A newly-formed political action group held a press conference on the steps of Old City Hall Thursday to announce a petition drive to overturn the recently-approved council district lines, which they said were gerrymandered. 

Citizens for Fair Representation, accompanied by moderates Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmember Miriam Hawley, charged council progressives with fashioning the new boundary lines in a back room with the intention of weakening the political power of moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong in District 8 and strengthening that of progressive Councilmember Kriss Worthington in District 7. 

“We’re a grassroots organization that has formed to put a referendum on the March 3 ballot that will overturn the approved district plan, which is little more than a power grab by the far left,” said David Tabb, chairman of the newly-formed CFR.  

Tabb is also Hawley’s appointee to the Planning Commission.  

Progressive Councilmember Dona Spring, who attended the press conference, said there is “absolutely no truth” to moderate charges. She said it appeared the press conference was just another opportunity for the same kind of moderate grandstanding that has attended recent council debates. 

“We had two public hearings on the new districts and they were debated again and again,” she said. “There was no ‘back room deal’ and the mayor knows it.” 

According to the city clerk, the CFR will have to collect 4,000 authentic signatures by Nov. 15 in order to have the referendum put on the March ballot. 

The controversial redistricting plan was drafted by Berkeley residents Michael O’Malley and David Blake, a former aide to progressive Councilmember Linda Maio. Progressives said they approved the plan, from a field of six others, because it best fit City Charter requirements. 

The charter requires district boundary lines to be redrawn every 10 years, according to population data in the decennial census. The charter also states that redrawn districts must deviate as little as possible from the original districts, which were approved in 1986. 

Making matters worse, the Federal Census Bureau blundered by not counting approximately 4,500 Berkeley residents, mostly students in districts 6, 7 and 8. 

Because the charter requires the district lines be drawn according to the census – whether it has a colossal error or not – the approved district lines resulted in a population imbalance in District 8.  

So, according to the census, each new district has close to 12,800 people. But according to the 1990 Census, there are 17,000 people in District 8 and close to 12,800 in each of the other eight districts. 

Moderates contend the estimated 4,500 uncounted students that are now in District 8 are more inclined to vote for progressive candidates, which they say would lessen the moderate Armstrong’s chances of re-election in that district next year. 

Census officials have so far refused to correct their error in the census count. 

Tabb said progressives violated the law by taking advantage of the census mistake to consolidate their power in the new districts.  

“This redistricting plan is illegal and unconstitutional,” he said.  

Worthington said the answer to the problem is getting the Census Bureau to correct the population count as soon as possible and put an adjusted district plan on the ballot.  

“We don’t want the (extra people) in District 8,” Worthington said. “But nobody could come up with a legally permissible way to shift the undercounted residents.” 

Blake defended the plan he co-drafted.  

“The plan speaks for itself,” he said. “It’s interesting that if the opponents of the new districts chose to hold a press conference instead of filing a law suit.” 

In addition, Dean said a progressive meeting that took place a day prior to the plan’s approval on Oct. 2 was a violation of the Brown Act – a state law that restricts attendance of non-public meetings by elected officials. 

“We are going to ask the Grand Jury to take a look at it,” she said. 

Dean added that a Berkeley resident was preparing a letter, which would be sent to the Alameda County Grand Jury early next week. 

Progressives argued they closely followed legal procedures during the meeting and that the moderates are simply getting an early start on what apparently will be a negative campaign for the mayor’s office next year. 

Dean has said the meeting in question was attended by Spring, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, Councilmember Margaret Breland and Blake. She added that it constituted a Brown Act violation when Councilmember Kriss Worthington showed up after the meeting was underway. 

The Brown Act makes it illegal for more than four councilmembers to meet without noticing the public. But Worthington’s presence would have been a violation of the Brown Act, only if the redistricting plan were discussed. But those who attended the meeting insist they had finished discussing the issue when Worthington arrived, and if Blake was at the meeting representing Maio, which both Blake and Maio say is ridiculous. 

Worthington dismissed the mayor’s charges as politically motivated. 

“This is just another example of the extreme statements that the mayor has been making on recent controversial issues,” he said. “I’m sure these comments don’t benefit Berkeley, whether or not they benefit the mayor’s campaign remains to be seen.”

Friday, Oct. 19

Cooperative Center Federal  

Credit Union 

Grand Opening Celebration 

4 - 7 p.m. 

2001 Ashby Ave. 

A family affair with food, entertainment and a special treat for the kids. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, honorary chairperson, is scheduled to attend. Faith Fancher is the Mistress of Ceremonies. 415-346-0199 

YAP’s FNL Teen Club: “Pop  

Ya Colla! Dance” 

7 -11 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Young Adult Project presents dance for 13 to 18 year olds only. Must have B.U.S.D. I.D. “No haters, no problems.” 644-6226 

Hills Emergency Forum 

10 - 11 a.m . 

Joaquin Miller Community Center 

3946 Sanbord Dr., Oakland 

Annual meeting to discuss progress made in reducing and managing risks associated with wildland fires in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. 893-9888 

Saturday, Oct. 20

Private Elementary School  

Panel Discussion and Fair 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

College Avenue Presbyterian Church 

5951 College Ave. 

Parents representing 12 selected schools will discuss issues parents encounter when searching for private elementary schools, including the admissions process. Sponsored by Neighborhood Parents Network. Open to the public. $5 - $10. 527-6667 www.parentsnet.org 

UC Berkeley Community  

Action Day 

9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

People’s Park 

Haste and Hillegass avenues 

More than 300 students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and student groups will participate in an all-day event, carrying out service projects throughout the city. 643-0306 kinyon@uclink4.berkeley.edu 

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Office of Emergency Services 

812 Page St.  

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

BART Job Fair 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

BART will be recruiting to fill approximately 160 jobs that will be opening up next year. The jobs to be filled are in accounting, planing, engineering, insurance, purchasing, police, maintenance and electronics. 

Symposium on New Science  

of Aging 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

Valley Life Sciences Building 

Room 2040 

UC Berkeley 

Lectures by prominent gerontologists and industry scientists will featured, plus leading biotechnology companies and research institutions will provide information about their research programs in aging and will discuss opportunities for collaboration and employment. 486-6096 http://crea.berkeley.edu/ 

Historical Society Walking  

Tour 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society 

1931 Center St. 

Patrick Keilch will lead tour of the Berkeley Hills and relate his hands-on experiences and observations from the wildfire of 1991. 848-0181  

www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/ 

Berkeley High School  

Workshop 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Berkeley Alternative High School 

1950 Derby St. 

Academic Workshop for parents on the graduation requirements for Berkeley High School. 644-8524 

Oakland Hills Fire  

Commemorative Walk and  

Pot Luck Dinner 

5 -9 p.m. 

5999 Grizzly Peak 

Walk led by Oakland Fire Department and CORE graduates. Participants should bring pot luck dishes to feed eight guests. 273-9111 www.nhphoenix.org 

Puppet Shows 

1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

The Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

The Kids on the Block perform two shows to promote acceptance and understanding of cultural and medical differences. 549-1564 

Discussion of Current Legal  

Issues 

9 a.m. - 11 p.m. 

Boalt Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Top litigators, legal scholars and media experts participate in several panels discussions concerning some of the nation’s most closely watched legal issues. 643-6673 

Sunday, Oct. 21 

UNtraining White Liberal  

Racism 

2 - 5 p.m. 

The UNtraining offers personal work in a supportive setting for white people to address our unconscious racial conditioning. $10. Private residence, call 235-6134 for address.  

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Halloween Magic 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond JCC Auditorium 

1414 Walnut St.  

Los Angeles Magician and Comedian “Hotei the Magic Guy.” For kids 2 through 12 and their parents. $7. 236-7469 www.thebuddyclub.com 

Editor, 

Both the Associated Press and United Press International wire services issued wrong information about what the Berkeley City Council did regarding the bombing of Afghanistan. We did not condemn the bombing in Afghanistan, as both AP and UPI published. Here is the essence of the action five councilmembers took:  

We deplored the September 11th attack, honored the victims whose lives were lost so tragically, honored our firefighters and police and the many volunteers. We asked our representatives to “help break the cycle of violence, bringing the bombing to a conclusion as soon as possible, avoiding actions that would endanger the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan, and minimizing the risk to American military personnel.”  

Because the media needs juice every day, we became that juice. AP issued a corrected wire, but bad news had already been spread, and used, across the nation. Ours is a city with a deep history of speaking out on matters of importance. 

Our democracy is what makes it possible for all voices to be heard. It is part of our strength.  

And because we rely on the news media for our information, they need to get it right, especially at a time like this.  

Linda Maio 

Berkeley City Council, District 1

Experimental, street, and non-academic poetry for Berkeley’s New Millennium 

What is a poem?  

Must its words rhyme?  

What if you don’t have an expert to pontificate upon the subtle poetic flavors?  

Do they still exist?  

Does a poem have to be taught to students who scored high on the GREs in order to raise a pulse? Does art have to make sense?  

And what if nothing in your life makes sense, nothing whatsoever?  

Say you’ve spent a little too much time on the rough side of the street and it’s amazing you’re even alive.  

What, then, if you want to write, or your hand itches to draw, and the desire to manifest your artistic vision is so strong in you, so compelling, that, at times, you can hardly breathe. You can hardly think. The obsession fills your horizon and every inside space. 

What, then, do you do about that? 

The New Now Now New Millennium Turn On Anthology (no, that wasn’t a typo) might be your port in the storm. This provocative, edgy, sometimes gentle, sometimes bitter, kooky, luminous, and occasionally lightning-strike brilliant collection of mostly Berkeley artists and writers is one big ‘ol mother lode of non-academic, street and experimental artistic expression. 

Dedicated to the spirits of Gregory Corso, Alan Ginsberg and other local artists who died within the last few years (some of whom did make it well into “the academy”), the anthology’s editor, H. D. Moe, has gathered the work of about 250 contemporary poets, illustrators, reviewers, and short story writers.  

Many extraordinary poets and artists are represented in this anthology. I don’t have the space, in this review, to name all the names, and can’t do justice to many remarkable works….  

Please understand you might want to buy the anthology and see this work for yourself.  

It’s impossible to even find a representative voice or image in this plethora of sensibilities, some searching for esoteric wisdom, others expressing rage, a few just shifting burdens from arm to arm –  

But here are the first few lines from one voice: 

Heavy Drinking 

By Robert Lavett Smith 

In my teens, prevented by cerebral palsy 

From driving—the usual rite of passage— 

And unacquainted still with the mysteries of sex, 

I viewed those first clandestine beers on sticky 

Summer nights as an invitation to adulthood: 

Proof I was part of a world I had barely begun to understand 

And here are the closing few lines from a poem by another voice: 

From Me To She 

By Leonard Irving 

But she lies beneath 

The yum-yum tree 

Of memory 

And there will stay 

As I lie here 

In Peoples Park 

Bereft and sad 

In Berkeley. 

Or you might want to consider these words if you’ve, perhaps, given up on defining what poetry is, and instead want to wonder what it does…. 

From Whole Poetry 

By Kelly Arbor 

Sing, daughter, sing. 

Your wideness is wonder. 

Your whole is not half. 

Find your voice inside 

the hole of poetry. 

924 Gilman St. Oct. 19: W.H.N.?, Jellyroll Rockheads, Ex-Claim, Crucial Attack, Sharp Knife; Oct. 21: 5 p.m. Throwdown, Martyr A.D., Bleeding Through, Everytime I Die, Fate 13; Oct. 26: Influents, Plus Ones, Divit, Summerjack, Robot Adrenaline, Claredon Hills; Oct. 27: (Halloween show, $1 off if you’re in a (non-punk) costume!) Babyland, Tsunami Bomb, Scissor Hands, Dexter Danger; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

Ashkenaz Oct 19: Swing Session 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Oct. 19: King Harvest, Sfunk, $5; Oct. 20: Psychokinetics, $5; Oct. 22: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 23: Felice, $3; Oct. 24: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Oct. 25: Psychotica, $5; Oct. 26: Planting Seeds, $6; Oct. 27: Felonious, $6; Oct. 29: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 31: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Oct. 19: 8 p.m. Karnak, $18 - $30; Nov 8: 8 p.m. Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance, $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph, 642-0212, tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; Oct. 19: Little Jonny and the Giants; Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Shafqat Ali Khan Oct. 20: 8 p.m. Concert of classical Ragaa, Sufi, Urdu, Persian Ghazel, and other popular musical styles from India. $20 general admission, $15 students. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 www.juliamorgan.org 

“Prometeh in Evin” Oct. 28: 8 p.m., A drama about political prisoners in Iran, performed by the brave and innovative Parsian Group. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. $25, Children, $15 2640 College Ave 845.8542 www.juliamorgan.org. 

“Swanwhite” Through Oct. 21: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. A new translation of the Swedish Play that asks the question what good is romantic love, directed by Tom Clyde. $20, Sundays are “Pay What You Can”. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305, www.virtuous.com 

“Orestes” Through Oct. 21: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. An adaptation of the classical play by Euripides that incorporates passages inspired or taken from various 20th century texts. Written by Charles Mee, Directed by Christopher Herold. $6-12. Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus 642-8268 

“Approach” Through Oct. 27: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m. An examination of the search for intimacy as our most precious form of survival. Written by Susan Wiegand, Directed by Katie Bales Frassinelli. $15 general admission, $10 students and seniors. Eighth Street Studio Theatre, 2525 8th St. 655-0813 www.shotgunplayers.org 

“36 Views” Through Oct. 28: Tues. 8 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m., Thu. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Thu., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Sat., Sun. 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Written by Naomi Lizuka, Directed by Mark Wing-Davey. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“me/you...us/them” Nov. 8 though Nov. 10: Thur - Sat 8 p.m., matinee on Sat. 2:30 p.m. Three one-acts that look at interpersonal, as well as societal relationships from the perspective of the disabled. $10 - $25. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 925-798-1300 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m, matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

“Macbeth” Nov. 9 though Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail.com 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

Films 

“Lisa Picard is Famous” Through Oct. 19: Mocumentary chronicles New York actress who hopes to get more than a fleeting taste of fame when a racy cereal commercial brings her unexpected national notoriety. Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 843-3456 

“Loaded Visions” Oct. 17: 8 p.m. Experimental short films by Antero Alli (Eight Videopoems and “Lilly in Limbo,” plus live music from Sylvi Alli). $5 - $10 sliding scale. La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 464-4640 www.verticalpool.com 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Oct. 15: 7 p.m., Genesis; Oct. 16: 7:30 p.m., La Région centrale; Oct. 17: 7:30 p.m., Video in the Villages and Amazonian Trilogy; Oct. 19: 7:30 p.m., Jungle Secrets, Yãkwa; Oct. 20: 3:30 p.m., Berkeley High/Bay Area Film Festival; 7 p.m., The Testament of Dr. Mabuse; 9:20 p.m., The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse; Oct. 21: 3:30 p.m., Kiss and Film, 5:30 p.m., Harakiri; Oct. 22: 7 p.m., The Closed Doors; Oct. 23: 7:30 p.m., Super-8mm Films by Theresa Cha; Oct. 24: 7:30 p.m., The Rainy Season and Wai’a Rini; Oct. 26: 7:30 p.m., The Passion of Joan of Arc, 9:15 p.m., Vivre sa Vie; Oct 27: 7 p.m., New Music for Silent Films by UCB Composers; Oct. 28: 5:30 p.m., Vampyr; Oct. 29: 7 p.m., A Time for Drunken Horses; Oct. 30: 7:30 p.m., An Evening with Leslie Thornton; Oct. 31: 7:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m., Saudade do Futuro. 

2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey” Oct. 20: 1 p.m. The documentary chronicles Bunche, who rose to become Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, where he helped to bring about the Armistice in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War for which he was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. $8. Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak Street Oakland, 652-3192 

Exhibits 

“First Annual Art Show” UC Berkeley Life Drawing Group Reception, Oct. 20: 3 p.m.; Oct. 21- 26: 7 - 10 p.m. Figure studies from the workshops at UC Berkeley. 1014 60th St., Emeryville. 923-0689 

“MWP Perspectives” Jon Orvik: One artist’s journey. Through Oct. 27 Tues. - Fri. 12 - 5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. Solo artist exhibiting his journey through metal, wood and paint. Adapt Gallery and Design, 2834 College Ave. 649-8501 www.adaptgallery.com  

“Cut Plates and Bowls” Annabeth Rosen, “Just Jars” Sandy Simon Through Nov. 3; Saturdays 10 - 5 or by appointment. Trax Ceramic Gallery, 1306 3rd St. 526-0279. cone5@aol.com 

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Oct. 19 - Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Musee des Hommages” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Oct. 18: Patricia Nell Warren reads from her novel “The Wild Man”, Oct. 22: J.M. Redmann reads from “Death By the Riverside”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on 4th Street Oct 18: Tamora Pierce talks about “Protector of the Small”; 1730 Fourth St. 559-9500 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Oct. 10: Timothy Liu & Sam Will read their poetry; Oct. 14: Laurie Duesing & Mary Julia Klimenko read their poetry; Oct. 15: Amir Aczel poses The Riddle of the Compass: The Invention That Changed the World; Oct. 16: Kip Fulbeck talks about “Paper Bullets”; Oct. 17: Valerie Berry, Terry Ehret & Grace Grafton read their poetry; Oct. 18: Suzanne Antoneta & Micah Perks talk about “Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir” and “Pagan Time: An American Childhood; Oct. 26 Sage Cohen & Mari L’esperance read their poetry; All shows at 7:30 p.m.; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Oct. 16: 7 - 9 p.m. Steve Arntsen and Kathleen Dunbar followed by open mike reading. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland 465-3935 ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Oct. 20: Miriam Ching Louie reads from “Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Women Workers Take on the Global Factory”; Nov. 10: 4 p.m. Ruthanne Lum McCunn reads from her novel “Moon Pearl”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Ecology Center Oct. 22: 7 - 9 p.m. Toby Hemenway presents a slideshow and reads from “Gaia’s Garden: A guide to Home Scale Permaculture”; 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-220 x233 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Oct. 21: United Nations Day; Oct. 25: A Storytelling Pajama Party, 6 - 7 p.m.; Oct. 27: 4th Annual Habitot Halloween; Oct. 28: Family Arts Day; Oct. 31: Sugar-Art Halloween Frosting; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Facing an opponent with no real chance to beat his team, Berkeley girls’ volleyball coach Justin Caraway had two goals for Thursday’s match against Richmond: stay focused and try some new lineups. He went one-for-two. 

Caraway got to use just about everyone on his bench in different positions against the overmatched Oilers, but his team clearly didn’t have the fire he wanted to see. Although the ’Jackets (17-4 overall, 8-0 ACCAL) dominated the first and third games, giving up just three points combined, they let down big-time in the second game, allowing the Oilers to hang around and tie the game at 7-7 before pulling away to win 15-7. 

“It’s tough to keep your mental focus when you’re playing a team like (Richmond), especially when our team has bad focus in the first place,” Caraway said after putting his team through some windsprints after the match. “Games like this that provide no real competition actually hurt us more than they help.” 

The ’Jackets simply overpowered the visiting Oilers with their hard-hitting front row. Vanessa Williams, who Caraway recently moved from the middle to the outside, responded with seven kills and four digs, while star middle blocker Desiree Guilliard-Young had four kills and two blocks. Outside hitter Amalia Jarvis dominated the final game of the match, making four kills to lead the ’Jackets to a 15-0 win. Setter Danielle Larue had 21 assists and two aces, and served for the first eight points of the final game. 

Jarvis is one of three candidates for the outside hitter spot in Caraway’s new lineup, with Guilliard-Young and Williams the mainstays up front. By using three players as defensive specialists, Caraway has opened up a spot for Emily Friedman, his backup setter and one of the best passers on the team. 

“Being able to use Emily in that role will be key,” he said. “We can use more ball control with her on the court. We need that for our rematch with Encinal, and it will be very important in the playoffs.”

Outsiders react to council’s anti- war resolution 

Berkeley business owners are condemning a council resolution, which, they say, has caused outside businesses to refuse to purchase goods and services from them. The resolution, passed Tuesday by a divided City Council, calls on elected officials to end the bombing of Afghanistan. 

Mayor Shirley Dean said Thursday that she and other members of the City Council have received a flood of e-mail opposing the resolution and stating that they will refuse to work with companies located within the city. 

Berkeley firms have already reported a loss in business, leaving the members of the council’s progressive faction, who supported the resolution, and the moderates, who opposed it, blaming each other for potentially huge economic losses. 

Many city officials fear a more organized national boycott of city businesses is imminent. 

Tsunami Visual Technologies, a Fremont-based video game component manufacturer, said it had canceled a $12,000 contract with Berkeley’s ID8 Media, a vendor of 3-D computer technology. Tsunami said because of the council’s action, it would award the contract to a San Francisco company. 

In addition, the Tsunami employee who wrote the letter said he would no longer patronize Berkeley restaurants. 

Fireside Thrift Co., a Pleasanton-based savings-and-loan company with over 40 offices, wrote to the mayor’s office asking for a clarification of certain aspects of the resolution. The company had been planning to hold its annual convention in Berkeley, but was reconsidering in light of the resolution. 

Ashby Lumber reported that one of its biggest customers canceled a contract for $60,000-worth of goods, and would not do business with the company again.  

Mike Fuller, Ashby Lumber’s operations manager, said the contractor who canceled the contract asked that his name not be released to the press. Fuller did say, though, that it was one of the larger and better-known Bay Area construction companies, and that it is currently contacting other contractors in order to organize a boycott. 

“When someone who’s been working with us for 10 or 15 years says that he’s not coming in anymore, that hurts,” said Fuller. 

“This guy loves our service. He told us, ‘It’s not a reflection on you, it’s about the city.’” 

Fuller said management at Ashby Lumber asked if the contractor would consider switching to working with their branch in Pleasant Hill. 

“He told us ‘no,’ because the business was still based in Berkeley,” said Fuller. 

According to Dean, these are just a few examples from the hundreds of e-mail messages her office has received. A man left a voice mail on her office telephone saying he canceled escrow on a home he was buying in town. A Midwestern CEO wrote he would be convening a meeting with other business leaders to discuss a city boycott. Individuals from around the Bay Area and the country said they would not buy anything in Berkeley.  

On Thursday, Councilmember Dona Spring, the author of the resolution, came out swinging against Dean and Rachel Rupert, CEO of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, who she said should “bear the responsibility for the negative spin on this story.” 

Spring said in a television interview, Rupert said she was certain a boycott would follow passage of the resolution, and listed the forms such a boycott might take. 

“The president of the Chamber is the one publicizing the idea of boycotting Berkeley,” she said. “Rachel Rupert is trying to use the resolution to help Mayor Dean politically and hurt her rivals on the council.” 

“The important question businesses in the Chamber need to ask themselves is whether their president, Rachel Rupert, is working for them, or for the mayor.” 

A person answering the phones at the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce said Rupert was in meetings all day and could not be reached for comment. 

Spring accused Dean of repeating in a press release, a statement Spring gave to a reporter that Spring said was a misquotation. Spring also stated that the mayor had characterized the resolution as a “condemnation” of the bombing, which Spring said was a mischaracterization. 

“The mayor knows better than that,” said Spring. “In her using this issue, and publicizing it, she hurt Berkeley in order to advance her own political career.”  

“This is an organized campaign to help the mayor’s re-election campaign, and unfortunately it’s coming at the expense of Berkeley businesses.” 

Mayor Dean said the charges were “absolutely the silliest statements I have ever heard.” 

“(Spring) should quit blaming people for her own blunders,” she said. “She needs to go into her office and read her e-mails. She needs to recognize the seriousness of her actions.” 

“I’m getting death threats for what (the progressives) do. She has put me, my family, my office staff and their families at risk, and she has the effrontery to say that it’s my fault. I reject that.” 

“I have never described this resolution as a condemnation,” Dean added. “I have never used those words. Ms. Spring knows that, and I don’t know what she’s talking about.”  

Dean bristled at charges that she maliciously repeated the quotation from the “Daily Californian,” which Spring said was incorrect. 

“My press release, in which I did repeat her statement in the Daily Cal, was days ago,” she said. “The Daily Cal stood by their story, but I took that press release off my web site, and it hasn’t been on there for days.” 

Dean also strongly denied that she was using the fallout from the resolution for political gain. 

“I went on the national news and tried to smooth this thing over,” she said. “I went onto the Fox News Channel and called the people behind this (resolution) ‘patriots.’ I tried to defend them.” 

Councilmember Spring said she had not yet heard from any local companies that report business losses because of the resolution, but regretted any that did occur. 

“It was never our intent to harm Berkeley businesses,” she said. “We are sorry about the inflammatory way that this was spun by the media, but the mayor and Rachel Rupert should bear the responsibility for that.” 

Spring said she also received many e-mails from people thanking her and promising to shop in Berkeley. 

Editor: 

Shock vibrated through my heart while reading the Berkeley Planet article: “Council Condemns terrorists, mourns loss in resolution.” Added to this shock wave was the news report on the same issue. 

How dangerous six government representatives can be. The Berkeley City Council members are elected government officials. I see it as their duty to support the decision of President Bush.  

If you cannot support your president while serving as a government official, no matter what level you serve, whether in a local, state or federal capacity it is your duty to relinquish your position. Have the professionalism to step down. 

I request that councilmembers Linda Maio, Maudelle Shirek, Dona Spring, and Kriss Worthington give up their seats on the Berkeley City Council.  

Have the courage of your convictions and step down as government representatives of the people and speak your peace as a citizen. 

What you have done is self-serving. I cannot believe the majority of Berkeley’s citizens would vote in favor of such a resolution.  

I will encourage a boycott of Berkeley until this resolution is overturned. May the Berkeley City Council become a true governing body for the people.  

Please support our President and those who serve ready to die for your safety. 

God Bless America. 

Your decision has brought me great sorrow. I will never look upon local government again as truly for the people. It is time to reconsider the amount power we allow our city councilmembers to wield. 

Joyce Marlene Carroll 

Rio Vista

For the past four months the Pacific Film Archive has been showcasing the work of film director Fritz Lang, a giant of cinema whose career spans from silent films in 1920s Germany to Hollywood studio product of the ‘40s, and even an homage in Jean-Luc Godard’s Nouvelle Vague classic, “Contempt.” 

This massive retrospective of Lang’s oeuvre is soon coming to a close – just two more weekends remaining – and the enthusiastic filmgoers who have been flocking to the PFA will be given a chance to reflect on the man and his work.  

On Saturday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. in the PFA theater, there will be a free open discussion about Lang with guest speaker, UC Berkeley professor Anton Kaes, fielding audience questions about the man. 

Following the discussion will be a screening of “Die Nibelungen,” Lang’s 1924 film based on the medieval legend of Seigfried – a hero who learns to make himself invulnerable to harm by bathing in the blood of a dragon. The Teutonic myth is a mainstay of German culture (Richard Wagner wrote an opera about it) and appealed to the Vienna-born Lang as a means to assimilate himself in his adopted country. 

“Die Nibelungen” can be seen as part of a triad of film projects, which became the cornerstones of German film culture. Completing the package are “Metropolis” – a science fiction spectacle of a technological future society tainted with black magic – and his “Dr. Mabuse” – a genius super-criminal masterminding a complex contemporary underworld. 

Fritz Lang is among the rare luminaries whose name has become a description. His name can easily be transformed into an adjective. (You’ll never hear anyone speak the word “Murnau-ian,” as in the director of “Nosferatu” and one of Lang’s professional rivals in Germany, F.W. Murnau.)  

“Langian,” a slippery term, can refer to the enormous scale of his modernist productions – both epic and architectural – or the maniacal tyranny he exercised while making his films. His behavior and his signature eyepiece earned him the tagline: “The monster with a monocle.” 

In Saturday’s discussion with Kaes, filmgoers who have been watching Lang’s wide spectrum of work will have a chance to clarify his contribution to world cinema and coax out the man behind the films. But professor Tom Gunning, who gave a lecture on Lang at the PFA on Sept. 21, said looking for an artist in the art is a tricky business, particularly with Lang. 

“Although there are many reasons to question the link between a person and a work, I think pure self-expression is an impoverished idea,” said Gunning the day after his lecture.  

He added that the tendency to search the films for the psychological underpinnings of the artist is perhaps not the most rewarding mode of analysis. 

Lang made films under a variety of conditions. In the early German film industry he enjoyed nearly unbounded creative freedom until Nazism drove him to Hollywood. There, the powerful studio system forced him to button-up his omnipotent tendencies. (Much of his professional maneuverings were means to exploit the industry.) 

“One thing about Lang is that he’s not just some Romantic artist who has this terrible time adjusting to this industrial, commercial process,” said Gunning, “rather his artistry consists of the way he interacts with it. He usually interacts with it as conflict.” 

Because cinema is such a collaborative art form, searching for the delicate signal of an artist’s own personality might be futile. 

“I think that’s a prejudice we have toward the novel and psychology and interiority,” said Gunning. “I think there’s a good argument that cinema is better dealing with things like exteriority, action, space. And in all those areas Lang is a master.… I think this exteriority is a profound modern vision.” 

Lang often lied about his own life. His carefully-wrought biography neatly wrapped up such shady periods as the death of his first wife and his “escape” from Nazi Germany. Some truths we may never know for certain, but his claim of being trained as an architect is at least partially true. Much of the energy in his films comes from characters’ reactions to their environments. This weekend’s screening of “Die Nibelungen,” the glaring artificiality in its fantasy sets, will showcase Lang’s artistry of space and design. 

“In Lang’s forest for “Die Nibelungen” there are these concrete trees, they are monumental and you never get a sense there is a leaf stirring,” said Gunning. “Lang is diagrammatic, an architectural quality. The environment is something he controls, and that’s what you see on the screen.”

Jennifer Medina starts her day with a cup of coffee. Sitting in a local Starbuck’s, the diminutive 23-year-old appears to be just another Cal student trying to stay awake as another semester rolls by.  

Medina, “Pooh” to her friends, is much more than that. Every day around 6 a.m., she wakes up, walks to the nearby coffeehouse and plans her hectic schedule. As a member of the Golden Bears women’s soccer team, Medina is part of a nationally-ranked squad that’s aiming for postseason success. When the American studies major is not going to class, doing homework or playing, she coaches. Medina assists the Cal coaching staff, runs her own soccer camps and coaches the under-13 Berkeley Mavericks girls team.  

“I love coaching,” she said. “It’s fun to hear when the kids are having fun playing. It means more to me than anything, than any A on a paper or anything to me.”  

Medina, who had been coaching the U-12 Mavericks, began coaching the U-13 team last August. The club’s preseason was held during Cal’s preseason, but Cal coach Kevin Boyd was OK with her job, as long as there were no conflicts. 

Boyd has seen her coaching first-hand. Medina, an intelligent player who is now in her fifth year at Cal, works with Golden Bear teammates as a player-coach.  

“We’ve used her in ways such as working technically with players on an individual basis or working tactically with a player on a part of their game, whether in 1-v-1 defending or playing cover defense,” Boyd said. “She does a great job of that. She’s worked with Cami [Boswell] with her defense and Kassie [Doubrava] with her defense. Other than that, we’ve just used her as a sounding board, heard her thoughts and ideas. She has a great understanding of the game.”  

Medina had a promising playing career as a youth, but injuries and illness has limited her playing time in college. In 1994, her Sunnyvale Roadrunners team won the under-17 national club championship. Her club featured some future stars – U.S. World Cup and Olympic veteran Lorrie Fair, WUSA defender Ronnie Fair and former Cal teammate Regina Holan. All went on to greater playing fame than Medina, but it was Medina who earned MVP honors at the national championship.  

Two years later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Doctors don’t know why she developed MS. It could have been due to a spinal cord injury she suffered while playing in high school, the stress surrounding her mother’s death in 1995, the stress of her senior year of high school or other reasons.  

Medina takes a weekly intramuscular injection of Avonex to help control the symptoms, which include muscular weakness, visual difficulties and numbness in various parts of her body, but she says that injuries are harder to deal with than MS. During her freshman season, she suffered two concussions, one during a game and one when she was hit by a car. At the end of her freshman season, the Cal senior suffered a hip flexor/quad muscle injury that caused her to redshirt her sophomore season. During spring training of her junior year, Medina tore the MCL of one knee and played sparingly – just three games – in the fall of 2000. She has played just once in 13 games this season.  

“The thing with all these injuries, the MS makes it harder to heal,” she said. “It’s more about the injuries and waiting for them to heal. Random things would happen to me in my four years. It’s just ridiculous.”  

Medina created First Touch Soccer Camps and Clinics when she was 17 in 1996. She comes from coaching stock – her father, Frank, coached her Roadrunners to their national title.  

In 1997, she asked Holan and the Fairs to join her venture.  

“I told them, ‘I’ll run it and you guys will just act like you’re coaching,’” said Medina, who splits her proceeds evenly with her fellow coaches.  

What started out as a one-week training camp for one club team has grown to a camp for several teams ranging in ages from 9-18. It’s big enough that First Touch sessions are held in three places in the Bay Area: San Carlos, the Mountain View/Sunnyvale area, and Berkeley. First Touch even has a Web site – www.firsttouchsoccer.com. 

Medina has a more difficult time planning her First Touch schedule with her friends and colleagues living outside the Bay Area. Both Fairs play in the WUSA, with Lorrie in Philadelphia and Ronnie in New York. Holan lives in Prague in the Czech Republic.  

Coaching could take a back seat after Medina graduates in May; she wants to play professional soccer in England. The United States is the only country with a true professional women’s soccer league, but the English soccer federation says it will start its own women’s pro league by 2003, and Medina has already played in the semi-pro league there.  

Ultimately, both Medina and Boyd see her joining the coaching profession full time.  

“Coaching is going to be her career, and should be,” Boyd said. “She’s patient and explains things very well. She has an ability to explain things in multiple ways. She can demonstrate things, too. She will be an outstanding coach, and is already an outstanding coach.”

The Board of Education heard a glowing third-anniversary report on the district’s home-grown Early Literacy Plan at its regular meeting Wednesday. 

“We have made significant progress,” said Donna Van Noord, who coordinates the program district-wide. 

Chris Lim, the associate superintendent for instruction, created the elementary school reading remediation program three years ago partly to tackle the “achievement gap” before it happens.  

Regular diagnostic testing, intensive tutoring, and innovative teaching by literacy specialists have been put in place to help shrink the number of students who normally underperform in later years – 20 to 30 percent, mostly from economically disadvantaged or minority backgrounds. 

With teachers and administrators from four elementary schools at her side, Van Noord reported that 11 of 12 eligible schools had implemented the core kindergarten-to-third grade reading remediation curriculum last year. The lowest-scoring 20 percent of students, as identified by diagnostic testing, are given intensive tutoring from Reading Recovery teachers. 

All the schools, she added, were now tracking students’ progress up to fifth grade through diagnostic testing and record-keeping. 

Van Noord said 69 percent of the students helped by ELP were reading by grade level at the end of last year – compared to 71 percent of the students districtwide, in all grade levels. Overall, 377 students had been served, she said. 

School board director Joaquin Rivera made one of the few criticisms of the evening when he pointed out that the percentage of third graders reading below grade level on the diagnostic tests, and thus eligible for ELP, had remained consistent in the last three years at about 26 percent. 

Van Noord said those numbers were partly the result of the greatly expanded number of schools and students participating since the first year. “We in no way think we’ve arrived,” she said. “We look at this as a great start.” 

School Board Director Ted Schulz said after seven years on the school board: “Of all the things I’ve seen, this plan or program is one of the best, if not the best, I’ve seen put into place.” 

The other educators took turns explaining the reasons for the program’s effectiveness. Lorna Skantzen-Niel, principal of Berkeley Arts Magnet School, said the individual student binders given to all K-5 teachers last year were helping them keep track of students’ progress in writing accuracy, reading fluency, text comprehension, and other literacy skills. 

“Every teacher has a complete binder of assessments with timeline and benchmarks,” she said. “Where do my students need to be at the end of fourth, fifth grade? All can see.” 

Amy Norris, a second-grade teacher at Malcolm X Elementary, said the diagnostic testing had enabled her to give individualized instruction to all 27 of her students and “start teaching on day one.” 

“What this has done for me as a classroom teacher is almost indescribable,” she said. 

Tom Prince, coordinator of the ELP and Reading Recovery at Emerson Elementary, said the “safety net” for under-achieving kids was being widened with a “booster group” for brief immersion of second- and third- graders and special attention to the bottom five performers at the end of each kindergarten class. 

Because of the program, Prince said, the Emerson students in the lowest-achieving 20 percent at the beginning of the year are now attaining grade-level literacy by the end of the year at the same rate as the rest of the students. 

One big change in the program last year was moving from fictional narratives to nonfiction material, which Skantzen-Niel said represented an early start on SAT-9 preparedness and gave teachers a “better idea” of student skills. 

“This is not easy stuff, but it’s now the expectation in the BUSD,” she said.  

Even kindergartners are now learning to read a simple text of a few lines before moving up, Prince said. 

In addition to helping students, the presenters said, ELP is helping teachers develop their skills in dealing with literacy by having them meet regularly to compare notes and critique one another. 

Board Vice President Shirley Issel praised the “atmosphere of professionalism at each school” and suggested the assessment binders follow students all the way through high school. But she expressed concern of the estimated cost of $4,000 per student to pay for the literacy tutors’ services.  

“That’s a lot of money,” she said. 

However, one of the presenters also pointed out that the program could spare remedial costs in the long run. Superintendent Michele Lawrence added that the benefits of staff and teacher development will be felt for years to come. 

“It’s really quite an effective model,” she said. 

Lawrence said she welcomed the group’s report after a long week of budget and personnel drama.  

“It made my day because I really wanted to look at something that was working,” she said to appreciative laughter from the board. 

Van Noord thanked the board for its support, and Chris Lim for her guidance. She also took care to single out an audience member for thanks. Susan Lewis, who compiles most of the program’s data as a volunteer, also works full-time for PG&E. 

“I could not do my job without her,” Van Noord said.

Editor:  

Spiritual consciousness looks inward to the “self” for the causes of problems. It offers no solutions to social problems, but the radical root of a sound foundation for good religious and political action. 

Religious consciousness works with inter-personal relationships as the causes and resolutions of problems. Religious consciousness without a strong link to the spirit easily takes over behaviors of groups – so that we have the “letter but not the spirit of the law.” 

Political consciousness is “world” centered. Politics is just a step beyond religious consciousness. The same feelings that are religious interchange with religious patterns of behavior and thinking. Religious groups often try to take control of politics; or, politics tries to control religion. The founders of the American Constitution insisted on the separation of church and state for these reasons. 

Some years ago, a friend of mine took me to task on my political activism, pointing out that “first we must change ourselves, before we can change the world.” Eventually, I understood his wisdom. 

I admit it – I want a peaceful world, where people live in harmony. Not a very exciting vision. Peace is a precondition for happiness. To get there, I need to stay with the first step – which is to learn to be peaceful myself. Than learn to share that state with others around me.  

In other words: be the peace that I want to see in the world. 

Americ Azevedo 

Berkeley

California All-American Laura Schott was added to the Hermann Trophy ballot for the 2001 season. The Hermann Trophy is one of two national player of the year awards in college soccer.  

“I didn’t expect to be nominated, but I thought it would be cool if I did,” said Schott. “It’s unbelievable. It’s one of the best if not the best honor I’ve received.” 

“The addition of Laura to the Hermann Trophy candidates is well deserved,” said Cal coach Kevin Boyd. “Laura has 12 goals in 13 games, and she draws the attention of every team we play. She has made great contributions to our program and has helped elevate Cal to national prominence.”  

A panel of Division I college coaches added two men and two women to the lists of 13 men’s and women’s candidates that were announced prior to the 2001 season. Virginia’s Lori Lindsey was the other female athlete added. At the beginning of the season, two places were left open for players who might otherwise have been left off the original ballot. This was done to ensure that any deserving player was eligible to win the award.  

Schott, a junior forward from Wilsonville, Ore., leads the Pac-10 Conference with 27 points and 12 goals. She ranks 10th nationally with 0.92 goals/game.  

The winners of the 2001 Hermann Trophy will be announced at the College Cups, the women on Dec. 8 in Dallas, Texas, and the men on Dec. 15 in Columbus, Ohio.

If the debut of the 21st century doesn’t become known as WWIII – and I pray that it doesn’t – I fear pundits will call it the age of “sit down and shut up.”  

Here at the Planet we’ve been hearing an awful lot of that lately. 

Take the case of the ill-fated Common Ground field trip. In case you missed it, Common Ground’s a small school inside Berkeley High that teaches about the environment. 

In its wisdom, the mini-school took some 330 kids to Yosemite with about 25 chaperones. According to the folks in charge of the concession at Yosemite and teachers and parents, the teens disrupted the campground, smoked marijuana, threw rocks and, the concession folk say, got kicked out. (Others contend they left early voluntarily.) 

Worse yet, according to a number of angry letters we got here at the Planet, was that we reported it. We were ruining Common Ground’s reputation and the future of small schools at BHS, we were told. 

Don’t write, don’t tell.  

Sit down. Shut up.  

Write about the flowers that push up through the cracks in the sidewalk and forget about the cracks that trip people up. 

But, I’ll credit the Daily Planet and reporter Jeffrey Obser with a role in spurring the adults to hold a meeting to discuss what happened on the Yosemite trip and how to avoid the pitfalls the future. Kudos to us all. And the First Amendment. 

*** 

Another thing about school’s is scaring me – that the art of critical thinking’s getting lost in a nationwide stress on testing. Shouldn’t our kids think? Shouldn’t they question? 

Even the school board seems to think asking hard question’s not a very good thing to do. 

Board members and a few of their apologists were very unhappy when we wrote about the board’s executive session meeting at the new superintendent’s house, where the public could not comment and which was inaccessible to those who use wheelchairs. 

No one said our accusation of violation of open meeting laws was inaccurate. No one asked for a correction. They just say we shouldn’t have talked about it; we need to support the new superintendent, they said. 

SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP. Fill in circles. Mark the Xs. And don’t think. And don’t question. 

*** 

Talk about secrets. It seems the school board’s known since August that ex-Principal Frank Lynch was job hunting. Well they all knew it, so you’d imagine they talked about it among themselves. If they did, they violated open meeting laws. It was never on any agenda I’ve seen. 

Because it was never discussed in public, the high school community is in shock at Lynch’s abrupt departure.  

Kids are already reeling from the instability that’s entered all our lives in the era of post Sept. 11. They’re in a high school with accreditation problems, a high school that has never been able to figure out how to meet the needs of its most needy students – and now they’ve got no one at the helm. 

You’d think that when the newspaper – not the Planet, by the way, but the award-winning student newspaper the Jacket - broke the story of Lynch’s plans to get out, the school board would have met in emergency session and quickly reassured parents and kids that the post would be filled. 

If the gang of five are talking about how to replace Lynch, none of us know. And we’re going to keep asking the question until we get some answers. 

*** 

Then there’s the progressive majority City Council that got a really bad case of “sit down and shut up” when it passed a redistricting plan without a document explaining exactly what the new boundaries would be. 

I don’t know if there was a formal Brown Act violation – some say three “progressive” councilmembers had discussed the plan; some believe the plan was also communicated to a fourth (four councilmembers knowing the plan would not constitute a formal Brown Act violation) and some say a fifth councilmember knew the specifics of it as well, which would constitute a violation. 

But the biggest violation is the spirit of a truly open meeting, where the council votes only on things it thoroughly understands and where the public has a chance to look at what the council is considering. 

Should we all just sit down and shut up? 

*** 

And what about these difficult times of war? 

Much of the mail I’ve got (most from out-of-towers with no phone number for verification), say that the councilmembers who call for a stop to the bombing are traitors. Some of the mail councilmembers have got is very hostile, even threatening.  

(I should underscore that at the Planet we have also received thoughtful letters on both sides of the war debate as well.) 

Sit down and shut up, the e-mails say – less politely. Love it or leave it. The war is not debatable.  

But they’re wrong.  

The rule must be: speak out, even if you are as alone as Barbara Lee was when she voted against giving the president the power of war. Speak out, even if you are a Republican in Democratic Berkeley. Councilmembers must continue to speak their minds – on all sides – even in the face of angry e-mail campaigns. 

Stand your ground. The right to dissent is among the most prized rights we have in our country.  

We at the Planet will continue to report the facts as we see them. We won’t sit down. 

Or shut up. 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein 

Thank you for your letter responding to my concerns. I agree the United States should “respond appropriately”. However, as a nation of laws, seeking to represent freedom and justice in the world, we must approach this problem in a way that upholds those values not only to the world, but also for our own citizens and residents within the U.S. borders. 

We must stop the bombing and killing of innocents RIGHT NOW. We have yet to hear any credible evidence that Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, or the Afghani people had anything to do with the tragedies of September 11. 

Indeed, it is reported in Time magazine that on Sept. 11 before any information was known or evidence had been gathered, President Bush had already telephoned Pakistan’s presiding general to demand assistance in capturing or killing bin Laden. The administration shows no signs of interest in truth or justice, and has shown an incredible refusal to consider any course other than war. “Wanted: dead or alive” is vigilantism; it is not lawful justice. 

You express outrage over loss of innocent American lives; nevertheless, we are taking actions certain to (and which already have) resulted in loss of innocent lives of those in Afghanistan, and which have caused riots around the world which are resulting in more innocent lives being lost. How can these deaths be excused? If the loss of innocent American lives (5,000 claimed; so far only about 500 deaths have been verified) is so great a crime as to demand a response in kind, then certainly the deaths of innocent civilians outside our borders is also not to be tolerated, by Afghans or by Americans. The people of Afghanistan have not declared war on the United States, nor has any government that we deem to be the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Under all rules of our own nation, as well as international law, our war actions in Asia are reprehensible, illegal, and can be seen by ordinary muslims and others around the world only as terrorist actions. You say you are acting to ensure that “the response is deliberate, and carefully targeted so that innocent civilians are protected to the greatest extent possible.” Is it more responsible or compassionate to deliberately push millions to die of starvation, cold, and disease than it is to bomb their homes directly?  

To consider the acts in New York and Washington to be “an act of war against the United States,” you seem to disregard that the United States has been at war with Muslims for decades, particularly in Palestine, but also in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, etc. The U.S. outrage that the war we have been waging for decades has finally come home is misplaced, ignorant, and arrogant. Yes, the United States and its government and people should be outraged; but our outrage must be humane enough to extend to the outrages against innocent people all over the world, whom our directly and indirectly funded terrorism has been killing. While ordinary citizens may be expected to cry out for blood to avenge American deaths wiser heads must call for peaceful means, for upholding laws. This is your duty. 

John M. Hartenstein 

San Francisco

California junior midfielder Brittany Kirk was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week for her play during the week of Oct. 8-14.  

Kirk helped lead No. 15 Cal (10-2-1, 2-0 Pac-10) to two road shutouts over Oregon and Oregon State to kick off Pac-10 play. The Claremont native tallied her first two goals of the season, both game-winners.  

Kirk also added an assist on Cal’s final goal against Oregon. She has 10 points on the year and is tied for the team lead with six assists.  

The Golden Bears host No. 18 Washington Friday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m., in their Pac-10 home opener.

FBI agents beware. Leeza Vinogradov knows she doesn’t have to talk to you, and she plans to inform others. Mum is the word.  

Vinogradov, a self-described peace activist, was one of nearly 200 people who gathered at St. Joseph the Worker Church on Wednesday night to learn about what to do if the FBI or Immigration and Naturalization Service comes knocking at the door.  

Vinogradov said her ex-husband, who is Muslim and originally from India, feels vulnerable.  

“He keeps saying to me: ‘My name is Ali. My name is Ali. It’s a common Islamic name,’” Vinogradov said. “Actually, it’s ironic. When he first came to the U.S., it was during the Iran hostage crisis, and he wasn’t frightened at all. Back then, he was young and looked a lot like the people on the front pages of the newspapers. But nowadays, he’s beside himself with worry and concern.”  

He has good reason.  

Nancy Hormachea, one of the speakers at the event and an immigration attorney who represents Iranian, Afghan and South Asian clients, said since Sept. 11, many of her clients have been accosted by government agencies.  

“The FBI is calling people at home or just showing up at their doors,” Hormachea said. “They say: ‘I just have a few questions to ask you.’ And people are really intimidated by them and let them in.”  

But Hormachea said people can and should refuse to let them into their homes.  

“They need an arrest warrant to detain you,” she said. “And they need a search warrant to enter your home or office. If they have the warrant, ask for it, read it, then follow them and monitor the search. The search must be specific and limited only to the items listed in the warrant.”  

Hormachea also urged citizens and non-citizens to stay quiet until lawyers arrive.  

“Start exercising the right to remain silent,” she said. “Any information you give them can be used against you. And if you lie to an agent, the penalties are severe. So don’t talk. Just say: ‘I don’t have anything to say. What is your name? I’ll have my attorney call you.’”  

Elizabeth Fink, a New York criminal lawyer, agreed.  

“Never talk to government without a lawyer,” said Fink. “It is always a mistake. It’s more dangerous to talk to the FBI than it is to give testimony in a courtroom. In a courtroom, a court reporter takes down what is said. But with the FBI, it’s your word against his. You don’t want to be in the steelyard with this enormous bully.”  

While most in the diverse audience could only picture such confrontations with law enforcement, many speakers had wells of personal experience to draw from. Sponsors of the event included the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, Middle East Children's Alliance, National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco Women in Black and the School of Unity and Liberation. 

Yuri Kochiyama, a spirited octogenarian, was 20 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and she was one of 120,000 Japanese Americans taken from their homes and interned during World War II. 

“Within three months of the bombing, the headlines of the papers were ‘Japs get out,’” she said. “Even Chinese and Koreans, because they couldn’t tell us Asians apart, were being attacked. They started wearing buttons that read: ‘We’re not Japs.’”  

“The wartime years were rough because racism, hysteria and mistrust,” said Kochiyama. “These same things are happening today when we look at Muslim and Arab-Americans. I hope social awareness today is higher than in yesteryears. The world cannot be controlled by one country. It belongs to the people.”  

Nancy Delaney, who was introduced to Arab culture about 20 years through a UC Berkeley class on Palestine, said she is also worried about the possible backlash on Arab-Americans.  

“The American public, like me 20 years ago, have no idea or understanding of Arab people,” she said. “They have targeted a whole race of people and demonized them. We need to learn how to treat each other as equals. If you don’t know how to relate to others as individuals, peace isn’t going to happen.”  

But for Michel Shehadeh and other Arab-American activists, the level of social awareness and understanding of Arab culture is not high enough.  

Shehadeh, the western regional director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and a member of the LA8 – a group of seven Palestinian-Americans and one Kenyan American who were detained in 1987 and threatened with deportation by the Immigration and Naturalization Services for their political activism – said he struggles to get his message heard.  

“After Sept. 11, people were searching for reasons why they hate us,” Shehadeh said. “But they don’t hate us. They hate our foreign policy. We need to start to discuss deeply the reasons why our foreign policy perpetuates pain in the Middle East. But every time Arab-Americans try to advocate a debate about foreign policy, we are either ignored, accused of justifying or condoning terrorism or silenced. The U.S. does not exist in a vacuum. We live in an environment, and if that environment is diseased or sick we have to deal with it.”  

Shehadeh and others believe part of the problem lies in the absolutism of the Bush administration.  

“Nothing justifies polarizing the world into two camps: One that is absolute good and one that is absolute evil,” he said. “There’s no difference between Bush saying: ‘You’re either with us or you’re against us,’ and Bin Laden saying: ‘You’re either a believer or an infidel.’” 

Osama Qasem, president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, said the only way to uproot terrorism is to have a fair and equitable foreign policy.  

“The Bush administration has been claiming that this is not a war against Islam, but at the same time it is creating a dichotomy and making Muslims and Arab feel like the ‘others,’” he said. “The government is exploiting fear and uncertainty to infringe on civil liberties and to embroil us in a military action campaign that does not have defined goals and will inevitably cause civilians casualties in Afghanistan and elsewhere.”  

During the two-and-a-half-hour event, anti-war sentiment ran high. Many speakers expressed, criticism and frustration with the government. All warned audience members to be outright mistrustful.  

Kate Raphael of the San Francisco Women of Black, a co-sponsor of the event, said she was called by the FBI last month and asked who she might know in the Middle East.  

“Since I know no one who would fly planes into buildings, I know no one whose name I’ll turn over,” she said, explaining her decision to keep quiet. “Now is the time to guard freedom and democracy. We cannot be silent, except to the FBI”.  

Donations collected at the event will go to the National Lawyers Guild, a conglomeration of law students, lawyers and legal workers committed to promoting civil rights.  

For more information or to report government harassment or seek legal advice, call the guild’s 24-hour legal hotline at 415-285-1055.

SACRAMENTO — California’s disturbed youth are not receiving necessary and available psychiatric services, causing overcrowding in juvenile jails and mental hospitals, a state watchdog reported. 

More than one million children statewide will experience an emotional or behavioral disorder this year, but more than 600,000 will not receive adequate treatment, concluded the Little Hoover Commission, a bipartisan agency that issues studies to the governor and Legislature. 

Children “endure a system that turns them away until their needs are severe,” Little Hoover Chairman Michael E. Alpert said Wednesday. 

“Because there are no standards, children often do not receive the right care at the right time in the right way. Because we do not measure outcomes, there is no pressure on the system to improve,” he said. 

A California Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman declined to discuss the report specifically, saying officials were still reviewing it. But she defended the department’s efforts to treat all of the state’s mentally ill. 

“There is a commitment to provide the best care possible to mentally ill children and adults,” said Bertha Gorman. 

According to the commission, more than 50,000 children in foster care who may need mental health services do not get them, and many children in the juvenile justice system statewide, including victims of abuse and neglect, do not receive treatment. 

The report suggested that lack of funding is not the problem, noting that more than $56 billion will be spent next year for child and family services. The problem, the report indicated, is that no coherent, coordinated approach is taken in addressing mental health needs. 

No single state agency is accountable for coordinating care, the panel said. Various eligibility requirements often mean parents, children and even siblings receive different services from different providers. 

“For some of these children their symptoms will go unnoticed; their needs will not be understood,” the Little Hoover report said. “For others, the symptoms will be obvious to parents, teachers and doctors, but they will not receive attention because of how California organizes, funds and delivers mental health and other services.” 

Among other things, the panel recommends ensuring that all families are covered by public or private mental health insurance, addressing the problems of duplications and gaps in services, creating a cabinet-level secretary for children services, and addressing the shortage of qualified mental health specialists. 

According to the report, nearly a third of Los Angeles County’s public psychiatrist jobs are unfilled. Nearly a quarter of the county’s mental health directors have retired in the last five years and another quarter are expected to retire in the next five years. 

More than 250 students, Jews and non-Jews, gathered Thursday at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus for a sit-in to stand up against hate and anti-Semitism.  

Wearing blue shirts, yarmulkes and prayer shawls, the students sat down, holding signs, saying: “Sit down to stand up for tolerance,” and “Stop the hate.” 

The rally was called in response to last week’s physical assault against Aaron J. Schwartz, a 23-year-old Jewish student from San Francisco. The incident occurred after a religious celebration at the Hillel Student Jewish Center on Bancroft Way. 

As they do every year, Jewish students finished their service celebrating the day that the Torah was said to be given to the Jewish people, by marching out of the center dancing and singing in the streets. 

On the corner of Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue, Schwartz said he saw a man giving a Nazi “Sieg Heil” salute as he goose-stepped in place.  

“I left the group to speak with him,” Schwartz said at Tuesday’s sit-in. “He immediately (narrowed) the distance between us. I didn’t move. I was then grabbed from behind by one of his friends. They punched me in my face, I fell down and they left.” 

At the sit-in, students took turns repeating Schwartz’s story and encouraged the audience to join the demonstrators.  

“An attack on anyone is an attack on all of us,” they chanted in unison. “Please join us in saying ‘no’ to hatred against all persons based on religion, nationality, or ethnic origin,” they said. 

“This isn’t the first time it happened,” said Adam Weisberg, executive director of Berkeley Hillel, who called for the sit-in. “It is the first time that there was a physical attack but there were multiple incidents over the last three months in which students have been verbally attacked and intimidated by anti-Semitic statements.” 

“Over the past year we had a few complaints of harassment or heckling of Jewish students,” said Capt. Bill Cooper from the UC Berkeley police department. “In terms of frequency, it seems rare but they don’t always report to us on those incidents. (The) Berkeley campus and, specifically, the police department are concerned about those kinds of incidents.” 

On Saturday night, more than 30 students met at Hillel and discussed how to respond to the assault. Some wanted to have a large rally with speakers. Others thought it was not the right time and preferred to write letters to the campus newspaper.  

In the end, they came up with the quiet sit-in idea “to educate people about the specific incident and make them aware of the racial crimes against racial minorities, religious minorities and ethnic minorities,” said Jackie Bliss, a second-year student who participated in the meeting.  

Bliss, a pro-Israeli activist, said several times in the last year, callers have left threatening messages on her answering machine. 

Weinberger said that he feels strongly that the hate messages come from the association with Israel.  

“People on this campus who are identified as Jews are hated because people associate them with Israel,” he said. “Jewish students on the campus hesitate to exhibit their Judaism because of that.” 

Other students from different organizations on campus, such as Stop the war coalition, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight For Equality By Any Means Necessary joined the Jewish students. 

“We are here in solidarity speaking out against all form of racism,” said Mary Boktor, a member of SJP who is originally from Egypt. “I think what happened (last week) is horrible.” 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington joined the crowd wearing a star of David pin, which read: “Stand against hate” pin.  

“When we say we want Berkeley to be hate free zone, we means stopping all hate, against all groups,” he said.

Audie Bock is running again. Her target this time is Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee. 

Bock, a political chameleon who upset former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris in a state Assembly race (only to lose the seat in a landslide less than two years later), announced Thursday her bid for Lee’s Democratic seat.  

