The Week
News
Berkeley implements ADA projects despite lack of plan
Berkeley has been spending an average of $500,000 a year on making public buildings accessible despite the lack of a formal transition plan required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. -more-
Governors’ speech focuses on electricity
The Associated Press -more-
Aroner says poor needed to be included
Gov. Gray Davis’ State of the State message was a mixed bag for Assemblymember Dion Aroner. -more-
Students need money for Cuba trip
How do you get 70 Berkeley High School students to a small communist country? The question is not the set-up for a one liner, but the financial nightmare faced by leaders of a group hoping to take students to Cuba this spring. -more-
Teen population on the rise, health at stake
California’s youth population is exploding – both in numbers and, potentially, behaviors breeding poor health and even early death. -more-
Chavez incident first test for president-elect Bush
Overturning environmental actions could cost GOP needed support
WASHINGTON — Overturning environmental protections imposed by the Clinton administration would cost Republicans a lot of public support, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said. -more-
Tiananmen Papers called fake by the Chinese government
BEIJING — China’s government on Tuesday rejected newly published documents vividly describing how Chinese leaders split over the crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, suggesting that the papers are fake. -more-
Apple pickings becoming slim
SAN JOSE — Steve Jobs rescued Apple Computer Inc. once before. Now he has to try to do it again. -more-
Dividend payout biggest decline since ’51
NEW YORK — One of the less discussed peculiarities of the the financial marketplace in the year 2000 was the decline in dividends, those partial payouts of earnings that old-time investors relied upon. -more-
Stock Market Brief
NEW YORK — Bargain hunters saved the market from another big tech selloff Monday, rescuing the Dow Jones industrials and the Nasdaq composite index from losses of more than 100 points each in the last hour of trading. -more-
Noted biochemist, former professor dies at age 93
Horace Albert Barker, one of the preeminent biochemists of the mid-20th century and professor emeritus of biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, died Dec. 24 at his home in Berkeley after a brief illness. He was 93. -more-
Hair stylist returns to his roots
Dressed in a light blue smock, bow tie and his trademark black derby, Jose LaCrosby wended his six-foot-two-inch frame past a bank of hair dryers and styling cubicles to an obscure area in the rear of his salon. -more-
Letters to the Editor
An open letter to U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer -more-
Second-half collapse dooms women again
Turnovers and free throws give ASU a 58-47 win -more-
Recycling residents hit paydirt
City offers to pay each week if garbage is indeed garbage -more-
Desert streak finally over
TEMPE, Ariz. – Sean Lampley had 21 points, leading California in scoring for the ninth consecutive game, as the Golden Bears beat Arizona State 82-67 Saturday night for their first victory in Tempe since Jan. 25, 1990. -more-
Asian-American women balance East and West
After reading a book about the experiences of Asian-American women, Kathy Bing-Yeu decided it was time to start her own group to discuss the experiences of being an Asian woman in the United States. -more-
No. 5 Bears flip past Stanford
Gymnasts hit the road to open season with a win -more-
Trying not to flop at hip-hop workshop
The last time I made a fool out of myself in public was last summer when I attempted to take a sushi-making class and then shared my experiences in this newspaper. I am not good at preparing unusual foods. -more-
UC Berkeley professor says recession is likely
Decision based on trends that have halted earlier economic slow-downs -more-
Davis proposes big budget for crime labs
Gov. seeks $45 million -more-
East Bay lawmaker wants to silence telemarketers
Fremont senator proposes a -more-
Digital devices dominate Consumer Electronics Show
Las Vegas trade show gives a glimpse of the future of tech -more-
Subterranean Shakespeare quickens wait for Godot
Subterranean Shakespeare opened an oddly cheerful staging Friday at La Val’s of "Waiting for Godot," Samuel Beckett’s bleak comedy that is one of the original anti-plays of the theater of the absurd. -more-
New Times buys East Bay Express
Independent newspapers are increasingly rare. The East Bay Express is the latest to join those swallowed by large corporations. -more-
’Jackets run past De Anza
The Berkeley High boys’ basketball team is used to David versus Goliath matches. They just aren’t used to playing the role of Goliath. -more-
Residents claim Alta Bates survey was manipulative
Robin Clewley -more-
Panthers can’t hold lead, tie with rival Piedmont
St. Mary’s started the game with 10 men, and ended the game with 10 men. But when they did have a full complement of players on the field, they managed to eke out a 2-2 tie against rival Piedmont in a battle of two top EBAL teams on Friday. -more-
Rally: Reject Florida electors
SAN FRANCISCO – About thirty protesters carrying signs denouncing the George W. Bush “coup d’etat” rallied outside the offices of Senator Barbara Boxer Friday afternoon. -more-
