Malfunctioning elevators worry elderly residents
Last Saturday, the doors closed behind 88-year old Bea Geller, but the little elevator didn’t budge. And the doors wouldn’t open again. None of the buttons responded. -more-
Last Saturday, the doors closed behind 88-year old Bea Geller, but the little elevator didn’t budge. And the doors wouldn’t open again. None of the buttons responded. -more-
DURBAN, South Africa – I’m halfway around the globe, in the midst of an exhausting, inspiring culture shock. -more-
When speaking about the Holocaust there are many levels that might be difficult to fathom: the cunning political maneuverings, the cultural devastation, the cold ingenuity of the concentration camp’s engineering and the deep, almost inhuman hatred humans are capable of. -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
The Cal men’s soccer team will host the fifth-annual adidas-Legacy Classic this weekend, as Stanford, Loyola Marymount and CSU Fullerton visit Edwards Stadium. -more-
The Berkeley School Board on Wednesday adopted a new set of educational goals for Berkeley High, intended to buttress the school’s beleaguered accreditation standing – even as some board members and parents expressed disappointment and warned the new Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) may still be insufficient. -more-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comedian Bob Hope was released Thursday from a hospital where he had been treated for pneumonia since late last month. -more-
New coach, QB hoping to get Berkeley off to a quick start -more-
EMERYVILLE – Prithviraj Singh said his 3-year-old son cannot understand what happened to the boy’s only sister, Eveneet Deol. The 5-year-old Deol, who was struck by her mother’s car last Friday morning after being dropped off for school at Anna Yates Elementary, died at Childrens’ Hospital Oakland Wednesday afternoon -more-
Downtown developer Patrick Kennedy submitted plans last month to develop a five-story, mixed-use building on Shattuck Avenue at the location of the Fine Arts Cinema. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Bobbie Webb considers himself a survivor of a seismic shift in San Francisco’s population. -more-
Two bank robberies over the past week have brought the Berkeley total since Aug. 27 to four, according to police Lt. Cynthia Harris. -more-
The Fine Arts Cinema may soon find itself without a home when the building it occupies is razed to make way for a five-story, mixed-use building. -more-
OAKLAND – Caltrans plans to equip all lanes of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge with Fastrak lanes this fall, a spokesman announced Thursday. -more-
CHICAGO — How does your garden grow? -more-
An Israeli historian known for being critical of Israeli policy surprised his audience Wednesday night by focusing on the “repeated blunders” that, he says, Palestinians have made in handling negotiations over land. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Setting up a possible showdown between a Democratic Legislature and governor who’s twice vetoed similar bills, the state Senate voted Thursday to boost benefits for injured workers in California. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A bill that would require California’s power-buying agency to hold public hearings on billions of dollars worth of long-term energy contracts passed a key Assembly committee Thursday. -more-
A San Francisco Superior Court judge extended a strike injunction on one of BART’s three unions Wednesday morning, easing the specter of a Bay Area transit crisis for at least another six weeks. -more-
The 2001 St. Mary’s varsity football team will have to cope with the loss of one of the best players in school history, along with the retirement of its coach of 16 years. The Panthers also lost a star they never really had this summer. But with some big weapons on offense and an infusion of new talent on defense, the Panthers should be back in the hunt for the Bay Shore Athletic League title this season. -more-
Is it possible that the Democrats are overlooking President Bush’s real game plan for Social Security? Not that they’re wrong in charging him with fiscal recklessness. -more-
A former Bay Area filmmaker has made a new documentary about a group of Vietnam War protesters who embodied a maxim deeply rooted in American free speech: “If we’re about bringing change through nonviolence,” says a lifelong activist in the film, “then we should think seriously about being free enough to go to jail.” -more-
The final risk-assessment report for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s tritium facility was released last month and indicates the largest danger of exposure to radioactive material would be during a fire or other disaster. -more-
Cal forward Kyla Sabo was named to Soccer Buzz’s first-ever National Elite Team of the Week on Tuesday. -more-
Unless the Legislature and governor restore health care funds Gov. Gray Davis slashed from the state budget in July, Berkeley will have to cut about $100,000 from its maternal and child health programs. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – An activist, a weather anchor, a teen-ager, a car fleet manager and an electric vehicle enthusiast were all honored Wednesday as Bay Area Air Quality Management District's 2001 Clean Air “champions.” -more-
On Sunday morning, a preacher of a different sort took the podium at St. Joseph the Worker Church in central Berkeley. -more-
OAKLAND (AP) — A team of East Bay developers has been selected for a $500 million, 60-acre deal to transform an industrial neighborhood into a thriving waterfront district and a possible future home for the Oakland Athletics. -more-
PORTLAND, Ore. — Lawyers for an Oregon man who claims the Mormon church is responsible for sexual abuse he suffered as a child said Wednesday a $3 million settlement will open the way for other child-abuse lawsuits against the church. -more-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An immigrant rights group urged Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday to support a change in state law that restricts illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses. -more-
