Berkeley High School staff arrived back on campus Friday for the first of three “staff development” days, two of which will focus on formulating a response to the criticisms leveled against the school in a recent report by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. -more-
A sudden-death haiku was called for at the Berzerkeley Slam Wednesday night to break a tie between competing poets. The standing room only audience at the Starry Plough’s weekly event snapped their fingers and shouted encouragement to the performers taking their turn at the microphone. -more-
Albatross Pub Sept. 1: David Widelock Jazz Trio; Sept. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 6: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 11: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Sept. 13: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 20: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 22: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Sept. 27: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Free. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 albatrosspub@mindspring.com -more-
With academics back in order, sophomore cornerback is at the top of the depth chart -more-
The city of Berkeley has put out the call for a new transportation czar who will be responsible for all transportation planning, traffic engineering and alternative transit programs. -more-
The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Nancy Conway, the executive director at the Oakland Tribune. -more-
State Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, strongly encouraged women to run for public office during the League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville annual community luncheon Friday. -more-
Editor: -more-
Only three 19th century commercial buildings are still standing on busy University Avenue. 844 and 982 University Avenue are physically intact examples of what was, in the 1880s, a common commercial style. Tall display windows for lighting the interior of the business reflected a technical advance of pane-glass making in the mid-nineteenth century. Surrounding these large windows were carved wood moldings and brackets typical of the Victorian era. -more-
The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the school board and superintendent of Berkeley. -more-
East Bay lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride conference under way -more-
SACRAMENTO — Police across the nation detained passengers in airports and stopped them on the streets Friday if they bore a passing resemblance to a Ukrainian immigrant accused in Monday’s brutal slayings of six family members. -more-
Dear Tom and Ray: My wife drives our 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, which has only 60,000 miles of easy driving on it. The car is loaded and is in mint condition. -more-
NEW YORK — After languishing through the dog days of August, the stock market finally perked up Friday with the Dow industrials enjoying a 194-point gain. -more-
A group of the city’s disabled people are organizing to protest Councilmember Linda Maio’s decision to remove Commissioner Karen Craig from the Commission on Disability earlier this month. -more-
Have you ever wanted to taste the cultural spices of Boriqua, sip Arabic coffee, invite Yemaya for a stroll, but couldn’t fit a world cruise into your schedule? -more-
Albatross Pub Sept. 1: David Widelock Jazz Trio; Sept. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 6: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 11: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Sept. 13: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 20: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 22: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Sept. 27: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Free. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 1822 San Pablo Ave.843-2473 albatrosspub@mindspring.com -more-
A new head coach. A new offensive coordinator. A new quarterback. The Berkeley High football team has a lot of obstacles to overcome if the Yellowjackets are to score many points in the upcoming season. -more-
New Superintendent of Schools Michele Lawrence has scheduled a special budget meeting for Monday to review persistent problems with the district’s budget for the school year beginning Aug. 29. -more-
NEW YORK — It sounds as surreal as an old Bob Dylan song: Pancho Villa playing center field for a 1930s team called the Boston Fords, taking on such rivals as the Pittsburgh Plymouths and the St. Louis Cadillacs. -more-
City Carshare and the city of Berkeley have decided to launch a scaled-down car sharing program in November rather than waiting for UC Berkeley to approve additional funding for the project. -more-