BHS overpowers hapless Dons
In what is sure to become a regular event this season, the Berkeley girls’ basketball team dominated their first ACCAL opponent, using all 13 players and resting their starters after the first quarter. -more-
Ex-intern files suit against city for harassment
A former Solid Waste Management intern filed a civil suit against the city Tuesday alleging she was sexually battered by a department manager and that her supervisors did nothing to stop the harassment. -more-
Energy crisis could affect city budget
This week’s statewide energy rate increase will not break the city, but could have long-term effects on the budget. -more-
Calaifornia power crisis deepens
SACRAMENTO — California’s power crisis deepened on several fronts Friday, with a utility losing a round in court and announcing layoffs, President Clinton calling for a high-level meeting and a consumer activist warning of a ratepayer rebellion. -more-
Radio station offers to pay for utility bill
SAN FRANCISCO — A local radio station has stepped into the mix of the state’s energy crisis, offering to pay the utility bills of randomly selected listeners who fax in their statements. -more-
Clinton’s roadless-forest plan draws early GOP fire
WASHINGTON — President Clinton on Friday declared nearly a third of the country’s federal forest land off-limits to most logging. Some Republicans already were urging President-elect Bush to scuttle the plan. -more-
Bush Cabinet appears diverse
WASHINGTON — Colin Powell. Several women. A couple of Hispanics. By the time President-elect Bush announced the last of his Cabinet selections this week, he had managed to assemble a group every bit as diverse as the one put together by the man he will replace. -more-
Stocks plunge in volatile trading; Dow down 250
NEW YORK — The slowing economy reasserted itself on Wall Street Friday, sending stocks tumbling and erasing much of the big gains the market enjoyed earlier in the week. -more-
Interest rate cuts will help stocks in the long run
NEW YORK — The Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut is expected to lend support to the slowing economy, but as Wall Street quickly learned, it was no panacea for the stock market’s woes. -more-
Cal can’t beat emotional ’Cats
TUCSON, Ariz. – On a night loaded with emotion, Arizona’s Loren Woods lost his cool. -more-
New Year’s resolution: to register as domestic partners
“This is a critical moment for lesbian and gay people in California,” says Alan LoFaso, the affable chief of staff for Assembly member Carole Migden. “We have the opportunity to expand our rights in California,” he says, “and it’s very important, no - it’s crucial, for us to seize this opportunity.” -more-
E-parking cards will eliminate dime digging for motorists
The need to dig through your car’s coin trays for dimes and quarters to feed ravenous parking meters may soon become a thing of the past. -more-
Cal steals Borges away from UCLA
California head football coach Tom Holmoe announced the signing of former UCLA offensive coordinator to the same job at Cal Thursday, ending a two-month search to fill the position. -more-
Shelter plans still face obstacles
Developers, commissioners and activists have expressed interest in establishing a shelter in Berkeley for survivors of domestic violence. -more-
Bears fall to shorthanded Arizona
As Kenya Corley goes, so go the Cal Bears. -more-
Jewish Community Center nixes wireless antennae
The Jewish Community Center on Walnut Street has decided against installing two Sprint PCS wireless communication antennae on the center’s roof after members, staff and neighbors expressed health concerns. -more-
Law school program will help inmates on death row
California death row inmates will soon receive legal representation from one of the top law schools in the country, the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall). -more-
Utilities denounce rate increase as inadequate
The Associated Press -more-
Composting is good for garden
Composting is a way to turn garbage into gold. -more-
Roses provide the ultimate in growing indoor blooms
Keeping attic vents dry is important
Q: My two-story house is 40 feet wide on each side, and has three 12-inch-square vents on the roof’s south side. -more-
Stocks end lower despite optimism
NEW YORK — Wall Street stepped back Thursday, taking profits from the stellar gains that followed the Federal Reserve’s unexpected interest rate cut. Investors retreated from blue chips and also refrained from making new commitments to high-tech issues. -more-
Exec says auto industry more vibrant than dot-com failures
LOS ANGELES — A staple of every auto show is the concept car – an idea rendered in steel that may never reach showrooms. -more-
Bears looking at a wide-open Pac-10 race
Throw those preseason predictions right out the window. The Pac-10 women’s basketball race is up for grabs, and no one can say who will end up in the winner’s circle. -more-
Calendar of Events & Activities
Perspective
Suspicious fire heats up border labor dispute -more-
Retirement plan may mean chief goes
Police Chief Dash Butler has unofficially made it known around the department that he intends to retire by August pending the city’s adoption of a new retirement plan. -more-
Arizona trying to overcome adversity and tragedy
