley 

2345 Channing Way 

A benefit concert featuring the Wing It! Performance Ensemble. The project is to renovate and retrofit an 8200 square foot building to include a dance studio, visual art spaces, office and meeting rooms. Free, but donations are requested. 

Get Your Garden Ready for Winter 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

UC Botanical Garden  

Ted Kipping of Tree Shapers will offer advice on pruning your shrubs and trees, while Anthony Garza of Magic Gardens will suggest how to improve the health and appearance of your plants. Free, but space is limited.  

Call 287-0591 

Sunday, Nov. 12

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

“Road To Mecca” Auditions 

2 p.m.  

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is auditioning roles for two females, 60-70 and 25-35, and one male, 60-70. Auditioners should prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes. No appointments. 

Call Debra Blondheim, 667-9827 

Solar Electricity for Your Home 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar instructed by engineer Gary Gerber of Sunlight and Power.  

$75 per person  

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Parenting Book Club 

11 a.m.  

Cody’s Books 

1730 Fourth St.  

Take part in a discussion of “The Good Enough Parent” by Bruno Bettelheim. New group members always welcome. The group meets the second Sunday of each month.  

Call 559-9500 

Carpentry Basics for Women 

9:30 - 4:30 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

A hands-on workshop taught by carpenter Tracy Weir. This workshop is a two-day workshop and runs Nov. 12 and 19.  

$195 per person  

“Collecting Ethnic Notions” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Art Center 

1275 Walnut. St.  

Live Oak Park 

A book signing and reception for Jan Faulkner. 

Call 644-6893 

Monday, Nov. 13

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org 

“Timber Framing - Ancient and Modern” 

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar led by contractor/Timber Framers Guild member Doug Eaton.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Soulforce Candlelight Vigil 

6 p.m.  

SF Chancery 

445 Church St.  

San Francisco  

In conjunction with an action by Soulforce/Dignity in Washington D.C., at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, to stop spiritual violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, local members of Soulforce will be holding a vigil to demonstrate their solidarity.  

Call SF Dignity, 415-681-2491 

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

Three Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

649-3943 

More Little Pigs 

7 p.m.  

Berkeley North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets huff and puff and blow the house down.  

“A Jewel in History” 

7 p.m. 

St. Paul AME Church 

2024 Ashby Ave.  

A documentary about the Homer G. Phillips Hospital for the Colored. The hospital, despite providing superior medical care for decades, was closed in the ‘70s. Donations will be accepted.  

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

Quest for Justice 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Bade Museum 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

A reception and discussion with the artists of “Quest for Justice: The Story of Korean Comfort Women as Told Through their Art,” an exhibit on display at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.  

849-8244 

Even Seniors Get the Blues 

1 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A holiday blues support group with Lyn Rayburn.  

Recognizing Alzheimer’s Disease 

10 - 11:30 a.m.  

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit North Pavilion 

Annexes B & C  

350 Hawthorne Ave.  

Oakland  

Susan Londerville, MD, Gerentologist, will discuss how to recognize the signs and common symptoms of Alzheimer’s and how to distinguish them from normal aging. Free 

Call Ellen Carroll, 869-6737  

Wednesday, Nov. 15

Even More Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Library Claremont Branch 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets help Little Red Riding Hood get to Grandma’s house.  

Healthful Holiday Cooking 

11:30 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Natalie. Free 

Unity of Diversity in the Bay Area 

7:30 p.m. 

International House, Homeroom 

UC Berkeley  

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Ramona Lucero of the United Indian Alliance will give a presentation addressing the exploration and significance of unity as a basis for the Native American community.  

Call 642-9460 

Community Action Commission & 

Berkeley Homeless Commission  

Joint Public Hearing  

7 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. (at Ashby) 

The purpose of this hearing is to allow low-income residents of Berkeley, and people who use the services to inform these agencies about what services they need.  

Call Marianne Graham, 665-3475  

Making Additions Match 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by architect/colunist Arrol Gellner.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Thursday, Nov. 16

Reminiscing in Swingtime 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Library  

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

George Yoshida, author and jazz drummer, presents a multi-media program recounting the big band experience in the Japanese American internment camps. The presentation will be capped with a set of live jazz by the George Yoshida Quartet. 

Call for more info: 644-6850 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

Free blood pressure screenings 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

free 

869-6737 

Three Little Pigs  

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library West Branch  

1125 University Ave.  

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

Tai Chi for Seniors  

2 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Tai Chi master Mr. Chang. Free 

Sea Kayaking in the Bay Area and Baja 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Mitch Powers of Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center presents slides of some of his favorite paddling destinations and gives tips on selecting gear, paddling safety and planning trips. Free 

Call 527-4140 

Native American Heritage Celebration Dinner 

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 

International House 

UC Berkeley  

2299 Piedmont Ave.  

Chef, Zachary Runningwolf will be supervising the preparation of Indian breads, pumpkins, and more. At 8 p.m., a cultural night will commence featuring arts & crafts, a drumming performance, and a fashion show.  

$8 dinner, $3 cultural night & performances  

Call 642-9460  

HVAC for Beginners 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning for beginners seminar taught by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Friday, Nov. 17

Community Dance Party 

7:45 - 9:45 p.m. 

Live Oak Park 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Come learn to dance with easy instructions presented by the Berkeley Folk Dancers.  

Teens $2; Adult Non-members $4 

Information: 525-3030  

California Energy Re-Structuring 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Severin Borenstein, director at the UC Energy Institute will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Housing Clinic for Seniors 

3 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A housing clinic with the East Bay Community Law Center. Free  

Saturday, Nov. 18

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Fourteen hours of free concerts, workshops, jam sessions and to top it off a Saturday night dance. The fifth annual Folk Festival will feature Shay & Michael Black, Spectre Double Negative & the Equal Positive, Larry Hanks, Wake the Dead and many others. Sponsored by Charles Schwab and the City of Berkeley.  

More info or to volunteer: 525-5099 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of local filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

Zuni Fetish Show  

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Gathering Tribes  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Fresh from a trip to Zuni, Janet & Diane from Beyond Tradition will have new fetishes and jewelry. This is the last fetish show of the year for Gathering Tribes.  

Call 528-9038 

Sunday, Nov. 19

Soprano Deborah Voigt 

Cal Performances  

3 p.m.  

Voigt’s performance is a postponment from her original Oct. 15 date. The program will remain unchanged. 

$28-$48 For tickets call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

“Drawing Marathon”  

Merritt College’s Art Building 

Live models, group poses.  

$12 for half a day, $20 for a full day, senior and student discounts available. No cameras or turpentine. 

523-9763 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of Berkeley filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

Monday, Nov. 20

The Music of Israel 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the music of Israel, from the early pioneers of Palestine to the latest rock.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

Tuesday, Nov. 21

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m.  

Alta Bates Medical Center, Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Call D.L. Malinousky, 601-0550 

Environmental Solutions! 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332  

Saturday, Nov. 25

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612 

Monday, Nov. 27

To Make the World Whole 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses songs of peace, protest and change from labor, feminists, peace, and environmental activists of the past 125 years, that inspired others to action. 

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

Educational Philosophies Roundtable 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

At this roundtable, Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, parents will learn about the following educational philosophies: Developmental, cooperative, Montessori, bilingual, Waldorf, religious, homeschooling, and charter schools.  

Free to members; non-members, $5 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org  

Wednesday, Nov. 29

Wanderlust: Tales of Adventure and Romance 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Jeff Greenwald and other travel writers discuss the art of writing travel literature and how to make a living doing it.  

Call 843-3533 

Thursday, Nov. 30

Pro Arts Juried Show Reception 

6 - 8 p.m.  

Pro Arts 

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland 

With the work of 70 artists, this annual show features the work of emerging and mid-career artists. The show runs through December 30. See A&E calendar for details.  

Snowshoeing Basics  

7 p.m . 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional snowshoe guide Cathy Anderson-Meyers gives basic instruction on how to get out and experience Tahoe’s winter terrain on “shoes.”  

Call 527-4140 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright 

Landmarks Preservation Commission Suffers City Attorney Gag Order 

Editor: 

Monday night at the Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing in Berkeley, we prepared to give comments on the adequacy of the Final EIR for the 1301 Oxford site.  

However, the meeting adjourned early because City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque, advised the LPC that four of the commissioners should be barred from serving on the comission in regards to the 1301 Oxford issue, since they were also Board members or officials of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, which wrote a letter to the city asking that certain information be included in the EIR for the project.  

Apparently the City of Berkeley is fearful that it can be sued by Temple Beth El if there is an appearance of unfairness in the process. 

The upshot of this is that LPC cannot make a recommendation to Zoning Adjustments Board pertaining to the adequacy of the EIR. 

Many of us feel this is a really outrageous and dangerous decision on the part of the City attorney. We are asking people who feel this way too, to please contact mayor Dean and to express their view!!! 

Here are some major problems with the City Attorney's “opinion”: 

• The LPC expressed its view that the Draft EIR was “inadequate” during its public hearing - specifically dedicated to this issue - on Aug, 8 a full month before the BAHA letter was written.  

Thus, the BAHA members in question had officially, legally, and publicly expressed their opinions about the Draft EIR, in their capacities as LPC Commissioners, before the BAHA critique of the Draft EIR was written.  

The City Attorney's “opinion” would paradoxically require Commissioners not to hold, or express, an opinion about an issue on which they have already publicly ruled. 

LPC has no voting powers on the certification of the Final EIR. 

Therefore the fact that LPC members who are also associated with BAHA wrote a letter critiquing the Draft document is simply irrelevant as a legal issue, or as a conflict of interest issue. 

• BAHA's letter did not “take a position” on the project itself (as the City Attorney's memo claims), but simply critiqued the adequacy of the Draft EIR. 

• Even if BAHA had taken a position on the project itself (which it did not), the notion that this constitutes a conflict of interest with LPC decisions is either absurd or dangerous.  

If applied widely, the City Attorney's “opinion” would exclude from service the very people who are often the most qualified to serve on voting City bodies, or, alternatively, require that these people not associate or participate in organizations that contribute to their intellectual and professional growth. 

It is interesting to note that the city did not seem fearful of lawsuit by the East Bay Chinese Alliance Church when LPC and ZAB considered their permit application for a new school in 1992. 

Additonally, we are asking the public to come to the Zoning Adjustments Board hearing THURSDAY, NOV. 9th at 7 pm in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of Old City Hall 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  

People should come early to fill out public comment card to speak on the adequacy of the EIR for 1301 Oxford (or on anything for that matter...) 

Alan Gould 

Berkeley 

Berkeley’s built affordable housing; much still to do 

Editor: 

In the last month there have been several Letters to the Editor of the Berkeley Daily Planet regarding the need for affordable and accessible housing in Berkeley.  

As Interim Housing Director for the City of Berkeley, I would like to inform the community of the City’s continued commitment to affordable and disabled accessible housing and describe some of the City’s efforts towards that end.  

Ten years ago, the City developed a Housing Trust Fund (HTF) to bring resources to fund affordable housing projects.  

Through the years, in addition to the use of federal monies through the CDBG and HOME Partnership programs, the City has contributed millions in general funds to promote development of affordable housing.  

About 425 affordable units and 69 transitional housing beds have been created for the City’s low income population, to house those with special needs, and to provide housing for those who are homeless or at risk-of-homelessness.  

With the City’s assistance, non-profit housing developers have been responsible for creating the vast majority of those units, although the City has also funded one for-profit developer who has also added to the number of affordable units in the City.  

The vast majority of newly constructed units assisted are wheelchair accessible as are many of the existing units that received HTF monies for acquisition and rehabilitation.  

In addition to the Housing Advisory Commission review, HTF proposals are reviewed by the Commission on Disability to help obtain a higher level of accessibility than required by State Law. 

The City also uses the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program to increase affordable/accessible housing.  

For example, in the last 25 years, CDBG monies have funded the Center for Independent Living’s wheelchairs ramp and interior accessibility program.  

Other programs receiving CDBG funds include Christmas in April Program, the Minor Home Repair Program, and the City’s Seniors and Disabled Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program.  

These programs offer grants or low interest, deferred loans for necessary repairs to homes owned by low income seniors or disabled persons. 

As is apparent to all, Berkeley and the Bay Area are in the middle of a dire housing crisis.  

It will take the cooperative effort of the City and its residents to help overcome that crisis. At present, the need is far greater than the resources available and only a small number of people can be assisted unless major new funding is forthcoming.  

You may contact the City’s Housing Department at 644-6001 to obtain more information about housing programs and other activities the City is undertaking to develop/preserve affordable housing and to assist residents with their housing needs. 

Stephen Barton, 

City of Berkeley 

Interim Housing Director 

Despite some $55 million property owners poured into defeating Measure Y, the law was leading at 1 a.m. with 56.4 percent in favor to the no group’s 43.5 percent. The new law will protect senior, disabled and long-term renters. 

Measure Y will amend the Berkeley rent ordinance to restrict a landlord’s ability to evict tenants by owner-occupancy move ins when the landlord owns a comparable unit. It will also prohibit the eviction of some elderly and disabled tenants and provide moving costs of $4,500 for some low-income tenants. 

The measure was the subject of controversy during in the last days of the campaign because of questionable fliers issued without return addresses by the No on Y Committee. 

In addition campaign workers for the No on Y Committee were calling Berkeley residents representing themselves as members the League of Women Voters and asking them to vote no on the measure, when they were not. 

Larry Buchaulter, a paraplegic and campaign worker for the Committee to Defend Affordable Housing, which campaigned for the measure, said Berkeley is a special place and has become even more special. “Here we have the advantage of being able to access schools, book stores, hospitals and progressive politics,” he said. “Measure Y will go a long way to protecting those things.” 

At the same time, the four pro-rent control candidates were leading: Matthew Siegel had 24.4 percent of the vote, Max Anderson had 20.1 percent, Paul Hogarth had 21.6 percent. It appeared that property owner representative Peggy Schioler had received 14.9 percent and would not be seated on the board.

Not only did Joaquin Rivera win re-election to the Berkeley Unified School District’s Board of Education - winning 41 percent of the vote with 60 precincts reporting – but he predicted it as well. 

Hopefully, his sixth sense will serve him in the coming four years as he again assumes the role of Board President and struggles to make his vision become a reality.  

“I want to continue on the current path and continue implementing strategies to help under performing kids get up to speed.” 

For Rivera that means closing the achievement gap, expanding the board’s literacy program to include kindergarten through 12th grade and making sure Berkeley High School undergoes reforms “so that all students receive equal opportunities.” 

Meanwhile, it appeared that candidate John Selawsky had overtaken the early lead of Sherri Morton, who had garnered twenty percent to Selawsky’s 22 percent. 

“I want to see more state and federal money come into the Berkeley public school system. If we don’t, we’re doing a real disservice to public education,” Selawsky said, still campaigning early on Tuesday.  

The proof will be in the counting. 

Selawsky is also committed to revitalizing public school art and music programs. 

Rivera said that he looks forward to working with Selawsky. 

“John has been involved in the school district as an educator and parent activist and we welcome him.”  

Texas Gov. George W. Bush fought Al Gore in an agonizingly close presidential election Tuesday that came down to one state and a few thousand votes. Gore called Bush with congratulations, then called back to say he wasn’t ready to concede. 

“Unbelievable,” sighed Bush adviser Karen Hughes, after fielding the second call from Gore. 

It was an incredible political spectacle by any standard. “There’s never been a night like this one,” said Gore campaign chairman William Daley, after his boss retired for the night – unsure whether he had won or not. 

“Until the results in Florida become official our campaign continues,” Daley said to cheering supporters in Nashville. 

Florida had been the epicenter of the campaign and Tuesday night was beyond chaotic. At midevening news organizations said Gore was the winner, but they backtracked as more votes were counted and Bush eased ahead. 

Republicans maintained precarious control of Congress as the GOP bid to hold the House, Senate and presidency for the first time in 46 years. 

In New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton made history, becoming the nation’s first first lady to win a Senate seat. “You taught me, you tested me,” Mrs. Clinton told her adopted New Yorkers. “I am determined to make a difference for all of you.” 

TV networks projected Bush the winner, igniting GOP celebrations in Austin. An hour later, the conclusive vote they cited in Florida had tightened. The Associated Press did not declare a presidential winner, citing the ongoing tally. 

Supporters in Nashville chanted, “Recount!” and indeed state law made it certain that whoever wins Florida, officials will review the vote. 

In the most dramatic election in decades, it all came down to Florida. AP’s analysis showed the narrowest of margins with final votes still being tallied in several Democratic counties. The networks projected a Bush victory that would put him over the top and that sparked gloom in the Gore camp in Nashville and triumphant cheers in Texas. 

The election offers voters a choice of four more years of Democratic rule or a Republican “fresh start.” 

A Bush victory would give America its second father-son presidents after John Adams (1797-01) and John Quincy Adams (1825-29). 

Florida would give Bush 271 votes in the Electoral College, one over the majority needed to claim the presidency. Just thousands of votes separated the two candidates in Florida out of almost 6 million cast, and the margin was sure to require a recount. 

Four states were still to close to call: Florida, Oregon, Wisconsin and New Mexico. Gore won Iowa, a Democratic bastion that nearly went to Bush. 

With Florida officials continuing their tally, the New York Times said Bush had won and congratulated him on “the amazing political feat of laping to the White House after only six years in public office.” 

Republicans retained control of the Senate — if narrowly — and looked likely to keep a small majority in the House as well. Bush or Gore, the next president will be submitting his first-year agenda to a deeply divided Congress. 

Gore won big battlegrounds in Pennsylvania, Michigan and California while Bush claimed Texas, Ohio and a string of smaller states, including Gore’s Tennessee and Bill Clinton’s Arkansas. 

Green Party candidate Ralph Nader had just 3 percent of the national vote, but did well enough in to potentially tip several states to Bush. 

Ever confident, Bush went out for dinner and awaited final returns. When the news media called Florida for Gore in midevening, Bush said, “I don’t believe some of these states that they called, like Florida.” Regarding the vice president, Bush said, “I’ve run against a formidable opponent.” 

Gore, awaiting returns in Nashville, wasn’t heard from until his calls to Bush. 

Voters settled a full roster of propositions on the first general election day of the 21st Century. Residents of Colorado and Oregon, shaken by school shooting rampages, cracked down on gun show patrons and sweeping private school voucher proposals were defeated in California and Michigan. 

Democrats needed to pick up eight seats in the Senate to wrest control — an uphill task they could not attain. 

The presidential race — among the closest in a generation — foretold the end to Bill Clinton’s turbulent eight years in office. 

The math was excruciating for both campaigns — both candidates were within reach of an electoral majority, and agonizing defeat. By 4 a.m. EST, Bush had won 29 states for 246 electoral votes of the needed 270. Gore had won 17 states plus the District of Columbia for 243. Florida offered a tantalizing 25 votes to its winner. 

Long-time poll workers at south Berkeley polling places said last night they have never seen such a heavy turn voters.  

“This is certainly a larger turn out than I’ve seen in a long time,” said Bill Taylor who has been a worked as a poll worker off and on for the last 20 years. “There was a line to the door from 7 a.m. to noon.” 

Taylor, whose voice was getting horse at 7:30 p.m., cheerfully apologized to a line of 25 people for having to wait to cast their ballots at the Berkshire Retirement Home on Sacramento Street. He assured them they would be able to vote if they were patient.  