KPFA-area listeners are planning a response to the suspension without pay of news magazine “Democracy Now!” host Amy Goodman and her staff at WBAI in New York by holding a rally at the Berkeley station Tuesday morning. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The South Coast Air Quality Management District can continue its ban on diesel vehicles in public fleets after a federal judge upheld the air quality agency’s policy on Thursday. -more-
SAN JOSE — American Indians want to be part of the solution to the nation’s energy woes, and are eager to work with energy companies to build power plants and extract fuels on tribal lands. -more-
CERES— By the time Rep. Gary Condit’s televised interview with ABC-TV reporter Connie Chung had ended, so, it seemed, had much of his support in his rural Central Valley congressional district. -more-
SAN DIEGO — A Northern California couple say they will pay a British surrogate mother who is suing them for breach of contract. -more-
When painting, the color choice or combination of colors (“color palette”) has a significant effect on both the appearance and value of a home. This is true of both interior- and exterior-painting projects. At the exterior, the color configuration can make a narrow house appear wider or a short, stubby house look taller. On the interior, a light color can make a room appear larger, while a dark color has the opposite effect. -more-
Liens from contested home improvement projects are unnerving to many homeowners. They risk legal fees, poor credit ratings, and lose their ability to sell their home if the lien is not resolved. -more-
BOSTON — Scientists are questioning the most surprising discovery from last winter’s deciphering of the human genetic code – the assertion that people have only about 30,000 genes, or roughly twice as many as the fruit fly. -more-
BEIJING — China’s government admitted the growing scale of its AIDS epidemic with rare candor Thursday, saying HIV cases nationwide had surged and confirming that hundreds of people in a single village were infected by a blood-buying operation. -more-
WASHINGTON — The number of laid-off workers drawing unemployment benefits has hit a nine-year peak, the government reported Thursday, providing stark evidence of the toll the yearlong economic slowdown was taking on the nation’s labor markets. -more-
SAN JOSE — Airports, schools and hotels might want to look closer at the wireless Internet networks they increasingly have been installing as a convenience for the must-stay-connected crowd. -more-
The Coalition of University Employees Local 3 rallied in front of California Hall on the UC Berkeley campus Wednesday to protest what union representatives called unfair negotiating practices. -more-
Albatross Pub Sept. 1: David Widelock Jazz Trio; Sept. 5: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 6: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 11: Mad & Eddie Duran Jazz Duo; Sept. 13: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 19: Whiskey Brothers; Sept. 20: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Sept. 22: Larry Stefl Jazz Quartet; Sept. 27: Kenji “El Lebrijano” Flamenco Guitar; Free. All shows begin at 9 p.m. 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473 albatrosspub@mindspring.com -more-
Five offensive starters sit out in Turlock; Echema ruled ineligible -more-
A new state law requiring school districts to notify parents in writing of pesticide use at school sites probably won’t have a dramatic impact in Berkeley, where the school district has had a policy severely limiting pesticide use for more than 10 years. -more-
The University of California women’s swim program, besides being represented by former Cal standout Haley Cope and junior breaststroker Staciana Stitts, will have another Golden Bear involved with the United States’ Goodwill Games team, as head coach Teri McKeever has been selected as one of USA’s assistant coaches. -more-
Last May, when the 48 rose bushes she planted in her back yard were blooming, Berkeley resident Anne Fitzmaurice decided it was time to become part of the farmers’ market. She would wake up at dawn every Saturday, prepare about 20 bouquets, head to the market, and sell them. -more-
Corey Goodman, a leading neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley, announced Tuesday he is leaving academia for the private sector. -more-
We sent half the refund to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the second half to the Children’s Hospital Foundation. -more-
SAN JOSE — Prosecutors and defense attorneys for the Russian computer programmer charged with circumventing electronic book copyright protections are negotiating a possible plea bargain and have agreed to delay an arraignment scheduled for Thursday. -more-
The 86-year-old Claremont Hotel came one step closer to achieving landmark status last month when the Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board voted unanimously to send the proposal on to the Planning Commission. -more-
