The Bay Cruisers proved they were worthy of their name when they flew through the National Junior Wheelchair Track and Field Championships, capturing over a dozen medals, breaking nine national records and receiving the award for the best large team in the country. -more-
The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter written by Councilmember Kriss Worthington to The Oakland Tribune responding to an Aug. 14 editorial in which the author called Worthington a “coward” and accused him of “advancing what seems to be a single agenda in a city widely known for its diversity.” -more-
By Wednesday at closing time, the City Clerk’s Office had received four proposals to redraw the boundary lines of the eight council districts in order to distribute the city’s population equally within each. -more-
The honeymoon is almost over for new Athletic Director Stephen Gladstone. Just two months on the job, he's been busy preparing the department for the coming year. -more-
Initial analysis of the 2001 Stanford 9 test scores, released this week, revealed little change from last year’s scores among Berkeley students. -more-
In the four years she has been working at Project Underground, a Berkeley-based nonprofit organization that fights against abusive gold mine and oil exploitation, Catherine Baldi has seen the organization grow. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Higher electricity rates and state-funded rebates on energy efficient appliances have helped Californians conserve power this summer. But the main reason for that may be due more to the weather than Gov. Gray Davis. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Two major grocery chains have pulled a type of imported jelly candy from thousands of supermarkets nationwide after public health officials here warned they were linked to the choking deaths of two children. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Firefighters battling the largest fire in Northern California contained it Thursday morning, while residents living near another fire were allowed to return to their homes as that blaze also wound down by evening, officials said. -more-
VALLEJO — The death of a woman who suffered bleeding in the brain after riding a spinning teacup-style ride at Six Flags Marine World has officials wondering if such rides should be more closely studied. -more-
WASHINGTON — Federal officials routinely discriminate against religious groups when handing out grant money, taking constitutional concerns about the separation of church and state too far, the White House contended in a report Thursday. -more-
WASHINGTON — People could log onto their home computers instead of going to the federal courthouse to get information on many cases under a plan to put records on the Internet. -more-
WASHINGTON — More people are being killed by pollution from cars, trucks and other sources than by traffic crashes, researchers estimate in a report that says cleaning up would prolong the lives of thousands of people. -more-
AUSTIN — The successful last-minute attempt to spare the life of convicted killer Napoleon Beazley included two unusual twists: the judge who presided over Beazley’s trial asked the governor to stop the execution, and one of his own appeals lawyers admitted doing a poor job. -more-
DETROIT — A study released Thursday said hands-free devices for cell phones do not appreciably reduce driver distraction, suggesting laws mandating the use of such devices may be ineffective. -more-
Grinding a slug under the heel of your boot and then selecting flora to tenderly cultivate. Methodically exterminating generations of snails and then constructing your very own greenhouse. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Sinking along with the Internet economy that it covered, the Industry Standard will suspend publication next week and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to an internal company memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. -more-
WASHINGTON — A sharp drop in the cost of gasoline and other energy products helped drive down consumer prices in July by the largest amount in 15 years. -more-
DALLAS — Nosebleeds can be a nuisance. Or something more serious. -more-
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Make a few changes in your life, and you could reduce or even eliminate the need for blood pressure medicine, advises the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. -more-
Charles Richardson tends his thriving garden of beans, tomatoes, peppers and corn in the side yard of his north Berkeley home. -more-
Serena Chandler, a Berkeley High School senior, never dreamed she’d be in the chair she’d be seated in Wednesday night, when she would take her place as student director on the Board of Education. -more-
I sometimes claim I was seven feet tall before I became mayor of Berkeley but got so short – under five feet – from everybody beating on me! Nothing brought that home to me more than the recent episode involving the Boy Scouts. In response, I am determined to carve something constructive out of the embarrassing happenings of last week. -more-