Prescient Inspector Norman Harvey at the Oregon Street Apartments Club House echoed other poll workers who said they have never had to fill out so many provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are required when a voter’s name does not appear on a precinct list. The challenged ballot must be reviewed and verified by a judge.  

“I’m not sure what the reason is, but we’ve had to fill out close to 40 provisional ballots today,” he said. “I’ve never seen that before.” 

Voter Donna Lee, who was filling out a provisional ballot form said she registered at the same time as her partner but she never received her sample ballot and her partner did. She said it took several phone calls and two trips to her polling place “but I got to vote and that’s the important thing.” 

At the Francis Albrier Community Center at San Pablo Park, poll worker Arlene Key said part of the reason for the increase in provisional ballots may be due to the large numbers of people who registered late. “There also people showing up here who haven’t voted in 10 years, they’re still registered but their names seem to of drifted away,” she said. 

Lillie Gibson who also works at the Community Center said another new trend is people are being nice. “I never had so many people say ‘thank you’ before,” she said. “And that’s nice.” 

SEOUL, South Korea — Creditors of Daewoo Motor Co. officially declared the ailing automaker bankrupt on Wednesday after its labor union rejected a restructuring plan calling for layoffs.  

Daewoo's creditors could now be at a disadvantage as they try to sell the company to General Motors Corp. – 

The bankruptcy announcement was made shortly after President Kim Dae-jung said his government was committed to restructuring debt-ridden companies from the market to boost investor confidence in the South Korean economy.  

“The union has refused to submit its consent to the restructuring plan. We can't wait any longer. Daewoo's bankruptcy has become formal,” said Yang Mun-suk, a spokesman for Daewoo's main creditor, Korea Development Bank.  

Creditors said the next expected step is to put the company under court receivership – a process that will install new management and freeze all debts.  

The auto firm was to have been officially declared bankrupt early Wednesday after it defaulted on $78 million in commercial papers for two straight days.  

But after overnight talks with management broke down, the union called a last-minute meeting of its own to discuss its future course of action. That meeting ended without consent to the restructuring plan, which would have prevented bankruptcy.  

In a speech to the National Assembly, President Kim said Wednesday that South Korea had no option but to reform its industries.  

“We must end market uncertainty by eliminating the debt-ridden companies that have been a huge burden on our economy,” Kim said in a speech to mark the submission of the government budget for the next year. The speech was read by Prime Minister Lee Han-dong. The centerpiece of Daewoo's restructuring program would have been an 18 percent layoff of the union's 18,000 members.  

The union rejected the creditors' demand.  

Court receivership will hinder creditors' ability to negotiate with GM, which has been seeking to purchase the South Korean carmaker since September.  

Creditors worry that the sale of Daewoo to GM could be delayed because the American firm may offer a lower price. In hotly contested international bidding earlier this year, GM reportedly offered a price of between $4 billion and $5 billion.  

Daewoo, a former symbol of the nation's economic expansion, has been on a debt-workout program since July 1999.  

Last week, creditors stopped sending new funds to Daewoo, demanding that its union accept layoffs. Daewoo executives said the company cannot survive “even a day” without funds from creditor banks.  

Daewoo officials said the company has $155 million in commercial papers due this week but it has no financial resources to honor them.  

If Daewoo is put under court receivership, its 550 main subcontractors could collapse in a chain reaction. Receivership would install new management and freeze all debts.  

Some auto analysts said court receivership may help overhaul the inefficient carmaker ahead of a buyout by GM. 

South Korea’'s two other once-troubled car firms – Kia Motors Corp. and Samsung Motors Inc. – were sold to Hyundai Motor Co. and Renault SA of France respectively after being put under court receivership.  

Although heavily indebted, Daewoo could provide an easy way for foreign auto giants to crack open South Korea's car market and serve as a stepping stone into nearby China, one of the fastest-growing car markets in Asia.  

Daewoo has the capacity to make 2 million vehicles a year at home and abroad.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — On each of the 28 trees along Joe Lieberman’s block, there was a large red, white and blue ribbon – good luck charms put up by his neighbors as he and Al Gore made their final push for the White House on Tuesday. 

About 20 of Lieberman’s friends and neighbors gathered just down the street from his home Tuesday night, anxiously watching the returns and waiting to hear whether their well-known neighbor – who easily won re-election to the Senate Tuesday – would be the next vice president. 

“He’s one of us. It’s like when you have a child and he succeeds – you take pleasure in that success,” said 82-year-old Peggy Saars. 

Sometimes when she sees Lieberman walking down the street, Saars coaxes him into political discussions. 

“I say, ‘Come over here, young man,’ and then we chat about anything that’s on my mind ... and he listens very attentively,” Saars said. 

Jane Snaider, 54, a local Democratic activist, hosted the block party. 

“I think he’s about as honest and honorable a politician as you can get,” Snaider said. “There is no other side to him. What you see is what you get.” 

Elaine and Maxwell Stock wrote Lieberman a poem, which they shared with his neighbors. “Dear Joe, we want you to know, to the highest office we expect you and Al to go,” it reads in part. 

Early returns showed a close presidential race. Many guests were excited – but not all. 

“I would love to see the Gore-Lieberman ticket win. I’m fearful that they will not,” said Maxwell Stock. 

Guests gathered around a large TV and munched on popcorn, brownies, chocolate cake and – in honor of Lieberman, the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket – homemade kosher chicken soup. 

Snaider said her guests were welcome to stay into the early morning hours if, as pundits predict, the results are not known until then. 

“They can stay as long as they want,” she said. “We’re all here for Joe.” 

But by midnight, all the guests had gone home to sleep, leaving Snaider alone to watch the returns. She planned to stay up as late as she could. 

“It’s once in a lifetime that your neighbor runs for vice president,” Snaider said. “He’s getting all this attention across the country from people he doesn’t even know. His street should be just as intense as the rest of the country.” 

NEW YORK — A Web site that purported to buy and sell votes in the presidential election came clean Tuesday and said it was all a piece of political satire. 

The admission came after an Illinois judge ordered the site to shut down. A Massachusetts judge also had ordered that it stop offering votes in that state for sale. In addition, the site- voteauction.de, prompted investigations by California and Nebraska officials. 

State and federal laws prohibit buying and selling votes. 

The site’s owner, Hans Bernhard of Vienna, Austria, and fellow operators issued a statement on Election Day: “It will be obvious, even to the legal folk, that there are people out there buying and selling votes, but that it is not us. We just gave you the showcase. The real dealers do their businesses quite openly in Washington. Vive la difference ” 

The site has complained of special interest groups that donate money to candidates who then spend it on advertising to win votes. The site claimed to be cutting out the middleman and getting money directly to voters. It said that votes were selling for as much as $157 each. 

Deborah Phillips, chairwoman of the nonprofit Voting Integrity Project, which monitors election fraud, urged authorities to continue investigating. 

“I get a sense they are all backpedaling quickly,” she said. “I am leery about people dismissing it as a political statement or a joke if that is what they have to do to escape prosecution.” 

On the Net: 

Voting Integrity Project: http://votingintegrity.org 

Vote Auction site: http://voteauction.de 

Among the findings of Voter News Service exit polling of California voters in Tuesday's election: 

l Vice President Al Gore won the support of six in 10 California women voters. 

l Gore outpolled Texas Gov. George W. Bush by a 2-1 margin among Hispanics. 

l Bush polled higher among those who said they haven't felt the benefits of the nation's good economy. He was supported by nearly two-thirds of those who said their financial situation was the same or worse than it was four years ago. 

l Self-described moderates heavily favored Gore. About 58 percent of those voters supported the vice president, with a margin of error at 3.5 percent. 

l Bush polled highest among those who listed taxes as their top concern _ about eight in ten of those voters supported him.  

l Voters who named education as their main concern leaned toward Gore. 

l About one in eight independent voters _ a group that accounts for 20 percent of the California electorate _ supported Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. The balance of independents were split between Bush and Gore. 

l Older voters leaned slightly toward Gore. Those 65 and older, who account for about one-fifth of voters, supported t 

he vice president by a  

narrow margin. 

l Gore enjoyed the support of voters in all income categories less than $100,000, while those in the top income bracket leaned toward Bush.

SAN FRANCISCO — A man has been ordered to stand trial on two counts of animal cruelty after biting his dog. 

Stephen Maul admits he bit his dog, but says he did it to discipline the Labrador mix named Boo after the dog jumped out of Maul’s truck and ran into San Francisco traffic. 

Maul was arrested after the Sept. 9 incident, in which he allegedly forced Boo to the ground and bit him on the neck. That incident is being charged as a felony, and another incident from March is being charged as a misdemeanor. 

Maul’s attorney, Jasper Monti, said the 24-year-old furniture mover simply was using an unorthodox method of dog training, that mimics the dog behavior of male dominance. 

“Nothing here was cruel or hurtful,” Monti said. “It’s the most direct and efficient way to maintain training.” Prosecutor Jun Fernandez said the biting was indeed animal cruelty. 

“This is not normal behavior, a man biting his dog,” Fernandez said.

PORTLAND, Ore. — When the sheriff’s car with Nevada markings drove up to her house in the foothills of the Coast Range, Evelee Strempel rushed to meet it. Inside was the daughter Strempel had not seen since she left the little girl with a babysitter in 1985. 

The 18-year-old woman who emerged was thrilled to finally be home after spending nearly her entire life moving from place to place. 

“Different places. Sometimes every day,” Fallon Marie Hodges told KVAL-TV after she was reunited with her mother on Sunday. 

Hodges and Strempel told the Eugene television station and the Mail Tribune, a Medford newspaper, that she had never been to school or to a doctor while she was being raised by Marcella Whitehead and a man named Roland Homenyk. 

“I’m well-traveled,” Hodges joked. “Got any questions about vacationing?” 

Her mother was just thankful her daughter had been returned after years of searching. 

“I was just jumping up and down screaming and crying and laughing all at the same time,” Strempel told KVAL. “It was the best news I’d had in a long time.” 

The FBI is not sure whether to treat the case as a kidnapping or as an abandoned child case, but Mike Morrow, the FBI’s supervisory senior resident agent in Eugene, says it is under investigation. 

Morrow, a former member of a special FBI unit that tracked child abductions and serial killers, said “only a handful” of the thousands of cases handled by that unit resembles the Hodges case. 

The teen-ager told police she had been living with a couple who left her in Lovelock, Nev., about 90 miles northeast of Reno, telling her they would contact her once they were safely away and tell her about her true identity. 

Hodges waited for a month before walking into the Pershing County sheriff’s office in northern Nevada and telling them she didn’t know her real name – but that it might be Fallon. 

Pershing County Sheriff Ron Skinner said the girl told them that she thought she was born in October and that she believed she had a twin brother named Dustin. 

Investigators checked birth records and found a Fallon Marie Hodges who was born in Eugene on Oct. 17, 1982. 

From there, they linked the girl to her mother, Strempel, who now lives in Veneta, a small foothills town just west of Eugene. Strempel had moved to Veneta about a month ago after living in Central Point, just west of Medford near the California border. 

“The girl seemed to be happy,” said Skinner, who drove the teen home from Nevada. “We’re calling it a successful recovery of a missing child.” 

Strempel said she left Fallon and her twin brother, Dustin, then just 3, with Whitehead while she sorted out her financial problems. She returned for Dustin, and said she would be back soon for Fallon. But Strempel says the sitter and the girl were gone when she returned. 

Strempel told KVAL she never reported her daughter missing because she was going through a difficult time, she didn’t have a home and was involved in drugs. But she says she never stopped looking for her, and claims she was misled by Whitehead. 

“They weren’t the greatest people, and I never knew that,” Strempel said. “Nobody seemed to know these people because they had given me a false last name.” 

Hodges says she was led to believe she was abandoned and blames Whitehead and Homenyk. 

“I believed them,” she told KVAL. “I believed all the lies they told me, which was a lot, I’m finding out. So if there was any resentment now, it’s on them, definitely.” 

CHICAGO — Many Medicare beneficiaries are not getting the treatment they should be receiving, such as regular mammograms for breast cancer survivors and annual vision terts for diabetics, a rtudx found. 

It was not clear from the study whether the fault lies with the patients or with their doctors. 

The study, reported in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 345,253 Medicare patients 65 and older. 

Fewer than two-thirds received care fnr 14 out of 37 generally recommended procedures, including preventive care, diagnostic tests and hospitalization, the researchers reported. 

Fewer than two-thirds of white breast cancer patients, who run a high risk of another cancer, received annual follow-up mammograms.  

Fewer than half of diabetics, who are prone to eye problems, received annual vision tests. The lapses occurred even though the treatments were covered by Medicare. 

Blacks, poor people and those living in rural areas were especially likely to be undertreated, said the researchers, from the Rand Corp. think tank in Santa Monica, and the Veterans Affairs Department. 

The findings follow a state-by-state Medicare study publisied last month in JAMA that found widespread geographical disparities in care. 

Edward L. Hannan, a State University of New York health policy expert, said in an accompanying editorial that the Rand study underlines “a compelling need to engage in painsTajing sTudies of hw tre‘tlent edchshons are m‘ed.&’ 

The rutdx did not ex‘mind the reasonr for thd gaps in care. But 

Dr. Steven Asch of the West Los Angeles VA Hospital who led the study, said the possibilities incmude pooser-quality phyricians, patients& hn‘bilhux ns unwillingners tn follnw doctors’ instructinnr, and discrimination by doctors. 

Asch raid the findings suggest that inadequate care contributed in some cases to worse outcomes.  

Blacks were hospitalized more often for congestive idart g‘ilure than vhitds, perhapr becatse thex had poorer treatment or preventive care or less access to care, he said. 

The researchers examined Medicare claims data from 1994-96, but Asch said a lack of adeqtate care among beneficiasies remains ‘ qrobldm. 

On the Net: 

JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org 

Health Care Finance Administration: http://www.hcfa.gov

BELLEVUE, Neb. — The doctor at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case over what abortion foes call “partial-birth abortions” is trying to head off eviction from his clinic. 

In May, a partnership of three people opposed to abortion, including state Sen. Paul Hartnett of Bellevue, bought the building used by Dr. LeRoy Carhart. They want to evict Carhart, who is one of only three doctors in Nebraska known to perform abortions. 

Carhart has gone to court, arguing that his lease allows him first right to buy the building. 

Also in May, an anti-abortion group sent letters to 13 area mayors, asking them to take a stand against Carhart moving to their communities. 

In addition, in October, the University of Nebraska Medical Center said it is dropping Carhart as a volunteer faculty member. The medical center gave no reason. 

Carhart challenged Nebraska’s law banning partial-birth abortions. In June, the Supreme Court struck down the ban, ruling that the law created an undue burden on a woman’s right to end a pregnancy. 

Carhart performs more than 1,200 abortions a year, of which he says about 20 employ the “partial-birth” procedure, which involves cutuing the skull of a fetus and draining its contents before extracting the body. 

LOS ANGELES — California awarded its massive electoral prize to Al Gore on Tuesday, sent Democrat Dianne Feinstein back to the Senate and rejected what would have been the nation’s biggest school voucher program. 

Voters also approved new campaign finance restrictions and a measure that would send thousands of drug users to treatment programs instead of jail. 

In the presidential race, California’s 54 electoral votes had been considered a lock for Gore over Republican George W. Bush until the final weeks of the campaign, when Green Party candidate Ralph Nader helped make the race closer. 

Although the national race was extremely tight, California voters clearly wanted more of Gore. 

“This man is so knowledgeable about the programs that are important to people in this country,” said Oakland senior citizen Bettina Valdes. 

With two-thirds of precincts reporting, Gore had 52 percent to Bush’s 43 percent. 

In the Senate, Feinstein fended off Republican challenger Tom Campbell. With two-thirds of precincts reporting, Feinstein had 55 percent of the vote; Campbell had 37 percent. 

California also hosted a handful of the nation’s closest contests for Congress, though Republicans appeared likely to retain control nationwide. 

In Southern California, incumbent Republican James Rogan – a prosecutor during President Clinton’s impeachment trial – was leading Democratic state Sen. Adam Schiff 50 percent to 47 percent with nearly one-third of precincts reporting. The candidates, who together raised at least $9.5 million, were expected to have the costliest House campaign ever. 

In Silicon Valley, Democrat Mike Honda defeated Republican Assemblyman Jim Cunneen for the seat left open by Campbell. With half the precincts reporting, Honda had 54 percent to Cunneen’s 43 percent. 

Voters turned down Proposition 38, sponsored by high-tech venture capitalist Tim Draper, which would have given parents a $4,000 voucher to send their children to private schools. The measure was failing by 70 percent to 30 percent. 

“Where exactly will the money go and who will monitor it?” asked Los Angeles voter Monica Armbrester, who voted against 38. “I don’t buy the economics of the plan.” 

The other education initiative, Proposition 39, would reduce the vote needed to approve local school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent. With more than half of precincts reporting, the issue was leading 52 percent to 48 percent. 

Total spending for the two school issues reached nearly $100 million. 

Voters approved Proposition 36, which would send people convicted of nonviolent drug possession to treatment rather than prison. With more than half of precincts reporting, 59 percent had backed the initiative. 

“If it’s treatable and the person can get off of drugs, I think that’s better than throwing them in jail when we could be throwing rapists, and murderers and those type of people in jail instead,” said Oakland voter Caroline Hong. 

A campaign finance reform measure, Proposition 34, won 60 percent approval. Proposed by state lawmakers, the measure caps donations to politicians and limits their spending. It would also repeal most of Proposition 208, a tougher initiative approved by voters in 1996 that is tied up in court. 

Opponents – including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and liberal actor Warren Beatty – argued 34 wasn’t real reform. It marked the sixth time in 12 years California voters were asked to restrict campaign spending. 

On a local ballot, Mendocino County voters were raising a little smoke, voting to make pot crops legal, in small doses. Measure G, which allows residents to grow up to 25 pot plants, was leading 54 percent to 46 percent with two-thirds of precincts reporting. Pot crops would still be banned under state and federal laws.

LOS ANGELES — The Republican Party’s best chance to wrest a California House seat from Democrats ended in failure late Tuesday, as Rep. Cal Dooley defeated Republican TV anchorman Rich Rodriguez to represent a Central Valley district. 

Democrats also picked up a district in the Silicon Valley, as Assemblyman Mike Honda defeated GOP Assemblyman Jim Cunneen for the seat that had been held by moderate Republican Tom Campbell, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. 

California’s other hotly contested congressional races, which Democrats hoped could offset Republican gains elsewhere, were living up to expectations with returns indicating very tight races. 

Heading into Election Day, at least eight of the 52 California seats were considered close contests that could end the GOP’s six-year control of the House. Democrats needed to pick up seven seats to gain a majority. 

Nationally, Voter News Service projected Republicans would retain control, based on interviews with voters as they left the polls across the country. 

The most closely watched California contests might remain nail-biters for days.  

A record 3.2 million voters in the state requested absentee ballots, and county election officials said 1 million of those would not be counted Tuesday night. 

In the Central Valley race targeted by the GOP, five-term incumbent Dooley beat Rodriguez 51 percent to 47 percent with 93 percent of precincts reporting. The 20th District includes Kings County and parts of Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties. 

In the Silicon Valley, Honda captured 54 percent of the vote to Cunneen’s 43 percent, with 52 percent of precincts reporting. 

