News

“Welcome to my chaos,” said Katrina Scott-George, as she watched a reporter walk into her Berkeley High math classroom a few weeks ago. -more-

Saturday, June 23

Investigate pedestrian death -more-

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, 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. $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-

The feud between a Nazi family and a Jewish family in 1930s Germany provides an updated framework for the strong Subterranean Shakespeare production of “Romeo and Juliet” currently running at LaVal’s in Berkeley. -more-

The Cal men’s basketball 2001-2002 schedule was released on Friday, highlighted by the Bears hosting two tournaments at Haas Pavilion. -more-

OAKLAND – State Sen. Don Perata and representatives from a number of environmental and cancer prevention groups strongly criticized the Bush administration’s environmental policy during a press conference to support a bill to establish higher standards for arsenic in drinking water. -more-

When baseball-great Cal “Iron Man” Ripken, who holds the professional baseball record for playing the most consecutive games, announced he was calling it quits last week it caused more than a few of Elena Griffing co-workers at Alta Bates Hospital to snicker. -more-

Berkeley Observed -more-

Former mayor and Berkeley Symphony Orchestra Board member Jeffrey Leiter, center, was honored Thursday night as he prepared to leave Berkeley for a new home in Grass Valley. Leiter served as interim mayor between March and December 1994 when then mayor Loni Hancock left her post for a job in the -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge halted oil and natural gas exploration off central California’s coast Friday, saying the area can’t be drilled or explored until the federal government studies the environmental impacts and the California Coastal Commission approves of the plan. -more-

SAN DIEGO — Demonstrators who get out of hand at next week’s biotechnology industry convention could get a blast from the newest weapon in the police department’s arsenal. -more-

LUCERNE VALLEY — Two parents barged into a school superintendent’s office, handcuffed him, announced he was under citizens’ arrest and drove him away in their vehicle, authorities said Friday. -more-

President Bush nominated conservative Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl of Los Angeles and Republican activist Richard Clifton of Honolulu on Friday to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, considered among the most liberal federal courts in the country. -more-

RICHMOND — Shawn Jones, the 10-year-old boy mauled to the edge of life by pit bulls, faced an uphill road to recovery as local law authorities continued the search for the animals on Friday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — An appeals court refused Friday to reverse a judge’s ruling granting parole to a gay man who gunned down his boyhood friend 16 years ago. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Former workers at Duke Energy’s South Bay power plant accused the company of shutting down production units there in what they called a scheme to drive up electricity prices. -more-

SACRAMENTO — State budget negotiators approved a massive education package Friday that scales back new spending proposals but still increases school funding by $2 billion. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration urged the Supreme Court to take up school vouchers Friday, arguing that an Ohio school choice program does not violate the Constitution’s ban on government promotion of religion. -more-

WASHINGTON — Republicans on Friday proposed giving employers ironclad protection from lawsuits under patients’ rights legislation, while Democrats said they were willing to limit, if not eliminate, the liability contained in their bill. -more-

WASHINGTON — Half the states using the “motor voter” program – which lets a voter sign up while renewing a driver’s license – suffered serious glitches last election. In some cases, Americans were denied ballots, a government review found. -more-

Dear Tom and Ray: -more-

One day last week a high-tech company whose stock had collapsed from more than $170 to $3 and change in little more than a year, revealed that conditions were even worse than he had anticipated. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Tower Records, a worldwide music, book and video retailer that began in a family drug store, is downplaying the possibility it may have to file for bankruptcy because of tightening credit. -more-

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Don’t forget us -more-

Friday, June 22

Don’t go to the Berkeley Stamp Company to beef up your postage stamp collection. -more-

Rattlers to be first junior team to visit Castro. -more-

Members of Berkeley’s African American community – church leaders, community leaders, parents, teachers, and students – turned out en masse at the Wednesday night School Board meeting to denounce the school district for not doing enough to help students of color improve their academic skills. -more-

The best junior tennis players in northern California are squaring off this week at the Berkeley Tennis Club, trying to add on points to qualify for the junior national tournament in August. -more-