East Bay Pride, the largest gay organization in the East Bay, announced Wednesday that it has severed its relationship with the Oakland Tribune because of a “homophobic” editorial attacking Councilmember Kriss Worthington. -more-
The U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced today that it has received nearly $2 million this year and expects to receive an additional $6 million over the next three years to participate in an advanced computing program. -more-
NEW YORK — Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is offering a free, one month supply of its prescription cholesterol drug Pravachol in a bid to capture patients who took a competing drug Bayer Corp. pulled from the market last week amid safety concerns. -more-
The Associated Students of the University of California held a news conference Tuesday after submitting a redistricting plan that could elect the first student to the City Council and shift the city’s balance of power in the progressives’ favor. -more-
The crisis within the Pacifica family of listener-sponsored radio stations may be coming to a head, as the morning news magazine produced by popular host Amy Goodman was canceled Tuesday and replaced, in much of the country, by a rerun of an old show. -more-
State Sen. Don Perata unveiled legislation Tuesday that would hold gun manufacturers liable for what he called irresponsible design and marketing of their products. -more-
OAKLAND— Irwin Hansen, president and chief executive officer of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center said today that he will resign, effective September 1. -more-
An incident between a cyclist and a motorist raged out of control late Sunday night, leaving a man and his bike banged up. -more-
The garden is now barren where ripe tomatoes, strawberry vines and corn stalks once grew, but educators at the Berkeley Alternative High School already have plans to replant the garden removed by the school district last week in an effort to control rodents in the area. -more-
The city’s newly remodeled Martin Luther King Civic Center Building is being fitted with monitoring equipment that will measure just how much the six-story building shakes, rattles and rolls during the next earthquake. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A California couple embroiled in a trans-Atlantic surrogate parent lawsuit has lined up another would-be family for twins that a British woman is carrying. -more-
The University of California, Berkeley business school dean who once served as President Clinton’s National Economic Adviser is leaving to head the London Business School. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Nine advocates for affordable housing were cited Monday, two days after breaking into and taking over an abandoned city-owned building to draw attention to their cause. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Desert dwellers could get a break if California is hit by rolling power blackouts later this summer. -more-
As the economy weakens, the word is being spread to consumers from all directions, including Washington and the business community: If you care about the economy get out and spend. -more-
NEW YORK — Chevron Corp. and Texaco Inc. have signed a consent order with the Federal Trade Commission, outlining the terms they expect to meet in order to gain regulatory approval for their merger. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Emery Worldwide Airlines agreed to ground its 37-plane fleet Monday after the Federal Aviation Administration confronted the cargo carrier with more than 100 apparent violations of government safety regulations. -more-
Karen Rose, who serves on Berkeley’s Commission on Disabilities and is blind, tests an audio voting system that may soon replace punch cards in this county. The system, already tested in March ,would make it easier for the blind to vote without help. At right is Deborah Seiler, of Global Electronic Voting Systems, the company that designed the machine. -more-
As the information and communications technology revolution rolls along, we have become accustomed to people talking to their computers, asking for information on electronic data bases, having conversations with robot voices on the telephone. -more-
924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 17: Blood Brothers, True North, The Cost, Red Light Sting, Betray The Species; Aug. 18: Dr. Know, The Sick, Society of Friends, Manchurian Candidates, Shut the F*ck Up; $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-
Plans for a “closed campus” for Berkeley High freshman have been postponed indefinitely, Berkeley schools Superintendent Michele Lawrence said Friday. -more-
With the blessings of the City Council, the Berkeley Unified School District has begun the initial design phases for the rehabilitation of the two warm water pools at Berkeley High School. -more-
Twelve years ago, Janet Byron moved to Berkeley to attend UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism. -more-
