The Week
News
Recycling, organic undies, bus riding all get the Berkeley nod
On Earth Day, people are encouraged to think about living in a manner healthy both for the body and the earth. Traditionally, it is a day for thinking about both ones place within a larger ecology and methods for environmentally sound living. -more-
Carter stays home with ecstatic 49ers
SANTA CLARA – Four years after they narrowly missed each other in Berkeley, Andre Carter will get to play for Steve Mariucci on the other side of the San Francisco Bay. -more-
Alternative school transforming into model program
At first blush, Berkeley Alternative High School seems more like place of business than a school. -more-
City sets sunny example for homeowners
By converting the power source in public buildings from fossil fuel based electricity to renewable solar systems, the City Council wants to set an example for small businesses and homeowners. -more-
Students see Castro up close on Cuba trip
The students from Communications Arts and Sciences academy at Berkeley High School have returned from their two-week adventure in Cuba. The Daily Planet ran the first two parts of the log written by history teacher and chaperone Tom Kordick. Following is the third and last part of the log. -more-
Homebound help needed
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is seeking volunteers for the Tele-Care program. -more-
Infant injured in fall on Mount Diablo
SAN FRANCISCO – An eight-month-old boy was seriously injured late Saturday afternoon in a fall from the observation deck at the top of Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County. -more-
Street clashes, free trade at Americas Summit
Despite demand, competitive DSL industry struggling
Students take on eco challenge
Participants fight pollution, traffic congestion -more-
Arts & Entertainment
Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm”An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. “Recycling Center” Lets the kids crank the conveyor belt to sort cans, plastic bottles and newspaper bundles into dumpster bins, and become little “dump” workers. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays, Memorial Day through Labor Day) Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org -more-
Spring game to be Boller’s first test in new offense
When Kyle Boller takes the first snap of Cal’s spring football game on Saturday, he won’t be facing UCLA or Stanford; his teammates will be on the other side of the ball. But Boller will be taking his first shot at mastering Cal’s new offense, implemented by new offensive coordinator Al Borges. -more-
Spinning sunshine into gold
Energy alternatives presented to Council -more-
Draft day brings hope, anxiety to Cal seniors
The long winter of weights, sprints, and tests is over. After months of being paraded around like show ponies, the National Football League is ready to select a group of fortunate football players into their select club. Among the hundreds of college hopefuls stand a handful of players from Cal, hoping to continue their careers on the pro gridiron. -more-
Cuba trip a real eye-opener for many
Students from the Communications Arts and Sciences academy at Berkeley High School have returned from their two-week adventure in Cuba. -more-
All-star showcase at BHS
Berkeley High will be the site of the Seventh Annual Academic & Athletic Showcase on Saturday night, featuring the best senior basketball players from around the Bay Area. -more-
Early settler was a first in many ways
Berkeley Observed -more-
Environmental organization gears up for fight
SAN FRANCISCO — At a time when many activists fear the environment is threatened by the Bush administration, the Sierra Club – the nation’s oldest nonprofit environmental group – is rejecting criticism that it is slow and ineffective. -more-
Mexico protests state of remaining murals
SAN FRANCISCO – Five works by Mexican muralist Miguel Covarrubias are destined for storage on Treasure Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay, over the protest of the Mexican government. -more-
Summer power cost predicted to reach all-time highs
Several factors coming together to create a -more-
Teen’s lawyers say treating him as an adult is unjust
EL CAJON – A state law allowing prosecutors to charge a teen-ager as an adult for allegedly killing two students at his high school is cruel and unusual punishment and violates the state Constitution, defense attorneys argued Friday. -more-
Charges filed in San Jose robotic dog bomb slaying
SAN FRANCISCO – Mail-bomb charges were filed in the case of a San Jose student killed when a robotic toy dog exploded. -more-
For Class of 2001, looking for a job is hard work
LOS ANGELES — When UCLA senior Mark Leverette’s job search began last October, he had dreams of using his business economics degree to land a job complete with a signing bonus and a padded benefits package. -more-
Purchases of new diesel school buses voted down
DIAMOND BAR — Southern California air quality officials voted Friday to require school bus operators to buy alternative-fuel vehicles rather than diesel buses, a move that some school district officials said will force them to take money from students. -more-