In one of the most closely watched contests, House impeachment manager James Rogan was trailing Democratic state Sen. Adam Schiff. Both sides together raised at least $9.5 million in the suburban Los Angeles race, the costliest congressional contest in U.S. history. 

Schiff led Rogan 49 percent to 48 percent with 39 percent of precincts reporting in the 27th District, which was among several targeted by Democrats. 

Rogan, a former judge elected to the House in 1996, gained national attention as a House prosecutor during President Clinton’s impeachment, and said that if he lost that would be to blame. 

Schiff, a senator since 1996 and well-known in the congressional district, said that if he won he would focus on local issues rather than what he called partisan politics. 

Democrats have a 44-37 percent registration edge in the district, which includes Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, San Marino and La Canada Flintridge. 

In another Los Angeles-area district with a Democratic edge in registration, GOP Rep. Steve Kuykendall was leading former Rep. Jane Harman for the 36th District seat she left in 1998 to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor. 

Kuykendall led Harman 52 percent to 44 percent with 20 percent of precincts reporting. 

Harman had held the seat representing the affluent Palos Verdes Peninsula for six years. 

In San Diego County, three-term Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray was trailing Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Davis, in a district where Democrats and Republicans were almost tied in registration. Davis led Bilbray 49 percent to 47 percent with 80 percent of precincts reporting. 

In other closely watched races: 

l In Long Beach, GOP Rep. Steve Horn was leading Democratic educator Gerrie Schipske 49 percent to 47 percent for his 38th District seat, with 66 percent of precincts reporting. 

l In the East Bay’s 10th District, Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher defeated Claude Hutchison Jr., chairman of the Contra Costa County Republican Party, 52 percent to 44 percent, with 62 percent of precincts reporting. 

l In the Central Coast’s 22nd District, Democratic incumbent Lois Capps defeated Republican Mike Stoker, 53 percent to 45 percent, with 100 percent of precincts reporting. An estimated 30,000 absentee votes were expected to remain uncounted election night. 

LOS ANGELES — Proposition 34, a plan to limit campaign spending crafted by politicians and denounced by good-government groups, was approved Tuesday by voters who faced their sixth campaign reform measure in 12 years. 

The initiative, placed on the ballot by the Legislature’s leadership, was approved by a nearly 3-2 margin. 

The measure would restrict California’s virtually unlimited campaign spending, but impose more lenient limits than those in a 1996 measure approved by voters. That measure, like all its predecessors, is tied up in court. 

The latest proposal was sponsored by the Legislature’s top Democrats, Senate leader John Burton of San Francisco and Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg of Van Nuys. 

“I think this is about as good as it gets,” Hertzberg said. “I think it reflects people’s frustration and desire for campaign finance reform.” 

Critics included California Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. A television ad attacking the initiative featured Arizona Sen. John McCain, who pushed for campaign finance reform in the U.S. Senate, and actor Warren Beatty. 

Opponents also included Tony Miller, a former top state elections official and supporter of the earlier campaign reform measure with lower limits. 

“It is filled with loopholes. It doesn’t really get the money out of politics at all. It just will be shifted around,” Miller said. 

It would limit per-election donations from most sources to the governor to $20,000, $5,000 for statewide races and $3,000 for legislative candidates. 

Political parties could give unlimited sums to campaigns, though they could collect no more than $25,000 a year from any one donor to support or oppose candidates. 

A donor could give limitless sums of money to a party if the cash was not meant for a specific campaign.

SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor Willie Brown lost his majority on the city’s Board of Supervisors Tuesday as voters appeared to vent their anger over the wrenching changes the Internet economy has brought to their city. 

Proposition L, an office development ban aimed at curtailing Brown’s pro-growth policies, led narrowly with 92 percent of the precincts reporting: 51 percent of voters were in favor and 49 percent opposed. 

Proposition K, a competing, less-stringent development moratorium proposed by Brown, was rejected by 61 percent of voters. 

“Willie Brown’s candidates are going down. Prop K is going down horribly. Prop L looks like it’s going to win. People have had it and people really are taking back their city,” said Debra Walker, co-sponsor of Proposition L. 

Brown, who had a 9-2 majority until now, lost ground to a slate of reform-minded challengers organized by Tom Ammiano, the board president whose failed campaign to unseat Brown last year galvanized a grassroots movement. 

Ammiano handily won back his seat and brought five allies with him. Only five of the candidates Brown endorsed got elected. 

Proposition L, a growth-control measure put on the ballot after a signature drive, and Proposition K, a less-stringent alternative proposed by Brown, sought to rein in the city’s spiraling cost of living by limiting new developments blamed for gentrification. Brown’s allies spent almost no money promoting K, focusing on defeating L. 

The other 16 propositions included one urging the Navy to speed its cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard and another that would promote an educational museum as an alternative to a Las Vegas-style development at Pier 45. Both measures were overwhelmingly approved. 

WASHINGTON — George W. Bush got strong backing Tuesday from voters who sought honesty and strong leadership in a candidate, exit polls say, while Al Gore drew solid support from those who wanted experience and understanding of complex issues.  

The voters’ split priorities reflected the tug-of-war between personality and experience that has been at the core of this campaign, exit surveys suggested.  

Voters were interviewed as they left the polls by Voter News Service, a consortium of The AP and television networks. The poll results were based on interviews with 13,049 voters after they voted Tuesday and have an error margin of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.  

Gore led among women, blacks and Hispanics; Bush among men mand whites. Bush led among parents; Gore among non-parents, a larger group. The two candidates were matched fairly evenly among most age groups. Gore led among those who made $30,000 or less while Bush led among those who made $75,000 or more. They were evenly divided among middle-income voters. Gore led among those who thought issues were most important while Bush led among those who valued personal qualities.  

Gore led among those who called themselves moderates, while Bush led among Protestants and white Catholics, a group President Clinton carried in 1996.  

They both had strong support from their party base and were splitting independents about evenly. Gore was getting four of five Clinton supporters from 1996 and Bush was getting nine of 10 supporters of Bob Dole. Ross Perot's voters from 1996 tilted heavily toward Bush. 

In Rogers Park, on the north side of Chicago, dentist John Scovic said integrity was the issue that led him to vote for Bush.  

“I just think George Bush has more leadership skills and a more principled, centered-type personality,” Scovic said.  

Gore supporter Sharon Gordon, a homemaker from Dimondale, Mich., came in to vote even though she had the flu.  

“I don't think Bush is very bright. I wasn’t happy with his dad. I think we'll get the same thing,'' she said. “I got a little sick of this bringing up morality.” She praised Gore as “a good family man.”  

The most important issue for voters was the economy, and those who picked that issue backed Gore heavily. About half the voters said their personal finances were better than four years ago and that group overwhelmingly voted for Gore.  

Taxes were another important issue and that group backed Bush by an overwhelming margin.  

Bush was backed by those who thought world affairs was the top issue, while Gore was backed by those who thought health care and prescription drugs were top issues.  

By a 2-to-1 margin, voters thought the country was on the right track, and that group leaned toward Gore. By almost the same margin, voters though the country was on the wrong track morally, and that group tilted toward Bush.  

Both candidates felt the effects of Clinton in this election. 

Two-thirds of voters felt the president was at least somewhat responsible for the strong economy and those people leaned toward Gore. Those who felt the president was very responsible backed Gore by a 4-to-1 margin. About one in four voters were from union households and they backed Gore 2-to-1. 

About one in five voters made their decision in the last week and favored Gore. Bush and Gore were very close among those who decided earlier. 

Just under half felt the president's scandals were at least somewhat important and they tilted heavily toward Bush. Those who thought the scandals were very important backed Bush by 4-to-1. 

Mary Cole, a 67-year-old retired state worker usually votes Democratic, but she cast her ballot for Bush in St. Clair Shores, Mich. “I just liked the way Bush talked,'' she said. “He was honest. 

There was something about Gore I didn't like. I think I felt more secure with Bush.”

SACRAMENTO — Democrats kept their majorities in the Legislature on Tuesday, giving them the chance to redraw district lines next year to keep control well into the future. 

Republicans had been hopeful of cutting into those Democratic advantages, but Democrats said they could actually increase their strength. 

“We will pick up some seats,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys. “We’ll be at least at 48 and could be as good as 50.” 

Assembly Minority Leader Scott Baugh, R-Huntington Beach, said the best the GOP could hope for was a gain of three seats in his house. 

In the Senate, President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, predicted that Democrats would win at least 25 seats and could end up with 26, a forecast Minority Leader Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, agreed with. 

Going into the election, Democrats held 25 of the Senate’s 40 seats and 46 of the Assembly’s 80 seats.  

The GOP had 15 seats in the Senate and 32 in the Assembly. One Assembly seat was vacant and one was held by independent Audie Bock of Piedmont. 

The Democratic victories mean they will be able to pass redistricting plans next year seeking to solidify or even expand their edges in the Legislature and win more congressional seats, though the plans would likely face a challenge in court or on the ballot from Republicans. 

Democrats picked up one seat when Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan defeated Bock, a former Green Party member who stunned the Democratic establishment when she won the Oakland area seat in a special election last year. 

With nearly half of the vote counted, Chan was leading 67 percent to 21 percent. 

Key Senate races included a battle between Sen. Richard Rainey, R-Walnut Creek, and Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Martinez, that could come close to beating the two-candidate spending record of $6.37 million. 

With 55 percent of the precincts reporting, Torlakson was leading 55 percent to 43 percent. Burton predicted Torlakson would win. 

Sacramento-Stockton area Senate race between Assemblyman Mike Machado, D-Linden, and Lodi City Councilman Alan Nakanishi could also top $6 million. 

That race was one of the tightest of the night, with Machado leading by less than 900 votes with nearly 60 percent of the vote counted. 

In the Assembly, Republican Dennis Yates, a Chico city councilman, led Democrat Gloria McLeod, a community college board member, 56 percent to 41 percent for a vacant Pomona area seat.  

Democrat Nell Soto, D-Pomona, gave up the seat earlier this year after winning a special state Senate election. 

The Legislature this fall saw more million-dollar races than ever, fueled in part by redistricting.  

Lawmakers are required to redraw legislative and congressional districts every 10 years to reflect population changes revealed by the new federal census. 

If one party controls both houses of the Legislature and holds the governor’s office, it can use redistricting next year to pack as many of the opposing party’s voters into as few districts as possible.

RENO, Nev. — Former Republican Rep. John Ensign bounced back from a razor-thin loss two years ago Tuesday to become the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Nevada in 12 years. 

Ensign, 42, a veterinarian and son of a casino mogul, was leading Democrat Ed Bernstein of Las Vegas by a comfortable 13 percent margin in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Richard Bryan. 

Ensign won the first of two House races in the 1994 Republican wave that made Newt Gingrich speaker.  

He came within one-tenth of 1 percent of defeating Democratic Sen. Harry Reid two years ago in a recount that stretched into December. 

“It’s really been four years we’ve been running,” Ensign said as he watched early returns with GOP faithful at the Peppermill Hotel-Casino in Reno. 

“That loss was one of the better things that ever happened to me,” he said. 

“Your greatest victories in life come from your greatest defeats. You can learn so much about yourself. I think I needed a good dose of humility back then. It was good for me. I needed to learn a lot about myself. Nothing can teach you that more than a good defeat.” 

Ensign, who lost to Reid by 428 votes in 1998, said he sensed more support for his campaign this time around. 

“Everywhere I’ve been around the state, the crowds have been huge. Our volunteer base dwarfed our volunteer base of last time. It’s truly been overwhelming,” he said. 

“So many people have come up to me and said, ‘I could have got you 428 votes last time.’ 

There must have been 200 people who told me that personally. People didn’t want that to happen again. 

“But we didn’t take anything for granted. Right up until the polls closed we had people working the precincts,” he said. 

Bernstein, a Las Vegas lawyer, spent about $1 million of his own money but said he was having trouble overcoming Ensign’s 3-to-1 fund-raising advantage. 

Republican ads down the stretch attacked Bernstein’s profession. Keith Kapaun, 50, a telecommunications consultant in Sparks, said that played a role in his decision to back Ensign. 

“I don’t want an ambulance-chasing lawyer for my senator,” Kapaun said after he voted. 

Collin Ferrari, 19, a student at the University of Nevada-Reno, also voted for Ensign. 

“He’s for keeping more local control rather than sending our money and power to Washington,” he said. 

Kathy Berry, an independent who works in marketing at a community college in Reno, voted for George W. Bush for president but backed Bernstein for the Senate. 

“I know it sounds contradictory, but I didn’t feel Ensign was compatible with women’s issues. So you can see I really had to hate Al Gore to vote for Bush. ... I don’t think I can trust him,” Berry said.

ST. LOUIS — Missourians elected a dead man to the Senate on Tuesday, choosing Gov. Mel Carnahan – who perished three weeks ago in a plane crash – over Republican incumbent John Ashcroft. Carnahan’s widow had agreed to take her husband’s place. 

With 84 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, Carnahan had 1,075,872 votes, or 50 percent. Ashcroft, a Republican, had 1,039,409, or 49 percent. 

The plane crash that killed Carnahan, his son and an aide Oct. 16 turned the nationally watched contest against Republican Sen. John Ashcroft from notoriously bitter to decidedly bizarre. 

Carnahan died too late to revise the ballot. No one had ever posthumously won election to the Senate, though voters on at least three occasions sent deceased candidates to the House. 

Gov. Roger Wilson, who took office after Carnahan’s death, said he would appoint Carnahan’s 66-year-old widow, Jean, to a two-year term should Ashcroft lose. Mrs. Carnahan became the implicit challenger when she declared herself strong enough to accept appointment. 

Some Republicans had threatened a court challenge if that happened. 

Early Wednesday, as her husband pulled ahead, she addressed hundreds of St. Louis-area supporters by phone from her home in Rolla. 

“You have stayed the course; you have kept the faith; you have carried our hopes and dreams,” she said. 

“Lincoln never saw his nation made whole again. Susan B. Anthony never cast a vote. Martin Luther King never finished his mountaintop journey. My husband’s journey was cut short, too. And for reasons we don’t understand, the mantle has now fallen upon us,” she said. 

Ashcroft, 58, resumed his campaign eight days after the crash, airing his own new TV ad featuring former Sen. John Danforth, a mentor, telling Missourians, “What’s happening today to John Ashcroft is just not right.” 

Meanwhile, the late governor’s campaign spent $700,000 to broadcast Mrs. Carnahan making a direct appeal to voters to keep her husband’s vision alive. 

She answered a dozen questions in writing from The Associated Press, describing views in favor of abortion rights, gun control and other issues, all reflecting stands by her husband in direct opposition to Ashcroft’s. 

In St. Louis on Tuesday, long lines of voters led a state judge, at Democrats’ request, to order the city to keep its polls open until 10 p.m., three extra hours. A shortage of booths, ballots, judges and equipment had vexed the city throughout the day. 

But the Board of Election Commissioners appealed swiftly, and a three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals ordered the polls closed immediately – after they had been open nearly an extra hour. 

Both popular vote-getters elected twice as Missouri governor, Carnahan and Ashcroft were politically like night and day. 

Ashcroft, a favorite of religious conservatives when he mulled a White House bid, signed restrictive abortion laws as governor that later were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.  

Carnahan, who served one term as Ashcroft’s lieutenant governor and succeeded Ashcroft, vetoed further abortion restrictions as well as concealed-weapons legislation. 

Voter News Service, a cooperative of The Associated Press, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC, conducted its exit poll in the California general election by interviewing 2,710 voters either as they left polling places in 50 precincts statewide Tuesday or by telephone during the past week. 

For the Election Day survey, each poll precinct was picked randomly in a process that was ordered to reflect state geography and past vote by party. 

As people left voting booths, VNS interviewers asked them to fill out a confidential questionnaire. Voters were chosen at a set interval – such as every fifth person – so that each voter had an equal chance of being picked. 

VNS also conducted a telephone poll to interview people who voted early or by absentee ballot. Results from the telephone poll were weighted so that those responses represented 25 percent of the sample, the estimated size of the pre-Election Day vote in California. 

In addition to weighting for telephone interviews, the results were adjusted to reflect the different probabilities of selecting a precinct and a voter within each precinct, as well as by the observed sex, race and estimated age of voters who refused to participate. 

As with any poll, the results could vary because of chance variations in the sample. For this poll, there was one chance in 20 that sampling error would cause the results to vary by more than 2.5 percentage points either way from the opinions of all voters who participated in the state’s election. The error margin was higher for subgroups in the sample. 

Polls are subject to other sources of error, such as from question wording or order.

Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, under fire for supporting gay rights, won re-election Tuesday over a challenger opposed to the new law creating civil unions for same-sex couples.  

In West Virginia, a Democrat ousted Republican Gov. Cecil Underwood. Delaware voters elected a woman as governor for the first time  

Tuesday, but a similar trailblazing bid by cancer-stricken Heidi Heitkamp fell short in North Dakota.  

In all, 11 governorships were at stake, seven of them held by Democrats.  

Two races remained unsettled early Wednesday – virtual dead heats in GOP-held Montana and Democratic-held Missouri.  

Of the nine decided races, only West Virginia's marked a change in party control.  

Underwood, at 78 the nation's oldest governor, lost to U.S. Rep. Bob Wise.  

In Vermont, Dean won a fifth term despite furor over the civil-union bill he signed in April, giving marriage-like rights to gay and lesbian couples.  

With 92 percent of the precincts reporting, he had 51 percent of the vote, compared to 38 percent for Republican Ruth Dwyer, who favored repealing the law.  

Dean was conciliatory in victory. “We also have to be mindful of those who did not win, those who believe their view did not prevail,” he said.  

Heading into the election, the states had 30 Republican governors, 18 Democrats and two independents.  

The Republicans retained control in Utah, where Gov. Mike Leavitt easily won re-election, and in North Dakota, where banker John Hoeven beat Heitkamp with about 54 percent of the vote.  

Heitkamp, the Democratic attorney general, was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, had her right breast removed and is undergoing chemotherapy. “We’ ll just never know what the health challenge meant to me,” she said after conceding defeat.  

Democrats retained control in Washington, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Indiana.  

Washington incumbent Gary Locke, the nation’s first Chinese-American governor, defeated Republican John Carlson, a former radio talk show host.  

Delaware’s Lt. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, who in the 1970s worked as a statehouse receptionist, GOP state lawmaker John Burris.  

For New Hampshire, beset by a school-financing crisis, it was a milestone election.  

Incumbent Jeanne Shaheen, shifting from her previous stance, became the first candidate in decades to win without taking “the pledge” to veto a state income tax.  

She won 49 percent of the vote to 44 percent for former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey, who opposed any broad-based tax.  

In North Carolina, Attorney General Mike Easley defeated Republican Richard Vinroot, a former mayor of Charlotte, by 52 percent to 46 percent. Popular Democratic Gov. James Hunt was barred by a term limit from re-election.  

Gov. Frank O'Bannon won a second four-year term in Indiana, 

defeating Republican U.S. Rep. David McIntosh by 57 percent to 42 percent.  

One of the closest races was in Missouri, where outgoing Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash last month while campaigning for the U.S. Senate.  

His successor will be either Democratic State Treasurer Bob Holden or GOP Congressman Jim Talent. In Vermont, exit polling illustrated the divisiveness of civil unions.  