She said her sole reason for candidacy was Lee’s vote against a bill granting President Bush war powers.  

“There’s an oath of office that a congressperson takes to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. She did not do this,” Bock told reporters as she filed preliminary papers to be placed on the ballot for the March 5 Democratic primary election. 

Bock said Lee’s vote represented a personal agenda, which does not serve the interest of the district adequately. She characterized the vote as a personal statement about Bush.  

“That is inappropriate at this time,” Bock said. 

She told reporters she initially supported Lee’s vote because the congresswoman had described it as opposing Bush’s grant of a blank check for military action. Bock said she changed her mind after reading the resolution. 

“This was totally different because it was an attack on U.S. soil,” the Piedmont resident said. “There is a pattern of ignoring feelings of the people of this country.” 

Lee was not available for comment. 

Bock originally ran as a Green Party candidate for state assembly in 1999 and defeated Harris. Ten weeks later, she switched her affiliation to independent. After running for re-election as an independent in 2000, Bock received only 22 percent of the vote against Wilma Chan.  

Bock said her current campaign is being run by a Republican political consultant, Sal Russo, who also handled her unsuccessful re-election campaign last year. 

“The problem that Audie Bock has is that she got herself elected as a candidate with a great deal of courage and conviction and then proceeded to jettison that strength by switching political parties to save her own skin. Now she’s just a typical politician,” said Darry Sragow, chief campaign strategist for the assembly Democratic Caucus. “In this race, Barbara Lee is the person of conviction.”  

Gale Kaufman, Lee’s re-election campaign manager said: “The Sept. 11 tragedy is really not an issue that should be politicized in this fashion.” 

Kaufman added she was confused about Bock’s campaign because Bock was one of the first people to congratulate the congresswoman on her strength of character. 

“She has changed her political party several times,” Kaufman said. “For all I know she might be a Republican.” 

Although the state Democratic Party traditionally does not get involved in primary races, spokesman Bob Mulholland left little doubt about how party regulars might view Bock’s candidacy. 

“Who are we kidding? Don’t take the Bock campaign too seriously,” he said. 

Bock’s campaign launched a web site on Wednesday, which initially featured a picture of a smiling Lee in the middle of the burning Twin Towers.  

The picture has since been removed.  

Bock said the picture of the congresswoman was not meant to demonize her, but to make the public aware of that “she turned her back on that suffering.”  

Bock’s Web site also has a link to DumpBarbaraLee.com, which is paid for by Audie Bock for Congress.  

Since the launching of the site, Bock said a lot of the responses are coming from people in New York who are offering their help. 

“I do think there will be support from all over the nation because this is a national cause,” she said. 

Harris said Bock’s campaign is very unfortunate, and called her Web site “despicable.” 

“The link to hateful information is a sad reflection on Audie,” he said. 

Bock criticized Lee for neglecting her district and spending too much time on foreign affairs. 

“She has focused on a program on getting money for AIDS treatment in South Africa. This is not a bad thing to do,” Bock said. “The epidemic is severe, but in Alameda County we have the highest incidents of AIDS in African-American men. I would like to see that addressed before we take on problems of people outside the United States.” 

Bock insisted her campaign was not negative but one of unity. 

“This is a campaign that is for unity with the rest of the nation, that’s for supporting and mourning with the people who have suffered,” she said.

SAN DIEGO — A large and sophisticated laboratory for the club-drug Ecstasy was shuttered after a raid Thursday, authorities said. 

The lab was hidden behind a bookcase in an office in an industrial park in Escondido, 30 miles north of San Diego, authorities said. 

Five people were arrested at the lab late Wednesday, and 21 others were picked up in related sweeps in and around San Diego and Los Angeles. More arrests were expected. 

Arraignments for the suspects were scheduled for Friday. 

The raid capped a yearlong investigation into an organization capable of making between 1 million and 1.5 million tabs of Ecstasy a month, said Errol Chavez, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge. 

Investigators found plastic bags filled with several thousand Ecstasy pills and enough chemicals to make a million more, said Todd Robinson, assistant U.S. attorney. 

Among those arrested was Dennis L. Alba, 52, whom authorities identified as the ringleader. A phone number for his Oceanside address was unlisted, and he could not be reached. 

The DEA had custody of Alba late Thursday, and whether he had an attorney could not be determined. The U.S. Marshals Service said it would have more information when he was turned over to the Bureau of Prisons. 

Typically, Ecstasy is made overseas, primarily in Europe. More than 80 percent of the pills distributed in the United States are believed imported, Chavez said. 

“This case represents a major attempt to establish a foothold in the United States,” he said. 

TRENTON, N.J. — A postal worker who may have handled anthrax-contaminated letters sent to NBC and the Senate majority leader has the skin form of the disease, authorities said Thursday. 

The infected worker is a female letter carrier. Two other Trenton postal workers are being tested, including a maintenance worker Postal Inspector Tony Esposito said officials are “almost certain” has anthrax. Test results were pending. 

The employees were being treated and taking antibiotics, Acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco said. The letter carrier has been released from an undisclosed hospital. 

The letter carrier works at a local post office that sends mail to the regional facility outside Trenton where the contaminated letters were postmarked. The maintenance employee works at the regional facility. 

At the local post office in West Trenton, Postmaster Joseph Sautello said there are no immediate plans to shut down the facility. 

The state’s chief medical officer, George DiFerdinando Jr., said customers who visited the regional post office in the past three weeks should see a doctor if they have any symptoms of illness or a rash. 

The third employee is a a Levittown, Pa., man who works at an undisclosed post office serving Trenton. He has developed a rash and was being tested to see if he had been exposed to anthrax, Bucks County, Pa., health officials said. County Health Commissioner Dr. Louis Polk said test results on the 35-year-old man were expected Friday. 

Officials with the federal Centers for Disease Control were en route to New Jersey to decide if additional tests were warranted for other postal employees. 

The female postal employee is one of six people infected with anthrax. One, a 63-year-old Florida man, died Oct. 5. The others are recovering. 

New Jersey authorities wouldn’t disclose personal details about the mail carrier and maintenance worker. They have said both were working on days when the tainted mail would have been processed. 

The postal facility collects mail from 46 postal offices throughout central New Jersey. 

A letter contaminated with anthrax that was postmarked in Trenton last month was mailed to NBC anchor Tom Brokaw at NBC headquarters in New York. The other letter, postmarked from Trenton earlier this month, was mailed to Sen. Tom Daschle’s office in Washington. 

An aide to Brokaw has the skin form of anthrax. More than 30 workers in Daschle’s Senate office were exposed to the bacterium and are being treated with antibiotics. 

Meanwhile, federal officials have questioned at least two New Jersey pharmacists about anyone buying large amounts of the antibiotic Cipro prior to Sept. 18, when the Brokaw letter was mailed. 

Pharmacist John Berkenkopf, who owns Episcopo’s Pharmacy in Trenton, said two officials with the Food and Drug Administration questioned him Wednesday about anyone who bought between 60 and 120 tablets of the antibiotic. 

Cipro is usually prescribed for a week to 14 days, which is about 10 or 20 pills, Berkenkopf said. 

“Any more than that would ring all kinds of bells,” he said. He said he had not gotten any requests for large amounts of Cipro. 

FBI spokeswoman Sandra Carroll declined to comment on the investigation but said it “would stand to reason” that authorities would be suspicious of anyone seeking large amounts of Cipro. 

The state is also receiving attention from federal investigators looking into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. At least six of the jetliner hijackers are believed to have lived in Paterson.

CHICAGO — Baxter International Inc. says two kidney patients in Texas who underwent treatment on dialysis machines using Baxter filters have died and two others were hospitalized with complications. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the manufacture and distribution of medical products, is investigating the cause of the deaths. 

“We are in the process of looking into it,” spokeswoman Sharon Snider said Thursday. 

Baxter on Wednesday announced a worldwide recall of its Series A and Series AF dialyzers which are manufactured in Sweden by Althin Medical AB, acquired by Baxter last year. The devices filter waste substances from the blood before it is returned to patients with kidney failure. 

The A series of dialyzers were used in Croatia, where authorities blame the dialyzers for the deaths of 23 kidney patients earlier this month, and in Spain, where 15 patients reportedly died in August at health centers while undergoing kidney dialysis. 

The filters used in connection with the Texas deaths were of the AF series. Both series use a similar fiber. 

Baxter said it is not clear what role the filters played in any of the deaths. 

“There is no information linking these deaths to the dialyzer made by Baxter,” spokeswoman Tanya Tyska said. “We’ve instituted the recall as a precaution until an investigation into all aspects of their treatment is completed.” 

“It’s unusual. We haven’t seen this with dialysis membranes before causing widespread death like this,” said Dr. Paul Scheel, dialysis director at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. “The dialyzers are a relatively new brand for Baxter and that certainly raises some uncertainty about what the potential interaction between the blood” and the dialyzers could be. 

Baxter has sent investigators to Texas, Spain and Croatia. The company has not released the names of the Texas patients, nor the hospital in which they were treated. 

Tyska said one of the two hospitalized kidney patients has been treated and released. 

Dialyzers are hollow filtering tubes that are attached to dialysis machines, which clean impurities from blood of patients with kidney failure.  

Blood is drawn from the patient’s vein and pumped through the dialyzer, where impurities are filtered into a special fluid called dialysate, which mixes with water to flush the impurities away. The patient’s blood is then pumped back into the body. 

Tyska said potential causes of adverse reactions could occur at any point in the process because of inadequate water treatment and quality, contaminated dialysate concentrate, machine malfunction, clogged blood lines and needles, and the medication administered before and during the process. 

“The investigators might look at all these possible causes of adverse events,” Tyska said. 

In Zabreb, Croatian Health Minister Ana Stavljenic-Rukavina said the filters are suspected in the deaths because all the victims were treated using them and deaths dropped to normal levels when hospitals replaced the filters with other brands. A panel of experts is investigating. 

In Spain, an investigation by a European quality standards firm found no link between the deaths and filters, although the Spanish government is still running tests. 

The Texas Department of Health hasn’t received any complaint that would prompt an investigation. 

“We haven’t received any complaint or any question from any hospital or facility,” said department spokeswoman Emily Palmer. 

Baxter is a global medical products and services company that provides therapies for people with life-threatening conditions. 

LOS ANGELES — To his dying day, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh impressed his jailers as well behaved, funny, pleasant to be around — and completely without remorse — according to documents reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. 

“Mr. McVeigh remains stable emotionally. He does not suffer from a major mental health disorder or defect,” according to a May 18 psychiatric evaluation of McVeigh, who would be executed in less than a month, on June 11. 

“He spends his time watching TV, reading his correspondence and writing letters,” the evaluation said of McVeigh, who was put to death for the April 19, 1995, bombing that killed 168 people at the Oklahoma City Federal Building. 

The 33-year-old Gulf War Army veteran spent more than six years in maximum security prisons. Throughout that time, according to 2,000 pages of documents obtained by the Times, he was almost always good-natured and rarely caused trouble, the newspaper reported on its Web site Wednesday. 

“He has just returned after hearing the verdict of a death sentence yesterday,” the records noted at one point. “He is taking the verdict and sentence remarkably well and is not depressed.” 

After his sentencing, he was sent to “Supermax” in Florence, Colo., the nation’s most secure prison. 

During his two years there he committed only one infraction, refusing to stand up during a head count. 

“He just looked at us and laughed,” a prison official wrote. 

Run-ins he had with prison officials elsewhere also were minor. He was written up for trying to mail various harmless items to friends, including a “Star Wars” action figure. He once griped about not getting immediate care for a chipped tooth and another time for not getting enough sunlight. And he made it clear he didn’t like being disturbed when he was watching a war movie on television. 

He always kept his cell tidy and his bed well made, authorities said, and earned a certificate for completing a video study course called “Earth Revealed.” 

He never apologized. 

“The inmate still displays no remorse for his actions, nor does he spontaneously discuss the matter,” it was reported in February 1998. 

“He remains in good spirits with a keen sense of humor,” according to a report filed in April, just weeks before his execution in the Terre Haute, Ind., death house. 

Upon learning that schools in Terre Haute would be closed on the day of his execution, he said he expected to hear from schoolchildren thanking him. 

When execution day finally arrived, he “cooperated entirely,” according to Warden Harley G. Lappin. 

LOS ANGELES — Despite concerns from one administration official that the state has secured enough resources to deal with the energy crisis, Gov. Gray Davis is considering renegotiating dozens of long-term power contracts, it was reported Thursday. 

The governor’s energy advisors announced they would hold a press conference Friday about the administration’s strategy for reworking the agreements, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

The Davis camp has defended the 53 long-term power contracts signed earlier this year that allow the state to buy electricity at set prices.  

Energy wholesalers have previously said they are willing to consider renegotiating the pacts but want the state to take the lead. 

Critics believe the prices agreed upon are too high and the contracts will provide more power than needed. 

In an internal memo, state Department of Water Resources Director Thomas Hannigan echoed those concerns and criticized S. David Freeman, chairman of California’s new power authority, for continuing to seek additional energy contracts. 

“The state already has excess power resources,” particularly in Southern California, Hannigan wrote in the Oct. 4 memo. Additional contracts would “exceed the state’s ability to absorb that power.” 

Freeman defends his actions, noting the state needs more power to ensure future shortages don’t occur. His agency has been talking with solar and wind energy companies as well as examining the purchase of additional electricity from peaker plants, which are used only during times of great need. 

The power authority needs the Department of Water Resources’ endorsement before it enters into contracts because the agency supplies the money to purchase energy. 

The state is currently purchasing power to meet some of the needs of 24 million people served by two of the state’s troubled utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison. While the contracts have stabilized energy prices, the state has been forced to buy electricity in recent months and then sell some of it at a loss because there was not enough demand. 

NEW YORK — In a courthouse ringed by shotgun-toting marshals a few blocks from the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center, four disciples of Osama bin Laden were sentenced to life without parole Thursday for the deadly 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa. 

The men were the first to be convicted by a U.S. jury of carrying out bin Laden’s 1998 religious edict to kill Americans wherever they are found. 

They got the maximum sentence as expected after U.S. District Judge Leonard B. Sand called terrorism “one of the most serious threats to our society ... to the society of any civilized nation.” 

He also ordered each of the defendants to pay $33 million in restitution, perhaps out of terrorist assets frozen by the U.S. government in recent weeks. 

The near-simultaneous Aug 7, 1998, bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, killed 231 people, including 12 Americans. Nearly two dozen people have been indicted in the case, including bin Laden, who is believed to be hiding out in Afghanistan and is also wanted for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Prosecutors during the six-month trial accused bin Laden and his organization of directing the bombings, using a satellite telephone from Afghanistan and messengers to communicate the orders. 

“Al-Qaida stands charged, tried, convicted and sentenced for terrorism,” Attorney General John Ashcroft said in Washington. “Today’s sentence sends a message: The United States will hunt terrorists down and make them pay a price for their evil acts of terrorism.” 

Sand handed down identical sentences for Wadih El-Hage, 41, Khalfan Khamis Mohamed, 28, Mohamed Al-’Owhali, 24, and Mohamed Sadeek Odeh, 36. 

The jury had considered and rejected the death penalty for Mohamed and Al-’Owhali, in part to keep them from being viewed as martyrs. 

During the sentencing, El-Hage, rose to condemn last month’s attacks in New York and Washington that left thousands dead. 

“The killing of innocent people is radical, extreme and cannot be tolerated by any religion, principles or values,” said El-Hage, a Lebanese-born naturalized American. He maintained his innocence during the 30-minute speech in federal court. 

The government branded him a traitor and a liar, saying he raised money for bin Laden’s al-Qaida organization as he led the life of a family man in Arlington, Texas. 

El-Hage “claims to be a citizen, but he’s not an American,” prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said. “He betrayed his country, he betrayed his religion, he betrayed humanity.” 

Odeh, whose lawyer acknowledged that he “was a soldier in the military wing of al-Qaida,” showed no remorse at sentencing, and asserted that terrorism was the result of U.S. policies in the Middle East. 

“I can only say to Allah we belong, and to him we’ll return,” he said. “God help me in my calamity, and replace it with goodness.” 

Mohamed, convicted of helping to grind TNT and load the bomb that struck the Tanzanian embassy, declined to address the court. He said through his attorney that he “wishes to express gratitude to a jury that spared his life.” 

Al-’Owhali, who rode the bomb vehicle up to the Nairobi embassy and tossed stun grenades at guards before fleeing, also said nothing. 

Each was ordered to pay $7 million to victims’ families and $26 million to the U.S. government. Sand has said the defendants are indigent, but suggested that assets might be acquired from Bush administration attempts to freeze the funding of al-Qaida and other terror groups. 

The courthouse, the scene of five major terrorism trials in the past nine years, is surrounded by steel barricades to stop speeding bomb-laden trucks like those that exploded at the embassies. Its halls occasionally fill with the acrid smell of the smoldering rubble at the Trade Center. 

Relative of the bombing victims said the defendants deserved no mercy. 

“Let them die conscious of the fact that their souls will be condemned forever,” said Howard Kavaler, whose wife died in the Kenya attack. 

Two of the anonymous jurors attended the sentencing and spoke afterward with reporters. One said she was determined to show up after the Trade Center disaster “to be a presence in the courtroom and let them know we weren’t afraid of them.” 

SALT LAKE CITY — Passengers aboard a Greyhound bus left their seats and overpowered a man who allegedly tried to take control and flip the vehicle after ranting about hijackings, authorities said Thursday. 

No one was injured in Wednesday night’s incident and the driver was able to pull safely to the side of Interstate 80. There were 44 passengers aboard the bus bound from Portland, Ore., to Nashville, Tenn. 

The man and a female accomplice ran off the bus, flagged down a car and later fled to the truck stop where they were arrested several hours later, Highway Patrol spokesman Doug McCleve said. 

Troy Matzek, 34, and Becky Hyde, 25, of Wichita, Kan., were charged Thursday in federal court with carjacking and aiding and abetting. They face a possible maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. They were scheduled to appear Friday before U.S. Magistrate Samuel Alba. 

Authorities said they believed the couple was not acting as part of a terrorist plot. 

“This is probably a person who is mentally unstable,” McCleve said. 

Rose Matzek said her son thought someone was after him. After talking to him by phone after his arrest, she said he had been affected by the terrorist attacks and might have had an emotional breakdown on the bus. 

“He called a couple of days ago. He wanted to come home,” she said. “He was very fearful. He was a little paranoid about what has happened.” 

Bus driver Gene Savage told KUTV television that Matzek grabbed the steering wheel and said he was going to flip the bus. He had been ranting about hijackings. 

The driver kicked Matzek away and several passengers wrestled with the man as Savage stopped the bus about 15 miles east of Salt Lake City, McCleve said. 

“People aren’t as tolerant about this kind of thing anymore,” said Paul Warner, the U.S. Attorney for Utah. 

After flagging down the passing car, the couple told the car’s driver that people on the bus were trying to kill them, McCleve said. 

The driver took the couple to a gas station and gave them money. The couple then jumped into a tractor-trailer which drove them to Salt Lake City. The driver called 911 while the couple were outside the cab. 

It was not clear if Matzek had a weapon, though some of the passengers said he had threatened them with a bomb, McCleve said. A check of the bus turned up no explosives. 

Earlier this month, a Croatian man slashed the neck of a Greyhound bus driver in Tennessee, causing a crash that killed seven passengers. 

Shelving storage is the one thing in most American homes that — as the song says — “there’s just too little of.” Not enough closet space, not enough shelf space. Simply nowhere to put anything. 

There are companies that are making millions selling storage systems in every size, shape and form that can help you make the most out of every inch of available space. We often have mentioned closet systems in our articles and how they can substantially increase the amount of “usable” storage space at your place. But we haven’t spent enough time in the garage or garden. These locations also are very important. 

Every time we’ve moved into a new home, we’ve followed the same setup routine. The first order of business always has been to organize the garage for maximum storage — installing shelving and a workbench. Once the garage has been organized, moving into the rest of the house is a breeze. 

In the past we built our shelves and workbench ourselves. We fired up the pickup and made a trip to the local lumberyard where we got the needed plywood, 2x4’s, brackets, braces and screws. At this point we were able to begin personalizing every available inch of our new garage. Unfortunately, we have recently discovered that built-in plywood shelving isn’t always the most practical alternative. Yes, it is inexpensive and sturdy and it can be fabricated to exactly fit our personal needs, but once it’s in, it’s kind of permanent, and changing the configuration can get complicated. 

Metal shelving always has been available, but was expensive and required hours of assembly. Times have changed. We’ve discovered that you can now buy prefabricated steel shelving that’s improved over what it used to be. It is lightweight, easy to assemble, strong and, best of all, you don’t need a truck to get it home. Even with all the advancements, we still want to offer an idea or two and a few precautions about installing prefab shelving of any kind. 

First, we want to tell you about the shelving itself, and why it interests us. By volume, steel is heavier than wood. But when it comes to sheer strength a tiny piece of steel will hold more than a gigantic piece of wood. Therefore, a lightweight steel frame can hold as much as — or more than — a heavy set of wood shelves. So, with steel, “lightweight” doesn’t mean weak. 

Older-style metal shelf systems were heavy and the ends of the assembly parts were sharp. One could easily be cut. This is no longer a problem. We have found the components to be smooth. And, best of all, at least for the systems we looked at, you won’t need nuts, bolts or washers to connect everything. Just stand four uprights on end and intersect them with interlocking shelves. You might need a rubber mallet, or a hammer and a block of wood, to firmly seat the shelves into the uprights. Even better, shelves can be added, removed or adjusted to satisfy changing storage needs. 

Take certain precautions regardless of what your shelving is made of — wood, steel or plastic. If it’s freestanding it can get top-heavy and topple over. And top-heavy or not, your shelving should be anchored to the wall for safety’s sake, especially if you live in earthquake country.  

Using approved connectors and heavy screws will hold everything safely against the wall no matter what the condition. Later, if you want to relocate a shelf all you’ll have to do is loosen a couple of screws. 

This type of shelving is usually about a foot deep and 6-feet to 7-feet tall. In the past we have connected two sets of shallow shelving to create one set of 2-foot-deep shelves.  

Just place one set of shelves immediately in front of the other, and clamp the two together with two or three self-taping sheet-metal screws. Takes about 10 seconds and holds like a welded joint. And disassembly is even quicker. 

Back to workbenches. Today’s workbenches range from a piece of plywood and a pair of sawhorses to fancy cabinetry topped with countertops made of everything from particleboard to steel. You also can purchase kits that allow you to assemble a modest-sized bench that contains locking cabinets, a small storage closet with a pegboard backing and shelving above. For more tips and information, check our Web site at www.onthehouse.com. 

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Readers can mail questions to: On the House, APNewsFeatures, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, or e-mail Careybro(at)onthehouse.com. To receive a copy of On the House booklets on plumbing, painting, heating/cooling or decks/patios, send a check or money order payable to The Associated Press for $6.95 per booklet and mail to: On the House, PO Box 1562, New York, NY 10016-1562, or through these online sites: www.onthehouse.com or apbookstore.com. 

Esopus Spitzenberg — what a name for an apple! Nonetheless, this is a variety of apple you might just want to plant. 

This apple originated in Esopus, N.Y., and was grown in New York and surrounding states even before 1800. Spitz is little known today, so you have to grow it to eat it. It has left its legacy in some offspring: the Jonathan apple, and Jonathan’s increasingly popular offspring, Jonagold. 

More than 100 years ago, Spitz was an apple held in high esteem. One of the first things Thomas Jefferson did after returning from France was to order a dozen trees of Spitz, his favorite apple, for Monticello. Andrew Jackson Downing (in “The Fruit and Fruit Trees of North America,” 1845) considered Spitz to be “unsurpassed as a dessert fruit.” Besides its excellent flavor, this variety shipped and stored well. 

But Spitz does have its shortcomings. This variety is very susceptible to apple scab disease, which defaces the fruit and makes it inedible. The tree also does not bear particularly heavy crops, and requires a moderately moist, moderately fertile soil. 

The tree fell out of favor as a commercial variety not only for the above reasons, but also because of its appearance. Through the 20th century, the trend was to market apples that were pure red (and more recently, pure green or pure yellow). Spitz’s skin is yellow, splashed liberally with bright red and occasional streaks of dark red. Ironically, 19th-century writers considered this apple to be particularly beautiful. 

Backyard fruits that get less pest control sprays than commercial fruits are apt to be less handsome than they could be. A backyard Spitz might have a few dark splotches of sooty mold, clusters of small black dots from fly speck disease, and occasional lesions of apple scab.  

This cosmetic damage seems acceptable when you realize that less than a half-dozen sprays are needed to produce perfectly edible apples in the backyard.  

Commercial apple growers, in contrast, must spray their apples every two weeks throughout the growing season, beginning before the apples come into blossom. 

You can scrub off sooty mold and fly speck, both of which are only superficial blemishes, to let the beautiful skin of Spitz come into full view. Beneath the skin is the exquisite flesh, which is yellowish, firm, and just a little juicy. The flavor is rich and brisk — delicious, with a bit of history in each bite. 

Here’s a comparison of what decorators Jane Bell Cammarata and Linda Clay estimate it would cost to buy items at a flea market to furnish a child’s room, and what the same items might cost new or at an antiques store (their purchases were hypothetical): 

- The 7- by 9-foot needlepoint rug would cost $50 at the sale; on the market, expect to spend $300 or more. 

- Slant-top desk would be a bargain at $75; a new one would probably cost about $600. 

- Yellow cabinet with glass doors would cost the decorators $125; market price for a similar item would be about $700. 

- A small lamp would go for $15 at the sale; new, it would run about $100. 

- Three pictures at the sale have an estimated cost of $20; if new, $100. 

- Two window treatments could be conjured up by the decorators from a $10 price for drapery remnants; similar new ones would be about $550. 

- The rush-seat stool would go for $7; new, it would be $45. 

- A $1 basket at the sale would cost about $10 in a store. 

- The child’s rocker picked up for $25 would cost $125 retail. 

- Bed linens, which the women say they could get for $20, would run around $200 new. 

- And the bird cage, priced at $30 for the sale, would cost around $90. 

Estimated flea market costs: $378 

Estimated retail costs: $2,820 

Estimated savings: $2,442 

CASCO, Maine — Sebago Lake, which provides drinking water to Maine’s largest city as well as recreation to boaters and swimmers, is on the front lines of the state’s war against an aquatic invader. 

One type of milfoil already has a foothold and it’s feared a more aggressive variety, Eurasian milfoil, could take root. 

Environmental officials have plenty of cause for worry because fast-growing milfoil can easily overwhelm lakes and ponds. Some fear the unsightly plants can reduce shorefront property values and hurt Maine’s $8 billion tourism industry. 

Maine, Wyoming and Montana are the only places in the continental United States that have avoided infestation of the dreaded Eurasian milfoil so far. 

But with credible evidence of variable milfoil in 10 bodies of water in central and southern Maine and a boat on Crystal Lake found with Eurasian milfoil fragments hanging from its exhaust cover, the threat of infestation is all too real. 

“We have every reason to expect it is coming,” said Martha Kirkpatrick, commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. 

Variable milfoil and Eurasian milfoil take root on the lake’s floor and grow upward, forming mats on the surface that can be dense enough for birds to walk on water. 

Prevention appears to be the best defense since both varieties can be resistant to efforts to control them. 

Toward that end, the state has launched a public information campaign: Toll collectors warn motorists entering the state with boats. Warning signs are posted at border crossings. TV ads remind boaters to be vigilant. 

Gov. Angus King signed a law requiring stickers on all motor boats using inland waters. The fees — $10 for Maine boats and $20 for out-of-state registrations — will help pay for the fight against invasive plants. The sticker program begins Jan. 1. 

This summer, the Portland Water District, several state agencies and the Volunteer Lakes Monitoring Program tackled variable milfoil with PVC-coated screens. 

The so-called benthic barriers, which block sunlight to variable milfoil, were to be installed around the state park boat launch to create a 100-foot milfoil-free passageway to the main channel. But a diver discovered that the infestation was more extensive that first thought, and now other options are being considered, said Roberta Hill, education coordinator for the water district. 

Some options include creating a longer weed-free channel with benthic barriers, employing an inspector to check for plant fragments left on boats and equipment, and moving the boat launch if the area is too infested to manage. 

The worst-case scenario Hill hopes to avoid is mechanical harvesting, a labor intensive and costly solution used in some states with the worst infestations. Barges outfitted with a cutter similar to those used to harvest hay may clear areas for boating and swimming, but ultimately can make the infestation worse by spreading plant fragments, Hill said. 

New Hampshire abandoned mechanical harvesting in the 1970s. 

“During the ’60s we used harvesting but found it was like getting a haircut: it would come back up again,” said Jody Connor, a biologist with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. 

Much of New Hampshire’s funds now goes to chemical herbicides, a method shunned on Sebago because it is the source of drinking water for 170,000 people, or about 15 percent of the Vermont population. 

In Wisconsin, the Lake Pewaukee Sanitary District, west of Milwaukee, gave up on chemical treatments because they killed native species along with milfoil. Instead, the district regularly harvests milfoil on about 300 of the lake’s nearly 2,500 acres during the summer months. 

“We’re harvesting every day, 40 hours a week at a minimum,” said Charlie Shong, the district’s superintendent. Last year, the district harvested about 102 dump truck loads of milfoil, Shong said. 

Other techniques used to manage milfoil include introducing fish or aquatic insects that can curb the plant’s growth. 

Weevils, aquatic insects whose larvae eat the leaf tissue and burrow into stems, are used in Michigan, Vermont, Wisconsin, Illinois and New York. Minnesota has had some success but the insects are sometimes devoured by fish before they can do their job, state biologist Wendy Crowell said. 

The prospect of such serious infestations in Maine feeds the fear in officials and sports fishermen alike. 

David Garcia, owner of Naples Bait and Tackle, has fished through thick milfoil in New York’s Catskills. He had to create openings in the milfoil with a long-handled rake to get his line into the water. 

“It would be like trying to get a comb through your hair if you had bubble gum in it,” he said. 

The Eurasian milfoil was found in July when a boat with plant fragments was launched into Crystal Lake in Gray. It will be a year or two before biologists can determine whether the plant has established itself. 

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On the Net: 

Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program: http://www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org 

Maine Department Environmental Protection’s invasive plants: http://www.state.me.us/dep/blwq/topic/invasive.htm 

End Adv for Sunday, Oct. 14, and thereafter 

What colors make you happy? Which ones help you relax after a busy day? The colors you choose to decorate with really do influence your emotions. 

To stimulate conversation when guests visit, for example, choose active colors such as red, yellow and orange, which inspire camaraderie and an upbeat attitude. 

Colors play off your mood in three basic ways — active, passive and neutral. These are important factors when choosing colors for various rooms and how you plan to use those rooms in your home. 

Accents of red can greet guests in an entry or add a cozy touch to a den. Yellows, good for home offices and kitchens, can inspire creativity. 

Need a room to rejuvenate your soul? Passive colors, such as blue, green and purple, help pacify and restore. They work well in bedrooms or restful sitting rooms. If, however, your home is in a cold climate, the cool colors might be too “chilly,” so you might want to add some visual warmth with sunny accents to spark your spirit. 

Neutral colors, such as beige, gray, white and taupe, help bridge other colors and rooms. Dark neutrals tone down other colors, while crisp white intensifies them. 

What power do various colors have in home decorating? Their strength might surprise you. Some clues: 

—Pink: soothes; promotes affability and affection. 

—Yellow: expands the space, cheers your spirit; increases energy. 

—Black: disciplines, authorizes, strengthens what’s around it; encourages independence. 

—White: purifies, energizes, unifies; in combination, makes all other colors stronger. 

—Orange: cheers, commands; stimulates appetites and conversation. 

—Red: empowers, stimulates, dramatizes; symbolizes passion. 

—Green: balances, normalizes, refreshes; encourages emotional growth. 

—Purple: comforts, spiritualizes; creates mystery and draws out intuition. 

—Blue: relaxes, refreshes, cools; produces tranquil feelings and peaceful moods. 

Don’t be shy about playing with color. Choosing compatible colors is as easy as taking a look at the color wheel. It’s a cinch when you choose similar or analogous colors, those located side-by-side on the color wheel. Simply choose a favorite color as your main one, then look on either side of it for accent colors. 

For choosing high-energy schemes, consider complementary colors, hues opposite each other on the color wheel. Red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple are examples. In these schemes, warm and cool hues play off each other for interesting results. 

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“Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Book” (Meredith Books, $34.95).

SACRAMENTO – State power officials plan to begin renegotiating billions of dollars worth of long-term energy contracts, which an administration official says commit the state to buying more power than it needs. 

Critics say the contracts, arranged during the height of the energy crisis, are overpriced and contain questionable clauses, including one that prevents the state from seeking federal price reviews. 

The 53 contracts, worth at least $43 billion, vary in length from a few months to 10 years and in one case, for 20 years. Gov. Gray Davis pursued the contracts to secure the state’s energy supplies and avoid more blackouts like those that plagued California six days this year. 

Davis says the contracts drove down the wholesale cost of power and saved the state money, since it didn’t have to buy expensive energy on the spot market. 

But the contracts, signed at the peak of the power crisis, locked California into overly high prices, critics say. Those prices will then be passed to customers of San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 

The state has bought power for the three utilities since January, when they were unable to buy power on their own after months of record-high wholesale electricity prices wrecked their credit ratings. 

Administration officials said Thursday they would discuss their renegotiating strategy Friday. 

The move to renegotiating comes after the Department of Water Resources chief warned the state’s new power authority not to seek any more long-term deals. 

DWR Director Thomas Hannigan told Power Authority chairman S. David Freeman in an Oct. 4 memo that “contracting for substantial additional supplies may lead to unnecessary costs for Californians.” 

The state has excess power lined up, especially in Southern California, Hannigan said. The authority should line up any new supplies for Northern California and closely coordinate that with DWR. 

So far, the authority has signed letters of intent to buy electricity from a dozen wind generators, but Hannigan said those arrangements could exceed the state’s ability to absorb the power and be incompatible with other resources. 

Power Authority spokeswoman Amber Pasricha said the two agencies are working together and that a DWR representative highlighted the memo’s points during the Oct. 5 Power Authority board meeting. 

A recent private study found that at least eight of the contracts cost too much and should be immediately renegotiated, because they will saddle customers with 10 years of high prices and require buying too much energy for too much money. The study was sponsored by the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies. 

Because out-of-state power wholesalers “are desperate to cut deal,” said consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield, the state has an “excellent” chance to renegotiate. 

Wholesalers, Rosenfield said, “could renegotiate these contracts and still walk out with billions in profits.” 

Rosenfield’s group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, has long criticized the contracts and the secrecy surrounding them. The contracts’ details were released only after lawsuits by Republican lawmakers and several news organizations, including the Associated Press. 

Rosenfield criticized a clause in some contracts that bars the state from seeking price reviews by federal regulators who are charged with overseeing wholesale energy costs. 

One wholesaler, Houston-based Dynegy Inc., hasn’t been asked to renegotiate the contracts with the state but is willing to talk about it, spokesman Steve Stengel said. 

“We would be willing to discuss renegotiating the contracts, if it was mutually beneficial to each party,” he said.

LOS ANGELES – For much of the 1990s, California’s economy was the envy of the nation. High-tech gold was being mined in the north while tourists flocked to the beaches and resorts in the south. 

California provided the nation with a bounty of agricultural products and fed the culture with movies and television shows. 

Now the state is reeling from major blows to its tech, power and tourism sectors – any one of which might have been enough to send most states and even many countries into a recessionary tailspin. 

But unlike past downturns, California’s problems are not expected to shake the rest of the nation. Instead, economists say its troubles are mostly reflections of existing national trends. 

“Historically, what happened to California would happen to the rest of the country in three, six or nine months,” said Fariborz Ghadar, director of the Center for Global Business Studies at Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. 

That’s not the case this time, he said. 

California’s power woes are fairly unique, the result of failed deregulation. The tech downturn hit many other parts of the country at the same time as California, and the slump in tourism has also been felt strongly in Florida, Washington and New York. 

“At this point, we’re in the same national boat,” said Steven Sheffrin of the University of California Davis Center for State and Local Taxation. “I don’t see (the rest of the country) looking at California and worrying about what is going on.” 

The state’s problems have been brewing for several years. 

The technology meltdown that started in 1999 devastated northern California, home to Silicon Valley. Earlier this year, a power crisis gripped the state, plunging historic San Francisco and posh Beverly Hills into darkness for hours at a time and sending one of the nation’s oldest public utilities into bankruptcy. 

And on Sept. 11, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington sent a ripple across the country that overnight pulled the rug from under California’s tourism industry and threatens to saddle the state with billions of dollars in unanticipated security and other costs. 

“California has been hit disproportionally hard with a one-two-three punch,” said Tappan Monroe, senior vice president and chief economist at Applied Development Economics, a consulting firm in Berkeley. 

Most economists agree the state, like the rest of the country, is in a mild recession that could last well into next year. 

But despite continuing national uncertainty, California could recover relatively quickly if consumers regain confidence and start spending. Lower interest rates and the economic stimulus package being debated in Congress could also aid the recovery. 

Meanwhile, demand for housing remains strong while supply is tight, leading state real estate agents to predict record home prices next year. 

Another factor aiding California is its diversified economy – the fifth largest in the world if measured alone – which essentially is split between the northern and southern halves of the state. 

A decade ago, high-tech companies dominated the San Francisco Bay Area, while defense and aerospace companies fueled the powerful economic engine in Southern California, especially in the Los Angeles area. California-based industry provided jobs and exercised influence across the nation. 

The end of the Cold War and the 1991 economic recession devastated Southern California, which lost more than 400,000 defense-related jobs. And while the rest of the country began its recovery after about a year, Southern California struggled along for more than three years. 

“Northern California got the brunt of the tech upturn in the late 1990s and bore the brunt of the tech downturn,” said Michael Bazdarich, director of the Forecasting Center at the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California Riverside. 

Signs of strength are emerging in other parts of the state. 

Tulare County, nestled in the center of the state, is home to some of the richest farmland in the nation, producing more milk than any other area in the country. 

It also produces jobs at a rate good enough to make it No. 1 in job growth in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Tulare County still has an unemployment rate of 12 percent compared to the state’s 5.4 percent. But officials there are hopeful. 

“There seems to be a sense of optimism,” said Paul Saldana, president of the Tulare County Economic Development Corp.

A group of Berkeley High School students held a sparsely attended, but spirited anti-war rally Wednesday in the fading afternoon light of Civic Center Park. They had been denied permission two weeks earlier to hold such an event inside the high school grounds, across the street. 

As part of the demonstration, sophomore Mollie Dutton Starbuck read a letter addressed to “Resident Bush.” 

“The terrorists want holy war, and that is what you want to give them,” she said. “Holy war, an oxymoron from the oxiest of morons: You.”  

Members of Students Halt Revenge and War Under Bush, or SHRUB – a play on one of the President’s nicknames – read poems and played electric guitars and local elected officials spoke. Students took turns reading famous quotes from Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Khalil Gibran and other thinkers and peace advocates. 

Clutching a written statement, junior Jessica Malachowski chided those who think they can’t make a difference. 

“I’ll tell you what you can do,” she said. “You can raise your voice against this war. Your silence means the death of innocent people. How would you like to be the one who pulled the trigger on those homeless children and oppressed women?” 

She lowered her notes to her side. “Do you still think your voice can’t do anything?” she said. “Want to know who said this? I did.” 

Alfonso Alamar, a junior, read Rep. Barbara Lee’s., D–Oakland, speech to the House of Representatives defending her vote against giving the administration broad war powers, and Diane Douglas, the lead organizer of the rally, read a scathing open letter to Bush from TV and film director Michael Moore. 

“Don’t sink to these mass murders’ levels,” the letter said, among other, less polite instructions. 

Three leaders of SHRUB – Douglas, Sarah Price, and Mollie Dutton Starbuck – are also members of a rock band, “Corrupting the Masses.” Taking up their purple instruments, drums and amps, they played anti-war songs written by Douglas: “Feed the Fire” and “Dollar Bill.” 

Non-students also addressed the small gathering. Steve Philandrinos from Global Exchange, the San Francisco-based human rights and cultural exchange organization, called on Americans to “be consistent in their values” by mourning for “hundreds of thousands of dead in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan,” the blame for which he placed at the doorstep of the U.S. government. 

“They must also demand justice for victims of U.S. crimes,” Philandrinos said. “Can we train military governments in terrorism and then ask why we are victims of terrorism?” 

Holding a large national flag on a pole, School Board President Terry Doran urged students to “take back this flag from false patriots who drive around in their cars and SUVs and claim it represents lockstep adherence” to the administration’s war agenda. He encouraged them to “make this flag a symbol of our right to be here today,” rather than one of war, and to say the Pledge of Allegiance with different wording if that better reflected their own patriotism. 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington spoke briefly about the resolution the council passed Tuesday night, which called for a halt to the bombing of Afghanistan. He thanked the students for “getting an early start on being outstanding citizens of Berkeley.” 

In spite of warm, breezy sunshine, the crowd was thin. Only about 20 people, mostly adults, sat on the grass within 50 feet of the stage, which was at the edge of the central fountain plaza. Further back, scattered clumps of students played hack-sack or stood together talking. Not everyone agreed with the rally’s message. 

“I’m a radical liberal and I’m for the war,” said Nicholas Easterday, also a junior. “No one is giving a constructive solution to what we should do. Until they do that, I still support what we do. I think it’s kind of a reactionary liberal response to spew rhetoric and not offer a solution.” 

“I think it’s sad they didn’t get a bigger student turnout,” said Andrew Gruen, a junior. “It’s sad how apathetic students are.” 

“I think there were less people in the park than normal today,” said junior James Foley. 

“We usually go to the UC (demonstrations), said Gruen. “This is kind of new to see, organized by a couple of girls that go to the school.” 

Tim Condit, 63, a self-described lifelong Berkeley resident, Marine Corps veteran and witness to Vietnam-era protests, said today’s educational and media climate discouraged debate and involvement. 

“People were more used to discussing politics back then,” he said. “It makes it harder for these people to organize because their peers don’t want to talk about anything. They’re thinking: ‘Will we be tested on this?’” 

The rally ended after an hour with Douglas playing “Imagine” by John Lennon on her electric guitar. Behind her, on the stone edge of the fountain, Alamar, who read Barbara Lee’s statement, and Jaana Humlie, a senior who read an original poem, swayed together and looked off at the waning sun.

No time is ever a good time for a football team to lose its starting quarterback. But when Cal’s head coach, Tom Holmoe, announced that his starter, junior Kyle Boller, would miss the Bears’ game this Saturday, it was a huge blow for both team and player. 

The Bears head down to Pasadena on Saturday to face UCLA, possibly their toughest test of the season. The fourth-ranked Bruins have the top defense in the Pac-10 Conference. Now Cal, which hasn’t exactly lit up the scoreboard while getting off to a 0-5 start, will play without Boller. 

Boller aggravated a back injury suffered during training camp against Oregon on last Saturday, waking up with pain and numbness in his legs. The injury has been diagnosed as a disc injury, with Boller scheduled to have an MRI on Wednesday for further evaluation. 

Holmoe said Boller has taken two epidurals (an injection of fluid into the spine, most often used on pregnant women to lessen pain during childbirth) for the injury this season, including one during training camp and one during the team’s bye week after a loss to BYU. 

“Kyle is not playing in the game. He’s injured and he’s had a bad back for most of the season,” Holmoe said. “He was sore after the game, but he woke up the next day and was really sore.” 

Boller will not practice at all this week and will be re-evaluated next week. 

Boller’s injury hands the offensive reins to backup quarterback, Eric Holtfreter.  

Holtfreter has appeared in several games this season in relief of Boller, completing 52.1 percent (25-of-48) of his passes for 313 yards but throwing four interceptions and just one touchdown. The junior-college transfer is in his second and final year with the Bears, and has gotten an unusually high percentage of snaps in practice for a backup this year. 

“(Holtfreter) has had a lot more reps this year in practice than he did in the past,” Holmoe said. “Al (Borges, Cal’s offensive coordinator) tries to get the second quarterback a considerable amount of reps, it’s not a 50-50 proposition, but Eric is prepared.” 

Holtfreter’s backup will be redshirt freshman Reggie Robertson, who has yet to appear in a game for Cal. Holmoe said the third quarterback spot is up in the air, but one option that won’t be used is true freshman Richard Schwartz. 

“We will not pull someone out of a redshirt year,” Holmoe said. “Maybe (backup defensive back) Adam Sugarman will be the backup. He was a high school quarterback and he’s got a great head on his shoulders. If anyone can do it and not panic, he can.”

Thursday, Oct. 18

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Claremont Branch Library 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Cecile Andrews, author of Circles of Simplicity, Return to the Good Life, speaks on “Rekindling Conversation.” 549-3509 www.seedsofsimplicity.org 

Berkeley Metaphysical  

Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. 869-2547 

Albany YMCA’s Kids’ Club Walk to Raise Money For YMCA New York Relief Fund 

3 p.m. 

Y-Kids Walk is an annual fundraising event for the Albany YMCA Kids Club. This year half of the proceeds will be sent to the YMCA of New York. Once the kids arrive at Live Oak Park, they will participate in a Halloween Carnival complete with games and prizes. 549-4524 

Friday, Oct. 19

Cooperative Center Federal  

Credit Union 

Grand Opening Celebration 

4 - 7 p.m. 

2001 Ashby Ave. 

A family affair with food, entertainment and a special treat for the kids. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, honorary chairperson, is scheduled to attend. Faith Fancher is the Mistress of Ceremonies. 415-346-0199 

YAP’s FNL Teen Club: “Pop  

Ya Colla! Dance” 

7 -11 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Young Adult Project presents dance for 13 to 18 year olds only. Must have B.U.S.D. I.D. “No haters, no problems.” 644-6226 

Hills Emergency Forum 

10 - 11 a.m . 

Joaquin Miller Community Center 

3946 Sanbord Dr., Oakland 

Annual meeting to discuss progress made in reducing and managing risks associated with wildland fires in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. 893-9888 

Saturday, Oct. 20

Private Elementary School Panel Discussion and Fair 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

College Avenue Presbyterian Church 

5951 College Ave. 

Parents representing 12 selected schools will discuss issues parents encounter when searching for private elementary schools, including the admissions process. Sponsored by Neighborhood Parents Network. Open to the public. $5 - $10. 527-6667 www.parentsnet.org 

UC Berkeley Community Action Day 

9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

People’s Park 

Haste and Hillegass avenues 

Over 300 students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and student groups will participate in an all day event, carrying out service projects throughout the city. 643-0306 kinyon@uclink4.berkeley.edu 

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Office of Emergency Services 

812 Page St.  

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

BART Job Fair 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

BART will be recruiting to fill approximately 160 jobs that week be opening up next year. The jobs to be filled are in accounting, planing, engineering, insurance, purchasing, police, maintenance and electronics. 

Symposium on New Science of Aging 

10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

Valley Life Sciences Building 

Room 2040 

UC Berkeley 

Lectures by prominent gerontologists and industry scientists will featured, plus leading biotechnology companies and research institutions will provide information about their research programs in aging and will discuss opportunities for collaboration and employment. 486-6096 http://crea.berkeley.edu/ 

Historical Society Walking Tour 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Berkeley Historical Society 

1931 Center St. 

Patrick Keilch will lead tour of the Berkeley Hills and relate his hands-on experiences and observations from the wildfire of 1991. 848-0181 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/histsoc/ 

Berkeley High School 

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Berkeley Alternative High School 

1950 Derby St. 

Academic Workshop for parents on the graduation requirements for Berkeley High School. 644-8524 

Oakland Hills Fire Commemorative Walk and Pot Luck Dinner 

5 -9 p.m. 

5999 Grizzly Peak 

Walk led by Oakland Fire Department and CORE graduates. Participants should bring pot luck dishes to feed eight guests. 273-9111 www.nhphoenix.org 

Puppet Shows 

1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

The Hall of Health 

2230 Shattuck Ave. 

The Kids on the Block perform two shows to promote acceptance and understanding of cultural and medical differences. 549-1564 

Discussion of Current Legal Issues 

9 a.m. - 11 p.m. 

Boalt Hall 

UC Berkeley 

Top litigators, legal scholars and media experts participate in several panels discussions concerning some of the nation’s most closely watched legal issues. 643-6673 

Sunday, Oct. 21

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Halloween Magic 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond JCC Auditorium 

1414 Walnut St.  

Los Angeles Magician and Comedian “Hotei the Magic Guy.” For kids 2 through 12 and their parents. $7. 236-7469 www.thebuddyclub.com 

Berkeley Architectural Heritage Fall House Tour 

1 - 5 p.m. 

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church 

Claremont Blvd. & Russell St.  

This year’s tour “Around the Claremont Hotel” features ten houses in the historic neighborhood of residences and gardens that surround the landscaped park of the hotel. There will be a reception at one of the houses. $30. 845-8507 

Third Annual Sisters of Fire Awards 

3 - 6 p.m. 

First Unitarian Church of Oakland 

14th and Castro St. 

The Women of Color Resource Center will honor Congresswoman Barbara Lee with an award for Courage and Conscience. This year’s program, “Forward from Durban: Raising Women’s Voices Against War and Racism,” will also feature reports from women who traveled to the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. $15 - $50 sliding scale. 848-9272 www.coloredgirls.org 

Run for Peace 

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Berkeley Marina 

Participants can choose 10 K run, 5 K run or 5K walk. $18 per participant. For registration form call 849-1742 or e-mail unarunforpeace@yahoo.com 

Monday, Oct 22

Franciscanism, Understanding the Vision 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Franciscan School of Theology 

1712 Euclid Ave. 

Graduate Theological Union presents seminar exploring the lives, times and writings of and about Francis and Clare of Assisi. 848-5232 

Interfaith Couples Look at Love and Choices 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Two films to stimulate discussion about interfaith families, love and identity. $25 per couple. 548-0237 

Tuesday, Oct. 23

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday.  

655-8863 

Similarities between Jewish and Deadhead Spirituality 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

It’s been observed that a disproportionate number of deadheads are Jews. Dr. Leora Lawton, researcher of deadhead culture, explores the fascinating parallels between Jewish and deadhead rituals. $25 public, $15 members. 548-0237 

Editor: 

Passing this resolution once again puts Berkeley in the national spot light. Again it creates a focus on the ideology of the council members who voted for it – how ever irrelevant it is to the immediate needs of running this city.  

The main issue here is that it’s not city’s business, and passing these dramatic declarations creates a general opinion of the city and it’s residents that may not be accurate and is really a reflection of the personal political and ideological perspectives of the council members. 

This is pure and simple opinionated arrogance and rather pointless jargonistic nonsense. It’s one thing to pass a resolution that simply shows compassion and support for people affected by these tragic events but many of the items outlined are about making policy that the council has little clarity, knowledge or historical perspective on and can have virtually no affect on changing. 

Why can’t the council put their energies into making Berkeley a cleaner, better, safer place to live for all its residents and get off the national political and ideological band wagon that is self serving and not really focused on making my life and kids lives function better on a day to day basis. 

Hey, I’m a child of the 60s, been in Berkeley my whole life, I was at People’s Park in 1969. I’ve seen all sides, all opinions. I’m inclusive - you got to be to live in Berkeley.  

Let’s keep open minds here! and I mean the minds of the council members who think they always know best on every issue.  

Passing national policy declarations like this show how we can tell everyone else “that Berkeley knows better” - when we don’t really know anything. 

Steven Donaldson 

Berkeley 

MUSIC 

924 Gilman St. Oct. 19: W.H.N.?, Jellyroll Rockheads, Ex-Claim, Crucial Attack, Sharp Knife; Oct. 21: 5 p.m. Throwdown, Martyr A.D., Bleeding Through, Everytime I Die, Fate 13; Oct. 26: Influents, Plus Ones, Divit, Summerjack, Robot Adrenaline, Claredon Hills; Oct. 27: (Halloween show, $1 off if you’re in a (non-punk) costume!) Babyland, Tsunami Bomb, Scissor Hands, Dexter Danger; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

Ashkenaz Cajun Cayotesl Oct 18: Greatful Dean DJ Night; Oct 19: Swing Session 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Oct. 18: Ascension, $5; Oct. 19: King Harvest, Sfunk, $5; Oct. 20: Psychokinetics, $5; Oct. 22: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 23: Felice, $3; Oct. 24: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Oct. 25: Psychotica, $5; Oct. 26: Planting Seeds, $6; Oct. 27: Felonious, $6; Oct. 29: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 31: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Oct. 18: 8 p.m. Cesaria Evora, $24 - $36; Oct. 19: 8 p.m. Karnak, $18 - $30; Nov 8: 8 p.m. Gypsy Caravan 2: A Celebration of Roma Music and Dance, $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph, 642-0212, tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; Oct. 19: Little Jonny and the Giants; Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Shafqat Ali Khan Oct. 20: 8 p.m. Concert of classical Ragaa, Sufi, Urdu, Persian Ghazel, and other popular musical styles from India. $20 general admission, $15 students. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 www.juliamorgan.org 

THEATER 

“Prometeh in Evin” Oct. 28: 8 p.m., A drama about political prisoners in Iran, performed by the brave and innovative Parsian Group. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts. $25, Children, $15 2640 College Ave 845.8542 www.juliamorgan.org. 

“Swanwhite” Through Oct. 21: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. A new translation of the Swedish Play that asks the question what good is romantic love, directed by Tom Clyde. $20, Sundays are “Pay What You Can”. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305, www.virtuous.com 

“Orestes” Through Oct. 21: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. An adaptation of the classical play by Euripides that incorporates passages inspired or taken from various 20th century texts. Written by Charles Mee, Directed by Christopher Herold. $6-12. Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus 642-8268 

“Approach” Through Oct. 27: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m. An examination of the search for intimacy as our most precious form of survival. Written by Susan Wiegand, Directed by Katie Bales Frassinelli. $15 general admission, $10 students and seniors. Eighth Street Studio Theatre, 2525 8th St. 655-0813 www.shotgunplayers.org 

“36 Views” Through Oct. 28: Tues. 8 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m., Thu. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Thu., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Sat., Sun. 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Written by Naomi Lizuka, Directed by Mark Wing-Davey. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“me/you...us/them” Nov. 8 though Nov. 10: Thur - Sat 8 p.m., matinee on Sat. 2:30 p.m. Three one-acts that look at interpersonal, as well as societal relationships from the perspective of the disabled. $10 - $25. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 925-798-1300 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m, matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

“Macbeth” Nov. 9 though Nov. 18: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. Presented by the Albany High School Theater Ensemble. $7 adults, $5 students and seniors. Albany High School Little Theater, 603 Key Route Blvd. 559-6550 x4125 theaterensemble@hotmail .com 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

FILMS 

“Lisa Picard is Famous” Through Oct. 19: Mocumentary chronicles New York actress who hopes to get more than a fleeting taste of fame when a racy cereal commercial brings her unexpected national notoriety. Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 843-3456 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Oct. 19: 7:30 p.m., Jungle Secrets, Yãkwa; Oct. 20: 3:30 p.m., Berkeley High/Bay Area Film Festival; 7 p.m., The Testament of Dr. Mabuse; 9:20 p.m., The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse; Oct. 21: 3:30 p.m., Kiss and Film, 5:30 p.m., Harakiri; Oct. 22: 7 p.m., The Closed Doors; Oct. 23: 7:30 p.m., Super-8mm Films by Theresa Cha; Oct. 24: 7:30 p.m., The Rainy Season and Wai’a Rini; Oct. 26: 7:30 p.m., The Passion of Joan of Arc, 9:15 p.m., Vivre sa Vie; Oct 27: 7 p.m., New Music for Silent Films by UCB Composers; Oct. 28: 5:30 p.m., Vampyr; Oct. 29: 7 p.m., A Time for Drunken Horses; Oct. 30: 7:30 p.m., An Evening with Leslie Thornton; Oct. 31: 7:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m., Saudade do Futuro. 

2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey” Oct. 20: 1 p.m. The documentary chronicles Bunche, who rose to become Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, where he helped to bring about the Armistice in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War for which he was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. $8. Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak Street Oakland, 652-3192 

EXHIBITS 

“First Annual Art Show” UC Berkeley Life Drawing Group Reception, Oct. 20: 3 p.m.; Oct. 21- 26: 7 - 10 p.m. Figure studies from the workshops at UC Berkeley. 1014 60th St., Emeryville. 923-0689 

“MWP Perspectives” Jon Orvik: One artist’s journey. Through Oct. 27 Tues. - Fri. 12 - 5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. Solo artist exhibiting his journey through metal, wood and paint. Adapt Gallery and Design, 2834 College Ave. 649-8501 www.adaptgallery.com  

“Cut Plates and Bowls” Annabeth Rosen, “Just Jars” Sandy Simon Through Nov. 3; Saturdays 10 - 5 or by appointment. Trax Ceramic Gallery, 1306 3rd St. 526-0279. cone5@aol.com 

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Oct. 19 - Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Musee des Hommages” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

READINGS 

Boadecia’s Books Oct. 18: Patricia Nell Warren reads from her novel “The Wild Man”, Oct. 22: J.M. Redmann reads from “Death By the Riverside”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on 4th Street Oct 18: Tamora Pierce talks about “Protector of the Small”; 1730 Fourth St. 559-9500 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Oct. 18: Suzanne Antoneta & Micah Perks talk about “Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir” and “Pagan Time: An American Childhood; Oct. 26 Sage Cohen & Mari L’esperance read their poetry; All shows at 7:30 p.m.; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Oct. 20: Miriam Ching Louie reads from “Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Women Workers Take on the Global Factory”; Nov. 10: 4 p.m. Ruthanne Lum McCunn reads from her novel “Moon Pearl”; Nov. 18: 4 p.m. Noel Alumit, M.G. Sorongon, and Marianne Villanueva read from their contributions to the anthology “Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Literature” 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Ecology Center Oct. 22: 7 - 9 p.m. Toby Hemenway presents a slideshow and reads from “Gaia’s Garden: A guide to Home Scale Permaculture”; 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-220 x233 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sun., noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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; Oct. 21: United Nations Day; Oct. 25: A Storytelling Pajama Party, 6 - 7 p.m.; Oct. 27: 4th Annual Habitot Halloween; Oct. 28: Family Arts Day; Oct. 31: Sugar-Art Halloween Frosting; Nov. 3: Tales from the Enchanted Forest, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.; Nov. 9: Living with the Earth; Nov. 17: Recycle that Stuff; $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Mon. and Wed., 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tues. and Fri., 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thur., 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111 or www.habitot.org  

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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. Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 642-1821 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

After a bitter process, the City Council finalized the revised council districts Tuesday, then immediately put them in jeopardy by approving a plan that could alter the city’s political landscape by creating a district where students are in control. 