Judge rules against teachers opposing test rewards rules
SACRAMENTO — A judge ruled Friday against Sacramento teachers who challenged the rules for Gov. Gray Davis’ most lucrative rewards program for test-score improvements. -more-
Report: Blacks, Latinos likelier to face gun felonies
SACRAMENTO — Blacks and Latinos are more likely than whites to be charged with felonies when they are caught with concealed or loaded weapons, according to a state report. -more-
Health officials suspect 3-year-old died from rare parasite
ROHNERT PARK — Aletha Willis was a typical 3-year-old. She loved the television show “Blue’s Clues” and being the center of attention. She played the tambourine and sang in church. She rarely got sick, other than two ear infections. -more-
Feds short of goal to contract with women-owned firms
WASHINGTON — Companies owned by women are receiving just 2.5 percent of the government’s nearly $200 billion a year in contracts, and Congress says that’s not nearly enough. In fact, lawmakers declared five years ago the percentage must be doubled. -more-
Rivals try to heat up abortion debate on college campuses
At the rate of a campus a day, the president of the National Organization for Women has been touring colleges for weeks, spreading the message that abortion rights are under siege. -more-
U.S. pessimistic about revamped warming accord
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration rejects the Kyoto global warming treaty “under any circumstances” and sees little chance that new talks this summer will produce a suitable substitute, a State Department memo says. -more-
Americas summit opens with clashes
QUEBEC — Police in riot gear clashed with protesters in a haze of tear gas Friday as leaders of the Western Hemisphere’s 34 democracies sought to advance plans to create the world’s largest free-trade zone. -more-
U.N. keeps watch on Russian human rights
GENEVA — The top U.N. human rights watchdog censured Russia on Friday for alleged abuses in Chechnya after last-minute attempts to reach a compromise failed. -more-
Small company hopes to become big player
Group hopes to join instant messaging game -more-
Securities markets good forecasters
NEW YORK — It’s no longer just a place where prices jump around like corn in a popper, an indulgence of the rich but of no particular concern for most families. -more-
Market Watch
NEW YORK — Wall Street ended its best two weeks of the year Friday with profit-taking from a spectacular rally that included triple-digit gains in the Dow Jones industrials and Nasdaq composite index. -more-
Young talent means a new start for Berkeley High boys’ golf team
When a high school team improves its record dramatically from one year to the next, the reasons are usually found in the maturation of players as they gain experience. But for the Berkeley High boys’ golf team, which will likely claim a share of the league title after winning just one match last season, there are three factors for the improvement, and none of them are carried over from last year. -more-
Building plan may include environmental center
The City Council approved a recommendation Tuesday to add the David R. Brower Center to the list of possible tenants for a proposed downtown building. -more-
Former hostage speaks out
The Daily Planet received the following e-mail from Jeffrey Schilling, the Oakland man rescued by Filipino marines from rebels last week. -more-
Cal tennis wraps up the season weekend against UCLA, USC
School Board hears options to fix shortfall
Although they are facing a “serious budget situation,” in the word’s of school district Chief Financial Officer George Sirogiannis, a majority of school board members indicated Wednesday that they would fight to maintain student-teacher ratios at current levels next year. -more-
Beth El Temple and neighbors: time to let the healing begin
Industry, university ties spark academic debate
The very name “University of California” exudes respect and elicits images of academia’s hallowed halls. -more-
Community Fund seeks award nominations
The Berkeley Community Fund is seeking nominations for the next Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal and Berkeley Community Awards. -more-
CHP bans some car searches
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Highway Patrol’s commissioner ordered a ban on some car searches Thursday, a move civil liberties groups say is a tacit admission that officers single out minority drivers for unfair treatment. -more-
Regulators to respond to PG&E limit efforts
SAN FRANCISCO — California’s largest utility has made it abundantly clear to Gov. Gray Davis, to Wall Street and now to a federal bankruptcy judge that it believes it should be exempt from state regulation. -more-
Company announces clear-cutting reduction
SAN FRANCISCO — A logging company plans to reduce clear-cutting on about 560,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada, a move greeted with skepticism by some environmentalists. -more-
Accused teen gunman draws support nationwide
