The architectural walking tour in and around Live Oak Park on Sunday, orchestrated by the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, was attended with the sort of bright, colorful, Sunday weather no walking tour should be without. -more-
Ron Hansen does not shy away from controversy. -more-
In a surprise reversal, Stephen Goldstone, interim superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District, has withdrawn his name from consideration for the permanent position. -more-
For meeting or exceeding state goals for improved standardized test scores, most Berkeley schools and teachers will divvy up more than half a million dollars in award money in the weeks ahead. -more-
Half a world away from the streets of Shanghai and the Tibetan border, Geling Yan writes about the distant China in her memory and the experience of being an immigrant in the United States. -more-
The City Council will likely make a decision on the use permit appeal of a controversial proposal for a mixed-use building at 2700 San Pablo Ave. at its meeting tonight. -more-
The West Berkeley Market, an outdoor mercado designed to spark a community and economic renaissance in west Berkeley, has announced an opening day after three years of planning. -more-
Medical marijuana patients and their advocates say Berkeley, usually ahead of the pack when it comes to social issues, has passed one of the worst medical marijuana ordinances in the state. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Two lawyers defending former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive Sara Jane Olson were notified Monday that they have been criminally charged with involvement in releasing addresses and phone numbers of police witnesses. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Record temperatures in California – and the increased air conditioning they create – led power grid operators to order statewide rolling blackouts Monday, cutting enough power for about 225,000 homes. -more-
SACRAMENTO— Calling it “the only way for the state to stay afloat,” Democratic lawmakers dodged Republican opposition Monday and authorized up to $13.4 billion in revenue bonds for state power buys. -more-
Drivers in Los Angeles spend an average of 56 hours a year – more than a work week – stuck in traffic and two other California cities also rank among the nation’s top 10 cities with the heaviest traffic, a report says. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A city ordinance taking effect Tuesday closes a loophole in a state campaign finance law that allowed political parties, unions and other groups to spend unlimited amounts in the April mayoral primary without immediate disclosure. -more-
WASHINGTON — President Bush has no “magic wand” to wave away soaring gasoline prices, the White House said Monday, ruling out price controls and offering little hope of a reduction in the federal gas tax. -more-
NEW YORK — Stocks edged lower Monday as some investors locked in gains from last week’s rally while others took a cautious stance ahead of some key reports and next week’s Federal Reserve meeting. -more-
SANTA CLARA — Beleaguered network equipment maker 3Com Corp. plans to cut another 3,000 jobs, or nearly a third of its work force, in its quest to return to profitability, the company said Monday. -more-
Long before fire ravaged its maze of dead-end hallways, Berkeley High School’s B Building was wildly unpopular with teachers and students alike. -more-
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-
Three homers power Cal past Bruins, probably into postseason -more-
The Latino community came together under sunny skies Sunday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, celebrating its traditions and culture with prayer, song, dance, good things to eat and, organizers proudly pointed out, no alcohol. -more-
California put everything it had out on the field in Sunday’s Western Women’s Lacrosse League Division I Championship Final but found itself coming up just a few goals short of the title, dropping a close and hard fought battle to Stanford, 11-6, inside Memorial Stadium. The Bears finish the 2001 season second in the WWLL’s Division I standings. -more-
In response to neighborhood and patient concerns, the City Council will likely ask the city manager to develop operational and permitting guidelines for medical marijuana cooperatives. -more-
Virginia Beach, Va. – Cal claimed its 11th consecutive national rugby championship on Sunday, overwhelming Penn State 86-11 Sunday. -more-
There may not have been any battening down of the hatches, but plenty of jibing and tacking took place off the shores of the Berkeley Marina on Saturday. Bay area land lovers and sea farers alike gathered to take advantage of the free sailboat rides offered by the Cal Sailing Club during the first full weekend of each month. -more-
Relay squad sets school record, ties state best -more-
Political contributions from industry goes to both parties through many channels -more-
SACRAMENTO – Democrat state lawmakers said Saturday they will sue federal energy regulators for refusing to cap the spiraling cost of electricity in the midst of California’s power crunch. -more-
