Veteran educator Thelette Bennett receives award for lifetime dedication -more-
Wrapped in a rope high above a darkened stage, a body wriggles and giggles, drops, rewinds then drops again, smiling and blowing kisses to the audience – Cirque Elioze has come to town, performing “Excentricus” at Zellerbach Hall through Saturday. -more-
When you mention this year’s recruiting class for Cal basketball, most fans think immediately of the ongoing drama of Julian Sensley’s eligibility. But regardless of whether Sensley ever plays for the Bears, there will definitely be an impact freshman in the Cal rotation. -more-
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to hold public hearings on whether one side of a block of Hearst Avenue should be “downzoned” to restrict large, multi-family housing developments. -more-
Berkeley Russian School to hold benefit for New York victims’ families -more-
The Berkeley High field hockey team got a double treat on Thursday, scoring their first two goals of the season and picking up their first win. -more-
The Berkeley High field hockey team got a double treat on Thursday, scoring their first two goals of the season and picking up their first win. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – As the California economy slows, Assemblymember Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley, warned Thursday that the state’s welfare caseload – in decline for half a decade – may soon rise again. -more-
St. Mary’s High point guard DeShawn Freeman has given a verbal commitment to play for Sacramento State University next season, his coach said Thursday. -more-
Speakers respond to Governor Davis’ $24 million subsidy cut -more-
EMERYVILLE – Doras Briggs can remember details of her first train ride down to the day, year and Amtrak line. -more-
Sherief Ibrahim of the University of California police department’s bomb squad has an unusual package with him Tuesday. -more-
OAKLAND — Subject-oriented SAT II tests do a better job of showing how students will do in college than the better-known SAT I college entry exam, according to a University of California study released Thursday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court unanimously upheld a verdict awarding a black employee $1 million in punitive damages after he experienced repeated racial harassment on the job at a cardboard company near Seattle. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A ferry to the former prison island of Alcatraz will be powered by soybean-based fuel thanks to a $25,000 grant announced Thursday. -more-
SAN DIEGO – Six years after identifying Sudden Oak Death syndrome, scientists are still struggling to understand the disease that’s killing thousands of trees in California. -more-
LOS ANGELES - The judge in the attempted-murder trial of former Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive Sara Jane Olson on Thursday rejected a request by prosecutors to formally declare that the SLA was “a terrorist organization.” -more-
LOS ANGELES — Heightened concern about America’s dependence on foreign oil should provide the strongest incentive yet for the country to boost research in renewable energy and improve energy efficiency, advocates for alternatives to fossil fuels say. -more-
Several years ago one of us made the mistake of purchasing and installing a pet door in his home without thoroughly studying the issue. The actual installation was no big deal. All he had to do was cut a hole in a door, mount the simple-to-install kit and begin the process of teaching his pet to use it. But, there were a few extremely important things that he was soon to discover. -more-
A common sight on autumn mornings is that of plants shrouded in white. These are life-giving shrouds — sheets, newspapers, and old blankets — protecting such cold-tender plants as basil, pepper, and impatiens from nighttime frost. -more-
HAYWARD — Ford Motor Co. settled one of the industry’s biggest auto defect cases Thursday, agreeing to pay for repairs on millions of cars and trucks with an ignition-system flaw that can cause the vehicles to stall in traffic. -more-
CINCINNATI — Jurors in the trial of a white police officer accused of causing a black man’s death with a choke hold heard a recording Thursday in which the officer told a supervisor he had held the man’s head during a struggle. -more-
SACRAMENTO – California faces between an $8 billion and $14 billion budget deficit next year, Gov. Gray Davis said Wednesday after meeting with the state’s top four legislative leaders. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Advertising-driven search engine Overture Services Inc. reported its first-ever quarterly profit Thursday, demonstrating that some dot-com companies may emerge from the Internet industry’s rubble as moneymaking businesses. -more-
The standoff between KPFA Radio and its parent Pacifica network tensed up a notch on Tuesday when staff and volunteers decided at a staff meeting to delay a decision on whether and how to hold an autumn on-air fundraiser. -more-
With Cal quarterback Kyle Boller ruled out of this Saturday’s game against Oregon State with a back injury, backup Eric Holtfreter will once again get the starting nod. But he might have some competition. -more-
Under the mountains of newsprint emerging globally every day about events and issues tied to Sept. 11, one story has been almost buried. News reports from both inside and outside the United States suggest America may be on the brink of an invasion into Iraq – and anthrax may provide the pretext. -more-
The shifting moods of terror and grief in today’s headlines have a lot of people wondering how Halloween 2001 will unfold. In an attempt to be sensitive to current events (or perhaps just to salvage the box office), Hollywood has delayed the release of some of its more violent fare. Flying in the face of that sensitivity comes “Donnie Darko,” an independent film that is not only a chilling movie in a scary time, but one which involves the crashing of a jet engine into a suburban home. -more-
Several Berkeley residents who attended a public meeting called by the Army Corps of Engineers Monday are sounding the alarm about a proposed development in the East Bay hills. -more-