When the 900 students of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School return to campus next week, they’ll find the main building wrapped with a chain link fence and looking forlorn. -more-
As the United Nations World Conference Against Racism approaches, a group of Bay Area activists is getting ready to travel to the city that will host it: Durban, South Africa. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Children heading back to California public schools this fall will be bringing home something new in their backpacks – a list of all the pesticides likely to be used at the schools during the new school year. -more-
SACRAMENTO — You get them, even politicians get them – those annoying telemarketing calls selling anything from long distance to siding, right when you sit down to dinner. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Labor leaders and an attorneys’ group Tuesday launched another attempt to raise benefits for workers who suffer on-the-job injuries. -more-
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sen. Jesse Helms, the former newspaper editor and TV commentator who has been one of the most fiercely conservative voices on Capitol Hill for three decades, has decided not to run for re-election next year, sources said Tuesday. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve, still trying to keep the U.S. economy out of a recession, cut a key interest rate Tuesday for the seventh time this year, lowering the federal funds rate by a quarter-point to 3.50 percent. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Businesses were offered a powerful incentive Tuesday to allow workers to telecommute – pollution credits that can be used to reduce taxes or sold to other companies for cash. -more-
NEW YORK — Stock prices tumbled yet again Tuesday, carrying the Dow Jones industrials down 145 points after the Federal Reserve made its seventh interest rate cut of 2001 but failed to predict that a business recovery will occur soon. -more-
JERUSALEM — Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Tuesday proposed truce talks in Germany, and Israel’s Foreign Minister Shimon Peres appeared likely to accept. Israel said the talks would focus on a plan for a gradual cease-fire to end 11 months of violence. -more-
SKOPJE, Macedonia — With his miniature spy planes at 16,000 feet and guided by remote control, U.S. Army Capt. Daniel Dittenber’s pilots camped on the ground aren’t exactly in any danger. -more-
Ashkenaz Aug. 21: 9 p.m. Slavonkian Traveling Band. 8 p.m. dance lesson w/ Joyce Clyde. $10; Aug. 22: 9 p.m. Badenya Les Freres Coulibaly, $10; Aug. 23: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Dead DJ Night with Digital Dave. $5; Aug. 24: 9:30 p.m. Caribbean All Stars $11; Aug. 25: 9 p.m. California Brazil Camp Benefit, $10; Aug. 26: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. Middle Eastern Dance Workshops with Ma Shuga Mira Murijan and Nanna Candeleria. $45. 8 p.m. Harmonia, $10; Aug. 28: 9 p.m. Gerard Landry and the Lariats, $8; Aug. 29: 8 p.m. Earl White Oldtime Band, Bluegrass Intentions, plus clogging lessons. $10, Kids under 12 Free; Aug. 30: 9 p.m. Samite, Forward Kwenda, $10; Aug. 31: 9:30 p.m. Wawa and the Oneness Kingdom, The Calypsonians, $10; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com -more-
Vista Community College is only two short blocks from the UC Berkeley campus but in the minds of many Vista students it might as well be in another dimension. -more-
East Bay Pride, an Oakland-based organization advocating for gay, lesbian and transgender rights, was not alone expressing outrage at an Aug. 14 Oakland Tribune editorial calling Councilmember Kriss Worthington despicable and a coward and calling the gay council member a single-issue politician. -more-
Don Arreola Burl’s ingenuity created Playground Rats, a competitive summer sports program that’s part of the Berkeley-Albany YMCA offerings. -more-
Far from collapsing in exhaustion, 17 Berkeley High students ended their 600-mile cycling trip to San Diego County’s Santana High School Monday with a burst of spontaneous dancing. -more-
Berkeley environmentalist Jami Caseber will receive one of the five 2001 Clean Air Champion Awards from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District at its board meeting on Sept. 5. -more-
OAKLAND — Seniors, the disabled and caregivers in Alameda County can now turn to the Internet to find information about health care services in an attempt to make in-home care easier. -more-
SAN JOSE — Agilent Technologies Inc., a maker of test and measurement equipment, reported a third-quarter loss that was narrower than Wall Street had expected but said Monday it is slashing 4,000 jobs because business is expected to stay sluggish for quite some time. -more-