After finalizing the new district boundaries, the council resurrected the idea of a student-led district, a plan the council was unable – because of City Charter constraints – to consider when it voted on the new boundaries.  

Tuesday, the council adopted a plan where students and community would work together to write a charter amendment to create a student-dominated district. The amendment would go before the voters in November 2002. 

A divided council approved the proposed plan by a 5-2-2 vote with councilmembers Miriam Hawley and Betty Olds voting in opposition and Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmember Polly Armstrong abstaining. The proposed charter amendment plan will come back to council on Oct. 30 for further discussion and possible approval. 

The conceptual plan approved Tuesday, submitted by Councilmember Kriss Worthington, calls for the formation of a council subcommittee to work with student representatives, property owners, neighborhood groups and local businesses to formulate a student district plan, which will be presented to voters as a charter amendment. 

A charter amendment is necessary to create the student district because districts 7 and 8 will have to be significantly reconfigured, and the charter allows only minimum changes to existing district boundary lines.  

For that reason, a redistricting proposal, submitted by the Associated Students of the University of California in August, was not considered by the council during the recently-completed redistricting process. 

Dean said she was surprised by the Worthington recommendation because she had been led to believe from a telephone conversation with the ASUC Vice President of External Affairs Josh Fryday that the existing plan would be presented to the council to be put on the March ballot. 

After the council approved the plan, Dean confronted Fryday outside the Council Chambers. “Everybody thought you wanted to put the ASUC plan on the ballot,” Dean said. “We’re trying to work with you and then we get punched in the head.” 

Armstrong, who failed to carry a substitute motion, which would have put the existing student plan on the March ballot, said if students wait until November to put the revised proposal on the ballot, the earliest a student would be able to run for election would be 2004. 

Fryday said he didn’t think it was prudent to put the existing student plan on the March ballot and that the plan would stand a better chance of approval if it contained community input. He said changing the charter is the critical thing. 

“Students are always going to be here,” he said. “I want a student district as soon as possible and having a better plan is the best way to do that.” 

Dean said Wednesday that the students were “manipulated” by the council’s progressive faction. She said the progressives have two goals: Protecting Worthington in District 7 and not alienating the student vote. 

“This plan precludes a student running against Councilmember Worthington in District 7 in November,” she said. “And I can’t believe that the students are so gullible that they decided to roll over and play dead for their own cause.” 

Worthington dismissed Dean’s statements as more of her “incessant political attacks.” He added that if the students did put their plan on the March ballot, as the moderates suggested, it would likely fail because of the traditional low-voter turnout for primary elections. 

He said even if the student plan “defied logic” and did win in March, it could be rendered obsolete by ongoing efforts to correct a census blunder that resulted in an undercount of approximately 4,000 Berkeley residents, mostly students. The City Charter requires districts to be redrawn with the most recent census numbers. 

Worthington added that he has consistently supported students by appointing them to commissions and boards, which are considered a training ground for potential councilmembers.  

“Dean didn’t appoint any students during her first 17 years in office and in the last couple of years she generally has one student, one Asian and one Latino,” he said. “I call that institutionalized tokenism.” 

If the student plan is approved as a charter amendment, students will face the difficult task of demonstrating to Berkeley residents why students, largely transitory residents who don’t own property, should be involved in city politics. 

“That’s the main reason why we want to take our time,” Fryday said, “we want to put forward a plan that everybody will be comfortable with.” 

SAN JOSE – The University of California women’s volleyball team lost a disappointing match to host San Jose State, 3-0 (30-21, 30-28, 30-27), Tuesday night at The Event Center on San Jose State’s campus.  

The Bears, who had substantial leads during the contest, were led by freshman Mia Jerkov’s 15 kills, while junior outside hitter Leah Young added 11 kills and junior Reena Pardiwala had a team-high 13 digs.  

San Jose State’s top hitter was Liz Hudson with 18 kills and the Spartans out hit Cal, .271 to .181.  

The Bears (5-10) let the first game slip away. Cal had a 10-8 lead on a Jerkov kill, but had a let down after that and fell behind 21-14 and could never rebound, losing 30-21. Jerkov led the Bears with five kills and Pardiwala had five digs in game one.  

Game two was even a worse case of Cal falling apart. The Bears held a 22-12 lead, only to see the Spartans go on a 9-0 run to get within 22-21. From there the two teams were tied six times, before San Jose State’s Brianna Blair’s service ace gave the Spartans (16-3) a 28-27 lead. A Cal hitting error gave SJS a 29-27 lead, followed by a Gabrielle Abernathy kill to get the Bears within 29-28, only to see Young’s kill attempt go long to lose the game, 30-28. Jerkov led Cal with six kills in game two.  

The Bears did not let a big lead slip away in game three, but still fell 30-27. Cal was down 15-12, but was able to eventually tie the contest, 16-16 on a kill by Abernathy. There were eight more ties before the Bears were able to muster a 26-25 advantage on another kill by Abernathy. San Jose State was able to tie the game at 26-26 when Cal again fell apart, losing points on a missed block attempt and a bad set.  

The Spartans had a net call on a block to get the Bears within 28-27, but a bad pass and finally a kill by San Jose State’s Stephanie Pascucci ended the game and the match.  

Cal will next return to Pac-10 play, hosting Washington State, Friday, Oct. 19 and Washington, Saturday, Oct. 20. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. at Haas Pavilion. The Bears will try to avenge earlier loses this season to the Cougars and Huskies, as Cal fell to the two teams, 3-0, Sept. 20 and 21 in Seattle and Pullman.

Editor 

There are many of us living in Berkeley who are shocked and disappointed that some of our city officials have clearly stepped outside of their elected mandate and have taken it upon themselves to speak for us in matters concerning foreign policy. I have NOT given my vote to any member of this city council to represent my beliefs in matters that are outside of their purview. Foreign policy is definitely something that, as an elected city official, they have no right, whatsoever, to speak for me. I do not recall that any of these council members presented their constituents with a platform that addressed foreign policy. Are we to assume when we voted for them that their responsibilities and expertise would extend so far beyond their duties and jurisdiction? In these matters they are free as private citizens to express their opinions but when they trespass on matters beyond their scope, I believe they abrogate my right as a citizen. It shames me to admit that I live in a city where the local officials have so little concern for the rights of their citizenry. 

Claudia Kawczynska  

Berkeley 

Apparatus Operator Darren Bobrosky, of Berkeley’s Fire Station 5, recently returned from a 10-day stint as a rescue worker in Lower Manhattan. Bobrosky and his partner, Dylan, a highly-trained search and rescue dog, are affiliated with Oakland’s Urban Search and Rescue team, one of the 28 FEMA-affiliated USAR teams nationwide. Following is the second part of Bobrosky’s story, edited by Daily Planet reporter Hank Sims. The first part ran on Wednesday. 

Initially, they didn’t want us there. They didn’t want outside help, and also I don’t think they knew how to use us. They’ve got 13,000 firemen, so they’re used to running their own program.  

I talked to people on some of the first teams that went, and they just got ignored. And that was in prime time – they were there the second day. If there’s going to be anybody alive, you’re going to find them in the first five or six days. But they weren’t being utilized hardly at all. They just sat and waited and hoped they could get some work, while everyone frantically dug through the pile. They didn’t realize that the dogs were such a valuable tool, and we came with equipment and training that would be valuable to the rescue operation. 

Once they figured that out, once some teams got in and got to work, the New York guys found out we weren’t there to take over. We weren’t there to steal any of their authority. By the time I got there, everything was cool. They’d grab us and say: “Hey, we need you guys to look over here. Come with us.” 

These were their brothers. We’re all one big brotherhood, but this was closer to them. A lot of family members of guys who were out there digging are still buried under there. So they had a very personal attachment to getting those guys out. They finally figured out that we had the equipment there with us to help pinpoint better locations to dig. 

New York fire and the police department were handling all the bodies. They were very discreet about it. They’d pull the bodies out, put them in a basket or on a stretcher, cover them up and carry them out. They didn’t make a big deal about it. It was done very low-key, very professionally and it wasn’t observable to anyone, unless you were right there when they found them.  

We didn’t get into any of the body-removal areas. We searched on the perimeter for bits and pieces that they were finding. The dogs were hitting on small body parts and things that had just been destroyed.  

You didn’t see them. The pieces were either so small or so buried that we weren’t supposed to dig anything up, just to mark what we found. 

If we sent one dog into an area and the dog alerted on something, we made a map of the area but we didn’t mark it. We’d send a second dog in, and if that second dog alerted us to the same spot, then we’d mark it. If two dogs hit same spot, it’s confirmed. There’s something there.  

A dog can have a bad day just like we can have a bad day. You’re not having a good day, you’re not performing as well as you should – dogs can do the same. It’s up to the handlers to know if our dogs are performing at the top of their game. You have to be able to read them.  

You need to be honest. You’re going to commit a lot of resources to an area if you say: “Yes, my dog has a scent here – dig here.” If 20 or 30 people come there and dig in that spot and find a salami sandwich, they’re going to be upset. They might force-feed it to you. So if your dog gives a weak alert at a spot and the second dog doesn’t even look at it, you have to figure that it’s nothing. 

Dylan was fine. I didn’t really work him enough to wear him out. When we went to search, he was all over it.  

We had marking tape with us. In the early going, when they were looking for live people, the dog handlers had people standing behind them with tools, ready to dig. With us, it was just the FBI standing there taking pictures of the area, making notes and making sure that the spot was sifted before it got bagged up and hauled away. 

They sent one FBI guy with us everywhere we went, to make sure things didn’t get disturbed, or if there was something that was obviously evidence it got marked. 

We asked him if we could take pictures. He said, “No, it’s a crime scene. That’s a felony.” We said, “OK, no problem.” 

We had a very small amount of free time. Since our mission deteriorated from rescue to recovery, and the immediate need for us was dwindling, they started giving us 24 hours off if they could – although the dogs didn’t really get it, because we needed to have two dogs available at all times, at Queens and Manhattan. 

We did get 12 hours off, and I was able to make it to Central Park. I let Dylan swim around, let him be a dog for a while.  

One night we were able to go by foot to the Empire State Building. It was closed to the public, but with our FEMA I.D.s we got in there, got to go up to the observation deck and look around. Six of us – we walked in, rode up, and there were 10 people on the top. We walked through Times Square, Rockefeller Center – hit all the highlights in the immediate area. We didn’t go out to dinner, because they fed us too well at the site.  

The people were impressed that we were from California, and came all the way across the country to help out. They asked the same questions everyone else asked – “Does your dog wear booties? Why aren’t the dogs wearing the booties we sent?” Everyone in the world wants to know why the dogs don’t wear booties.  

In the end, there were no live finds by the USAR teams. The success story was that some of our dogs found the bodies of the firefighters. That was the big thing, because back there especially, everything was fire-oriented.  

In addition, we found many, many civilians. But the fire department wanted to find their own, and that’s who we were working for. They were pleased that we found civilians, but even more so that we were locating their own. 

It was tough to come back. We still felt we had work to do there. We didn’t get to do much, and in the rescuers’ eyes, there was still a need for us. It was nice to come back because we were tired, physically, but mentally and emotionally we didn’t want to come back. It was bittersweet. It’s tough to leave a job unfinished.

The Cal men’s basketball program received its third oral commitment this week, as Alabama prepster Kennedy Winston said he planned to choose the Bears. 

“They offered me a scholarship and I told them I want to come. As of right now, I’m pretty solid,” Winston said of his choice of Cal following a weekend campus visit. 

Winston, a 6-foot-7 wing player, averaged 25.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists last season, leading Blount High of Pritchard, Ala., to the state’s 5-A title. He is rated as the nation’s No. 32 prospect by The Sporting News, and is considered to be the top prospect in Alabama. 

Winston joins Modesto Christian’s Richard Midgely and David Paris as oral commitments for the Bears. Recruits cannot officially commit until Nov. 14. 

The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the mayor and council:  

Last night I felt a shudder from the spirit of Mario Savio as our mayor said on television that there are certain issues we must not discuss. And I began to imagine: wouldn’t it be great if instead she had said, “We must speak out – just as Councilmember Spring did last week – sometimes Dona’s not as eloquent as Martin Luther King, Jr. was when he said: 

“A time comes when silence is betrayal. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government’s policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one’s own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover, when the issues at hand seem as perplexing as they often do in the case of dreadful conflict, we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty. But we must move on. 

“Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us.” (From a speech delivered at Riverside Church, New York City, April 4, 1967.)  

Then I hear the mayor say, “We are in support of Dona’s proposal. We want to work together, take a long look at ourselves and have the courage to make Berkeley a beacon in the search for a just and peaceful world.” 

She could have said that.  

Bonnie Hughes 

Berkeley

One of Berkeley’s medical marijuana clubs was robbed by two gunmen last Friday, according to Berkeley police. 

Lt. Cynthia Harris, BPD spokesperson, said two men entered “The Old Brick House,” a medical marijuana club at 1672 University Ave., around 4:30 p.m. 

Holding the clerks at gunpoint, the two men demanded that they turn over the club’s supply of marijuana and all the cash in the store. The clerks complied. Afterward, the suspects fled in one of the victim’s vehicles. 

The suspects are described as African American males in their 20s. One of them was of heavy build, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall, 240 pounds, with a shaved head and wearing black pants and a purple shirt. The other suspect was around the same height, of thin build, wearing a beige sweater, black pants and a mustache. 

Though reported robberies at California’s medical marijuana clubs are somewhat rare, they have occurred in the past. Jeff Jones of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Co-operative said there have been a few such cases in San Francisco and Oakland in recent years. 

Jones said medical marijuana clubs generally run the same risks that other businesses do, and that some vigilance is called for. (The OCBC recently lost a case in the Supreme Court where it claimed that a medical necessity defense cannot be used to fight federal marijuana charges.) 

“I always tell these groups that there is a risk, and they should put some safeguards in place,” he said. “It’s not just for their own safety, though there is that – it’s also that they should be securing the medicine that their patients need. 

“A lot of the facilities that I’ve visited in San Francisco and the East Bay have safes, or other ways to secure their resources.” 

The people who run the “Old Brick House” club could not be reached for comment.  

The business is now closed, but signs outside say it will be open again next week. It is not known whether they had a security system, or any set procedures in place in case of such an emergency. 

In 1999, the San Francisco Patients’ Resource Center, another club, was held up shortly after it began operating. The thieves made off with $5,000 worth of marijuana and cash. Security personnel were stationed at the club soon after. 

The SFPRC, which is located near San Francisco’s Panhandle, later became a program of the city’s St. Martin de Tours Chapel. Sister Rosemarie, a nun who works at the club, said it was robbed again last March. 

She said in the wake of the recent hold-up, security at the club was tightened again. 

“We already had alarms, but we increased security by firming up entrance facilities,” she said. “We also had a staff training session, where we learned how to do perimeter checks before opening doors and to exercise ‘preventative scrutiny.’”  

Sister Rosemarie said the medicine’s physical availability is also limited to prevent losses, in case of another robbery. 

“We have secure lockdown procedures, including safes and off-site storage,” she said. 

When reached by telephone, a member of the Berkeley Cannabis Co-op, the most prominent of the Berkeley medical marijuana clubs, said that the group’s policy was not to speak to the press. 

Berkeley police were unable to say whether other marijuana clubs in the city have been robbed.

Michael Lawson, who left the Cal basketball program last season before ever playing a game, will redshirt the upcoming season before returning to the team for the 2002-03 season. 

Lawson, a guard from Martinez, enrolled as a full-time student at Diablo Valley Community College in Stockton after withdrawing from Cal before the start of the last school year. Since he did not receive an Associate of Arts, he is ineligible to play the upcoming season according to NCAA regulations. Lawson will rejoin the program as a walk-on.

Editor: 

Bless these people in the Media who are trying to cover the news. Did anyone happen to think of the time it takes to get to the bottom of a problem (Anthrax for one).  

This causes fear. We are headed for being dissolved as a nation (imploded) if we don’t start watching out for our neighbors.  

Compel the news media to get their facts straight (possibly consult with each other as to what and when to report to the tender ears of our citizens).  

People who listen to a number of newspeople with many different concepts forget the basics given. This could cause snowballing of fear and corrupt thinking. 

There are not enough qualified psychiatrists in the world to project the thought that our best protection comes from within ourselves.  

It’s too bad nobody listened to the sole dissenter from this community (Barbara Lee), when we could have concentrated on discussion and protection of OUR OWN country.  

A few admissions of guilt by our leaders wouldn’t be a bad idea either. 

Joy A. Flaherty 

Berkeley

On Sept. 11 Wanda Anita Green and members of the crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 gave their life to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of others. Wanda’s family deeply appreciates the expressions of love from the people of our nation and announce plans to celebrate Wanda’s life. Memorial services for Wanda Anita Green will be held Oct. 27 at Evergreen Baptist Church in Oakland at noon. The Rev. Frank Pinkard Jr. will be officiating.  

Wanda’s parents, Francis and Aserene Smith moved to Oakland from Oceanside within the year of her birth on Aug. 22, 1952. Wanda, her identical twin sister Sandra and brother Tommy Smith were raised in West and North Oakland. Wanda’s sister, Sandra Jamerson, now lives in Antioch. Wanda’s parents and brother still live in Oakland. 

Wanda was loved and will be sorely missed by her daughter Jennifer R. Green, 21, son Joe B. Green II, 18, of Linden, N.J. and many other family members and friends. 

For 28 years, Wanda was living her childhood dream of earning her wings and working as a senior flight attendant for United Airlines.  

In celebration of Wanda’s life the family has formed a foundation in her honor that will assist inner-city youth in reaching their dreams with scholarships to support their education and career goals.  

The public is respectfully invited to support this effort in Wanda’s honor: 

Wanda Anita Green Foundation 

c/o Bay Area Urban League 

303 Hegenberger Road, Ste. A. Oakland, CA 94621  

(A United Way Agency-Member) 

The family thanks the public in advance for their support of this celebration of Wanda’s life. 

Sandré R. Swanson, Wanda’s first cousin, is coordinating essential communication for the family and he can be reached at 847-1125 or SRS215@aol.com or by fax 814-0639.

Bay Area deaf women victimized by domestic or sexual abuse have a new way of protecting themselves. 

Deaf Women Against Violence officially introduced a 24-hour teletypewriter, or TTY, crisis line for deaf victims of abuse last week at the Commission on Disability. 

Deaf victims of domestic or sexual abuse can type a message into their home TTY machine, which automatically transmits the message to the Deaf Women Against Violence Hayward offices. An automated message center then transmits the message to a victim response advocate who contacts the victim. 

“We provide anything that will allow (the victim) to live independently and without violence,” said Amber Hudson, a social worker working for Deaf Women Against Violence. 

The service also provides for free emergency hotel stays, deaf awareness education as well as free medical and legal support for victims throughout the Bay Area. Most of the organization’s money comes from Bay Area counties and the federal Violence Against Women Act. 

The number of deaf women in the Bay Area has not been counted, but advocates say there may be several thousand – 25 percent of whom are likely the victims domestic or sexual violence. 

“Because they are deaf, they are already isolated and batterers can capitalize on that and make it more difficult to leave the abusive situation,” said Hudson. “For example, taking away her TTY so she is not able to communicate, making fun of her deafness or language skills and increasing her low self-esteem saying: ‘You’re deaf, where can you go anyway?’” 

The Hayward-based nonprofit organization says its service is the only one operating in California and one of only 16 in the United States. 

Delia Todd, a member of the Commission on Disability, says domestic violence shelters are often not equipped to serve deaf women, which further discourages victims from leaving abusive environments. 

“The problem is if deaf women go to a shelter, they feel very isolated because the other people there don’t know sign language,” said Todd. 

Deaf Women Against Violence is currently working with area shelters to arrange for American Sign Language interpreters and deaf support groups at local shelters. 

The organization has been operating since last June and just recently received federal nonprofit designation. 

The group has helped more than 25 deaf victims and at least 50 children of those victims. 

The Deaf Women Against Violence TTY crisis line is 538-0152. For voice calls, a TTY relay system can be used by first dialing 888-877-5379.

SACRAMENTO — When a new law signed by Gov. Gray Davis takes effect Jan. 1, California will be the nation’s second state to allow pharmacists to provide women with emergency contraceptives without a prescription. 

The morning-after pill is a heavy dose of ordinary birth control pills, which, if used within 72 hours of unprotected sex, can delay ovulation and prevent pregnancy. 

California will join Washington state in allowing women to get the drugs without a doctor’s prescription, a move that will have a “clear impact in California in preventing abortions,” said Jane Boggess, director of the Public Health Institute’s Pharmacy Access Partnership. 

“California is a bellwether state for many other parts of the country,” Boggess said. Eleven other states considered bills this year related to emergency contraception, but only California approved a law. 

Once proven successful here, other states will see the benefits of starting their own programs, she said. 

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, a co-sponsor of the bill, estimates that about half of all U.S. pregnancies are unintended, and about half of those will end in abortion. 

However, opponents say the law allows pharmacists to act beyond their training and could give access of the drugs to minors, who may need more counseling to decide to take the pills. 

Pharmacists will be able to “prescribe this morning-after pill to children without the parents’ knowledge or involvement,” said Christine Thomas, acting executive director of California Right to Life. 

The law has no age limit, so minors also able to get an abortion or birth control without parental consent in California could also get the morning-after pills. 

California Right to Life would have opposed the bill, even if excluded minors, because it believes the drug induces abortion, Thomas said. 

Morning-after pills, however, differ from the abortion pill RU-486, which expels the fetus, because they prevent a fertilized egg from implanting itself in the uterus and doesn’t end a pregnancy. 

About 90 percent of women who take the morning-after pill do not become pregnant, Boggess said. 

Thomas, however, said the morning-after pill can also prevent an egg from implanting, which they call tantamount to abortion. 

The bill was state Sen. Dede Alpert’s second attempt to pass this law. A previous measure by the Coronado Democrat was defeated two years ago. 

Jan Carroll, legislative analysts for the California Pro-Life council, said her group didn’t oppose the bill, but she was concerned it would allow pharmacists to dispense drugs without seeing a patient’s medical history. 

The law, Carroll said, is “a move in the wrong direction,” because it may open the door to pharmacists prescribing other drugs. 

Pharmacists will be trained in the available medications and will use guidelines established by doctors and a pharmacists’ association, Boggess said. 

The Berkeley-based Public Health Institute sponsored a trial program that started in January 2000 and now includes 70 clinics and pharmacies. It has provided pills to several thousand women, Boggess said. 

A grant from the Packard Foundation to the Public Health Institute, a private nonprofit organization, funded the program. 

The pilot program involved clinics with large number of women enrolled. They can go to a pharmacists for the pills immediately, instead of waiting for an appointment with the clinic. 

Timely access to the drugs is critical, which is why the California Medical Association supported the bill, said Shannon Smith-Crowley, its associate director of government relations. 

“This is so safe, and timeliness is so critical for the use of this drug, that we believe all women should have access to it,” she said. 

At least 11 states considered the issue of emergency contraceptives in the past year, said Leah Oliver, a researcher with the National Conference of State Legislatures, but only California has approved legislation. Washington used existing laws to implement its program. 

The states were Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia. Among the bills they considered were measures to require hospitals to provide the drugs to rape victims, establish studies or start education campaigns. 

——— 

On the Net: 

California Right to Life: http://www.calright2life.org 

Planned Parenthood of California: http://www.ppacca.org 

Read Senate Bill 1169 at http://www.senate.ca.gov 

On Monday, a man was robbed by two men wielding a stun gun or taser, police say. 

According to Lt. Cynthia Harris, the victim was walking down the street around 10:15 p.m. When he reached the corner of Vine and Milvia Streets, he felt a sting on the back of his neck and heard zapping sounds. He turned around and was allegedly punched by one of the men behind him. One of the men demanded his wallet, Harris said. The victim gave it to them, and the suspects fled by foot. 

*** 

A shooting was reported Sunday afternoon at the corner of Haskell and Mabel streets. According to police, one or two people in a white Dodge or Ford van drove up to the corner at 3:15 p.m. One person got out of the van and fired shots at a young man, missing him. The suspect got back into the vehicle and drove away. No one was injured.

A portion of the Haas School of Business was evacuated for a few hours after a mail clerk reported finding an “unknown white powder” Wednesday afternoon. 

It was determined that the substance was not anthrax and the evacuation order was lifted a few hours later. 

Kathleen Maclay of the UC Berkeley Public Affairs office said that campus police and the Berkeley Fire Department's hazardous materials team responded to the scene and cordoned off the area.  

SAN FRANCISCO — University of California regents said Wednesday they need more information on a faculty proposal that admissions decisions be based on more than just academics. 

“Who are these people? What are their qualifications?” asked Regent John Davies at a meeting of the university system’s governing board. 

“How do we assure the public that students who go to high school, stay up nights to get good grades — that that really matters?” said Regent Ward Connerly. 

Regents discussed the proposal at their Wednesday meeting but did not vote on it. The proposal comes from a faculty committee. If approved by an Academic Senate of UC faculty, it would come back to regents for a vote in November. 

The new admissions approach follows the board’s decision in May to rescind a 1995 vote dropping UC’s old affirmative action program. 

The repeal was largely symbolic, since a state law passed in 1996 bans considering race or gender in public education. However, the May vote did call into question a requirement in the 1995 measure that at least 50 percent of students at each campus — up from the previous minimum of 40 percent — be chosen solely on the basis of academic criteria. 

The balance of students are selected on the basis of grades and test scores and supplemental factors such as talent, leadership and ability to overcome disadvantage. 

A faculty committee has endorsed changing that system to eliminate the 50 percent minimum and take the larger view of all applicants, a system known as “comprehensive review.” 

“The important thing is it is not just one or two academic criteria like high school GPA or the standardized test scores that determine the potential for success,” Chand Viswanathan, the faculty representative to the regents, said in an interview Monday. 

UC President Richard C. Atkinson supports the shift toward comprehensive review and the elimination of the two-tier system. 

The change wouldn’t affect who gets into the nine-campus system, but it could change which students get into top campuses such as Berkeley and UCLA. 

Students become eligible for UC by reaching minimum grade and test scores or by graduating in the top 4 percent of their high school class. 

UC has a policy of finding a place for all eligible students. However, being eligible doesn’t guarantee a spot at the campus of your choice.  

That’s where the academic criteria come into play.  

Each campus is now limited to taking half of the new freshman class on academics alone. 

The May repeal ordered that any changes take effect for students entering in fall 2002. 

The move toward comprehensive review is the latest in a series of changes in UC admissions policies. 

In 1999, regents guaranteed eligibility to students who finished in the top 4 percent of their high school, based on UC-required courses. This year, they approved expanding that guarantee to the top 12.5 percent, provided students who fell in the latter 8.5 percent went to community college for the first two years, although that proposal stalled last month for lack of state funds. 

Atkinson also has asked faculty members to consider dropping the SAT I achievement test as a requirement. 

MARTINEZ — A yellowish cloud of dust billowing from a local oil refinery forced residents to seek shelter for the second time in four days. 

Contra Costa County fire officials said the cloud began forming over Equilon Martinez Refining Co. around 8:50 a.m. Wednesday.  

They said the situation was under control an hour later. 

The county health department warned area residents to stay in their homes, with windows and doors closed and wet towels around all door and window openings. 

The cloud was a sandy silica dust, according to Equilon spokesman Mark Hughes. He said it was not toxic. 

Still, the cloud prompted the California Highway Patrol to shut down Highway 680 between the Benicia Bridge and Highway 4. 

Hughes said the company did not know what caused the release. 

It was the second accidental release in less than a week at the refinery. 

Sunday night, the same unit of the refinery released alumina silica for just over an hour, prompting officials to issue a “shelter in place” order. The cause of that accident is still under investigation. 

County health officials said those fluffy particles were not hazardous to touch and had no reports of anyone being injured. Equilon offered to pay to sweep city streets and school playgrounds, and said it would cover cleaning bills for cars, houses or other private property dirtied by Sunday’s black dust.

Before the terrorist attacks, 7-year-old Jacqueline Zobel wasn’t sure what it meant to be patriotic. 

Since then, she’s been wearing red, white and blue to school, learning to sing “God Bless America,” raising relief money at her lemonade stand — and starting to grasp the concept. 

“It means you’re a good person and you live in America,” says the second-grader from Plantation, Fla. She was among thousands of students nationwide who stood last Friday to say the Pledge of Allegiance simultaneously. 

Many Americans, including Jacqueline’s parents, are thrilled at schools’ heightened emphasis on national pride since the attacks. But others are worried that an unchecked wave of patriotism might quash some basic U.S. traditions — such as the right to question and separation of church and state. 

“Right now, it’s a lot of rote memorization,” says Cecilia O’Leary, an associate professor of history at California State University, Monterey Bay, and author of “To Die For: The Paradox of American Patriotism.” 

“If you leave it at that, we’re just marching lock step wherever the flag is taken — right or wrong.” 

There is little doubt that Americans, overall, have been feeling more patriotic lately. A University of Michigan survey taken after Sept. 11 found that 90 percent of those questioned felt proud to be an American. 

That sense has driven the push for a show of patriotism in schools. 

Earlier this month, the Nebraska state board of education voted unanimously to endorse a 1949 state law that requires schools to teach lyrics to patriotic songs, reverence for the flag and the dangers of communism. 

Officials at an elementary school in Rocklin, Calif., declined to remove a “God Bless America” sign after the American Civil Liberties Union complained that it violates the separation of church and state. 

Private organizations also have gotten involved. This week, the Family Research Council, a conservative, Washington-based lobbying group, began offering patriotic book covers on its Web site with the Pledge of Allegiance on one side and two verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the other. 

“This is an important statement of American unity,” says Jennifer Marshall, who oversees the group’s work on education. “Students need to understand what we are at war to protect.” 

All the flag-waving has left some wondering if there’s much room for dissent. 

Jane Bluestein, a teacher and school consultant based in Albuquerque, N.M., says her research has found that even before Sept. 11, many students did not feel safe expressing their own opinions at school. 

“If that’s going to be the case, what’s going to happen to the kid who’s a pacifist?” asks Bluestein, author of the new book “Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide For Educators and Parents.” 

But some students say they do feel free to express their opinions. 

“The teachers aren’t telling us what to think — they’re getting our thoughts on it,” says Jennifer Ewa, a sophomore at Walter Payton College Prep High School in Chicago, who opposes bombing Afghanistan. “They’re really telling us to think for ourselves.” 

Kajal Alemo agrees that students need a safe space to air their views.  

One good place for him is the daily discussion of current events in his history class at Episcopal Academy, a private high school in Merion, Pa. 

“It’s helped everyone calm down a lot,” the 10th-grader says. 

Other students, including eighth-graders at Liberty Junior High School in Liberty, Mo., have taken their opinions — including support and a mix of advice — all the way to the top, by writing letters to President Bush. In Virginia Beach, Va., the attacks have sparked an unprecedented interest in voting.  

Organizers of a Kids Voting USA project say they’ve been overwhelmed with students who want to staff practice voting booths for young people in the general election.  

And even if children don’t understand all the words, Kathy Hoveland, a second-grade teacher in Madison, Wis., thinks the pledge has been a comfort to them. At home, some of her students have been sneaking downstairs to sleep, where they feel safer. 

Says Hoveland: “We have kids who are clinging to anything to feel better.”

NEW YORK — Gov. George Pataki said Wednesday that anthrax had been found in his midtown Manhattan office, the third time the dangerous germ has turned up in the city in less than a week. 

No one was believed to have the disease in Pataki’s office, but the governor said he had begun taking the antibiotic Cipro as a precaution. 

He also said he didn’t plan to be tested for the disease that has infected two other people in New York City. Three more have tested positive for exposure. 

“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Pataki said, who was advised by the state health commissioner on whether to be tested. “I feel great.” 

A positive result from an initial anthrax test came back Wednesday morning and all 80 people working in the office were relocated.  

Results from more sophisticated tests are due by Friday, but Pataki said he was confident they would prove anthrax was present. 

The source of the anthrax is under investigation but Pataki suggested it could have been tracked in by state police who have accompanied him to anthrax investigations at two news networks. 

“The state police have been obviously at NBC, at ABC, all over the environs over the course of the past month,” he said. 

A suspicious letter prompted Pataki to order testing, but he said he didn’t think the package is the source. 

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the anthrax mailed to NBC appeared to match a strain discovered at a Florida tabloid publisher earlier this month. An employee of the company died of anthrax on Oct. 5. 

The strain occurs naturally and responds well to antibiotics, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said. 

Matching strains do not necessarily mean the anthrax came from the same source. More tests would be needed to confirm that. 

Elsewhere, city health officials gave a clean bill of health to the Rockefeller Center headquarters of NBC, where an assistant to anchor Tom Brokaw tested positive for the skin form of anthrax last week. Tests on some 500 employees came back negative. 

An anthrax test of air filters at ABC’s Upper West Side headquarters came back negative, the network said.  

On Monday, the 7-month-old son of an ABC News producer tested positive for anthrax after spending time at the facility. Other test results are pending. 

The governor ordered the Capitol in Albany tested for anthrax.  

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said city health officials have also tested City Hall and other agencies as a precaution. No results were immediately available. 

At Pataki’s office on Third Avenue between 40th and 41st streets, the substance was detected on a desk in the state police offices on the 39th floor. The area was not open to the public or large numbers of staff. 

The anthrax testing began after the governor’s secretary became concerned about a letter that arrived at the office a few days after its Sept. 25 postmark. She turned it over to state police, who found it did not contain any threats or suspicious substances, Pataki said. 

Anthrax tests on her and two mail handlers were negative, Pataki said. 

The governor and his staff refused to say who sent the letter or what prompted the concern. They did say the letter came from an organization within New York state; representatives of the organization have since been interviewed by state authorities. 

Environmental tests in four areas of the governor’s office were performed Monday night, after ABC News disclosed the baby’s infection. 

The governor’s complex of offices on the 38th and 39th floors has been closed for further testing and decontamination work. It is expected to reopen Monday. 

Rick Owen, a banker who had an appointment in the building Wednesday, said he is not worried but his wife is concerned. 

“She already told me that when I get home I have to put my clothes in a bag,” said Owen, of Boonton Township, N.J. 

HONOLULU — Navy divers entered the wreck of the Ehime Maru and recovered the body of one of the nine men and boys killed when the Japanese fishing boat was accidentally sunk by a surfacing U.S. submarine. 

Navy officials gave few details about Tuesday’s operation, such as where on board the vessel the body was found. 

“The U.S. Navy is committed to treating the families respectfully and honorably. We’re committed to an honorable closure for those families,” said Lt. Cmdr. Neil Sheehan, the Navy’s liaison officer for the Japanese victims’ families. 

The search for the dead is expected to take a month. 

Divers using cameras spotted the body before actually entering the Ehime Maru. 

Lt. Cmdr. Gregg Baumann, a spokesman for the operation, said divers still must clear large amounts of fishing line and dislodged objects — including a refrigerator — from the exterior and interior of the vessel. 

Over the weekend, the Ehime Maru was towed 16 miles underwater from the 2,000-foot waters where it sank Feb. 9 after it was rammed by the USS Greeneville during a rapid-surfacing drill. 

Twenty-six people from the high school fisheries training vessel from Japan were rescued.  

Four students and five adults were never found and are believed to be in the wreck. 

The wreck now lies in 115 feet of water a mile off Oahu’s southern shore. 

“I pray that as many bodies as possible will be found, and am thankful for the U.S. Navy’s thorough preparations leading up to this day,” said Moriyuki Kato, governor of the Ehime state, where the fisheries school is located. 

Once the bodies are removed, the Ehime Maru will be towed more than six miles out to sea and allowed to sink. 

The unprecedented recovery effort has cost more than $60 million.

CHICAGO — The warning by United Airlines’ chief executive that the carrier is in danger of going out of business prompted criticism Wednesday from its labor unions and sent the stock plunging to its lowest price in more than a decade. 

United shares fell 10 percent after James Goodwin said in a letter to employees that it will stop flying sometime next year if it doesn’t stop “hemorrhaging” cash at the current pace, which accelerated after the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Aviation industry experts are divided on whether United could fail that quickly, with some calling it unlikely and others possible. They say such carriers as US Airways, America West and perhaps Continental are in more dire situations, although troubled United is going through its cash alarmingly quickly. 

Labor officials representing United employees angrily dismissed the warning as a “Chicken Little letter” — a scare tactic intended to force a reopening of its costly labor contracts or at least gain leverage in negotiations with 15,000 mechanics and 30,000 ramp and customer service workers. 

Reservations agents, they said, were being swamped with calls from nervous passengers seeking ticket refunds. 

Tom Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, assailed Goodwin for an “alarmist rant” that undercut passenger confidence in air travel just when it was beginning to return. 

“Goodwin’s credibility with employee-owners and the IAM is shot,” he said. “I refuse to accept his assessment of United’s future. We want to see the books.” 

Federally mediated contract talks, which remain deadlocked after nearly two years, are due to resume Oct. 31 with ramp and customer service workers and Nov. 6 with mechanics. 

IAM spokesman Frank Larkin said United’s management may also be trying to get more money out of the government, which already rescued the airline industry with a $15 billion package designed to stave off bankruptcies. 

“The letter may represent a new high in pre-negotiations rhetoric, or it may be greasing the door for a return to Washington for additional bailout billions,” Larkin said. 

Herb Hunter, union leader for United pilots who signed an industry-leading wage agreement last year, said the letter raised troubling questions — particularly since bookings are high again and “there are a lot of full airplanes.” 

“It scares the people, it scares the employees,” he said. “It sounds like labor negotiations 101 and using fear as a tactic.” 

United spokesman Joe Hopkins declined comment on the union charges that Goodwin’s remarks were a ploy. 

Investors took the warning seriously, sending the stock of United parent company UAL Corp. — which peaked at over $100 in 1997 — as low as $16, down 14 percent, before it recovered somewhat. Shares finished the session down $1.79 to $16.85 on the New York Stock Exchange, near the post-attacks closing low of $16.22 reached last month. 

The last time UAL shares closed as low as $16, including adjustments for stock splits, was Sept. 9, 1988, according to the Center for Research in Security Prices, run by the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.  

Intraday lows, or those reached during trading sessions, are not available for that far back. 

Analysts estimate that United is losing as much as $20 million a day and risks burning through its cash by next summer. But with schedules, fares and work force levels all in flux, they said it’s impossible to assess exactly how badly it’s doing or how full its planes need to be in order for it to break even. 

United has announced plans to lay off about 20,000 of its 100,000 employees and reduced daily capacity by 26 percent, to 1,654 flights. 

“I think Goodwin has been understating the situation all along, and it’s about time he told everybody what the true picture was,” said ABN Amro analyst Ray Neidl. “Every airline is in danger.” 

He noted that United, which depends more heavily on business travel than other carriers, accounted for two-thirds of airline industry losses in the second quarter when it lost $292 million. 

But others think United’s chairman and CEO overstated the case. 

“We believe Goodwin’s comments are designed to ensure UAL’s employees fully understand the magnitude of UAL’s financial difficulties as he likely seeks wage and/or work rule concessions,” Brian Harris said in a research note for Salomon Smith Barney. 

“We do not think UAL will ’perish’ because we fully expect the combination of revenue claw-back and cost reductions via unprecedented capacity reductions will be sufficient ... to survive.” 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sprint Corp. will lay off about 6,000 employees, or about 7 percent of its workforce, and 1,500 contract workers because of the weak economy, the company said Wednesday. 

Sprint also said it would discontinue its money-losing voice and high-speed Internet unit, ION. 

The announcements came as Sprint, the nation’s third-largest long distance provider, reported lower third-quarter earnings and a loss for its PCS wireless division. 

The decision was based on “rapidly changing industry landscape and future funding requirements for the ION, especially in light of the economic slowdown and the uncertainty of the timing of the recovery,” William T. Esrey, Sprint’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. 

Additionally, Sprint said it will restructure various divisions and its fixed wireless services, which allows customers to operate wireless devices or systems in fixed locations such as homes and offices. 

Sprint, the nation’s third-largest long distance provider, hopes to save an estimated $1 billion annually starting in 2002 with the changes. 

Sprint employs 84,000 worldwide. About 14,500 of them are in the Kansas City area, where Sprint is the largest private employer. 

The company had held out on layoffs even as its telecommunications competitors shed about 225,000 workers. 

The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday that Sprint’s layoffs will be complete by mid-November. 

ION let customers connect to the Internet and simultaneously use one or more separate phones, all through a single phone line. 

The service was ballyhooed when it was announced in 1998, but “it just kind of fizzled,” said Tom Morabito, a telecom analyst with McDonald Investments in Cleveland. 

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Sprint Corp. FON Group reported a 60 percent drop in earnings to $154 million, compared with $384 million the year before. 

Sprint PCS, the company’s wireless division, reported a loss of $288 million, or 29 cents per share, in the quarter, compared to a loss of $390 million, or 41 cents per share, a year ago. This quarter’s loss was wider, however, than the 22 cents expected by analysts. 

Even so, Sprint is in better shape than some other telecom companies, said Ramkrishna Kasargod, an analyst with Morgan Keegan & Co. in Memphis, Tenn. 

“They do have customers, they do have revenues,” Kasargod said.

SAN FRANCISCO — With millions of square feet in new office construction and few tenants in sight, San Francisco is facing a commercial real estate glut rivaling the excess development of the late 1980s. 

More than 3 million square feet of prime office space is under construction and scheduled for delivery within 12 to 18 months, according to brokers. Another 3 million square feet is approved for building in San Francisco but pending groundbreaking. 

That new space, combined with falling rents, high vacancies and a huge amount of sublease space, is spelling trouble for a market that fairly recently posted record rents and single-digit vacancies. 

“This is the highest vacancy in two decades, and millions of square feet of sublease space is hanging over the market and depressing rents,” said Margaret Duskin, a senior director at Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate firm. “We’re all concerned at the lack of demand in office product.” 

Many of the new buildings coming online were planned during the dot-com boom and will apparently open up amid slumping demand for space. Developers, for their part, say they are continuing to build during the slower climate because city entitlements carry strict construction timetables. 

“We are going forward because the entitlements are structured in such a way that we have to go forward,” said Rob Paratte of Wilson Equity Office, which is building the 1.1 million-square-foot Foundry Square office complex. “Our view is that things will be very difficult, but it’s not going to get appreciably worse.” 

Foundry Square was intended to serve thousands of new tech workers. Technology giant Sun Microsystems preleased about 500,000 square feet, but brokers said that as much as half of that space will be dumped on the sublease market as soon as the buildings open. 

Developers of a number of other high-profile projects who were counting on the dot-com economy to provide tenants are also proceeding despite an uncertain future. 

The projects include a 155,000-square-foot building across from Pacific Bell Park, a 260,000-square-foot building on Potrero Hill and a 660,000-square-foot building in the south Financial District. 

The Financial District building was preleased by JP Morgan Chase, but that firm said it will put the space on the sublease market.  

Brokers said it illustrates the current dilemma facing companies that preleased space at high rents in a hot market. 

“The JP Morgan lease deal was done in a bold environment,” said Dan Cressman, managing director at real estate services firm Grubb & Ellis, which recently predicted a 25 percent vacancy rate in San Francisco by the middle of next year. “It was dot-com growth that fueled the increase in rental rate.” 

As of Oct. 1, the average Class A office rent in San Francisco was $43 per square foot, a stunning decrease from the record high of $80 last year. Average Class B rents have fallen to $30 per square foot from a record $68 last year. 

The last time the city endured such a glut was the late ’80s, a period that followed an intense political debate over downtown development. The excess office space produced by that boom took several years to fill. 

Experts said the spike in construction this time happened much more quickly, with normal business assumptions temporarily suspended. 

“Nobody looked at operating expenses,” said Paratte, referring to the headlong rush to find office space. “People focused on tying up space. Now it’s back to basics.” 

On the other hand, Cressman said the current market means it is a great time to be a tenant. 

“Ten years ago, the (downturn) occurred a lot more slowly,” he said. “We’re taking a big hit, but I think a lot of the empty space will be absorbed over time. You can view it as the sky is falling, or you can see the net of it all as greater opportunities for tenants.” 

SAN JOSE — Advanced Micro Devices Inc. on Wednesday posted a third-quarter loss of $186.9 million as the chip maker suffered the effects of a price war with rival Intel Corp. 

For the three months ended Sept. 30, the company lost 54 cents a share, compared with a profit of $17.4 million, or 5 cents per share in the same period a year ago. 

Excluding one-time charges, the company lost $97 million, or 28 cents per share, compared with net earnings of $219 million, or 70 cents per share, a year ago. 

Analysts were expected a loss of 28 cents per share, according to a survey by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

Revenues fell 22 percent, to $765.9 million. Last year, AMD reported sales of $985.3 million. Analysts were expecting revenue of $779 million. 

Earlier this month, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company warned losses would be between $90 million and $110 million, or 26 cents to 31 cents per share.  

Prior to the warning, analysts were expecting a loss of 12 cents per share, excluding one-time charges. 

AMD says sales of its microprocessors are increasing, but its results are diminished by lower selling prices as it matches Intel’s price cuts on Pentium 4 processors. 

“AMD held market share in the 22 percent range in a very weak PC market made more difficult by our principal competitor’s efforts to halt our forward momentum,” said W. J. Sanders III, AMD’s chief executive. 

Sanders claims Intel resorted to the price cuts to make up for performance deficiencies of its processors. Intel says it’s passing on savings from more its more efficient production. 

Shares of AMD closed down 90 cents to $9.71 in Wednesday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market before the earnings release. In after-hours trading, shares lost 6 cents. 

——— 

On the Net: 

AMD: http://www.amd.com 

CUPERTINO — Apple Computer Inc. reported a 61 percent drop in fourth-quarter profits Wednesday, beating Wall Street’s expectations. But the company warned of a shortfall in profits and revenues in its fiscal first quarter. 

Shares of Apple fell $1.02, or 5.6 percent, to $16.99 on the Nasdaq Stock Market ahead of the report. The stock was off 35 cents in after-hours trading. 

For the three months ended Sept. 29, the Cupertino-based company reported net income of $66 million, or 19 cents per share — compared with $170 million, or 47 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. 

Excluding a one-time investment gain, the company earned $65 million, or 18 cents per share. Wall Street analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call predicted earnings of 16 cents per share. 

Revenue for the quarter reached $1.45 billion, down 22 percent from the year-ago period. 

Revenue in the first quarter is expected to be flat at about $1.4 billion and earnings per share are now expected to fall to 10 cents per share, Apple said. Thomson Financial/First Call estimates were for earnings of 18 cents per share on revenue of $1.6 billion. 

For the year, Apple reported losing $25 million on revenues of $5.36 billion. In 2000, the company earned $786 million, or $2.18 per share, on revenues of $7.98 billion. 

Seeing no upturn in the slumping personal computer market, Apple officials in July lowered their fiscal year revenue expectations to about $3 billion from a range of $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion. 

The personal computer has been struggling with the economic slowdown. Market researcher International Data Corp. has lowered its annual forecasts several times this year and predicts global shipments of PCs to decline in 2001 by 1.6 percent to about 130 million units. A recovery isn’t expected until 2003. 

Despite the industry’s gloomy performance, Apple is forging ahead with product rollouts and upgrades. Tuesday, the company beefed up its iBook and PowerBook G4 mobile laptops, adding faster processors, bigger hard drives and wireless networking features. The company kept prices the same. 

Next week, Apple said it will announce a new digital device — “not a Mac” — but won’t give any more details. 

——— 

On the Net: 

http://www.apple.com 

Wednesday, Oct. 17 

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Golden Age Party 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Party for the over 90 club and any who wish to attend. Swing Notes, a women’s acappela group will entertain and there will be refreshments. 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave. 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov. 28. 

Conversation: Rosemary  

Radford Reuther and Carolyn  

Merchant 

5:30 - 8 p.m. 

#1 LeConte Building, UC Berkeley 

“Women, Religion, Science, and the Environment.” 649-2490 

Thursday, Oct. 18  

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Claremont Branch Library 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Cecile Andrews, author of Circles of Simplicity, Return to the Good Life, speaks on “Rekindling Conversation.” 549-3509 www.seedsofsimplicity.org 

Berkeley Metaphysical  

Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. 869-2547 

Friday, Oct. 19 

Cooperative Center Federal  

Credit Union 

Grand Opening Celebration 

4 - 7 p.m. 

2001 Ashby Ave. 

A family affair with food, entertainment and a special treat for the kids. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Honorary Chairperson is scheduled to attend. Faith Fancher is the Mistress of Ceremonies. 415-346-0199 

YAP’s FNL Teen Club: “Pop  

Ya Colla! Dance” 

7 -11 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Young Adult Project presents dance for 13 to 18 year olds only. Must have B.U.S.D. I.D. “No haters, no problems.” 644-6226 

Saturday, Oct. 20 

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Office of Emergency Services 

812 Page St.  

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

BART Job Fair 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

BART will be recruiting to fill approximately 160 jobs that week be opening up next year. The jobs to be filled are in accounting, planing, engineering, insurance, purchasing, police, maintenance and electronics. 

Sunday, Oct. 21 

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Halloween Magic 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond JCC Auditorium 

1414 Walnut St.  

Los Angeles Magician and Comedian “Hotei the Magic Guy.” For kids 2 through 12 and their parents. $7. 236-7469 www.thebuddyclub.com 

Berkeley Architectural Heritage Fall House Tour 

1 - 5 p.m. 

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church 

Claremont Blvd. & Russell St.  

This year’s tour “Around the Claremont Hotel” features 10 houses in the historic neighborhood of residences and gardens that surround the landscaped park of the hotel. There will be a reception at one of the houses. $30. 845-8507 

– compiled by Guy Poole 

Proud to be a citizen of Berkeley 

Editor: 

I am troubled by local reaction to Dona Spring’s alleged statement comparing the actions of our federal government to those of a terrorist state. I find it troubling that the response from mainstream media might intimidate a public figure from speaking the truth as she sees it.  

I am troubled that other elected officials exploit the situation to embarrass a colleague. I am troubled that our mayor is embarrassed by the words of our elected leaders who speak from the conviction of their moral conscience. 

What makes Berkeley a beacon throughout this country is its historical willingness to challenge mainstream posturing that perpetuates national arrogance and self-righteousness.  

If leaders and citizens of Berkeley fail to hold up the mirror of accountability, where else in the United States will people ask the hard questions? 

Our mayor continues to remind us that this is not the 60’s. I agree; we have lost the innocence of the 60’s. But hopefully we have gained wisdom to recognize a familiar path our country has tread too many times in the past four decades. Whether Dona Spring said it or not, many of us who examine the evidence recognize this country’s acts of terrorism against innocent civilians in the Middle East and in other third world countries. 

I am troubled by a reported statement that suggests the mayor of Berkeley is embarrassed by our most valuable characteristics – our moral conscience and our willingness to stand up for it. That Barbara Lee and Dona Spring draw attention to our city because they speak from moral conscience brings pride to our city.  

At times throughout my adult life I have traveled outside the United States – in Europe, during two Republican administrations’ bombing of Libya and Iraq, and again while a Democratic administration bombed Kosovo. At those times I was ashamed to admit I was from the United States; I have never been ashamed to say I am from Berkeley. 

Pamela Webster 

Berkeley 

Blame bin Laden for death of civilians 

The Daily Planet received the following letter addressed to Councilmember Dona Spring: 

While you have a right to your opinion, I do not believe you have a right to inflict your opinion on the city and citizens of Berkeley as an elected representative. Have you consulted with the people of Berkeley as to their opinions on the U.S. war on terrorism? 

There comes a time when talk and coalitions cease to be effective. The terrorist acts upon the United States were unmerciful, violent attempts to destroy our country by destroying our freedoms. No terrorist involved cared about the lives they ended and the many more lives that they have tragically affected forever. No, the majority of the citizens of Afghanistan are not responsible for Sept. 11 or what terror may come to the United States. And no, they should not have to die because of what some of their countryman did.  

But it is not the United States killing Afghan civilians. It is Osma bin Laden and his organization who are killing them. (Why would we be bombing Afghanistan if it weren’t for bin Laden?) I think they want to get rid of bin Laden almost as much as we do. You have to understand – bin Laden et.al. do not comprehend diplomacy. They do not want to solve anything peacefully. The man is using his religion as a front for his evil. He is not capable of compromise or working toward a common goal unless that goal is to tear down the United States. At the same time he denounces our “system,” he uses that same system for profit to fund his campaign against us. By the way, do you really think he or members of his organization would ever keep their diplomatic word? Come now. 

What you are asking the city manager and ultimately the people of Berkeley to do is to join bin Laden’s side–work to divide our country instead of being the kind of patriots our Founding Fathers were and support our president. Does “Give me Liberty or give me death” ring a (Liberty) bell? I think you should reevaluate what you are in office to do, how you were even afforded the opportunity to hold office via our government structure and uphold the Constitution of the United States instead of work to tear it down. 

Becky Kaiser 

Bakersfield  

Follow the money 

Editor: 

While all the news reporters watch and report on every bright flash of light, every loud explosion, why aren’t they covering, with equal ferocity, the war on terrorist finances?  

Like any organization, the far-flung network of terrorists needs money to function. Who is reporting and watching whether our government is going after their stock accounts, banks, and trading companies with an equal ferocity that we launch jets with big bombs? 

The terrorists hit the World Trade Center because it is a symbol of the global economy. So, let’s give them what they want, let’s unplug them from their money. 

Responsible journalism should keep watch that Bush’s war on terrorism is being fought where the action is, and not just focus on watching rubble bounce. Afghanistan is a side show, how about reporting on the Main Event? 

Bruce Joffe 

Piedmont 

International law should rule 

Editor: 

We killed the messenger of bad news and learned very little from his message; certainly not enough to prevent what happened on Sept. 11, 2000.  

He was a U.S. combat-veteran awarded for bravery in action, who bombed a federal government building in Oklahoma City in protest against his government’s action in Waco, Texas, when it killed 80 men, women and children in the Davidian community that was not threatening our national security in any way requiring their obliteration. 

We should have learned then that we needed to mend our ways and stop trying to dominate the world with our super military might. 

I believe the sponsors of the multiple murders and massive destructive actions in New York, Washington, D.C. (actually Arlington, Virginia) and Pennsylvania, must be identified and arrested by United Nations action since all of its members have declared themselves opposed to barbarism and terrorism, and we should add: militarism (namely war-waging and preparations for the same, to which the 1945 U.N. Charter refers as a “scourge” from which “succeeding generations should be saved”): I repeat: action that consists in and amounts to effective global police action, as noted above. 

Timothy McVeigh took the law into his own hands and made a terrible mistake for which he paid with his own life. No person nor gang of persons, nor a single nation or gang of nations, should make that mistake and risk the lives of the world’s people and their ways of life in so doing.  

The 9/11 killers self-destructed. Arresting the sponsors requires super global police action by the United Nations. 

Alfred C. Williams 

Member, World Community Advocates, 

Unitarian Universalist Center,  

San Francisco 

The collective heartbeat, tears and history of America were never better exemplified until Monday night at Zellerbach, when a near-capacity crowd listened, laughed and paused silently in communal empathy with the words and reminiscences of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel. 

“I'm getting as deaf as a post just like Rush Limbaugh and it couldn't happen to two nicer guys,” said Terkel. 

“And that's the only thing they have in common,” added host Orville Schell, dean of UC Berkeley School of Journalism. 

Spending an evening with Terkel is a tour of contemporary American history through the stories of the people who lived it. He has written over a dozen books ranging from “The Giants of Jazz” (1957) to his Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Good War” (1985) and “Working” (1974), each one exploring a different theme. 

“We as a country have a national Alzheimer's disease,” said Terkel. “The only hope is if we have a memory of the past through the eyes of ordinary people.” 

With 89 years of ageless wit and wisdom, he records the oral history of the famous and the not so famous. In his latest book, “Will the Circle be Unbroken? Reflections on Death, Rebirth and Hunger for a Faith” (New Press), he listens to the stories of death and the life surrounding it as told by doctors, veterans, singers, AIDS victims and the people he calls “ordinary heroes.” 

Exploring how Americans live with death was an idea suggested to him by Gore Vidal more than 25 years ago over martinis. At the time, Terkel admitted, all he could see was the olive or lemon peel in the martini, not the subject for a book.  

He felt differently after his wife of 60 years died in 1989. 

Reflecting on his new book he said: “This is therapy for me; palliative beyond description. 

“The irony is that ‘Death’ is the liveliest book I've written.”  

Terkel entertained and moved the Zellerbach audience with stories from the book.  

He responded to questions by Schell and co-panelist Peter Coyote, an author and actor, with a series of stories from his other works and his colorful life. 

Terkel is a graduate of the University of Chicago with degrees in philosophy and law. His varied career includes a 45-year stint at WFMT-FM in Chicago as a music show host. This gig led to interviewing artists and gathering material for his first book. He also played gangsters on Chicago soaps. In 1950, he started a television show at NBC called “Stud's Place,” but was eventually let go because of his political views. 

“I never saw a petition I didn't like,” he said, recalling the Senator McCarthy era. “All I had to say was that I was stupid, that I had been duped into signing the anti-Jim Crow petitions, but my ego and vanity were at stake.” 

