After three and one-half hours of debate the Zoning Adjustments Board approved the use permit for a controversial, 33,000-square-foot synagogue and school at 1301 Oxford St. -more-

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Saturday, March 10

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Don’t need fox’s advice to save Pacifica chicken coop -more-

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“Isn’t that a Clinton thing?” “Didn’t the Republicans de-fund that?” -more-

By Jared Green -more-

With bike horns honking, hundreds of pink balloons pushing skyward on their strings and one pink contraption on wheels filled with balloons described as a “velorutionary pink bloc,” some 200 riders took off through the streets of Berkeley Friday evening, celebrating the eighth anniversary of Critical Mass, an organization that aims to take streets back for cyclists. “I don’t believe in cars for use in an urban area,” said Brendan Casey, who rides with Critical Mass in New York City and was in town visiting a friend. Casey said another friend, a bike messenger in the Big Apple, was knocked to the ground by a fire truck and broke his leg. “(Critical Mass) makes the public aware of bicyclers,” he said. -more-

SUNNYVALE – The No. 4 Cal Bears squeaked past the Southern Illinois Salukis, 2-0 in game one of pool play at the National Invitational Softball Tournament and followed that win with a 7-2 victory over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in game two. -more-

Faced with an estimated $5 million budget shortfall next year, Berkeley School Board representatives have intensified a 14-month campaign to escape a $1.16 million state penalty for missing a bureaucratic deadline. -more-

California field hockey coach Shellie Onstead has been selected as head coach of the Under-16 U.S. Men’s National Team for this spring. This is the third stint for Onstead as head coach. In 1999 and 2000, she was also appointed the same position en route to becoming the first woman in U.S. field hockey to be named head coach of a men’s team at any age level. -more-

The state Court of Appeal denied a lawsuit on Wednesday filed by three Landmarks Preservation Commissioners over an opinion by the city attorney that said they had a conflict of interest with a proposed development project. -more-

Berkeley Observed -more-

After two years of planning and community discussion, the City of Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley have released a co-sponsored Transportation Demand Management Study. The City and Campus will host a community meeting to present the Study on Monday, March 19 at 7 p.m. at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 2362 Bancroft Way, -more-