Of 832 responses – the largest sample yet polled on the issue in Vermont – 51 percent declared themselves either enthusiastic or supportive of the law, and 47 percent were opposed to or angry about the new law.  

The four-point difference was equal to the margin of sampling error in the Voter News Service poll.

WASHINGTON — Republicans battled Democrats for continued control of the House Tuesday, winning four seats in the East but giving two back in New York and Oklahoma. Democrats looked to California for offsetting gains. – 

On a night extremely kind to incumbents, three Republican lawmakers easily turned aside well-financed Democratic challengers in Kentucky.  

One House member was defeated – first-term Democratic Rep. Rush Holt in New Jersey, who lost his seat by fewer than 1,000 votes out of 280,000 cast.  

Republicans also won Democratic open seats in Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. 

Voter News Service projected Republicans would retain control, based on interviews with voters as they left the polls across the country.  

At 1 a.m. in the East, the national trend showed Republicans had won 197 seats and were leading for 28 more, with 218 required to seal control. Democrats had won 171 seats, and were leading for 34 more.  

Democrats needed to gain eight seats to guarantee a majority in the House that convenes in January. Republicans had won four seats formerly held by Democrats, and were leading for four more.  

Democrats had won two seats formerly in GOP hands, and were leading for three more. A Republican victory would mean a new term as speaker for Rep. J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, re-elected easily to an eighth term in the House.  

The Democratic leader, Dick Gephardt of Missouri, was leading in his bid for a new term, his 13th – and carefully watching the national trend to see whether he would regain the gavel he handed over to the Republicans nearly six years ago. 

Retirements brought new blood into the House.  

Former University of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne easily held an open seat for the Republicans with 82 percent of the vote – a rout not unlike some that his teams administered on the gridiron.  

In Oklahoma, Democrat Brad Carson claimed an open seat that Republicans had won in their 1994 landslide. The incumbent, Rep. Tom Coburn, retired after adhering to a self-imposed limit of three terms.  

Republicans also took away a seat in Pennsylvania, where a veteran Democrat opted for an ultimately unsuccessful bid for a Senate seat; and another in New York, claiming the seat held by Rep. Michael Forbes, a Republican-turned Democrat. In Virginia, the GOP also won a seat vacated by veteran Democrat Owen Pickett.  

The GOP also mounted a strong challenge for a Democratic open seat in Missouri, and narrowly held onto a seat vacated by a veteran Republican lawmaker in Florida who unsuccessfully sought a Senate seat.  

In polling place interviews during the day, a majority of voters said government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals. Voters who felt that way favored Republican candidates for the House. Those who thought government should do more to solve problems sided with Democrats.  

The poll, conducted by Voter News Service, found that Republicans fared best among voters who listed taxes as the most important issue. 

Democrats led among voters who named Medicare, prescription drugs, the economy and jobs, education and Social Security. VNS is a consortium of the Associated Press and the television networks.  

The most closely watched contests were scattered in all regions of the country. California, the most populous state, had five competitive seats, and offered Democrats the prospects of several gains.  

In the first hotly contested races settled, Republican Reps. Anne Northup, Ernest Fletcher and Ed Whitfield in Kentucky won new terms, overcoming costly Democratic challenges and benefiting from a strong statewide showing by George W. Bush. President Clinton campaigned for Northup's opponent last weekend as Democrats sought to take away her seat. 

Dozens of incumbents in each party were coasting to new terms by lopsided margins. In Virginia's northern suburbs, Democratic Rep. Jim Moran and Republican Rep. Tom Davis were coasting to re-election with roughly two-thirds of the vote - in adjoining districts.  

Much of the action revolved around open seats, the 26 districts where Republican incumbents were not on the ballot and nine where Democrats were not. A small number of incumbents in each party faced strenuous challenges, as well.  

As the polls closed on the costliest campaign in history, Democrats needed to pick up eight seats to dislodge the Republicans and regain the power they lost in the GOP landslide of 1994.  

The expiring House includes 222 Republicans, 209 Democrats, two independents, one siding with each party, and two vacancies, also split between the parties. One Democrat. Rep. Jim Traficant, has said he will support a Republican for speaker. 

The election marked the end of a campaign that made million-dollar House races commonplace. Candidates raised record amounts of money, none more than in California's 27th District, where GOP Rep. Jim Rogan and Democratic challenger Adam Schiff spent more than $9 million between them.  

But it didn't stop there.  

The political parties lavished tens of millions of dollars on television advertising in a few dozen targeted races. So, too, the special interests – the unions, pharmaceutical companies and others that dropped millions more on commercials designed to sway the voters.  

For the first time in years, Democrats were able to compete financially with the GOP. In district after district, they used their money to accuse Republicans of working side-by-side with special interests to thwart a patients’ bill of rights, prescription drugs for Medicare, campaign finance overhaul and other legislation while pushing a tax cut designed principally to benefit the wealthy. 

Republicans disputed those Democratic assertions, stressing instead that under their congressional leadership the national debt was being paid down at long last, the Social Security trust fund was off-limits to routine federal spending programs and more money was being diverted to defense. In the final months of the congressional session, they repackaged their tax cuts into smaller, more appetizing portions and watched – contentedly – as President Clinton vetoed them anyway. 

Despite the stakes involved, highly competitive races were the exception, not the rule. Dozens of lawmakers had no major party opposition. Scores more in each party faced weak, underfunded opponents, and were assured of new terms.  

Funding was not a problem for contenders in targeted races.  

Apart from the money the candidates themselves raised, the GOP congressional campaign committee reported taking in $130 million during the current election cycle. Democrats countered with $90 million – nearly three times the amount they raised for the 1998 campaign.  

Counting candidates' fund-raising, the money raised and spent on congressional elections was estimated at above $1 billion. Much of the party money went into television commercials, beginning over the summer in California, when Democrats launched their first attacks. By election eve, Democrats had spent about $50 million nationwide in television commercials, roughly 10 times what the party was able to afford two years ago.  

NEW YORK — It was the ultimate in reality television for grateful networks Tuesday: a presidential election with the final survivor a true mystery as the night wore on. 

Pundits had been almost wistful in predicting a nailbiter between George W. Bush and Al Gore, then became giddy when it turned out to be the case. 

“Stay with us,” NBC’s Tom Brokaw said with a wide smile. “We’re about to take you on an exciting and bumpy ride.” 

It made for gripping television. The networks spent millions of dollars on polls and vote-gathering efforts in an attempt to find out the results as quickly as possible. Instead, they got something better — old-fashioned suspense. 

An early sign of a tight race came during the network evening news. Anchors usually can be counted on to drop subtle hints from exit poll results about how the night will unfold, but few were forthcoming. 

“At this hour, the presidential race looks jar-lid tight,” Dan Rather said on CBS. 

Rather convened a panel of political experts and asked them to pick a winner at about 6:40 p.m. EDT. Linda DiVall picked Bush, Harrison Hickman guessed Gore and Norm Ornstein took a pass. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. 

Several analysts said their networks were taking time declaring states for either candidate, wanting to make sure exit poll results matched up with actual returns. 

“We’re waiting on a possible decision in Florida, but you’ve got time to put on another cup of coffee and pour it,” Rather said. 

Hold that java. NBC was the first to project Gore the winner in Florida just 10 minutes later. CBS and others followed soon after. 

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, the former political operative for President Clinton, predicted legal challenges to vote counts would be brought in several states if the race stayed close. 

Peter Jennings anchored ABC’s coverage from a midtown Manhattan studio, alternating between the lights of Times Square blinking behind him and the lights from an electoral map. 

On NBC, analyst Tim Russert used a laser pointer to pick out states on a red, white and blue map. Later, Russert discarded the pointer to scribble voting projections in pen on a white tablet. 

CNN and Fox News Channel used a graphic borrowed from sporting events, displaying an electoral vote count as a scorecard on the corners of their screen. 

MSNBC – the cable network started by Microsoft – was disarmingly low-tech: A production assistant, Kara Kaplan, filled in states on a map like a giant jigsaw puzzle. 

Even as they faced the prospect of a sleepless night, political reporters were almost gleeful. 

“This is Christmas Eve for us political junkies,” MSNBC’s Chris Matthews said before any polls closed. “It certainly beats the Oscars. It beats the World Series.”

PHOENIX — Western voters on Tuesday rejected measures restricting development in two of the nation’s fastest-growing states but approved proposals toughening background checks at gun shows in states shaken by school shootings. 

Education and wildlife, marijuana and morality also dominated ballot propositions in the West, where California rejected school vouchers, Montana looked to restrict canned hunts in game farms, Colorado approved medicinal marijuana use, and Nevada banned gay marriages. 

English was the issue in two states: Arizona eliminated bilingual education, while Utah was expected to make English the official state language. 

In Oregon and Colorado, voters approved initiatives to require criminal background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows. Checks currently are required when someone buys a gun from a federally licensed dealer but not from a private seller. 

One of the hottest regional topics was growth, a problem plaguing communities nationwide but of particular concern in the West – home to the five fastest-growing states in the country: Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. 

Measures to restrict growth in two of those states – Arizona and Colorado – were soundly defeated. 

Arizona’s Proposition 202 called for cities and counties of more than 2,500 residents to adopt 10-year growth limits and force developers to pay for roads, schools and other services to new subdivisions. 

Supporters, including conservation groups such as the Sierra Club, said it would preserve the open spaces the West is known for while preventing taxpayers from subsidizing development. 

Opponents argued it would cost jobs and increase congestion by forcing development into established neighborhoods. They pushed a rival measure, Proposition 100, to preserve 270,000 acres of state land as open space. That measure was trailing. 

Colorado’s Amendment 24, also backed by environmentalists, proposed requiring counties and cities to map future growth and submit development proposals to voters. 

Jonathan Weiss, head of George Washington University’s Center on Sustainability and Regional Growth, said the measures spurred debate about a topic that Western communities must eventually address. 

“They could provide a trigger in finally bringing the parties in those states to adopt a more broad-based, comprehensive smart growth approach,” Weiss said. “It’s clear that this is still on the top of the radar screen.” 

In Oregon, the gun control movement gained momentum following the 1998 shooting rampage at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore., in which teen-ager Kip Kinkel killed two students and injured 25 others. 

The Colorado proposal was backed by families of victims of the Columbine High School massacre. Some of the weapons used by teen killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were purchased from private gun show dealers before the 1999 shooting in which 13 people were killed and 23 were wounded. 

Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona appeared in TV ads endorsing both measures. 

——— 

EDITOR’S NOTE — Pauline Arrillaga is the AP’s Southwest regional writer, based in Phoenix. 

LOS ANGELES — Vice President Al Gore won support from self-described moderates and women, helping him take California’s 54 electorate votes. 

Hispanic voters favored Gore by a 2-1 margin, according to an exit poll. Those voters have traditionally favored Democrats in California, but Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who enjoys support from Latinos in his home state targeted that group in California. 

Bush got support from California voters who said they haven’t experienced the benefits of the nation’s booming economy. 

Nearly two-thirds of voters who said their financial situation was the same or worse than it was four years ago voted for Bush. 

But despite Bush’s focus on education during his campaign, voters who named education as their main concern leaned toward Gore. 

The exit poll was conducted Tuesday in 50 randomly selected precincts statewide by Voter News Service, a cooperative of The Associated Press and television networks. Other respondents were interviewed in the past week by telephone, to include people who voted early or by absentee ballot. The sampling error margin is plus or minus 3 percentage points for all voters, higher for subgroups. 

Results were weighted so that respondents interviewed by telephone represented 25 percent of the sample, the estimated size of the pre-Election Day vote. The phone poll was conducted Oct. 27-Nov. 5 by the Field Institute for VNS. 

Older voters leaned toward Gore slightly. Those 65 and older, who account for one-quarter of voters, supported the vice president by a narrow margin. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader pulled about 14 percent of independent voters, who account for one in five California voters. The balance of the independents was split evenly between Bush and Gore. 

Gore enjoyed the support of voters in all income groups below $100,000, while those in the top bracket favored Bush. The economy, jobs and taxes were the top concerns of voters heading to the polls. The poll also found that half of voters had an unfavorable impression of President Bill Clinton, but more than two-thirds said they approved of his job.

NEW YORK — Hillary Rodham Clinton triumphed in her historic quest for the U.S. Senate, defeating homegrown GOP Rep. Rick Lazio on Tuesday to become the only first lady ever elected to public office. 

Just before 11 p.m. Tuesday, with 51 percent of precincts counted, Clinton had 1,698,421 votes, or 54 percent; Lazio had 1,423,562 votes, or 45 percent. 

“You came out and said that issues and ideals matter,” Clinton told a cheering crowd minutes later. In the wings, her husband, the president, watched and grinned. 

“I am profoundly grateful to all of you for giving me the chance to serve you,” she said.  

“I will do everything I can to be worthy of your faith and trust and to honor the powerful example of Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.” 

The campaign, which pitted her against a powerhouse New York City mayor and then a lesser-known Republican congressman, was the longest and costliest race in the state’s history.  

It saw issues of character, place of birth, marital fidelity, and campaign finance collide with discussion of education, Social Security and the state’s economy. 

Clinton herself – her activism, her issues, her president husband and her love-it-or-hate-it personality – proved to be the main issue in the campaign against the Long Island congressman to replace retiring Democrat Moynihan. 

“She overcame the skeptics, and worked and worked and won,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said at the Manhattan hotel serving as Clinton’s election-night headquarters. 

Lazio, in conceding, called for unity and pronounced the effort worthwhile. 

“I feel like the Mets,” he said, invoking the losers of New York City’s subway series last month. Behind him, Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani applauded. 

“She has won this race,” Lazio said of Clinton. “It’s time for us to stand as New Yorkers together.” 

Clinton’s planning for the Senate race began in the living quarters of the White House in February of last year when she met for several hours with New York political veteran Harold Ickes, a former White House deputy chief of staff during President Clinton’s first term.  

That very day, the Senate voted on whether to remove her husband, an impeachment triggered by his affair with Monica Lewinsky. 

By early July, she was at Moynihan’s upstate New York farm receiving his blessing and kicking off a summer-long “listening tour” of New York. In January, she moved into a $1.7 million house she and the president had bought in suburban Westchester County. 

At the time, the likely Republican candidate was New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. 

But the “clash of the titans” wasn’t to be. Giuliani never seemed to warm to the campaign.  

By mid-May, he was out of the race, battling prostate cancer and beset by marital woes. 

Coming off the GOP bench, Lazio literally fell flat on his face, a Memorial Day parade mishap which left him with a fat lip and stitches.  

But within days, Lazio was running almost even with Clinton in the polls and amassing a campaign war chest that would soon surpass the first lady’s own impressive lode. 

By mid-October, the two had spent a combined $58.6 million in the race.  

With the $19 million spent by Giuliani added in, the race became among the most expensive Senate campaigns in history. 

Lazio advertised himself as the “real New Yorker,” a moderate Republican who traveled the state on a bus called “The Mainstream Express.”  

In fund-raising letters, he denounced the Clintons for “embarrassing the nation.”  

Republican allies said the first lady wanted to use the Senate seat as a stepping stone to run for president. 

Clinton repeatedly sought to portray Lazio as out of step with New Yorkers, noting that he had served as a deputy whip under former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. 

On Tuesday morning, as voters headed to the polls, Republican Gov. George Pataki’s wife said Giuliani’s failure to get out of the race sooner was “selfish” and hurt Lazio’s chances. 

Appearing on Albany’s WROW-AM radio, Libby Pataki said Giuliani “hung around way too long.”  

She compared the mayor to Hillary Clinton, saying both made their decision based on polls. 

“They are definitely creatures of the same stripe,” she said. 

The mayor’s top political adviser reacted with incredulity. “We don’t believe she actually said that,” Bruce Teitelbaum said. 

Suzanne Morris, a press aide to the governor, said later that Libby Pataki “knows that her words were inappropriate.”

With his wife and children by his side, environmentalist and three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, David Brower, 88, died quietly Sunday afternoon in the Berkeley home he built a half-century ago. 

“His spirit and love for the earth and wilderness lives on in all of us who were blessed to know him,” wrote his son, David Ross Brower.  

Even in the last days of his fight against cancer, “he remained so very engaged in the world,” said his daughter Barbara Brower, adding that her father had even  

voted absentee.  

“He got his Ralph Nader vote in.” 

Brower transformed the Sierra Club from a small hiking group into a political powerhouse during his nearly 70 years of environmental activism. 

Helen Burke, 16-year director on the East Bay Municipal Utility District and member of the local Sierra Club chapter’s executive board, worked with Brower for 30 years on environmental concerns.  

“It’s a great loss,” Burke said, “He is – was – an icon with the environmental movement.” 

Brower had a way of making people feeling uncomfortable, “of making you feel you should do more,” Burke said.  

Brower became the club’s first executive director in 1952, when it had 2,000 members. When he left, the first time, in a dispute with the board in 1969, it had 77,000 members. It now has more than 600,000 members and influence in Washington and in state capitals throughout the country. 

Burke told the Daily Planet, that among the criticisms Brower had of the Sierra Club, was that it had become too bureaucratic and had lost its activist edge. “He was always pushing the Sierra Club to the left. He wanted the club to be more radical.” 

He rejoined the Sierra Club and helped it celebrate its 75th birthday last year, but once again broke with the club in May over its endorsement of Al Gore for president and other issues. It was the third time he left the club. “He was always breaking with the Sierra Club,” Burke said. 

Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader counts himself among Brower’s devotees, calling him “the greatest environmentalist and conservationist of the 20th century. He was an indefatigable champion of every worthwhile effort to protect the environment over the last seven decades.” 

Despite the Sierra Club’s ups and downs in its relationship with Brower, the organization claims the environmentalist as its own. 

“The world has lost a pioneer of modern environmentalism,” Sierra Club President Robert Cox said. “Like the California redwoods he cherished, David towered above the environmental movement and inspired us to protect our planet.” 

Brower also drew praise from President Clinton, who called him “one of the earliest and most ardent defenders of the extraordinary natural heritage that enriches and unites all Americans.” 

“Over more than half a century, from Cape Cod to the Grand Canyon to the Alaska wilderness, he fought passionately to preserve our nation’s greatest national treasures,” Clinton said. “His fiery activism helped build and energize the modern environmental movement, rallying countless people to the defense of our precious planet.” 

An avid mountain climber and skier who dropped out of college as a sophomore after studying butterflies, Brower served in the 10th Mountain Division during World War II and had an outdoor adventure career that took him around the globe. He joined the Sierra Club in 1933 and quickly moved into its leadership, but his greatest influence came after he became executive director. 

He led a campaign to block construction of dams in the Grand Canyon and persuaded skeptical board members to go ahead with the expensive, but successful, “coffee table” books of Ansel Adams’ photographs of park and wilderness areas, which awakened environmental leanings in thousands of readers. 

Brower also led Sierra Club efforts to pass the Wilderness Act, halt dam construction in Dinosaur National Monument, and create Kings Canyon, North Cascades and Redwoods national parks and Point Reyes and Cape Cod national seashore. 

Brower dropped his opposition to construction of a dam in Arizona’s Glen Canyon in order to stop dam construction in Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. The trade-off haunted him, said his son Ken Brower. 

“Glen Canyon was what he considered his biggest mistake and the worst loss that happened on his watch,” Ken Brower said. “It ate at him considerably and it became an object lesson that he taught, which was ’Don’t compromise.”’ 

