An African American firefighter filed a lawsuit against the city of Berkeley and the California Occupational Health and Safety Administration (CALOSHA) for racial and disability discrimination on Tuesday, claiming that the two entities had prevented him from fighting fires due to safety rules that discriminate against black workers. -more-

Friday, July 6

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-

Camps -more-

On a misty Tuesday morning 12 teens made their way slowly up the winding roads of the Berkeley Hills. With a left on Prospect Street, up past Memorial Stadium, a right onto Panoramic Way, and a turn somewhat resembling a backwards G to somehow remain on Panoramic, the 12 students trudged on with great determination. -more-

Berkeley Police Sergeant Eric Gustafson isn’t worried yet. -more-

The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, has assembled a delegation to attend the U.N. World Conference Against Racism in South Africa – the nation where what is perhaps the most important battle against racism in recent history, the fight against apartheid, was fought and won. -more-

San Pablo Avenue post office closes for 3 months -more-

SACRAMENTO — The state Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a measure that would expand a civil rights law protecting transsexuals from job and housing discrimination. -more-

LOS ANGELES — As the number of charter schools grows nationwide, school districts should make sure they are held to the same standards as other public schools, the nation’s largest teachers’ union said Thursday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ordered a company to stop large shipments of radioactive materials because of concerns the packages could break open in an accident. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Three pit bulls attacked a 43-year-old Sacramento woman as she was walking down the street, tearing an artery in her leg, before a construction worker and a sheriff’s deputy stepped in to save her, police said. -more-

The wife of Rep. Gary Condit was questioned by law enforcement officers Thursday in the disappearance of former federal intern Chandra Levy, according to the congressman’s lawyer. -more-

Nearly 5 million Pacific Gas and Electric Co. ratepayers could lose out on billions in power price refunds if they are not represented as a committee in its bankruptcy case, an attorney with the U.S. Trustee told a federal bankruptcy judge Thursday. -more-

The Swedes have a way of taking over derivative forms and making them their own, a point made by authors Barbara and Rene Stoeltie in “Country Houses of Sweden.” -more-

WASHINGTON — Two-thirds of Americans – both adults and teenagers – say they support the legal drinking age of 21, says an Associated Press poll. Teen-agers support the law even though teen drinking remains widespread. -more-

WASHINGTON — President Bush named veteran prosecutor Robert Mueller to take over the FBI and begin repairing the nation’s premier law enforcement agency after embarrassments ranging from bungled Oklahoma City bombing documents to the discovery of an FBI spy. -more-

WASHINGTON — Researchers have found serious abnormalities in cloned mice, a finding that strengthens the belief of many scientists that the technique used to clone Dolly the sheep should not be used on humans. -more-

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, citing continued strong demand in such key sectors as autos and housing, predicted on Thursday that a $40 billion flood of tax rebate checks this summer will give the economy a needed boost that should carry into next year. -more-

NEW YORK — Stocks fell Thursday as profit warnings from Federated Department Stores and British telecom firm Marconi reminded investors how badly business is suffering here and abroad. -more-

Families from all over the East Bay joined Berkeley residents for a daylong Fourth of July celebration at the Marina Wednesday. -more-

Thursday, July 5

Waving the flag no simple matter for Asian Americans -more-

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 by 40-foot replica of the fearsome dinosaur made from casts of bones of the most complete T. Rex skeleton yet excavated. When unearthed in Montana, the bones were all lying in place with only a small piece of the tailbone missing. “Pteranodon” A suspended skeleton of a flying reptile with a wingspan of 22-23 feet. The Pteranodon lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Free. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 -more-

The Board of Education will consider a resolution to investigate the use of biodiesel fuel for its school buses tonight, at the last regular meeting before the board’s one month summer recess. -more-

No self-respecting James Joyce scholar would fail to be in Dublin on June 16, 2004; but this year, anyway, Berkeley is the place to be. -more-

WALNUT CREEK — State officials say they will attempt to shut down a pharmacy believed to be the source of cortisone shots tainted by meningitis that caused three deaths. -more-

EL SEGUNDO — Aviation experts building a flying replica of the world’s first airplane have found the Wright stuff was a little wrong. -more-

OPEC’s decision not to increase oil output beyond current levels offered little to cheer consumers, but some energy analysts suggested that motorists and buyers of home heating oil might still benefit if Iraq moves quickly to resume its crude exports. -more-

GENEVA — After 15 years of knocking at the door of the World Trade Organization, China is finally on the verge of entering the global trade forum. -more-

“Discretionary” money is a rare bird these days in the jungle of school finances. -more-

Tuesday, July 3

Throw the rascals out; vote third party in

Editor:

The residents of the 19th century Victorian at 1545 Dwight Way would be the first to admit how spacious and attractive their front porch is, but they tend not to sit out on it too much. -more-

Berkeley Lite’s an occasional column of commentary, illuminating those who’d like to shine us on. -more-

AT&T Communications of California Inc. is accusing Pacific Bell Telephone Co. of overcharging for access to its local telephone infrastructure to keep competition at bay, according to suit filed Monday in U.S. District Court. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California enters the third day of the new fiscal year Tuesday without a state budget, while Democrats are faced with rounding up an additional Republican vote because a lawmaker left for a trip abroad. -more-

WASHINGTON — Consumers, a key force keeping the economy afloat, continued their vigorous spending in May. That, along with improvements in manufacturing and solid construction activity, made economists more hopeful the country will be able to skirt a recession this year. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is proposing the first new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in more than a decade with plans to offer new oil and gas leases in an area covering 1.47 million acres, Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced Monday. -more-

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — A Muslim separatist group said Monday it was looking into an unconfirmed report that its rebels saw members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf moving hostages, including an American the abductors say they beheaded. -more-