With America at war again in 2001, he was asked to compare his generation, which experienced the depression and World War II, with following generations. Calling the 1960s a great generation because they looked outside themselves to the civil rights and peace movements, he then asked what have “we” learned. 

“We are hungry for something, a kind of immortality. If we reach someone and he in turn reaches someone else, that gives us solace,” he said. 

Sharing his thoughts about his next book, “Hope,” he gave the audience the promise of another guidebook to help us remember our past. 

"I may not finish it," he smiled, "but it makes the journey go faster."

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Swanwhite” Through Oct. 21: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. A new translation of the Swedish Play that asks the question what good is romantic love, directed by Tom Clyde. $20, Sundays are “Pay What You Can”. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305, www.virtuous.com 

“Orestes” Through Oct. 21: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. An adaptation of the classical play by Euripides that incorporates passages inspired or taken from various 20th century texts. Written by Charles Mee, Directed by Christopher Herold. $6-12. Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus 642-8268 

“Approach” Through Oct. 27: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m. An examination of the search for intimacy as our most precious form of survival. Written by Susan Wiegand, Directed by Katie Bales Frassinelli. $15 general admission, $10 students and seniors. Eighth Street Studio Theatre, 2525 8th St. 655-0813 www.shotgunplayers.org 

“36 Views” Through Oct. 28: Tues. 8 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m., Thu. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Thu., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Sat., Sun. 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Written by Naomi Lizuka, Directed by Mark Wing-Davey. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m, matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

“Lisa Picard is Famous” Through Oct. 19: Documentary chronicles New York actress who hopes to get more than a fleeting taste of fame when a racy cereal commercial brings her unexpected national notoriety. Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 843-3456 

“Loaded Visions” Oct. 17: 8 p.m. Experimental short films by Antero Alli (Eight Videopoems and “Lilly in Limbo,” plus live music from Sylvi Alli). $5 - $10 sliding scale. La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 464-4640 www.verticalpool.com 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Oct. 15: 7 p.m., Genesis; Oct. 16: 7:30 p.m., La Région centrale; Oct. 17: 7:30 p.m., Video in the Villages and Amazonian Trilogy; Oct. 19: 7:30 p.m., Jungle Secrets, Yãkwa; Oct. 20: 3:30 p.m., Berkeley High/Bay Area Film Festival; 7 p.m., The Testament of Dr. Mabuse; 9:20 p.m., The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse; Oct. 21: 3:30 p.m., Kiss and Film, 5:30 p.m., Harakiri; Oct. 22: 7 p.m., The Closed Doors; Oct. 23: 7:30 p.m., Super-8mm Films by Theresa Cha; Oct. 24: 7:30 p.m., The Rainy Season and Wai’a Rini; Oct. 26: 7:30 p.m., The Passion of Joan of Arc, 9:15 p.m., Vivre sa Vie; Oct 27: 7 p.m., New Music for Silent Films by UCB Composers; Oct. 28: 5:30 p.m., Vampyr; Oct. 29: 7 p.m., A Time for Drunken Horses; Oct. 30: 7:30 p.m., An Evening with Leslie Thornton; Oct. 31: 7:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m., Saudade do Futuro. 

2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits 

“First Annual Art Show” UC Berkeley Life Drawing Group Reception, Oct. 20: 3 p.m.; Oct. 21- 26: 7 - 10 p.m. Figure studies from the workshops at UC Berkeley. 1014 60th St., Emeryville. 923-0689 

“MWP Perspectives” Jon Orvik: One artist’s journey. Through Oct. 27 Tues. - Fri. 12 - 5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. Solo artist exhibiting his journey through metal, wood and paint. Adapt Gallery and Design, 2834 College Ave. 649-8501 www.adaptgallery.com  

“Cut Plates and Bowls” Annabeth Rosen, “Just Jars” Sandy Simon Through Nov. 3; Saturdays 10 - 5 or by appointment. Trax Ceramic Gallery, 1306 3rd St. 526-0279. cone5@aol.com 

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Oct. 19 - Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Musee des Hommages” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Oct. 18: Patricia Nell Warren reads from her novel “The Wild Man”, Oct. 22: J.M. Redmann reads from “Death By the Riverside”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on 4th Street Oct 18: Tamora Pierce talks about “Protector of the Small”; 1730 Fourth St. 559-9500 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Oct 15: Amir Aczel poses The Riddle of the Compass: The Invention That Changed the World; Oct 16: Kip Fulbeck talks about “Paper Bullets”; Oct 18: Suzanne Antoneta & micah Perks talk about “Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir” and “Pagan Time: An American Childhood; All shows at 7:30 p.m.; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Oct. 16: 7 - 9 p.m. Steve Arntsen and Kathleen Dunbar followed by open mike reading. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland 465-3935 ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Oct. 20: Miriam Ching Louie reads from “Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Women Workers Take on the Global Factory”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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  

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Apparatus Operator Darren Bobrosky, of Berkeley’s Fire Station 5, recently returned from a 10-day stint as a rescue worker in Lower Manhattan. Bobrosky and his partner, Dylan, a highly-trained search and rescue dog, are affiliated with Oakland’s Urban Search and Rescue team, one of the 28 FEMA-affiliated USAR teams nationwide. Following is Bobrosky’s story, edited by Daily Planet reporter Hank Sims.  

This is the first of a two part series. Look for the second part in Thursday’s edition. 

I was here at the firehouse when we got the word. We all got up at 8 o’clock that morning, the 11th, and we were watching what was going on. They paged me at about 8:30 and said, “You’re on standby. Do you have your stuff together?” 

I got a number of other calls that day, asking about my status. The state Office of Emergency Services called me, a fire chief from Sacramento called, the USAR team manager from Oakland called – they were just checking and double-checking the members to see if they were available and ready to go.  

I normally keep a 10-day supply of food for Dylan and supplies for myself in my truck at all times anyway, so we’re always ready. We are supposed to have a two-hour response time to get to our rendezvous point in Oakland, so that’s no problem. 

But then we got put on standby, and then we were told to stand down. Then again – standby, stand down, all throughout the two weeks we were ready to go. It was terrible. I had a few chances to go with the Sacramento team, but I was fifth on their roster. One guy couldn’t go, and they couldn’t get ahold of another one, but then it didn’t happen. 

I knew I would get to go with Oakland – that’s the team I’m assigned to – but since there aren’t enough dogs to go around, they send whatever dogs they need with whatever teams go out. So we can cross over to other teams, whereas other members – the engineers, or the logistics people – don’t. 

I was concerned that if they wait and don’t send us until late in the game, we wouldn’t go at all. Generally, the dogs are not required to be certified as cadaver search dogs. I do train Dylan with cadavers whenever possible, just so I know his reaction, but they are primarily live-find dogs. 

It was hard to get solid information, even at the task-force leader level. I’ve got things going on in my life – I was trying to maneuver things around, get things squared away. My wife’s birthday was October 8th, so I was hoping to be back by then. 

They finally activated us on the 26th. We met at Oakland two o’clock the next afternoon. They bussed us out to Travis Air Force Base at 5:30, and we waited at Travis until midnight. Then they flew us to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. 

We took another bus into New York, and got our accommodations set up. They put us up in the Javits Convention Center. Usually they try to give you that first day off as a rest period, so you can get your bearings. They took us out to the pile the next morning. 

It was bigger than I thought it would be. I’d seen it on TV a few times. When you initially saw it on TV, you saw everything from a distance, from ground level. It looked pretty amazing, but you couldn’t get a feel for it. Then they took it to another level when they let the helicopters fly over. From the top, you could see that it was huge. 

But you don’t get the true sense of it until you get right up to it, or right in it, and you see people 200 or 300 feet from you that look like ants compared to the structure they’re looking at.  

When you tour some of the buildings around the perimeter, you see how much destruction and debris hit the building that surrounded the towers.  

The concrete was turned into powder. That was another problem we had with searching and digging through the rubble. We train in rubble all the time, pieces the size of a picnic table down to pieces the size of bricks. This pile looked like steel with dirt thrown on top of it. All that concrete just became dust.  

There were areas you could see around the fringes that looked like the rubble we’re used to seeing – broken-up concrete like a recycling plant would have, or a small, recently-demolished building. This one, though, it came down with such force that it pulverized concrete and twisted those big I-beams in half.  

They split our team in half. The next day, the New York City fire department asked us to cover for their Collapsed Structure Response Unit, up in Queens. They had lost all the guys from that unit in the rubble. Since we were collapsed structure specialists, basically, they had us cover. The other half of our team went to the pile. 

USAR teams are designed to split in half. One half takes the first 12-hour shift, the other half the second. Once we got there, we found out that we weren’t going to be working 24 hours a day. So we switched to day shifts only, and half of us went to Queens first. 

We were in Queens for two and a half days. It was away from all the action, but it was nice – very relaxed and peaceful. You could get sleep up there, which you couldn’t do in the Convention Center. The dogs had a park to play in. 

But knowing that we had things to do back in Manhattan, we were tense about being up there. We didn’t want to be there, we wanted to be back working on the pile.  

Knowing that we were doing a service for the fire department in New York made us feel better. They asked us to help, and cover that area for them. We were doing something, even if it wasn’t what we were planning to do originally. Their Collapsed Structure Response Unit deals with 150 collapsed buildings a year, but we never got called. 

We were staying in the officers’ quarters at an Army base. We had one New York fireman with us, who was going to be our liaison if we ever got a call. We didn’t know the city, so were going to have to follow him. We had three trucks full of gear that we would bring, so we would go in a convoy if we got any type of call. 

He was the only fireman we talked to up there. But as we got more involved with the pile, at Ground Zero, we started to talking to more guys. They were happy to see us there. They knew what we could do, and that we weren’t there to take over from them or anything. They were in charge of the rubble, and they wanted to get their people out. That was their deal.

Berkeley High School’s now ex-principal, Frank Lynch, wasted no time in hitting the road. In an e-mail sent Monday to Parent Teacher Student Association President Joan Edelstein, Lynch wrote: “Wednesday is my official last day.”  

On Tuesday, some officials had assumed he would be around until Nov. 1. Now the question looms of who will run the high school beginning Thursday. 

“I didn’t get the impression that the transition to a new administrative model at Berkeley High was going to take place as early as tomorrow,” said Terry Doran, the school board president.  

The board and Superintendent Michele Lawrence will discuss the matter at Wednesday’s school board meeting, Doran added.  

Lynch accepted the superintendent post in the Del Norte County Unified School District late last week.  

Lawrence sent an e-mail to the Berkeley High community Monday to announce his departure and reassure parents. It said Lynch would leave “by Nov. 1.” 

“Parents are very upset,” Edelstein said. “They finally after a year got used to having a new principal. There was a lot of questioning when he came whether he was really committed to Berkeley, because he wasn’t moving into Berkeley.” 

Lynch lives in Petaluma. 

“The professional thing to do would be not to depart until a replacement was identified,” said Bob Epstein, parent of a Berkeley High sophomore and senior, “otherwise he would leave the school at a needless risk.” 

“A lot of parents have said to me in e-mails that there has been so much stress and anxiety since the Sept. 11 events, that to add to the disruption only causes even worse anxiety,” Edelstein said. “What they really want is some normalcy and continuity in their kids’ lives, and they need reassurance that this is going to be happening.” 

Edelstein also said some parents she had spoken to wondered why the district had kept Lynch’s possible departure under wraps. 

“He was really working on establishing a relationship, and parents were finally starting to feel comfortable,” she said. “It came as a big shock, and it seemed that it had been kept as a secret rather than helping to prepare the parents for a potential transition.” 

Doran said keeping Lynch’s job search quiet was not unusual. He pointed to former superintendent Jack McLaughlin, who was asked to apply for “many jobs.”  

“If every time he was asked to apply for a job, we made that a public announcement, it really would have hurt his ability to be an effective superintendent while he was here,” Doran said. “It didn’t serve any purpose whatsoever.” 

In her Monday e-mail, Lawrence stated a desire to move on. 

“While we could debate the merits of his leaving just now, and the District’s legal right to retain him, I see only harm in that discussion,” Lawrence wrote.  

Outlining the steps she saw the administration taking in response to Lynch’s departure, Lawrence wrote of the need to “examine the entire staffing allocation and current administrative assignments” and possibly add more personnel in spite of budget constraints. She pointed to time-consuming disciplinary burdens as one impediment to retaining teachers and administrators. 

Acknowledging the need for more consistency and stability, the superintendent called for better decision-making procedures and asked for parents’ patience. 

“I remain steadfast in my commitment to make the school and District one of the best in the nation... It’s just going to take some time,” she wrote. 

Lawrence’s e-mail also announced that officials of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges might allow the district some wiggle room in its ongoing struggle to meet accreditation deadlines. 

Last spring, WASC gave Berkeley High until next fall to upgrade its performance and accountability or lose its standing. 

“I’ve had a long term relationship with WASC so I believe they were willing to entertain alternative solutions to our current dilemma,” she wrote. “We reached agreement on some compromise. While the accreditation will not be canceled or postponed it can be modified and packaged in a way to help us meet a more realistic time line.” 

The recent increase in hostility, posturing and backbiting between the two City Council factions could be the first stirrings of a mayoral election that is still more than a year away. 

Some council watchers say the sharp rhetoric, which has characterized recent council debates between progressives and moderates over redistricting and an anti-U. S. bombing resolution is a sign that incumbents are wrangling for advantage over potential challengers in the November 2002 elections. 

Moderate Mayor Shirley Dean said last week she would run for a third term. Progressive Councilmember Linda Maio may be another likely candidate, although she has not publicly stated she will challenge Dean. 

So far Dean, who will be 67 next month, is the only elected official on the council who has announced a re-election campaign, although she isn’t saying much else other than she is confident she will win.  

“Yes I am running, but I haven’t made any campaign plans yet and haven’t given any thought to what the issues will be.” she said. “I’m totally confident but I’m going to run hard because that’s the way I am.” 

Dean’s unofficial announcement ends any speculation that she was planning a bid for Dion Aroner’s State Assembly seat. Aroner will be ousted by term limits in November 2002. 

Maio, 58, will not admit she’s a candidate for mayor, but one can hear the echoes of political barnstorming when she talks about the coming election. 

“The city needs new leadership,” Maio said. “The city needs to be worked on, not superficial work, I mean really worked on.” 

One reason for Maio’s reluctance to announce her bid for mayor might be that she will have to give up her seat on the City Council. According to the city clerk, incumbents cannot run for two seats at the same time. Maio’s seat as representative of District 1 will also be on the ballot next year. 

Other councilmembers up for re-election are progressive councilmembers Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington in districts 4 and 7 and moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong in District 8. Currently, the council’s five progressives hold a slim majority on the nine-member council.  

Another issue for potential mayoral candidates to consider is money. Mayoral elections in Berkeley are expensive. According to city campaign records, Dean spent nearly $200,000 on her campaign in 1998. That’s no small amount when the Berkeley Election Reform Act limits political contributions to $250 per person.  

Dean, who has traditionally enjoyed the support of property owners, developers and business interests, said she is not worried about raising money for the campaign.  

“I’ve never had a problem raising money,” she said. 

On the other hand, Maio said progressives have a tougher time filling their campaign coffers. But she said progressive supporters make up for money shortages with devotion and enthusiasm. 

“Progressives are the ones who will roll up their sleeves and go door to door, block to block in a walking–talking campaign,” she said.  

Maio said a potential campaign issue might be development, especially in the western part of town, which has seen thousands of square-feet of small manufacturing and artisan space converted to offices. 

“Artists, musicians and crafts people are the life’s blood of Berkeley,” Maio said. “We received a wake-up call from San Francisco where they lost so many artists and nonprofits because development overran them. We have to see how we can keep these people in Berkeley.” 

Dean said a staff report describes claims of offices taking over west Berkeley exaggerated. She added that it would be hard to run against her record as a supporter of the arts. Dean pointed to her work in establishing the Downtown Arts District and the West Berkeley Artisan District. 

“If Councilmember Maio makes a bid for mayor, then I’m sure we’ll discuss all of these issues and discuss them at length,” Dean said.

In a resolution that was, perhaps, the first like it in the nation, the Berkeley City Council passed a resolution Tuesday, mourning the loss of those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, condemning the attackers and calling on elected representatives to minimize the risk to American military personnel while avoiding actions that could endanger the lives of innocent people in Afghanistan. 

A divided council debated the issue before a packed council chambers, with most of the audience in support of the resolution and some 20 apparently opposed. 

Councilmember Polly Armstrong tried to counter the motion, authored by Councilmember Dona Spring, and put forward a resolution to support the president and honor his bringing together a coalition of 60 countries to fight terrorism. This resolution was defeated. 

Comments from the public mostly reflected support for the main council motion. Ann Fagen Ginger from the Meiklejohn Institute made a point that the fight against terrorists should be confined to international law. Barbara Lubin from the Middle East Children’s Alliance called on the council to support a cessation of the bombing.  

“I have seen the result of American bombing on starving Iraqi children,” she said. 

Eric Skidmore was one of those supporting the attacks on Afghanistan. He is part of United Students for America, a group formed on the UC Berkeley campus soon after Sept. 11 to provide a counter voice to the anti-war sentiment on campus.  

“To approve this recommendation will not only make Berkeley a laughing stock, but will misrepresent most Berkeley citizens,” he said. “There are many people (in Berkeley) who support America.”  

While Councilmember Betty Olds, a member of the moderate council faction, talked about the difficulty of responding to the terrorists “who do not value human lives.”  

Councilmember Polly Armstrong, also a moderate, said those supporting the resolution cause the city to appear out of step.  

“Instead of a thoughtful city, we come across as a bunch of nuts,” she said, condemning the progressives. 

Speaking in favor of the resolution, Councilmember Kriss Worthington pointed to the “damage and destruction (the United States) has caused in Afghanistan” and said he would not give in to the pressure to “sit down and shut up” on the question. 

“The loss of lives is horrifying,” said Councilmember Linda Maio, arguing that terrorism can be overcome by changing policies that cause others in the world to hate the United States. “We can overcome terror by making it irrelevant,” she said. 

The main motion, which was approved, was broken up into various parts: 

• Dean and the five progressives – councilmembers Worthington, Spring, Margaret Breland, and Linda Maio and Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek voted in favor of expressing grief at the atrocities and honoring “the valiant firefighter and police...and our military personnel now engaged in Afghanistan.” 

• Dean also supported the progressives in calling for a national campaign to lessen dependence on oil from the Middle East and to commit to using renewable energy sources. 

• The council split 5-4 – progressives voting in favor and moderates abstaining – on calling for an quick conclusion to the bombing and avoiding actions that could endanger civilian lives in Afghanistan and U.S. military lives; on calling for an international body to bring the terrorists to justice; and on “addressing and overcoming those conditions such as poverty, malnutrition, disease, oppression and subjugation that tend to drive desperate people to acts of terrorism.”

Fresh on the heels of Berkeley High principal Frank Lynch’s abrupt departure, another key figure in the district administration announced Monday he would resign. 

Gene Le Fevre, the district’s maintenance director, will leave his post at the end of October, Superintendent Michele Lawrence said Tuesday.  

Le Fevre has worked in Berkeley for over two years, working on an interim basis for his first several months. He took over from Harvey Delorum, who left the district after only eight months to direct maintenance at Sonoma State University. Le Fevre could not be reached for comment Tuesday. 

The resignation comes just as Lawrence has created a new structure for the maintenance department. The school board is slated to vote on the plan at its meeting Wednesday evening.

OAKLAND — The small union that represents BART train controllers and supervisors rejected an offer from BART management Monday, which could trigger a strike early next week that would strand more than 300,000 commuters. 

The one-week delay is meant to give BART and the union time to reconvene the so-called Labor Day Committee, a seven-member team of Bay Area elected officials who helped broker a deal with the transit agency’s two largest unions in September. 

The 238-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3993 voted 130-43 to reject the contract offer that’s largely similar to those won in September by the 2,500-member Service Employees International and Amalgamated Transit Unions. 

Those contracts call for a 22 percent wage increases over the next four years, continued health care coverage at no added cost to employees and increased pension plan contributions. 

“Please, let’s get back to the table and settle our issues,” said Norma del Mercado, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3993. “Let’s avoid a strike. Nobody wants a strike.” 

While union leaders supported continuing negotiations, BART managers said their offer is final. 

BART General Manager Tom Margro said the system would be willing to meet with AFSCME negotiators, but would not improve its offer. 

“Our position is we have a best and final offer out there,” he said. 

BART spokesman Mike Healy said trains would run even if Local 3993 rejects the contract next week, though with possibly disruptions or delays. 

Leaders at Service Employees International Union and Amalgamated Transit Union say their members will not cross the picket line. Privately, however, they say fears of a recession could make it hard for many workers to give up their paychecks.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco International Airport officials announced Tuesday that a parking lot that has been used for years as a public viewing area will be closed. 

The lot, which also serves as a staging area for buses, limos and door-to-door vans waiting to be called to a terminal, will be closed for an indefinite period starting Wednesday morning because of security concerns. 

The lot, which is located close to a departure runway at the southern end of the airport, has been a popular spot for plane-watchers for years. 

“A lot of people plan to have their lunches there,” said airport spokesman Ron Wilson. “They will be disappointed. We just don’t want to take any chances.” 

The commercial vehicles will be moved to a lot at the northern end of the airport, but no new public viewing area will be established at the airport. 

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SAN JOSE — Out of money and unable to pay its musicians, the San Jose Symphony board voted Monday to temporarily shut down its business operations, but still hasn’t decided what to do about the rest of its concert season. 

Most of the office staff will be let go, said Dick Gourley, the symphony’s acting chief executive officer. The board will discuss at a meeting Thursday whether to cancel upcoming performances, including concerts scheduled for Oct. 26 to 28 in San Jose and Cupertino, and a November fundraiser.  

It isn’t clear yet what will happen to tickets for more than 40 future performances scheduled through June. 

The symphony had a $7.8 million budget last year and ended the fiscal year in July with a deficit of $2.5 million. It has been operating with almost no cash reserves since the summer. 

Curtis Dudnick, the acting chief financial officer, told the board in August that if it couldn’t raise at least $2.7 million by year’s end, the orchestra would be facing bankruptcy. The $1 million raised has been used to pay operating expenses. Last month, musicians were paid only after trustees wrote personal checks after a board meeting. 

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MARTINEZ, Calif. (AP) — Contra Costa County health officials want to know why it took the Equilon refinery more than a half-hour Sunday night to activate warning sirens after the start of a smoky release that showered soot for miles. 

Meanwhile, Equilon has begun a huge cleanup, paying to sweep city streets and school playgrounds and offering to pay the cleaning bills for cars, houses or other private property dirtied by the black dust. 

County health officials said the fluffy particles are not hazardous to touch and they have no reports of anyone being injured by breathing the particles. 

Equilon equipment released alumina silica for about 65 minutes Sunday, the company reported to the county. The cause of the accident is under investigation. 

In deciding initially that the release was not serious enough to warrant sirens, Equilon also postponed activating the county’s automated phone system to dial prerecorded warnings to refinery neighbors. 

BERKELEY — University of California faculty members are considering recommending that the nine-campus system stop judging applicants on the basis of grades alone. 

The proposal, which will be discussed Wednesday at the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco, follows the board’s decision in May to rescind a 1995 vote dropping UC’s old affirmative action program. 

The repeal was largely symbolic, since a state law passed in 1996 bans considering race or gender in public education. However, the vote did call into question a requirement in the 1995 measure that at least 50 percent of students at each campus — up from the previous minimum of 40 percent — be chosen solely on the basis of academic criteria. 

Remaining students are selected on the basis of grades and supplemental factors such as talent, leadership and ability to overcome disadvantage. 

The issue comes back to regents Wednesday by way of a report from a faculty committee suggesting that it may be better to take the larger view of all applicants, a system known as “comprehensive review.” 

“The important thing is it is not just one or two academic criteria like high school GPA or the standardized test scores that determine the potential for success. There are other criteria also that one should take into account,” said Chand Viswanathan, the faculty representative to the regents. 

The proposal has not yet been voted on by UC’s Academic Senate. If approved, it would go back to the regents for a vote, possibly as early as the November meeting. 

The May repeal ordered that any changes take effect for students entering in fall 2002. 

The move toward comprehensive review is the latest in a series of changes in UC admissions policies. 

In 1999, regents guaranteed eligibility to students who finished in the top 4 percent of their high school, based on UC-required courses.  

This year, they approved expanding that guarantee to the top 12.5 percent, provided students who fell in the latter 8.5 percent went to community college for the first two years, although that proposal stalled last month for lack of state funds. 

UC President Richard C. Atkinson also has asked faculty members to consider dropping the SAT 1 as a requirement.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The mistress of a rabbi charged with killing his wife testified Tuesday that he once told her about a dream in which “violence was coming” to his spouse and that she ultimately feared for her life. 

Rabbi Fred Neulander, 60, is accused of arranging the bludgeoning death of his wife Carol in 1994 so he could pursue the affair with Elaine Soncini, a former Philadelphia radio personality. He is charged with murder and conspiracy. 

Elaine Soncini said she met Neulander the day her husband, Ken Garland, died in December 1992. After the funeral, she testified, the rabbi asked if they could meet for lunch. 

They were having “relations” within two weeks, she said — either at her house during lunch or in his office at Congregation M’kor Shalom, the temple he founded with his wife in wealthy Cherry Hill, southeast of Philadelphia. 

Defense lawyer Jeffrey Zucker acknowledged to jurors that the rabbi had an affair, but said his client is not on trial for adultery. Soncini said the relationship was immoral and she accepted responsibility for it. 

Soncini, who didn’t look at Neulander as she testified, said the two exchanged expensive gifts and spoke as many as 10 times a day. She said she told Neulander at one point in 1994 about bad dreams she’d been having and he told her about some bad dreams of his own. 

“He dreamed that violence was coming to Carol,” she said. 

Carol Neulander was beaten to death with a metal pipe in her living room as her husband was at synagogue. A few months later, Neulander resigned as senior rabbi, citing unspecified moral indiscretions. 

Prosecutors later identified Neulander as a suspect and Soncini acknowledged the affair, saying she ended it after learning he was suspected of arranging his wife’s death. 

Since then, former private investigator Leonard Jenoff and another man have confessed to the slaying. Both men pleaded guilty to manslaughter and have agreed to testify against Neulander. 

Soncini said she considered it a sign when Neulander came into her life just as her husband was dying and ended up converting to Judaism. 

But she said she decided she needed to make changes in her life and told the rabbi their relationship would end by the end of 1994. She said the rabbi insisted they would be together by her birthday in mid-December. 

Soncini also said Neulander called her to his office less than two weeks after his wife’s Nov. 1 slaying and told her he would marry her “as soon as appropriately possible.” 

She said he told her: “Trust me, when God closes a door, He opens a window.” 

She said when she was questioned by investigators Dec. 5, she began to fear for her own safety. 

“I was afraid Fred Neulander might kill me, as a matter of fact,” she said, “because I didn’t know what had transpired” the night Carol Neulander was killed. 

LOS ANGELES — Afghanistan may have been the breeding ground for last month’s terrorist attacks, but Hollywood served as a source of inspiration, says director Robert Altman. 

“The movies set the pattern, and these people have copied the movies,” Altman said Tuesday by phone from London, where he’s finishing his film “Gosford Park.” “Nobody would have thought to commit an atrocity like that unless they’d seen it in a movie.” 

So violent action movies with huge explosions amount to training films for such bold attacks, as studios spend a lot of time and money trying to appeal to young males, the 76-year-old filmmaker said 

“How dare we continue to show this kind of mass destruction in movies,” said Altman, whose directing credits include “M-A-S-H,” “Nashville” and “Dr. T & the Women.” “I just believe we created this atmosphere and taught them how to do it.” 

Altman hopes audiences will lean more toward thoughtful, character-driven films after witnessing the horror of the attacks on television. 

His “Gosford Park” — a combination class-war satire and Agatha Christie-like murder mystery set at a British manor in 1932 — features Helen Mirren, Emily Watson, Clive Owen, Kristin Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith. 

“Maybe there’s a chance to get back to ... grown-up films,” Altman said. “Anything that uses humor and dramatic values to deal with human emotions and gets down to what people are to people.”

NEW YORK — Knight Ridder’s net income plunged 27 percent in the third quarter as the Sept. 11 attacks led to a steep drop-off in newspaper advertising and higher costs associated with increasing news coverage. 

Knight Ridder, the nation’s second-largest newspaper publisher after Gannett Co., on Tuesday reported net income of $55.7 million for the three-month period ending Sept. 30, compared to $76.1 million in the same period a year ago. 

Revenues slumped 10 percent to $693.1 million from $769.2 million. 

Per-share profits were 65 cents, in line with guidance the company issued a month ago and 2 cents above the estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call. Year-ago earnings were 87 cents. 

Knight Ridder’s chairman and chief executive Tony Ridder said in a statement that the Sept. 11 attacks cost the company a total of $10 million, including $9 million in lost advertising revenue, after accounting for temporary increases from condolence ads, and additional costs of $2 million for extra editions and creating more space for news. Offsetting those costs were added circulation revenues of $1 million. 

Other newspaper publishers and media companies have also been affected by the slumping advertising market, which was made far worse by the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.  

But so far Knight Ridder has offered the most specific details on the direct financial impact of the attacks on its bottom line. 

Ridder said the attacks reversed a slight comeback in retail advertising.  

That combined with an already soft market for general advertising and help wanted ads turned September into a “memorably bad month,” he said in a statement. 

In a separate report also issued Tuesday,  

Knight Ridder reported that total advertising revenues at its newspapers fell 16 percent in September compared to the same month a year ago. Year-to-date advertising revenues were off 7 percent. 

Ridder said that while the company’s prospects had started to look up in the weeks after the attacks, they fell back again once the U.S. bombing campaign began in Afghanistan. But he noted that cost savings from a downsizing effort announced in April were paying off, and he also said newsprint costs were heading lower. 

He did not specifically lower the outlook for the company’s full-year earnings, which currently stand at $2.91 per share, as measured by Thomson Financial/First Call, but he noted that there still exists a “harsh revenue environment” and that achieving full-year earnings goals would be contingent upon “resumption of more normal business patterns.” 

Investors seemed to take the news favorably, sending Knight Ridder’s shares up 60 cents to close at $57.72 in trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Investors seemed to take the news favorably, sending Knight Ridder’s shares up 90 cents to $58.02 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Knight Ridder, which is based in San Jose, Calif., publishes 28 newspapers in major markets across the country, including the San Jose Mercury News, The Miami Herald and The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

For the first nine months of the year, net income fell 67 percent to $109.8 million compared to $333.2 million in the same period a year ago, while per-share figures fell to $1.28 from $3.71. Revenues were off 7 percent to $2.17 billion from $2.33 billion. 

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On the Net 

Knight Ridder’s company Web site: www.kri.com. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Wells Fargo & Co. reported Tuesday that its third-quarter profit surged by 42 percent, as the West’s biggest bank cashed in on a home-loan boom fueled by falling interest rates. 

The San Francisco-based company earned $1.16 billion, or 67 cents per share — up from $821 million, or 47 cents per share, at the same time last year. 

If not for the bank’s acquisition of Utah-based First Security Corp., Wells said its earnings per share would have improved by 5 percent. 

The results lagged the consensus earnings estimate of 69 cents per share among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call. The shortfall clipped Wells’ stock, which fell 58 cents to close at $40.19 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Wells’ mortgage division propelled the bank’s third-quarter performance. 

From July through September, Wells funded $48 billion in mortgages. That raised its home lending volume through the first nine months of the year to $122 billion — more than it has recorded in any other previous full year. The bank, the nation’s biggest headquartered west of the Mississippi, financed $109 billion in mortgages in 1998. 

The bank ended the quarter with another $38 billion in mortgages in its processing pipeline and $476 billion in its mortgage servicing portfolio, which is a source of reliable fee income. 

Wells is benefiting from the economic weakness that has pushed mortgage rates well below 7 percent, prompting millions of homeowners to refinance existing loans and making it easier for prospective home buyers to qualify for new loans. 

“With mortgage rates at historically low levels, we are seeing unprecedented levels of applications,” said Mark Oman, Wells’ executive vice president of mortgage and home equity. 

The mortgage flurry helped lift Wells’ community banking division to a third-quarter profit of $931 million, a 51 percent improvement from the same time last year. 

The refinancing craze also means that some of Wells’ outstanding mortgages will be paid off earlier than expected. The bank increased its reserves slightly more than expected in the quarter to offset revenue losses from the anticipated payoff of mortgages, said industry analyst Joseph Morford of Dain Rauscher Wessels. 

Like other banks, the frail economy hurts Wells, as businesses and consumers begin to default on loans. The bank’s non-performing assets increased 9.5 percent, or $155 million, during the third quarter to $1.79 billion as of Sept. 30. The bank’s problem loans totaled $1.62 billion at the end of the third quarter, a 67 percent increase from last year. 

The trends are “consistent with our view that there is continuing weakness in the overall economy,” said Ely Licht, Wells’ chief credit officer. 

The credit problems are slightly worse than analysts expected, but remain in a manageable range, Morford said. 

The bank said it is still assessing its exposure to businesses hardest hit by the economic ripple effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

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On The Net: 

http://www.wellsfargo.com 

REDWOOD CITY — Internet service provider ExciteAtHome and Comcast Corp.’s cable TV division have worked out a way to resume signing up new cable modem customers while ExciteAtHome deals with its bankruptcy reorganization. 

Comcast spokeswoman Jenni Moyer would not describe the terms of the arrangement, but said it provided a way for ExciteAtHome to resume installing cable modems for Comcast customers. 

ExciteAtHome stopped provisioning new accounts for its cable partners last week. Moyer said Philadelphia-based Comcast, the nation’s third-largest cable company, didn’t stop taking orders for new cable modems, but there could have been installation delays without Tuesday’s deal. 

A spokeswoman for Redwood City-based ExciteAtHome said she could not confirm the arrangement or whether similar deals were in the works with other cable companies. 

ExciteAtHome’s cable-access service has 3.7 million subscribers, making the company the leading provider of high-speed Internet connections.  

It filed for federal bankruptcy protection in September, and its controlling shareholder, AT&T, plans to buy the company’s network assets for $307 million.

At Berkeley High, a school with about 3,400 students, it’s a challenge for any one student to rise above the crowd and make a name for him or herself. And for a freshman to be recognized by random students in the often-polarized world of high school is quite a feat. 

While a freshman on the Berkeley High girls’ tennis team last season, Megan Sweeney played and won several matches as the ‘Jackets’ top singles player. After each victory, her name floated through the halls and appeared in the school newspaper. The 14-year-old quickly became known for her strong serve and powerful ground strokes. 

“It was a bit overwhelming,” Sweeney said of her instant notoriety. “I had people coming up to me and recognizing me from (articles in) the ‘Jacket. It was kind of neat.” 

Sweeney moved to Oakland from Petaluma when she was 8 years old. A year earlier her stepfather and now-athletics director at UC Santa Cruz, Greg Harshaw, introduced her to tennis. She was instantly drawn to the singles game because it allowed her “to run around a lot.”  

Exercise aside, Sweeney said the opportunity to “wear little tennis skirts” provided the motivation necessary to stick with the sport. Following her early days on the court with a racquet in hand and Harshaw on the other side of the net, Sweeney’s mother signed her up to play at a local recreation center. Three years later, she began training with a coach in a tennis program at Oakland’s Laney College. 

“I saw the 15- and 16-year-olds playing when I was younger and I always wanted to be like them,” she said. “Watching them inspired me to focus on becoming better.” 

Admitting that she wasn’t a tennis prodigy, Sweeney spent hours on the court solidifying her fundamentals and improving her technique. Her hard work paid off. Last year Sweeney was ranked as high as 13th in the Girls’ 14 division in the Northern California section of the United States Tennis Association. She finished the season ranked 34th, according to NorCal USTA.  

Sweeney is now 15 years old and a sophomore at Berkeley High. In June she moved into a higher age bracket in USTA tournaments and now plays competitively in the Girls’ 16 division. Sweeney estimates she plays between 15 and 20 tournaments a year, mostly during the high school off-season. 

After playing in about eight tournaments during the first half of 2001, Sweeney spent much of the summer taking classes at a Pre-College Academy where she was enrolled in trigonometry, chemistry and college writing. Her plans following high school are still undecided, but she knows that it will likely involve tennis. 

She currently spends up to four hours a day on the court practicing, which leaves little time for anything other than schoolwork. When free time is available, it’s quickly filled with photography, spending time with her friends or, having recently acquired her driving permit, behind the wheel of a car. 

“I enjoy driving but it’s been a little bit scary for my mom,” she said.  

These distractions, however, don’t pose a significant threat to her game. When she’s not on the court, Sweeney said she feels as if her “life is boring.”  

The tennis obsession intensified this year when she attended the U.S. Open in New York and saw Gustavo Kuerten, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati, among others, up close serving aces and striking cross-court winners. 

“I would love to do that,” she said of playing in a Grand Slam event. “I would wait to turn pro at least until after high school to get an education and really make sure that I love the game.” 

Now with her second season of Berkeley High tennis well underway, Sweeney’s already set her sights on helping the team reach the North Coast Sectionals. Last year the ‘Jackets finished second to Alameda High in the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League. In the first meeting this season, Alameda defeated Berkeley 5-2. 

As a freshman, Sweeney began the year in the No. 2 singles spot behind Monique Le, but soon landed in her current position as the ’Jackets’ top singles player. 

“She’s definitely earned the spot,” said Dan Seguin, Berkeley head coach. “Megan has the ability to play the entire court.” 

As a ’Jacket, Sweeney finished last season with just two losses, but both came against Alameda’s top player, Megan Falcon, who finished the year ranked ninth in the Girls’ 14 division of the NorCal USTA.  

In a scrimmage against Piedmont High earlier this season, Sweeney posted the ’Jackets’ only win. Despite the team loss, Seguin pointed to the overall benefit of Sweeney’s victory. 

“It’s nice having someone who’s on a roll,” he said. “It really pumps up the team and for girls who are new to the team, it’s important to have her leadership.”

Lee praises tightened airport safety 

OAKLAND – U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee’s Monday morning press conference at the Oakland International Airport was billed as a briefing on measures to enhance airport security in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. 

But Lee, the sole member of congress to oppose the Congressional resolution giving the president the power to go to war, fielded a number of questions on her vote as well. 

“I stand by my position,” said Lee, who represents Berkeley and Oakland, explaining that she thought the resolution modified the principle of governmental checks and balances. “I didn’t believe Congress should be taken out of the loop.” 

She explained further: “While we’re grieving, let’s step back. Let’s see the implications of our actions.” 

The Oakland airport had a new look Monday morning. Parking near the two terminals has been eliminated and lines to the security station snaked out the door and along the side of Terminal 2.  

There are 23 Alameda County Sheriff’s Department officers now stationed at the airport, and the Oakland Police Department’s contingent has increased from eight to 21 officers, Airport Director Steve Grossman said. 

“There is a new normal,” Grossman said. 

“I’m impressed with what the port and the airport are doing to ensure security,” Lee said. 

Still, she’s pushing for more.  

“I want the federalization of security personnel,” she said, underscoring her support for the Airline Security Bill which passed in the Senate 100-0 and is now before the House of Representatives.  

The legislation would authorize the Federal Aviation Administration to assume responsibility for all aviation-related security at all U.S. airports and calls for: 

• Strengthening and locking aircraft cockpit doors to prevent entry by non-flight deck crew members. 

• Authorizing deployment of federal marshals on domestic commercial air passenger flights and all international flights. 

• Making the FAA responsible to screening air passengers and property boarding each aircraft. 

• Allowing the use of Passenger Facility Charges to pay for some of this increased security. 

Lee said she hopes airport security can move toward screening all, rather than just some, baggage. 

These measures will make people want to fly again, Lee said, noting that Oakland flights are back to 90 percent capacity. 

Enhanced security will also include Oakland’s waterways and port. 

At the same time, Lee said she was very concerned with keeping a balance between enhanced security and individual freedom. 

And she said she was concerned about the shift of priorities to war-time expenditures on the federal level. Naming affordable housing, Social Security, and schools, she said: “I do not want to see them shortchanged.” 

HelioTrope, a local medieval ensemble, presented a concert of luscious melodies at Trinity Chapel Saturday night. Some were sung and some were played on a bevy of exotic instruments.  

Before the composers of the Renaissance invented the composition techniques of polyphony and harmony, medieval composers needed to rely on the strength of naked melodies to carry their pieces. These ancient tunes are either powerfully direct or curiously turned and embellished. 

HelioTrope drew from the diverse repertories of troubadours and Andalusian Arabs, in addition to some settings of modern poets in an authentic medieval style. It was a rare treat to hear poems of e.e. cummings and Theodore Roethke sung using ancient melodies, bridging a gap of centuries in a blend that is completely postmodern. 

In addition to modern poetry with medieval tunes, HelioTrope played modern melodies for some ancient verses. Many troubadour manuscripts contain no music notation, so performers are invited to fit existing tunes to the lyrics, or to compose new melodies in the ancient style. The band members are quite adept at this high art. The oud player, Tom Chandler, has mastered this Arabic version of lute so thoroughly that he mixed and blended styles; playing troubadour tunes with Arabic flavor and Arabic tunes in troubadour style.  

The exotic and rare hurdy-gurdy added a delightful region of the aural palette not often represented. Ethan James is a world renowned virtuoso on this instrument which is now mostly associated with French folk music, but was once a staple throughout Europe.  

The vielle wizard, Shira Kammen, breathed passionate life force into the seemingly austere melodic lines of the troubadours. Kammen’s warm, rich tone found the heart of these tunes and sang their soulful stories. Her vielle wept and sighed like a gypsy fiddle, and she even sang a couple of tunes herself.  

Complex, but subtle rhythmic support, was provided by Tobias, a young master percussionist who plays a variety of hand drums, including dumbek, tar and riqq.  

The center of the ensemble was the singer Joyce Todd, who demonstrated her linguistic breadth by singing the program in Arabic, Spanish, Provencal and English.  

Her voice is ideally suited to the troubadour style. She controls her vibrato expertly, using it sparingly as an ornament, rather than applying the common classical warble, which disguises the difficulties of matching pitches in ensembles of instruments with different tuning strategies.  

This pure stream of melody was performed with pure intonation and plenty of heart. The setting ideally suited the style and size of the ensemble.  

Trinity Chapel’s resonance and intimacy highlighted the sustained emotional content of these seeds and fruits of European courtly love.  

The dance melodies might have been more appropriately performed around a gypsy campfire, but this allowed the audience to travel in reverie through space as well as time.  

Future events at Trinity Chapel include a concert by UC Berkeley's Collegium Musicum Friday night. They will perform a selection of John Dowland's compositions for broken consort, including his "Lachrimae" suite, various pavans, galiards, and other Renaissance dances. The historically-informed performance will include the Renaissance Fiddle Band and the Consort of Viols, as well as other instrumentalists and singers.  

Saturday there will be a performance of "The Space Between" featuring Pauline Oliveros, founder and champion of the “deep listening” school. The audience will be asked to listen deeply as the program highlights the relationships between three different tuning systems.  

Oliveros’ accordion, custom-retuned in just intonation, will explore relationships with a piano in modern 12-tone tuning and a Japanese shakuhachi, whose tuning matches neither of the Western instruments. Oliveros focuses on the subtle interplay of the small spaces between the three tunings. Fans of international microtonality should not miss this.  

For other events at Trinity Chapel call 549-3864.

MUSIC 

924 Gilman St. Oct. 19: W.H.N.?, Jellyroll Rockheads, Ex-Claim, Crucial Attack, Sharp Knife; Oct. 21: 5 p.m. Throwdown, Martyr A.D., Bleeding Through, Everytime I Die, Fate 13; Oct. 26: Influents, Plus Ones, Divit, Summerjack, Robot Adrenaline, Claredon Hills; Oct. 27: (Halloween show, $1 off if you’re in a (non-punk) costume!) Babyland, Tsunami Bomb, Scissor Hands, Dexter Danger; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 

Ashkenaz Oct 13: Clinton Fearon, Dub Congress; Oct 16: Danubias; Oct 17: Cajun Cayotesl Oct 18: Greatful Dean DJ Night; Oct 19: Swing Session 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blake’s Oct. 15: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 16: Black Dog Band featuring Peanut McDaniels, $4; Oct. 17: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Oct. 18: Ascension, $5; Oct. 19: King Harvest, Sfunk, $5; Oct. 20: Psychokinetics, $5; Oct. 22: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 23: Felice, $3; Oct. 24: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Oct. 25: Psychotica, $5; Oct. 26: Planting Seeds, $6; Oct. 27: Felonious, $6; Oct. 29: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 31: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Oct. 17 and 18: 8 p.m. Cesaria Evora, $24 - $36; Oct. 19: 8 p.m. Karnak, $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph, 642-0212, tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; Sept. 3: 2 - 8 p.m. Big West Coast Harmonica Bash, afternoon benefit for Red Archibald. $10 donation; Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Shafqat Ali Khan Oct. 20: 8 p.m. Concert of classical Ragaa, Sufi, Urdu, Persian Ghazel, and other popular musical styles from India. $20 general admission, $15 students. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 www.juliamorgan.org 

Theater 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Swanwhite” Through Oct. 21: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. A new translation of the Swedish Play that asks the question what good is romantic love, directed by Tom Clyde. $20, Sundays are “Pay What You Can”. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305, www.virtuous.com 

“Orestes” Through Oct. 21: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. An adaptation of the classical play by Euripides that incorporates passages inspired or taken from various 20th century texts. Written by Charles Mee, Directed by Christopher Herold. $6-12. Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus 642-8268 

“Approach” Through Oct. 27: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m. An examination of the search for intimacy as our most precious form of survival. Written by Susan Wiegand, Directed by Katie Bales Frassinelli. $15 general admission, $10 students and seniors. Eighth Street Studio Theatre, 2525 8th St. 655-0813 www.shotgunplayers.org 

“36 Views” Through Oct. 28: Tues. 8 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m., Thu. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Thu., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Sat., Sun. 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Written by Naomi Lizuka, Directed by Mark Wing-Davey. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Nocturne” Through Nov. 11: Tues./Thurs./Sat. 8 p.m., Weds. & Sun. 7 p.m, matinee on Thurs./Sat./Sun. 2 p.m. Mark Brokaw directs Anthony Rapp in One-Man Show. Written by Adam Rapp. $38 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Travesties” Through Nov. 17: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., and Thurs., Nov. 15, 8 p.m. A witty fantasy about James Joyce meeting Lenin in Zurich during World War I. Written by Tom Stoppard, Directed by Mikel Clifford. $10. Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck. 528-5620 

Films 

“Lisa Picard is Famous” Through Oct. 19: Mocumentary chronicles New York actress who hopes to get more than a fleeting taste of fame when a racy cereal commercial brings her unexpected national notoriety. Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 843-3456 

“Loaded Visions” Oct. 17: 8 p.m. Experimental short films by Antero Alli (Eight Videopoems and “Lilly in Limbo,” plus live music from Sylvi Alli). $5 - $10 sliding scale. La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 464-4640 www.verticalpool.com 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Oct. 15: 7 p.m., Genesis; Oct. 16: 7:30 p.m., La Région centrale; Oct. 17: 7:30 p.m., Video in the Villages and Amazonian Trilogy; Oct. 19: 7:30 p.m., Jungle Secrets, Yãkwa; Oct. 20: 3:30 p.m., Berkeley High/Bay Area Film Festival; 7 p.m., The Testament of Dr. Mabuse; 9:20 p.m., The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse; Oct. 21: 3:30 p.m., Kiss and Film, 5:30 p.m., Harakiri; Oct. 22: 7 p.m., The Closed Doors; Oct. 23: 7:30 p.m., Super-8mm Films by Theresa Cha; Oct. 24: 7:30 p.m., The Rainy Season and Wai’a Rini; Oct. 26: 7:30 p.m., The Passion of Joan of Arc, 9:15 p.m., Vivre sa Vie; Oct 27: 7 p.m., New Music for Silent Films by UCB Composers; Oct. 28: 5:30 p.m., Vampyr; Oct. 29: 7 p.m., A Time for Drunken Horses; Oct. 30: 7:30 p.m., An Evening with Leslie Thornton; Oct. 31: 7:30 p.m., 9:20 p.m., Saudade do Futuro. 

2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Exhibits 

“MWP Perspectives” Jon Orvik: One artist’s journey. Through Oct. 27 Tues. - Fri. 12 - 5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. Solo artist exhibiting his journey through metal, wood and paint. Adapt Gallery and Design, 2834 College Ave. 649-8501 www.adaptgallery.com  

“Cut Plates and Bowls” Annabeth Rosen, “Just Jars” Sandy Simon Through Nov. 3; Saturdays 10 - 5 or by appointment. Trax Ceramic Gallery, 1306 3rd St. 526-0279. cone5@aol.com 

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“2001 James D. Phelan Art Awards in Printmaking” Honorees: Bridget Henry, David Kelso, and Margaret Van Patten. Oct. 19 - Nov. 30 Tues. - Fri. noon - 5 p.m., other times by appointment. Kala Art Institue, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977 www.kala.org 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Musee des Hommages” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Readings 

Boadecia’s Books Oct. 18: Patricia Nell Warren reads from her novel “The Wild Man”, Oct. 22: J.M. Redmann reads from “Death By the Riverside”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on 4th Street Oct 18: Tamora Pierce talks about “Protector of the Small”; 1730 Fourth St. 559-9500 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Oct 15: Amir Aczel poses The Riddle of the Compass: The Invention That Changed the World; Oct 16: Kip Fulbeck talks about “Paper Bullets”; Oct 18: Suzanne Antoneta & micah Perks talk about “Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir” and “Pagan Time: An American Childhood; All shows at 7:30 p.m.; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Oct. 16: 7 - 9 p.m. Steve Arntsen and Kathleen Dunbar followed by open mike reading. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland 465-3935 ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Oct. 20: Miriam Ching Louie reads from “Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Women Workers Take on the Global Factory”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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  

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

Wednesday, Oct. 17

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article – a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Golden Age Party 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Party for the over 90 club and any who wish to attend. Swing Notes, a women’s acappela group will entertain and there will be refreshments. 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave. 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov. 28 

Conversation: Rosemary  

Radford Reuther and Carolyn  

Merchant 

5:30 - 8 p.m. 

#1 LeConte Building, UC Berkeley 

“Women, Religion, Science, and the Environment.” 649-2490 

Thursday, Oct. 18

Simplicity Forum 

7 - 8:30 p.m. 

Claremont Branch Library 

2940 Benvenue Ave. 

Cecile Andrews, author of Circles of Simplicity, Return to the Good Life, speaks on “Rekindling Conversation.” 549-3509 www.seedsofsimplicity.org 

Berkeley Metaphysical  

Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. 869-2547 

Friday, Oct. 19

Cooperative Center Federal  

Credit Union 

Grand Opening Celebration 

4 - 7 p.m. 

2001 Ashby Ave. 

A family affair with food, entertainment and a special treat for the kids. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, honorary chairperson, is scheduled to attend. Faith Fancher is the mistress of ceremonies. 415-346-0199 

YAP’s FNL Teen Club: “Pop  

Ya Colla! Dance” 

7 -11 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Young Adult Project presents dance for 13 to 18 year olds only. Must have B.U.S.D. I.D. “No haters, no problems.” 644-6226 

Saturday, Oct. 20

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Office of Emergency Services 

812 Page St.  

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

BART Job Fair 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

BART will be recruiting to fill approximately 160 jobs that will be opening up next year. The jobs to be filled are in accounting, planing, engineering, insurance, purchasing, police, maintenance and electronics. 

Sunday, Oct. 21

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets. 

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Halloween Magic 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond JCC Auditorium 

1414 Walnut St.  

Los Angeles Magician and Comedian “Hotei the Magic Guy.” For kids 2 to 12 and their parents. $7. 236-7469 www.thebuddyclub.com 

A year ago, on October 9, 2000, my stepfather, Joseph Carleton, died at the age of 67 after a four-month battle with stomach cancer. On this anniversary, I find myself reflecting on how I came to love Joe. 

I’ve sometimes thought that men who marry women with small children must really be in love, because they’re so often entering hostile territory. When Joe first started dating my mother, Ruth, in the mid-1960s, I didn’t like him very much.  

My brother, Jeff, and I met the news of Joe’s engagement to my mother with sullen silence. In addition to the intrusion into our relationship with our mother, I guess we feared being disloyal to our father. And Joe’s flaws as a stepparent mirrored the negative stereotypes of his profession, mechanical engineering: he could be perfectionistic, remote, and overly critical. I remember him going in after we bathed to make sure we hadn’t used too much water (he’d feel the inside of the tub for wetness and warmth to check the level). 

The year 1968 was a turning point, not only for our country – with the Vietnam War raging, the anti-war and civil rights movements filling the streets, the assassinations, and the violence at the Democratic Convention in Chicago – but also in my feelings towards Joe. Although I was only 10, I was well aware of the events of the times. 

One memory stands out. It was April, and I was sitting on the couch in our living room. The front door opened, and I heard a sound I had never encountered before. Joe was sobbing as my mother rushed to meet him. I remember worrying that something had happened to Joe’s mother, my new grandmother.  

“They’ve shot him,” I heard Joe say to my mother, and they held each other tightly as they cried together. Then they joined me on the couch to tell me that the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. had just been killed. I remember Joe piling us all in the car that evening to take us to the one black Baptist church in Palo Alto for an impromptu service, where we were among a handful of white people in a sanctuary overflowing with grief-stricken parishioners. 

Although I already respected my parents’ political involvement on an intellectual level, this was the first time I understood that the motivation for it was deep love. Joe’s work in the civil rights movement came from his heart. 

Over the years, I’ve seen that all the hard work Joe did for many causes came from the same place. His work as an environmentalist and conservation chair of the local Sierra Club chapter stemmed directly from his love of nature; his involvement in the anti-war movement arose out of a heartfelt belief in peace and a fierce patriotism that required him to speak out when he saw his country doing wrong; and his support of farmworkers and the civil rights movement came from a true love of justice. 

I came to see that Joe used his mind and intellect to serve his heart, as he fought for the things he believed in. He was also willing to be of service in smaller ways, fixing an elderly friend’s refrigerator, or going miles out of his way to help a stranger whose car had broken down. And although he was sometimes emotionally distant, Joe was always there to lend a hand when I needed it. 

Now, as our world faces uncertain times, I find myself really missing Joe. I know Joe would be acutely concerned about our nation’s safety and security, and that he’d want the perpetrators of the crimes of September 11 brought to justice, but I also know without a doubt that he would be committed to working for peace and that he’d never stand by silently while our civil liberties were eroded. And his deepest motivation would be love. 

Nancy Carleton is a long-time community activist who has served as chair of the Zoning Adjustments Board and as vice chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. She is currently active in the growing peace movement. 

Like public and private buildings around the country, City Hall instituted a slew of new security measures Monday in an attempt to make the building safer, while not disrupting public business.  

“All government agencies from the federal to local levels are operating with heightened awareness,” City Manager Weldon Rucker wrote in a Sept. 12 memo to city councilmembers. “Many have implemented considerable security measures as a result of the Sept. 11 events. As part of the city’s overall effort to review, update and exercise our emergency procedures, I will be implementing a new building safety and security plan.” 

All visitors to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center building will now be asked where they are going, then lobby staff will call ahead to that department to announce their arrival. Visitors will wear a name tag, which will include the floor and department they intend to visit. 

In addition, a plainclothes Berkeley police officer will be stationed in the lobby for at least the rest of this week. 

City Communications Manager Stephanie Lopez said the measures are designed to be helpful as well as security conscious.  

“Since the Civic Center reopened (early this year) we’ve needed to update our building plan for how we service the public,” she said. “People should expect to come to the Civic Center and have a safe and pleasant experience while here.” 

Lopez said the city manager’s safety measures are based on common sense. She said public buildings in other cities, such as San Francisco and Oakland, have implemented more intrusive safety measures including metal detector stations and parcel and bag searches. No additional funding will be needed for the new safety measures, she added, since more staff or equipment will not be used. 

Other safety measures include a tow-away zone around the perimeter of the Civic Center and closure of the public rest rooms in the rear of the building until further notice. 

According to the city manager’s memo, all the city’s buildings will be reviewed for safety measures. 

The general response among councilmembers and their aides was favorable to the new safety measures. 

Councilmember Miriam Hawley said she had not yet heard complaints from any of her constituents and that the new measures made city workers feel safer. 

“I suppose some people will be upset by the new security at first but it makes people working in the building feel unafraid,” she said. 

The mayor’s executive assistant, Tamlyn Bright, said the new safety measures are a welcome feature.  

“I think these are appropriate actions and I’m very happy that we are responding the way the rest of the country is,” she said. “This is the least we can do.” 

Councilmember Linda Maio’s aide, Calvin Fong, said the building was a little too open before – at least once a week there is someone wandering around the hallways with no apparent business in the building. He added that people frequently walk into the office.  

“It’s kind of irritating when people come walking right into the office unannounced,” he said.  

Councilmember Betty Olds said she thought the new measures were OK but the tow away zone outside the building was “going too far.” She said she was concerned about older residents who now have to park blocks away to come to the Civic Center. 

Berkeley Resident Frankie Fraser, who had business in the city clerk’s office Monday, said she approved of new safety measures.  

“I think it’s great,” she said. “Especially after you travel abroad and see that this type of thing is common procedure there. We just aren’t used to it yet.”

Editor: 

The Oct. 2 action by Berkeley Councilmembers Kriss Worthington, Linda Maio, Dona Spring, Maudelle Shirek and Margaret Breland to draw new council district boundary lines presents a classic how-to manual in the art of Back Room Dealing. It’s Gerrymandering 101 as follows: 

1) Proclaim yourselves champions of open government and letting the sun shine into all city decisions so that you can act otherwise. 