SAN DIEGO — A 15-year-old boy accused of killing two students and wounding 13 other people at his high school is drawing support from around the nation from strangers who see him as a victim of bullies who should not be tried as an adult. -more-
Building houses changes with the times
The homes people live in evolved out of simple need or grand design, or both, then were inevitably polished by the urge to change. -more-
Study finds kids in day care more defiant
NEW YORK — For parents struggling to juggle work and child-raising, the news compounded their daily dilemmas: A comprehensive study found that children who spend many hours in day care are more likely to be aggressive and defiant. -more-
Film fest features over 200 pieces of work
Now in its 44th year, the San Francisco International Film Festival is among the oldest and more reputable festivals in the world, bringing new work from around the globe to the Bay Area and unearthing historic gems from the century of cinema. It’s fitting that the festival’s only screening venue outside of The City be Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive, a world-renown institution for the preservation and progression of film. -more-
Economic rebound a possibility
WASHINGTON — One day after the Federal Reserve provided a surprise interest rate cut, a top Fed official said Thursday that it was too soon to say that the sagging economy has bottomed out. -more-
Gateway Inc. reports losses in first quarter
SAN DIEGO — Slumping sales and restructuring costs pushed computer maker Gateway Inc. deep into the red with a loss of $503 million for the first quarter. -more-
Explosion in West Bank; frustrations continue
RAMALLAH, West Bank — An explosion Thursday rocked a building used by an elite Palestinian police unit, injuring three officers, as Palestinians defied Israeli warnings by firing more mortar shells at Jewish settlements in Gaza. -more-
‘Slave boat’ mystery exposes legacy of child trafficking
TORI TOKOLI, Benin — When the corn harvest is bad or a breadwinner dies, child smugglers crisscross the red dirt roads linking Benin’s villages with the big city, offering money and promises of a better life. -more-
Big companies drop lawsuit against cheaper AIDS drugs
PRETORIA, South Africa — Pharmaceutical giants dropped a lawsuit Thursday challenging a South African law that would allow cheaper AIDS drugs to get to millions of Africans, ending an international battle that deeply embarrassed the companies. -more-
Council mandates mediation for Beth El debate
The City Council directed opposing factions in the dispute over the Beth El development to meet with a mediator and find common ground and possibly a solution to their differences. -more-
Scrappy ’Jackets go down fighting to Acalanes
Against a strong opponent and under an unexpected rain, the Berkeley girls’ lacrosse team put up a valiant effort Wednesday, coming up just short in a 13-10 loss. -more-
Young talent means a new start for Berkeley High boys’ golf team
Seniors say taxi service needs repair
A group of senior citizens recounted stories to the City Council of poor service and mistreatment by taxi drivers who they say are rude, unhelpful and overcharge. That is, of course, if they show up at all. -more-
Gaels pummel Cal pitchers, win 10-6
MORAGA – Cal allowed Saint Mary’s to score four runs in the third inning and six runs in the fifth inning on the way to a 10-6 loss to the Gaels Tuesday at Louis Guisto Field in Moraga. The Bears fall to 22-19 overall and Saint Mary’s improves to 14-25. -more-
Many BUSD pupils hold interdistrict permits
As the Berkeley school board considers ways to reduce an estimated $5 million budget shortfall next year, including possibly increasing class sizes slightly for some grades, some are wondering if the district can still afford to take hundreds of students each year from outside the city. -more-
Former hostage returns home
SAN FRANCISCO — Five days after he was rescued from nearly eight months in the hands of Muslim rebels in the Philippines, Jeffrey Schilling arrived home Wednesday to an emotional welcome. -more-
Survivors gather to mark 1906 quake
SAN FRANCISCO — Survivors of San Francisco’s devastating 1906 earthquake gathered at a historic fountain Wednesday morning for a wreath-laying ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the temblor that leveled much of the city. -more-
Channel Islands marine reserve talks hit a snag
SANTA BARBARA — Nearly two years of attempts to reach an agreement on creating no-fishing zones around California’s northern Channel Islands almost collapsed Wednesday when fishermen and environmentalists failed to reach a compromise. -more-
Legislators seek answers to issue of unqualified teachers
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers are looking for ways to lure more qualified teachers into the schools that need them the most – those with mostly poor, minority and non-English-speaking students. -more-
Men arrested for growing pot acquitted
SANTA ROSA — Two men arrested for growing 899 pot plants were acquitted Wednesday on charges of cultivating and possessing marijuana. -more-
NASA unveils new plane for hypersonic flight
