News

There she stood, at the same spot she’s been at for decades, with stop sign in hand and wearing the obligatory fluorescent orange cap, vest, and gloves that are supposed to – but don’t always – alert drivers to her presence. -more-

Saturday, Sept. 1

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The Sixth Annual Watershed Poetry Festival comes to Berkeley’s Civic Center Park Sept. 8, noon to 5 p.m. -more-

924 Gilman Sept. 7: Carry On, Champion, Breaker Breaker, Saturday Supercade, Fields of Fire; Sept. 8: Lab Rats, Relative; Most shows $5 and start at 8 p.m. unless noted. 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 -more-

Cal’s men’s basketball hopes took a nosedive on Thursday, as top recruit Julian Sensley was ruled ineligible for next season by the NCAA. -more-

The Water Transit Authority held a second meeting at Berkeley City Hall Friday to discuss an evolving plan to link San Francisco Bay communities with an expanded ferry service. -more-

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Kevin Boyd said his team would be strong on the attack. It looks like he was right. -more-

A federal district court judge decided Friday that the lawsuit brought by two environmental activists against the FBI and the city of Oakland for false arrest will be decided on “narrow grounds.” Lawyers for Darryl Cherney and the estate of Judi Bari, Mendocino county Earth First! activists, will not be allowed to mention historical “dirty-tricks” campaigns conducted by the FBI. -more-

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The Berkeley Municipal Rose Garden was dedicated in September 1937 after four years of construction. The building of the garden was a Civil Works Administration project. It was among the many public parks projects sponsored by the federal government to provide employment during the Depression. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — BART directors have presented a proposal to workers’ unions, offering a wage and benefits increase of about 20 percent over the next four years, but union members said Friday it’s not enough to keep them off the picket lines. -more-

Bankruptcies decline -more-

In an effort to understand and overcome institutional racism in Berkeley, the League of Women Voters plans to host a series of “conversations on race” beginning in early October. -more-

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Sunday is the deadline for community college students to apply for one of 11,250 state scholarships. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Democrats trying to recapture control of the House of Representatives may not get much help from a redistricting plan unveiled Friday by California legislators. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Since its inception four years ago, California’s payday loan industry has tripled each year and now makes 1 million transactions a month from 3,400 storefronts. -more-

SAN JOSE — In another blow to financially troubled Excite@ Home, two major cable companies said Friday they will terminate their partnerships with the high-speed Internet provider. -more-

The Cal Bears head into the 2001 season with nearly the same cast of characters that fashioned last year’s 3-8 disappointment. Star players Andre Carter, Nick Harris and Jacob Waasdorp are gone, as is offensive coordinator Steve Hagen. But head coach Tom Holmoe is back, as are 17 starters from last year’s squad. -more-

It took traveling halfway around the world for Berkeley actor Svetlana Couture to go full cycle, and return to her youthful love of theater. Couture opens tonight in a short, three-performance run at Berkeley’s Live Oak Theater in Bay Area playwright Dorotea Reyna’s show “Goddesses.” -more-

A push to debate India's caste system at the U.N. Summit on Racism set off a heated debate in India. Ironically, the same week that Indian pundits were protesting the inclusion of caste-based discrimination on the summit agenda, the dean of a university medical faculty in my home town of Nagpur was fired for submitting a fraudulent caste-certificate with his job application. -more-

Friday, Aug. 31

The city is constructing a bridge spanning Interstate 80 for bikers, pedestrians and persons using wheelchairs as an alternative to walking along the freeway’s University Avenue onramp. Construction began in -more-

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A movement born on the University of California campus last spring will spread across the nation this fall, if local Palestinian activists have their way. And Berkeley, as usual, will be ground zero. -more-

In an effort to understand and overcome institutional racism in Berkeley, the League of Women Voters plans to host a series of “conversations on race” beginning in early October. -more-

Berkeley firefighter John Mason, heralded in several publications a year ago for rebuilding housing for thousands of Albanian refugees in war-torn Kosovo, recently discovered that a bureaucratic oversight has left him without the protection of medical benefits for the past year. -more-