LOS ANGELES – Sherry Flores grew up in East Los Angeles, the daughter of Mexican immigrants who scraped by in factory jobs and struggled to learn English. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A blustery wind whips across the newly restored marsh and dunes on Crissy Field, previously a concrete-covered airfield built on a filled-in wetland. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A member of MTV’s “Real World” cast got a taste of the real world behind bars early Saturday after he bungee jumped 150 feet from the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge. -more-
Dot-com crash leads web sites to charge customers -more-
In advance of a communitywide meeting on May 19 to consider a major overhaul in the way Berkeley High School delivers its academic programs, small groups of high school staff and parents have met weekly to ponder the question. -more-
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-
Kopmar hurt in 3-0 loss; ACCAL title up for grabs -more-
Public power advocates spoke out Thursday evening at a forum hosted by Assemblymember Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley. -more-
Call it glorified batting practice. -more-
In anticipation of a major earthquake that could isolate Berkeley for up to seven days, the City Council and the Board of Education are holding a joint meeting Tuesday to discuss a preparedness plan. -more-
Berkeley Observed -more-
At age 4 Stephanie Huff’s parents were told she could possibly live until 11. -more-
In the 1970s, energy conservation was Jimmy Carter in a cardigan telling people to bundle up and turn down the heat. Today, it’s about using energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, computerized thermostats and motion sensors. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Baja California was wrenched from mainland Mexico 6 million years ago by a series of earthquakes, starting in earnest the peninsula’s 160-mile push to the northwest, a study says. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Attorneys who argued against the state’s vehicle smog fees are unlikely to receive an $88 million fee an arbitration board once awarded them, a judge ruled Friday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A federal attorney is suing the Immigration and Naturalization Service over the case of an illegal immigrant whom the agency has said it might sedate before deporting to China. -more-
MONTEREY — Despite months of seeking solutions to the energy crisis, state officials are still preparing for blackouts this summer, Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg said Friday. -more-
HUNTINGTON BEACH — State tax officials have raided the home and office of an Orange County business owner who has refused to withhold taxes from employee paychecks. -more-
CORCORAN— A federal judge has ruled that the government must pay farmers in the arid Central Valley for depriving them of irrigation water to protect endangered fish. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The number of California voters shunning political parties has nearly doubled in 10 years, but Democratic and Republican officials say they aren’t worried. -more-
The man found guilty Wednesday of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl has had a lot to say to media representatives in the day following his conviction. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors filed a potential death penalty murder case Friday against a man who allegedly shot a man and tried to get away by hijacking a bus that sped through downtown until a violent collision that killed a minivan driver. -more-
SPENCER, Ind. — In a fluorescent-lit barn 40 miles from a federal penitentiary, Glenda Breeden applies paint to 14-foot-tall papier-mache puppets of Uncle Sam and Jesus. -more-
WASHINGTON — The ejection of the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Commission has infuriated lawmakers, and some are calling for withholding $650 million in payments to the United Nations. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will allow a ban on road-building in much of the nation’s federal forest lands to take effect next week but will propose changes to it in June, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said Friday. -more-
WASHINGTON — The unemployment rate jumped to 4.5 percent in April, reviving fears of recession as companies shed the largest number of jobs in a decade. The White House stoked that concern, suggesting that economic growth in the first quarter might be less than originally reported. -more-
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Six months after Florida plunged the presidential race into chaos, lawmakers approved a sweeping election overhaul Friday that will banish the hanging chads and butterfly ballots that made the state a laughingstock. -more-
WASHINGTON — Food companies reeling from recalls of biotech corn products say the government shouldn’t let genetically engineered crops go to market unless there are tests to tell those crops apart from conventional varieties. -more-
ATHENS, Greece — Pope John Paul II arrived in Greece on Friday for a personal pilgrimage with much wider implications: trying to heal nearly 1,000 years of discord between the Vatican and Orthodox churches. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Computer chip designer Rambus Inc. has lost a crucial round in its legal fight to enforce patent claims that could generate $1 billion in royalties. -more-