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE — NASA on Wednesday unveiled a futuristic “scramjet”-powered aircraft designed to hurtle over the Pacific Ocean at up to 7,200 mph in a test this spring, becoming the world’s fastest air-breathing plane. -more-
Possibility of power, natural gas collusion
SACRAMENTO — Unchecked free-market forces drove up the price of natural gas to Southern California Edison by about $750 million over the last year, an industry consultant testified Wednesday. -more-
Gov. Davis endorses plant in San Jose
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis urged state regulators Wednesday to approve the construction of a controversial power plant in southern San Jose. -more-
Democrats accuse Bush of neglecting state
SACRAMENTO — Former vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman Wednesday jumped on the pile of key Democrats thumping President Bush for ignoring California’s energy crisis. -more-
Bush to tighten arsenic in water standard
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration, under fire for scrapping former President Clinton’s standard for arsenic in drinking water, announced plans Wednesday to set a new standard within nine months. -more-
Supreme Court draws roadmap for redistricting, race
WASHINGTON — A largely black congressional district can be constitutional if drawn to satisfy political rather than racial motives, a divided Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. -more-
Job lost, job found – two faces of free trade
WASHINGTON — To paint wholesaler Erasmo Hinojosa, free trade means savings for his grandchildren’s college, more weekend getaways and the possibility of an early retirement. -more-
Mississippi votes to keep flag with Confederate emblem
JACKSON, Miss. — The NAACP raised the threat of an economic boycott Wednesday to drag Mississippi “kicking and screaming into the 21st century” after voters overwhelmingly decided to keep their 107-year-old state flag with the Confederate emblem. -more-
Surprise Fed rate cut bolsters Dow
NEW YORK— An unexpected interest rate cut and a stream of positive earnings news sent stock prices soaring Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrials leaping as much as 470 points and the Nasdaq composite barreling back above 2,000. -more-
Federal Reserve’s power remarkable
The Federal Reserve’s enormous power over the economy was demonstrated again on Wednesday with a brief announcement that in minutes added billions of dollars to stock market valuations. -more-
Israel enters Gaza Strip
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Despite American criticism, Israel on Wednesday briefly re-entered the Gaza Strip and leveled a Palestinian police station on territory granted to Yasser Arafat’s government in peace agreements. -more-
Benin question passengers in slave boat saga
COTONOU, Benin — Police questioned passengers from a ship that sparked a frenzied hunt for suspected child slaves, seeking clues Wednesday to the status of scores of children once thought to be aboard. -more-
Drug companies talk about settlement with South Africa
Beth El permit appealed
Members of the Live Oak Codornices Creek Neighborhood Association held a press conference Tuesday at the gates of the proposed site of a synagogue to announce the next steps in their opposition to the project. -more-
Letter to the Editor
Pedestrian-oriented environs good for mental health -more-
Arts & Entertainment
924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership. April 20: The Blast Rocks, The Sissies, Uberkunst, Audiowreck, Pirx the Pilot; April 21: MU330, Slow Gherkin, Big D & The Kids Table, The Lawrence Arms; April 27: Atom & His Package, Phantom Limbs, Har Mar Superstar, The Frisk, Shubunkins; April 28: 7 Seconds, Throwdown, Vitamin X, Over My Dead Body, Breaker Breaker; 525-9926 -more-
Butterflies enhance learning experience
In a perfect world, elementary schools might look like something out of the pages of a bucolic children’s book: rabbits and ducks would gaze in benevolently at the windows, and clouds of butterflies would drift down the corridors, carried in from peripheral gardens by a sweet-scented wind. -more-
Last minute tax filers get last minute help
Monday night was indeed different from other tax-filing nights in Berkeley. The downtown post office stopped accepting returns at 10 p.m., leaving some 75 late-night procrastinators in the lurch. -more-
Rally fights decision on Disabilities Act
Civil Rights Lawyer Steve Rosenbaum spoke Tuesday at a rally and petition drive of students and activists in the disability community, protesting a recent Supreme Court decision that limits the American with Disabilities Act. -more-
POLICE BRIEFS
High school-aged assailants targeted pedestrians listening to portable CD players in a series of robberies last week, police said. -more-
School Board holds meeting to deal with shortfall
The Berkeley school board will hold a special budget workshop tonight to consider some possible scenarios for reducing a projected $5 million budget shortfall next year. -more-
Strike targets 9 hospitals