2) Meet privately behind closed doors with four members of the City Council of the same political persuasion. Be sure this closed-door group is all the same politically. After all, your purpose is to extend your power, not build consensus.  

3) Hammer out a proposal that gives your group the biggest political advantage, ignoring public comment from other groups, like the students, even though you have said you are their friend. Remember, your political purpose comes first. 

4) Keep your proposal a secret by not releasing it until just before the council votes. Show it to a few political friends who are not on the council so they can speak in favor of it. Show it ahead of time to the person who will provide the necessary fifth vote so she won’t have to ask many questions. Don’t show it to the other councilmembers until well after the meeting has started. Certainly don’t show it to the public! 

5) When your proposal is distributed, be sure that it does not come with annoying facts or numbers like those that you insisted be attached to all the other proposals people have been discussing for weeks. 

6) Be sure the motion to approve this new proposal cannot be understood by anyone including Councilmembers and staff. This is best accomplished by including in the motion only census block numbers, not street names. Since no one knows their census block numbers, they won’t be able to figure out how the proposal affects them. 

7) When you approve the proposal, repeatedly say it “meets all criteria,” even if you present no evidence that it does. Claim how wonderful it is. Saying it is the best proposal helps deceive people.  

8) Claim loudly you have student interests at heart by spreading their influence over two Council districts rather than one. Never admit you have reduced District 7’s 18-24 year old registered voters to 45 percent and achieved only 50 percent in District 8: neither percentage being even close to the 55 percent students currently hold in District 7. 

9) Assert that Councilmember Worthington represents students. Ignore comments by current students that they want one of their peers as their representative. 

10) Ignore pesky homeowner neighborhoods in District 8 that are now being pitted against students. They don’t vote for you anyway. 

11) Claim a student should sit on the Council, even though it is likely the door on such a reform has been closed due to the fact you have significantly increased tensions between student and homeowner interests. 

12) When other Councilmembers lodge objections, dismiss them as “sour grapes.”  

But why am I surprised. Kriss Worthington, along with his Assistants, David Blake and Becky O’Malley have been practicing the technique for years. I tell my students at San Francisco State University that in Berkeley we call this style of politics “citizen participation”and deny its existence, while in Chicago it is admitted and referred to as machine politics.  

David Tabb 

Berkeley 

The City Council could find itself the subject of national media attention again if it approves a controversial recommendation by Councilmember Dona Spring, who is asking the council to send letters to congressional representatives and the president calling for an end to U.S. bombing in Afghanistan.  

Berkeley has been in the national eye twice since the Sept. 11 attacks, once over the temporary removal of American flags from fire department vehicles during a protest and once over a controversial statement by a councilmember – a misquote according to Councilmember Dona Spring, picked up by a Wall Street Journal Web site columnist. The quote had Spring saying the United States is a terrorist country, while Spring said she meant that the Afghanis would believe the United States was a terrorist country for dropping bombs on Afghanistan. 

Spring placed the resolution to call for an end to the bombing on the agenda at last week’s meeting as an emergency item, but it failed to get the six votes it needed to be put on the agenda. The nine-member council voted in favor of the item 5-4, with Mayor Shirley Dean and councilmembers Betty Olds, Polly Armstrong and Miriam Hawley voting in opposition.  

Tonight the item needs only five votes to gain approval. The five-member progressive faction, which includes Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, and councilmembers Spring, Kriss Worthington, Linda Maio and Margaret Breland, is expected to approve the item.  

Counter terrorism equipment 

The council is expected to authorize the city manager to join with the cities of Albany and Emeryville to accept a state grant from the Office of Emergency Services to respond to chemical or biological terrorist attacks. 

The grant will reimburse the city for $54,000 worth of equipment including portable decontamination showers, shelters and antidote kits. 

The fire department has been planning to purchase this equipment for the last six months, but according to a department staff report, Fire Chief Reginald Garcia is asking the council to expedite the purchase “in light of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11.” 

Capturing the wind 

The council is expected to waive fees and expedite permits for a nonprofit advocacy group to erect a wind monitoring station on an unused section of the Berkeley Pier.  

Local Power wants to place the equipment on the pier to test the feasibility of wind-powered, energy-producing technology. The Waterfront Commission has already approved the project.  

The proposed section of pier is ideal for the project because it’s among the windiest sections of the San Francisco Bay, according to the recommendation submitted by Councilmember Linda Maio.  

The report goes on to say that conventional electricity production accounts for about 30 percent of global warming, making it the largest single contributor. While on the other hand, wind power is the greenest electricity source available and is economically competitive with coal and other carbon-based sources of electricity. 

The equipment will be in place for approximately 18 months. The associated costs to the city is approximately $675. 

Un-reinforced masonry 

The council will be presented with an status report by the Planning and Development Department regarding the remaining un-reinforced masonry buildings in the city.  

Since the Un-reineforced Masonry Building Ordinance went into effect after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, 100 of the city’s 301 un-reinforced buildings have been seismically upgraded. That leaves 201 to go, according to a recently prepared Planning Department report. The report also mentions that retrofitting work on some of the remaining buildings has already begun or are near completion.  

According to the report, there are four buildings considered in the highest risk category and another 21 in the medium risk category.  

The privately-owned building highest on the city’s priority list is the California Theater at 2115 Kittredge St. The city’s concern stems from the large numbers of people who attend films there and the historical status of the building itself.  

Because the building is on the State Historic Building Resources Inventory, the Landmarks Preservation Commission had to approve the retrofit plans, which it did in August. According to the report, the theater operator has committed to completing the retrofit by the court-ordered deadline of December. 

City-owned businesses on the URM list include the former Fire Administration Building at 2121 McKinley St., the Facilities Maintenance Building at 1326 Allston Way and the Live Oak Recreation Center at 1301 Shattuck Ave. 

Green building 

The City Council will likely approve and increase in funding for the Green Building Design Assistance Program. The city's housing department is asking for an increase of $5,580 to add building assistance consultations and sessions for private and commercial builders. If the increase is approved, the budget for the program through December 2002 will be $95,000. 

The Green Building Design Assistance Program was established to assist builders make preliminary design decisions about energy systems, building design and environmentally conscious building materials. 

For more information about the program call 705-8187. 

Other items to be considered include: 

• The second reading of the newly-drawn council districts.  

• A charter amendment that, if approved by city voters, would create a student-dominated district, which would likely result in a student being elected to the city council. 

• Authorizing the city manager to accept a $100,000 grant from the Alameda County Public Health Department to launch a smoking prevention campaign aimed at college students. 

• The conversion of all city vehicles to fuel sources that are environmentally friendly.  

Not for the public 

A closed session meeting will be held prior to the regular City Council meeting to continue contract negotiations with the Berkeley Police Association. The council will also hear from legal counsel about a litigation against the city by the 620 Hearst Group, which is currently in Alameda County Superior Court. 

The public will allot 10 minutes to make comments to the public prior to the closing of the meeting, which will be held 2180 Milvia St., in the sixth floor conference room at 5:30 p.m.  

The City Council meeting will be held tonight at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will also be broadcast live on KPFA Radio, 89.3 and Cable B-TV, Channel 25.

Editor: 

Are students really under represented? Aren't they allowed to vote? 

If students get their own district, shouldn't others, like public employees or seniors? 

Don't students live all over the city, as well as in neighboring cities? Should districts in those cities be gerrymandered as well? 

Everyone else has to deal with the current political system (as imperfect as it may be). People join associations (neighborhood, professional, etc.), alliances, clubs, non-profits etc., to promote their causes. To legislate special political privilege to citizens of a particular occupation is simply unfair to others. 

I. Dayrit 

Berkeley 

Conductors of a citywide survey on the homeless will present their results to the city council tonight, indicating a strong demand in Berkeley for a legal campground, an expanded shelter system and storage facilities. 

Members of the non-profit organization, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, interviewed members of the city’s homeless population. The 100 respondents were found in shelters, on the streets, and at service-provider centers.  

“Sleep deprivation is the No. 1 problem people talk about,” said Michael Diehl, a community organizer for BOSS.  

He added that of the 52 people who reported sleeping either outside or in a vehicle, 70 percent said they do not have a safe place to sleep. 

Diehl said the survey was conducted, in part, to justify the city council’s April 28 approval of the Homeless Human and Civil Rights Resolution, which made the enforcement of Penal Code Section 647(J) a low priority. The law states that it is a misdemeanor to lodge “in any building, structure, vehicle, or place, whether public or private, without the permission of the owner or person entitled to the possession or in control of it.”  

Critics charge that the law prohibits sleeping anywhere in public.  

“In essence, homelessness itself is criminalized by punishing people for doing things in public because they don’t have a place to do it in private,” said Tirien Steinbach of the East Bay Community Law Center. “Sleeping, drinking, eating, or littering. Things that are basically because of homelessness, there isn’t a choice where people do these things.”  

Steinbach was not involved in the survey. 

Of the survey’s 100 respondents, 61 percent were male, 39 percent female. Sixty-one percent of respondents were African-American, 27 percent white, 7 percent other. According to Diehl, the remaining 5 percent of respondents did not fill out this portion of the survey.  

Just under half of the respondents reported having a physical disability, 42 percent reported mental health problems, 36 percent of respondents reported using drugs, while a quarter said they frequently used alcohol. 

While 7 percent of respondents did not finish high school, 81 percent reported having received a GED or higher level of education. The remaining 12 percent did not fill out this section of the survey, Diehl said.  

A vast majority of individuals surveyed said they were unemployed. Just less than half said they did not have a safe place to store possessions. Diehl said storage facilities are key in finding work and creating stability for the homeless.  

“When people are looking for work they lose their papers,” he said, adding that storage lockers would allow them a place to store resumes, clothes, and other possessions. 

The survey also showed more than three-quarters of those asked said they would use a public campground within Berkeley city limits if available.

Most realtors optimistic in housing market outlook, despite economic climate 

Elizabeth Kim, a Berkeley teacher is house hunting with her husband. Like other home buyers, Kim, 29, is taking advantage of a market with interest rates at a 30-year low. 

“I do find myself hoping the economy will get worse. It’s like I’m taking advantage of the craziness of the world,” said Kim. 

The government is helping home buyers like Kim with interest rates as low as 6.25 percent on a 30-year loan. Buyers are also finding that the slowdown in the economy and the attacks on the East Coast which shook things up even further reduced the number of people able to put their money down on a home. 

Still, a possible recession may not be enough to put a home in the East Bay into the hands of the average resident. 

To buy a home, buyers will need to fork over an average $500,000, according to a June report from the California Realtor’s Association, a trade group. 

Realtors today say almost half of all buyers coming to them are looking for homes costing between $350,000 and $500,000. 

Kim said she is willing to buy a home that costs around $700,000. However, she said, she has looked at homes in neighborhoods like El Cerrito for a better deal. But even then, other prospective buyers overbid them by 15 to 20 percent. 

Ira Serkes, a realtor and author of “How to Buy a Home in California,” said last year’s market was unhealthy. Homes were overpriced because sellers received as many as 15 to 20 bids.  

Today, the market is still active, but he said he is now seeing an average of only three to five bids on a home. 

“I’d call this year’s market healthy,” he said.  

Serkes said prices are remaining stable so far and he’s not seeing a precipitous drop. 

Simon Chen, owner and broker of Realty World Abacus in Fremont, said some sellers are keeping homes off the market in hopes of better economic times.  

This lowers available inventory, Chen said, and may be making it harder for buyers to find affordable homes. 

According to a broker’s report, which lists new homes, there were 180 homes that went up for sale last week. This year, only 164 were listed in the report. 

Chen added that buyers shouldn’t expect a significant drop in the prices of homes; the mean price of a home is going up. 

“That’s because in this area, and all over California, it’s still an attractive place for people to live,” Chen said. 

Ann Tham, an Emeryville resident, was looking at an open house when the realtor told her the asking price was $730,000. 

“It’s ridiculous,” Tham, 33, said. “The property tax is my whole income.” 

Tham, who earns $70,000 a year wants to buy a home to receive a tax break, but knows she can’t afford it. 

“I’m just hoping that the market will go down,” she said. 

Nancy Wallace, a professor who lectures on real estate at UC Berkeley, said prices may fall in the housing market after a significant number of potential buyers are laid-off from their jobs.  

“The best indicator for housing prices will be the unemployment index,” she said. 

The commercial real estate market is also suffering. According to Wallace, there’s a 20-percent vacancy rate in the office space market in San Francisco.  

“The Bay area’s labor market has been seriously hit by the economic downturn,” she said. “People are already losing their jobs and leaving the area.” 

Other economists remain optimistic. 

The increase in government expenditure and tax cuts will boost the economy, said Robert Kleinhen, a San Francisco economist. 

He said we should begin to see a turn-around as soon as November. 

For now though, Wallace said prices have fallen in the South Bay. The market in the East Bay is doing well because it’s less expensive and has amenities, such as public transportation. 

If homes do become more affordable, it will eventually be good news for buyers who can stick out a recession, she said. 

Chen said he is already seeing the benefits of a softening economy on the real estate market. 

He said people who are in today’s market are those who want to sell their homes for a healthy profit, but aren’t looking to cash in. 

“Right now, the people who have unrealistic expectations and want to sell to get rich are staying out of the market,” he said.

SACRAMENTO, — Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation Sunday providing about a dozen rights enjoyed by heterosexual married couples to more than 16,000 registered gay, lesbian and senior domestic partners in California. 

Davis also signed twin handgun bills late Sunday that would require gun buyers to pass a written test and demonstrate to a safety instructor that they know how to operate the weapon. 

The domestic partners bill lets those who register with the California Secretary of State’s Office make medical decisions for their incapacitated partners, sue for wrongful death, adopt a partner’s child and will property to a partner. 

“This bill marks a stellar advance for lesbians and gays in California,” said its author, Assemblywoman Carole Migden, D-San Francisco. 

Davis said, “This bill is about responsibility, respect, and most of all about family — and it’s about time.” 

Supporters call Davis’ decision the biggest expansion of domestic partner rights in the country, putting the state alongside Vermont and Hawaii for acceptance of same-sex couples. 

Opponents label it an assault on traditional marriage and family values. In March 2000, more than 60 percent of California voters said that marriage should be between a man and a woman. 

“In one fell swoop, Gray Davis has cheapened every marriage in the state, undermined the vote of the people, pandered to the special interests, frivolously spent taxpayer money and broken his written promise to the citizens of California,” said Randy Thomasson, director of the Campaign for California Families. 

The group rallied in six California cities last week, asking Davis to veto the bill. 

The bill, which goes into effect, Jan. 1, also allows an individual to relocate with a domestic partner without losing unemployment benefits, use sick leave to care for a family member and administer a partner’s estate. 

Davis spent Sunday considering more than 200 bills and was expected to work until the early hours of Monday morning. 

Late Sunday, he signed identical Senate and Assembly bills that require handgun buyers to provide a thumb print, proof of residency, identification and a handgun safety certificate. 

The gun bills’ requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2003. 

Davis also signed a measure to limit the sale of “junk food” in elementary schools. 

The measure by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier, restricts sales of soda at middle schools to after lunch and increases the money schools are paid for lunches for poor children. 

Davis deleted $5.5 million in the bill for grants to local school districts to implement and monitor new nutrition standards. He said the use of federal funds should be explored. 

Davis has vetoed several bills that involved new spending, citing the state’s growing budget crunch. 

He also signed 13 crime bills Sunday while racing toward a midnight bill-signing deadline, including one to fine adults who leave young children alone in cars. 

Davis also signed a bill to make registered sex offenders provide yearly fingerprints, photo and vehicle information. Another allows prosecutors to weigh old drunken driving arrests when trying people arrested again on the same charge. 

Current law allows prosecutors to overlook drunken driving arrests more than 10 years old. 

The governor also signed a bill cracking down on unlicensed workers who help people who can’t leave their homes. The bill, by Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno, lets people receiving in-home services know if their worker has been arrested before taking the job. 

Davis spent Sunday considering more than 200 bills and was expected to work until the early hours of Monday morning. 

Legislators sent the governor 1,000 bills when they adjourned their 2001 session Sept. 15. Davis had until midnight to sign, veto or let them become law without his signature. 

Most bills take effect Jan. 1. 

RENO, Nev. — All six people exposed to anthrax in a letter at a Microsoft office in Nevada have tested negative for the deadly, inhaled version of the disease, state officials said Monday. 

The nasal swab tests for the final two people came back negative Monday, Washoe County District Health Officer Barbara Hunt said. The other four had tested negative on Sunday. 

State officials were waiting for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to complete tests on the anthrax sample from the letter at Microsoft Licensing in Reno to determine whether it is a disease-causing strain or a harmless vaccine strain. Results were expected Tuesday, Gov. Kenny Guinn said. 

Hunt said the test result was a secondary concern because no one had shown signs of illness. 

“The negative nasal swab tests, combined with the physical condition and location of the letter, indicate that this is a very, very low risk situation even if the CDC results indicate that the anthrax isolate did contain a disease-causing strain,” Hunt said. 

“It is a great relief,” Hunt said. 

Health officials will monitor the six people for the less dangerous form of anthrax, which can result in skin lesions but is highly treatable, she said. 

State officials also were testing a vial filled with powder found aboard an America West flight from Phoenix that was isolated after it arrived at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Officials suspect the material is harmless and could be a hoax. 

Ten passengers and crew members were subjected to decontamination procedures by a hazardous materials team at the airport early Monday morning, spokesman Adam Mayberry said. The FBI and Federal Aviation Administration were notified. 

An FBI spokesman said Monday from Las Vegas that the agency is investigating whether the letter that tested positive for anthrax was contaminated before or after it was sent to Malaysia then returned to Microsoft in Reno. 

“It is too early to tell,” FBI spokesman Daron Borst told The Associated Press. “Anything is possible at this point.” 

Borst said the FBI will release additional information “if we develop anything that is a public safety issue,” but otherwise won’t be making any statements on the progress of the investigation. 

“If the CDC test comes back positive for the content of anthrax, then yes, it will be considered a criminal investigation,” he said. 

The anthrax was found in the letter on a pornographic picture, which apparently had been cut from a magazine. 

Guinn ordered new training for state employees Monday to help recognize suspicious-looking envelopes and packages. Regular mail was being delivered by the U.S. Postal Service as usual. 

Officials at the state Emergency Operations Center in Carson City said they have turned over about three dozen suspicious envelopes picked up from people in northern Nevada and delivered them to the state health lab in Reno for testing. 

Guinn said Microsoft had sent a check in the letter to a vendor in Malaysia. The letter was returned and the check was still in the letter, along with pornographic material. The vendor wasn’t identified. 

Microsoft representatives contacted U.S. health officials Wednesday after an employee became suspicious about the returned envelope. 

Malaysia’s foreign minister said Monday he believed that the letter did not originate in Malaysia.  

He suggested it might have been tampered with before it was sent to Malaysia. 

“I think definitely there is no truth that the thing originates from Malaysia,” Syed Hamid Albar told reporters after holding talks with a senior U.S. government trade representative. 

Syed Hamid said he told U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick that Malaysia was concerned that unverified anthrax information could cause fear in other countries. Zoellick later met with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. 

The Malaysian government has pledged to prosecute anyone shown to be involved in the Nevada anthrax letter, and to cooperate fully with U.S. investigators. The government has appealed to the FBI for all relevant information. 

“We do not know exactly how the thing originates,” Syed Hamid said. 

Meanwhile, Microsoft officials sought to reassure employees returning to work Monday. About 600 employees work in the Sierra Pacific Power headquarters building in Reno where Microsoft Licensing Inc. leases office space. 

Counseling sessions were held with workers over the weekend and were continuing Monday. 

“What we are trying to manage now are not the medical issues — which the local health officials have done a good job with — but those legitimate emotional concerns that people have,” Sierra Pacific President Jeff Ceccarelli said. 

Dan Leach, a spokesman for Microsoft, said there did not appear to be any great anxiety on the part of 140 Microsoft workers at the office. 

“Any risk is obviously an emotional concern,” he said. “But the people I have talked with seem to be handling it well.” 

All six people being tested — five Microsoft employees and a family member — had some form of contact with the contaminated letter. 

Hunt said the letter contained such a small amount of anthrax that it’s difficult to know whether it was deliberately placed on the picture. 

“There’s always a chance it came from contaminated soil and ended up on the picture accidentally,” she said, adding it’s a matter for law enforcement authorities to decide. 

Borst said it’s too early to tell whether terrorists sent the letter, but “anytime you send anthrax through the mail, the intent is to induce fear and that’s a form of terrorism.” 

LOS ANGELES — Country Joe McDonald is being sued for allegedly stealing the tune of his 1965 protest song “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag” from a 1926 song by famed jazz trombonist Kid Ory. 

The suit was filed last month by Ory’s daughter, Babette Ory, in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Ory claims McDonald stole the tune to her father’s “Muskrat Ramble” and argues that McDonald’s infringement was intentional 

According to the suit, Ory notified McDonald in July that his song infringed on her father’s copyright, but he continued to perform it. Under copyright law, the suit can ask for damages for performances of the song only in the past three years and for any performances since its filing. 

“Damage for intentional infringement can be up to $150,000 for every time the song has been performed over the past three years,” Ory’s lawyer, Neville Johnson, told the Los Angeles Times. “McDonald released it on a record, sang it on a TV series, ’Tales of the City’— it’s hard to tell how much that will amount to. His song is an American classic, it’s just too bad that it infringed on another one.” 

The suit asks for unspecified damages and an order barring McDonald from performing the song. Ironically, it comes just at the time when the recording may be gaining new popularity because of the military action in Afghanistan. 

McDonald, head of one of the leading psychedelic political bands of the 1960s and a solo artist since 1970, conceded that he’s been a fan of Kid Ory but denied he copped the tune.

LOS ANGELES — Country Joe McDonald is being sued for allegedly stealing the tune of his 1965 protest song “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag” from a 1926 song by famed jazz trombonist Kid Ory. 

The suit was filed last month by Ory’s daughter, Babette Ory, in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Ory claims McDonald stole the tune to her father’s “Muskrat Ramble” and argues that McDonald’s infringement was intentional 

According to the suit, Ory notified McDonald in July that his song infringed on her father’s copyright, but he continued to perform it. Under copyright law, the suit can ask for damages for performances of the song only in the past three years and for any performances since its filing. 

“Damage for intentional infringement can be up to $150,000 for every time the song has been performed over the past three years,” Ory’s lawyer, Neville Johnson, told the Los Angeles Times. “McDonald released it on a record, sang it on a TV series, ’Tales of the City’— it’s hard to tell how much that will amount to. His song is an American classic, it’s just too bad that it infringed on another one.” 

The suit asks for unspecified damages and an order barring McDonald from performing the song. Ironically, it comes just at the time when the recording may be gaining new popularity because of the military action in Afghanistan. 

McDonald, head of one of the leading psychedelic political bands of the 1960s and a solo artist since 1970, conceded that he’s been a fan of Kid Ory but denied he copped the tune.

LOS ANGELES — A report on fuel-cell vehicles commissioned by a coalition of government agencies, automakers and other companies concludes that bringing the low-polluting technology to market in California will require an expensive effort that probably won’t be profitable for at least a decade. 

But regulators, industry officials and environmentalists were heartened by the 258-page report, which they called their first comprehensive blueprint for moving fuel cells out of the laboratory and onto the streets. 

“It’s a revolutionary technology. Clearly if it’s going to replace ... the internal combustion engine, we’re certainly going to have many challenges,” said Alan C. Lloyd, chairman of the California Air Resources Board. “But I don’t see any show-stoppers.” 

A fuel cell is a battery powered by the energy generated when oxygen and hydrogen combine. When pure hydrogen is used, the only byproduct is water. 

Only a scattering of fuel-cell vehicles has been produced so far, but state air board rules will require some public transit bus fleets to use fuel-cell buses in demonstration projects by 2003. 

The report released Tuesday by the California Fuel Cell Partnership — which includes the air board, the U.S. Department of Energy, most major automakers and other governments and companies — examined what it would take to put 40,000 new fuel-cell vehicles on the road every year by 2010 or later. 

If needed improvements in fuel-cell technology are developed, “all other challenges to (fuel-cell vehicle) commercialization can be overcome, albeit in some cases with high cost, difficulty and risk requiring public support,” according to the report, written by Bevilacqua-Knight Inc., a Hayward, Calif., consulting group. 

ompanies building the estimated 500 fueling stations needed to support 40,000 California fuel-cell vehicles a year would go about 10 years before the operations started making money, and it would take several years after that to recoup infrastructure investments, said study author Bob Knight. 

“It’s going to be difficult to convince fuel providers that this is a good thing to do,” Knight said. “Government is likely to have to play a bigger role to contribute to this transition ... than they’ve ever done before.” 

Government funds and incentives would be needed to help reduce the financial risks automakers and fuel providers would assume by producing fuel-cell vehicles and facilities, the report found. 

The report examined all the ways the hydrogen needed for fuel cells could be produced, including electrolysis, natural gas, gasoline, ethanol and methanol. All methods need more research before they’re inexpensive enough to be used on a large scale, and all have unique pros and cons. 

Electrolysis is potentially the cleanest way to make hydrogen — depending on how the needed electricity is produced. But setting up 500 fueling stations to dispense hydrogen gas would cost an estimated $235 million. 

Infrastructure would be cheaper for fuel-cell vehicles that used gasoline, ethanol or methanol, but the cars themselves would be more expensive because they would need not-yet-perfected equipment to convert the fuel into hydrogen. 

Even if fuel-cell vehicles ultimately cost about the same as their internal-combustion counterparts, it will be a challenge to convince consumers to try something new, Knight said. 

“It’s not completely clear why a person would want a fuel-cell vehicle instead of a conventional vehicle. It’s very different in a way that could make buyers uncertain, so it’s going to have to have some very appealing aspects to it,” Knight said. 

——— 

On the Net: 

www.fuelcellpartnership.org 

RENO, Nev. — All six people who had contact with a suspicious letter sent from Malaysia to a Microsoft office have tested negative for the inhaled form of anthrax, Nevada health officials said Monday. 

Health officials said they will now monitor the six — five Microsoft employees and a family member — for the less dangerous form of anthrax, which is contracted through the skin but is treatable with antibiotics. 

No one has become ill. 

“The negative nasal swab tests, combined with the physical condition and location of the letter, indicate that this is a very, very low risk situation,” said Barbara Hunt, Washoe County’s district health officer. 

State officials were waiting for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to complete tests on the letter’s contents to confirm whether it was contaminated with anthrax. Results were expected Tuesday, Gov. Kenny Guinn said. 

Microsoft officials contacted health officials last week about the letter, which had been sent to the Microsoft Licensing Inc. office. 

Guinn said Microsoft had sent a check in the letter to a vendor in Malaysia. The letter was returned with the check, along with pornographic material. The vendor wasn’t identified. 

An initial test on the letter’s contents produced results “consistent with it being anthrax,” health officials said. The subsequent test was more specific to anthrax, but came back negative. A third test on the pictures tested positive for anthrax, Guinn said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — A majority of California public schools scored better on standardized tests this past academic year, but the results still fell far short of academic performance goals set by the state. 

State school Superintendent Delaine Eastin announced the results Monday from more than 6,700 schools, where the Academic Performance Index will be used to divvy up $257 million in funds this year. 

The state calculates the index based on the Standardized Testing and Reporting exam, or STAR test. Education officials track changes in each school’s rating as part of recent school reform efforts. 

During the 2000-01 academic year, 20 percent of public schools reached the state-set performance target, up from 17 percent the year before and 12 percent in the 1998-99 academic year. State education officials attributed this year’s rise to the nearly three quarters of schools that increased their index scores over 1999-2000. 

But the gains appeared to be wider than they were deep. 

Just 57 percent of schools increased their scores at the rate set by the state — down from 71 percent during 1999-2000. 

Eastin put a positive spin on the decline. 

“An outstanding number of schools showed major gains on their 1999-2000 API reports,” she said, “and this could not be expected every year.” 

The index ranges from 200 to 1,000. Legislation passed in 1999 offers schools that score below 800 incentives to improve their performance each year. That improvement must equal 5 percent of the gap between the score and the performance target. So, for example, a school that scored 600 on the index in 1999-2000 would have to increase its score by 10 points — 5 percent of the 200-point difference between 600 and 800. 

Schools that cannot show that one-year improvement lose access to the extra state money. Those that underperform over several years may face local review or stiff state sanctions. 

To be eligible for extra state funds, a school’s index must rise both across the board and within specific racial populations. 

Two Los Angeles County schools provide a good example. 

Monroe Elementary in Lakewood and Ramona Elementary in Bellflower both scored 579 in 1999-2000. Last academic year, Monroe scored 626 and Ramona scored 623 — gains of 8 percent that should have qualified both schools for extra state money. 

But Ramona did not qualify for funds, because its scores among black students rose only five points. Those scores would have had to rise nine points to qualify, according to Pat McCabe, the department of education analyst who designed and tabulated the index. 

High schools are finding it particularly difficult to meet the state goals, the new results show. 

While nearly two thirds of elementary schools and half of middle schools made such improvements, barely a quarter of high schools did. 

“We continue to be concerned with the lack of progress at the high school level,” Eastin said, adding that a new high school exit exam may soon boost scores. 

Nearly 4.5 million public school students in second through 11th grades took the STAR test last spring. The exam has two main parts: the national Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford 9) and questions written for California schools based on state standards of what each grade should learn. 

While 57 percent of schools did meet growth targets, only about 48 percent are eligible for extra money in 2001-02 under legislation Gov. Davis signed Sunday. Among the reasons for the difference is that not enough students took the test at some schools, said department of education spokesman Doug Stone. 

Davis said Monday he thinks the tests are a good way to assess schools. 

“This public index encourages schools to stay focused on progress,” Davis said. “Our schools, students and teachers are working hard to meet the challenge of higher expectations.” 

Sometimes, though, the index may not accurately measure a school’s progress. 

Take Bodega Bay Elementary School, which fell from a 718 score in 1999-2000 to 581 last year — a 137 point drop that was the state’s largest. 

The kindergarten through fourth grade school has only 37 students, a population small enough that a few poor performers can skew the results, said Stephen Rosenthal, superintendent of the district that oversees the school. 

“Next year, we may increase 200 points because of one or two kids,” Rosenthal said. “It’s not fair.” 

With a score of 975, Faria Elementary School in Cupertino topped the list. 

Principal Dolly Travers credited the school’s “academic and traditional environment” for high scores among the 379 students tested. But she also said the scores only go so far. 

“We don’t get too carried away by this,” Travers said. “The kids are most important. They’re more important than the API.” 

——— 

On the Net: 

Department of Education’s: http://api.cde.ca.gov/ 

LOS ANGELES — Displays of patriotism have a limit in what Los Angeles police officers can wear on their uniforms, and some of them aren’t happy about the restrictions. 

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, some officers began wearing flag pins and other patriotic decorations around their badges to show support for New York City officers who died in the tragedy, as well as for the country in general. 

Recently, Deputy Chief Michael J. Bostic, who runs the Los Angeles Police Department’s human resources bureau, reminded them that only one flag lapel pin is allowed on their uniforms. It is the one containing the “DARE America” flag, which also promotes the department’s anti-drug program, Bostic said in a memo issued at the end of last month. 

“A couple of officers have been making waves about it, saying the policy has stifled their ability to display their patriotism,” Lt. Horace Frank, a police spokesman, said Monday. 

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Frank added, saying the department encourages displays of patriotism “but with the caveat that our officers be uniform in their appearance.” 

He noted that police officials have also approved an American flag decal for patrol cars and other department vehicles. 

Don Lint, director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said that isn’t good enough for many officers, adding at least 70 have expressed their unhappiness to him about the restrictions. 

“Officers are upset with the DARE pin because it’s promoting the program, it’s not promoting the ’United We Stand’ theme that the country is looking for right now,” Lint said. 

The union, which represents more than 8,000 officers, has ordered 10,000 American flag pins with the words “Remember 9-11” at the bottom. 

Lint said he hopes to discuss the new pins with Bostic but so far hasn’t been able to reach him. 

OAKLAND — Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., has opened a field office in Oakland. 

The only California field office will expand the reach of the organization’s work on its core issues, which include campaign finance reform, food and automobile safety, prescription drug pricing and corporate responsibility. The new office also puts Public Citizen in a prime location for its work on international trade and energy policy. 

Public Citizen was founded in 1971 by consumer advocate Ralph Nader to fight for consumer interests in the legislatures, courts and regulatory agencies. Nader left the organization in 1980. The non-profit also has a Texas field office which opened in 1984. 

The organization has five policy groups. 

Congress Watch tracks congressional actions on health policy and campaign finance reform and monitors attacks on the civil justice and regulatory systems. The Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program is devoted to studying nuclear safety, food irradiation and energy issues. 

Global Trade Watch campaigns for social and economic justice in international trade agreements. The Health Research Group works for prescription drug safety and healthcare delivery, and the Litigation Group fights in the courts for corporate and government responsibility. 

SAN JOSE — A hang glider spotted the car of an elderly couple Monday who had been missing since late last week after their car ran off the road into dense brush. 

Mark Cogan, 81, and his wife Dvora, 80, were sighted off Skyline Boulevard. Both were suffering from dehydration and were being held overnight for observation at Stanford Medical Center. 

A man who was hang gliding noticed the car, which was not visible from the road, and called 911, said Officer Joseph Deras of the San Jose Police Department. Park rangers found Mark Cogan, who is partially blind, trying to climb a cliff to look for help. 

Deras said Dvora Cogan is legally blind. The couple originally is from Russia. 

They reportedly called relatives from a cell phone Thursday night to report their car had run off the road near the San Tomas Expressway. Police searched the area extensively over the weekend with no luck. 

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Monday ordered the return of passports taken from nine Greenpeace protesters and one free-lance journalist arrested in July following a demonstration against the “Star Wars” missile defense system. 

The defendants — from Canada, Germany, Sweden, Australia, India and the United Kingdom — will now be able to travel home before returning to Los Angeles for the trial scheduled for Nov. 20. 

They and seven others, including another free-lance journalist, were arrested after the group allegedly rowed rafts into an exclusion zone near Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central California coast base on July 14. 

They are charged with conspiring to violate a safety zone, a felony, and a misdemeanor count of entering military property without permission. If convicted, they each face up to 6 1/2 years in prison and about $250,000 in fines. 

Also on Monday, the 17 defendants pleaded not guilty to charges in a second superseding indictment, which is factually the same as the previous one, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Following their arrest, the six defendants from the United States were given immediate bail and those from other countries had their passports seized and all but one had their travel restricted to central California, Greenpeace officials said.

LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit filed by power supplier Duke Energy against the California Independent System Operator and another state agency in hopes of getting paid for electricity will continue, a judge ruled Monday. 

U.S. District Judge Terry J. Hatter refused to dismiss the lawsuit, saying he wanted to proceed and have the parties work out the issues. 

In a lawsuit filed in February, Duke claimed it provided millions of dollars in energy to cash-strapped California utilities under orders from the ISO without ensuring that it would be paid. The action also named the state Department of Water Resources, which is in charge of buying wholesale electricity for the utilities. 

“The power is just going out there and is being taken,” said Seth Ribner, a lawyer for Duke. “You have to pay for power because it is unconstitutional to steal it.” 

Cal-ISO, manager of the state’s power grid, argued that Duke failed to state what specific violation it is accusing the grid operator of committing. The DWR, in charge of buying wholesale electricity, contends it only backs the transactions and is not actively involved in them. 

Both parties asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit. 

John Saurenman, a lawyer for the DWR, also argued that the lawsuit was premature, adding that officials are implementing a process to pay energy suppliers. 

“This is not a case whether Duke will get paid,” he said. “It is simply when and how.” 

If Duke cooperates, it could be “paid in full by the end of the year,” the attorney said. 

LAS VEGAS — Three employees of a Las Vegas hobby rocket company and three firefighters were treated for burns and smoke inhalation after a warehouse explosion just after noon Monday. 

A 65-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were reported in critical condition with second- and third-degree burns, while a 52-year-old man was in fair condition with first- and second-degree burns, a University Medical Center spokesman said. 

“The three male firefighters were treated and released for smoke inhalation,” said hospital spokesman Rick Plummer. 

Employees working next to AeroTech Inc. reported hearing two explosions come from one of the rocket company’s warehouses, Las Vegas fire spokesman Steve La-Sky said. 

“People in the auto shop next door said the first explosion rocked the building and cracked their wall,” he said. “They said they ran out of the building after the first explosion.” 

That’s when La-Sky said the second and larger of the explosions created a 100-foot fire ball. 

“It’s amazing we have no fatalities,” he said. 

Three AeroTech employees who were originally reported missing were found, La-Sky said. Two were burn victims and the third was uninjured. 

About 50 firefighters and 12 units put out the three-alarm blaze by 1 p.m., La-Sky said. But by late afternoon, the fire reignited and firefighters remained on the scene waiting for the fire to burn itself out after failing to contain with water using ladders. 

About 2,500 pounds of ammonium perchlorate, a powder form of a chemical used in rocket fuel, and about 800 pounds of magnesium were stored in AeroTech’s warehouse making it too dangerous for fire crews to fight the blaze from the ground, La-Sky said. 

Authorities began evacuating residents living within a one-mile radius of the burning warehouse after 6 p.m because of the hazardous chemicals. 

Fire investigators were trying to determine the cause of the fires and the amount of damages, La-Sky said. 

It was the second workplace explosion to rock the state in a month and it renewed calls for strict oversight of companies handling hazardous materials. 

On Sept. 17, a series of explosions at Depressurized Technologies International, an aerosol recycling plant in Minden, left one man dead and four others hospitalized. 

Workers’ rights groups say earlier reforms involving businesses dealing with hazardous materials are not being taken seriously. 

State regulatory changes made after two deadly blasts in 1998 seem to have been forgotten, said Tom Stoneburner, director of Reno-based Alliance for Workers’ Rights. 

“We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board and get it right,” he said. “We can’t keep exposing our workers to these kinds of things when we send our families off to work every day.” 

In 1998, an explosion at Sierra Chemical, an explosives manufacturing plant east of Reno, killed four workers and injured six, while the another explosion at Pacific Engineering and Production Co. in Henderson, killed two people and injured more than 300. 

“We thought we had fixed it (through legislation),” Stoneburner said. “Then along comes the blast at DTI in Minden.” 

Stoneburner’s group is part of a coalition that has asked Gov. Kenny Guinn to establish a commission to investigate workplace safety. 

Michael Hillerby, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, said a commission wasn’t necessary. 

“We have very good laws that protect workers,” he said. “Anytime anything happens it encourages all the parties involved to take a closer look, but a commission isn’t a magic bullet to make things better. Accidents, sadly, are going to happen.” 

According to its Web site, AeroTech is the largest supplier of technically advanced rocket motors for the hobby rocket market. 

The company also produces rocket motors for the motion picture special effects industry that have been featured in films including “Star Trek: Generations” and “Tomorrow Never Dies.” 

SAN LUIS OBISPO — A parole hearing for one of the men who kidnapped and buried a busload of school children 25 years ago was postponed Monday. 

Richard Allen Schoenfeld requested his parole hearing be put off because his father recently died and he didn’t have time to prepare, according to Denise Schmidt, a spokeswoman for the Board of Prison Terms. 

The hearing has not been rescheduled, she said. 

Schoenfeld was arrested about two weeks after he, his brother James and Frederick N. Woods, all scions of wealthy San Francisco Peninsula families, commandeered the bus on July 15, 1976, near Chowchilla in the San Joaquin Valley. 

They transferred their hostages to two vans, drove about 100 miles north and put them in a moving van they had buried in a quarry owned by the Woods family in Livermore. 

While they were trying to arrange for the ransom, bus driver Ed Ray and some of the older boys dug their way out of the truck and summoned help. 

Richard Schoenfeld turned himself in six days after the kidnapping. He has been denied parole 16 times. 

On one side is a massive fiscal stimulus effort of tax cuts and spending increases. On the other is the fear and uncertainty of the public about a war without precedent. 

This is the battle of the home front, the war to keep the economy strong and ward off or mitigate impending recession. 

No greater economic power has been assembled before in the lifetime of most adult Americans, since government-decreed fiscal and monetary efforts are augmented by manufacturer, retailer, airline and hotel discounts. 

And, at least for the time being, a surprising decline in the prices of gasoline and heating oil has reduced tensions on business and home budgets, freeing funds for saving or spending. 

Aiding the effort are interest rates that in some instances already have effectively dropped to zero when adjusted for inflation, and prices that have remained stable for months at relatively reasonable levels. 

The signals so far are mixed. Unemployment is creeping higher, but late reports of a decline in jobless claims is encouraging. Although stock prices remain volatile, they rebounded after initially plunging. And while retailers endured a terrible September, carmakers held their own. 

Early indicators, however, might not be reliable, since the shock effect could only have been negative. Businesses and consumers might reassess their possibilities, especially as the economic lures become clearer. 

Immediately after the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center a survey of small business attitudes showed many canceling their hiring and capital spending plans, and expressing deep pessimism for sales. 

But, as economist William Dunkelberg told Congress, “At least 85 percent of small-business owners benefit from income tax relief, which would provide a broad base for economic recovery.” 

Such relief and more is now in the works, and Dunkelberg, chief economist of the National Federation of Independent Business, indicated that such measures could greatly change confidence, hiring and spending. 

How quickly all this could occur is still up in the air; there is a necessary time lag between enactment of economic lures and their impact, and additional economic deterioration could occur in that time. 

“Things are only starting to get worse,” economist Peter Hooper of Deutsche Bank told clients. In the year’s final quarter, he said, “we think the economy could contract twice as much” as in the earlier quarter. 

Such negative comments are based on hard experience in months past when, through interest rate cuts, the Federal Reserve sought and failed to stir the economy. Eventually, such lures are likely to pay off. But when? 

The stock market is another story, since it peeks into the future more than it deals with the present. In each of the past nine recessions it has bottomed at least four months before the economy. 

Watch it for signals. While, sadly, it has shown a high degree of fallibility, it is after all activated by institutions and people who are willing to put their money on the line. 

Already there are signs it sees something better out there in the immediate future, and the unprecedented number of lures dangling before the economy suggest it may not be seeing things.

SAN FRANCISCO — A major credit agency placed San Francisco International Airport on its “negative” outlook list Monday in anticipation of steep declines in passenger volume amid widespread anxiety raised by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Fitch Inc. predicted the San Francisco airport will suffer a 25 percent drop in domestic passengers and a 15 percent decline in international traffic for the remainder of the fiscal year ending June 30. 

The agency expects the downturn and increased security costs to saddle the airport with a $100 million budget shortfall that will force management to slash expenses, lobby for money from the federal government and possibly raise its fees. 

Airport officials didn’t immediately return calls Monday. 

Fitch’s decision to change the San Francisco airport’s credit outlook from “evolving” to “negative” doesn’t immediately affect its bond rating, which remains at “AA-.” 

Fitch also issued negative warnings on several other major airports, including: St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Memphis, Tenn. and Charlotte, N.C. 

All are suffering from the aftershocks of the Sept. 11 attacks, but the San Francisco airport is facing additional pressures caused by the technology industry downturn, which already had cut into business travel, according to Fitch. 

The San Francisco airport also is facing intense competition from nearby airports in Oakland and San Jose, where discount carrier Southwest Airlines operates its regional hubs, said Fitch analyst Jessica Soltz. 

Fitch hasn’t changed its outlook on the San Jose and Oakland airports.

SUNNYVALE — Getting behind a growing trend in Web commerce, Yahoo! Inc. plans to soon launch a new shopping category that will offer used and clearance merchandise at set prices. 

Items for sale in Yahoo’s new “warehouse” category will be featured in search results and on the site’s shopping pages, complementing auctions, virtual “stores” that sell new products and regionally based classified ads for goods and services. 

Sellers in the Yahoo warehouse will be able to type in numbered product codes on their books, compact discs and other discount merchandise to call up descriptions of the items. Yahoo will not charge to list items but will take a yet-to-be-disclosed commission on successful sales. 

A similar system was started in 1999 by Half.com, which was bought last year by eBay Inc. and is being incorporated into eBay’s site to satisfy the growing interest in its “buy it now” feature. Amazon.com also lets companies and individuals sell used merchandise at set prices. 

Yahoo’s warehouse, scheduled to be rolled out by the end of the month, “is an outgrowth of what consumers have started to tell us over the last six to 12 months,” said Brian Fitzgerald, a Yahoo senior producer. “Consumers absolutely want this sort of control and choice.”

SAN FRANCISCO — With demand for its business software evaporating, fallen Internet star Commerce One Corp. said Monday it will shed 1,300 jobs, or nearly half its work force. 

The Pleasanton-based company said 700 of its 2,800 employees will be laid off. The cuts began Monday, Commerce One spokesman Andrew McCarthy said. 

Another 600 jobs will be jettisoned by spinning off operations unrelated to Commerce One’s primary product — so-called “business-to-business” software designed to create online exchanges for corporate customers. 

The spin-offs will be concentrated among several small consulting companies that Commerce One acquired in a $1.65 billion purchase of AppNet Inc. last year, McCarthy said. 

Commerce One has been retrenching much of this year. The company began the year with 3,700 employees. 

The latest purge is long overdue, said industry analyst Bob Austrian of Banc of America Securities in San Francisco. 

“The demand for the company’s product has already shown its true colors,” Austrian said. “Management is slowly aligning its costs with the reality of its revenue.” 

The company provided an inkling of the job cuts last week when it warned that its third-quarter revenue would range from $80 million to $83 million, well short of the $100 million in revenue that management had forecast in July. 

Commerce One also said it will lose 24 cents to 25 cents per share, worse than the consensus loss estimate of 23 cents per share among analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call. 

In last year’s third quarter, Commerce One lost 9 cents per share, excluding one-time charges, on revenue of $113 million. Through the first half of this year, the company had lost $2.57 billion on revenue of $271.5 million. 

Commerce One’s comedown largely reflects the growing disillusionment with business-to-business software, which initially enthralled investors by promising to revolutionize the way companies bought and sold goods. But the software hasn’t lived up to the hype, causing businesses to delay purchases and investors to dump the stocks of companies specializing in the sector. 

Commerce One’s shares gained 21 cents to close at $3.50 Monday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock, which went public in July 1999, peaked at a split-adjusted $135.63 in early 2000. 

To weather the turbulence, Commerce One has deepened its ties to German software giant SAP, which invested more than $200 million for a 20 percent stake in the company. The investment stirred talk that SAP eventually will take complete control of Commerce One. 

——— 

On The Net: 

http://www.commerceone.com 

WASHINGTON — Breast cancer risk increases by 8 percent to 60 percent for women who work the night shift for many years, according to two studies that suggest the bright light at night diminishes the body’s supply of melatonin and increases estrogen levels. 

Researchers said the fact that two independent studies, using different methods, found roughly the same results suggest strongly that working the graveyard shift for long periods of time may lower the body’s resistance to breast cancer and, perhaps, to other types of cancer. 

“We are just beginning to see evidence emerge on the health effects of shift work,” said Scott Davis, an epidemiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and first author of one of the studies. He said more research was needed before a compelling case could be made to change night work schedules, however. 

“The numbers in our study are small, but they are statistically significant,” said Francine Laden, a researcher at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-author of the second study. 

Both studies appear Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 

“These studies are fascinating and provocative,” said Larry Norton of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “Both studies have to be respected.” 

But Norton said the findings only “hint” at an effect on breast cancer rates from nighttime work and “raises questions that must be addressed with more research.” 

In Davis’ study, researchers explored the work history of 763 women with breast cancer and 741 women without the disease. 

They found that women who regularly worked night shifts for three years or less were about 40 percent more likely to have breast cancer than women who did not work such shifts. For women who worked at night for more than three years, the relative risks went up to 60 percent. 

The Brigham & Women’s study, by Laden and her colleagues, found only a “moderately increased risk of breast cancer after extended periods of working rotating night shifts.” 

The study was based on the medical and work histories of more than 78,000 nurses from 1988 through May 1998.  

It found that nurses who worked rotating night shifts at least three times a month for one to 29 years were about 8 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.  

For those who worked the shifts for more than 30 years, the relative risk of breast cancer went up by 36 percent. 

American women have a 12.5 percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Laden said her study means that the lifetime risk of breast cancer for longtime shift workers could rise above 16 percent. There are about 175,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed annually in the United States and about 43,700 deaths. Breast cancer is the second only to lung cancer in causing cancer deaths among women. 

Both of the Journal studies suggested that the increased breast cancer risk among shift workers is caused by changes in the body’s natural melatonin cycle because of the bright lights during the dark hours. 

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland during the night. Studies have shown that bright lights reduces the secretion of melatonin. In women, this may lead to an increase in estrogen production and increased estrogen levels have been linked to breast cancer. 

“If you exposed someone to bright light at night, the normal rise in melatonin will diminish or disappear altogether,” said Davis. “There is evidence that this can increase the production of reproductive hormones, including estrogens.” 

Davis said changes in melatonin levels in men doing nighttime shift work may increase the risk of some types of male cancer, such as prostate, but he knows of no study that has addressed this specifically. 

Both Laden and Davis said the melatonin-estrogen-breast cancer connection is still a theory that will require more research to prove or disprove. 

Dr. S. Eva Singletary, a breast cancer specialist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said the two studies show “a small relative increase in breast cancer risk, but nothing to become alarmed about.” 

More study is needed to precisely define the risk of shift work and how that compares to other known breast cancer risk factors, such as family history, smoking and obesity, said Singletary. But she said the finding does suggest the need for women who work night shifts to be particularly prudent in following breast cancer screening recommendations calling for regular mammograms and medical exams. 

——— 

On the Net: 

American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org 

Journal of the National Cancer Institute: http://jnci.oupjournals.org/ 

National Cancer Institute: http://www.nci.nih.gov/ 

WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency hopes to clear the lungs of millions of children exposed each year to secondhand smoke through a public relations campaign that encourages parents who smoke to light up outdoors. 

The EPA has found that children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from bonchitis and pneumonia, wheezing and coughing spells, ear infections and more frequent and severe asthma attacks. 

Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. 

It has been classified by the EPA as a known cause of lung cancer in people, resulting in several thousand lung cancer deaths in non-smokers each year. 

Joining the EPA in the $1.5 million campaign Tuesday are the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the Consumer Federation of America and the National Association of Counties. 

The counties’ organization, for example, agreed to help gather parent signatures to commit to smoking outside as part of the overall public relations health campaign. 

The consumer group said a new survey indicates that 70 percent of parents who smoke and who claim to have been previously unaware of the harmful effects would take their tobacco outside to protect their children. 

“We don’t think the public is very aware of how many children are involuntary victims of secondhand smoke,” Jack Gillis, the group’s public affairs director, said Monday. 

The National Cancer Institute has said there are links between secondhand smoke and sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, new cases of childhood asthma and behavioral and cognitive problems in children. 

It was 10 years ago when 25 lives were lost and over 3,000 homes, businesses and buildings were demolished by the devastating fire that swept through the East Bay hills region.  

In remembrance of the tragedy, California’s 2001 Wildfire Conference was held at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland where the three-day event gave representatives from different agencies, cities and universities an opportunity to talk about many of the lessons learned from previous fires and to share information on fire prevention and readiness. 

“The idea is really to empower people and agencies and to make a difference to the potential threat of fires,” said Kenneth S. Blonski, fire mitigation advisor for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Forest Products Laboratory. 

Blonski said the conference, which started Wednesday and ended Friday, was an opportunity for attendants to share valuable, life-saving information. However, the biggest challenge is figuring out ways to educate the public and to encourage them to change their behavior to become fire safe. 

Monday, Oct. 15

Rite of Christian Initiation for  

Adults Inquiry Program 

7:30 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen Parish 

2005 Berryman St. 

A program to learn everything you wanted to know about the Catholic Church but never had the chance to ask. 526-4811 

Emergency Preparedness  

Workshop 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

Anna Swardenski speaks to help seniors and people with disabilities be more prepared in case of an emergency. 

Franciscanism, Understanding  

the Vision 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Franciscan School of Theology 

1712 Euclid Ave. 

Graduate Theological Union presents seminar exploring the lives, times and writings of and about Francis and Clare of Assisi. 848-5232 

Rent Stabilization Board 

7:05 p.m. 

City Council chambers 

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way  

Public Hearing on the 2002 Annual General Adjustment. 

Interfaith Couples Look at  

Love and Choices 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Two films to stimulate discussion about interfaith families, love and identity. $25 per couple. 548-0237 

Tuesday, Oct. 16

Crabby Chef Competition 

4 p.m. 

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto 

1919 Fourth St.  

Top East Bay chefs compete to create the best crab dish. Free.  

5 - 7 p.m. Fund-raising Reception for the Visual and Performing Arts Group of Berkeley High School. $25 donation. 845-7777 

Similarities between Jewish  

and Deadhead Spirituality 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

It’s been observed that a disproportionate number of deadheads are Jews. Dr. Leora Lawton, researcher of deadhead culture, explores the fascinating parallels between Jewish and deadhead rituals. $25 public, $15 members. 548-0237 

The Berkeley Garden Club 

2:15 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

“Yearlong Garden Color with Bulbs” with Retired Director, Regional Botanic Gardens, Wayne Roderick. The program includes slides of flowering bulbs ideally suited to the East Bay climate. 524-4374 bgardenclub@aol.com 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

noon - 2 p.m. 

Alta Bates Medical Center 

Maffly Auditorium - Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight way 

“Herbal Alternatives and Drug Interactions for Fibromyalgia.” 601-0550 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday.  

655-8863 

Israel and Palestine: Why the  

Oslo Peace Process Failed 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Speaker Joel Beinin is a Professor of Middle East History at Stanford University: “The Oslo Declaration of Principles... was supposed to bring peace and stability to the Middle East... the entire region is more unstable than a decade ago. Why have the hopes of so many people for a just peace been disappointed?” He will also address the relationship between U. S. policy, the Arab-Israel conflict, and events of this kind. 863-6637 

Wednesday, Oct. 17

 

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

 

Golden Age Party 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

Party for the over 90 club and any who wish to attend. Swing Notes, a women’s acappela group will entertain and there will be refreshments. 

 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28 

 

Conversation: Rosemary  

Radford Reuther and Carolyn  

Merchant 

5:30 - 8 p.m. 

#1 LeConte Building, UC Berkeley “Women, Religion, Science, and the Environment.” 649-2490 

 

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Thursday, Oct. 18

Berkeley Metaphysical  

Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. 869-2547 

Friday, Oct. 19

Cooperative Center Federal  

Credit Union 

Grand Opening Celebration 

4 - 7 p.m. 

2001 Ashby Ave. 

A family affair with food, entertainment and a special treat for the kids. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, honorary chairperson is scheduled to attend. Faith Fancher is the MC. 415-346-0199 

YAP’s FNL Teen Club: “Pop  

Ya Colla! Dance” 

7 -11 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Young Adult Project presents dance for 13 to 18 year olds only. Must have B.U.S.D. I.D. “No haters, no problems.” 644-6226 

Saturday, Oct. 20 

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Office of Emergency Services 

812 Page St.  

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

BART Job Fair 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

BART will be recruiting to fill approximately 160 jobs that wukk be opening up next year. The jobs to be filled are in accounting, planing, engineering, insurance, purchasing, police, maintenance and electronics. 

Sunday, Oct. 21

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets. Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Editor: 

On Sept. 12 nearly 40 residents of Strawberry Creek Lodge joined together to express our support to Rep. Barbara Lee for her courageous act in standing as the sole voice in Congress in saying “no” to giving President Bush open ended funding for wiping out whole countries “harboring” terrorists. 

In the wake of the escalating frenzy for war from the White House, the halls of Congress, the military, the media and those who stand to profit, the people of our country are being rapidly brain-washed. It is time to slow down this barrage and let the voices of reason be heard through the media. 

Please publish the contents of our message to Rep. Barbara Lee which follows. 

“We the undersigned residents of Strawberry Creek Lodge congratulate our courageous representative, Barbara Lee for her vote in opposition to the war powers resolution. We agree that the perpetrators of the terrorist bombings must be brought to justice, but we believe that more killing can only result in the death of innocent people. In addition we have to ask, what is it in U.S. foreign policy that results in such blind hatred toward the United States?” 

Your paper has the duty to reflect feelings and opinions of readers who are opposed to bombing other countries thus causing a long and deadly war. 

Sept. 11 should remind all Americans that violence begets violence. Those behind this fearful terror must be found and punished. The frightening war propaganda should be restrained now. Please join us in calling for “Justice not Vengeance.” 

Robin Hipolito 

For the Legislative Committee 

Strawberry Creek Lodge 

Berkeley 

By Jared Green 

Daily Planet Staff 

The Cal Bears gave their worst performance of a dismal season on Saturday, putting up a lackluster effort in losing, 48-7, to Oregon. The Bears were shut out until a meaningless fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Kyle Boller to Joe Igber, and the defense allowed 463 total yards to the Ducks, including 257 yards on the ground. 

“I’m completely flabbergasted by our total lack of execution,” Cal offensive coordinator Al Borges said after the game. “There’s no excuse for playing like that.” 

The Bears were equally helpless on offense, defense and special teams. Quarterback Kyle Boller followed up his outstanding effort in a loss to Washington two weeks ago with a terrible game, completing just 18 of 40 pass attempts and getting yanked in the fourth quarter. The Bears turned the ball over five times, including interceptions on backup Eric Holtfreter’s first two series in the game and a fumbled punt by return man Ray Carmel.  

On defense, Cal missed a busload of tackles, including one play that looked like a Three Stooges schtick, as Oregon wide receiver Sami Parker took a simple out pattern and scored a 37-yard touchdown while three Bears fell over each other trying to tackle him. 

That score was one of three for the fifth-ranked Ducks in the first quarter, giving them a 21-0 lead and snuffing any Cal hopes for an upset. Harrington scored on a two-yard sneak to open the scoring, and running back Onterrio Smith went in from the same distance on a sweep as the quarter wound down. 