Berkeley astronomers may soon be able to get a better look at the stars thanks to the city’s Planning Department, currently working on an ordinance to reduce light pollution and make sky watching easier. -more-

A new study by the American Medical Association says that binge drinking is up among American college students, with 44 percent of students reporting that they binge drink, and nearly one in four saying they binge frequently. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The area known as “Condit Country” would move north under a congressional redistricting proposal released Thursday, further threatening Rep. Gary Condit’s re-election chances. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal grand jury has indicted three executives of a Marin County electronics firm, accusing them of illegally selling gear to India that could be used to make nuclear weapons, prosecutors said Wednesday. -more-

WASHINGTON — Long-distance mediation by Secretary of State Colin Powell helped Israeli and Palestinian leaders conclude a truce over a West Bank town. -more-

JERUSALEM (AP) — Three Palestinians were killed and 30 wounded Thursday in clashes with Israeli troops, dimming hopes that a limited U.S-backed truce in one Palestinian town might spread to other areas of the West Bank. -more-

Back in the ’80s we built a 4,200-plus square-foot home for our cousin. It had every imaginable feature and convenience: Multiple furnaces, a 400-amp main electrical service, a built-in intercom system, built-in ice maker, indoor barbecue, upscale everything. You name it, this house had it. About five years ago lightning struck, and everything in this magnificent home got cooked: televisions, radios, the computer and appliances — even the built-in intercom system. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Unable to lure its skittish customers back into the stock market, Charles Schwab Corp. said Thursday it will cut up to 2,400 more jobs as the leading online brokerage continues to dismantle its feverish expansion of a year ago. -more-

CUPERTINO (AP) — Apple Computer Inc. said Thursday it has cut an undisclosed number of sales jobs, but that the overall headcount in its sales and retail departments continues to grow. -more-

Dave Lyons, president of the Rosa Parks Elementary School PTA, thought he was ready for the first day of school. -more-

When Cal women’s soccer coach Kevin Boyd is asked about his biggest concern heading into the 2001 season, he has a hard time coming up with something he’s really worried about. But ask him about the team’s biggest strength, and an answer is immediate. -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-

SAN FRANCISCO – On a cable car over Nob Hill the other day, I overheard a blonde, middle-age tourist whisper this confidence to her companion: “It sure ain’t Texas, I can tell you that much.” “No kidding,” mumbled the burly man in a Hawaiian shirt as he continued filming the city with his camcorder. -more-

Thursday, Aug. 30

The first day of Berkeley High School’s new student ID policy was far from a booming success, with many students not receiving their identification cards and most of the others disregarding the policy even though they had their tags. -more-

About 50 law enforcement officers and 24 cadets attended an all-day seminar and training at Oakland City Hall to become more familiar with issues related to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community. -more-

By Daniela Mohor -more-

One lawmaker stuffed spinach in his milk carton. Another recalled “barfaroni” with distaste. A third learned to love liver. -more-

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SACRAMENTO — Democrats proposed new districts Wednesday that would probably allow them to maintain their overwhelming majority in the state Assembly for the next decade. -more-

Patients rate hospital stays statewide -more-

WASHINGTON — At least 40,000 federal tax returns and payments involving $810 million were either lost or destroyed at a Pittsburgh processing facility. -more-

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WASHINGTON — The nation’s economy inched ahead in the spring at the slowest pace in eight years. Still, the fact that there was any growth at all fueled hope that the economy may be ready to begin climbing again – without tipping into recession. -more-

Nearly 200 people gathered outside KPFA Tuesday morning to show support for “Democracy Now!,” the popular news magazine that recently reheated the crisis within the Pacifica group of listener-sponsored radio stations. -more-

Wednesday, Aug. 29 -more-

Setting the record straight on Open Paw -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-

In a special budget workshop Monday night, Alameda County education officials told the Berkeley school board that its 2001-2002 budget will probably not be approved by the state due to a number of errors and inconsistencies. -more-