DURBAN, South Africa — Under threat of a devastating European walkout, the World Conference Against Racism held closed-door meetings Wednesday to try to find compromise language on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and reparations for slavery. -more-
NEW YORK — The reality is that nobody really knows when the economic slump will end and the upturn begin. Not Alan Greenspan, nor corporate chiefs, nor those oft-quoted “experts.” -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Oil giant Chevron Corp. announced Wednesday that it will end its 122-year history as a San Francisco company by moving its headquarters to a suburban campus in San Ramon, 40 miles east of its current home. -more-
SAN JOSE (AP) — Investors pounded the stocks of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. to 52-week lows Wednesday, showing that Wall Street has yet to be convinced HP’s acquisition of Compaq is a good idea. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — More Californians think Japan should atone for atrocities its troops committed during World War II than believe the United States should apologize for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, according to a new survey. -more-
SACRAMENTO – California needs to try new ways to find and keep great teachers in public schools, such as creating a world-class teacher academy or a special credential for teachers who succeed in poor schools, says a new state commission report. -more-
SACRAMENTO (AP) — People who leave small children alone in cars could face $100 fines under a bill approved Wednesday by the state Assembly. -more-
Six female employees filed a grievance in late July with the director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory charging that female administrative specialists are underpaid and underpromoted, compared to their male counterparts. -more-
The languishing farm economy in California has taken its toll on many family farmers. As California’s agricultural sector continues to struggle through a year plagued with energy crisis, low prices and water shortages, sustainable agriculture and organic farming offer realistic, viable solutions. -more-
From a land where time had more value than money and dreams were haunted by mysterious creatures called djinns came artist, philosopher and pacifist Khalil Bendib. -more-
The race to succeed state Assemblymember Dion Aroner in 2002 was thrown into chaos on Friday, when an Assembly committee released its statewide proposal for new district boundaries. -more-
Berkeley High, pixie dust and staggered lunch -more-
Elizabeth Rosner says she was “the child who asked a lot of questions, always trying to fill in the gaps and mystery” of her parents’ experiences during the Holocaust. -more-
By Jeffrey Obser -more-
FAIRFIELD (AP) — Teachers were back in class after a tentative two-year contract agreement was reached over the Labor Day weekend. -more-
A shooting near the corner of King and Harmon streets sent a 16-year-old male to Children’s Hospital in Oakland, according to Berkeley Police Lt. Cynthia Harris. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The threat of a BART strike may not be over, as a third union awaits a court decision to either extend or revoke a restraining order that prevents it from striking. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A contract signed before anyone knew billions would be made selling bioengineered drugs is at the heart of a $400 million legal dispute between a pharmaceutical company and the research center whose work led to several key patents. -more-
SAN JOSE — The lyrical pop-song question “Do You Know the Way To San Jose,” may soon have a new answer — the Norman Y. Mineta Airport. -more-
WASHINGTON — Texas Republican Phil Gramm said Tuesday he will leave the Senate at the end of his third term next year, following fellow conservatives Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond into retirement and closing out a career as an unflinching advocate of lower taxes and less government. -more-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Mint warned collectors of its new American buffalo commemorative silver dollars Tuesday to make sure they bought the real thing. -more-
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — Claiming their civil rights were violated by a policeman warning of violence over shutting off water to farmers, two environmentalists filed claims Tuesday against the city for $100,000 each. -more-
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Breast-feeding mothers would get breaks and an appropriate room to express milk at work for their infants at home under a bill sent to the governor Tuesday. -more-
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Female inmates serving life sentences could get overnight visits with their children under a bill approved Tuesday by the California Assembly. -more-
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Law firms that work for the state would have to attempt to provide a certain amount of free legal services to the poor under a bill approved Tuesday by the Senate. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Nearly five years after California voters approved Proposition 209 banning affirmative action, a state appeals court Tuesday declared invalid a host of race- and gender-based government hiring programs. -more-
SAN JOSE — About 80 of the 6,000 employees Cisco Systems laid off in April have found a good reason to hold their heads high at a time when many suddenly unemployed tech workers are having a tough time coping. -more-
DURBAN, South Africa — Desperate to save the U.N. racism conference, the European Union and South Africa joined forces Tuesday to try resolving the language dispute that prompted a walkout by the United States and Israel. -more-
“Is this the home of the sordid and sundry poets?” asked Julian Waller upon arriving at the Bay Area Poets Coalition’s seventh annual Labor Day potluck picnic and reading. Held in Live Oak Park, the cozy gathering was a way for an eclectic group of local poets and poetry aficionados to bond over poetry, food and conversation. -more-