“The first couple of series, everything they did was right,” Cal head coach Tom Holmoe said. “On defense, it seemed like every time we called a play they were right on it.” 

Even when the Bears caught a break, they couldn’t take advantage. Oregon tailback Maurice Morris dropped a pitch early in the second quarter, and Cal freshman defensive end Lorenzo Alexander was there to fall on it at midfield. But the Bears went three-and-out, missing their best chance to score before halftime. 

Carmel’s fumble came with just 1:28 left in the half, and Oregon linebacker Wesly Mallard recovered on Cal’s 24-yard line. Four plays later, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington found tight end Justin Peelle for a 16-yard touchdown pass as Cal safety Bert Watts slipped down on the coverage, and the Ducks had a commanding 28-0 halftime lead. 

Oregon scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter as the Ducks piled up 140 rushing yards in the period, including a 40-yard scramble by the slow-footed Harrington. Morris scored from 13 yards out shortly afterward, juking Cal safety Dewey Hale out of his shoes on the way to the end zone. Wideout Keenan Howry then scored on a 25-yard reverse, using a nice lead block from Harrington to get around the corner. 

“I’ll do anything I have to in order to win the game,” Harrington said of his block on the 280-pound Alexander. 

Although the announced attendance at the game was 34,452, Memorial Stadium emptied quickly after halftime, as the Cal student section found more enjoyable entertainment outside the stadium. By the fourth quarter, the only noise was coming from the sizeable Oregon contingent.  

The deserters missed Cal’s lone score, a six-yard pass from Boller to Igber that capped a 69-yard drive. Morris put the final nail in Cal’s coffin soon after, however, on an 11-yard scoring run. 

NOTES: This Saturday’s game against undefeated UCLA means Cal has yet to face a team with a loss coming into the matchup. The Bears’ first six opponents are a combined 32-2 so far this season... Oregon freshman Ramone Reed, who starred for Berkeley High last year, had 3.5 tackles on Saturday, including a hit on Charon Arnold on the opening kickoff. Reed narrowly missed a sack on Holtfreter late in the game.

Just as the dust was settling after the City Council brouhaha over the redrawing the lines of the city’s eight districts, a councilmember is calling for a charter amendment that would create a student-dominated district. 

Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who represents heavily student-populated District 7, put the item on the City Council’s agenda for tomorrow night because the city attorney deemed a student-proposed redistricting plan was inconsistent with the City Charter during the recent redistricting process. 

“If students really want to see this happen then at least they

Editor: 

Aware that I was in Cuba on Sept. 11, two well-educated professionals after my return separately asked me whether celebration there followed the attacks. Troubled by the question, I explained that the Cuban response I observed was profound shock at the magnitude of the disaster, followed by expressions of compassion for all victims. Condemnation of terrorism was explicit. 

Ironically, the government of Cuba offered medical supplies to the rescue operations, a gesture I assume not fully reported here. Many of us on the Global Exchange Reality Tour had brought medical supplies as donations, which Cuba itself chronically needs because of the U.S. embargo. 

Clearly, lack of information, as well as misinformation, shape American attitudes toward this small country of approximately 12 million people. Among many of its achievements, in the two largest cities, Santiago and La Havana, I witnessed neither homelessness nor begging, certainly a model for our country to emulate. 

Jack W. Fleming 

Berkeley

QB Murphy passes for two TDs, runs one in for Panthers 

After crunching out algebraic equations all morning Saturday, St. Mary’s running back Trestin George stepped on the football field in a Bay Shore Athletic League game and did the same to the John Swett defense. 

George was one of six St. Mary’s players, including all three team captains, who took the SAT on Saturday morning. 

“In the morning my concentration was on the test,” said George, who piled up 133 rushing yards and scored one touchdown to help his team to a 38-3 victory over John Swett in the BSAL season opener for both teams. “I had to get my work done but when I stepped out in the field it was all business.” 

“That’s what St. Mary’s teaches,” said linebacker Omarr Flood, who took the test and also had a standout defensive performance with one sack. “To be 100 percent both in the classroom and the football field. We came out and played four quarters of football and dominated. It’s traditional St. Mary’s football.” 

St. Mary’s scored on five of its first seven possessions while holding John Swett to a mere field goal. 

“We were worried about Trestin,” John Swett head coach John Angell said. “He’s a good runner. Every coach in the league will be worrying about him. We tried stopping the run and the pass got us.” 

Lawson said John Swett was stacking the line with nine defenders trying to stop George.  

“We threw early to take advantage of them stopping the run,” he said.  

On its first possession St. Mary’s scored when quarterback Steve Murphy connected with wide receiver Ryan Coogler on a 32-yard touchdown pass. The drive took just four plays. 

On its next possession St. Mary’s running game opened up another scoring opportunity. Again, it was Murphy throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Coogler. George had five runs for 51 yards on the drive. 

George said it was a mistake to focus solely on him. 

“They came into the game thinking all they had to do was stop me, but we have to many weapons,” he said. “If they focus on the run we beat them with the pass. If they focus on the pass with beat them with the run. (We’re) like the St. Louis Rams.” 

After Swett’s first two possessions resulted in punts, kicker Morgan Edwards kicked a 32-yard field goal for the team’s only score of the game. 

John Swett’s defense seemed to run out of gas in the second half as each of St. Mary’s scores came off very short drives. 

The first score came just four plays into the half. After faking a hand off to George, Murphy ran a quarterback keeper up the middle, broke five tackles and ran 41 yards for the touchdown. 

The second score consisted of just two plays. The score came when George ran wide to the left, broke one tackle and had a wide open 52 yard touchdown run. 

The third score in the second half came when Julian Taylor ran up the middle, broke one tackle and found himself in the open field for a 39-yard touchdown run. Wide receiver Courtney Brown caught the two point conversion to make it 38-3. 

The win raised the Panthers’ record to 2-4, while Swett fell to 1-5. 

“I told my players before the game that as far as we were concerned we were 0 and 0,” said Lawson, St. Mary’s head coach. “Our mission is to go 5 and 0 and go to the playoffs. This one is done. Now we’re getting ready for (next week’s oppenent) St. Patrick’s.” 

John Swett head coach John Angell said his team struggled because injuries are catching up on his team.  

“A lot of the kids were trying to play hurt,” he said. “With a small school there’s not much you can do when two or three starters go down.” 

Despite the loss, Angell was happy with his team’s performance. 

“St. Mary’s is one of the top teams in the league,” he said. “I feel we did pretty good. We’re in the process of rebuilding.” 

In an earlier game St. Mary’s junior varsity scored 22 points in the second half to beat John Swett 22-12.  

Before the celebration began, before Saturday’s heat began to oppress, an elder Native American man sat in the shade of his booth playing along on a set of pan pipes.  

The tune? “Dirty Old Town,” made famous by the Pogues in the 1980s, but now wafting over to the park courtesy of a Farmer’s Market chanteuse. 

The man was getting into the sprit of the Tenth Annual Indigenous Peoples Day Pow-Wow and Indian Market, held in Martin Luther King Civic Center

Editor: 

The first step in winning the war against terrorism seems to be the lynching of the usual suspect, Osama bin Laden. President Bush wants him captured “dead or alive.” The Taliban has asked to see what evidence there is that he is responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11 — a reasonable request when extradition is demanded. They are arrogantly told, “We don’t have to show you any stinking evidence.” Which probably means there isn’t any. 

The second step may be the launching of an unwinnable, Vietnam-type war on Afghanistan, which the Russians couldn’t conquer in ten years. Terrorism may be one of those social problems that cannot be solved by the simple use of extreme military means. Which makes it all the more important to wonder why nobody is asking some basic questions, like why do millions of people all over the world hate our guts? And what can we do about it? 

The answer lies in what the bean-counters tell us every year: the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. This applies to countries as well as individuals. This is the way capitalism, for which the U.S. is the loudest proponent and the principle beneficiary, really works. 

The poorest countries cannot raise their living standards because they live at subsistence levels and produce no surplus with which to invest in industrialization. The vast natural resources of the under-developed world are not used to help its inhabitants, but are siphoned off to further enrich the industrial nations. 

To begin to change this situation requires the elimination of the profit system and the re-organization of the entire world under the widest possible democracy and equality, in all lands, at all levels. To secure lasting peace, we must establish universal justice. The working people, not the generals or politicians, must take the lead in this. 

Meanwhile, stay out of airplanes, tall buildings, and busy bridges. 

Marion Syrek 

Oakland

CORVALLIS, Ore. - No. 12 California swept the opening weekend of Pac-10 play with a 2-0 shutout of Oregon State Sunday afternoon. With the Bears’ second shutout of the weekend, they improved to 10-2-1 overall. The Beavers fell to 7-4-1 and 0-2 in league play.  

“We’re very pleased with two shutouts on the weekend,” said Cal coach Kevin Boyd.” Oregon State is a good team and played tough. It was pretty even at the half. The second half we stepped up our play a little bit. Our center mids starting taking over and our forwards got a little more active and we created some nice chances. We are pleased to be 2-0 in the Pac-10 after the first weekend and feel like we played very well.”  

After a scoreless first half that saw Cal outshoot Oregon State, 5-4, the Bears quickly got on the scoreboard early in the second half. In the 47th minute, midfielder Brittany Kirk took a pass from Kim Yokers and scored what eventually was her second game-winning goal of the weekend.  

Forward Krysti Whalen added an insurance goal in the 57th minute for her first goal of the season. Kassie Doubrava sent a long through ball to Whalen, who beat the goalkeeper on a one-v-one opportunity.  

The Bears outshot the Beavers 13-9 overall. Cal goalkeeper Mallory Moser had to make two saves to secure her fourth shutout of the season. OSU’s keeper Gabby Nejedlo made one save.  

Cal returns home Friday to host Washington at 3 p.m., at Edwards Stadium.

The Berkeley Unified School District is shrinking the number of non-credentialed teachers in its classrooms, thanks partly to state programs that improve retention rates by enabling more on-the-job training. 

“It’s much better than it has been,” said Dr. David Gomez, the district’s associate superintendent for administrative services. “The area of difficulty remains the single-subject areas, especially math.” 

In the 1998-1999 school year, according to a state report, the Berkeley Unified School District had 43 teachers without credentials. This year, said Rosalind Sarah, the district’s director of new teacher programs, “we might have at a district level only 25 teachers who are not credentialed.”  

All the elementary school teachers have some form of credential this year, she said, whereas “half a dozen” lacked them last year. 

In addition, she said, about 130 of the district’s approximately 650 teachers are in second-tier training programs. 

Sarah attributed the improvement partly to school districts’

An open letter to President George W. Bush:  

I have heard you say we should get the terrorists “dead or alive.” I totally agree with that. But does the word terrorist not include those who have taken part in state terrorism, the ex-dictators and their generals who have committed crimes against humanity and have found a safe haven in this country? Does it not include Americans of past administrations, such as Henry Kissinger? Does it not include your generals and advisors who are knowingly killing innocent people in Afghanistan who are already suffering so much under the Taliban?  

Roger Van Ouytsel 

Berkeley

LOS ANGELES – The University of California women’s volleyball team lost to No. 3 ranked USC, 3-0 (30-25, 30-26, 30-19), Saturday night at the Lyon Center on USC’s campus.  

The Bears were led by freshman Mia Jerkov’s 13 kills, while junior Reena Pardiwala also had a strong night, recording nine kills, a team-high .615 hitting percentage (nine kills, one error, 13 attempts) and a team-high 11 digs.  

USC (12-1 overall, 7-0 Pac-10) was led by sophomore April Ross, last season’s Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, who had 13 kills. The Trojans are alone in first place in the Pac-10.  

“The way our team sustained our level of play and effort, I felt we won some battles tonight,” said head coach Rich Feller. “Overall, I think we had a good effort this weekend playing against two of the top teams in the nation in UCLA and USC.”

Adolfo Perez Esquivel, an Argentine who won the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize urged students and others who gathered to hear his lecture Wednesday afternoon at Stephens Hall in UC Berkeley to be active in seeking alternatives to war. 

“It’s hard to talk about peace when it seems the world is falling apart,” Esquivel said in Spanish with a translator working at his side. 

“Let’s be realists. We should demand the impossible. We have to make possible what seems impossible.” 

Esquivel, who was invited by the Center for Latin America Studies and others, was originally to give a global view of human rights but instead talked about the U.S. attacks against Afghanistan. 

Expressing his solidarity with the United States, Esquivel emphasized theneed to reflect on the causes of this conflict. 

On the same day as the attacks in New York and Washington DC , 35,650 children died of hunger and nutrition.  

“But with that action nobody got upset,” he said. “None of the countries had moved, the [United Nations] didn’t set a resolution, the Pope didn’t say anything. What’s happening in our society, what happening to us human being?” 

Following his own tradition, Esquivel joined other Latin American’s Nobel Laureates earlier this week at a session of meetings with UN officials, including Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the president of the UN assembly Dr. Han Seung-Soo in New York. 

“I woke up in the middle of the night from the sound of helicopters and I was wondering whether I was in Latin America or New York,” he said, referring to the new security measures in New York. 

Esquivel, a sculptor and painter by profession, devoted his life to promoting human rights, peace and justice. The 70-year-old activist became active in Latin America nonviolence movements in the 60s as a member of Christian non-violence movement. In 1974 he founded an ecumenical human rights organization called the Service for Peace and Justice. 

When the Argentine military began a policy of systematic repression in the 1970s Esquivel supported the families of victims and contributed to the formation and strengthening of ties between popular human rights organizations. 

Esquivel paid a high price for his actions. He was detained twice, first by the Brazilian military police and again in 1976 in Ecuador. In 1977, Esquivel was held and tortured at the Buenos Aires Federal police headquarters for 14 months. 

The Nobel Laureates in New York urged UN officials to strengthen the role of the UN in the recent conflict. ”In the work that has been done for the last 50 years, important mechanisms were founded which can be implement also over super powers like the US,” he said. 

The Nobel winners also asked UN officials to call a special session of the general assembly on terrorism. 

“What we need to find is the different kinds of terrorism,” he said. “In Latin America we suffered military dictatorships, wasn’t it terror? But there are other forms of terrorism — market terrorism, economic terrorism. Those 35,650 children who died, what kind of terror are they are victims of? When we look on the silence terrorism of poverty, we have to understand it’s also terrorism.” 

“The U.S. government needs to change its policies to the rest of the world, to other countries,” he said. “Now bin Laden who use to be an ally is enemy number one. He was prepared and trained (by the U.S.) to fight the Soviets. Saddam Hussein was also prepared and trained and equipped to war against Iran, Now number two enemy who used to be number one but was lowered. Noriega in Panama, another creation of the CIA, once the U.S. changed its opinion about him, it started to bomb Panama.” 

According to Esquivel, more than 80,000 Latin American military officers were trained in US camps in Latin America or in the United States. Many later become part of repressive military regimes. 

“Latin America is remilitarizing,” he said, “The US put new bases almost in every country around Latin America. What are they are there for? To protect the interests of the people? No. They are there to protect he economic interests of the States.” 

When asked for proposals for action, Esquivel focused on the need of information.  

“Be sure you have good information, accurate information and spread that around,” he said. “You can join other universities and communities to see how you can join actions. The notion that the war is unavoidable is out there and it doesn’t leave any space to other ideas.”

Editor: 

I would like to congratulate all of the Berkeley students who came here seeking activism. Now you have a cause to fight for. You don’t need to apply the critical thinking you are taught in the classroom. Just follow the leader. What the heck, it's Berkeley. This is what you came here expecting. And you got it. Beware of thinking. It ruins the fun. 

Sura Rahman 

Berkeley

SAN LUIS OBISPO – The California men’s cross country team finished second at the Cal Poly Invitational with 93 points. Host Cal Poly won the competition with 48 points.  

On the women’s side, the Bears placed seventh with 175 points, while Cal Poly won with 43 points.  

Cal Poly’s David Jackson won the men’s race in 26:14.6. Corey Creasey led the way for the Cal men, finishing seventh in 27:08.3. Carlos Carballo was the Bears next fastest runner, clocking in at 27:45.9 in 14th place.  

Kareen Nilsson, an unattached runner, won the women’s race in 17:39.4. Leading the way for the Bear women was Erin Belger, finishing 23rd in 19:41.4.

OAKLAND – A BART strike starting Tuesday is very possible, according to an official with one of three unions representing BART employees who says it’s likely that workers will vote to turn down BART’s “best and final offer’’ Monday after months of contract negotiations. 

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3993 will vote on the issue tomorrow in Oakland, and AFSCME President Norma del Mercado said she is recommending the contract be turned down. 

“I’m recommending a no vote,’’ del Mercado said last week, explaining that although the latest offer by BART calls for a 22 percent pay raise, the issue is not about money. 

“We have no argument against the wage and benefits package. It’s that our main issues were never addressed,’’ she said. “Our number one issue is the basic right to protect our jobs and (BART) has never addressed that.’’ 

The union alleges its members are passed over for promotions that go to consultants and contractors. A court-ordered cooling-off period that bars the union representing some-230 employees to strike expires at midnight tomorrow. BART issued its final offer to the union last Thursday. 

BART’s two larger unions, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 and Service Employees International Union Local 790, approved their contracts last month. The two unions representing some-2,600 employees say they will honor AFSCME’s decision and strike as well if the 230-member union rejects the offer.

About 150 people attended a workshop Thursday intended to gather community input on two development plans for the Eastshore State Park, an eight and a half mile piece of land that stretches from the Richmond Bay Marina to the Bay Bridge.  

One includes more preservation and the other stresses development of the land’s recreational facilities. Both plans were developed by Wallace Roberts & Todd, the planning firm hired by the East Bay Regional District. 

Ned MacKay, public information supervisor for the East Bay Regional Park District, said the 1,800 acres of shoreline was bought in 1998 from the Catellus Corporation to preserve it for public use. The planning process, which began in January 2001, is headed by the East Bay Regional Park District, California State Parks and the California State Coastal Conservancy. 

Stephen Hammond, Director of Planning for Wallace Roberts & Todd, said plan A involves removal of exotic plant species, improving creeks into the bay and wetland preservation. The plan includes passive recreational use, such as hiking, bird watching and kayaking.  

Hammond said Plan B includes development for facilities such as boat launches, turf areas for sports, restrooms, parking, picnic areas, concession stands, equipment storage and paved roads. 

Paul Kamen, chair of the Berkeley Waterfront Commission said he strongly prefers plan B because it allows for active recreational use. 

“My biggest fear is that we will have a water front park that ignores the opportunities offered by the water,” he said, referring to kayaking and entry-level rowing for casual visitors. “My goal is that every afternoon during the summer kids will be able to ride their bicycles to the waterfront and get involved in dragon boat racing.” 

In a letter to the Daily Planet published Sept. 11, Kamen said “…the most valuable open space in this park is the water, not the land. ... There is a sublime satisfaction in simply floating on water and directing one’s own course.” 

Sarah Wagner Ginskey, a 32-year-old artist who lives in Berkeley, said she wants to encourage people to pick the plan with the less intense recreational use. 

Ginskey said she hikes every day. Most of her paintings are inspired by California’s native landscape and wildlife, she said. Before the meeting she passed out literature on wildlife conservation. The handout included some of her art work, including a picture of a Burrowing Owl. 

“Nearly 90 percent of our Bay’s wetland and wildlife areas have been lost,” she said citing Save The Bay, an environmental group. “There is so little habitat left in the Bay Area. People should think in the long term. In the last 200 years we have drastically changed this region.” 

Osha Neumann, a 62-year-old lawyer and mural painter who lives in North Oakland said neither plan works for him.  

“Leave it alone,” he said referring to the parkland. “It’s the last piece of wilderness on the bay. When you destroy wilderness you destroy a non-renewable source.” 

Despite their input, residents were told by planning manager, Donald Neuwirth, that public comment would be one of several factors in the final outcome of the general plan for the state park. 

“Community involvement in the planning process is very important,” said Donald Neuwirth, planning manager. “[However] people should not feel this is a head count or an issue of names signed on a petition but rather there’s laws, regulations and financial considerations.” 

The Eastshore State Park is part of the state park system and must adhere to its policies, procedures and overall mission, said Larry Trong, a member of the planning team.  

“We also have to consider state law as mandated by the California Public Resources Code,” he said. 

Under Section 5003.03 (h) of the code, the park shall be “…a recreational facility harmonious with its natural setting.” 

Curt Gray, a trade show installer in his 40s, said he did not know how much of an impact the community will have in the general plan of the park. 

“I have participated in many public forums,” he said. “Some of which community input had an effect on the end result and others that did not.” 

Mark Irwin, a mechanical engineer who lives in Oakland said the planning team is trying to incorporate as much public sentiment as possible. He said, “The fact that they are having this forum is a plus.” 

Irwin said he spends 50 percent of his recreational time sailing and wind surfing in the state park. However he does not like either of the two plans. 

“They’re both about development,” Irwin said. “I rather leave it the way it is.”  

The next regional workshop is scheduled for February 2002. Community members with comments or questions can contact the Eastshore State Park information line at (888) 988-PARK or visit www.eastshorestatepark.org. 

Shell Mound, UC Berkeley buildings among subjects 

Berkeley Landmarks is a surprisingly intriguing book. Not bad for 300 pages documenting almost every building and site of historic, cultural, architectural or aesthetic significance in a 16 square-mile perimeter. 

These landmarks were selected by a Landmark Preservation Commission, created in 1974, which has by now identified 237 buildings or sites as city of Berkeley Landmarks or Structures of Merit. These landmarks include City Hall, subdivisions, pathways between streets, buildings on university grounds named for wealthy donors, glades and large rock outcroppings.  

Few areas representative of Berkeley’s unique political identity are described, but the book’s text still contains fascinating history. 

The area we call Berkeley was originally home to the Ohlone People, c. 3700 BC to 800 AD, who settled at the foot of the freshwater creek now known as Strawberry Creek. The riverbanks were lined with willows and outlying areas were rich in deer, seals, otters, fish, birds and shellfish. 

The remains of the Berkeley Shell Mound, which contained large quantities of artifacts such as bone tools and the remains of a sweat house, are today located approximately between University and Hearst avenues, and Fourth and Second streets. 

The town of Berkeley was incorporated in 1878. The town was named in honor of George Berkeley, Bishop of Cloyne, Ireland, who came to America early in the eighteenth century with the goal of establishing colleges. 

Berkeley Landmarks contains numerous maps and 19th century photos which document the above-mentioned history and more. University Avenue once had horse-drawn streetcar service, which led to a ferry to San Francisco. In the early 1900s there was an electric trolley line on San Pablo Avenue. West Berkeley was once a major industrial area and home to the Standard Soap Company, now known as the Colgate/Palmolive /Peet Company. Berkeley beach was located at the foot of Cedar Street. 

Remarkable architects such as Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, Charles Keeler and many dozens of others helped transform Berkeley’s early Bay Region architecture, making it an icon of the building-with-nature philosophy epitomized by the Hillside Club. 

Many of these architects and designers were originally attracted to Berkeley by the University of California at Berkeley, which offered the first classes in architecture west of the Mississippi. Berkeley Landmarks contains a section listing biographical info on local builders, designers, and architects. 

But Berkeley Landmarks primarily describes the design and ownership histories of many distinctive Berkeley Colonial Revival style houses, Redwood frame cottages, stucco bungalows, Italianate Victorians, Pioneer Victorians, Craftsman Bungalows and more. 

You can also learn the design and ownership history of gathering places such as Ashkenaz (modeled after old Polish synagogues), Toverii Tuppa (which means “Friends Meeting Hall” in Finnish), Bowen’s Inn (which is said to be the oldest surviving structure in Berkeley), the Claremont Hotel (built to provide a destination for riders of the new electric rail lines), and the West Berkeley Macaroni Factory. 

The design history of less glamorous structures are included as well. Many one-story bungalows were originally tract houses built for the sudden influx of World War II workers.  

Today, few Berkeley residents design their own homes. At least we can read about those who could design and put together their own homes, such as Joseph Alphonso, a Portuguese cabinetmaker who constructed his own home on Delaware Street, and James L. Swink who put up the elegant Colonial Revival Swink House on Shattuck Avenue, which is still proudly standing two doors down from Chez Panisse. 

LOS ANGELES – The economic impact of the terrorist attacks is beginning to take a toll in California, which had held steady before Sept. 11 amid a national downturn in consumer and business spending. 

Earlier this year, strong tourism and business travel had offset troubles in the technology and international trade sectors. But tourism has plummeted in the past month, leaving thousands of hotel, restaurant and airlines workers without jobs or working reduced hours. 

Those job losses won’t be seen in official government statistics until November, but economists say California’s economy will almost certainly enter a mild recession in the final quarter of 2001 and may not recover until at least the middle of 2002. 

“There is no question that our economy is now experiencing the full impact of the national economic slowdown,” Gov. Gray Davis said Thursday while ordering state agency heads to prepare to cut their budgets by 15 percent in the next fiscal year. 

Another indicator of the slumping California economy came when new unemployment numbers were released Friday showing a slight increase to 5.4 percent in September. The figure reflected a 0.5 percent jump from September 2000. The jobless rate for August was 5.3 percent 

Those figures, however, were based on surveys conducted on or before Sept. 11 and do not reflect dramatic job cuts in the tourism industry that have been so severe that Standard & Poor’s recently placed Anaheim’s bonds on “credit watch.” Anaheim is the West Coast’s largest convention city. 

With such a huge economy, California would rank as the fifth largest in the world if it stood alone. Thus, the fear is that a recession here would shake the national economy. 

“Two large sectors of the national economy slowing down – California and New York – will definitely have an impact on the United States,” said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. 

The high-tech Silicon Valley area has suffered sharp job losses and drops in home values all year and will likely feel even greater pain in the coming months. Unemployment there reached 5.9 percent in September – a huge rise from the 1.3 percent last December. 

But the latest worry is tourism. 

From San Francisco’s Pier 39 to hotels in posh Beverly Hills, hundred of housekeepers, cooks and other low-wage workers have lost their jobs or seen their hours cut severely as tourists stay away and airlines cut flights. 

San Francisco’s city budget may come up $100 million short by the end of the fiscal year due, in part, to reduced tourism and the resulting decrease in hotel bed taxes and just about every tax that fuels the city’s $5.2 billion annual budget. 

In Anaheim, at least seven conventions that were expected to draw a total of 35,000 people were canceled in the days after the attacks. Economic losses were estimated at about $12 million. 

Hotels across California have seen some of the lowest occupancy rates in a decade and have moved quickly to lay off workers. About 25 percent of hotel union members in the state have been laid off and another 15 percent have had hours reduced, union officials said. 

In Santa Monica, nearly 200 people showed up this week at a relief center opened by the union representing hotel and restaurant workers. Volunteers helped workers apply for unemployment benefits and food stamps and distributed bags of groceries. 

Rhina Gonzalez and her husband, Cesar Perez, both lost their jobs as housekeepers in area hotels after Sept. 11. The two have four young children. 

“This is very scary for me,” she said. “I have to bring Christmas to my kids. I have to buy presents. I have to give them a nice Christmas, the same as other years, and I can’t.” 

Some economists predict the economic impact of the Sept. 11 attacks, while sharp, will be temporary. 

California still has about 200,000 more jobs today than it did at the same time last year and some jobs are expected to be created as the result of increased defense spending, said Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Palo Alto research firm. 

Levy said that even if the state should lose 300,000 jobs – far more than even the most dire estimate to date – that would only result in an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent. 

While far higher than the all-time low unemployment rate of 4.5 percent reached earlier this year, it would be far less than the 9.7 percent in the early 1990s when the state lost more than 500,000 jobs in the last recession, Levy said.

SAN JOSE – Eighty passengers and five crew members were held aboard a United Airlines jet for three hours after a man reportedly stood up in mid-flight and spilled a substance that later turned out to be confetti from a greeting card. 

Police, FBI and emergency crews met the plane at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday and set up a decontamination tent for the passengers of United Airlines Flight 1669 from Chicago. Passengers who noticed the envelopes contents apparently became alarmed, fearing it could have been a toxic agent, according to. 

“The substance being found in the airplane appears to be nothing more than confetti that spilled out of a greeting card,” said FBI spokesman Andrew Black. “Now we have an airplane on the runway with 80 plus passengers who are not very happy right now.” 

The man’s identity and nationality were not released, but Black said he is a longtime San Francisco Bay area resident. 

Someone aboard the plane told a crew member the man had dispersed the powder into the air vent system, setting emergency crews in motion in San Jose where the plane was destined. Once the plane arrived, fire department personnel took air samples from inside the United Airlines Airbus 319 craft to determine if any toxic agents were present, said San Jose Police Department Rubens Dalaison. 

They also played it extra safe with the man who spilled the confetti. Fire department personnel boarded the plane, took the man off, stripped him of his clothing, washed him down with detergent and dressed him in a hazardous materials suit that prevents vapors from passing out of it. 

San Jose Fire Department battalion chief Kevin Conant said his department has been busy responding to numerous calls of mysterious powders. 

“We’ve investigated everything from beach sand to baking powder to confetti,” Conant said. “We’re taking all these incidents seriously. We’ll send all the resources required and investigate it as a credible threat.” 

The man who spilled the confetti and the witness who noticed it and reported it to the plane’s crew were questioned by police. Some passengers said Americans are getting a little too jumpy when it comes to anthrax scares. 

“I think people are paranoid. I think false calls are being made,” said Angela Johnson, one of the passengers who sat for hours aboard Flight 1669. 

The incident came as anthrax scares spread throughout the United States. In Boca Raton, Fla., five more tabloid employees at the American Media Inc. building tested positive for exposure to anthrax, a company spokesman announced Saturday. 

At Washington’s Dulles International Airport, a spokeswoman said a powdery substance found in a restroom on a United Airlines plane from London was being tested at an Army laboratory in Maryland. 

Spokeswoman Tara Hamilton said the flight was met Saturday by a hazardous materials team and FBI agents, who determined that 17 people out of 216 passengers and 14 crew members had used the bathroom. 

The 17 passengers were detained and preliminary decontamination steps were taken on them, which Hamilton said consisted for most part of washing their hands.

OAKLAND – Mothers and pastors led about 600 concerned community members on a procession to end violence in East Oakland. 

The marchers stood at the intersection of 71st Avenue and Hamilton Street. Police say seven people have been killed in this part of Oakland over the years. 

The procession followed a coffin Friday night that was carried by young men. They carried it to show that all young men in the area aren’t involved in drugs, they said. 

Residents said the area is the marketplace for many drug dealers who come from other neighborhoods.

HAYWARD – Federal Aviation Administration rules restricting flights near the Golden Gate Bridge have grounded some who scatter the ashes of people’s loved ones. 

Mother and son, Kathy and Darrin Silver, who run Ash Scattering by Air in Hayward, haven’t flown since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

The business’ Cessnas are parked at the Hayward airport, which means they can’t take off at all. 

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the Bay Area’s most popular aerial scattering sites. The FAA has not said when it will clear certificated pilots to fly in air spaces surrounding major metropolitan areas. 

In the meantime, the Silvers are storing the ashes in a locked safe at the Hayward Executive Airport. 

REDWOOD CITY – Redwood City’s waterfront is one of the last large parcels in town, and developers are eyeing it. 

Several developers want to build more than 2,000 housing units and 3 million square feet of office space. 

But environmentalists worry that developing the roughly 150 acres of bayfront property could harm some of the San Francisco Bay’s remaining wetlands. The marshlands are a source of food for migratory birds and micro-organisms that are food for other plants and animals. 

No formal proposals have been submitted to the city yet. In the next few months, consultants are expected to return to the city with development proposals.

A Berkeley woman, a member of Women in Black, contacted by the FBI in connection to the Sept. 11 attacks, compared looking to her organization for clues to the attackers, with looking for alligators in Montana. 

Kate Raphael tells the story this way: “I got home from work on Monday, Sept. 24 and there was a message on my voicemail from the San Francisco office of the FBI. They wanted to ask me questions, they wanted me to call them back. I didn’t want to do that.” 

An active member of Women in Black, Raphael describes the organization as an international network of mostly Jewish, mostly lesbian “feminist, anti-racist, anti-militarist” women who oppose the occupation of Palestine and the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.  

“We are opposed to all forms of war and extreme nationalism,” Raphael said. When they are demonstrating, members of the group wear black and stand in public places. 

Instead of returning the call, Raphael contacted National Lawyers Guild attorney Rachel Lederman who called back in her place. Lederman learned that Raphael was contacted because of her involvement with Women in Black. The bureau wanted to talk to her about the Sept. 11 attacks and find out who she might know in the Middle East. 

Raphael says the call mystified her. “It’s very puzzling to me and more puzzling as time goes on. I thought it was the beginning of a wave of calls.” But no other Women in Black activists have been contacted, to her knowledge. “That makes it more confusing to me,” she said. 

And she wonders why the FBI thinks her organization would be able to provide insight to Sept. 11.  

“If the FBI really believes that the Women in Black, a mostly Jewish feminist lesbian (group) would know about fundamentalist men in the Middle East,” that would be surprising, she said. “It’s like an alligator hunter going to Montana. It’s his job to know there are not alligators in Montana. It speaks really badly about (the FBI’s) ability to do their jobs. Women in Black are about as far away as you’re going to get. I ask myself, why me?” 

Raphael’s attorney said the FBI made a critical mistake. After Raphael was contacted and the message left on her answering machine and Lederman contacted the bureau informing them that she was Raphael’s attorney, the FBI should not have called Raphael back. They should have dealt solely with her, Lederman said. But they did call Raphael again, saying she would be subject to being subpoenaed by the Grand Jury in New York that is investigating the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Raphael says she thinks the Grand Jury has better things to do than to actually subpoena her. If they do, Lederman said they’ll go to federal court to have the subpoena quashed. “In general, no one is obliged to answer questions from the FBI unless ordered by the court,” Lederman said, adding that, if people are contacted by the FBI, they should talk to the National Lawyer’s Guild at 415-285-1055 to get help.  

“I’m not going to be intimidated,” Raphael said. 

On Oct. 17, 7-9 p.m., the Middle East Children’s Alliance is holding a forum called, “Know your rights,” geared to those people who may be called by the FBI. The forum will be held at St. Joseph the Worker’s Church at 1640 Addison St. 

Saturday, Oct. 13

Shelter Operations 

9 a.m. - noon 

Office of Emergency Services 

997 Cedar St. 

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

Neighborhood Parents  

Network 

10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

College Avenue Presbyterian Church 

5951 College Ave. 

North Oakland and Berkeley Area Preschool Panel Discussion and Fair. School representatives will discuss the differing philosophical and theoretical thoughts of varying preschool models. $10, $5 for NPN members. 527-6667 www.parentsnet.org 

Optimal Fertility with Acupuncture and  

Herbal Medicine 

1 - 4 p.m. 

Berkeley Adult School 

1222 University Ave.  

This workshop will explore how Chinese medicine works to improve fertility, and how acupuncture, herbs and nutrition can be combined with Western fertility treatments, including IVF. $25, advance registration required. 595-1175 

Farmers’ Market Fall Fruit  

Tasting 

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Center St and Martin Luther King Way 

Free samples the whole range of fall fruit. There will be a wide variety of apples, pears and persimmons at a central location for taste-testing. 548-3333 

Pow Wow and Indian Market 

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Civic Center Park 

Enjoy Native American foods, dancing and arts & crafts in Berkeley’s tenth annual Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration, this year honoring Mille Ketchesawno. 

595-5520 

Optics Fair 

noon - 4 p.m. 

Lawrence Hall of Science 

Explore the world of the unseen at the first-ever LHS Optics Fair featuring a variety of microscopes, binoculars, and hand lenses to try out and compare. Parents, teachers and children age 6 and up. 642-5132 

Sunday, Oct. 14

Donna Lerew’s 70th  

Birthday Concert 

8 p.m. 

Unitarian Universalist Church  

One Lawson Rd., Kensington 

The distinguished Bay Area violinist celebrates her 70th birthday with a retrospective concert featuring Musica Viva String Quartet and Rose Trio. $10. Free parking. 525-0302 

Judaism and Christianity: Facing the Facts 

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Explore the history of the Jewish-Christian experience with Rabbi Shelly Waldenberg, teacher of Jewish Studies at Holy Names College and local Catholic High Schools. $10 public, $5 members. 548-0237 

Monday, Oct. 15

Rite of Christian Initiation  

for Adults Inquiry Program 

7:30 p.m. 

St. Mary Magdalen Parish 

2005 Berryman St. 

A program to learn everything you wanted to know about the Catholic Church but never had the chance to ask. 526-4811 

Emergency Preparedness  

Workshop 

1:15 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

Anna Swardenski speaks to help seniors and people with disabilities be more prepared in case of an emergency. 

Franciscanism, Understanding the Vision 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Franciscan School of Theology 

1712 Euclid Ave. 

Graduate Theological Union presents seminar exploring the lives, times and writings of and about Francis and Clare of Assisi. 848-5232 

Interfaith Couples Look  

at Love and Choices 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Two films to stimulate discussion about interfaith families, love and identity. $25 per couple. 548-0237 

Tuesday, Oct. 16

Crabby Chef Competition 

4 p.m. 

Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto 

1919 Fourth St.  

Top East Bay chefs compete to create the best crab dish. Free.  

5 - 7 p.m. Fund-raising Reception for the Visual and Performing Arts Group of Berkeley High School. $25 donation. 845-7777 

Similarities between Jewish  

and Deadhead Spirituality 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

It’s been observed that a disproportionate number of deadheads are Jews. Dr. Leora Lawton, researcher of deadhead culture, explores the fascinating parallels between Jewish and deadhead rituals. $25 public, $15 members. 548-0237 

The Berkeley Garden Club 

2:15 p.m. 

Epworth United Methodist Church 

1953 Hopkins St.  

“Yearlong Garden Color with Bulbs” with Retired Director, Regional Botanic Gardens, Wayne Roderick. The program includes slides of flowering bulbs ideally suited to the East Bay climate. 524-4374 bgardenclub@aol.com 

Fibromyalgia Support Group 

noon - 2 p.m. 

Alta Bates Medical Center 

Maffly Auditorium - Herrick Campus 

2001 Dwight way 

“Herbal Alternatives and Drug Interactions for Fibromyalgia.” 601-0550 

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday.  

655-8863 

Israel and Palestine:  

Why the Oslo Peace Process Failed 

7:30 p.m. 

La Pena 

3105 Shattuck Ave. 

Speaker Joel Beinin is a Professor of Middle East History at Stanford University: “The Oslo Declaration of Principles... was supposed to bring peace and stability to the Middle East... the entire region is more unstable than a decade ago. Why have the hopes of so many people for a just peace been disappointed?” He will also address the relationship between U. S. policy, the Arab-Israel conflict, and events of this kind. 863-6637 

Wednesday, Oct. 17

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

Golden Age Party 

1:30 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

Party for the over 90 club and any who wish to attend. Swing Notes, a women’s acappela group will entertain and there will be refreshments. 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28 

Conversation: Rosemary Radford Reuther and Carolyn Merchant 

5:30 - 8 p.m. 

#1 LeConte Building, UC Berkeley 

“Women, Religion, Science, and the Environment.” 649-2490 

hursday, Oct. 18

Berkeley Metaphysical Toastmasters Club  

6:15 - 7:30 p.m.  

2515 Hillegass Ave.  

Public speaking skills and metaphysics come together. Ongoing first and third Thursdays each month. 869-2547 

Friday, Oct. 19

Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union 

Grand Opening Celebration 

4 - 7 p.m. 

2001 Ashby Ave. 

A family affair with food, entertainment and a special treat for the kids. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Honorary Chairperson is scheduled to attend. Faith Fancher is the Mistress of Ceremonies. 415-346-0199 

YAP’s FNL Teen Club: “Pop Ya Colla! Dance” 

7 -11 p.m. 

1730 Oregon St. 

Young Adult Project presents dance for 13 to 18 year olds only. Must have B.U.S.D. I.D. “No haters, no problems.” 644-6226 

Saturday, Oct. 20

Earthquake Retrofitting 

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Office of Emergency Services 

812 Page St.  

Free classes in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). 981-5605 www.ci.berkeley.ca.us 

BART Job Fair 

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave 

BART will be recruiting to fill approximately 160 jobs that wukk be opening up next year. The jobs to be filled are in accounting, planing, engineering, insurance, purchasing, police, maintenance and electronics. 

Sunday, Oct. 21

West Berkeley Market 

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

University Ave., between 3rd and 4th Streets  

Family-oriented weekly market. Crafts, music, produce, and specialty foods. 

654-6346 

Halloween Magic 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond JCC Auditorium 

1414 Walnut St.  

Los Angeles Magician and Comedian “Hotei the Magic Guy.” For kids 2 through 12 and their parents. $7. 236-7469 www.thebuddyclub.com 

Berkeley Architectural Heritage Fall House Tour 

1 - 5 p.m. 

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church 

Claremont Blvd. & Russell St.  

This year’s tour “Around the Claremont Hotel” features ten houses in the historic neighborhood of residences and gardens that surround the landscaped park of the hotel. There will be a reception at one of the houses. $30. 845-8507 

Monday, Oct 22

Franciscanism, Understanding the Vision 

1 - 2 p.m. 

Franciscan School of Theology 

1712 Euclid Ave. 

Graduate Theological Union presents seminar exploring the lives, times and writings of and about Francis and Clare of Assisi. 848-5232 

Interfaith Couples Look at Love and Choices 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

Two films to stimulate discussion about interfaith families, love and identity. $25 per couple. 548-0237 

Tuesday, Oct. 23

Berkeley Farmers’ Market 

2-7 p.m. 

Derby Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street 

548-3333 

Berkeley Camera Club 

7:30 p.m. 

Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda 

Share your slides and prints with other photographers. Critiques by qualified judges. Monthly field trips. 

531-8664 

Free Early Music Group 

10 - 11:30 a.m. 

North Berkeley Senior Center 

1901 Hearst Ave. 

Small group sings madrigals and other voice harmony every Tuesday.  

655-8863 

Similarities between Jewish and Deadhead Spirituality 

7:30 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center 

1414 Walnut St.  

It’s been observed that a disproportionate number of deadheads are Jews. Dr. Leora Lawton, researcher of deadhead culture, explores the fascinating parallels between Jewish and deadhead rituals. $25 public, $15 members. 548-0237 

Wednesday, Oct. 24

The meetings of the Police Review Commission scheduled for Sep 26 Oct 10 have been canceled. A special PRC meeting will be held Oct 3 at South Berkeley Senior Center. Regular PRC meetings will resume on Oct. 24 

Free Legal Workshop 

7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 

Women’s Cancer Resource Center 

3023 Shattuck Ave 

This workshop will provide information about State and Federal disability programs that provide cash benefits and health insurance for people unable to work due to a serious health condition. 

Toddler Storytime 

7 p.m. 

West Berkeley Library 

1125 University Ave 

For families with children three years or younger, a program to expose the youngest readers to multicultural stories, songs and finger plays. 

Every Wednesday through Nov 28 

Prose Writers’ Workshop 

7 - 9 p.m. 

Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center Library 

1414 Walnut St.  

From Op-ed to fiction, memoir to the feature article - a community 

writers' group to support and encourage a community of interests. Workshop format. Free. 524-3034 

The name Claremont did not originate with the development of the hotel or the early subdivisions, but appears on an 1888 map with its present name. In an Oakland Times article from July 20, 1882, the area is already referred to as Claremont: “Here is a beautiful spot lying east of Telegraph Avenue beyond Temescal called Claremont.... (The) elegant homes in this pleasant retreat are standing in the center of flower beds surrounded by shade trees.” 

Claremont Avenue was originally a section of Telegraph Road.  

In 1858 the first intercontinental telegraph cable line was brought over the hills from Oakland along this route because Claremont Canyon was the lowest pass in the central Contra Costa Hills.  

Although the route was steep it also became the main highway to Martinez where it met the ferry boats to Benicia.  

It remained the main route over the hills until the first tunnel was opened in 1903, directly above the present Caldecott Tunnel. Farms, ranches, and later, country estates, were eventually established along this road.  

Expansion of electric streetcar service made the development of the hillside areas possible. Beginning around 1892 Francis Marion “Borax” Smith, and Frank Havens, a San Francisco attorney, began buying independent transit rail lines in the East Bay.  

Through their purchases they created the Oakland Transit Consolidated, which became known as the Key Route System.  

The trains and ferries he had consolidated and expanded into the Key System continued to run until 1958. The construction of the Claremont Hotel began in 1906 as part of the plan to provide a destination, and therefore passengers, for the new electric rail lines.  

The hotel did not open until 1915 for reasons that are not clear, but include a financial downturn in 1907 resulting from the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.  

Claremont Park was opened in 1905 and the opening of Claremont Court was announced in 1906.  

Credit is given to Duncan McDuffie for choosing far sighted designers for the layout of these residential subdivisions. Undoubtedly McDuffie was inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted that roads should express the natural contours of the land, and creeks should remain open and natural with native trees and vegetation preserved.  

Susan Cerny writes Berkeley Observed in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.  

On October 21, the Association will sponsor a house tour of homes around the Claremont Hotel. For further information please call 841-2242 or 841-1055.

We killed 4 U.N. land mine workers in our night raids. We bombed them. They were staying in a building they had rented. It used to be a communications center. 

We can aim bombs to land within 30 feet of their target. With global positioning instruments we can send the bombs with the precise coordinates for longitude and latitude. We’ve spent the past four weeks gathering “intelligence.” Before we dropped the bombs, you might think we’d call the U.N. and say “Where are your people?” Or the U.N. might have called the Pentagon and said “Our people are here and here and here.” Intelligence. Actionable intelligence. 

Were our maps out of date? We didn’t know the U.N. had moved into the communications center? You might think after we had bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade we might make sure the maps were up to date. Intelligence. Actionable intelligence. 

You might think we might learn from experience. But all our experience of war suggests we don’t. My Lai. No Gun Ri. Hiroshima. Bataan. Stalingrad. Trench warfare. Wounded Knee. Fredericksburg. Antietem. Napoleon at Moscow. That in itself could be actionable intelligence. We’d learn that war and intelligence never go together. The whole thing is an oxymoron. 

Two months before Sept. 11 Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced a bill (H.R. 2459) to establish a Department of Peace. Apparently it hasn’t passed yet. Let’s sign on as cosponsors. 

Land mines. People have been starving in Afghanistan for the past ten years because all the arable fields have been mined. Ten to 12 people a day were being injured or killed by land mines even before we started bombing the people who were trying to clear the minefields. Intelligence. 

Land mines. We are one of the countries that haven’t signed the land mine treaty. Our land mine manufacturers might get mad. No more campaign contributions from them. Actionable intelligence. 

Why aren’t landmines biodegradable? Why don’t they obsolesce so they can’t keep killing and crippling children year after year? Actionable intelligence. 

Bumper sticker with a picture of the earth and the caption: “Immediate Family.” We can call the Pentagon and say “Our people are here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.” That’s actionable intelligence.  

Lee Helena Lawrence, former faculty member at Harvard University, is a psychologist living in Moraga 

Last Sunday the Crowden School presented the second of its chamber music concert series called “Sundays at Four.”  

The concert featured the world-famous cello master Laszlo Varga, who was principal cellist for the New York Philharmonic and has a distinguished career as recording artist, teacher and soloist. 

He was joined by Roy Malan, concertmaster for the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra; Benjamin Simon, director of the Crowden School and violist in several orchestras and quartets; and Karen Rosenak, a pianist with deep roots in many local ensembles and universities.  

In short, this was an all-star line-up, perhaps a surprise for such a seemingly humble venue.  

This concert was likely the best bargain of Berkeley’s classical music season in terms of quality chamber music for a modest admission ticket.  

These masters made us realize why the classics are so highly valued.  

They began with a gorgeous reading of Beethoven’s Piano Quartet in Eb Major, Opus 16.  

Lacking a true slow movement, this work focuses on the elegant charms of the tempo “Allegro, ma non troppo.” Without resorting to the easy but cheap affectation of romanticizing the classics, the string players took turns with the graceful themes and showed us a delightful series of developments and variations.  

Then Varga played a pair of cello sonatas with piano accompaniment, one by Brahms and one by Debussy.  

His rich sonority would have been a treat no matter what he played, but this program nicely highlighted the wonderful quality of his sound. The Brahms sonata was like a trio of lovely alto arias, while the Debussy piece excitedly explored many moods and techniques, all of which were firmly anchored by the luscious tone.  

Without a doubt, the excellent acoustics and relative intimacy of the Crowden School’s auditorium contributed substantially to the overall satisfaction of the concert: after all, chamber music was not written for the concert hall.  

Next month’s concert (November 5) features a return of Sunday’s featured violist, Benjamin Simon, whose program will range from the sublime J.S. Bach to the ridiculous P.D.Q. Bach.  

Simon promises to present “the viola as you’ve never heard it before!” The concert on Dec. 9 will be a showcase for some of the Bay Area’s best young musicians. On Feb. 3 of next year the Pacific Piano Quartet will take the stage to present Faure and Brahms.  

On March 17 Joan Jeanrenaud, founding cellist of the Kronos quartet “plays some crazy modern stuff” according to the program notes. 

The Crowden School Faculty Showcase will be on May 5. The series will finish with the Francesco Trio on June 2. Mark your calendars so you don’t forget these top-notch chamber music concerts.  

All proceeds from ticket sales go to the Crowden School’s scholarship fund.

924 Gilman Street Oct 13: Dead and Gone, Cattle Decapitation, Vulgar Pigeons, Wormwood, Antagony; Most shows are $5 and start at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.  

Ashkenaz Oct 13: Clinton Fearon, Dub Congress; Oct 14: Open Stage; Oct 16: Danubias; Oct 17: Cajun Cayotesl Oct 18: Greatful Dean DJ Night; Oct 19: Swing Session 1317 San Pablo Ave. 525-5054 www.ashkenaz.com 

Blakes Oct. 13: Ten Ton Chicken, Blue Tulip, $5; Oct. 14: Ted Ekman Solo & Band, $5; Oct. 15: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 16: Black Dog Band featuring Peanut McDaniels, $4; Oct. 17: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Oct. 18: Ascension, $5; Oct. 19: King Harvest, Sfunk, $5; Oct. 20: Psychokinetics, $5; Oct. 22: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 23: Felice, $3; Oct. 24: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; Oct. 25: Psychotica, $5; Oct. 26: Planting Seeds, $6; Oct. 27: Felonious, $6; Oct. 29: The Steve Gannon Band and Mz. Dee, $4; Oct. 31: Erotic City, DJ Maestro, $2; All shows 9:30 p.m. 2367 Telegraph Ave. 848-0886 

Cal Performances Through Oct. 14: Fri. and Sat., 8:00 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Ballet Nacional De Cuba, $24 - $46; Oct. 17 and 18: 8 p.m. Cesaria Evora, $24 - $36; Oct. 19: 8 p.m. Karnak, $18 - $30. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph, 642-0212, tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Eli’s Mile High Club Every Friday, 10 p.m. Funky Fridays Conscious Dance Party with KPFA DJs Splif Skankin and Funky Man. $10; Sept. 3: 2 - 8 p.m. Big West Coast Harmonica Bash, afternoon benefit for Red Archibald. $10 donation; Doors open at 8 p.m. unless noted. 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. 655-6661 

Jupiter Oct. 13: J Dogs; All music starts at 8:00 p.m. 2181 Shattuck Ave. 843-7625 www.jupiterbeer.com  

Live Oak Concerts Oct. 14: A Harvest of Song, an evening of premiers of works, $8-10. Both shows start at 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St.  

Synchronicity Oct. 14: 2 p.m. Piano and percussion duo fuses classical and jazz music into a visual experience. $10 adult, $5 child. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 www.juliamorgan.org 

Shafqat Ali Khan Oct. 20: 8 p.m. Concert of classical Ragaa, Sufi, Urdu, Persian Ghazel, and other popular musical styles from India. $20 general admission, $15 students. Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. 845-8542 www.juliamorgan.org 

“Murder Dressed in Satin” by Victor Lawhorn, ongoing. A mystery-comedy dinner show at The Madison about a murder at the home of Satin Moray, a club owner and self-proclaimed socialite with a scarlet past. Dinner is included in the price of the theater ticket. $47.50 Lake Merritt Hotel, 1800 Madison St., Oakland. 239-2252 www.acteva.com/go/havefun 

“Swanwhite” Through Oct. 21: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. A new translation of the Swedish Play that asks the question what good is romantic love, directed by Tom Clyde. $20, Sundays are “Pay What You Can”. Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave. 883-0305, www.virtuous.com 

“Orestes” Through Oct. 21: Fri. - Sat., 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. An adaptation of the classical play by Euripides that incorporates passages inspired or taken from various 20th century texts. Written by Charles Mee, Directed by Christopher Herold. $6-12. Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus 642-8268 

“Approach” Through Oct. 27: Thur. - Sat., 8 p.m. An examination of the search for intimacy as our most precious form of survival. Written by Susan Wiegand, Directed by Katie Bales Frassinelli. $15 general admission, $10 students and seniors. Eighth Street Studio Theatre, 2525 8th St. 655-0813 www.shotgunplayers.org 

“36 Views” Through Oct. 28: Tues. 8 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m., Thu. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Thu., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 8 p.m. w/ 2 p.m. matinee every other Sat., Sun. 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Written by Naomi Lizuka, Directed by Mark Wing-Davey. $10 - $54. Berkeley Repertory’s Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. 647-2949 www.berkeleyrep.org 

“Faye Sings Lady Day” Oct. 13: 8 p.m. & 10 p.m., Benefit concert for the Black Repertory Group in Berkeley. $10 - $15. Black Repertory Group, 3201 Adeline St. 849-9940  

“Lisa Picard is Famous” Through Oct. 19: Mocumentary chronicles New York actress who hopes to get more than a fleeting taste of fame when a racy cereal commercial brings her unexpected national notoriety. Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave. 843-3456 

“Loaded Visions” Oct. 17: 8 p.m. Experimental short films by Antero Alli (Eight Videopoems and “Lilly in Limbo,” plus live music from Sylvi Alli). $5 - $10 sliding scale. La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. 464-4640 www.verticalpool.com 

Pacific Film Archive Theater Oct. 13: 3:30 p.m., Films of Fritz Lang: Discussions with Anton Kaes; 7 p.m., The Nibelungen: Siegfried’s Death; Oct. 14: 3:30 p.m., L’Atalante; 5:30 p.m., The Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge; Oct. 15: 7 p.m., Genesis; Oct. 16: 7:30 p.m., La Région centrale; Oct. 17: 7:30 p.m., Video in the Villages and Amazonian Trilogy; 2575 Bancroft Way, 642-1124 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

“Census 2000: Asian Pacific Islander Americans” through Oct. 13; Wed. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Asian Pacific Islander American artists in roughly the demographic proportions indicated by the recent census. Free. Pro Arts, 461 Ninth St., Oakland 763-9470  

“MWP Perspectives” Jon Orvik: One artist’s journey. Through Oct. 27 Tues. - Fri. 12 - 5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 12 - 4 p.m. Solo artist exhibiting his journey through metal, wood and paint. Adapt Gallery and Design, 2834 College Ave. 649-8501 www.adaptgallery.com  

“Cut Plates and Bowls” Annabeth Rosen, “Just Jars” Sandy Simon, Oct. 13 through Nov. 3; Saturdays 10 - 5 or by appointment. Trax Ceramic Gallery, 1306 3rd St. 526-0279. cone5@aol.com 

“50 Years of Photography in Japan 1951 - 2001” Through Nov. 5: An exhibition from The Yomiuri Shimbun, the world’s largest daily newspaper with a national morning circulation of 10,300,000. Photographs of work, love, community, culture and disasters of Japan as seen by Japanese news photographers. Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. U.C. Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, North Gate Hall, Hearst and Euclid. Free. 642-3383 

“Jesus, This is Your Life - Stories and Pictures by Kids” Through Nov. 16: California children, ages four through twelve, from diverse backgrounds present original artwork, accompanied by a story written by the artist. “Cleve Gray, Holocaust Drawings” Oct. 15 through Jan. 25: 21 works on paper inviting the viewer to consider the atrocity of the Holocaust in ways unattainable through words or text. Mon. - Thur. 8:30 a.m. -10 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. 649-2541. 

“Changing the World, Building New Lives: 1970s photographs of Lesbians, Feminists, Union Women, Disability Activists and their Supporters” Through Nov. 17: An exhibit of black and white photographs by Oakland photographer Cathy Cade, who captured the interrelationships of the different struggles for justice and social change. Gallery Hours, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Photolab Gallery, 2235 Fifth St. Free. 644-1400 cathycade@mindspring.com 

“The Whole World’s Watching: Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” Through Dec. 16: A documentary photo exhibition which examines the rich history of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Wed. - Sun., noon - 5 p.m. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Live Oak Park. Free. 644-6893 

“Musee des Hommages” Masterworks by Guy Colwell Faithful copies of several artists from the pasts, including Titian’s “The Venus of Urbino,” Cezanne’s “Still Life,” Picasso’s “Woman at a Mirror,” and Botticelli’s “Primavera” Ongoing. Call ahead for hours. Atelier 9 2028 Ninth St. (at Addison) 841-4210 or visit www.atelier9.com 

Boadecia’s Books Oct. 18: Patricia Nell Warren reads from her novel “The Wild Man”, Oct. 22: J.M. Redmann reads from “Death By the Riverside”; All events start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise. All events are free. 398 Colusa Ave. 559-9184 www.bookpride.com 

Cody’s on 4th Street Oct 18: Tamora Pierce talks about “Protector of the Small”; 1730 Fourth St. 559-9500 

Cody’s on Telegraph Ave. Oct 15: Amir Aczel poses The Riddle of the Compass: The Invention That Changed the World; Oct 16: Kip Fulbeck talks about “Paper Bullets”; Oct 18: Suzanne Antoneta & micah Perks talk about “Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir” and “Pagan Time: An American Childhood; All shows at 7:30 p.m.; 2454 Telegraph Ave. 845-7852 

Coffee Mill Poetry Series Oct. 16: 7 - 9 p.m. Steve Arntsen and Kathleen Dunbar followed by open mike reading. 3363 Grand Ave., Oakland 465-3935 ksdgk@earthlink.net 

Eastwind Books of Berkeley Oct. 13: Leonard Chang reads from “Over the Shoulder”; Oct. 20: Miriam Ching Louie reads from “Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Women Workers Take on the Global Factory”; 2066 University Ave. 548-2350 

Tours 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Fridays 9:30 - 11:45 a.m. or by appointment. Call ahead to make reservations. Free. University of California, Berkeley. 486-4387 

Golden Gate Live Steamers Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Lomas Cantadas Drive at the south end of Tilden Regional Park Small locomotives, meticulously scaled to size. Trains run Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides: Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. 486-0623  

Museums 

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  

UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology Lobby, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley “Tyrannosaurus Rex,” ongoing. A 20 foot 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 

UC Berkeley Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology will close its exhibition galleries for renovation. It will reopen in early 2002.  