Touting the resurrection of the commercial nuclear energy industry, Dr. Denis Beller, told a group of 20 people Monday night at UC Berkeley that nuclear power is now safe, clean and affordable. -more-

After a summer of overnight sailing adventures and educational voyages on the San Francisco Bay, the 11 graduates from the Pegasus Lifeskills Project celebrated the completion of their program with a barbecue Friday night at the Berkeley Marina. -more-

HOPLAND — A man accused of starting a campfire that burned out of control and led to the death of two air tanker pilots was charged with two counts of murder Tuesday by Mendocino County prosecutors. -more-

SACRAMENTO— HealthNet of California plans to drop Sutter Health from its Medicare HMO network, and will stop paying for Seniority Plus subscribers’ care from Sutter’s hospitals or doctors after Jan. 1. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration wants to ensure that a U.N. conference on children does not proclaim support for abortion, officials said Tuesday. It was the latest sign of a prickly relationship between the United States and the United Nations, which already are at odds over a racism meeting. -more-

The Associated Press -more-

BEIT JALLA, West Bank — Israeli troops seized parts of this Palestinian town and fortified positions with sandbags Tuesday as Israel said it was settling in for an indefinite stay – a first in 11 months of fighting. -more-

SAN DIEGO — Struggling personal computer maker Gateway announced Tuesday it is laying off about 5,000 employees – 25 percent of its global workforce – as it tries to cope with an increasingly bleak market. -more-

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence dropped for the second consecutive month in August, a sign of growing concern about a lack of jobs and unemployment, a private research group said Tuesday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Jury selection began Tuesday in what was expected to be a mammoth court battle between two partners who helped spawn the biotechnology revolution. -more-

UC Berkeley students face an easier housing search this fall than last in the wake of the dot-com bust, according to city and university housing officials and local rental agencies – but not necessarily a less expensive one. -more-

Tuesday, Aug. 28

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Parents and professionals -more-

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Proponents of strengthening a warning against wearing chemical fragrances at public meetings say the city’s current admonition, printed on public meeting agendas, is vague and arbitrary. The council will consider stronger wording when it meets Sept. 11. -more-

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A weekend riot at UC Berkeley has prompted school officials to ban all dances at the school’s main dance hall for the semester, the university announced Monday. -more-

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The National Institutes of Health announced Monday that the University of California at San Francisco is among 10 organizations worldwide that are eligible to receive federal funds for stem cell research. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Florence Vangay was once a refugee in search of opportunity. Like thousands of Hmong, she fled her native Laos to escape persecution after the Vietnam War, and eventually settled in California’s Central Valley. Now she has joined a growing wave of Southeast Asian immigrants again on the move, looking for a better life. -more-

Open Paw seeks another ‘doggy’ first -more-

Monday, Aug. 27

SAN JOSE, CA. — “‘Til death do us part,” that age-old marriage vow, has always sounded a little, well, non-committal to Confucian ears. In Vietnam, for instance, where I come from, death is not the end of relationships, it only deepens them. -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-

Two years ago, the Pac-10 was a national joke. Last year, three teams tied for the conference title, had big bowl wins and finished in the top 10 nationally. So with expectations raised sky-high for the conference leaders this season, can Oregon, Oregon State and Washington replicate their super seasons? Or will the league be hit with another down cycle? With eight teams returning their starting quarterbacks and a couple of early Heisman candidates in Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington and Oregon State tailback Ken Simonton, this could be the year that establishes the conference back in the nation’s elite. Here are our predictions for the upcoming season. -more-

Lamont is nervous. A police officer has stopped him and is asking for his identification. But Lamont refuses to produce his wallet or the I.D that is inside. And the police officer looks like he is getting mad. -more-

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to United States President George W. Bush. -more-

For reading 275,462 pages over six months last year – on their own time – John Muir Elementary School students will be awarded $5,000 from the state. -more-

“The students are here.” -more-

CARLSBAD – Straddling a longboard, Kim Kennis scanned the incoming waves, searching for one packing enough height and force. -more-