He was forced out of his job as executive director in 1969 by board members unhappy that he made major decisions without consulting them. But he went on to found Friends of the Earth and the League of Conservation Voters. 

He resigned from the board of Friends of the Earth after a battle for control in 1986. He also founded the Earth Island Institute. 

“The world is burning and all I hear from them is the music of violins,” Brower said, when he resigned from the Sierra Club in May. “The planet is being trashed, but the board has no real sense of urgency. We need to try to save the Earth at least as fast as it’s being destroyed.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this story

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Zonta Club dinner 

5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

$20 per person 

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine bioligist, author and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will be the featured speaker. 

For more information call 845-6221 

Exercise for Seniors 

10 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Exercise to music with Doris Echols. Free 

“How Can We Restructure  

Civilization?” 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332 

Bayer’s Biotechnology Center Groundbreaking 

1 p.m.  

Seventh & Grayson 

Seventh & Dwight 

Call 705-7880 

Home Design Workshop 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Instructed by architect/contractor Barry Wagner, this class runs four consecutive Tuesdays through Nov. 28.  

$150 for all four classes 

Call 525-7610 

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Tinnitus & Hyperacusis  

Sufferers Support Group 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Public Works Commission Special Meeting 

5 p.m.  

Engineering Conference Room 

2201 Dwight Way 

Discussion and prioritization of Commission work plan priorities for Public Works.  

Board of Library Trustees 

7 p.m. 

South Branch 

1901 Russel St.  

Discussions will include the November election results and electronic classroom policy.  

Homeless Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Police Review Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

Planning Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Waterfront Commission 

7 p.m.  

His Lordships Restaurant 

199 Seawall Drive  

Commission on Disability 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Thursday, Nov. 9

The Life and Art of Chiura Obata 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Public Library 

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

A slide show and lecture presented by Obata’s granddaughter, Kimi Kodani Hill, celebrating Obata’s book, “Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment,” and the retrospective exhibit of Obata’s work to appear this Fall at SFs De Young Museum. 

For details call 644-6850  

From Morgan to Modern 

“Bay Area Modern” 

7:30 p.m. 

The Hillside Club 

2286 Cedar St. 

$10. 841-2242 

ESL Teacher Job Fair 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave., Room 7  

ESL program representatives from adult schools in Alameda and Contra Costa counties will provide information about desired qualifications, current job openings, credentialing requirements, and more.  

Call Kay Wade, 644-6130 

“Feeding the Moon: A Nutritive Approach to Feminine Fertility” 

Learn how fertility is affected by the environment and how it can be enhanced by healthy lifestyle choices 

7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The Ecology Center 

2530 San Pable Ave.  

558-1324, free 

“Diabetes: What to Know Head-to-Toe” 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free 

869-6737 

Love and Betrayal: A Musical Journey 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St. 

Mezzo Soprano Sylvia Braitman discusses the role Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, Arnold Schoenberg, and Hanns Eisler played in the development of modernity in German, Austrian and Western music.  

Tuition: $8 for general; $5 JJC members (class code A101-BJ) 

Call 848-0237 for more info.  

Hour of the Furnaces 

4:30 - 6 p.m. 

Hewlett Library, Dinner Board Room 

2400 Ridge Rd.  

Renny Golden, poet, liberation theologian, and professor of social ethics at Northeastern Illinois University, will read from her new book on the Central American experience of struggle.  

649-2490 

Meeting Life Changes 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With John Hammerman. Free 

Become A Travel Photo Expert 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional photographer Richard I’Anson, who has taken photos all over the globe, shares highlights and insights from his book, “Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures.” Free 

Call 527-7377 

Community Health Commission 

6:45 p.m. 

Mental Health Clinic 

2640 MLK Jr. Way 

Zoning Adjustments Board 

7 p.m. 

Old City Hall 

Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 

2134 MLK Jr. Way 

Friday, Nov. 10

Dragon and Phoenix Banquet Cooking Contest 

7 p.m. 

Oakland Museum  

1000 Oak St.  

Students from Bay Area cooking academies present original dishes based on the “Dragon and Phoenix” theme to a panel of celebrity judges. Fee and price of admission to museum. 

Reservations: 238-2022  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra 

8 p.m. 

Hertz Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Performing the music of Ronald Bruce Smith, Beethoven and Elliot Carter. 

$19 - $35 

Call 841-2800 

Korean Literature Seminar 

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

7768 Duke Ct.  

El Cerrito 

Korean writer and professor Do Chang Hoi will speak on the topics of creative writing and modern Korean literature. Sponsored by the Korean Literary Art Fellowship. Continues on Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.  

Call 559-7856 for more info.  

PC Users Group 

7 p.m. 

Vista College 

Room 303  

2020 Milvia St.  

A groups of PC users who help each other solve problems. They introduce their members to new software, hardware, and invited speakers and technicians from various PC related companies. Meet the second Friday of each month.  

Call Melvin Mann, 527-2177 

Cultural and Historical View  

of the Dalmation Islands, Croatia 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Byron Bass, archeologist with the URS Corporation will speak. 

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

Saturday, Nov. 11

Moonlight on Mt. Diablo 

1 - 10:30 p.m.  

Hike up the Devil’s Mountain by daylight, catch a glorious sunset and hike back by the light of the moon. One in a series of free outing organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

Kitchen Design Fundamentals  

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by independent kitchen and bath designer Beverly Wilson.  

$75  

Homeowner’s Essential Course 

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

The annual six-Saturday intensive with lectures, slides, and demonstrations taught by professional builder Glen Kitzenberger. Six Saturdays through Dec. 16.  

$425 per person, including textbook 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

— compiled by  

Chason Wainwright 

Get Your Garden Ready for Winter 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

UC Botanical Garden  

Ted Kipping of Tree Shapers will offer advice on pruning your shrubs and trees, while Anthony Garza of Magic Gardens will suggest how to improve the health and appearance of your plants. Free, but space is limited.  

Call 287-0591 

Sunday, Nov. 12

Views, Vines and Veggies 

9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

Climb Bald Mountain in Sugarloaf State Park and peer down upon the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Then please your palate at the Landmark Winery and visit Oak Hill organic vegetable and flower farm. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 for reservations 

“Time Across Cultures” 

2 - 4 p.m. 

St. Clements Church 

2837 Claremont Ave.  

The annual Roselyn Yellin Memorial lecture with a slide-illustrated panel discussion. Also a tour of the “Telling Time” exhibit at the Judah L. Magnes Museum followed by a reception at the museum, 4 - 5 p.m.  

More info: 549-6950 

Buddhism & Compassion 

6 p.m. 

Tibetan Nyingma Institute 

1815 Highland Place 

Psychiatrist and teacher Bobby Jones on “Healing through Compassion.” Free.  

843-6812 

“Road To Mecca” Auditions 

2 p.m.  

Live Oak Theatre 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is auditioning roles for two females, 60-70 and 25-35, and one male, 60-70. Auditioners should prepare a monologue no longer than two minutes. No appointments. 

Call Debra Blondheim, 667-9827 

Solar Electricity for Your Home 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar instructed by engineer Gary Gerber of Sunlight and Power.  

$75 per person  

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Parenting Book Club 

11 a.m.  

Cody’s Books 

1730 Fourth St.  

Take part in a discussion of “The Good Enough Parent” by Bruno Bettelheim. New group members always welcome. The group meets the second Sunday of each month.  

Call 559-9500 

Carpentry Basics for Women 

9:30 - 4:30 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

A hands-on workshop taught by carpenter Tracy Weir. This workshop is a two-day workshop and runs Nov. 12 and 19.  

$195 per person  

Monday, Nov. 13

An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver 

7:30 p.m. 

King Middle School 

1781 Rose St. 

Barbara Kingsolver’s works include “Animal Dreams,” “High Tide in Tucson,” “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Prodigal Summer” 

free parking $10 in advance, $13 at the door 

Benefits KPFA and Urban Ecology. 

848-6767 

From Rossi to Bernstein 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the works of Jewish classical composers beginning with the sixteenth century. The first in a series of three Monday evening classes on music.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students  

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students 

Call 848-0237 

Berkeley Preschool Fair 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, this fair features representatives from local preschools. The topic will be how to evaluate preschool education philosophies and make the most of the admissions process. A fair featuring many local preschools will follow panel discussion. 

$5 non-members; Free to NPN members 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org 

“Timber Framing - Ancient and Modern” 

7 - 10 p.m.  

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar led by contractor/Timber Framers Guild member Doug Eaton.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Soulforce Candlelight Vigil 

6 p.m.  

SF Chancery 

445 Church St.  

San Francisco  

In conjunction with an action by Soulforce/Dignity in Washington D.C., at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, to stop spiritual violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, local members of Soulforce will be holding a vigil to demonstrate their solidarity.  

Call SF Dignity, 415-681-2491 

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Take a Trip to the Steinbeck Museum and 

Mission San Juan Bautista 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. (at MLK Jr. Way) 

This is an outing organzied by the Senior Center.  

$40 with lunch, $25 without  

Call Maggie or Suzanne, 644-6107 

Three Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley South Branch Library 

1901 Russell St. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

649-3943 

More Little Pigs 

7 p.m.  

Berkeley North Branch Library 

1170 The Alameda 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets huff and puff and blow the house down.  

“The Hand of Buddha” 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck (at Rose) 

In her new book poet, columnist and travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin explores the lives of women from different ethnic backgrounds and in moments of crisis. Free 

Call 843-3533 

Quest for Justice 

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Bade Museum 

1798 Scenic Ave. 

A reception and discussion with the artists of “Quest for Justice: The Story of Korean Comfort Women as Told Through their Art,” an exhibit on display at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.  

849-8244 

Even Seniors Get the Blues 

1 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A holiday blues support group with Lyn Rayburn.  

Recognizing Alzheimer’s Disease 

10 - 11:30 a.m.  

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center 

Summit North Pavilion 

Annexes B & C  

350 Hawthorne Ave.  

Oakland  

Susan Londerville, MD, Gerentologist, will discuss how to recognize the signs and common symptoms of Alzheimer’s and how to distinguish them from normal aging. Free 

Call Ellen Carroll, 869-6737  

Wednesday, Nov. 15

Even More Little Pigs 

3:30 p.m.  

Berkeley Library Claremont Branch 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets help Little Red Riding Hood get to Grandma’s house.  

Healthful Holiday Cooking 

11:30 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Natalie. Free 

Community Action Commission & 

Berkeley Homeless Commission  

Joint Public Hearing  

7 p.m.  

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St. (at Ashby) 

The purpose of this hearing is to allow low-income residents of Berkeley, and people who use the services to inform these agencies about what services they need.  

Call Marianne Graham, 665-3475  

Making Additions Match 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Seminar taught by architect/colunist Arrol Gellner.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Thursday, Nov. 16

Reminiscing in Swingtime 

7:30 p.m.  

North Berkeley Library  

1170 Alameda (at Hopkins) 

George Yoshida, author and jazz drummer, presents a multi-media program recounting the big band experience in the Japanese American internment camps. The presentation will be capped with a set of live jazz by the George Yoshida Quartet. 

Call for more info: 644-6850 

Berkeley Metaphysic Toastmasters Club 

6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysic come together at Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters. Meets first and third Thursdays each month. 

Call 869-2547 or 643-7645 

Free blood pressure screenings 

Health Education Center, 400 Hawthorne Ave. 

free 

869-6737 

Three Little Pigs  

3:30 p.m. 

Berkeley Library West Branch  

1125 University Ave.  

Roger Mara and his Snapdragon Puppets perform.  

Tai Chi for Seniors  

2 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

With Tai Chi master Mr. Chang. Free 

Sea Kayaking in the Bay Area and Baja 

7 p.m.  

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Mitch Powers of Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking Center presents slides of some of his favorite paddling destinations and gives tips on selecting gear, paddling safety and planning trips. Free 

Call 527-4140 

HVAC for Beginners 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning for beginners seminar taught by contractor/engineer Eric Burtt.  

$35 per person 

Call Sydney, 525-7610 

Friday, Nov. 17

Community Dance Party 

7:45 - 9:45 p.m. 

Live Oak Park 

1301 Shattuck (at Berryman) 

Come learn to dance with easy instructions presented by the Berkeley Folk Dancers.  

Teens $2; Adult Non-members $4 

Information: 525-3030  

California Energy Re-Structuring 

Luncheon served, 11:15 a.m.  

Speaker, 12:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

2315 Durant Ave.  

Severin Borenstein, director at the UC Energy Institute will speak.  

$11 - $12.25 with luncheon 

$1 general for speaker only, Free to students  

Call 848-3533  

Women in Black 

Noon - 1 p.m. 

Bancroft at Telegraph 

Women for peace in the Middle East  

Housing Clinic for Seniors 

3 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

A housing clinic with the East Bay Community Law Center. Free  

Saturday, Nov. 18

S.F. Stairs and Peaks 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Begin the day with a visit to the farmer’s market, then meander up the stairways and streets of Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. Then up Russian Hill, descending to Fisherman’s Wharf for a ride back on the new historic streetcar line. One in a series of free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: 415-255-3233 

Berkeley Free Folk Festival 

11 a.m. - 1 a.m.  

Ashkenaz  

1317 San Pablo Ave. 

Fourteen hours of free concerts, workshops, jam sessions and to top it off a Saturday night dance. The fifth annual Folk Festival will feature Shay & Michael Black, Spectre Double Negative & the Equal Positive, Larry Hanks, Wake the Dead and many others. Sponsored by Charles Schwab and the City of Berkeley.  

More info or to volunteer: 525-5099 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of local filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

Zuni Fetish Show  

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.  

Gathering Tribes  

1573 Solano Ave.  

Fresh from a trip to Zuni, Janet & Diane from Beyond Tradition will have new fetishes and jewelry. This is the last fetish show of the year for Gathering Tribes.  

Call 528-9038 

Sunday, Nov. 19

Soprano Deborah Voigt 

Cal Performances  

3 p.m.  

Voigt’s performance is a postponment from her original Oct. 15 date. The program will remain unchanged. 

$28-$48 For tickets call 642-9988 or e-mail tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Mt. Madonna & Wine  

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Hike through evergreen forests and visit the remains of a 19th century estate, then finish the day with a visit to Kruse Winery. One of many free fall outings organized by Greenbelt Alliance.  

Call: (415) 255-3233 for reservations 

“Drawing Marathon”  

Merritt College’s Art Building 

Live models, group poses.  

$12 for half a day, $20 for a full day, senior and student discounts available. No cameras or turpentine. 

523-9763 

Berkeley Video & Film Festival 

2 - 11 p.m. 

2451 Shattuck Ave. 

Screenings of 35 documentaries, features, short features, animation, comedy, commercials, educaitonal and art video and film works. Featuring a number of Berkeley filmakers.  

$8  

Call 843-3699 

Monday, Nov. 20

The Music of Israel 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses the music of Israel, from the early pioneers of Palestine to the latest rock.  

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

Tuesday, Nov. 21

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

Noon - 2 p.m.  

Alta Bates Medical Center, Maffly Auditorium 

Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight Way 

Call D.L. Malinousky, 601-0550 

Environmental Solutions! 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332  

Saturday, Nov. 25

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Get map from: 

1250 Addison St. #214 

or download at: http://www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Over one hundred professional artists and craftspeople open up their studios and workspaces to the public. All styles of artistic expression are represented. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 17. 

Call 845-2612 

Monday, Nov. 27

To Make the World Whole 

7:30 - 9 p.m.  

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Bay Area musician Mark Levy discusses songs of peace, protest and change from labor, feminists, peace, and environmental activists of the past 125 years, that inspired others to action. 

Tuition for all three classes: $30 general public; $20 JJC members, seniors and students 

Individual classes: $10 general; $8 JJC members, seniors and students  

Call 848-0237 

Educational Philosophies Roundtable 

7 - 9 p.m.  

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

At this roundtable, Sponsored by the Neighborhood Parents Network, parents will learn about the following educational philosophies: Developmental, cooperative, Montessori, bilingual, Waldorf, religious, homeschooling, and charter schools.  

Free to members; non-members, $5 

Call 527-6667 or visit www.parentsnet.org  

Wednesday, Nov. 29

Wanderlust: Tales of Adventure and Romance 

7:30 p.m.  

Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore 

1385 Shattuck Ave. (at Rose) 

Jeff Greenwald and other travel writers discuss the art of writing travel literature and how to make a living doing it.  

Call 843-3533 

Thursday, Nov. 30

Pro Arts Juried Show Reception 

6 - 8 p.m.  

Pro Arts 

461 Ninth St.  

Oakland 

With the work of 70 artists, this annual show features the work of emerging and mid-career artists. The show runs through December 30. See A&E calendar for details.  

Snowshoeing Basics  

7 p.m . 

Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

1338 San Pablo Ave.  

Professional snowshoe guide Cathy Anderson-Meyers gives basic instruction on how to get out and experience Tahoe’s winter terrain on “shoes.”  

Call 527-4140 

Compiled by Chason Wainwright 

Dear readers: to give a fair shot to last-minute letter-writers, we’re trying to include as many election missives as we can. We’ve cut them all, probably evoking equal anger among the writers.  

Judith Scherr, editor. 

Yes on V 

Editor: 

If you love your library, as I do, be sure you vote YES on Measure V, which does not raise taxes, but allows the Library to spend the Library Tax. 

If you have been around as long as I have, you remember Proposition 13, which cut library hours and money for books, and devastated city services. We passed the Library Tax to insure that we would have our library, but must renew the tax every four years.  

I love my library because it is the original recycler, providing all those books, magazines, newspapers, and cassettes for us to use and reuse thousands of times. None of us has money to buy or space to store all the information and entertainment we need and want, and our library helps us get what we need.  

Join me in voting YES on V to continue that service.  

Art Serna 

Berkeley 

Yes on P 

Editor: 

We all value our library, and want library facilities to be seismically safe and accessible to the disabled, and to have modern computer technology.  

Four years ago, Berkeley voter passed Measure S, to renovate the Central Library and City Hall. 

Our libraries provide outstanding services, and our greatly appreciated by the community. Last spring, Berkeley voters supported Proposition 14, the State Library Bond Act, by an overwhelming 87 percent.  

The State list of libraries needing renovation includes all of Berkeley’s branches. To apply for state renovation funds, we need local matching funds. For those libraries which receive funding, the state would provide 65 percent of construction costs, and local funds would provide the matching 35 percent. Measure P would provide local funds allowing Berkeley to apply for state or other matching funds.  

The library has been accountable in using tax money. Let’s improve our Branch Library facilities by supporting Measure P.  

Glen Gilbert 

Berkeley 

No on P and V 

Editor: 

The Daily Planet has been a valuable addition to the Berkeley landscape. However, your front page article in last Friday’s edition headlined “Measures P and V will keep Berkeley libraries healthy” makes a mockery of journalism, in my judgment.  

It was not a news article; in was an editorial encouraging voters to tax homeowners to fund a library. City bureaucrats and council members are not ignorant. Elections to heap special taxes on those making mortgage payments are always planned for times when there are the most voters in town when the University is in session.  

The article, artfully states that measure P will cost the average Berkeley property owner about $1 per month. It conveniently omits the cost for Measure V – in my own case, an annual library tax of $312.64. Like the sales tax, these homeowner fees can be highly regressive with no relationship between wealth and income, and an ability to pay,  

Indeed, these tax measures are placed for the most poetic of causes: books, pretty trees and toasty warm swimming pools for the disabled. Never will you see a measure to impose a special tax so that Berkeley can maintain the highest employee/resident ratio in the state.  