Residents of the University Avenue Co-op Homes want to take advantage of a rare opportunity to buy their affordable housing development and have asked the City Council to fund a study of the proposed purchase. -more-

The American Chemistry Council, an organization representing the U.S. chemical industry, tested the soil at the Cedar and Rose Park playground in north Berkeley Thursday, to determine whether the site is contaminated with arsenic. -more-

SANTA CLARA — Forty teachers in one of the nation’s tightest housing markets won coveted spots Thursday in inexpensive apartments being built on school district property as part of a program believed to be the first of its kind anywhere. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Facing a bare-bones budget, California’s high-speed rail planners are trying to scrape together enough money to keep the project limping along over the next 12 months. -more-

Veteran bluesman John Lee Hooker, whose foot stompin’ and gravelly voice electrified audiences and inspired several generations of musicians, died Thursday at his Los Altos home. He was 83. -more-

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LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gray Davis does not have blanket powers to deny parole to murderers, a judge ruled Thursday in ordering the release of convicted killer Robert Rosenkrantz. -more-

No one wants to stand by and watch their tomato plants wilt away to nothing in dry weather. Then again, who wants to run their well dry or waste water? The challenge is to keep plants happy and, at the same time, conserve water. -more-

Q: I have two questions. I have cracks in my concrete basement floor from which I believe radon gas is creeping in. -more-

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WASHINGTON — Americans’ demand for foreign-made TVs, toys and clothes waned in April, helping to narrow the U.S. trade deficit. Exports fell for the second month in a row. -more-

WASHINGTON — A gene mutation that arose thousands of years ago now protects hundreds of millions of people from severe malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that is the world’s deadliest infection. -more-

Three co-workers of Jayne Ash, a pedestrian who was killed by a cement truck at Shattuck and Hearst avenues last March, urged the council Tuesday to approve funds to implement bicycle and pedestrian safety measures. -more-

Relay team finishes year with third-place at national event; Guy to attend Northridge St. -more-

Spend tax windfall on charity GW hates -more-

Berkeley’s Aurora Theater opened a well performed but not-quite-satisfying production Thursday of David Mamet’s difficult 1977 backstage story “A Life in the Theater.” -more-

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By Tracy Chocholousek -more-

School’s highest ranking ever -more-

Queer organizations, overwhelmed by an increasing demand for services, may find a way out in the next few years through the opening of a new Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community center in Berkeley. -more-

Cal also has 31 honorable mention award winners -more-

A group of about 50 teachers, parents, principals and administrators turned out before the school board meeting Wednesday to bid a fond farewell to Berkeley school district -more-

Things haven’t come easily for the City of Franklin Microsociety Magnet School. -more-

A West Coast Pizza employee was robbed at gun point Tuesday night on the 1600 block of Harmon Street, according to police. -more-

LOS ANGELES — U.S. students lack general knowledge about Asia – the most populous and fastest-growing area in the world – partly because materials used in schools are outdated, superficial, and even inaccurate, a study found. -more-

Police have asked Rep. Gary Condit for a second interview about his relationship with a missing 24-year-old woman. -more-

As flags flew at half staff on state buildings a day after California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk died, speculation ran rampant Wednesday over who would succeed the state’s longest-serving justice. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The Red Planet is ready for its close-up. -more-

SACRAMENTO — For any lover of trees, the deadly fungus called Sudden Oak Death is alarming enough, as it has killed thousands of oaks in Northern California. -more-

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Wednesday he’s not worried that the new $1.35 trillion tax cut might plunge the federal budget into deficit. -more-

WASHINGTON — The state attorneys general who pursued the antitrust case against Microsoft are privately discussing a new lawsuit, concerned that the software giant’s latest products will unfairly hamper competition, two leaders say. -more-

OAKLAND – Adding 21 months to the original plea bargain agreement between prosecutors and the defense, a federal judge sentenced wealthy Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy Tuesday to 97 months in prison and the payment to his victims of $2 million in restitution. -more-

Wednesday, June 20

Caring for the caregivers -more-

Kent Nagano comes back to conduct the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in a program that nicely reflects his career. -more-