NEW YORK — A key gauge of future U.S. economic activity crept higher for the fourth straight month in July, suggesting that some improvement may lie ahead for the economy. -more-
A judge signed an agreement Monday forcing five major oil companies to clean up sites they own that have been contaminated with the gasoline additive MTBE, as part of a settlement with a San Francisco Bay area environmental group. -more-
Judging from the sounds of fiddles, accordions and washboards, Civic Center Park was temporarily transported to the prairies and bayous of southern Louisiana Saturday afternoon during the Ecology Center’s 12th annual Cajun Festival. -more-
The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to councilmember Maudelle Shirek: -more-
Ashkenaz Aug. 21: 9 p.m. Slavonkian Traveling Band. 8 p.m. dance lesson w/ Joyce Clyde. $10; Aug. 22: 9 p.m. Badenya Les Freres Coulibaly, $10; Aug. 23: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Dead DJ Night with Digital Dave. $5; Aug. 24: 9:30 p.m. Caribbean All Stars $11; Aug. 25: 9 p.m. California Brazil Camp Benefit, $10; Aug. 26: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. Middle Eastern Dance Workshops with Ma Shuga Mira Murijan and Nanna Candeleria. $45. 8 p.m. Harmonia, $10; Aug. 28: 9 p.m. Gerard Landry and the Lariats, $8; Aug. 29: 8 p.m. Earl White Oldtime Band, Bluegrass Intentions, plus clogging lessons. $10, Kids under 12 Free; Aug. 30: 9 p.m. Samite, Forward Kwenda, $10; Aug. 31: 9:30 p.m. Wawa and the Oneness Kingdom, The Calypsonians, $10; 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com -more-
Members of the disabled community discussed ways to improve KPFA’s coverage of disability issues at a special meeting organized by the public radio station on Saturday afternoon. -more-
Editor: -more-
When Jonah Most told his mother that he was looking for something to do this summer, she suggested that he get a special project going – something like creating a solar-powered skateboard. -more-
Editor: -more-
The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to President Bush: -more-
EMERYVILLE — Ten years ago, this sliver of a town was a blighted urban joke of the Bay Area, a smokestack hamlet that became an apparition of tattered warehouses and dead industrial buildings. Below ground was worse. -more-
UC Berkeley has announced that it will extend its period for public comment on a draft document that details potential environmental impacts of proposed campus construction. -more-
California governor wants to help power company avoid bankruptcy; some senators are unconvinced -more-
LOS ANGELES – The agency that buys and sells electricity on behalf of the California government will pull traders from a power grid control room. -more-
TRENTON, N.J. – When the European Union blocked Honeywell Inc.’s merger with General Electric last month, throwing Honeywell in limbo, its board of directors knew they needed a new leader fast to reassure skittish shareholders and stabilize the company. -more-
TRENTON, N.J. – When the European Union blocked Honeywell Inc.’s merger with General Electric last month, throwing Honeywell in limbo, its board of directors knew they needed a new leader fast to reassure skittish shareholders and stabilize the company. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – While Ford Motor Co. maintains that alleged defects in its ignition system in 20 million cars don’t cause stalling or endanger passengers, a series of lawsuits nationwide blame stalling in various models for crashes in which at least 11 people died and 31 were injured. -more-
Oakland’s downtown Chinatown area returned to normal yesterday afternoon following a gas leak that forced the evacuation of numerous businesses along Eighth Street. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — State regulators expanded a program to help low-income residents pay their power bills on Thursday, but left unaddressed a laundry list of other issues that will determine the future of California’s electricity market. -more-
NEW YORK — The big issue in Social Security reform isn’t limited to just strengthening the system. It’s bigger than that. As big, perhaps, as saving the entire economy. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A 3-year-old boy’s body was found in a cardboard TV box in a grassy field just a few miles from where his father, Nikolay Soltys, is suspected of also killing his wife, aunt, uncle and two young cousins. -more-
According to a 1996 Department of Energy report on residential lighting, in the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 1,800 kilowatt-hours a year of the total electricity bill, more than $200 annually at current energy rates. -more-
YUBA CITY – Everyone was ecstatic a year ago when test scores soared at April Lane Elementary, one of 430 schools in the first group going through Gov. Gray Davis’ three-year improvement program. -more-