What are the Latino perceptions of success? How do Guatemala’s women organizations fight against social exclusion? Who are Silicon Valley’s new Vietnamese entrepreneurs? -more-
LOS ANGELES — California officials are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in hopes of reversing a decision requiring the state to use what they consider a needlessly expensive and polluting gasoline additive. -more-
In a wide-ranging interview Friday, school board member John Selawsky looks back on his first eight months on the job and shares some thoughts on current school topics, including budget difficulties, the new superintendent, reforms at the high school, and some notable program successes. -more-
Reefer Madness, a 1936 anti-marijuana film that became a cult classic in the 1970s, has been adapted for the stage by the Elements of Theatre Company. -more-
924 Gilman St. Music at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Aug. 11: Toys That Kill, Scared of Chakra, Soophie Nun Squad, Debris; Aug. 12: 5 p.m. Citizen Fish, J-Church, Eleventeen; Aug. 17: Blood Brothers, True North, The Cost, Red Light Sting, Betray The Species; Aug. 18: Dr. Know, The Sick, Society of Friends, Manchurian Candidates, Shut the F*ck Up; $5. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926. -more-
A Berkeley hockey player has been selected as one of 10 kids across the country to receive scholarships to attend summer camps in Canada next week. -more-
The Zoning Adjustments Board heard what one commissioner called the “initial skirmish” on the Alta Bates proposal to expand its Emergency Department by 3,500 square feet Thursday night. -more-
Editor, -more-
Cal junior quarterback Kyle Boller has been listed a one of 30 candidates on the preseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top quarterback. -more-
Touchscreens may replace punch cards -more-
Editor: -more-
Ocean View’s first industries were the Pioneer Starch and Grist Mill, founded in 1855 by John Everding and A. Rammelsburg, and a lumber yard, founded in 1856 by Zimri Brewer Heywood and Captain James Jacobs. Jacobs and Heywood constructed the wharf in 1866. The wharf was located between Bristol (now Hearst) and Delaware streets. Freight was stored and shipped from the wharf and it also became a landing for a passenger steamer making four trips daily between Ocean View and San Francisco. -more-
Editor: -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – The federal government has approved $4.25 million in grants to be used in the renovation of California parks and recreational facilities, including some in Berkeley. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – The president of the air traffic controllers’ union at San Francisco International Airport admitted in an affidavit that he was the so-called “Robust Robber,” suspected of robbing up to nine banks, his attorney said Friday. -more-
SAN JOSE – A 24-year-old man pleaded innocent Friday to involuntary manslaughter and child neglect charges brought against him after he left his infant son for three hours in a hot car, where the baby died. -more-
LOS ANGELES – In an attempt to unify its different ethnic communities, Asian-American groups unveiled a statewide redistricting plan that they hope will give them more political clout. -more-
Justices block support removal on man in semiconscious state -more-
TOM: The column we wrote a few weeks back about the need to test older drivers for competence generated hundreds of letters. Surprisingly to us, most of them supported our position – although some did not. -more-
Small steps are the key to having a water garden in your yard -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Stock in companies doing all types of stem cell research fell Friday as investors puzzled over the boundaries drawn by President Bush. -more-
LOS ANGELES – A judge rejected a record $3 billion damage award against tobacco giant Philip Morris as excessive, offering a dying smoker $100 million instead. -more-
SACRAMENTO – State energy officials and more than 580 retailers will team up next week to promote state-sponsored rebates for Californians buying Energy Star appliances. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Law enforcement officers are required to use “reasonable care” when making traffic stops, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday. -more-
A proposed legal settlement that could cost Ford Motor Co. as much as $1 billion prompted a judge Monday to postpone a class-action trial on allegations that faulty ignition switches caused millions of cars and trucks to stall. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A group of homeless advocates has taken over a vacant four-story downtown building to remind officials about the need for affordable housing in one of the country’s most expensive cities. -more-
Pudge, Izzy, Echo and Paris are ready for their close-ups. The feisty, furry rabbits are the pride and joy of the new Berkeley 4-H Club’s four charter members. Accompanied by their human handlers, on Thursday, the rabbits were getting ready to strut their stuff at the Monterey County fair today and the San Mateo County Fair on Saturday. -more-