Bruce McMurray 

Berkeley, 

Yes on S & W 

To the Editor: 

The value to a community of parks that are well maintained is incalculable. Clean, inviting open spaces make a town more livable. Many thousands depend on parks for active recreation while others enjoy them for walking or picnicking. Even those who rarely use a park benefit from the urbane beauty it provides to all passers by. 

Now is the chance for Berkeley’s voters to make a real difference in our quality of life. Make sure that all our public open spaces are properly cared for.  

Support our parks. Vote yes on S & W. 

Carol Thornton 

Berkeley 

Yes on S & W 

Editor: 

Measures S & W for our parks have an impressive, bipartisan endorsement list that includes Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Assemblymember Dion Aroner, Mayor Shirley Dean, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, and Councilmembers Olds, Worthington, Maio, Breland, Spring, and Armstrong. These parks measures have the support of both the Berkeley Democratic Club and Berkeley Citizens Action, as well as the Cal Berkeley Democrats and the Green Party of Alameda County. 

Perhaps even more telling, they have the enthusiastic support of environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, the Golden Gate Audubon Society, and the Urban Creeks Council of California and volunteer groups such as Berkeley Partners for Parks, the Association of Sports Field Users, Habitot Children’s Museum, and the Albany-Berkeley Soccer Club. 

Nancy Carleton 

Chair, Support Our Parks 

Vote Nader 

Editor: 

Ralph Nader is not accountable for the politics of George W. Bush and those who chose to vote for him. That is their own choice for what they think we need in this country, just as it is my choice to vote for Nader. I am voting for Nader because he is the only politician who has ever said anything even remotely close to what I feel.  

I am inspired by his words and think that if given the chance he will stand by them. 

I feel the presidential election is there so that we the people can elect a leader to represent us. To chose someone who’s beliefs resemble our own. I can not change by beliefs and in turn I cannot change my vote. Lately as the election draws near I have been receiving an onslaught of opinions from Gore voters claiming that I must vote for Al Gore, for no other reason than to prevent Bush from getting into the white house. I don’t like Bush Jr. just as much as I don’t like  

Bush Sr., but my dislikes have nothing to do with who I think should be president. For far to long the American people have fallen into believing that we have a two party system. The belief runs so deep that even the newspapers refer to “the two candidates” as if there were no one else running.  

Isaac Jones 

Berkeley 

The problem is not Nader, it’s the system 

Editor: 

A vote for Nader is NOT a vote for Bush. Nader’s candidacy is not the problem, the problem is that in the current system of voting, you can choose one candidate only. The Green Party has been proposing for several years now a system of voting under which you can rank the candidates:you would indicate on the ballot your 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice etc. 

The candidate who got the least of the 1st choice votes is eliminated and then you examine the 2nd choice votes and you distribute them appropriately to the other candidates according to what was the 2nd choice of each of these votes. 

This procedure is repeated until 1 candidate gets over 50 percent of the vote. This way, if your first choice does not win, your vote still goes to the second choice or third choice. 

Perhaps it is too late to implement this voting system this election. However, Gore could promise that such system will be in case THE NEXT ELECTION. 

Ghaouar Camij Toschian 

Rivera  

Dear Neighbors, 

I am writing to ask for your support in my campaign for re-election to the Berkeley School Board. From the very first day I took office in 1996 I have been working hard to improve Berkeley’s public schools. As a teacher I know what works in the classroom and how to get results. 

That’s why I played a key role in the funding and implementation of the District’s early literacy plan and have pushed for high standards, reliable assessments and genuine accountability. 

As your School Board Director these past four years, this last one as President of the Board, I have focused on the areas of academic quality and student achievement, including: Implementation of the District’s early literacy plan; adoption of world-class, high academic standards in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Sciences and visual and performing Arts; Improvement of services for our English language learners; expansion of after-school programs and approval to teach Algebra to all students in the 8th grade 

Joaquín J. Rivera 

President Berkeley School Board  

Morton 

To my fellow Berkeley Citizens: My name is Sherri Morton and I am an African American parent of three children in the Berkeley Unified School District and a candidate for Berkeley School Board Director. 

I am a hard worker, ask my husband. I am a good mother, ask my children. I am a dedicated fighter, ask my friends. 

I have participated in myriad committees, served as vice-president of the PTA for Cragmont, and was this year president elect. I have made a number of contributions in the BUSD, but what I offer today are tangible results and a desire to continue in the fight for our children. I participated on the Cragmont II/USP (Immediate Intervention for Underperforming Schools Program) to ensure that while the needs of all children were being addressed, the needs of children of color were not neglected. While the target Academic Performance Index goal for our students was a ten-point increase, the actual increase achieved by the African American students was 117 points, and the overall increase was 124 points. These results demonstrate that with a receptive principal, concerned parents, a dedicated staff and community, we can raise the bar for all children.  

Sherri Morton 

School Board Candidate 

MEASURE Y 

We are seniors living in rented apartments in Berkeley. We are going to vote for Measure Y, and we urge all other voters to do the same. 

Measure Y protects seniors, the disabled, and long term tenants from owner, or owner relative, move-in evictions. 

We have all recently received 2 large slick cards in the mail which try to make us believe that Measure Y helps large landlords and hurts small ‘mom and pop’ owners. 

This is outrageous. These cards say, in very small letters, that they are paid for by ‘No on Y’. They do not give the name and address of the sender, which is required by law. But we do  

know that the ‘No on Y’ Campaign Committee is primarily financed, to the tune of more than $60,000, by the large landlords and Real Estate interests themselves! There is apparently no limit to the election deceptions and frauds of the 

Large landlords! 

Laurence Harris  

Frances Rachel  

Helen Lima, same,  

P&V 

The Daily Planet has been a valuable addition to the Berkeley landscape. However, your front page article in last Friday’s edition headlined “Measures P and V will keep Berkeley libraries healthy” makes a mockery of journalism, in my judgment.  

It was not a news article; in was an editorial encouraging voters to tax homeowners to fund a library. City bureaucrats and council members are not ignorant. Elections to heap special taxes on those making mortgage payments are always planned for times when there are the most voters in town when the University is in session.  

The article, artfully states that measure P will cost the average Berkeley property owner about $1 per month. It conveniently omits the cost for Measure V – in my own case, an annual library tax of $312.64. Like the sales tax, these homeowner fees can be highly regressive with no relationship between wealth and income, and an ability to pay,  

Indeed, these tax measures are placed for the most poetic of causes: books, pretty trees and toasty warm swimming pools for the disabled. Never will you see a measure to impose a special tax so that Berkeley can maintain the highest employee/resident ratio in the state.  

Bruce McMurray 

Berkeley, 

Measure Y 

Editor: 

I have been a renter in Berkeley for close to eighteen years, a community activist and former City of Berkeley employee. Measure Y on the upcoming ballot is an initiative that has the potential to make it better for all renters and will not affect small landlords. It was deeply disturbing to read the misrepresentations, half-truths, and blatant falsehoods in the “No on Measure Y” pieces that hit the mail this weekend. First of all, the direct mail piece is illegal since it carries no address or ID number for the "No on Y" as mandated by the State Elections guidelines. Next, the people represented in the various mailers are not in fact real Berkeley citizens, but actors poising as the personalities depicted in the pieces.  

Fact: Measure Y protects senior and people with disabilities who are renters! If Measure Y passes, tenants who are 60 years or older and have lived on the property for 5 years or are disabled and have lived on the property for 5 years cannot be evicted. The current law allows landlords to evict senior and people with disabilities who are tenants.  

The opposition’s reasoning that passage of Measure Y causes a loss of Berkeley rental units is about as logical as a starving person refusing food. The only way for rental units to go down is if landlords stop renting their units. Hello, does anyone think that landlords are going to stop renting units because of Measure Y? Hardly, landlords will continue to rent units at their inflated prices, but once Measure Y passes, they won’t be able to unfairly evict tenants who have been occupying units for 5 years under the guise of owner move in for a short period of time and then jack up the rent. 

Fact: Landlords who own 3 or fewer residential rental units in Berkeley and own no other residential rental units in Berkeley are exempted from Measure Y. Fact: A majority of No on Measure Y campaign contributions have come from parties OUTSIDE of Berkeley. $15,000 of the $54,643 raised against Measure Y was donated by the Issues Mobilization Political Action Committee, based in Sacramento is more than the total funds most City Council candidates have. Yes on Measure Y is a community based grassroots effort with contributions from people who live and work in Berkeley. 

Angela L. Johnson 

Long-time Berkeley resident  

36 not the answer 

Editor: 

California’s Proposition 36 has merit in that it will lower the number of people unjustly persecuted from going to jail. This proposition would also aid the state’s mental health providers. Where it fails is it implies anyone who uses drugs needs rehabilitation. 

Although it is the right direction it stops far too short. It is right to stop people from unknowingly hurting themselves, but it is unethical to deny them their civil liberties. What makes one happy is determined by ones own personal feelings and tastes. Truthfully, this decision should not be for anyone to decide but themselves. Intervention is necessary if the individual is clearly a danger to him or herself, the same as with any other mental illness. If the individual competently knows the dangers and accepts that risk, the decision is in their hands. It is acceptable to take risk doing many other activities that are potentially hazardous, so how is it unacceptable to use something proven safe? Drugs are not dangerous when used correctly. Education is the best way tostop drug abuse.  

Jim Jarboe,  

Berkeley 

Yes on all but C 

Editor; 

Berkeley voters have many city, county and school ballot measures to vote on. May I suggest an easy way to differentiate the good from the bad and the ugly. Please vote yes on A to Z except for C. THANK YOU.  

Kriss Worthington 

Berkeley 

Gore and Bush are different 

Editor: 

The current edition of Newsweek has an article by Jonathan Alter highly critical of Ralph Nader for “by refusing to admit there are deep differences between Al Gore and George W. Bush, by clinging to this emotionally satisfying but factually inaccurate notion of a “DemRep Party,” Nader is squandering his most precious asset-his intellectual honesty.”  

“Start with the environment, which the Green Party is supposed to be about. Beyond his support for gun control, why is Gore in such trouble in a state like West Virginia? Because he won’t roll over for the coal and chemical industries that run the state. They know he is the most serious environmentalist ever to run for president..... The Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth.........have enthusiastically endorsed Gore over a GOP candidate who argued in Texas that compliance with clean-air standards should be “voluntary.”  

“Or take campaign-finance reform, the signature issue of many Naderites. A recent poll showed that voters actually thought Bush would be better on that issue than Gore, though Bush opposes reform and Gore supports it.” 

Nader voters are under the illusion that a Bush era is somehow harmless to them-a mere interlude to rally their cause.  

Sig Cohn  

Berkeley 

Letter-writer does not understand 

Editor: 

I read Michael Larrick’s, “Vote no on school bonds,” (11/6/00) and as a parent who has worked actively in Berkeley schools for the past 6 years, I was offended.  

He trashes the schools, the district, and in effect all of us who work so hard for our schools and our community, but in six years I don't recall ever hearing his name or seeing him raise his hand in all of those meetings, where we have been working so hard to improve our children's schools. He talks about the billions of dollars spent on education as though it all goes to Berkeley students.  

He refers to State & Federal funds as though they are enough to pave the streets with gold. We have in California more students than any other state. And we spend less per child than most other states.  

I sat on the Superintendent's Blue Ribbon Committee on the Budget last year, and I don't remember the letter-writer offering solutions there either, 

The message, “Vote No On Education” is shallow and offensive. 

Mark a. Coplan 

President, Berkeley PTA Council 

Editor 

California’s Proposition 36 has merit in that it will lower the number of people unjustly persecuted from going to jail. This proposition would also aid the state’s mental health providers. Where it fails is it implies anyone who uses drugs needs rehabilitation. 

Although it is the right direction it stops far too short. It is right to stop people from unknowingly hurting themselves, but it is unethical to deny them their civil liberties. What makes one happy is determined by ones own personal feelings and tastes. Truthfully, this decision should not be for anyone to decide but themselves. Intervention is necessary if the individual is clearly a danger to him or herself, the same as with any other mental illness. If the individual competently knows the dangers and accepts that risk, the decision is in their hands. It is acceptable to take risk doing many other activities that are potentially hazardous, so how is it unacceptable to use something proven safe? Drugs are not dangerous when used correctly. 

Education is the best way to stop drug abuse. 

Jim Jarboe, Berkeley 

Dear Editor; 

Berkeley voters have many city, county and school ballot measures to vote on. May I suggest an easy way to differentiate the good from the bad and the ugly. Please vote yes on A to Z except for C. THANK YOU.  

Kriss Worthington 

Berkeley 

To the Editor: 

The value to a community of parks that are well maintained is incalculable. Clean, inviting open spaces make a town more livable. Many thousands depend on parks for active recreation while others enjoy them for walking or picnicking. Even those who rarely use a park benefit from the urbane beauty it provides to all passers by. 

Now is the chance for Berkeley’s voters to make a real difference in our quality of life. Make sure that all our public open spaces are properly cared for.  

Support our parks. Vote yes on S & W. 

Carol Thornton 

Berkeley 

Editor: 

Ralph Nader is not accountable for the politics of George W. Bush and those who chose to  

vote for him. That is their own choice for what they think we need in this country, just as it is  

my choice to vote for Nader. I am voting for Nader because he is the only politician who has ever said anything even remotely close to what I feel.  

I am inspired by his words and think that if given the chance he will stand by them. 

I feel the presidential election is there so that we the people can elect a leader to represent  

us. To chose someone who’s beliefs resemble our own. I can not change by beliefs and in turn I can not change my vote. Lately as the election draws near I have been receiving an onslaught of opinions from Gore voters claiming that I must vote for Al Gore, for no other reason than to  

prevent Bush from getting into the white house. I don’t like Bush Jr. just as much as I don’t like  

Bush Sr., but my dislikes have nothing to do with who I think should be president. For far to long the American people have fallen into believing that we have a two party system. The belief runs so deep that even the newspapers refer to “the two candidates” as if there were no one else running.  

Sincerely,  

Isaac Jones 

Berkeley 

Ghaouar Camij Toschian  

A vote for Nader is NOT a vote for Bush. Nader’s candidacy is not the problem, the problem is that in the current system of voting, you can choose 1 candidate only. The green party has been proposing for several years now a system of voting under which you can rank the candidates:you would indicate on the ballot your 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice etc. 

If any candidate x1 gets over 50% of the 1st choice vote, x1 wins. 

The candidate who got the least of the 1st choice votes is eliminated and then you examine the 2nd choice votes and you distribute them appropriately to the other candidates according to what was the 2nd choice of each of these votes. 

This procedure is repeated until 1 candidate gets over 50% of the vote. 

This way, if your 1st choice does not win, your vote still goes to the 2nd 

choice or 3rd choice. 

Perhaps it is too late to implement this voting system this election. However, 

Gore could promise that such system will be in case THE NEXT ELECTION. 

Ghaouar Camij Toschian 

Editor: 

Measures S & W for our parks have an impressive, bipartisan endorsement list that includes Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Assemblymember Dion Aroner, Mayor Shirley Dean, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, and Councilmembers Olds, Worthington, Maio, Breland, Spring, and Armstrong. These parks measures have the support of both the Berkeley Democratic Club and Berkeley Citizens Action, as well as the Cal Berkeley Democrats and the Green Party of Alameda County. 

Perhaps even more telling, they have the enthusiastic support of environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, the Golden Gate Audubon Society, and the Urban Creeks Council of California and volunteer groups such as Berkeley Partners for Parks, the Association of Sports Field Users, Habitot Children’s Museum, and the Albany-Berkeley Soccer Club. 

Nancy Carleton 

Chair, Support Our Parks 

Past President, Berkeley Partners for Parks 

Dear Neighbors, 

I am writing to ask for your support in my campaign for re-election to the Berkeley School Board. From the very first day I took office in 1996 I have been working hard to improve Berkeley’s public schools. As a teacher I know what works in the classroom and how to get results. 

That’s why I played a key role in the funding and implementation of the District’s early literacy plan and have pushed for high standards, reliable assessments and genuine accountability. 

As your School Board Director these past four years, this last one as President of the Board, I have focused on the areas of academic quality and student achievement, including: Implementation of the District’s early literacy plan; adoption of world-class, high academic standards in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Sciences and visual and performing Arts; Improvement of services for our English language learners; expansion of after-school programs and approval to teach Algebra to all students in the 8th grade 

I would be very honored to have your vote on Tuesday. Thanks in advance 

for your support. 

Joaquín J. Rivera, President Berkeley School Board and Candidate for 

re-election 

Editor: 

The current edition of Newsweek has an article by Jonathan Alter highly critical of Ralph Nader for “by refusing to admit there are deep differences between Al Gore and George W. Bush, by clinging to this emotionally satisfying but factually inaccurate notion of a “DemRep Party,” Nader is squandering his most precious asset-his intellectual honesty.”  

“Start with the environment, which the Green Party is supposed to be about. Beyond his support for gun control, why is Gore in such trouble in a state like West Virginia? Because he won’t roll over for the coal and chemical industries that run the state. They know he is the most serious environmentalist ever to run for president..... The Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth.........have enthusiastically endorsed Gore over a GOP candidate who argued in Texas that compliance with clean-air standards should be “voluntary.”  

“Or take campaign-finance reform, the signature issue of many Naderites. A recent poll showed that voters actually thought Bush would be better on that issue than Gore, though Bush opposes reform and Gore supports  

it.”..........  

“Nader voters are under the illusion that a Bush era is somehow  

harmless to them-a mere interlude to rally their cause.  

Sig Cohn  

Berkeley 

MEASURE Y 

We are seniors living in rented apartments in Berkeley. We are going to vote for Measure Y, and we urge all other voters to do the same. 

Measure Y protects seniors, the disabled, and long term tenants from owner, or owner relative, move-in evictions. 

We have all recently received 2 large slick cards in the mail which try to make us believe that Measure Y helps large landlords and hurts small ‘mom and pop’ owners. 

This is outrageous. These cards say, in very small letters, that they are paid for by ‘No on Y’. They do not give the name and address of the sender, which is required by law. But we do  

know that the ‘No on Y’ Campaign Committee is primarily financed, to the tune of more than $60,000, by the large landlords and Real Estate interests themselves! There is apparently no limit to the election deceptions and frauds of the 

Large landlords! 

Laurence Harris  

Berkeley 

Frances Rachel  

Helen Lima, same,  

P&V 

The Daily Planet has been a valuable addition to the Berkeley landscape. However, your front page article in last Friday’s edition headlined “Measures P and V will keep Berkeley libraries healthy” makes a mockery of journalism, in my judgment.  

It was not a news article; in was an editorial encouraging voters to tax homeowners to fund a library. City bureaucrats and council members are not ignorant. Elections to heap special taxes on those making mortgage payments are always planned for times when there are the most voters in town when the University is in session.  

The article, artfully states that measure P will cost the average Berkeley property owner about $1 per month. It conveniently omits the cost for Measure V – in my own case, an annual library tax of $312.64. Like the sales tax, these homeowner fees can be highly regressive with no relationship between wealth and income, and an ability to pay,  

Indeed, these tax measures are placed for the most poetic of causes: books, pretty trees and toasty warm swimming pools for the disabled. Never will you see a measure to impose a special tax so that Berkeley can maintain the highest employee/resident ratio in the state.  