SAN FRANCISCO — As many as 2,300 health care workers continued their strike Tuesday at nine Northern California hospitals, while the state’s attorney general listened to hearings about whether their employer should be allowed to join the city’s largest charitable care hospital. -more-
Activists want Japanese government to make war reparations
LOS ANGELES — Outraged by a recent court ruling that the Japanese government need not compensate women forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers during World War II, hundreds of activists staged a noisy protest Tuesday outside that country’s consulate. -more-
Two plead guilty to fraud for eBay painting auction
SACRAMENTO — Two men accused of selling fake masterpiece paintings on an online auction site and inflating the bid prices pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud charges in federal court. -more-
Ex-KKK member testifying at 1963 bombing trial
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It was all Ku Klux Klansman Mitchell Burns could do to keep from getting sick to his stomach. -more-
Intel quarterly profits off 80 percent
SAN JOSE — Intel Corp.’s first-quarter profit fell more than 80 percent, and the chip-making giant warned that the effects of the economic slowdown will continue to be felt for months to come. -more-
Alta Bates workers go on 3-day strike
Union activists know the drill: -more-
Letters to the Editor
Pedestrian deaths in Berkeley are a public health emergency -more-
‘Hedda Gabler’ offers great performances
Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s 1890 masterpiece “Hedda Gabler” tells the story of a big woman newly locked into a confining marriage with a small man – at a time when there were limited options for what women could do with their lives. -more-
Arts & Entertainment
Action Movie: The Play Through April 21, Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m. Non-stop action and martial arts mayhem with comedy, surprise plot twists, and the occasional movie reference thrown in. $7 - $12 The Eighth Street Studio 2525 Eighth St. 464-4468 -more-
City studies raising cab fare subsidy
The City Council will consider suggestions tonight from the Commission on Aging on ways to salvage a faltering subsidized taxi service for the elderly and disabled. -more-
Maternal health care plan could get grant
Tonight the City Council will likely accept a $50,000 grant from the Alameda Alliance for Health, for a contract with Positive Outlook Consultant Services to provide substance abuse counseling to pregnant and parenting African American women. -more-
King Middle School earns statewide honor
Martin Luther King Middle School has been named a California Distinguished School for 2001. -more-
Berkeley author wins Pulitzer for fiction
A love of comic books and of the history of mid-20th century New York led Michael Chabon to write “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” the book that won him a Pulitzer on Monday. -more-
Court rejects anonymous prisoners’ testimony at trial testimony
The Supreme Court refused to let California jail inmates testify anonymously in the murder trial of two fellow prisoners. Prosecutors said the inmates needed to keep their names secret to protect their safety. -more-
Elian Gonzalez coverage wins Pulitzer Prizes
NEW YORK — News coverage of the pre-dawn raid by federal agents who grabbed Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez resulted in two Pulitzer Prizes on Monday: a breaking news reporting award for The Miami Herald and a breaking news photography award for Alan Diaz of The Associated Press. -more-
Consumers may be right on target
American consumers must work four months just to pay taxes. Their mutual funds have plunged. Layoffs loom. Their utility bills are up. They are deep in debt. -more-
‘Kindergarten to College’ provides tools to students
Cal Day, the University of California, Berkeley's annual open house, will host a daylong resource fair to help students and their families prepare for college. -more-
Opinion
Editorials
Citywide garage sale April 28
Every coveted your neighbor’s lamp or coffee table? -more-
State offering businesses a Cool Roofs incentive plan
The afternoon sun bears down on Solectron’s manufacturing facility. But 30 minutes after stepping onto the roof’s new light-colored surface, there’s no noticeable rise in temperature. -more-
Independent booksellers, book chains settle suit
SAN FRANCISCO — Two of the nation’s largest book chains, Barnes & Noble Inc. and Borders Group Inc., settled a federal antitrust suit Thursday brought by small, independent bookstores in an accord seen as a victory for the chains. -more-
AB925 to help the disabled to work
Going to work may become less onerous for disabled people if the state legislature backs AB925, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley. It was heard in the Assembly Health Committee Tuesday. -more-
PG&E Corp. reports losses of $4.1 billion
PG&E Corp., the parent of Northern California’s bankrupt utility, reported a $4.1 billion fourth-quarter loss Monday in a grudging acknowledgment that the company might not be able to charge its customers for last year’s soaring electricity costs. -more-