A 78-year-old woman was nearly killed Saturday afternoon when an attempted purse snatch escalated on the 2300 block of McGee Avenue. -more-

Coming off of a rousing victory over Modesto Christian on Friday, the St. Mary’s boys’ basketball team went into the weekend portion of the Cal Basketball Team Camp with hig spirits. But after an easy win over outmanned Mater Dei, the Panthers came crashing back down to earth. -more-

-more-

1-2-3-What are we fighting for? -more-

Monday, July 2

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Campaign finance reform will be taken up by the House of Representatives just after returning from the Fourth of July recess, sometime during the week of July 9. The League of Women Voters warns that now is the critical time for concerned citizens to mobilize to get Congress to pass no bill other than the ”real reform bill,” the Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Bill. -more-

The City Council decided not to include a campaign finance reform program as part of the $524 million budget approved last week because the city manager’s office decided the proposed program had not been thoroughly studied. -more-

Philips Lighting Company, one of the world’s largest lighting company’s with 10,000 employees in North America alone, has chosen Berkeley as the place to show the nation how its energy efficient light bulbs can help ease the growing energy crisis. -more-

A night of stories was the idea, and a lot of people seemed to have it Friday night as an eclectic group of writers, scholars and performers assembled for a panel discussion at the Julia Morgan Theater. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – News that Gov. Gray Davis intervened in contract negotiations between Bay Area Rapid Transit and several unions has cooled most BART employees, delaying a possible strike that was scheduled to begin at midnight Saturday. -more-

RICHMOND – Unidentified attackers killed two young men on a residential street shortly before midnight Friday, police said. -more-

LOS ANGELES – A laid-back but focused attitude prevailed Sunday morning among representatives of movie and television actors and producers negotiating to avoid an industry-crippling strike. -more-

The City Council unanimously approved the city’s $524 million two-year budget Tuesday with a unanimous vote and many are saying the rare council consensus is an endorsement of City Manager Weldon Rucker. -more-

Saturday, June 30

Let The Sales Tax Yo-Yo -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-

St. Mary’s shines at Cal team camp -more-

About 30 representatives of local and state health-care institutions met to discuss California’s inadequate hearing screenings for newborns at the Berkeley-based Center for the Education of the Infant Deaf Friday. -more-

At a time when commentators around the world are still taking turns lambasting President George Bush’s decision to withdraw from the 1997 Kyoto agreements for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by industrialized nations, representatives from India, Indonesia, South African and the Philippines have been in Berkeley this week studying strategies for reducing such emissions in their own cities. -more-

Berkeley Observed -more-

Last summer, eight members of the Berkeley Bishops Chess Team traveled to Straffen, Ireland, to compete with the top-rated European Junior Champion Chess Team. -more-

OAKLAND — Unions representing BART employees have asked Gov. Gray Davis to help avert a strike on the commuter train network. -more-

SAN JOSE — The nation’s largest state lottery prize, a record $141 million, couldn’t have gone to a more deserving man, according to friends and neighbors of Alcario “Al” Castellano, a retired grocery store clerk who volunteered often to help Mexican-American groups. -more-

With shouts of “Arriba!” whistles and thunderous applause, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa was greeted like a conquering hero here at a gathering of Hispanic officials. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Frustrated by the postponement of a state hearing on workers’ rights, dozens of immigrant workers rallied outside Gov. Gray Davis’ local office Friday and urged full enforcement of labor laws. -more-

SAN QUENTIN — They call them the “worst of the worst” – death row inmates who spend hours fashioning weapons out of unlikely materials and hurl filthy concoctions at passing guards. -more-

LOS ANGELES — California’s power crisis and the struggling technology market will keep the state’s economy teetering on the edge of recession for at least the rest of the year, economic forecasters say. -more-

WASHINGTON — A researcher who had been preparing to work on human cloning has agreed not to attempt an experiment or research until the legality of the effort is determined, the Food and Drug Administration reported. -more-

WASHINGTON — Screening tests for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer will be covered by Medicare beginning on July 1, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday. -more-

WASHINGTON — Defying a veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed sweeping patients’ rights legislation Friday night, promising millions of Americans new health care protections and the ability to sue their HMOs. -more-

WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney, experiencing heart problems for the third time since last November’s election, expected doctors to implant a pacemaker Saturday to even out a rapid heartbeat. Declaring himself otherwise fit, he said he would resign if ill health began hindering his work. -more-

PARIS — Secretary of State Colin Powell voiced doubt Friday that a U.S.-British plan to overhaul sanctions on Iraq would be approved soon by the U.N. Security Council. The problem is Russia, which is holding out. -more-

VIEQUES, Puerto Rico — Fighter jets dropped dummy bombs on the U.S. Navy’s firing range on the island of Vieques on Friday, while security officers detained five protesters who invaded Navy lands. -more-

Dear Tom and Ray: -more-

NEW YORK — An interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve is usually cause for celebration on Wall Street. But investors had to sleep on it before rallying the day after the Fed’s sixth such move of the year. -more-

PALO ALTO — Computer and printer giant Hewlett-Packard Co. has asked its 45,000 U.S. employees to take pay cuts or use additional vacation days in an effort to trim costs. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Gray Davis is asking a state court for a 60-day cooling-off period to avert a BART strike. -more-

American business men buy IDs in back-alley market -more-

CHICAGO — United Airlines is pulling the plug on its $4.3 billion purchase of US Airways – a deal that has been in trouble for months because of a weakened economy, industry woes and antitrust concerns. -more-

Mail pouring in for hospitalized boy attacked by pit bull -more-

Approved by the City Council last Tuesday, the city’s budget is based on funding streams that include property taxes, parking fines and sales tax. -more-