Bruce McMurray 

Berkeley, 

To my fellow Berkeley Citizens: 

My name is Sherri Morton and I am an African American parent of three children in the Berkeley Unified School District and a candidate for Berkeley School Board Director. 

I am a hard worker, ask my husband. I am a good mother, ask my children. I am a dedicated fighter, ask my friends. 

I have participated in a myriad of committees, served as vice-president of the PTA for Cragmont, and was this year president elect. I have made a number of contributions in the BUSD, but what I offer today are tangible results and a desire to continue in the fight for our children. I participated on the Cragmont II/USP (Immediate Intervention for Underperforming Schools Program) to ensure that while the needs of all children were being addressed, the needs of children of color were not neglected. While the target Academic Performance Index goal for our students was a ten-point increase, the actual increase achieved by the African American students was 117 points, and the overall increase was 124 points. These results demonstrate that with a receptive principal, concerned parents, a dedicated staff and community, we can raise the bar for all children.  

I am interested in working for the community as a whole and for those students that are underperforming in particular. I joined this race as a  

concerned parent, and have remained in this race, despite the politics, for  

the same reason. I am by choice, by nature and by design an active parent  

and an advocate for all children, particularly children of color. I ask for  

your vote. Thank you. 

Sherri Morton 

Please remember to support measures AA and BB, and vote no on proposition 38. 

November 4, 2000 

Dear Editor: 

I have been a renter in Berkeley for close to eighteen years, a community activist and former City of Berkeley employee. Measure Y on the upcoming ballot is an initiative that has the potential to make it better for all renters and will not affect small landlords. It was deeply disturbing to read the misrepresentations, half-truths, and blatant falsehoods in the "No on Measure Y" pieces that hit the mail this weekend. First of all, the direct mail piece is illegal since it carries no address or ID number for the "No on Y" as mandated by the State Elections guidelines. Next, the people represented in the various mailers are not in fact real Berkeley citizens, but actors poising as the personalities depicted in the pieces.  

It’s so important NOT TO BE FOOLED by such despicable tactics of tokenism, window dressing of putting people in wheelchairs (and a disable vet no less), and portrayals of inaccurate situations in ads to obscure the real facts. Let’s review the facts, shall we? 

Fact: Measure Y protects senior and people with disabilities who are renters! If Measure Y passes, tenants who are 60 years or older and have lived on the property for 5 years or are disabled and have lived on the property for 5 years cannot be evicted. The current law allows landlords to evict senior and people with disabilities who are tenants.  

The opposition claims, "Measure Y will hurt renters", I don’t see how protecting seniors and people with disabilities can hurt renters. In addition to the fact that there are housing discrimination laws against seniors and people with disabilities. Measure Y is supported by senior housing groups such as tenants at the Redwood Gardens and Strawberry Creek housing complexes and advocates for people with disabilities such as Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, Chair of the Commission on Disabilities. 

The opposition’s reasoning that passage of Measure Y causes a loss of Berkeley rental units is about as logical as a starving person refusing food. The only way for rental units to go down is if landlords stop renting their units. Hello, does anyone think that landlords are going to stop renting units because of Measure Y? Hardly, landlords will continue to rent units at their inflated prices, but once Measure Y passes, they won’t be able to unfairly evict tenants who have been occupying units for 5 years under the guise of owner move in for a short period of time and then jack up the rent. 

Fact: Landlords who own 3 or fewer residential rental units in Berkeley and own no other residential rental units in Berkeley are exempted from Measure Y. The opposition claims that "Measure Y only affects small owners" this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Measure Y assures single family homeowners and small landlords are not restricted from moving in to their homes. 

Fact: A majority of No on Measure Y campaign contributions have come from parties OUTSIDE of Berkeley. $15,000 of the $54,643 raised against Measure Y 

was donated by the Issues Mobilization Political Action Committee, based in Sacramento is more than the total funds most City Council candidates have. Yes on Measure Y is a community based grassroots effort with contributions from people who live and work in Berkeley. 

The argument that Measure Y is hard on landlords is bogus and insulting. Measure Y does not prevent a landowner from moving into their own property, but it does limit landlords who have other options because they own other units or other rental property from evicting long term, senior or people with disabilities in order to take advantage of skyrocketing rents at the expense of tenants who have lived in units for 5 or more years.  

Quite frankly I’m a little sick and tired of hearing how hard it is for people who have the privilege (and luxury) of owning property to rent units in Berkeley. Give me a break! Yes, people who own property have rights, but they shouldn’t have the right to evict someone from their home of years just because they want to greedily take advantage of the booming economy and make a fast buck by kicking out someone who has made their unit a home for years and is paying a lower rent. Remember, there was Costa Hawkins that set rents at fair market value (and instituted substantial increases), so landlords can hardly cry foul.  

Here are some more facts, the average market unit prices between January 1999 and July 2000 for a studio is $745; the average rent for a unit that has not had a vacancy since January 1996 is $512. The average market unit price between January 1999 and July 2000 for a one bedroom is $995; the average rent for a unit that has not had a vacancy since January 1996 is $602. For a two bedroom the figures are $1,367 and $748 respectively; and $1,745 and $1,068 for a three bedroom. Needless to say, without Measure Y, some landlords (the money-grubbing, absentee large landlords) would have the economic incentive to evict long-term tenants from their homes in order to rent units at markedly higher rents. We need Measure Y to protect tenants who have lived in their homes for 5 years or more; who are seniors or a person with disability. 

Read the City Attorney’s summary in the Voter Information Pamphlet and get the straight story. Don’t be fooled, vote with the people of Berkeley, not outside interest and large landlords who do not want to place any limitations on evictions. I encourage all renters including long and short term tenants, students, senior, people with disabilities, and small "mom and pop" landlords to get out and vote YES ON MEASURE Y! 

Angela L. Johnson 

Long-time Berkeley resident  

6 not the answer 

Editor: 

California’s Proposition 36 has merit in that it will lower the number of people unjustly persecuted from going to jail. This proposition would also aid the state’s mental health providers. Where it fails is it implies anyone who uses drugs needs rehabilitation. 

Although it is the right direction it stops far too short. It is right to stop people from unknowingly hurting themselves, but it is unethical to deny them their civil liberties. What makes one happy is determined by ones own personal feelings and tastes. Truthfully, this decision should not be for anyone to decide but themselves. Intervention is necessary if the individual is clearly a danger to him or herself, the same as with any other mental illness. If the individual competently knows the dangers and accepts that risk, the decision is in their hands. It is acceptable to take risk doing many other activities that are potentially hazardous, so how is it unacceptable to use something proven safe? Drugs are not dangerous when used correctly. Education is the best way tostop drug abuse.  

Jim Jarboe,  

Berkeley 

Yes on all but C 

Editor; 

Berkeley voters have many city, county and school ballot measures to vote on. May I suggest an easy way to differentiate the good from the bad and the ugly. Please vote yes on A to Z except for C. THANK YOU.  

Kriss Worthington 

Berkeley 

Gore and Bush are different 

Editor: 

The current edition of Newsweek has an article by Jonathan Alter highly critical of Ralph Nader for “by refusing to admit there are deep differences between Al Gore and George W. Bush, by clinging to this emotionally satisfying but factually inaccurate notion of a “DemRep Party,” Nader is squandering his most precious asset-his intellectual honesty.”  

“Start with the environment, which the Green Party is supposed to be about. Beyond his support for gun control, why is Gore in such trouble in a state like West Virginia? Because he won’t roll over for the coal and chemical industries that run the state. They know he is the most serious environmentalist ever to run for president..... The Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth.........have enthusiastically endorsed Gore over a GOP candidate who argued in Texas that compliance with clean-air standards should be “voluntary.”  

“Or take campaign-finance reform, the signature issue of many Naderites. A recent poll showed that voters actually thought Bush would be better on that issue than Gore, though Bush opposes reform and Gore supports it.” 

Nader voters are under the illusion that a Bush era is somehow harmless to them-a mere interlude to rally their cause.  

Sig Cohn  

Berkeley 

Letter-writer does not understand 

Editor: 

I read Michael Larrick’s, “Vote no on school bonds,” (11/6/00) and as a parent who has worked actively in Berkeley schools for the past 6 years, I was offended.  

He trashes the schools, the district, and in effect all of us who work so hard for our schools and our community, but in six years I don't recall ever hearing his name or seeing him raise his hand in all of those meetings, where we have been working so hard to improve our children's schools. He talks about the billions of dollars spent on education as though it all goes to Berkeley students.  

He refers to State & Federal funds as though they are enough to pave the streets with gold. We have in California more students than any other state. And we spend less per child than most other states.  

I sat on the Superintendent's Blue Ribbon Committee on the Budget last year, and I don't remember the letter-writer offering solutions there either, 

The message, “Vote No On Education” is shallow and offensive. 

Mark a. Coplan 

President, Berkeley PTA Council 

Supporters charge dirty tactics by opponents 

Supporters of Measure Y, which seeks to protect disabled and elderly tenants, called a press conference Monday to express outrage at the No on Y Committee for what they claimed were “desperate” and “dishonest” campaign tactics. 

The press conference was called by Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board directors and the Commission for the Disabled, contending there were misleading fliers sent out late last week by the No on Y Committee. They said the fliers were a blatant attempt to confuse voters. 

“We have to make it known that these fliers are illegal and full of mischaracterizations in addition to being obscene,” said Larry Buchalter a paraplegic who works for the Measure Y campaign. 

Measure Y is a pro-tenant measure that would restrict owner-move-in evictions of the elderly, disabled and long-term tenants. The measure would only apply to buildings of four or more rental units. 

Max Anderson, a Rent Board director and candidate for reelection, said the No on Y Committee, which is closely connected to the Berkeley Property Owners Association, pulled some dirty tricks late in the campaign in an attempt to fool voters.  

“The people who sent out these last-minute cynical mailers are in the most despicable category of this campaign season,” Anderson said. “These people can’t seem to resist maximizing their profit on the most vulnerable people in the community.” 

Supporters of Measure Y said at least three different fliers were sent out citywide. Proponents are especially upset that two of the fliers depict people confined to wheelchairs under statements that claim the disabled will be hurt by Measure Y. 

Critics of the mailing campaign said they doubt the two handicapped people pictured on the flyers even live in Berkeley. The two are only identified as Phil B. and Sarah J. The short biography of Phil B said he moved to Berkeley and could not find housing close to the Center for Independent Living. 

“The handicapped community is very tight knit and no one knows either of them,” said Marissa Shaw, of the Commission on Disability. “They don’t even look handicapped to me.” 

On another flyer there is the story of “Mary J.,” a retired teacher and widow who goes on sabbatical and rents her home out to “Fred” who refused to move out when she returns. Mary J. is forced to pay “Fred” $4,500 for moving costs due to Measure Y.  

Proponents of Measure Y say the hypothetical story is misleading because the measure only applies to buildings with four units or more and not to single family homes. 

Berkeley Councilmember Dona Spring, who is both a tenant and disabled, co-authored the measure and said the fliers’ claims are false. 

“I think this is the most cynical example of political double talk I’ve ever seen,” Spring said. “I wouldn’t want to be them, their going to have such bad Karma.” 

The No on Y Committee raised $54,643 as of Oct. 21. Over 60 percent of the money comes from sources outside Berkeley including $15,000 from an organization called the Issues Mobilization Political Action Committee, or IMPAC. The organization has a Sacramento address but there is no telephone listing. Measure Y supporters said it’s a real estate pack organization. 

Jo Ann Price, president of the Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville League of Women Voters, is also upset at the No on Y tactics. Price said that although the League supports the intent of the measure it does not support Measure Y itself. However, Price said the LWV never gave the No on Y Committee permission to use the League’s name. All three fliers state “The League of Women Voters urges a no vote (on Measure Y).” 

In an ironic twist, Price said she received a call at her home from someone who falsely claimed to be from the LWV and asked her to vote no on Measure Y.  

Price was able to trace the call back to the Tramutola Company, a political consulting firm in Oakland. Price said she discovered the owner of the company, Larry Tramutola, wrote the misleading phone script. 

“He called me back and apologized claiming it was a mistake,” Price said. 

But then Price said she saw the same misleading statements in an ad placed in the Daily Planet. The ads stated the LWV was against the measure and quoted her as saying “The League of Women Voters opposes Measure Y.” 

“If I didn’t have a cause before I do now,” Price said. “It’s not the organization anymore it’s my name and I never said that.” 

The ad was placed by Robert Cabrera, president of the Berkeley Property Owners Association. Several members of the No on Y Committee referred all questions to Cabrera but neither Cabrera nor Tramutola returned calls. 

Peggy Schioler, a member of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, who is running for a seat on the Rent Stabilization Board said she is against Measure Y but she is not a member of the No on Y committee. She said Cabrera is new to politics. “Maybe he chose the wrong tactics but I ascribe that to inexperience, he’s not an evil person,” she said. 

The No on Y Committee may also be in violation of state law. According to Berkeley’s Campaign Filing Manual, state law requires return address information including name, address and city on all mailings of 200 pieces or more. Whoever sent the fliers did not list any information about the fliers source other than “Paid for by No on Y.”  

Berkeley Councilmember Kriss Worthington said the No on Y committee must have decided to release the false information at the end of the campaign because “they’re desperate and the organization was hoping there wouldn’t be time to counter their false claims.” 

“They know they can’t make a legitimate argument against the measure so they’ve decided their best chance is to try and confuse the voters,” he said.

A District 6 campaign war over signage, which has been brewing for several weeks, turned ugly early Saturday morning resulting in several hundred dollars worth of damage and a police investigation. 

Berkeley Lt. Russell Lopes said at about 5:15 a.m. Saturday a confrontation took place between two men near the corner of Walnut and Cedar streets that ended with one man wounded and the other with a dented car and four shattered windows.  

The incident took place when a longtime Berkeley resident and activist was removing Eleanor Pepples campaign signs and fliers posted on telephone poles in District 6 and was spotted by Carl Martineau, a volunteer sign poster for Eleanor Pepples.  

“I was removing signs and bills posted to the poles, like I’ve done everyday for about 13 years, and I heard a voice coming out of the darkness. The next thing I knew there was a bright light shining in my face and I was being interrogated and accused of campaign sabotage,” said the District 6 resident who asked not to be identified. 

The alleged victim said Martineau was holding a long metal flashlight two feet from his face. After exchanging words the victim said he retreated into his car. 

“That’s when the glass started flying,” he said. “First he kicked my car. Then he circled my car and bashed in my rear passenger windows, the front seat passenger window and shattered the front windshield with the flashlight. When I was speeding away I saw blood on the windshield.” 

Martineau said that his wounds were superficial, and he treated them himself. He declined to comment on the incident. 

The alleged victim said that he was within the law to remove the signs and that he has been “cleaning the poles” to help preserve his neighborhood. 

“I am not registered to vote in District 6. I am apolitical. I clean the poles and pick up trash because I want to keep my neighborhood clean and beautiful and it’s perfectly legal.” 

Lopes said that there are two possible crimes the department is investigating in connection with the incident.  

“One is going to be determined by the laws governing the posting and removal of campaign signs and the other is misdemeanor for property damage . . . possibly a felony depending on the amount of damage and intent,” Lopes said.  

Lopes said it is illegal to post signs on any pole in Berkeley with one exception.  

“Around election time it is legal to temporarily post signs on city-owned poles. That would mean metal light poles, not PG&E poles or other utility poles. It is also illegal to remove election signs from city-owned poles during election time.” 

Lopes also said it is illegal to post signs on any or all poles that are not owned by the city. It is legal to remove signs from those poles. 

In addition to allegedly bashing in car windows, Martineau admits to calling supporters of District 6 incumbent Betty Olds.  

After the car incident early Saturday morning, Martineau said he made several calls to people who have made campaign contributions to Olds and accused them of campaign sabotage. He admitted threatening to contact the American Civil Liberties Union to report alleged First Amendment violations and filing suit against her campaign and supporters. Martineau also said that he has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations in connection with the signage incidents. 

“He called me at 6 a.m. in the morning on Saturday,” Denny Abrams said. “He was telling me that because I have contributed financially to Olds campaign I am responsible for campaign sabotage against Pepples.” 

Abrams expressed anger at being jolted out of bed so early and said that he has known Olds for more than 30 years. 

“I can give my money to whomever I choose. He accused me of tearing down signs and was hysterical. He kept saying I was violating Pepples right to free speech. What about my right to a good nights sleep.” 

Olds, who was extremely upset that her supporters were being called and harassed, said she placed several calls to Pepples requesting that she “call off” Martineau. The calls were not returned, Olds said. 

Olds has also denied any involvement in the “sign wars.”  

“I would never ask anyone working for my campaign to take down signs on poles nor would I ever put a sign on a pole,” she said. 

In response to the car incident and early morning phone calls Pepples said Martineau was not working for her. 

“Carl Martineau is not acting on my behalf. Nor is he acting on behalf of my campaign. He is not connected to anything my campaign is about.” 

Pepples and Martineau do connect on one thing.  

Both feel that their First Amendment rights have been violated. Pepples said that she felt sorry, disappointed and disturbed about recent events. 

“My first amendment rights to free speech and those of my supporters have been violated. The signs are legal. I have serious questions as to whether this has been a fair election.” 

Martineau said and others he has a history of losing his temper. 

In an e-mail sent to numerous city officials Nov. 2, Martineau admitted to feeling an “uncontrollable anger” and to being ejected from a candidates forum at Cragment Elementary School after a verbal outburst.  

The alleged victim, who said he has had trouble with Martineau on two earlier occasions, filed a report with the Berkeley Police Department and will be asked to identify Martineau from a police line-up later this week. 

SACRAMENTO — With the presidential race and key congressional campaigns going down to the wire, tens of thousands of California political activists on Monday flooded phone lines, went door to door and cheered at rallies meant to mobilize voters. 

The Democrats who dominate the state’s elected offices barnstormed California to counter a multimillion-dollar advertising barrage by Republican George W/ Bush – a blitz that went unanswered by Al Gore. 

“We expect every single one of you to e-mail, fax, phone, knock on the door of every human being you can,” Gov. Gray Davis told activists in Sacramento. “Drag them, drive them, get in a taxi with them, get them to the polls!” 

Turnout is critical for the Democrats because Bush’s aggressive effort in the largest state has slashed Gore’s once-commanding lead in polls. Getting out the vote is just as crucial for Republicans, because Democrats outnumber them by 1.6 million voters. 

A Field Poll released Monday showed Gore leading Bush 46 percent to 41 percent among likely voters, an edge that barely exceeded the poll’s margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. 

Republicans said their polling showed the race between Gore and Bush a dead heat. “They may rue the day they decided not to advertise,” GOP consultant Sean Walsh said of Gore. 

“It’s a lot closer than I’d like it to be, and it’s a lot closer than it needed to be,” said Garry South, the political adviser to Gov. Gray Davis. South had complained previously that Gore had not fought vigorously enough for the state. 

Green Party candidate Ralph Nader drew 4 percent in the Field Poll, the same as he has in two previous Field surveys. That suggested a second problem for Gore: Nader’s supporters are sticking with him despite Democratic efforts to draw them back into the Gore fold. 

The Green Party was holding its own rallies up and down the state Monday. 