Popular assumptions can create vast misimpressions, such as the one that the typical American household has become a daring investor in stocks, devouring market data and trading aggressively. -more-
NEW YORK — Stocks moved higher Friday as more dismal economic news raised hopes that the Federal Reserve will aggressively cut interest rates. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Tracking growth of the nation’s Hispanic population, the Cinco de Mayo holiday has become a bull’s-eye for businesses targeting a largely untapped market. -more-
NEW YORK — Wall Street has no doubt that the stock market and the economy will eventually regain the kind of strength they enjoyed for much of the last decade. -more-
A group of UC Berkeley sociology students donned traditional blues garb and took up instruments to mock a congressional agreement approving President George W. Bush’s $1.25 trillion tax cut: -more-
The Berkeley High boys’ volleyball team has had a tough year. A collection of underclassmen, some of whom never played organized volleyball before this year, the ’Jackets have yet to win a match. Thursday, ACCAL leaders El Cerrito came calling, and the outcome was fairly predictable, as the Gauchos ran off an easy 15-2, 15-12, 15-2 win. -more-
After months of discussion and hand-wringing, the Board of Education cut more than $4 million from the district’s 2001-2002 budget Wednesday. -more-
OAKLAND — A six-alarm fire whipped by 45 mph winds destroyed a four-story building under construction and damaged or destroyed 11 homes early Thursday, fire officials said. -more-
Internet auction giant eBay Inc. is banning the sale of artifacts from Nazi Germany, the Ku Klux Klan and notorious criminals, in hopes of avoiding legal problems in other countries. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Federal agents broke up a ring that smuggled hundreds of people from the Ukraine into the United States through Mexico and forced some into prostitution, authorities said Thursday. -more-
The Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble -more-
POUND RIDGE, N.Y.— Lilacs bring mixed emotions, linked in poetry to love but also death. Prized by gardeners in many lands, the flowers’ beauty and fragrance, aside from promptings of joy or sadness, proclaim Spring has fully arrived. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Dining-room chairs and statues concealed more than 200 pounds of ivory in the nation’s biggest seizure of elephant tusks since laws banning their import took effect. -more-
SCARSDALE, N.Y. — Nearly 200 eighth-graders boycotted a state science exam with their parents’ blessing Thursday in this well-to-do community of doctors, corporate executives and other high-achievers. -more-
TRENTON, N.J. — The Senate approved a resolution Thursday urging Supreme Court Justice Peter G. Verniero to resign because he allegedly lied about racial profiling by state police. -more-
WASHINGTON — Federal workers in power-strapped California could be taking the stairs and sweating out the summer under an energy conservation directive signed by President Bush Thursday. -more-
GENEVA — Despite perceptions that it’s healthier, there is little difference between bottled water and tap water – apart from cost – a conservation group said Thursday. -more-
UNITED NATIONS — The United States lost its seat Thursday on the top U.N. human rights body for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947. -more-
NEWARK, N.J. — Two Lucent Technologies scientists and another man – all three of them Chinese-born – were arrested by the FBI on Thursday and accused of stealing Lucent software and sharing it with a company largely run by the Chinese government. -more-
ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines pilots will soon begin voting on a new contract now that their union’s leadership has endorsed a tentative agreement that could end the threat of a strike at the nation’s third-largest carrier. -more-
Mayor Shirley Dean outlined her vision of the city’s future Tuesday, which included a citywide conversion to solar power, creating affordable housing and a controversial 500-space garage under Civic Center Park. -more-
It was a mother's worst nightmare. She went to wake her daughter to get up for school, but the child would not wake up. She was unconscious and unresponsive to her mother's panicked reaction. I happened to hear the cry of my West Berkeley neighbor and went out that morning to find out what the matter was. “My baby!” she cried. “Does anyone know CPR!” came the cry from a family immobilized by grief. -more-
924 Gilman St. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless noted $5; $2 for a year membership. All ages. May 4: Plan 9, Zodiac Killers, Reverend B. Dangerous Freakshow, Dory Tourette & The Skirtheads, Knockoffs; May 5: Shikabane, Phobia, Harum Scarum, Vulgar Pigeons, Insidious Sorrow; May 11: Subincision, Next to Nothing, Fracus, Thrice, The Average Joe; May 12: The Sick, Impalid, Creuvo, Tearing Down Standards. 525-9926 -more-
In a surprise move this week, Cal Chancellor Robert Berdahl announced he had hired crew coach Steve Gladstone to be athletics director of the university. -more-
Mayor Shirley Dean’s unveiling of a plan to construct a 500-space parking garage under Civic Center Park was barely unveiled before controversy erupted. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Behind outstanding pitching from freshman right-hander Brian Montalbo and a 17-hit attack, Cal powered past San Francisco, 12-1, Tuesday at Benedetti Diamond. -more-