OAKLAND – Members of the organizations involved in the campaign for a just punishment for Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy reacted positively to U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong’s decision Tuesday to sentence the Berkeley landlord to eight years in prison. -more-

A Superior Court judge has ruled that three commissioners can sue the city for reinstatement of their full authority on the Landmarks Preservation Commission. -more-

Eighth graders at Martin Luther King Jr., Middle School know when they walk into English teacher Rachel Garlin’s classroom that they could be in for a show. -more-

AC Transit, along with Berkeley officials held an unveiling ceremony Tuesday for the new informational displays to be installed at major bus stops throughout Berkeley. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Coastal California slipped out of reach of all but the well-to-do in the ’90s as demand pushed house prices up and the poor and middle-income out. The problem was that households boomed, by 10.8 percent, but housing didn’t, growing only 9.2 percent, recent U.S. Census data show. At the same time, healthier seniors hung on to their homes, more people lived alone and immigrants entered the housing market. -more-

WASHINGTON — President Bush ordered federal agencies Tuesday to help states locate and use community services – rather than institutions – for people with disabilities. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was accused Tuesday of rampant discrimination against female employees in a federal lawsuit against the nation’s largest private employer. -more-

WASHINGTON — Housing construction dipped in May but remains at a healthy level, further evidence of the industry’s resilience in the face of a faltering national economy. -more-

A Superior Court Judge issued an injunction against the Berkeley Unified School District Monday saying its plan for recovering the money it overpaid classified employees this March is illegal. -more-

Tuesday, June 19

During his trip to Europe, President Bush faced opposition to his planned missile shield from Russia’s President Putin and from the leaders of France, Germany and the Netherlands. -more-

MUSIC -more-

Minorities and women are “well represented” among the city’s full-time employees, according to a Human Resources Department informational report to be released to the City Council today. -more-

Editor: -more-

The City Council will hear a presentation tonight from the city manager about the pending council redistricting based on the results of the 2000 Census. -more-

A Berkeley real estate tycoon, who admitted he brought Indian teen-age girls into the country for sex, will be sentenced today in an Oakland federal courtroom. -more-

NEW YORK — In the midst of a muddled economic scene, one thing is becoming clearer by the day: Time has about run out on chances for a V-shaped recovery, in which the economy rises as abruptly as it fell. -more-

A 42-year-old man shot in the abdomen about 2 a.m. Monday on Forrest Street is recovering from surgery at Highland Hospital, according to police. -more-

Bowl-a-thon will benefit B-TV -more-

The mayor will propose at Tuesday’s City Council meeting that the city manager examine ways to address problems created by the growing number of day laborers who gather on Hearst Avenue in west Berkeley hoping to find work. -more-

Monday, June 18

Texas energy companies keeping wind power under wraps -more-

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm” An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels, 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. $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-

Cal’s Lorenz leads Americans with two goals at Spieker -more-

A crowd of people clapped and danced in the streets of Berkeley Saturday during the opening celebration of the fourth annual Berkeley Arts Festival that runs through June 30. -more-

At a time when the lack of fiscal resources has some Berkeley schools struggling to make ends meet, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers believes it has found a way to make sure the critical area of teacher training and evaluation isn’t a casualty. -more-

(AP) — A major drop in the city’s black population took place in the last decade reducing its numbers by 15 percent. -more-

Ricardo Scales (on piano) plays with James Levi and Carl Lockett at the Juneteenth -more-

City contractors must offer health, other benefits to unmarried partners -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – Embattled Napster, Inc. CEO Hank Barry took the stage at a conference of librarians Saturday to speak about the thorny issues surrounding his troubled song-swap company — issues that could soon vex libraries as well. -more-

Incorrect forms causing a big problem for needy California college students -more-

Department of Transportation to stop painting over vandalized murals -more-

SAN JOSE – Mike Schlenz, who recently installed computer networks for a living, had been sleeping in his Honda Civic for three months when he went to a homeless shelter. -more-

SAN JOSE – Palm Inc. remains the world’s leading supplier of handheld computers but will lose its top spot in terms of revenue to Compaq Computer Corp. in the second calendar quarter, according to Gartner Dataquest. -more-