When the Cal men’s basketball team tips off the Pac-10 season against Arizona Thursday evening, they face a team that has seen more trouble than anyone could have imagined. -more-
AC Transit complaint system not serving its riders
Community members and AC Transit administrators agree, the current complaint system is not working. -more-
Recycling workers want a union
On the heels of a successful union drive by restaurant workers at the Berkeley marina, another group of employees in the city has called for a union. -more-
YMCA to offer new non-member family services
When the downtown Berkeley YMCA reopens its Family Center later this month, it will provide new services for non-member families with disabled children, foster families, pregnant teens and teen mothers. -more-
Proposed electricity rate hikes less than expected Daily Planet Staff
SACRAMENTO — Boosting electricity bills for millions of homes an average of $5 a month, a plan floated Wednesday by state regulators, would give California’s strapped utilities a quick infusion of cash. -more-
Intern fired for plagiarism
SAN JOSE — The San Jose Mercury News has fired a reporting intern who had been suspended for plagiarism, after more evidence of copying work from other publications was discovered. -more-
Feds stop possible recession avalanche
NEW YORK — The Federal Reserve lit a match under the financial thermometer. -more-
Class helps with snuffing out habit
A change in behavior is the key to quitting smoking, says Marcia Brown-Machen, director for the city’s Tobacco Prevention Program, which is sponsoring a free six-week smoking cessation class. -more-
Student breakfast program part of study
About five years ago Eric Weaver, a Berkeley parent volunteering at his son’s school, discovered kids stealing the teachers’ snacks. -more-
Housing project closer to approval
City planners are reviewing designs for a housing project at Acton Street and University Avenue that the City Council awarded to developers Panoramic Interests and Jubilee Restoration over 19 months ago. -more-
Bay Area homicide rates drop
While homicide rates for cities in the Bay Area are dropping, the number of murders in Berkeley was slightly higher this year then the past two years. Numbers are down significantly from 1996 and 1997. -more-
Garage death is apparent suicide
The identity of a 40-year-old male suicide victim discovered in a parking garage Saturday has not been released, pending notification of next of kin. -more-
PG&E says it will run out of cash by early February
SAN FRANCISCO — Representatives from Southern California Edison made it clear at Tuesday’s meeting of the state Public Utilities Commission that they expect customers, both residential and business, to carry the full weight of the utility’s huge debt. -more-
Fire at needle exchange building ruled as arson
OAKLAND — A fire that gutted a controversial needle exchange program in Fruitvale has been ruled an arson, and directors of the center vowed today to continue their services despite the setback. -more-
Student, counselor killed in school bus crash
PASO ROBLES — A 13-year-old boy and a school employee were killed Tuesday when a school bus tumbled down the side of U.S. 101 in San Luis Obispo County. -more-
Intel joins crowded MP3 market
SAN JOSE — Intel Corp. wants to bring music to your ears – and not just the five-chime logo that accompanies its television commercials. -more-
Location allowed to count for insurance
SAN FRANCISCO – A state appeals court ruled late Friday that auto insurers can calculate premiums based on where a customer lives, setting the stage for a potential California Supreme Court showdown. -more-
Market Watch
NEW YORK — Wall Street started 2001 on a sour note Tuesday, unnerved by the same problems that sent the market plunging last year. -more-
Yahoo! to ban Nazi artifacts from auctions
NEW YORK — Yahoo! Inc. will stop carrying online auctions of Nazi artifacts and other hate-related materials after some users complained that such items promote hate and violence. -more-
Opinion
Editorials
New program is in response to alleged voting irregularities
LOS ANGELES — Members of a civil rights group Monday announced a plan to address what they called Election Day voting irregularities in South Central Los Angeles during the November election. -more-
Humane Society adds hours for pet adoptions
The Berkeley East Bay Humane Society, 2700 Ninth St. in Berkleley, announced its increase in weekend adoption hours. New shelter and adoption hours are: -more-
Companies say price caps costs them billions
Q: What is happening with California’s deregulated electricity market? -more-
Civil rights claim filed against San Diego
SAN DIEGO — A civil rights group is contesting San Diego County’s policy of stopping a nonprofit group from distributing informational pamphlets inside and near welfare offices, arguing that the policy is a violation of the First Amendment right. -more-
E-mail violates 12,000 patients’ confidentiality
SAN FRANCISCO — The state’s third-largest health insurer violated patient confidentiality by accidentally e-mailing the names of 12,000 patients to the wrong doctors, company officials acknowledged. -more-
Innovator of forestry policy dies at 88
Henry James Vaux, Sr., a professor emeritus of forestry at the University of California, Berkeley, and former chairman of California's Board of Forestry, died on Dec. 22 in Berkeley after a brief illness. He was 88. -more-