Students sound off on taking statewide exams -more-
The California men’s soccer team was blanked by the San Jose Earthquakes, 6-0, Tuesday afternoon in an exhibition at Golden Bear Soccer Field. -more-
A 9-year-old girl who died Tuesday morning of bacterial meningitis set off a rapid community response from city health and school officials, who hoped to prevent the spread of both the disease and the rumors it engendered. -more-
Are you wondering about those two men you saw plunging through the giant plate glass window of north Berkeley’s famous Cheese Board Pizza Wednesday morning? -more-
LOS ANGELES — A shooting suspect hijacked a transit bus Wednesday and held a gun to the driver’s head as police chased the bus through downtown until it crashed into a minivan. The van’s driver was killed and seven people were injured, police said. -more-
VALLEJO — Curtis Dean Anderson was found guilty Wednesday of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old Vallejo girl who testified that Anderson forced her to drink alcohol before he assaulted her last August. -more-
Gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles would have to meet the same federal mileage standard as passenger cars under a bill introduced in the Senate. -more-
It may be a bit early to announce a verdict, but today’s New Economy of computers, the Internet and telecommunications devices not even imagined a century ago may not measure up. -more-
A 9-year-old Oxford School student died Tuesday morning of bacterial meningitis. -more-
Most of the U.S. work force labored Tuesday, but at the Inkworks print shop in West Berkeley a banner of Che Guevara billowed across the balcony and members of Berkeley’s worker cooperatives celebrated May Day with the rest of the world. -more-
Flying in the face of Proposition 227, the voter-approved 1998 law abolishing bilingual education in California schools, the Berkeley brand of bilingual education has become one of the school district’s most popular programs in recent years. -more-
The refurbishing of a paved area behind the newly renovated Civic Center building has alarmed park advocates who have been working to create a car-free transition to the park behind the structure. -more-
If the view from the Bay Bridge looks good from the window of a car, it’s even better with the Bay breezes circling your helmet, cyclists promise. -more-
LONG BEACH — May Day protesters rushed a police line and threw rocks and bottles at officers Tuesday, leading to 125 arrests when the group refused to disperse, authorities said. -more-
VALLEJO — A juror was dismissed early Tuesday from deliberations in the case against Curtis Dean Anderson, who is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old Vallejo girl last August. -more-
SAN JOSE — When Yahoo! Inc. got rid of the adult videos and DVDs on its shopping pages last month, the popular Internet site wasn’t done wrestling with pornography. -more-
RICHMOND — A chemical leak in Richmond that forced residents to stay inside for much of the day Tuesday has been contained, said Contra Costa County health officials. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Thirty-three of California’s 58 counties received failing clean-air grades Tuesday from the American Lung Association in its latest report on air pollution levels. -more-
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A former Ku Klux Klansman was convicted of murder Tuesday for the 1963 church bombing that killed four black girls, the deadliest single attack during the civil rights movement. -more-
WASHINGTON — Top congressional Republicans reached tentative agreement Tuesday on next year’s budget, deciding to include a $1.35 trillion, 11-year tax cut that would give President Bush most of the tax reduction he has long treasured but less than he and GOP leaders wanted. -more-
WASHINGTON — There is plenty of work to be found in places like Las Vegas and San Diego. -more-
NEW YORK — Another wave of optimism swept over Wall Street Tuesday, carrying stocks higher and lifting the Dow Jones industrials to their highest level in nearly three months. -more-
SAN JOSE — The NAACP asked San Jose police Monday to put video cameras in squad cars and increase sensitivity training for officers after the president of the group’s Silicon Valley chapter said he was treated rudely while being questioned. -more-
Power plants to work overtime this summer -more-
BERKELEY — Six years after capturing the national spotlight by dropping affirmative action admissions, University of California regents are poised to revisit the contentious topic. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — About 1.5 million California seniors covered by Medicare-contracted HMOs got a legal boost Thursday from the state’s highest court, which ruled they can sue their health maintenance organizations for damages. -more-
OAKLAND — A man charged with smuggling two teenage girls from India into the country for a wealthy Berkeley landlord by posing as their father pleaded guilty as part of a deal with federal prosecutors, according to court documents. -more-
SACRAMENTO — All school districts should receive more school construction money more often, according to a report released Tuesday by the Legislative Analyst’s Office. -more-