Editor: -more-
It’s been common knowledge in the school district for years that certain students – a high percentage of them minority students – were not learning to read in the critical early grades of elementary school. -more-
OAKLAND — BART unions say they’re much closer to an agreement, but management says they’re still far apart, as negotiations continued through the Labor Day holiday. -more-
Editor: -more-
By Hank Sims -more-
Right now there are at least two programs under which Californians can save a significant amount of money by being energy efficient: the Governor’s 20/20 Rebate Program, and the 1-2-3 Cashback Program through Pacific Gas & Electric for energy-efficient appliances and fixtures. With a little up-front expense, the long-term benefits can mean more money in your wallet at the end of every month. Start by asking, “How efficient is your refrigerator?” -more-
BOSTON — Two months after Patrick McCullough lost his $60,000-a-year job installing computer networks for law firms, he’s having a hard time getting work — even though he’s had job offers. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Eateries and vendors at San Francisco International Airport are watching their business slide along with the troubled high-tech economy. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Note to potential gubernatorial candidates in California: Those without tens of millions of dollars, or the ability to raise them, need not apply. -more-
Berkeley’s working class has much to celebrate this Labor Day. As the national percentage of unionized workers decreased in the past year, new unions have appeared in town and the membership of local labor organizations has grown. -more-
All the talk about the Cal football team during the pre-season was focused on their new offense, which was supposed to break out of a four-year funk under new offensive coordinator Al Borges. Everyone assumed the Bears’ defense would be fine, especially the secondary with four cornerbacks who were presumed to be top caliber. -more-
The great American sell-out — GM logo could join Big Mac’s at the Smithsonian -more-
The differences between reality, fiction and spirit blur in “The Other Side of Haight,” the new novel by James Fadiman, the cofounder of The Institute of Transperson Psychology and director of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. -more-
After a months-long battle about budgeting priorities that seemed mired in stalemate, Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Sheila Jordan and the county Board of Education finally passed a budget Tuesday. -more-
In a game filled with quick momentum changes and several spectacular goals, the Cal Bears pulled out of a first-half funk to defeat Michigan, 4-2, in the final game of the Cal Invitational. -more-
Editor: -more-
All Florence Murray, 82, wanted when she called the city three weeks ago was some help installing a new water heater she had just purchased. -more-
The California Highway Patrol reports a solo vehicle accident occurred on northbound Interstate 880 at Fifth Avenue in Oakland early Sunday morning, killing one man and leaving another with major injuries. -more-
SAN JOSE – Union leaders and workers took to church pulpits on Labor Day weekend to demand legal status for undocumented immigrant workers. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco man was arrested in connection with a carjacking with a child in the car. -more-
OAKLAND – BART’s largest workers’ unions issued a 72-hour strike notice Saturday night as negotiations over a requested salary and benefits increase continued through the long weekend. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Thirteen new power plants are in the works for the San Francisco Bay area, a new home for the structures that was once considered off-limits to their development. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – More than 20,000 employees of Albertson’s and Safeway throughout Northern California agreed Saturday to extend their contract until midnight Sept. 8 -more-
MONTEREY – A Monterey County Superior Court judge has ordered strawberry growers near two schools to limit the amount of the pesticide methyl bromide that they apply to their fields near two schools. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Management of California’s energy crunch increasingly is falling under the purview of Gov. Gray Davis, which allows decisions affecting electric bills to be made in secret, a state official who opposes Davis said Friday. -more-
WILMINGTON – Wedged into a blue-collar neighborhood by the sea and partially walled off by cinder blocks sits an unlikely memorial to one of the bloodiest labor strikes in U.S. history. -more-
GRANITE BAY – Bony tree branches poke out of Folsom Lake now, skeletons from the forest that drowned when Folsom Dam was built east of Sacramento a half-century ago. -more-
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-
Editor: -more-
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-
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-
Editor: -more-
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-
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-
WALNUT CREEK — Rangers at Mount Diablo State Park decided Thursday to close the entire area because of high fire danger. -more-
OAKLAND — The tentative agreement that averted a possible BART strike will give the transit system’s workers wage and pension increases of more than 20.5 percent over four years, a union leader said Tuesday. -more-
WASHINGTON — Caught between setbacks and opportunity, union officials think aggressive politics on issues including immigration, trade, workers’ rights and the minimum wage could help build the resurgence they have sought unsuccessfully for years. -more-
OAKLAND – A developer is proposing a $45 million tram system to connect Alameda’s former Navy base to the West Oakland BART station. -more-
WASHINGTON — The share of HIV infections that are drug-resistant will jump to 42 percent in San Francisco by 2005, according to a team of researchers. -more-