Republicans pressed for a come-from-behind win for their nominee. 

Bush was leading a rally via satellite at several California sites, and other Republicans were stumping independently at the 11th hour. 

Rev. Tony Lowden of the Calvary Christian Center said the black community shouldn’t blindly pledge its support to Gore. 

“They should look at how much their communities have improved in the past eight years. If they aren’t seeing improvements, they should be voting for Bush-Cheney,” Lowden said on the Capitol steps. 

“In terms of improving our communities and family values, Gore offers nothing and George Bush offers plenty,” said community activist Craig DeLuz. “Issues that are important to us aren’t important to Democrats.” 

Voters were also preparing to decide a long list of other races and issues on the California ballot. 

There are initiatives on school vouchers and bonds, campaign-finance reform and whether to require those convicted of drug possession to be placed in drug treatment rather than prison. 

At least a half-dozen tight congressional races could determine which party controls Congress. 

Republicans were trying to narrow the Democrats’ lead in the Legislature, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein was defending her seat against Republican Rep. Tom Campbell. 

“I know you’ve all got on your walking shoes and I think we’re going to show that this 800-pound gorilla, California, can really deliver,” Feinstein told more than 200 labor leaders and teachers in Sacramento. 

Both parties were mounting what they said were unprecedented efforts to turn out the vote. 

The GOP was blanketing the state with “millions” of phone calls and had about 25,000 volunteers getting voters to the polls, said spokesman Stuart DeVeaux. 

Bush’s wife, Laura, was among those who taped messages that were phoned to Republican voters, along with former Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and Rep. Mary Bono. 

Democrats had President Clinton, Barbra Streisand and Rev. Jesse Jackson making automated phone calls, 20,000 to 30,000 foot soldiers knocking on doors, and other volunteers making hundreds of thousands of phone calls, said party spokesman Bob Mulholland. 

“We’ve got the candidates. We’ve got the issues. If we don’t win, it’s our own fault,” said Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. 

Davis warned against voter complacency that could come if “eastern pundits,” as he put it, begin airing projections of winners Tuesday/ 

That was one of many factors that made the election more volatile than anyone had expected. 

Seven percent of voters remained undecided, according to Monday’s Field Poll. Elections officials expected the highest turnout in 20 years — 76 percent — but no one knew which way they’d vote. 

More than a quarter of voters were casting absentee ballots, which was certain to slow disclosure of results. 

SACRAMENTO — Spurred on by fights for control of Congress and redistricting, California candidates could set records this year for the number of $1 million-plus campaigns. 

“I think we’re going to have more expensive races this year than ever before,” Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies, said Monday. 

“I think there will be a legislative record set, (and) spending for congressional races is just off the chart.” 

One contest, the $9 million-plus U.S. House race between Rep. James Rogan, R-Glendale, and state Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, has already set a national spending record. 

And the state Senate battle between Sen. Richard Rainey, R-Walnut Creek, and Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Martinez could break the $6.37 million record for spending by two candidates in a legislative election. 

They’re not alone in spending big. 

At least 16 legislative candidates spent more than $1 million on their races and another eight to 10 were closing in on that total as Election Day approached. In 1998, 17 candidates for the Senate or Assembly spent $1 million or more. 

Fourteen congressional candidates, including Rogan at $5.7 million and Schiff at $3.3 million, had passed the $1 million mark by mid-October and another seven were closing in on that total. 

“There are an alarming number of multimillion-dollar campaigns that are taking place, said Jim Knox, executive director of California Common Cause, which supports limits on campaign contributions and spending. 

State election officials won’t know the complete totals until the campaigns submit their final 2000 finance reports by January 31. 

There are numerous reasons for this year’s spending barrage. Term limits have created more competitive legislative races.  

There’s also the possibility that Democrats could win a House majority, the fact that the next Legislature will control redistricting, a greater reliance on television, more wealthy self-funded candidates and the booming state economy. 

“Partly it’s inflation, partly it’s the good economy and people making more contributions,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys.  

“I’ve been around the political process for 27 years, and when the economy is not doing well it’s harder for people to write checks.” 

There are donation limits for congressional races: $1,000 per election for individuals and $4-000 per election for political action committees. 

But there are no limits on donations to state campaigns except in midterm legislative races, and five- and six-figure contributions are common. Numerous efforts to cap donations have been rejected by voters or the Legislature, vetoed by governors or overturned by the courts. 

Most of the big money in the legislative races comes from corporations, labor unions, professional groups and other organizations that lobby at the Capitol. 

The record for spending by two legislative candidates over a two-year election cycle is $6.37 million by Sen. Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata, and his Republican opponent, John Jordan, in 1997-98, according to Knox. 

Jordan, a member of a wealthy winemaking family, spent $3.7 million by himself in his losing bid. It’s possible that both Torlakson and Assemblyman Mike Machado, a Stockton area Democrat who is also running for the Senate, could top that. 

In addition to the million-dollar spending by indiwidual candidates, uhe Megislature’s top four leaders have raised millions of dollars to funnel to candidates in their parties. 

Overall spending in legislative campaigns rose more than 600 percent since the 1970s, to a record $105.1 million in 1995-96 before declining slightly two years ago. 

Spending on the eight propositions on Tuesday’s ballot isn’t likely to set any records although the spending per-measure could beat the corresponding amount in the record-setting year, 1998. Opponents and rupposters raised more than $120 million on seven ballot measures heading into the last two weeks of the campaigns. An eighth proposal, involving a veterans loan bond, hasn’t attracted any spending. 

The record for ballot proposition spending is $192.9 million, set in November 1998, when there 12 proposals on the California ballot. 

Candidates also are relying more on television advertising than they used to, which boosts campaign costs and fuels the drive for more money. 

“It’s ‘ medium uhat!peoqle use uo get their information more so than newspapers and the like,” Hertzberg said. And with cable TV, candidates can target specific audiences with each message. 

Campaign consultants who preach that “you can never have enough money” are another factor, Knox said. And they encourage candidates to go on television and radio because they get a cut of that spending. 

“It’s the industry practice that whatever the TV buy is the consultants get 15 percent off the top,” Knox said. “Radio, uhe same thing.” 

There’s also the keeping-up-with-your-opponent factor. Rainey predicted early in February that he would spend $2 million to $3 million and went on TV six months before him, Torlakson said. 

“I had no choice but to follow to stay competitive,” Torlakson said. 

———— 

On the Net: Read the campaign finance reports at www.ss.ca.gov and www.fec.gov. 

LOS ANGELES — Theater owners have adopted new guidelines restricting the viewing of trailers for R-rated movies and strengthening policies to prevent children under 17 from seeing restricted films. 

For the first time, the guidelines prohibit theaters from showing trailers advertising R-rated films before feature films rated G or PG. 

The National Association of Theater Owners, with 700 members in the United States, issued the guidelines Monday.  

The policy was unanimously approved at a general membership meeting held last week. 

The guidelines go beyond those adopted in September by the Motion Picture Association of America. 

The MPAA, which represents film studios, only urged theater owners to stop showing trailers for R-rated films before G-rated features. 

The movie industry is still struggling with intense criticism stemming from a report issued by the Federal Trade Commission in September.  

The report criticized the entertainment industry for marketing films, music and video games with violent and sexually explicit content to children. 

Congress intensified the pressure with hearings on the report, during which the movie industry was taken to task for its response to the FTC report.  

The NATO guidelines allow individual theater owners to decide whether to show a trailer for an R-rated film before a feature rated PG-13.  

NATO is requiring members to examine trailers to “ensure that their tone and content are consistent with the feature film and that nothing in the trailer itself is likely to offend the audience.” 

“The problem is the breadth of the R rating,” said John Fithian, president of NATO.  

“We believe some R-rated films are appropriate to advertise before some PG-13-rated films and that decision is best made on a local basis. What is controversial in Texas might be viewed differently in Massachusetts.” 

The NATO guidelines also require each member to appoint a senior 

executive compliance officer to enforce policies restricting access to R and NC-17-rated movies. 

The policy even urges members to post extra security outside theaters during the showing of “extreme R-rated films and all NC-17-rated films.”  

Movie studios will be asked to defray labor costs in such circumstances, the policy states. 

NATO members will also display posters explaining the ratings system in all theaters and urge newspapers to include the reasons for ratings in their movie reviews. 

It will now be up to individual theater chains to adopt specific policies based on the NATO guidelines, Fithian said. 

The United Artists Theatre Circuit Inc., one of the largest theater chains, will issue its policies in the next week or so, according to president and chief executive officer Kurt Hall. 

“We’re taking it very, very seriously,” Hall said. 

On the Net: http://www.hollywood.com/naun 

http;//wwv.mpaa.org

LOS ANGELES — The retail price of gasoline fell more than 1 cent per gallon nationwide due to a drop in crude oil prices, an analyst said Sunday. 

Dealers were able to save money on crude oil and passed the savings along to consumers, analyst Trilby Lundberg said. 

The average price of gasoline was about $1.60 per gallon on Friday, down 1.3 cents from two weeks ago, according to the Lundberg Survey of 10,000 gas stations nationwide. The national weighted average price of gasoline, including taxes, at self-serve pumps Friday was $1.55 per gallon for regular unleaded, $1.65 per gallon for mid-grade and $1.74 per gallon for premium. At full-service pumps, the average was $1.89 per gallon for regular unleaded, $1.98 per gallon for mid-grade and $2.05 per gallon for premium. 

RANCHO PALOS VERDES — One of the nation’s best spots for whale-watching is off-limits for at least the next 18 months as governments debate over who will pay a $2 million environmental cleanup bill. 

The Point Vicente Interpretive Center has been closed since August 1999 because of lead contamination a World War II rifle range is believed to have left behind at the site. 

“This year I’m really sad,” said Holly Starr, the center’s recreation supervisor, told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s hard to see the interpretive center without any people in there. I just can’t fathom the reopening being that far away.” 

The contamination was discovered last year shortly after the city broke ground on a 7,000-square-foot expansion project. A test of the soil turned up bullets and lead contamination, which can cause brain damage in children. 

City officials have spent more than $800,001 disposing of the a hazardous waste landfill, but have determined it will cost another $2 million to finish the job. 

They have filed claims with the federal government and Los Angeles County, which owns the land, seeking money to help pay for the cleanup. 

“We really believe it’s the federal rifle range that caused the problem, and it’s on county property,” said Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Les Evans. “We’re all in this together.” 

But county officials say their agreement with the city absolves them from any environmental cleanup liability. They have asked the Army Corps of Engineers to investigate whether the military is to blame for the contamination, hoping the federal government will foot the bill. 

A Corps spokesman said the agency expects to learn by the end of the year whether the site is eligible for funding under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program, which funds cleanup efforts at former military sites. 

But Evans said getting federal money could take years because the allocation would require congressional approval.  

And even if they get the money, the cleanup and expansion project would take a year and a half to complete. 

The center, which is owned and operated by the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, normally gets about 60,000 visitors a year and was supposed to be opened in time for the start of whale-watching season Dec. 1. 

It sits on a peninsula that juts into the paths of thousands of gray whales migrating between waters!off Alaska and Baja California.!During the December-to-March season, mother whales and their newborn calves frolic near the cliffs and rest in the kelp beds. 

“I don’t think there is another spot like it,” said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, project director for the Gray Whale Census Project. “Sometimes the whales get so close you hear them before you see them.” 

Without the use of the center, which opened in 1984, whale watching is tougher for both spectators and volunteers who help conducu an annual whale census. 

! 

LOS ANGELES — Jurors should believe gang members’ testimony and fear dishonest police more than gangs, a prosecutor said Monday during closing arguments in the trial of four officers accused of planting evidence and framing people. 

“You have seen how dishonest cops can manipulate the system and twist the truth so it is unrecognizable,” Deputy District Attorney Laura Laesecke told the Superior Court jury of seven women and five men. 

The prosecution began its closing arguments without ever calling disgraced ex-officer Rafael Perez to the stand to testify against Sgt. Edward Ortiz, Sgt. Brian Liddy, Officer Michael Buchanan and Officer Paul Harper. 

Perez, a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart station anti-gang “CRASH” unit until he was caught stealing seized cocaine, was expected to be the prosecution’s star witness until an ex-girlfriend accused him of committing murders. 

Perez spawned the corruption case against the four other Rampart anti-gang officers when he began talking to investigators in exchange for lenient punishment. 

The probe of his allegations led to dismissal of 100 tainted criminal cases and the reorganization of all the department’s anti-gang units, including the name Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums and its more popular acronym. 

The prosecutor asked jurors to look skeptically at the police officers and realize that “putting on a uniform doesn’t automatically make someone trustworthy and honest.” 

“Somewhere along the line these defendants lost their moral compass. They began to think of themselves as above the law,” Laesecke said. 

She asked jurors to trust gang members who testified against the police and urged them not to simply say, “Who are we going to believe, cops or gang members?” 

“Yes, gangs are bad,” she said. But she claimed that the defense put too much emphasis on that fact. “They need!to dehumanize these witnesses and victims because maybe if you think of them as less than human you won’t care,” Laesecke said. 

The prosecutor drew objections from the defense when she compared gangs with other groups who could be framed by police simply because they don’t like them. 

“Where does it stop?” she asked. “What about homeless people? ... What about drug abusers? Should we frame them? What if officers don’t like blacks or Jews or lesbians?” 

A defense objection was sustained by the judge and the comment was stricken. 

“Gang members may scare you,” the prosecutor said. “What should scare you even more is dishonest cops.” 

The first day of arguments began after the judge instructed the jury to consider the case of each officer individually, as if there were four separate trials. The last evidence presented by prosecutors was an identification card obtained by Buchanan when he was 19 but indicating he was 21. 

Buchanan’s lawyer said fake identification is commonly used by youths to get into nightclubs when they are under age. 

The prosecution suggested that it showed Buchanan was willing to lie under oath. 

The officer briefly returned to the witness stand to acknowledge his youthful act and said he had never been asked about it during some 100 witness stand appearances on behalf of prosecutors in other cases. 

The defense called only the four defendants and one accident reconstruction expert during its one-week present‘tion. 

The final defense witness, Ortiz, said that during his tenure with Rampart CRASH officers handled all cases the same way and did not single out gang members for tougher treatment. 

A broken promise ten years ago is prompting the Berkeley City Council to cautiously endorse a $153 million bond measure that would renovate five Peralta Community College district campuses.  

In an 8-1 vote on Oct. 24, the City Council voted to endorse Measure E. The measure calls for a general obligation bond to renovate existing facilities and construct new classrooms at College of Alameda, Laney and Merritt colleges in Oakland and Vista College in Berkeley — all in the Peralta Community College District. Only Councilmember Maudelle Shirek voted no.  

Normally, such measures enjoy widespread community support. But Berkeley’s trepidation arose after concerns that the Peralta Community College District — which oversees the five colleges — will not fulfill their promise to build a permanent campus in Berkeley. 

Last week, Joshua Damankos, president of the Associated Students of Vista College in Berkeley, said he is voting against Measure E because of its loopholes. 

“Nowhere in the ballot language of Measure E is there language that would assure PCCD would build a permanent building for Vista College,” Damankos said.  

Currently, Vista leases two spaces in Berkeley as well as uses classrooms on Berkeley’s University of California campus.  

Damankos said he had tried unsuccessfully to get the PCCD Board to meet before the election to create a legally binding addendum to the measure that would ensure a permanent school. 

According to City Councilmember Kriss Worthington — who voted to endorse the measure — a lawsuit wasfiled against the district ten years ago after they broke a promise to build a permanent campus in Berkeley.  

This time, Worthington said the PCCD gave the Council every possible assurance short of putting binding language in the measure. 

Worthington points to a letter written by the State Community College Board which legally binds PCCD to build a college at 2050 Center St. Worthington said the Council also considered the PCCD’s investment of $2.5 million in the property, now a parking lot, as a sign of good faith.  

“If they don’t [build a permanent college campus in Berkeley], we will reinstitute the lawsuit and give them tremendous PR and legal grief,” he said. 

According to PCCD spokesperson Jeff Heyman, the purchase was specifically intended for construction at the the site.  

But Damankos said there is no binding agreement to stop the PCCD from selling the site after for a profit in the current hot real estate market. 

Heyman said there is no doubt Vista will get a permanent building in Berkeley. Chancellor Ronald J. Temple wrote a letter to the City Council that said explicitly “we are building a permanent facility whether Measure E passes or not.” 

Heyman said the PCCD already has $15 million to build the Vista facility and if Measure E passes there will be double that for construction. “Voters have to decide what they want, a $15 million school or a $35 million school,” he said. 

Measure E would cost homeowners $9.87 per $100,000 of assessed home value per year.

Monday, Nov. 6

Airports vs. the Bay 

7 p.m. 

Albany Community Center 

1249 Marin St.  

Albany 

David Lewis, Executive Director of “Save the Bay” will speak on the airports’ plans to expand into the SF Bay and other challenges to Bay restoration.  

Contact: Friends of Five Creeks, 848-9358 

Flu Shots for Seniors 

9 a.m. - Noon & 1 - 2 p.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

$2 for seniors. 

“The Weir” 

1 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Director Tom Ross will discuss the Aurora Theater’s production of “The Weir” and will distribute 30 free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Youth Commission 

6 p.m.  

MLK Jr. Youth Center 

1730 Oregon St.  

Peace & Justice Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center  

1901 Hearst St.  

Discussion for support of the city council proposal that Peace & Justice Commission review contracts with UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.  

Landmarks Preservation  

Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst St. 

Personnel Board Meeting 

7 p.m.  

Permit Center 

2118 Milvia St.  

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Zonta Club dinner 

5:30 p.m. 

Berkeley City Club 

$20 per person 

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine bioligist, author and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will be the featured speaker. 

For more information call 845-6221. 

Exercise for Seniors 

10 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Exercise to music with Doris Echols. Free. 

“How Can We Restructure  

Civilization?” 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut Ave. (at Rose) 

Informally led by Robert Berend, former UC Extension lecturer, this group aims to have intelligent discussions on a wide range of topics. They stress that there is no religious bent to the discussions and that all viewpoints are welcome. Bring light snacks to share with group.  

Call Robert Berend, 527-5332. 

Bayer’s Biotechnology Center Groundbreaking 

1 p.m.  

Seventh & Grayson 

Seventh & Dwight 

Call 705-7880 

Home Design Workshop 

7 - 10 p.m. 

Building Education Center 

812 Page St.  

Instructed by architect/contractor Barry Wagner, this class runs four consecutive Tuesdays through Nov. 28.  

$150 for all four classes 

Call 525-7610. 

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Tinnitus & Hyperacusis  

Sufferers Support Group 

10 a.m.  

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Public Works Commission Special Meeting 

5 p.m.  

Engineering Conference Room 

2201 Dwight Way 

Discussion and prioritization of Commission work plan priorities for Public Works.  

Board of Library Trustees 

7 p.m. 

South Branch 

1901 Russel St.  

Discussions will include the November election results and electronic classroom policy.  

Homeless Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Police Review Commission 

7:30 p.m. 

South Berkeley Senior Center 

2939 Ellis St.  

Planning Commission 

7 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way) 

Waterfront Commission 

7 p.m.  

His Lordships Restaurant 

199 Seawall Drive . 

Commission on Disability 

6:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst (at MLK Jr. Way). 

Thursday, Nov. 9

The Life and