University of California Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive has reopened after its summerlong seismic retrofit. “Martin Puryear: Sculpture of the 1990s” through Jan. 13; “The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951 - 1982)” through Dec. 16; “Face of Buddha: Sculpture from India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia” ongoing rotation through 2003; “Matrix 194: Jessica Bronson, Heaps, layers, and curls” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; “Matrix 192: Ceal Floyer 37’4”” Sept. 16 through Nov. 11; Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft Way; Museum Galleries 2626 Bancroft Way; 642-0808 www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

Lawrence Hall of Science “Within the Human Brain,” ongoing. Visitors test their cranial nerves, play skeeball, master mazes, match musical tones and construct stories inside a simulated “rat cage” of learning experiments. “Saturday Night Stargazing,” First and third Saturdays each month. 8 - 10 p.m., LHS plaza. Saturdays 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. $7 for adults; $5 for children 5-18; $3 for children 3-4. 642-5132 

Holt Planetarium Programs are recommended for age 8 and up; children under age 6 will not be admitted. $2 in addition to regular museum admission. “Constellations Tonight” Ongoing. Using a simple star map, learn to identify the most prominent constellations for the season in the planetarium sky. Daily, 3:30 p.m. $7 general; $5 seniors, students, disabled, and youths age 7 to 18; $3 children age 3 to 5 ; free children age 2 and younger. Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Centennial Drive, UC Berkeley 642-5132 or www.lhs.berkeley.edu  

Send arts events two weeks in advance to Calendar@berkeleydailyplanet.net, 2076 University, Berkeley 94704 or fax to 841-5694.

The Berkeley Yellowjackets ran roughshod over Alameda on Friday night, racking up 482 rushing yards on the way to a 48-14 home victory. 

Senior tailback Germaine Baird led the attack with 184 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries, his best output of the season. Backups Craig Hollis, Roger Mason and Mario Mejia also scored rushing touchdowns for the ’Jackets. 

Berkeley (2-3 overall, 2-0 ACCAL) won the game easily despite committing 190 yards worth of penalties, a large percentage of which were for unsportsmanlike conduct and other extra-curricular infractions. 

“I’d like to think this game was an anomaly,” Berkeley head coach Matt Bissell said of his team’s penalties. “We’ve had very few penalties until now. We told our players to be aggressive, but apparently we need to tell them when to not be too aggressive.” 

Berkeley penalties negated several big gains, including an interception return by safety Nick Schooler that looked like a touchdown. But Juleen Jacobs was called for roughing the passer on the play, negating the turnover. 

The ’Jackets ran up more yards in penalties than they allowed the Hornets to gain on offense. Alameda (2-3, 0-2 ACCAL) managed to gain just 183 yards, including just 29 on the ground. Berkeley’s linemen constantly knocked their opponents off the ball on both sides, although the offensive line was called for holding four times. 

“We definitely executed well today, running our plays right,” lineman Matt Toma said. “It just seemed like we would open a huge hole, the back would break downfield, and we’d look back and see a flag on the weak side. But we dominated the line of scrimmage tonight.” 

Early in the game, however, it was the Berkeley passing game that gave them a quick lead. Quarterback Raymond Pinkston connected for long touchdowns on his first two passes. The first came on the fourth play of the game’s opening drive, a 38-yard toss that wideout Lee Franklin came down with in a crowd. 

After Alameda’s first drive resulted in a loss of 19 yards, Berkeley got the ball back at midfield. Pinkston needed just three plays this time, hooking up with Sean Young down the left sideline for 44 yards and a score, and the ’Jackets were up 12-0 after just six minutes of play. 

“(Berkeley offensive coordinator Charles) Johnson told us their DBs couldn’t stay with us, so we went right after them,” Franklin said. 

Alameda’s next drive looked doomed as well, as two plays were stuffed and the Hornets faced third-and-17. But quarterback Tom Gay looked off Berkeley Schooler before finding Drew Kocal on a quick slant for 55 yards. That big play gave Alameda some life, and Gay found running back Jay Castro on an out pattern for a touchdown. 

Berkeley’s next drive stalled at the Alameda 29, and the Hornets marched down the field for another score. Gay connected on two passes, Castro picked up 17 yards on a draw, and Berkeley helped out with a 15-yard facemask penalty to put the Hornets on the two-yard line. Gay then hit Tavis Vee on a wide receiver screen for the touchdown, and the point after gave Alameda a 14-12 lead. 

But that would be the last time the Hornets scored, and Berkeley just started piling up the rushing yards. Running back Aaron Boatwright got the ball rolling with a 34-yard scamper on the following drive, and Baird put the ’Jackets ahead for good with an 8-yard touchdown sweep.  

Berkeley nearly scored again before halftime, as Franklin made a tremendous one-handed catch to put them inside the 20 with seven seconds left, but an attempted quarterback throwback was snuffed out by the Hornets, and Berkeley went into the locker room with a 20-14 lead. 

The ’Jackets headed into the second half roaring. After forcing a three-and-out by Alameda, Mason scored on a 34-yard run right up the middle, trucking over the last Hornet defender. The Hornets couldn’t pick up a first down on the next drive either, but a blocking in the back penalty on the Berkeley punt return put the ball on the Berkeley 8-yard line. The Berkeley coaches then used all their backfield weapons to break Alameda’s spirit, using five different runners on an eight-play, 92-yard drive that ended in a 14-yard touchdown for Hollis. 

“We blessed with a bunch of great athletes,” Johnson said. “We might even have too many good guys at running back. But they all understand that if they do their jobs, they’ll all get a chance.” 

Hollis, who finished the game with 96 yards on 11 carries, is a junior and has shown flashes of talent that could make him one of the regions top runners next year. Despite splitting his backup duties with Boatwright, Mason and Mejia, he is the front-runner to replace Baird as the main man next year. 

“Right now my job is just to back Germaine up,” Hollis said. “But next year should be my year.” 

Berkeley’s next score came on their lone passing play of the second half, a 62-yard bomb from Pinkston to Young as time ran out in the third quarter. Young has scored on three long plays in Berkeley’s last two games, and his coaches consider him to be one of the best deep threats in the league, a realization Young seems to finally be making himself. 

“I think I can keep doing this if I keep trying really hard,” the soft-spoken junior said. “Our passing game is going pretty good with me and Lee.” 

Mejia capped the scoring with a 35-yard run with four minutes left in the game. 

“We’re finally coming together as a team,” Pinkston said. “We’re like a family now. It’s all love.”

The City Council narrowly approved a controversial redistricting plan Tuesday that has moderate councilmembers accusing progressives of manipulating a census undercount to add an extra 4,500 students to District 8. 

The progressive council block – Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek and councilmembers Dona Spring, Linda Maio, Kriss Worthington and Margaret Breland – acknowledged the imbalance in District 8, in the southeast section of the city. But they argued the chosen plan, drafted by two progressive residents, is the most consistent with the City Charter, which requires districts be redrawn to maintain the original districts that were drawn in 1986. 

The council approved the first reading of the new district lines by a vote of 5-4, with moderates Mayor Shirley Dean and  

councilmembers Polly Armstrong, Betty Olds and Miriam Hawley voting in opposition. The council will vote on the second reading of the new boundaries at next Tuesday’s meeting. If the council approves the second reading, the new boundaries will go into effect 30 days later. 

Moderates contend the approved plan was designed to weaken Armstrong’s popularity, by using the census undercount to put a large number of students, who are inclined to vote progressive, in her district. 

Progressives argued that the staff-produced plan, known as Scenario 5, that moderates preferred, would have weakened Worthington in District 7, by breaking up the Bateman neighborhood, a stronghold of support for him. 

The two council factions argued bitterly prior to voting on the plan, drafted by Michael O’Malley and David Blake. Blake is a former aide to Maio.  

Moderates suggested that a progressive-forged “back-room deal” during a meeting the day before the plan’s initial approval on Oct. 2.  

“Moderate councilmembers ought to reflect very carefully about the perception of this plan,” Dean said. “It needs to be fixed otherwise (the council) will forever be suspect.” 

Progressive councilmembers, which have a majority on the nine-member council, argued the plan is consistent with the City Charter and that moderate charges are baseless and the result of sour grapes because the plan they favored was not approved. 

“The moderates have been screaming bloody murder and foul play because students were redistricted into District 8 instead of homeowners,” Spring said. “This is the only plan that creates districts where no incumbent councilmember, progressive or moderate, is prejudicially favored to be removed from office.” 

The bitter conflict is largely due to what city officials estimate to be an undercount of 4,500 people - mostly students - by the 2000 U.S. Census. The undercount primarily occurred in districts 7 and 8.  

Despite solid evidence of the census blunder, the City Charter requires the council to redraw district lines so that each of the city’s nine districts have equal populations based on the current census whether it’s flawed or not.  

So, based on the census, the new council districts have close to 12,800 residents in accordance with the City Charter. But “real” numbers, based on the 1990 U.S. Census and the UC Housing Office, suggest that District 8 far exceeds the other seven districts with a total of 17,100 residents, of which 55 percent or 9,700 are students. 

Further complicating the issue, the city is currently disputing the official count with the U.S. Census Bureau and if the count is adjusted to reflect the actual population, the charter would require the council to scrap the approved plan, which has inspired the worst acrimony between the two council factions is recent years, and begin the redistricting process anew. 

Prior to the vote, Armstrong, who represents District 8, wanted to make sure the record reflected the new plan’s defiance of the intention of the charter by creating a population imbalance. 

“This plan goes in with eyes wide open, understanding (the progressives) have moved 5,000 (Armstrong’s estimate) extra people into District 8,” she said. “I want to make it clear that District 8 will have 5,000 more people when the dust clears.” 

Also prior to the vote, Maio said she was troubled by the population imbalance but chose to support the progressive plan and called the moderates’ charges of a back-room deal a “red herring.”  

“I felt very supportive of (the progressives’) issue because they have been very supportive of issues that matter a lot to me,” she said and then added. “I do acknowledge that approved plan puts a larger number of people into Polly Armstrong’s district.” 

In an Oct. 12 press release, Maio said the approved plan is the best plan given the restraints of the charter because it does not distort existing boundary lines and does not create a disadvantage for any sitting councilmember.  

Maio said she supports redrawing the district lines if the census is corrected to reflect the actual populations in districts 7 and 8. 

“We may be embroiled in another redistricting debate in just a few months,” she said. “Something to look forward to!”

Editor: 

It appears I was one of the few who wrote to the city in support of Bette’s Diner getting access to the space formally occupied by Made to Order. I too am a fan of Hopkins Bakery, but come on, this is America, NOT the people’s republic of Berkeley as some outsiders think.  

Capitalism and a free economy are live and well here, or at least should be. Hopkins should welcome the competition which adds to the district rather than cower and complain that Bette’s should not get a permit.  

I guess they got their “just deserts” with La Farine coming in, a 100 percent bakery operation! Be careful what you ask for, Hopkins! 

Dana Tillson 

Berkeley

The Cal women’s soccer team got back to their winning ways on Friday, beating Oregon 3-0 in the Pac-10 opener for each team at Pape Field in Eugene. 

The Bears improved to 9-2-1, 1-0-0 in the conference while Oregon drops to 6-3-1 and 0-1-0.  

Cal scored its first goal on a 20-yard shot from Brittany Kirk in the 10th minute on an assist from Kassie Doubrava.  

Despite the field position being equal for much of the game, the Bears added a second goal in the 54th minute by All-American Laura Schott, who ranks 16th in the nation in goals.  

The Ducks gave up the match’s final score to Doubrava in the 65th minute on an assist

Early on Oct. 20, 1991, John Traugott was finishing up a morning run in the Berkeley hills. The UC Berkeley English professor was rounding a curve a few blocks from his house when he noticed the eastern sky turning orange.  

Traugott had seen that same orange sky in 1970, when a wildfire devastated the East Bay hills.  

“I immediately knew what it was,” Traugott said. “And I knew the whole place was going to go.” 

The firestorm he saw would eventually raze his home on Alvarado Road and more than 3,000 others in Oakland and Berkeley. The concrete of Traugott’s patio turned to dust. Heavy iron cooking pots melted into mush.  

But perhaps most painful to Traugott, he lost two manuscripts of unfinished books that he had spent years creating. He has spent the last 10 years trying to create them again.  

The firestorm of 1991 wrenched many things from its victims. Thousands lost their homes, dozens lost their lives. But for many of the artists, writers, photographers and academics who populated the hills of the East Bay, they say the loss that truly broke their hearts was their work.  

On that morning, Traugott felt paralyzed by the enormity of the fire and the impossible decisions it demanded.  

“I was wondering what to do,” he said. “I couldn’t think of what to take out. So I just sat there.” 

Traugott was alone – his wife Elizabeth was in Chicago. Unable to react, he sat in his kitchen for about a half-hour, munching toast and drinking coffee, watching the orange sky grow darker. Distraught and disoriented, he finally managed pull himself out of his funk enough to do something.  

“I decided I’d get a suitcase and put something in it,” he recalled. “Then I went downhill to the Claremont hotel, and I opened up the suitcase and there wasn’t anything in it. I forgot to put anything in it – I was totally confused.” 

Eventually, he thought to retrieve the computer he said contained the two manuscripts – a book of essays on Jonathan Swift and a book about 18th century writers Samuel Richardson and Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. He walked back through the bushes, grabbed the computer and put it in his car before the house burned.  

But the computer was full of smoke, which can destroy the data inside. He later took it to a specialist who tried to salvage it, but who actually did more damage to it, Traugott said. By then, there was nothing left of the manuscripts.  

“They’re both gone,” he said. “I couldn’t go back and redo the research – I just didn’t have the energy at that point. So these two books are being rewritten from the top of my head, totally.” 

But Traugott, age 70, said he wonders whether he will ever finish the work.  

“I’m trying to finish it, but it goes so slowly. There are times when I can’t work on the books, because, I don’t know, I’ve done it before. It’s so fatiguing to try and recover these things.” 

*** 

For others in the Berkeley Hills, remaking what was lost was never even an option.  

Nancy Pollack, a painter and sculptor, had been in Hawaii when the fire hit. She lost a life’s worth of work when her house on Gravatt Drive burned. Strangely, Pollack, a self-professed packrat, felt the loss as a sort of liberation.  

“I never cried,” she said. “And I’m so emotional – I cry at everything.” 

Since there was no way remake years of original art, Pollock said she took the opportunity to start anew.  

“I said, gee, I can be anything I want. I don’t have a past,” she said. “I thought, maybe I won’t even have some of the same challenges. Maybe I won’t have trouble with the right-hand corner of my paintings any more.” 

Among her first projects after the fire, Pollock took the few items still recognizable after the blaze and worked them into sculptures: a set of blackened silverware mounted on a bronze-colored base, shards of clay pots arranged around an odd deck of cards that miraculously survived.  

“I don’t take myself that seriously anymore, because hey, poof, it’s gone,” she said.  

*** 

Jeremy Larner, a novelist, poet and Oscar-winning screenwriter who lived on Grand View Drive, drove to safety with his computer. In the confusion of the moment, Larner had grabbed not just the hard disk containing eight years of work, but made several trips to get the heavy computer components.  

“It’s interesting what you take when you run out of your house,” he said. “It was ridiculous for me to carry out my computer printer.” 

What he did not think to grab were 30 years worth of notebooks and a filing cabinet containing two manuscripts, including an unpublished novel. But, like Pollock, he said he felt almost unburdened by the loss.  

“The funny thing is that I was relieved,” he said. “I never missed them. Whatever was in those notebooks belonged to somebody I no longer was.”  

Larner would later write about going back to where his house had stood, and finding the filing cabinet: 

“Inside, I see a miracle – a sheaf of papers. I see letters, print – the lost manuscripts! I strain against the metal till I can wedge my hand inside. And the pages turn to dust in my fingers.” 

In the last ten years, many fire victims have rebuilt their houses and their lost work. John Traugott’s once-verdant backyard had been reduced to cinders, but now it blooms again, complete with towering redwood trees that have grown entirely since the fire.  

“It all came back,” said Traugott. “That’s been the most satisfying thing about the recovery. Ashes are good for growing.” 

The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Councilmember Dona Spring regarding a statement on terrorism. 

I was born in (what was then called) Palestine in 1941, grew up with many Arab friends, studied and lived in the United States since 1966. I do understand why so many Americans are so misinformed about the forces that shape and motivate people in the Middle East to do terrible things to each other and the steps that one can take to avoid the disasters. The main problem is that our assumptions of “cause and effect” or “action and reaction” is invalid, because of our cultural and other differences in our basic thinking. We can't assume how terrorists will react even to our most primitive attempts to communicate with them. They read red in our blue. 

They expect us to think and act like them. They want to teach not to learn. Look at Sadam Hussein; he could have had it so much better just for trying to get along. We do need to minimize confrontation on any level and use a very strong hand when we find ourselves against the wall. America is against the wall. "Soft power" may be interpreted as a weakness - and will invite more killing. Any signal that you may give to the al Qaeda that there is a “force” in this country, which is “on their side,” will endanger our freedom a lot more than one can imagine. They may interpret dissent as an approval of their acts. Please, re think your position on this painful subject. 

G. Stavi 

Berkeley 

Ed note: Spring maintains that she was misquoted in the Daily Cal and did not say the United States was a terrorist nation.

KENT, Ohio - No. 14 Kent State broke a 1-1 deadlock with two second-half goals to defeat No. 20 California, 3-1, Oct. 11 at Dix Stadium. Junior Megan Spurling scored two goals to lift the Golden Flashes to their fourth straight victory.  

The first half scoring started quickly. Spurling rebounded her own saved shot and put it in the back of the net at 32:18. Cal (6-4) quickly answered when it converted on one of its two penalty corners of the night. Danya Sawyer controlled Nora Fedderson’s saved shot and scored the first goal of her career with 21:50 left in the first half.  

In the second period, Kent State (7-5) converted on a direct corner. Junior Helen scored with assists from sophomore Arlette van Cleeff and junior Kristen at 20:28. Spurling ended the scoring on a 2-on-1 break with van Cleeff.  

Junior keeper Emily Rowlen made five saves against three goals allowed before being relieved by freshman Kelly Knapp with 10:43 left in the game. Knapp made two saves on the night. The Golden Flashes had 12 penalty corner chances compared to two for Cal.  

The Bears travel down state to visit Ohio State on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Library Gardens development, a five-building, 176-unit residential complex to be built behind the Berkeley Public Library, was approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board Thursday night. 

The project is the latest, but certainly not the last, of the major housing projects planned for the downtown area.  

A number of developers have recently set their sights on downtown – currently, there are at least four mid-sized to large housing developments apart from Library Gardens working their way through the city’s planning and permits process, for a total of 267 new apartments and condominiums. 

The rush to downtown seems to come in anticipation of the city’s new General Plan, which, if it is approved as expected next month, will place an emphasis on new housing construction in the center of the city. 

John DeClercq, senior vice president of TransAction Companies, which led the Library Gardens project, didn’t get the “9-0” vote he had hoped for from the ZAB, but he did come close. The board voted 7-1 on the project, with board member Carrie Sprague dissenting and board member Lawrence Capitelli absent. 

Sprague did have praise for Library Gardens’ “clever design,” but she said on Friday that out of concern for the neighborhood, she could not countenance the project’s intensive construction schedule. 

“They were very insistent that they wanted to work all day,” she said. “That’s the main thing I was worried about.” 

Library Gardens, with its 134,000 square feet of new floor space, is the largest housing development in Berkeley in recent memory. But it appears that much more is soon to follow in the downtown area, with the result that the economic and social dynamics of the city may be dramatically altered. 

The final draft of the Berkeley General Plan (July, 2001) calls for an increase in housing downtown in response to two needs: the housing crisis in the city and the Bay Area, and the ongoing revitalization of downtown. 

Steve Barton, director of the city’s Housing Department, said on Friday that he was pleased with the approval of Library Gardens, and that he looked forward to similar projects. Too often, he said, people want affordable housing but do not want either sprawl or greater density in urban areas. 

“People are in favor of housing in the abstract, but not in any particular place,” he said. “So it’s nice that in Berkeley there’s a general consensus to build new housing downtown.” 

Barton said that the housing crisis threatened the very character of the city, and that increased housing supply was one of the only ways that Berkeley could preserve its culture.  

“Often people here are not making as much money as they could if they wanted to,” he said. “People in Berkeley choose to work in research, or for a nonprofit, or in the arts, etc. That’s Berkeley’s role in the Bay Area, and if rents are not affordable, it is threatened.” 

The draft General Plan emphasizes residential development in the downtown partly because it well-served by mass transportation and partly because it could contribute to the area’s renaissance. Shattuck Avenue was once the unequivocal center of the city, but in the 1980’s it was injured, like many downtowns, by the nationwide exodus of people and business to the suburbs. 

Though revitalization programs in the 1990’s have been partly successful, the area still has not recovered its former glory. The downtown accounts for only 10 percent of all retail sales in the city – a figure equivalent to that of Telegraph Avenue, and dwarfed by West Berkeley’s 50 percent. 

Now, the hope is to invigorate the downtown by moving more people into the neighborhood. In the words of the Downtown Berkeley Association, “new permanent housing will increase street life, pedestrian traffic and a sense of community... and will generate increased demand for retail businesses – some of which are currently unavailable in the downtown.” 

If new residents are brought in, the thinking goes, new commercial and retail space will follow. The plan is reminiscent of Mayor Jerry Brown of Oakland’s pledge to bring in 10,000 new residents to revitalize the downtown of his city. 

Though the plan does enjoy widespread support, some people are beginning to voice their concerns. 

Carrie Olson, a long-time Berkeley resident and a member of the city’s Design Review Committee, said Friday that she wants to make sure that the diversity of downtown is preserved. 

“I want the growth to be sensible,” she said. “I want to have a mixed community in the downtown, a community that represents Berkeley as a whole.” 

Olson said that the Design Review Committee recently gave the ZAB an unfavorable report on one of the larger new projects being proposed for downtown. The units in the building were too small to support families or older couples, who usually want more living space than students. 

“If we end up with just students downtown, we will get another version of Telegraph Avenue,” she said. “Some of the new projects may not do their best to discourage that.” 

Olson said she was somewhat suspicious of the notion that increased housing would necessarily bring more retail opportunities, or more liveliness generally, to the downtown.  

“What works about a successful urban space – like some parts of Paris – is that you can go downstairs, out on the street and find what you need to cook dinner,” she said. “That doesn’t exist in the downtown right now.” 

“Part of the city’s responsibility is to make sure those services – grocery stores, laundries, drug stores, all the things you need for daily life – will be there.” 

But Victoria Eisen, the principal planner for the Association of Bay Area Governments’ Smart Growth Strategy project, said that Berkeley’s strategy to promote housing downtown fits perfectly with the vision of “Smart Growth” her group is developing. 

“It’s true that when people move into these units right now, there may be not be a supermarket you can walk to,” she said. “What Berkeley and other communities are doing is to bring in residents to support existing services, and hopefully attract new services.”

Editor: 

Thank you for regularly including coverage on a local and national level about the conflict in Afghanistan. With government attempted censorship of the press, it becomes all the more important to keep this crises on the frontpage. Please continue to list, in your Out and About section, any vigils, protests, teach-ins, etc. that are planned and I think many readers would appreciate a list of relevant web sites.  

Diana Perry 

Berkeley

LOS ANGELES, CA - The University of California women’s volleyball team (5-8, 1-5) lost to No. 5 ranked UCLA (10-3, 5-3), 3-0 (31-29, 30-12, 30-21), Friday evening at Pauley Pavilion. The Bears, who have never defeated the Bruins in women’s volleyball (0-41), were led by freshman Mia Jerkov’s 12 kills, while sophomore Gabrielle Abernathy added 11 kills and a .300 hitting percentage, and junior Reena Pardiwala had a team-high 14 digs.  

UCLA was led by senior Kristee Porter’s 20 kills and .500 hitting percentage (20 kills, four errors, 32 attempts).

Editor: 

As long-time Berkeley residents, who have spent years living in Latin America and Asia, we urge the Daily Planet staff and readers to write and speak out against the “Ugly American,” “shoot-em-up justice” of President Bush that is likely to cause the death of many more innocent civilians. The U.S. should use the rule of law and international agreements to insure security for all nations. This will be the best guarantee of our own country’s security. 

Anna Marie Taylor and Richard Lerner 

Berkeley

One month after the September 11 attacks, Berkeley businesses are still reeling from the economic impacts of a tragedy that made people afraid to fly, reluctant to spend money and sometimes too depressed to enjoy restaurant meals or theater shows.  

Berkeley’s hotel occupancy rates are down 30-40 percent, said Barbara Hillman, Berkeley Convention and Visitor’s Bureau President. This decline began before Sept. 11, she said, but the post-attack travel slowdown “added fuel to the fire.”  

“Everybody’s been hit,” Hillman said. “But you can’t force people to take vacations, you can’t make people fly.” 

Jobs for hotel workers around the Bay have often been the first casualties in hospitality industry cutbacks. Half of the employees at the Berkeley Marina Raddison have had their hours cut, said Wei-Ling Huber of Local 2850, the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union. 

Officials said Berkeley’s restaurants and performing arts venues also took financial losses following the attacks. Hillman estimated that the city’s restaurants lost 40 percent in sales in the weeks after Sept.11. Bill Lambert, manager of economic development for the city, said that in the 30 days since the tragedy, there has been a “steep drop-off” in non-season ticket holder sales at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.  

Local merchants in Berkeley’s commercial districts are planning promotions to encourage more sales. “We’re thinking of a ‘Shop Local’ campaign,” said Lisa Bullwinkel, Executive Director of the Solano Avenue Association and a board member of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.  

Bullwinkel said that merchants are planning promotions to encourage Berkeley locals to stay at Berkeley hotels. “People want to be connected with their families right now,” she said. “Hotels might offer packages for families who live in town, encouraging them to get out of the house for the weekend and spend time together.” 

But local officials say they don’t think that these economic losses will impact the city revenue. As San Francisco braces for a tax revenue crunch because of a slumping tourist industry, Berkeley officials say they are more concerned about a general economic downturn than direct financial losses related to the Sept. 11 attacks. 

When compared to San Francisco, “we have significantly fewer hotels and the hotel tax is less a piece of our overall budget,” said City Budget Manager Paul Navazio. 

Berkeley is home to only about 1,000 hotel beds, and hotel taxes generate just 1 percent of the city’s overall funds. 

Navazio anticipates that Berkeley’s budget will be well-insulated from the losses directly related to the attacks. “Our community is relatively less dependent on travel, tourism, and airlines, but like everyone else, we are impacted by general economic cycles,” he said. 

Other sources of tax revenue, including business licenses, parking fines, property taxes, and sales taxes, generate far more income to support city services. In the 2002 budget, sales taxes are expected to generate $14.8 million for city coffers, and parking fines $7.4 million. Hotel taxes are projected at just $3.7 million. 

“The Berkeley economy and tax base has less volatility” than other cities, Navazio said, because the largest employers, UC Berkeley, the city, and the school district, “don’t hire and fire in cycles.” Berkeley’s retail mix of boutiques and independent businesses, unlike stores like Costco, Target, or Home Depot, also tend to provide sales tax revenues that fluctuate less dramatically, he said. 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington said that the council had already anticipated a general financial downturn before Sept. 11. “When we did the budget this year, we didn’t add a lot of new spending,” he said. “The budget is based on pretty fiscally cautious numbers to begin with.” 

Worthington said the Council built in reserve funds larger than “any time in history,” about 6 percent of the city’s general funds.  

Both Worthington and Navazio said they did not anticipate dramatic cuts in the city’s budget based on a decline in revenues. “We might make some small adjustments,” Worthington said.  

“But our bigger problem is the state and federal budget,” which allocates money to Berkeley for programs like homeless services or the city’s health department, Worthington said. Because of Sept. 11, Congress “may divert money away from social services and use the military as an excuse.”

Copwatch, a Berkeley-based civil liberties organization, held a forum Thursday night to discuss the controversial PATRIOT Act before Congress. 

In light of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration has sought to pass the Provide Accurate Tools Required to Intercept Terrorist (PATRIOT) Act to combat potential terrorism in America. Copwatch believes the bill is unconstitutional.  

“We felt it was necessary to break down the changes that will take place,” said Andrea Prichett, founding member of Copwatch and organizer at the event. 

There were close to 40 people in attendance at the forum which was held at Dwinelle Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. 

The act would give the government the authority to conduct secret searches and intrude into other private sectors of American lives, Prichett said. 

Those who favor the act, however, point to the Sept. 11 attacks and say the precautions would help such acts from recurring.  

They also note that two-thirds of the Americans polled after the attacks said they would accept fewer civil liberties for stronger security measures. 

Copwatch representatives, however, said they believe otherwise. 

“They are not making our lives secure, but are putting are lives in danger,” said Gerald Smith, a member of Copwatch who spoke at the forum. 

Jason Cox, a member of the National Lawyers Guild and a speaker at the forum, called the bill provisions “draconian” and “a right-wing prosecutor’s dream list.” 

The forum ended with a question and answer session about civil liberates in general in relation to dealing with the local authorities – Copwatch’s specialty.

SAN FRANCISCO — Unable to rally support for a strike, the union representing 27,000 workers at Northern California’s two largest grocery chains on Friday reluctantly accepted a contract that labor leaders described as a setback for employees struggling to afford the region’s high housing costs. 

The change of heart by the United Food and Commercial Workers union ends weeks of bickering between the management and workers at 294 Northern California supermarkets run by market leaders Safeway and Albertson’s. The chains, which had been negotiating as a team, characterized the contract proposal as their “last, best” offer. 

The contract will raise workers’ wages by an average of 10 percent, or $1.50 per hour, over three years. The union wanted raises of $2.40 per hour over three years. The initial raise of 50 cents per hour is retroactive to July 1. 

The contract is expected to set the standard for thousands of other clerks at rival supermarkets in Northern California. The workers at Safeway and Albertson’s stores in the Sacramento area accepted a nearly identical contract in July. 

Less than three weeks ago, the union recommended that the San Francisco Bay area workers reject the contract and prepare to strike. 

More than 61 percent of the workers voted against the contract in results announced earlier this week. But union rules prohibit a strike unless at least 66.7 percent of workers reject a contract. Labor leaders said Friday the strike would have been authorized with overwhelming customer support if not for the anxieties raised by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. 

The contract is “not fair and not adequate,” but labor leaders felt they had no negotiating leverage without the power to strike, said Ron Lind, a spokesman for the UFCW. 

“The reality is that a strike is our only weapon,” Lind said. “If you don’t have that, there isn’t much you can do.” 

Pleasanton-based Safeway and Boise, Idaho-based Albertson’s had little to say about the labor agreement. “We look forward to continuing to serve our customers,” the chains said in a statement. 

During a press conference with labor leaders Friday, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown applauded the workers for not “disrupting the food supply systems” so soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

“It is not the time to militantly pursue their legitimate and justifiable claims,” Brown said. 

Labor leaders said employees need more money to live in the San Francisco Bay area, where the cost of a mid-priced home increased 66 percent to $476,000 since the workers signed their previous contract in 1997. Accepting the new contract means the store workers will have to live in less expensive outlying areas and drive even farther to their jobs, Lind said. 

The current pay for the Northern California retail clerks ranges from $7.75 per hour to $17.58 per hour, making them among the best paid in their profession, according to management. Less than two-thirds of the store workers log 40-hour weeks, according to union officials. 

Accepting the 10 percent raise represented a “great sacrifice” by the store workers, said Walter Johnson, secretary treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. 

“I want to thank them for having the courage to do that,” Johnson said. 

On The Net: 

http://www.safeway.com 

http://www.albertsons.com

SACRAMENTO — A traditional family coalition, claiming to represent a majority of the state’s opinion, rallied at the Capitol on Friday, asking the governor to veto a domestic partners bill. 

The Campaign for California Families opposes a bill to provide gay and lesbian couples and senior heterosexual couples a dozen of the same rights given to heterosexual married couples. Supporters call it the biggest expansion of domestic partner law in the country. 

Campaign leader Randy Thomasson said Friday, “All over the state people are finding something awful is happening in the Capitol.” 

Thomasson, standing with 40 supporters after similar rallies in five other cities this week, said Gov. Gray Davis should veto the bill for reasons he’s used with others: that it’s a drain on the budget. 

“He has a choice to be a man of his word and fiscally responsible, or he can become the biggest hypocrite in the state,” Thomasson said. 

The Campaign claims the bill would cost the state $1 million per year, but the proponents say it would save money in tax benefits. 

Davis has until midnight Sunday to sign or veto the bill. 

Supporters of the legislation by Assemblywoman Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, say it’s only fair that gay partners get more of the same rights as heterosexual married couples. 

Eric Astacaan of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality, said, “These are critical tools that couples need in times of crisis.” 

Among them are rights to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners, sue for wrongful deaths, act as conservators and adopt a partner’s child. Other rights include sick leave to care for a family member and provide partners with employer-based health care coverage. 

Astacaan said, “They are very basic. You would think with all the things that are happening right now these things would not rile people up.” 

The domestic partner bill follows Migden’s 1999 legislation creating a registry for domestic partners at the Secretary of State’s office. More than 16,000 people signed up, giving them rights to visit partners in the hospital and negotiate state health benefits for partners. Astacaan said the city of San Francisco and corporations such as American Airlines, Microsoft, Intel and Apple offer health benefits for domestic partners. 

Thomasson said Migden’s bill undermines a March 2000 vote in which most voters said marriage should be between a man and woman. 

Gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon also called on Davis to veto the bill. 

Read AB25 at www.assembly.ca.gov.

SACRAMENTO — Legislation to give California’s worst public schools an extra $200 million to try to boost student test scores was signed into law Friday by Gov. Gray Davis. 

Davis also approved another education bill that will allocate $80 million a year for four years to train teachers and instructional aides how to meet new state math and reading standards. 

“We intend on training every teacher so our children can be successful,” said Kerry Mazzoni, Davis’ education secretary. 

But the governor vetoed bills to  

train substitute teacher, increase physical education classes, allow more school districts to receive busing money and  

extend a program that provides schools with $250 million a year to buy  

instructional material.  

The bills were among dozens of measures that the Democratic governor considered as he worked toward a Sunday deadline to sign or veto bills approved by lawmakers in the last hectic days of their 2001 session. 

Any bills not acted on by then will become law without his signature. 

The school improvement measure, by Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, will allow approximately 500 schools with the worst test scores to qualify for $400 per pupil for three years. 

The money will be in addition to other state support, said Andrea Jackson, a spokeswoman for Steinberg. 

Schools in the program will have to develop plans to boost students achievement, attract and retain good teachers and principals and increase parental involvement. 

Steinberg said the bill will give those schools “the flexibility to focus on the particular learning needs of their student populations.” 

The teacher training bill, by Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin, D-Duncans Mills, will provide 120 hours of training for 176,000 teachers and 22,000 classroom aides in reading and math instruction. 

Davis vetoed a bill by Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, that would have extended the instructional materials program another four years, from 2002-03 through the 2005-06 fiscal year. 

He said providing students with appropriate textbooks and other instructional materials was one of his highest priorities, but that the state couldn’t afford the additional expense. 

Davis cited the slump in the economy and state revenues to also veto bills that would have doubled physical education requirements for seventh and eighth graders, set up at least three programs to train substitute teachers working at low-performing schools and allow more school districts to receive student transportation money from the state. 

Davis also signed legislation Friday to: 

— Set up a state-maintained list of potential organ and tissue donors that could be tapped by federally designated organ procurement organizations and tissue banks. 

— Allow the state Medical Board to fine doctors up to $2,500 if they fail to tell their female patients how to detect gynecological cancers. 

— Require the installation of solar energy systems on all state buildings and parking garages. 

— Give local governments more clout to force property owners to clean small contaminated urban parcels commonly known as brownfields. 

— Require large air districts to use at least half of the $48 million appropriated to three diesel-emission reduction programs in low-income communities with high levels of pollution. 

NEW YORK — An assistant to NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw contracted the skin form of anthrax after opening a “threatening” letter to her boss that contained a suspicious powder, authorities and the network said Friday. 

Officials quickly said there was no known link to either the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks or the far more serious inhaled form of anthrax that killed a supermarket tabloid editor in Florida last week. The 38-year-old NBC employee was being treated with antibiotics and is expected to recover. The letter was postmarked Sept. 20 and opened Sept. 25, authorities said. 

A federal criminal investigation was launched to find the source of the anthrax, and health officials scrambled to retest the powder to see if contained the germ. Initial tests had been negative, but authorities said the sample was so small they were reluctant to interpret the results. 

The letter to NBC and a letter containing an unknown powder received Friday by The New York Times both were postmarked from St. Petersburg, Fla., said Barry Mawn, head of the FBI office in New York. The Times’ letter was postmarked Oct. 5. 

There was some similarity in the handwriting on both letters, Mawn said, declining to discuss the contents. Both were anonymous letters with no return address. 

The case sent a chill through a city still reeling from the World Trade Center disaster. Emergency rooms reported a higher number of patients asking for anthrax tests or requesting antibiotics. News organizations across the country shored up mailroom security. And the postmaster general advised everyone to watch for suspicious letters and packages. 

There have been anthrax scares from Connecticut to Nevada over the past week but no known cases except in Florida and New York. 

President Bush said the government was doing all it could to protect the public. 

“The American people need to go about their lives. We cannot let terrorists lock our country down,” Bush said, addressing the anthrax case at a White House event celebrating Hispanic heritage. “They will not take this country down.” 

The anthrax case – the nation’s fourth in a week – was reported early Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after tests were completed on a skin sample from the victim. Further tests on the envelope and its contents were under way. 

“The most likely explanation is it was linked to this particular letter,” said Dr. Steven Ostroff of the CDC. “It makes sense.” 

The CDC said it was possible the NBC employee was contaminated by something other than the envelope. NBC News reported that the envelope also contained a “threatening” letter. 

NBC employees were evacuated from part of the 70-story GE Building in Rockefeller Center, which is home to Brokaw’s “Nightly News,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” 

“Living in New York and working in this building for this company, you’re already on edge,” said Brian Rolapp, 29, a business development manager for NBC. “I think everyone is a little startled that it’s this close to home.” 

The “Nightly News” was broadcast Friday from the ground-floor “Today” show studios, instead of its usual third-floor home. 

At the end of the broadcast, Brokaw, who has appeared on NBC’s evening newscasts for the last 18 years, thanked viewers for their concern and then spoke of his colleague. 

“She has been — as she always is — a rock. She’s been an inspiration to us all,” he said. “But this is so unfair and so outrageous and so maddening, it’s beyond my ability to express it in socially acceptable terms. So we’ll just reserve our thoughts and our prayers for our friend and her family.” 

Later, in an interview on “Dateline NBC,” Brokaw said he would protectively take the anthrax antibiotic Cipro, and believed most of his staff would too. 

“The chances of anyone else contracting this are very low,” Brokaw said Friday night. “But this is the ultimate nightmare. We just have to stay focused on what we know and not what we don’t know.” 

A few blocks away, one floor of The New York Times building was cleared after Judith Miller, a reporter who co-wrote a recent best seller on bioterrorism, opened a letter containing a powdery substance a spokeswoman said smelled like talcum powder. 

In a story on the Times’ Web site, Miller was quoted as saying the letter “contained future threats against the United States.” 

Executive Editor Howell Raines said initial tests indicated the powder did not pose any immediate problem. Air tests for radioactive and chemical substances were negative. 

The Associated Press, located across the street from NBC, temporarily closed its mailroom. Other media organizations modified mail security procedures. 

The skin and inhaled forms of anthrax are caused by the same bacterium. The only difference is whether the microscopic spores enter the skin through a cut or are inhaled into the lungs. It takes more than 8,000 spores to cause the inhalation form of anthrax. Neither form can be spread directly from person to person. 

When caught through the skin, anthrax is a much less serious disease. The first symptoms are reddish-black sores on the skin. If the disease is caught at that point and treated with antibiotics, it is easily cured. Even without treatment, cutaneous anthrax is fatal in only one case out of 20. 

Dr. Scott Lillibridge, the bioterrorism chief for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, said the NBC employee is believed to have handled the envelope on Sept. 25. Three days later, she noticed a dark-colored lesion, Lillibridge said, and on Oct. 1 began taking the antibiotic Cipro for another infection. 

When the lesion started developing characteristics of anthrax, “a very alert and astute clinician” ordered skin tests, CDC Deputy Director David Fleming said. The results came back Friday. 

NBC said it had immediately contacted the FBI, the CDC and the New York Department of Health after the envelope arrived. 

Although the complaint was received the day the letter was opened, the FBI didn’t respond until a day later, Mawn said. Tests were delayed by two or three days because FBI agents were unable to speak with Brokaw’s assistant, he said. 

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said all network employees exposed to the powder will be tested for anthrax and treated with Cipro. 

“People should not overreact to this,” Giuliani said. “Much of this is being done to allay people’s fears.” 

Giuliani said there appeared to be no connection between the two New York letters and an FBI warning issued Thursday about additional terrorist action at home or abroad. 

Last Friday, a photo editor for The Sun supermarket tabloid in Boca Raton, Fla., died of the more serious inhaled form of anthrax. The American Media building where Bob Stevens, 63, worked was sealed off after anthrax was found on his keyboard. 

Traces of anthrax were later found in the mailroom. Two other employees turned out to have anthrax in their nasal passages, but neither has developed the disease. Both are taking antibiotics, and one has returned to work. 

In Florida, FBI agent Hector Pesquera said test results of 965 people who were in the building recently found no new infections. Pesquera said investigators are still trying to determine how the anthrax got into the building. 

SACRAMENTO — California Highway Patrol officials briefed state mailroom workers Friday on how to handle increasing fears about the spread of the anthrax. 

Gov. Gray Davis requested a series of training sessions after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said California Highway Patrol Commissioner D.O. “Spike” Helmick. On Friday, Davis directed all state government mailroom workers to suspend opening mail until they have received the training. 

“We are not doing this out of fear of any specific threat,” Helmick said. “We are not aware of any specific threat to a state building or state employees or to anyone for that fact.” 

About 50 people who handle mail for top-ranking state officials attended Friday’s briefing in the governor’s office. An additional briefing will take place Saturday for other state workers and a training video also will be made available, according to Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio. 

“Although no reports of anthrax have been received in our state, it is critical that all Californians be alert,” Davis said in a statement issued Friday. 

Vince Curry, CHP’s hazardous material training officer, told the group about telltale signs of suspicious packages, such as unusually large amounts of postage, a lack of return address and sloppy or overseas addressing. 

He also provided educational materials to the group about the anthrax bacteria, its causes and treatments. 

Helmick said rubber gloves will be provided to workers who handle mail. And he advised workers to immediately report suspicious packages or letters to authorities. 

“The less contact you have with the substance, obviously, the better,” he said. 

All state employees who handle mail are trained when they’re first hired about how to spot potential bombs and other threats, Helmick said. 

In this busy bill-signing period, the governor’s office alone receives about 25,000 pieces of mail a week, aides said. 

Armando Pacheco, an office assistant for the State Department of Insurance, attended the briefing. 

“It’s pretty scary to think that you are the first person to know what’s going on,” he said. 

——— 

On the Net: The FBI’s Web site includes tips on what to do if you receive suspicious mail at http://www.fbi.gov/. Davis has posted information from the FBI and state Health and Human Services Department at http://www.my.ca.gov 

WASHINGTON — The tourism industry came to Capitol Hill, looking for help to deal with big losses after the terrorist attacks. 

Senators listened Friday as travel agents, hotel operators, government officials and others painted a dire picture of the nation’s $528 billion tourism industry. They asked Congress for grants, government-backed loans and federal spending to promote travel. 

Senators were receptive, though it’s unclear how much they can do.  

Expenses still are mounting from the military campaign in Afghanistan, tens of billions already have been set aside for the airlines and to help clean up and rebuild New York City, and others – from insurance companies to Amtrak to local water suppliers – want billions more. 

“It’s very important for us to act and to act boldly,” said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate Commerce subcommittee on tourism. 

Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., warned that Congress probably won’t be as quick with money for tourism as it was with the $15 billion airline industry bailout. 

Though he said he was sympathetic, Fitzgerald, the only senator to vote against the airline bill, said the tourism industry simply doesn’t have the “raw political clout” on Capitol Hill to get the kind of assistance the airlines got. 

Congress is considering a pair of tourism-related measures: a bill sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., that would create a $60 million travel promotion bureau in the Commerce Department, and another sponsored by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., to give a tax credit for personal travel. 

The tourism industry is vital to the country’s economy, employing almost 8 million people and generating more than $170 billion in payroll. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, though, waves of canceled trips, tours and vacations have forced tens of thousands of layoffs. 

Hawaii, a tourist magnet that normally welcomes 20,000 travelers every day, has seen a 40 percent drop in visitors, said Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono. “Hawaii could face the steepest economic decline in our recent history,” Hirono said. 

Washington Mayor Anthony Williams gave a similarly bleak assessment of tourism in his city since the attacks. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., has emphasized New York City’s dependence on visitors. 

Bill Marriott, chairman and chief executive of Marriott International Inc., said reservations at Marriott hotels worldwide fell by 94 percent following the attacks. 

“Our big city and resort convention hotels have been hit the hardest, with massive group cancellations,” Marriott said. He predicted a wave of hotel and motel closings as companies fail to meet debt payments. 

Across the country, half the hotel industry’s 2 million workers have been either laid off or have seen their work week cut to just one or two days. 

“This is not getting better,” said John Wilhelm, president of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International Union. He added that the impact will be especially felt in urban areas and among the working poor who provide much of the labor. 

Kyl said his Travel America Now Act, with the tax credit of $500 a person or $1,000 a couple for all personal travel taken between Sept. 11 and the end of the year, offered a “good policy prescription” to the ailing travel industry. 

“It is immediate, specific and quick,” he said. “The whole idea is to provide a quick incentive to get people back to traveling again.” 

Boxer’s bill, the Rediscover America Act, seeks to replace an office, dismantled years ago, that oversaw a federal program to promote domestic tourism and travel from overseas visitors.

WASHINGTON — The House on Friday quickly approved anti-terrorist legislation pushed by the Senate and White House to increase the government’s power to spy on, detain and punish suspected terrorists. 

Before passage, however, the House insisted on changing the Senate package to put a five-year expiration deadline on the most intrusive of the new measures, including roving wiretaps, because of misgivings about civil liberties. It also dumped a Senate money-laundering provision, which is moving separately through the House. 

House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said he hoped the Senate would accept the House changes and send the bill to President Bush. Bush was pleased with the House passage, on a 337-79 vote. 

“I commend the House for passing anti-terrorism legislation just one day after the Senate took action,” he said in a statement. 

“The House and Senate bills are virtually identical. I urge the Congress to quickly get the bill to my desk. We must strengthen the hand of law enforcement to help safeguard America and prevent future attacks – and we must do it now.” 

Despite the presidential plea, possible delays loomed. “We will not support a counterterrorism bill that does not have money-laundering provisions in it,” Sen. Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said. “Whether it’s done in conference or whether it’s done in the House of Representatives, it must be done, and we will insist that it be done.” 

The Senate approved its version 96-1 late Thursday night. Both the House and Senate anti-terrorism measures would expand the FBI’s wiretapping authority, impose stronger penalties on those who harbor or finance terrorists and increase punishment of terrorists. 

Members of the House Judiciary Committee were unwilling to give police some of the powers the Senate did, however, such as allowing secret “sneak and peak” searches of suspects’ homes. 

Until Friday, the House also had put the burden on the government to prove that an alien suspect was a terrorist instead of making the suspect prove he was not. Also dropped was an earlier House insistence that police get a court order before seizing business and phone records in terrorism investigations. 

The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the legislation.  

“Most Americans do not recognize that Congress has just passed a bill that would give the government expanded power to invade our privacy, imprison people without due process and punish dissent,” said Laura Murphy, director of the the group’s Washington office. 

With the Senate gone for the weekend and no final resolution possible, Democrats argued that the House should wait until Monday before passing the 175-page bill so that members could read it. 

“This could be the Gulf of Tonkin resolution for civil liberties, instead of a measure meant to fight terrorism,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. Because of a reported attack on two U.S. warships, Congress gave President Johnson a free hand in August 1964 to strike back at attacks on U.S. forces in Southeast Asia, which Johnson used to greatly expand the Vietnam War. 

With the government daily looking at new terrorist threats, however, Republicans argued there was no time to wait. 

“This is the same bill that the Senate passed last night. It’s the same bill that has been available for a few weeks,” said Rep. David Weldon, R-Fla. “These are not new issues.” 

Differences probably will have to be worked out among House, Senate and White House negotiators, but key lawmakers promised finding a compromise won’t require the year it took to finish anti-terrorism legislation after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. “We will complete that conference quickly,” said the Senate Judiciary chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. 

House Republicans continued to balk at considering legislation Bush requested for improving security at airports and aboard airliners. 

The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would make passenger and security gate baggage screeners at all major airports federal employees. Some House GOP leaders vigorously oppose the idea but admit they have fewer votes than those who support it. 

“I’m not taking the Senate bill up, period,” said Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska. 

After Bush administration officials agreed earlier to the Senate language on federalizing aviation security workers, White House officials said Friday they now don’t like it and want the Senate to reconsider. 

“It’s fair to say the president has broad authority here, and if the Congress is unable to act, the president does want to make certain that aviation security is attended to,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. 

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., head of the Transportation aviation subcommittee, said he would introduce his own bill that puts the federal government in charge of supervising but not hiring airport screeners. 

The new House anti-terrorism bill is HR 3108. The Senate bill is S. 1510. 

On the Net: Bill texts: http://thomas.loc.gov 

SEATTLE — A federal prosecutor who headed a prominent gun control group in his spare time was shot in his home and died early Friday. 

Thomas C. Wales, 49, died about 1:15 a.m. Friday at Harborview Medical Center. He had been shot in the neck and the side late Thursday, a hospital spokeswoman said. 

Details about the shooting were sketchy. The Seattle Times quoted unidentified federal sources saying the shots were fired from outside, through a basement window into a home office. 

No arrests had been made, police spokesman Mark Jamieson said. 

A neighbor, Emily Holt, said she heard the shots Thursday night and saw a man walking away. 

“He wasn’t running, just walking real fast. He got into his car,” parked about a block away under a tree and a streetlight, Holt said. 

Wales was a member of the fraud unit in the U.S. attorney’s office here, specializing in prosecution of banking and business crime, spokesman Lawrence Lincoln said. He had been in the office since 1983. 

He also was board president of Seattle-based Washington Ceasefire, a gun-control group that sponsored a failed initiative in 1997 that would have required handgun owners to undergo safety training and use trigger locks on their weapons. 

Attorney General John Ashcroft mourned the “tragic death in the Justice Department family.” 

Gov. Gary Locke said he respected Wales’ “tireless gun-control advocacy and work to prevent violence.” 

His death was “a terrible loss to our movement,” said a statement from Michael T. Barnes, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 

The National Rifle Association mounted a $2 million campaign against Initiative 676, which had the support of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and other prominent state residents. 

“We don’t know who killed Tom, or why, but we know that our community has lost a kind, compassionate man and ... our nation has lost a courageous leader in the movement against gun violence,” said a statement from Bruce Gryniewski, Ceasefire’s executive director. 

Federal agencies were assisting Seattle police in the investigation. Officials with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms declined to comment. 

Neighbors in the wealthy Queen Anne Hill neighborhood said they heard shots shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. 

Wales’ former wife, Elizabeth, a former Seattle School Board member, was in Europe with the couple’s adult son and daughter, The Times reported, quoting federal sources. The couple divorced a few years ago but were on friendly terms, neighbors said. The ex-wife continued to maintain an office in the home. 

On the Net: 

Washington Ceasefire: http://www.waceasefire.org

BOSTON — In a ruling aimed at bringing the law in line with advances in science, Massachusetts’ highest court unanimously declared Friday that a couple whose twins were born to a surrogate mother were the children’s legal parents from the moment of birth. 

The Supreme Judicial Court, in a 7-0 ruling, urged the Legislature to enact new laws to address “the medical, legal and ethical aspects” of new types of reproductive technology. 

Marla and Steven Culliton had gone to court before the twins’ July 23 birth, asking that their names be put on the original birth certificates. A Family Court judge refused to allow it, but ordered that the birth certificates be left blank until the issue was settled. 

The high court’s decision Friday allows the Cullitons’ names to appear on the original birth certificates. 

Up to now, in Massachusetts, as in many other states, only the woman who gives birth is presumed to be the mother and can have her name on the original birth certificate. The genetic parents then have to go to court to obtain a new birth certificate with their names on it. They sometimes need to adopt their own child. 

But Justice John M. Greaney, writing for the court, said existing adoption laws were not written to address situations like the Cullitons’. 

The Cullitons’ lawyer, Mellisa R. Brisman, lauded the ruling as a “great victory for reproductive rights.” 

The Cullitons did not immediately return a call for comment. 

In agreeing with the Cullitons, the court noted they were the sole genetic parents of the children, that the surrogate agreed with their request, and that no one, including the hospital, contested the complaint. 

The Cullitons hired the surrogate after Ms. Cullion suffered six miscarriages. The woman was implanted with an embryo created from the couple’s sperm and egg. 

The Cullitons had asked that their names appear on the birth certificate immediately, and that they be recognized as the legal parents from the moment of birth. 

They argued that genetic parents should have the right to decide how and when to tell children about their being born to a surrogate. 

But Family and Probate Judge John Cronin questioned whether he had the authority to order such a step, and sought clarification from the high court.

WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. and the Environmental Protection Agency are joining in a decade-long project to develop a high-mileage hybrid vehicle, probably an SUV, that runs off hydraulic fluid, officials announced Friday. 

Hydraulic hybrid technology was developed and patented by EPA’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., and refined under a cooperative agreement with Ford. 

Company officials said they felt compelled to explore beyond just proven technologies. “Hydraulic hybrid technology holds great promise for our customers and for our society,” said Gerhard Schmidt, a company vice president. EPA and Ford will share financing and personnel. Costs are expected to run in the millions of dollars, but exact amounts pledged under the agreement are considered proprietary, Ford spokesman Jon Harmon said. 

Though the Treasury would help pay the bill, Ford would have exclusive rights to the technology and hopes to put a pilot fleet of vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. The technology could improve significantly the fuel economy of light-duty trucks and sport-utility vehicles, the EPA said. Harmon said a large SUV probably will be the first vehicle Ford builds using the technology. The vehicle’s power train has a high-efficiency engine and a unique propulsion system that uses hydraulic pumps and storage tanks instead of electric motors and batteries used in electric-gas hybrid vehicles, officials said. 

Energy is stored as compressed hydraulic fluid, and similar to the electric-gas hybrid system, applying the brakes saves energy that can be used to power the vehicle, according to EPA and company officials. 

Other research companies involved in the project are FEV Engine Technology Inc., a German firm with a technical center in Auburn Hills, Mich.; and Cleveland-based Eaton Corp. 

——— 

On the Net: EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory: http://www.epa.gov/OMSWWW/01-nvfel.htm 

Ford announcement: http://media.ford.com/newsroom/breakingNews.cfm? and click on item 

GREER, S.C. — Small businesses are trying to balance patriotism with capitalism as they look for the edge necessary to make it through rough economic times. 

From letting people take a sledgehammer to a car with Osama bin Laden’s name on it, to offering a $9.99 oil change only to American-made cars, they are coming up with creative business ideas while trying to avoid the appearance that they’re cashing in on patriotism. 

Sales at used car lot Thoroughbred Inc. have been down 30 percent since last month’s terrorist attacks, finance manager Hugh Williams said. 

Williams was trying to come up with an idea on how to get customers to the James Island lot and how to help out the local high school when he came up with Bash bin Laden Day. 

“We’re going to have Mr. bin Laden or whatever that idiot’s name is all over it and charge $2 to hit it with a sledgehammer,” Williams said. 

The lot will donate a junked car to the football team and let people take a whack at it.  

The car will debut at James Island’s homecoming game on Nov. 2 before it gets bashed the next day. 

Williams said the lot is running radio ads to drum up interest. 

“People can take out their frustrations on this guy and help a good cause, too,” Williams said. 

Places like Greenville Army Store has seen a marked increase in business since the attacks, owner Jeff Zaglin said. 

Some hot sellers include gas masks and U.S. flag patches, but Zaglin said he’s also seen an increase in military-style clothes for the 13-and-younger crowd. 

Dave Engelmann is seeing a lot more people in his motorcycle shop, but they aren’t buying his custom machines or leather biker clothes.  

It’s the U.S. flag magnets and the pro-American stickers that are flying off the front counter. 

At Stivers Lincoln-Mercury in Columbia, anyone with an America-made car can get an oil change for $9.99. The normal price is $24.95 

“We’ve effectively tripled our oil change business,” said Stivers. The $9.99 price is a loss, but “it’s our way of trying to help the economy.” 

Stivers, whose lot is peppered with U.S. flags and pro-American slogans, never worried for a moment he was going too far to cash in on this wave of patriotism. 

“We sell to a very patriotic customer base,” Stivers said. “Our demographic is people over 55. A lot of them served in Vietnam, a lot of them served in Korea and a lot of them served in World War II.” 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

My son and I were with our mechanic, Jeff, one Saturday morning when he was changing the oil in our minivan.  

Before he even touched the drain plug with a wrench, Jeff asked us where the oil had been changed last, because he saw red silicone around the drain plug.When he got the plug off, he saw why the silicone was there. The threads on the plug were stripped. The other garage had glued it in with the silicone instead of replacing it.  

I took the stripped plug back to the other shop, and they said they glue in stripped drain plugs all the time, and there’s nothing wrong with it.  

Is gluing in a stripped drain plug with silicone a normally accepted automotive practice? Do you gentlemen do it in your shop? — Ethan 

TOM: No, it’s not, and yes, we do. 

RAY: Just kidding, Ethan. We never glue in drain plugs, and neither does any other reputable shop. Gluing in a drain plug is bogus. Or, as my brother likes to say, bo-o-gus! 

TOM: Silicone is oil-resistant, but eventually it’s going to break down and fail. And when it does, the drain plug is going to fall out.  

And if it happens to fall out while you’re driving, it’s goodbye, motor. 

RAY: Sometimes drain plugs get stripped. And it might not have been the fault of that last shop (its oil change might simply have been the straw that broke the camel’s back). But once it’s discovered, it HAS to be fixed correctly. 

And if it’s just the drain plug itself, you can replace it for a few bucks. 

TOM: More often, though, the threads in the oil pan that the drain plug screws into are what get stripped.  

If it’s the oil pan, there are still a number of pretty simple options: There are oversized plugs you can buy, rethreading kits with inserts or self-tapping plugs. And there are rubber expanding plugs that are almost foolproof – i.e., we even let my brother install those. 

RAY: But I wouldn’t go back to those guys again, Ethan. They tried to cut corners on you, and they could have cost you a lot of grief and money. You’re lucky that Jeff caught it in time.  

••• 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

I need your help. My friend absolutely refuses to turn on his headlights until it is so dark that he HAS to have them on to see.  

He says the lights use a lot of energy and cut his gas mileage.  

I say that this is bunk, and I would rather burn a little extra gas than get clobbered by someone who doesn’t see me in the near dark. How can I convince my friend that this is not safe? — Rollie 

TOM: I’m not sure you should, Rollie. I mean, this is a perfect example of Darwinism at work.  

The idea is that the less capable members of the species die off and the more capable live to reproduce.  

And maybe this is nature’s way of protecting future generations from the equally dumb progeny of your pal here. 

RAY: You’re absolutely right, Rollie. Using the headlights does use energy, but it’s such an insignificant amount that you’d be hard-pressed to ever notice a difference in mileage.  

I mean, it’s a small fraction of a mile per gallon. 

TOM: You’re also right that the headlights serve two important purposes: They allow you to see, and they allow you to BE seen. 

And that’s why more and more cars have daytime running lights – essentially, headlights that are on all the time for additional visibility. 

RAY: I suppose if you really want to try to save this guy, you might show him a mock-up of his tombstone. It can read: “Here lies Shmendrick, hit by a UPS truck at dusk, but he saved two ounces of gasoline over his lifetime!”  

Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack by e-mail at the Car Talk section of cars.com

Stocks reacted to the first batch of third-quarter earnings results this past week with surprising strength despite the expected dismal news. 

The question is whether Wall Street can keep up that positive momentum as the bulk of earnings reports pour in during the next two weeks and after news of an anthrax case in New York City shook markets Friday. 

Investors will hear from many of the nation’s biggest companies next week with AOL Time Warner Inc., Gateway Inc., Citigroup Inc., Pfizer Inc., General Motors Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and McDonald’s Corp. all scheduled to report. 

In the market’s favor is that well before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks investors had extremely low expectations for the third quarter and had bid stocks sharply lower. Likewise, stock market strategists had lamented that there were few safe havens for investors, and reduced expectations across all sectors. 

“What we see analysts doing to this (third) quarter is turning it into a kitchen-sink quarter. They are throwing everything in,” said Chris Wolfe, equity market strategist for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. “It’s a bad quarter.” 

Analysts said ample warning of bad business helped the market on Wednesday shrug off Motorola Inc.’s disappointing earnings and 7,000 additional job cuts. But the bad news for stock prices as they try to move higher is the political uncertainty that continues to weigh on Wall Street, threatening to wipe out any advances. The market showed its vulnerability to fears of additional terrorist assaults Friday, initially falling on news of a fourth anthrax case before recovering. 

Another negative factor is the quality of upcoming third-quarter earnings reports, analysts said. Unlike the results that have already been released, those that come out in the next few weeks will take into account business for the three weeks following the attacks. 

“The third-quarter expectations had been drifting down anyhow. So, the whole profit picture had been eroding, but that trend just fell off a cliff,” after the attacks, said Charles H. Blood Jr., senior financial markets analysts at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 

The earnings results released this past week by 54 companies within the Standard & Poor’s 500 index essentially met Wall Street’s expectations, Blood said. But for the most part, the results were not affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, because most companies were reporting for quarters that ended Aug. 31, he added. According to research by his firm, Blood said earnings expectations for S&P companies have been slashed 9.7 percent since the attacks in New York and Washington. Analysts now expect the nation’s biggest companies to post a combined earnings per share figure of $10.95, down from $12.13 anticipated just before the attacks. 

That said, the question on Wall Street is whether investors are adequately braced for even worse-than-expected results, or whether they still have a lot more selling to do. 

“The answer to that is going to be in the words of the reports rather than the numbers,” Blood said. “What investors are going to look at is how back the (post-attack) shock reaction was and where companies are in terms of bouncing back.” 

Analysts caution investors against reading too much into earnings reports, particularly negative ones. 

“The best we can hope for is that we decide it doesn’t really matter. Investors are supposed to discount earnings,” Blood said. In the near term, analysts expect the market to be sector-driven. Industries are likely to fall quickly in and out of favor as their bellwether companies issue their earnings. 

“It’s a tough market,” said Barry Hyman, chief investment strategist at Ehrenkrantz King Nussbaum. “You have sectors rotating every other day. ... That creates a lot of anxiety among investors.” 

For the week, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 224.39 points, or 2.5 percent, despite falling 66.29 to 9,344.16 Friday. 

The Nasdaq gained 98.10, or 6.1 percent, for the week after inching up 1.93 Friday to 1,703.40. The S&P 500 ended the week up 20.27, or 1.9 percent, after declining 5.78 Friday to 1,091.65. 

The Russell 2000 index, the barometer of smaller company stocks, rose 13.62, or 3.3 percent, for the week, finishing Friday down 2.45 at 428.59. 

The Wilshire Associates Equity Index – which represents the combined market value of all New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq issues – ended the week at $10.049 trillion, up $212.010 billion from last week. A year ago the index was $12.803 trillion. 

Amy Baldwin is a business writer for The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The economic impact of the terrorist attacks is beginning to take a toll in California, which had held steady before Sept. 11 amid a national downturn in consumer and business spending. 

Earlier this year, strong tourism and business travel had offset troubles in the technology and international trade sectors. But tourism has plummeted in the past month, leaving thousands of hotel, restaurant and airlines workers without jobs or working reduced hours. 

Those job losses won’t be seen in official government statistics until November, but economists say California’s economy will almost certainly enter a mild recession in the final quarter of 2001 and may not recover until at least the middle of 2002. 

“There is no question that our economy is now experiencing the full impact of the national economic slowdown,” Gov. Gray Davis said Thursday while ordering state agency heads to prepare to cut their budgets by 15 percent in the next fiscal year. 

Another indicator of the slumping California economy came when new unemployment numbers were released Friday showing a slight increase to 5.4 percent in September. The figure reflected a 0.5 percent jump from September 2000. The jobless rate for August was 5.3 percent 

Those figures, however, were based on surveys conducted on or before Sept. 11 and do not reflect dramatic job cuts in the tourism industry that have been so severe that Standard & Poor’s recently placed Anaheim’s bonds on “credit watch.” Anaheim is the West Coast’s largest convention city. 

With such a huge economy, California would rank as the fifth largest in the world if it stood alone. Thus, the fear is that a recession here would shake the national economy. 

“Two large sectors of the national economy slowing down – California and New York – will definitely have an impact on the United States,” said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. 

The high-tech Silicon Valley area has suffered sharp job losses and drops in home values all year and will likely feel even greater pain in the coming months. Unemployment there reached 5.9 percent in September – a huge rise from the 1.3 percent last December. 

But the latest worry is tourism. 

From San Francisco’s Pier 39 to hotels in posh Beverly Hills, hundred of housekeepers, cooks and other low-wage workers have lost their jobs or seen their hours cut severely as tourists stay away and airlines cut flights. 

San Francisco’s city budget may come up $100 million short by the end of the fiscal year due, in part, to reduced tourism and the resulting decrease in hotel bed taxes and just about every tax that fuels the city’s $5.2 billion annual budget. 

In Anaheim, at least seven conventions that were expected to draw a total of 35,000 people were canceled in the days after the attacks. Economic losses were estimated at about $12 million. 

Hotels across California have seen some of the lowest occupancy rates in a decade and have moved quickly to lay off workers. About 25 percent of hotel union members in the state have been laid off and another 15 percent have had hours reduced, union officials said. 

In Santa Monica, nearly 200 people showed up this week at a relief center opened by the union representing hotel and restaurant workers. Volunteers helped workers apply for unemployment benefits and food stamps and distributed bags of groceries. 

Rhina Gonzalez and her husband, Cesar Perez, both lost their jobs as housekeepers in area hotels after Sept. 11. The two have four young children. 

“This is very scary for me,” she said. “I have to bring Christmas to my kids. I have to buy presents. I have to give them a nice Christmas, the same as other years, and I can’t.” 

Some economists predict the economic impact of the Sept. 11 attacks, while sharp, will be temporary. 

California still has about 200,000 more jobs today than it did at the same time last year and some jobs are expected to be created as the result of increased defense spending, said Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Palo Alto research firm. 

Levy said that even if the state should lose 300,000 jobs — far more than even the most dire estimate to date — that would only result in an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent. 

While far higher than the all-time low unemployment rate of 4.5 percent reached earlier this year, it would be far less than the 9.7 percent in the early 1990s when the state lost more than 500,000 jobs in the last recession, Levy said. 

UNITED NATIONS — In an era of spreading global terrorism and widening conflict, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations and Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday for their roles at the “forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world.” 

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, marking the centennial of the prize, said its choice was designed “to proclaim that the only negotiable route to global peace and cooperation goes by way of the United Nations.” 

Annan said he was awakened in the early hours Friday by a phone call, which typically would have meant “something disastrous.” 

“But, of course,” he said, “it was a wonderful way to wake up.” 

“I think the timing couldn’t be better,” he told reporters who thronged his house on Manhattan’s tony east side. “I think it’s a great shot in the arm for us.” 

For an organization that has struggled financially and often been the target of vicious criticism, especially among conservative U.S. politicians, the award was a dizzying achievement. Delight spread among the 52,100 U.N. employees in offices and hotspots from Geneva and Lebanon to East Timor and Sierra Leone. 

In its citation, the Nobel committee said, with the Cold War done, the United Nations was finally playing its intended role “at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world, and of the international mobilization aimed at meeting the world’s economic, social and environmental challenges.” 

The secretary-general, it said, “has been pre-eminent in bringing new life to the organization.” 

When Annan, a 63-year-old Ghanaian, became secretary-general in 1997 – the first leader to be elected from the ranks of U.N. staff – it was a time of turmoil, both inside and outside the organization. 

The United States had just blocked his predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt from serving a second term, seeing him as anti-American. The United Nations had failed to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the July 1995 Serb slaughter of Muslims in a U.N.-declared “safe zone” in eastern Bosnia. 

Five years on and with Annan at the helm, the United Nations is playing major peacekeeping roles on many continents. At Annan’s urging, the 189 U.N. member states pledged to cut in half the number of people living on less than a dollar a day, to ensure primary education for every child, and to start reversing the AIDS epidemic – all by 2015. 

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the secretary-general has been galvanizing support for a global coalition to eliminate what he calls a scourge against humanity. He said Friday he expects that coalition to hold firm and become a key diplomatic player in sensitive Mideast peace negotiations. 

During his first term, Annan began overhauling the cumbersome and often lethargic U.N. bureaucracy, a key U.S. demand which led to settlement of a long dispute with Washington over the payment of U.N. dues. 

For the first time, Annan openly admitted past U.N. failures. 

He has won high marks for focusing the global spotlight on poverty, human rights abuses, Africa’s conflicts and the AIDS epidemic – and for his character and moral leadership. 

But he has also faced criticism for trying to negotiate with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and for standing by as U.N. peacekeepers were kidnapped in Sierra Leone. 

Nonetheless, he was unanimously reelected to a second term in June, six months before his first term expired at the end of this year. 

Created from the ashes of World War II by 51 nations as a shell-shocked world’s hope for peace, the United Nations remains the unique global gathering place for nations – rich and poor, large and small – to try to settle international problems. 

President Bush called Annan and told him “what a magnificent honor” it was to have won the 100th peace prize, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said in Washington. 

Even Sen. Jesse Helms, a North Carolina Republican and longtime U.N critic who only recently made peace with the organization, praised the award. 

“I extend my heartiest congratulations to my friend, the distinguished secretary-general, Kofi Annan,” Helms said in a statement from Washington. “It’s significant that the secretary-general is being honored at a time when the world is gravely challenged in almost every respect.” 

That challenge was on Annan’s mind when he dedicated the award to the staff, and above all “to our colleagues who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of humanity.” 

“The only true prize, for them and for us, will be peace itself,” he said. 

Nearly 200 U.N. humanitarian workers have been killed throughout the world in the past decade and 1,650 U.N. peacekeepers from 85 countries have died in the line of duty since 1948. 

After congratulating staff members who cheered him in the lobby of the landmark 39-story U.N. headquarters building, Annan urged them to return to their offices – to start working on the world organization’s next Nobel Peace Prize. 

For the soft-spoken secretary-general, the award marks the peak of a nearly 40-year career at the United Nations. 

He joined the organization in 1962 as an administrator with the World Health Organization in Geneva, and served in Africa, Europe, and New York in almost every area of the organization, from budget management to peacekeeping. 

U.N. agencies and people connected to it have won seven Nobel Peace Prizes, but this is the first to the world body itself. In 1961, Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was awarded the prize posthumously after his death in a plane crash on a peace mission to Congo. 

The laureates were chosen on Sept. 28 and picked from a field of 136 nominees submitted before a Feb. 1 deadline. Last year, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung won for his reconciliation efforts with North Korea. 

Thirty-four past laureates were expected in Oslo for centennial celebrations leading up to the Dec. 10 awards ceremony. 

The prizes were created by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel in his will and are always presented on the anniversary of his death in 1896. 

The coveted peace award caps a week of Nobel announcements, starting Monday with the naming of medicine prize winners and followed by physics, chemistry, economics and literature. 

——— 

On the Net: 

Nobel site, http://www.nobel.se 

U.N. site, http://www.un.org 

A Berkeley woman, a member of Women in Black, contacted by the FBI in connection to the Sept. 11 attacks, compared looking to her organization for clues to the attackers, with looking for alligators in Montana. 

Kate Raphael tells the story this way: “I got home from work on Monday, Sept. 24 and there was a message on my voicemail from the San Francisco office of the FBI. They wanted to ask me questions, they wanted me to call them back. I didn’t want to do that.” 

An active member of Women in Black, Raphael describes the organization as an international network of mostly Jewish, mostly lesbian “feminist, anti-racist, anti-militarist” women who oppose the occupation of Palestine and the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.  

“We are opposed to all forms of war and extreme nationalism,” Raphael said. When they are demonstrating, members of the group wear black and stand in public places. 

Instead of returning the call, Raphael contacted National Lawyers Guild attorney Rachel Lederman who called back in her place. Lederman learned that Raphael was contacted because of her involvement with Women in Black. The bureau wanted to talk to her about the Sept. 11 attacks and find out who she might know in the Middle East. 

Raphael says the call mystified her. “It’s very puzzling to me and more puzzling as time goes on. I thought it was the beginning of a wave of calls.” But no other Women in Black activists have been contacted, to her knowledge. “That makes it more confusing to me,” she said. 

And she wonders why the FBI thinks her organization would be able to provide insight to Sept. 11.  

“If the FBI really believes that the Women in Black, a mostly Jewish feminist lesbian (group) would know about fundamentalist men in the Middle East,” that would be surprising, she said. “It’s like an alligator hunter going to Montana. It’s his job to know there are not alligators in Montana. It speaks really badly about (the FBI’s) ability to do their jobs. Women in Black are about as far away as you’re going to get. I ask myself, why me?” 

Raphael’s attorney said the FBI made a critical mistake. After Raphael was contacted and the message left on her answering machine and Lederman contacted the bureau informing them that she was Raphael’s attorney, the FBI should not have called Raphael back. They should have dealt solely with her, Lederman said. But they did call Raphael again, saying she would be subject to being subpoenaed by the Grand Jury in New York that is investigating the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Raphael says she thinks the Grand Jury has better things to do than to actually subpoena her. If they do, Lederman said they’ll go to federal court to have the subpoena quashed. “In general, no one is obliged to answer questions from the FBI unless ordered by the court,” Lederman said, adding that, if people are contacted by the FBI, they should talk to the National Lawyer’s Guild at 415-285-1055 to get help.  

“I’m not going to be intimidated,” Raphael said. 

On Oct. 17, 7-9 p.m., the Middle East Children’s Alliance is holding a forum called, “Know your rights,” geared to those people who may be called by the FBI. The forum will be held at St. Joseph the Worker’s Church at 1640 Addison St. 

The Berkeley Yellowjackets ran roughshod over Alameda on Friday night, racking up 482 rushing yards on the way to a 48-14 home victory. 

Senior tailback Germaine Baird led the attack with 184 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries, his best output of the season. Backups Craig Hollis, Roger Mason and Mario Mejia also scored rushing touchdowns for the ’Jackets. 

Berkeley (2-3 overall, 2-0 ACCAL) won the game easily despite committing 190 yards worth of penalties, a large percentage of which were for unsportsmanlike conduct and other extra-curricular infractions. 

“I’d like to think this game was an anomaly,” Berkeley head coach Matt Bissell said of his team’s penalties. “We’ve had very few penalties until now. We told our players to be aggressive, but apparently we need to tell them when to not be too aggressive.” 

Berkeley penalties negated several big gains, including an interception return by safety Nick Schooler that looked like a touchdown. But Juleen Jacobs was called for roughing the passer on the play, negating the turnover. 

The ’Jackets ran up more yards in penalties than they allowed the Hornets to gain on offense. Alameda (2-3, 0-2 ACCAL) managed to gain just 183 yards, including just 29 on the ground. Berkeley’s linemen constantly knocked their opponents off the ball on both sides, although the offensive line was called for holding four times. 

“We definitely executed well today, running our plays right,” lineman Matt Toma said. “It just seemed like we would open a huge hole, the back would break downfield, and we’d look back and see a flag on the weak side. But we dominated the line of scrimmage tonight.” 

Early in the game, however, it was the Berkeley passing game that gave them a quick lead. Quarterback Raymond Pinkston connected for long touchdowns on his first two passes. The first came on the fourth play of the game’s opening drive, a 38-yard toss that wideout Lee Franklin came down with in a crowd. 

After Alameda’s first drive resulted in a loss of 19 yards, Berkeley got the ball back at midfield. Pinkston needed just three plays this time, hooking up with Sean Young down the left sideline for 44 yards and a score, and the ’Jackets were up 12-0 after just six minutes of play. 

“(Berkeley offensive coordinator Charles) Johnson told us their DBs couldn’t stay with us, so we went right after them,” Franklin said. 

Alameda’s next drive looked doomed as well, as two plays were stuffed and the Hornets faced third-and-17. But quarterback Tom Gay looked off Berkeley Schooler before finding Drew Kocal on a quick slant for 55 yards. That big play gave Alameda some life, and Gay found running back Jay Castro on an out pattern for a touchdown. 

Berkeley’s next drive stalled at the Alameda 29, and the Hornets marched down the field for another score. Gay connected on two passes, Castro picked up 17 yards on a draw, and Berkeley helped out with a 15-yard facemask penalty to put the Hornets on the two-yard line. Gay then hit Tavis Vee on a wide receiver screen for the touchdown, and the point after gave Alameda a 14-12 lead. 

But that would be the last time the Hornets scored, and Berkeley just started piling up the rushing yards. Running back Aaron Boatwright got the ball rolling with a 34-yard scamper on the following drive, and Baird put the ’Jackets ahead for good with an 8-yard touchdown sweep.  

Berkeley nearly scored again before halftime, as Franklin made a tremendous one-handed catch to put them inside the 20 with seven seconds left, but an attempted quarterback throwback was snuffed out by the Hornets, and Berkeley went into the locker room with a 20-14 lead. 

The ’Jackets headed into the second half roaring. After forcing a three-and-out by Alameda, Mason scored on a 34-yard run right up the middle, trucking over the last Hornet defender. The Hornets couldn’t pick up a first down on the next drive either, but a blocking in the back penalty on the Berkeley punt return put the ball on the Berkeley 8-yard line. The Berkeley coaches then used all their backfield weapons to break Alameda’s spirit, using five different runners on an eight-play, 92-yard drive that ended in a 14-yard touchdown for Hollis. 

“We blessed with a bunch of great athletes,” Johnson said. “We might even have too many good guys at running back. But they all understand that if they do their jobs, they’ll all get a chance.” 

Hollis, who finished the game with 96 yards on 11 carries, is a junior and has shown flashes of talent that could make him one of the regions top runners next year. Despite splitting his backup duties with Boatwright, Mason and Mejia, he is the front-runner to replace Baird as the main man next year. 

“Right now my job is just to back Germaine up,” Hollis said. “But next year should be my year.” 

Berkeley’s next score came on their lone passing play of the second half, a 62-yard bomb from Pinkston to Young as time ran out in the third quarter. Young has scored on three long plays in Berkeley’s last two games, and his coaches consider him to be one of the best deep threats in the league, a realization Young seems to finally be making himself. 

“I think I can keep doing this if I keep trying really hard,” the soft-spoken junior said. “Our passing game is going pretty good with me and Lee.” 

Mejia capped the scoring with a 35-yard run with four minutes left in the game. 

“We’re finally coming together as a team,” Pinkston said. “We’re like a family now. It’s all love.”

The City Council narrowly approved a controversial redistricting plan Tuesday that has moderate councilmembers accusing progressives of manipulating a census undercount to add an extra 4,500 students to District 8. 

The progressive council block – Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek and councilmembers Dona Spring, Linda Maio, Kriss Worthington and Margaret Breland – acknowledged the imbalance in District 8, in the southeast section of the city. But they argued the chosen plan, drafted by two progressive residents, is the most consistent with the City Charter, which requires districts be redrawn to maintain the original districts that were drawn in 1986. 

The council approved the first reading of the new district lines by a vote of 5-4, with moderates Mayor Shirley Dean and  

councilmembers Polly Armstrong, Betty Olds and Miriam Hawley voting in opposition. The council will vote on the second reading of the new boundaries at next Tuesday’s meeting. If the council approves the second reading, the new boundaries will go into effect 30 days later. 

Moderates contend the approved plan was designed to weaken Armstrong’s popularity, by using the census undercount to put a large number of students, who are inclined to vote progressive, in her district. 

Progressives argued that the staff-produced plan, known as Scenario 5, that moderates preferred, would have weakened Worthington in District 7, by breaking up the Bateman neighborhood, a stronghold of support for him. 

The two council factions argued bitterly prior to voting on the plan, drafted by Michael O’Malley and David Blake. Blake is a former aide to Maio.  

Moderates suggested that a progressive-forged “back-room deal” during a meeting the day before the plan’s initial approval on Oct. 2.  

“Moderate councilmembers ought to reflect very carefully about the perception of this plan,” Dean said. “It needs to be fixed otherwise (the council) will forever be suspect.” 

Progressive councilmembers, which have a majority on the nine-member council, argued the plan is consistent with the City Charter and that moderate charges are baseless and the result of sour grapes because the plan they favored was not approved. 

“The moderates have been screaming bloody murder and foul play because students were redistricted into District 8 instead of homeowners,” Spring said. “This is the only plan that creates districts where no incumbent councilmember, progressive or moderate, is prejudicially favored to be removed from office.” 

The bitter conflict is largely due to what city officials estimate to be an undercount of 4,500 people - mostly students - by the 2000 U.S. Census. The undercount primarily occurred in districts 7 and 8.  

Despite solid evidence of the census blunder, the City Charter requires the council to redraw district lines so that each of the city’s nine districts have equal populations based on the current census whether it’s flawed or not.  

So, based on the census, the new council districts have close to 12,800 residents in accordance with the City Charter. But “real” numbers, based on the 1990 U.S. Census and the UC Housing Office, suggest that District 8 far exceeds the other seven districts with a total of 17,100 residents, of which 55 percent or 9,700 are students. 

Further complicating the issue, the city is currently disputing the official count with the U.S. Census Bureau and if the count is adjusted to reflect the actual population, the charter would require the council to scrap the approved plan, which has inspired the worst acrimony between the two council factions is recent years, and begin the redistricting process anew. 

Prior to the vote, Armstrong, who represents District 8, wanted to make sure the record reflected the new plan’s defiance of the intention of the charter by creating a population imbalance. 

“This plan goes in with eyes wide open, understanding (the progressives) have moved 5,000 (Armstrong’s estimate) extra people into District 8,” she said. “I want to make it clear that District 8 will have 5,000 more people when the dust clears.” 

Also prior to the vote, Maio said she was troubled by the population imbalance but chose to support the progressive plan and called the moderates’ charges of a back-room deal a “red herring.”  

“I felt very supportive of (the progressives’) issue because they have been very supportive of issues that matter a lot to me,” she said and then added. “I do acknowledge that approved plan puts a larger number of people into Polly Armstrong’s district.” 

In an Oct. 12 press release, Maio said the approved plan is the best plan given the restraints of the charter because it does not distort existing boundary lines and does not create a disadvantage for any sitting councilmember.  

Maio said she supports redrawing the district lines if the census is corrected to reflect the actual populations in districts 7 and 8. 

“We may be embroiled in another redistricting debate in just a few months,” she said. “Something to look forward to!”

Cal women win Pac-10 opener 

The Cal women’s soccer team got back to their winning ways on Friday, beating Oregon 3-0 in the Pac-10 opener for each team at Pape Field in Eugene. 

The Bears improved to 9-2-1, 1-0-0 in the conference while Oregon drops to 6-3-1 and 0-1-0.  

Cal scored its first goal on a 20-yard shot from Brittany Kirk in the 10th minute on an assist from Kassie Doubrava.  

Despite the field position being equal for much of the game, the Bears added a second goal in the 54th minute by All-American Laura Schott, who ranks 16th in the nation in goals.  

The Ducks gave up the match’s final score to Doubrava in the 65th minute on an assist from Kirk.  

Field hockey falls to Kent St. 

KENT, Ohio - No. 14 Kent State broke a 1-1 deadlock with two second-half goals to defeat No. 20 California, 3-1, Oct. 11 at Dix Stadium. Junior Megan Spurling scored two goals to lift the Golden Flashes to their fourth straight victory.  

The first half scoring started quickly. Spurling rebounded her own saved shot and put it in the back of the net at 32:18. Cal (6-4) quickly answered when it converted on one of its two penalty corners of the night. Danya Sawyer controlled Nora Fedderson’s saved shot and scored the first goal of her career with 21:50 left in the first half.  

In the second period, Kent State (7-5) converted on a direct corner. Junior Helen scored with assists from sophomore Arlette van Cleeff and junior Kristen at 20:28. Spurling ended the scoring on a 2-on-1 break with van Cleeff.  

Junior keeper Emily Rowlen made five saves against three goals allowed before being relieved by freshman Kelly Knapp with 10:43 left in the game. Knapp made two saves on the night. The Golden Flashes had 12 penalty corner chances compared to two for Cal.  

The Bears travel down state to visit Ohio State on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

No. 5 UCLA downs Bears 

LOS ANGELES, CA - The University of California women’s volleyball team (5-8, 1-5) lost to No. 5 ranked UCLA (10-3, 5-3), 3-0 (31-29, 30-12, 30-21), Friday evening at Pauley Pavilion. The Bears, who have never defeated the Bruins in women’s volleyball (0-41), were led by freshman Mia Jerkov’s 12 kills, while sophomore Gabrielle Abernathy added 11 kills and a .300 hitting percentage, and junior Reena Pardiwala had a team-high 14 digs.  

UCLA was led by senior Kristee Porter’s 20 kills and .500 hitting percentage (20 kills, four errors, 32 attempts).

Early on Oct. 20, 1991, John Traugott was finishing up a morning run in the Berkeley hills. The UC Berkeley English professor was rounding a curve a few blocks from his house when he noticed the eastern sky turning orange.  

Traugott had seen that same orange sky in 1970, when a wildfire devastated the East Bay hills.  

“I immediately knew what it was,” Traugott said. “And I knew the whole place was going to go.” 

The firestorm he saw would eventually raze his home on Alvarado Road and more than 3,000 others in Oakland and Berkeley. The concrete of Traugott’s patio turned to dust. Heavy iron cooking pots melted into mush.  

But perhaps most painful to Traugott, he lost two manuscripts of unfinished books that he had spent years creating. He has spent the last 10 years trying to create them again.  

The firestorm of 1991 wrenched many things from its victims. Thousands lost their homes, dozens lost their lives. But for many of the artists, writers, photographers and academics who populated the hills of the East Bay, they say the loss that truly broke their hearts was their work.  

On that morning, Traugott felt paralyzed by the enormity of the fire and the impossible decisions it demanded.  

“I was wondering what to do,” he said. “I couldn’t think of what to take out. So I just sat there.” 

Traugott was alone – his wife Elizabeth was in Chicago. Unable to react, he sat in his kitchen for about a half-hour, munching toast and drinking coffee, watching the orange sky grow darker. Distraught and disoriented, he finally managed pull himself out of his funk enough to do something.  

“I decided I’d get a suitcase and put something in it,” he recalled. “Then I went downhill to the Claremont hotel, and I opened up the suitcase and there wasn’t anything in it. I forgot to put anything in it – I was totally confused.” 

Eventually, he thought to retrieve the computer he said contained the two manuscripts – a book of essays on Jonathan Swift and a book about 18th century writers Samuel Richardson and Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. He walked back through the bushes, grabbed the computer and put it in his car before the house burned.  

But the computer was full of smoke, which can destroy the data inside. He later took it to a specialist who tried to salvage it, but who actually did more damage to it, Traugott said. By then, there was nothing left of the manuscripts.  

“They’re both gone,” he said. “I couldn’t go back and redo the research – I just didn’t have the energy at that point. So these two books are being rewritten from the top of my head, totally.” 

But Traugott, age 70, said he wonders whether he will ever finish the work.  

“I’m trying to finish it, but it goes so slowly. There are times when I can’t work on the books, because, I don’t know, I’ve done it before. It’s so fatiguing to try and recover these things.” 

*** 

For others in the Berkeley Hills, remaking what was lost was never even an option.  

Nancy Pollack, a painter and sculptor, had been in Hawaii when the fire hit. She lost a life’s worth of work when her house on Gravatt Drive burned. Strangely, Pollack, a self-professed packrat, felt the loss as a sort of liberation.  

“I never cried,” she said. “And I’m so emotional – I cry at everything.” 

Since there was no way remake years of original art, Pollock said she took the opportunity to start anew.  

“I said, gee, I can be anything I want. I don’t have a past,” she said. “I thought, maybe I won’t even have some of the same challenges. Maybe I won’t have trouble with the right-hand corner of my paintings any more.” 

Among her first projects after the fire, Pollock took the few items still recognizable after the blaze and worked them into sculptures: a set of blackened silverware mounted on a bronze-colored base, shards of clay pots arranged around an odd deck of cards that miraculously survived.  

“I don’t take myself that seriously anymore, because hey, poof, it’s gone,” she said.  

*** 

Jeremy Larner, a novelist, poet and Oscar-winning screenwriter who lived on Grand View Drive, drove to safety with his computer. In the confusion of the moment, Larner had grabbed not just the hard disk containing eight years of work, but made several trips to get the heavy computer components.  

“It’s interesting what you take when you run out of your house,” he said. “It was ridiculous for me to carry out my computer printer.” 

What he did not think to grab were 30 years worth of notebooks and a filing cabinet containing two manuscripts, including an unpublished novel. But, like Pollock, he said he felt almost unburdened by the loss.  

“The funny thing is that I was relieved,” he said. “I never missed them. Whatever was in those notebooks belonged to somebody I no longer was.”  

Larner would later write about going back to where his house had stood, and finding the filing cabinet: 

“Inside, I see a miracle – a sheaf of papers. I see letters, print – the lost manuscripts! I strain against the metal till I can wedge my hand inside. And the pages turn to dust in my fingers.” 

In the last ten years, many fire victims have rebuilt their houses and their lost work. John Traugott’s once-verdant backyard had been reduced to cinders, but now it blooms again, complete with towering redwood trees that have grown entirely since the fire.  

“It all came back,” said Traugott. “That’s been the most satisfying thing about the recovery. Ashes are good for growing.” 

The Library Gardens development, a five-building, 176-unit residential complex to be built behind the Berkeley Public Library, was approved by the Zoning Adjustments Board Thursday night. 

The project is the latest, but certainly not the last, of the major housing projects planned for the downtown area.  

A number of developers have recently set their sights on downtown – currently, there are at least four mid-sized to large housing developments apart from Library Gardens working their way through the city’s planning and permits process, for a total of 267 new apartments and condominiums. 

The rush to downtown seems to come in anticipation of the city’s new General Plan, which, if it is approved as expected next month, will place an emphasis on new housing construction in the center of the city. 

John DeClercq, senior vice president of TransAction Companies, which led the Library Gardens project, didn’t get the “9-0” vote he had hoped for from the ZAB, but he did come close. The board voted 7-1 on the project, with board member Carrie Sprague dissenting and board member Lawrence Capitelli absent. 

Sprague did have praise for Library Gardens’ “clever design,” but she said on Friday that out of concern for the neighborhood, she could not countenance the project’s intensive construction schedule. 

“They were very insistent that they wanted to work all day,” she said. “That’s the main thing I was worried about.” 

Library Gardens, with its 134,000 square feet of new floor space, is the largest housing development in Berkeley in recent memory. But it appears that much more is soon to follow in the downtown area, with the result that the economic and social dynamics of the city may be dramatically altered. 

The final draft of the Berkeley General Plan (July, 2001) calls for an increase in housing downtown in response to two needs: the housing crisis in the city and the Bay Area, and the ongoing revitalization of downtown. 

Steve Barton, director of the city’s Housing Department, said on Friday that he was pleased with the approval of Library Gardens, and that he looked forward to similar projects. Too often, he said, people want affordable housing but do not want either sprawl or greater density in urban areas. 

“People are in favor of housing in the abstract, but not in any particular place,” he said. “So it’s nice that in Berkeley there’s a general consensus to build new housing downtown.” 

Barton said that the housing crisis threatened the very character of the city, and that increased housing supply was one of the only ways that Berkeley could preserve its culture.  

“Often people here are not making as much money as they could if they wanted to,” he said. “People in Berkeley choose to work in research, or for a nonprofit, or in the arts, etc. That’s Berkeley’s role in the Bay Area, and if rents are not affordable, it is threatened.” 

The draft General Plan emphasizes residential development in the downtown partly because it well-served by mass transportation and partly because it could contribute to the area’s renaissance. Shattuck Avenue was once the unequivocal center of the city, but in the 1980’s it was injured, like many downtowns, by the nationwide exodus of people and business to the suburbs. 

Though revitalization programs in the 1990’s have been partly successful, the area still has not recovered its former glory. The downtown accounts for only 10 percent of all retail sales in the city – a figure equivalent to that of Telegraph Avenue, and dwarfed by West Berkeley’s 50 percent. 

Now, the hope is to invigorate the downtown by moving more people into the neighborhood. In the words of the Downtown Berkeley Association, “new permanent housing will increase street life, pedestrian traffic and a sense of community... and will generate increased demand for retail businesses – some of which are currently unavailable in the downtown.” 

If new residents are brought in, the thinking goes, new commercial and retail space will follow. The plan is reminiscent of Mayor Jerry Brown of Oakland’s pledge to bring in 10,000 new residents to revitalize the downtown of his city. 

Though the plan does enjoy widespread support, some people are beginning to voice their concerns. 

Carrie Olson, a long-time Berkeley resident and a member of the city’s Design Review Committee, said Friday that she wants to make sure that the diversity of downtown is preserved. 

“I want the growth to be sensible,” she said. “I want to have a mixed community in the downtown, a community that represents Berkeley as a whole.” 

Olson said that the Design Review Committee recently gave the ZAB an unfavorable report on one of the larger new projects being proposed for downtown. The units in the building were too small to support families or older couples, who usually want more living space than students. 

“If we end up with just students downtown, we will get another version of Telegraph Avenue,” she said. “Some of the new projects may not do their best to discourage that.” 

Olson said she was somewhat suspicious of the notion that increased housing would necessarily bring more retail opportunities, or more liveliness generally, to the downtown.  

“What works about a successful urban space – like some parts of Paris – is that you can go downstairs, out on the street and find what you need to cook dinner,” she said. “That doesn’t exist in the downtown right now.” 

“Part of the city’s responsibility is to make sure those services – grocery stores, laundries, drug stores, all the things you need for daily life – will be there.” 

But Victoria Eisen, the principal planner for the Association of Bay Area Governments’ Smart Growth Strategy project, said that Berkeley’s strategy to promote housing downtown fits perfectly with the vision of “Smart Growth” her group is developing. 

“It’s true that when people move into these units right now, there may be not be a supermarket you can walk to,” she said. “What Berkeley and other communities are doing is to bring in residents to support existing services, and hopefully attract new services.”

The Berkeley Historical Society received the governor’s Historic Preservation Award on Oct. 5 for its local history publication “Tales from the Elmwood, A Community Memory” by Burl Willes.  

The awards are presented annually under the sponsorship of the Office of Historic Preservation of the California Department of Parks and Recreation to organizations and groups, and federal, state and local agencies whose contributions demonstrate outstanding commitment to excellence in historic preservation.  

The book recounts almost a century’s worth of stories about people and events, using oral histories, photographs, and local trivia. The book is currently in its third edition and tells how actress Jane Fonda met her husband-to-be activist Tom Hayden at the counter-culture nursery school Blue Fairyland. We learn that Eldridge Cleaver was also planning to write his own book about the Elmwood. There are tales of the community meeting place Ozzie’s Fountain, local stores, and the early storefront for the Berkeley Repertory Theater. The history of the Judah Magnes Museum, St. John’s Presbyterian Church and Willard Junior High is also included. 

Food not bombs needs help 

East Bay Food Not Bombs is looking for volunteers. They pick-up food, cook, serve, clean and compost. Contact: Food Not Bombs, 3124 Shattuck Ave. or 644-4187.  

Survey for parents with a disability raising a teenager 

Through the Looking Glass, a nonprofit organization servicing families with disabilities, is conducting a nationwide survey to learn more about the experiences of families in which a parent with a disability is raising a teen, 11-17. The research is being supported by the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. 

Department of Education. 

Contact Nancy Freed at 848-1112 ext. 174 or (800) 644-2666; TTY: (800) 804-1616; FAX: (510) 848-4445; EMAIL: nfreed@lookingglass.org; Website: www.lookingglass.org 

Three nonprofit groups in Berkeley were awarded $85,000 in health care grants this month from the Alameda Alliance for Health.  

The AAH presented 29 nonprofit groups with $1 million in grants this year from the Community Health Investment Fund. The CHIF was established in 1997 to help fill critical gaps in health care for the underserved and uninsured residents of Alameda County.  

The three recipients are: Family Violence Law Center, $50,000; The Suitcase Clinic, $15,000; and Through the Looking Glass, $20,000. 

Through the Looking Glass serves families with disabilities.  

“It's the first time AAH has funded Through the Looking Glass and we are very excited about that.” said Executive Director Megan Kirshbaum.  

The money will help provide adaptive baby care equipment to low-income families where there is a disabled parent or a parenting grandparent with a disability.  

“A parent with poor walking balance might need a walker with a baby seat attached to safely move the baby from room to room, or a deaf parent might need a baby cry alarm, or a blind parent might need an adaptive device for measuring a baby’s medicine,” said Kirshbaum.  

The Suitcase Clinic provides health services for homeless and medically indigent people through pro-bono, volunteer-run clinics. Current services include medical, acupuncture, dental, foot-care, optometry, and psycho-social counseling.  

“This is the second year in a row we received a grant from the AAH.... It’s a very competitive process,” said Priya Sonik, administrative coordinator for the clinic.  

She said the majority of the grant would go towards “pain medication, asthma medicine, inhalers, anti-bodies, pregnancy tests and also the Youth and Women’s Clinics.” 

The AAH provides low-cost health care services for county residents who do not qualify for Medi-Cal or the state and federally funded Healthy Families Program.

Three months after Proposition 36 took effect, first- and second-time nonviolent drug offenders who might have once spent time behind bars now sit in treatment centers. And in Alameda County, there is room for everyone – in outpatient treatment, at least. 

“It’s going pretty smoothly given it’s a start up program,” said Pat Furlong of the Alameda County Department of Behavioral Care, which oversees the county’s implementation of Proposition 36. “So far, we haven’t had too many problems.” 

Proposition 36, the statewide initiative approved by 60 percent of California voters last November, allows eligible offenders convicted of illegal drug use or possession to receive probation and treatment instead of incarceration. Opponents of the measure said that the program would tax the state’s already crowded substance abuse centers. According to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, there were 73,600 publicly-funded substance abuse treatment slots available in the state in April 2001, with about 5,000 people on county waiting lists. 

Despite the negative projections, Alameda County has so far been able to accommodate the increased demand for treatment, though the long-term viability of the program is unclear.  

Furlong said she worries about residential treatment capacity and warns that there might not be enough funding to sustain the program. The county was awarded $5.4 million in state funding this year to carry out the measure.  

From July 1 through Sept. 7, Furlong said the county received 248 Prop. 36 clients. Clients are first reviewed by private assessment teams and then placed in appropriate treatment, which can range from eight-week education programs to long-term residential stays. Providers report clients’ progress to the county on a monthly basis. In addition, the county evaluates clients every 90 days.  

Of the first 248 offenders referred for treatment by the courts, Furlong said 80 percent were placed in outpatient treatment, 10 percent in residential treatment, 7 percent in early intervention programs, 1 percent in methadone treatment, 1 percent in detoxification and 1 percent in day treatment. Furlong expects Prop. 36 to add a total of 2,500 to 3,000 substance abuse clients a year to the more than 8,000 already in the Alameda County system.  

“We have no problems with outpatient, but we’re at capacity right now for residential treatment,” said Furlong. “Those people in the beds now will be there for weeks. But we’ll need new beds for new people soon. The turnover is not quick enough.” 

Mark McConville, executive director of the nonprofit organization, Second Chance, Inc., a Proposition 36-contracted outpatient treatment center with sites in Fremont, Newark and Union City, echoed the need for more residential beds. 

“We currently have two people from our outpatient program who we’d like to get into a residential program,” said McConville. “But there aren’t available beds among the Proposition 36-eligible residential programs in Alameda County.”  

Residential treatment can take anywhere from a few weeks to 18 months. At present, Alameda County has contracts with six residential treatment sites and is negotiating with five additional agencies to meet increased demand, said Furlong.  

Statewide, the effect appears to be similar. Dan Carson of the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, which is tracking implementation, said that anecdotal information from counties indicates, “the numbers coming into the treatment system as a result of Prop 36 are a bit light, but that the treatment needs of the offenders are more severe than predicted.”  

Carson, however, cautioned that this early data could turn out to be very misleading and that official numbers have yet to be compiled and published. 

But so far, the anecdotal information seems on target for Alameda County.  

Whereas residential programs, the longest form of treatment, are at capacity, outpatient and detoxification centers have room for more. McConville said his outpatient agency has only received 90 Proposition 36 referrals, of which about half are currently enrolled in the program. He has 800 clients total.  

Leo Van Der Most, manager at New Leaf Treatment Center in Hayward, a Proposition 36-contracted agency, said his six-bed detoxification program is only 70 percent full on average.  

Both McConville and Van Der Most said that only 10 percent of their clientele are sober one year later and that treatment is an ongoing process. “About 80 percent of the drug offenders really want to be here,” said Van Der Most. “They say ‘I’m glad I got caught because I couldn’t stop myself.’ The others don’t cooperate and don’t want to be here. But the seed is planted.” 

McConville had a similar take. “We’ve been around for 30 years and we have a lot of people who came through as runaways years ago who are only now sober,” he said. “So we don’t get too excited if they don’t get sober the first time around.”  

In order to receive Proposition 36-referred clients, McConville said that an agency has to be state-certified and contracted with the county. Many agencies are not currently contracted with Alameda County and so are ineligible for Proposition 36. But Furlong is working to get more agencies on board.  

New Bridge Foundation in Berkeley, one of the largest drug treatment facilities on the East Bay, is negotiating a contract, according to its director Peter Budwalen. In addition, Furlong said he is working to get a contract with a 25-bed residential treatment center in Oakland.  

Besides meeting future capacity, however, Furlong said his biggest worry is funding. The state allocated $120 million for Proposition 36 to be distributed between the counties. But Furlong thinks that the counties need more.  

“The counties already indicated to the state that this isn’t going to be enough. Before Proposition 36, (Alameda County) had $19 million for the 8,000-9,000 clients in our system. But now we’re expecting 2,500-3,000 new people each year because of Proposition 36 and we only have $5.4 million to cover the difference.” 

Furlong said since the program is not yet at full capacity, funding is probably sufficient for this year. But he is concerned that funding will be a challenge down the line, especially if numbers increase. At present, the county is wholly dependent on state funds.

As part of a week-long series of events dedicated to realizing integration and diversity on UC campuses, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, BAMN, held a forum Thursday night on the fight to increase women and minority faculty at UC Berkeley.  

Students and professors joined a panel to discuss the current composition of women and minority faculty on the campus, their declining numbers, obstacles for diversity, and the significance of these groups’ presence.  

Angelica Stacy, professor of chemistry at Berkeley and director of the UC Berkeley Faculty Equity Office, discussed the disproportionately low numbers of women and minority faculty on campus.  

Only the second woman hired in the chemistry department, Stacy is the first woman to receive tenure in that department.  

But, she said, between 1996 and 1999, the rate of hiring women faculty decreased 20 percent, from 35 to 28 percent. Today, only 38 percent of associate professors are women at Berkeley; 21 percent have tenure.  

Susan Ervin-Tripp, retired professor of psychology and a member of the Association of University Women, cites three reasons for the small number of women and minority faculty at Berkeley. First, under the initiative that ended affirmative action, also known as Proposition 209, interest in outreach diminished, she says.  

Because the language of the initiative was so vague many people thought outreach was not permitted. Secondly, targeted opportunity positions, a practice which resulted in the hiring of more women and minorities, is no longer allowed. Lastly, there is no real pressure on administrators to make sure schools hire fairly or support promotion.  

“Deans are not responsible to hire diversity,” she said. “No one checks their record of hiring at their previous jobs.” 

Professor Charles Henry, chair of the African-American Studies department, discussed obstacles in the way of creating a diverse environment on Berkeley’s campus.  

Berkeley is a public university that considers itself elite, he says. As a public university, Berkeley is accountable to the state and the citizens of the state and it should reflect them, he said.  

“But, there is another twist when you also want to be an elite university. The elite status is not measured by how well you meet your public mandate it’s measured by a very narrow set of criteria. That criteria essentially involves research and production,” said Henry.  

Women and minorities are traditionally not a part of the fields whose research is typically rewarded, recognized and draw the school resources. 

According to Henry, “decentralized faculty hiring” is another obstacle. Decisions made within departments before pools are considered, limit women and minorities from being considered for new positions.  

Additionally, Henry says search committees that recommend candidates to departments often do not have women or minorities on them because they already are lacking on campus.  

“You’ve got a repetitive process – the search committee is replicating themselves,” said Henry.  

Henry also cites conflicting messages at the federal and state level as an obstacle.  

“When they do encourage affirmative action the Supreme Court and federal courts often are saying something else,” said Henry. “At the state level, we’re also getting conflicting messages. The state legislature is saying to us: Why don’t you have more minorities and women? 

“The institutes following (Proposition) 209 are saying you can’t do affirmative action,” said Henry.  

Beyond the obstacles impeding the path of diversity on Berkeley’s campus, Henry says he is convinced that diversity is crucial in terms of research.  

“Women and minorities study different basic research issues than do white men,” he said. “The most significant thing to diversifying the faculty would be a diverse student body. That’s saying OK, we want our interests reflected up here and in your research and in your teaching. I think there is a crucial link between the admissions process and faculty hiring,” said Henry.  

Perhaps the most important issue surrounding the presence of women and minority faculty at Berkeley, or lack thereof, is its impact on female and minority students. Tina Prevatte, a Cal Engineering student, says women and minority faculty serve as role models to the female students of color on campus. In a field dominated by males, Prevatte has considered leaving, but she says her female teachers give her hope and a reason to put up with a lot of frustration.  

Prevatte said of one of the 19 female professors (out of 220 in the Engineering department): “I look at her and say ‘she did it, there’s room for me here.’”

Local organizations losing funds to national groups 

Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Peggy Bush worried about raising enough funds for the Center for AIDS Services, the only day center for people with AIDS in Alameda County. Now, her concerns have deepened.  

“I know that people have given to New York and Washington and to the firefighters and police,” said Bush, who serves as the nonprofit’s executive director. “And I think it’s great because they need the help. But for us, it’s aggravated an already dwindling of resources. Somehow, we have to get people interested in us as well.” 

Days after the Twin Towers fell and the nation awoke to the horrors of terrorism, people from all over the United States rallied together to lend whatever support they could to those affected by the tragedy. They lined up at blood banks, dug out their checkbooks and raised nearly $1 billion for relief efforts and victims’ families.  

One month later, the dust has settled and Bay Area nonprofits are wondering if the spirit of giving will last. Some, like Bush, believe the outpouring to victims’ families coupled with the floundering economy could spell trouble for small nonprofits.  

Bush said her agency has already experienced a drop in donations. And she said that a prolonged war in Afghanistan might exacerbate the problem.  

“There’s not the confidence out there. People are afraid and holding on to their money. They’re waiting. And we’re holding our breath,” she said. 

Every January, Bush holds an opera concert featuring New York singers to raise funds for the center. This year, the show will go on but Bush said she may have to rely on local singers.  

Tony Leong, Executive Director of the Berkeley-based Asians for Job Opportunities in the Bay Area, which provides employment, training and bilingual social services to 1,000 unemployed and underemployed individuals a year, is concerned about the attack’s impact on administrative funds. He suspects that the $200 to $300 a month his agency receives through United Way donor designations will be significantly less for September, though he has not yet received the figure. Such a drop, he said, would result in fewer Safeway coupons for clients and less money to cover everyday expenses like phones and stamps.  

Other local nonprofits, however, were unwilling to speculate about the impact of the attack.  

Boona cheema, executive director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, which provides housing, economic development and social services to 3,500 individuals annually, cautioned that it is difficult to tell what the response of donors at the local level will be.  

“It’s not as rosy as it was a year or two ago,” cheema said. “But I think enough time will have passed between September and December, when [donors] are doing their year-round giving, that I’m optimistic the effect won’t be as great as people think.” 

Rick Spittler, executive director of Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program, which serves 1,200 physically disabled individuals a year, said he won’t know the extent of the impact until fall appeal letters are sent out in November. He also suggested that the effect might not be negative.  

“Maybe it will wake people up to how important it is to take care of everything and everyone, especially those in the community who are less fortunate,” he said.  

Ian McCuaig of 3Fund LLC, a San Francisco-based philanthropy consulting firm, agreed that the outcome could be positive. Although he said corporate and foundation philanthropy will probably decline, government funding will likely increase.  

“Early philanthropic response to the tragedy of Sept. 11 has been encouraging,” he said. “I am convinced that Americans will respond in a manner described 250 years ago as the ‘associative impulse,’ the coming together in a common effort for a common good.”  

McCuaig said that the onus will be on individuals to “pump up their giving and dig deeper than ever before.” He also said that the more a nonprofit can “equate its mission with the recovery effort” the better, and he was confident that “well-managed” nonprofits would ride the wave of uncertainty with little trouble. 

However, Pete Mountanos of Charitableway.com, which helps corporations integrate charity in their business models, was not as optimistic.  

“National surveys have recorded a substantial shift in priorities amongst the public with things like education suddenly declining behind security,” he said. “Overall there are certainly many more reasons to be concerned on a local basis than optimistic.” Among the reasons Mountanos mentioned was rising unemployment rates, a declining stock market and a struggling economy.  

Last year, charitable contributions from individuals totaled $152 billion, up 4.9 percent from 1999, and comprised 75 percent of the $203 billion total giving in the United States, according to the Giving USA 2001 report. Approximately nine percent was given to human service organizations and six percent to public interest organizations, which included federal giving programs such as United Way, community action agencies and community economic development programs. 

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University recently examined giving levels in the years surrounding 13 major events of terrorism, war, and political or economic crises, including Pearl Harbor, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Gulf War and the 1993 bombings of the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City. They found several trends. 

Some of its findings include: 

• The total amount of giving in the United States has increased every year but one (1987) for the past 40 years, including through wars, recessions and other crises. However during recessions, growth in giving averages about 5 percent instead of the average annual rate of 7.6 percent . 

• In the two acts of terrorism examined, in the year in which the event occurred the rate of growth in giving increased over the prior year. 

• The rate of growth in giving slowed in the year after the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, and increased in the year after the Oklahoma City Bombing.  

Eugene R. Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy, said that the findings show that giving and the stock market are resilient. “While this (the Sept. 11 terrorist attack) is a unique situation, in the past Americans have shown a remarkable capacity to recover from adversity, both economically and spiritually, as measured by the stock market and giving,” he said. 

Regardless of the outlook, most nonprofits have decided not to leave giving levels to fate. Bush said that her agency is redoing its brochure and making it more alive and colorful, in the hope of attracting more donors.  

“You’ve got to do what you can do now,” she said. “You can’t just wait until it’s all dried up.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio - After dropping its first conference game in over two years and in danger of losing its third consecutive game for the first time since 1998, No. 20 California needed something big to stop the mini-tailspin and gain momentum for the stretch run of conference play.  

The Bears (7-4, 3-1) got that and much more as they defeated No. 10 Ohio State (10-3, 3-0), 5-4, in overtime Saturday afternoon at Woody Hayes Athletic Center North Field. It was Cal’s first victory over a Top 25 opponent since Sept. 25, 1999, when the Bears defeated No. 11 Michigan State, 2-1.  

What looked like a victory suddenly appeared to be a heart-breaking loss for the Bears as OSU scored to go up 4-3 with 2:41 remaining in the game.  

But with 34 seconds left in the contest, and the Buckeyes looking to burn off the rest of the clock, Harkins got a hold of the ball and put it home for the fourth tie of the game. The forward’s second goal of the game and eighth of the season pushed the game into overtime where Nora Feddersen scored on a penalty corner at 13:02 of OT to give the Bears the upset win over OSU.

Democrats will face challenges protecting their agenda in the political climate that has followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, political science professor Bruce Cain told about 50 people during a forum Thursday hosted by the Berkeley Democratic Club at Northbrae Community Church. 

The country’s response to terrorism will force close consideration of civil liberties and freedom of the press, Cain said. Surveys and research have shown that when the public is faced with national security issues, the concern for protecting civil liberties declines, he said. Democrats must also be aware of people redefining issues such as oil drilling and tax cuts in the context of terrorism, a phenomenon Cain calls “policy hitch-hiking.” 

“It will be hard for Democrats to stand up and say ‘this isn’t part of the war effort,’” Cain said. He noted that Democrats will have a more difficult time if they don’t receive help from the press, which Cain said he sensed was still in a “flag-waving, timid mode.” 

The media will walk a fine line in their coverage of the country’s response to terrorism, pitting the public’s right to know against the secret nature of some military actions, Cain said. He predicted the country will struggle with the tension between freedom and surveillance. 

Cain praised George W. Bush for getting international consensus on how to address and combat terrorism, and said it could help the United States become part of the global community and shake its reputation for being the world’s policeman.  

“The agenda plays to Bush’s strength, which is that his administration has more experience on the foreign policy side,” Cain said, citing the challenges Democrats may face during future elections.  

It is too early to say how Bush’s current popularity will translate in the next election cycle, but Cain said support for the president could unravel if the nation’s economy is in shambles in the next six months. However, other Republican candidates could receive a boost if support for Bush’s policies continue, he said. 

“Gov. Davis might have used the Bush connection to ram Richard Riordan,” Cain said, describing former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan as the likely Republican candidate in the 2002 California gubernatorial election. Continued support for Bush administration policies could make Riordan a formidable foe, he said. 

During a question and answer session, attendees expressed confusion, anger and skepticism over media and national responses to terrorism. Cain advised the group to be patient. 

“This is not a permanent condition,” he said. 

Shirley Issel, a psychotherapist and vice president of the school board, asked Cain about the media’s motive for detailing terrorist attacks. 

“What are they thinking?” she asked, calling some stories “recipes for terrorism.” 

Cain responded that his interactions had taught him that media outlets are run as businesses. The crisis following the Sept. 11 attacks have been a huge boon for the media, he said. 

“You get what they think you want,” Cain said. “(News organizations) think part of what interests you is what you fear.”