The Berkeley High cross-country team has been chasing league leader Alameda for the last several years, and Wednesday’s ACCAL meet at Tilden Park was no exception, as the ’Jackets finished second to a huge crowd of Alameda runners. -more-
The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the City Council: -more-
The Cal women’s volleyball team upset No. 19 Santa Clara, 3-2 (30-21, 30-26, 24-30, 25-30, 18-16) Tuesday night at Haas Pavilion. The Bears were led by junior outside hitter Leah Young, who had a career-high 19 kills, 12 digs and a .319 hitting percentage (19 kills, four errors, 47 attempts). Young also served well and had several key plays during the five-game match. -more-
To increase awareness of South Asian culture, student groups at UC Berkeley will hold their annual South Asian Awareness Week beginning Saturday. -more-
OAKLAND — More than 1,000 badges that grant access to secure areas at Oakland International Airport appear to be missing. -more-
Pacifica Foundation Executive Director Bessie Wash has been fired by the new board chair Robert Farrell, according to a press statement from KPFA advocates and verified by programmer Larry Bensky. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Northrop Grumman Corp., fresh off a government decision that aids its acquisition bid for Newport News Shipbuilding Inc., reported strong third quarter earnings Wednesday, although net income dropped because of investment losses in its pension fund. -more-
HERSHEY, Pa. — Hershey Foods Corp. plans to close three plants and a distribution facility, eliminate more than 1,100 jobs and turn over production of cocoa powder to outside contractors in a realignment designed to generate at least $60 million a year in savings. -more-
BURBANK — The Walt Disney Co. Wednesday competed its purchase of Fox Family Worldwide Inc. for $5.2 billion — about $100 million less than the original purchase price announced in July. -more-
Despite thousands of boycott threats resulting from a City Council resolution calling for a quick end to the bombing in Afghanistan, it has so far been difficult to estimate the actual impact on Berkeley’s businesses and economy. -more-
By Neighbors for Fire Safety: -more-
924 Gilman St. 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; Nov. 2: Mood Frye, Manic Notion, Cremasters of Disaster, Bottles and Skulls, Lorax, Sociopath; Nov. 3: Cruevo, Nigel Peppercock, Impaled, Systematic Infection, Depressor; Nov. 9: Hoods, Punishment, Lords of Light Speed, Necktie Party; Nov. 10: Sunday’s Best, Mock Orange, Elizabeth Elmore, Fighting Jacks, Benton Falls; Nov. 16: Pitch Black, The Blottos, Miracle Chosuke, 240; Nov. 17: Carry On, All Bets Off, Limp Wrist, Labrats, Thought Riot; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 -more-
Volleyball coaches can teach their players all the fundamentals, including how to pass, block, dig or kill. They can explain the game’s subtle nuances and they can even develop intricate strategies for various opponents. -more-
Members of the Commission on Disability and community activists are asking the City Council to take action against the upcoming Berkeley Free Folk Festival because they allege that Ashkenaz, one of the festival venues, in not fully accessible for people in wheelchairs. -more-
One autumn day in October of 1991, Michael Kovac, 44, and his wife Karen returned to their Berkeley home from a weekend trip only to find their home had burned down in the catastrophic Oakland -Berkeley Hills fire. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A new survey of single room occupancy hotels in San Francisco found that over 40 percent of these cramped but cheap accommodations house at least one child. -more-
OAKLAND — Bay Area Rapid Transit management and the transit system’s smallest union spent Tuesday negotiating ahead of a midnight strike deadline. -more-
The Berkeley Police Department believes that a series of recent robberies, all of which involved hold-ups of individuals at gunpoint, may be related. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Calling California’s shortage of trained teachers “nothing less than a crisis,” state Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin Tuesday urged the state to increase teacher salaries and phase out the hiring of uncredentialed teachers. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court said Tuesday it would revisit a decision allowing battered women and abused children to be granted asylum in the United States. -more-
BRISBANE — Many Americans heard about terrorism, security, and a few words about human rights in the few minutes ABC, NBC and CBS spent covering President Bush’s first trip to China. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Pacific Lumber Company began logging in the Hole in the Headwaters area of Northern California Tuesday, days after state regulators gave it final permission. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Pesticide use for agriculture, pest control and landscape maintenance declined in California in 2000 for the second straight year, dipping to the lowest level since 1992, a state report says. -more-
CUPERTINO — Apple Computer Inc. unveiled a portable digital music device Tuesday that is the size of a deck of cards but holds 1,000 digitally recorded songs. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A judge Tuesday ordered a divided jury to resume deliberations on whether City of Hope hospital is owed hundreds of millions of dollars in drug royalties from the biotechnology firm Genentech Inc. -more-
GILLETTE, Wyo. — One of the first guys was from UPS. He told someone at Pennaco Energy, and from there word got around in the natural gas fields about Becky DeVeny’s breakfast burritos. -more-
LONDON — For the first time, a senior Olympic official questioned Tuesday whether the Winter Games should go ahead in Salt Lake City while the United States is at war in Afghanistan. -more-
MISSOULA, Mont. — Public comments overwhelming opposed a Bush administration plan to scrap grizzly bear reintroductions along the Montana-Idaho border, but most were form letters drafted by environmental groups, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report shows. -more-
RENO, Nev. — Another downtown hotel-casino went dark on Tuesday when the Flamingo Reno closed, leaving some 1,000 employees looking for work. -more-
SACRAMENTO — California voters will be asked next March if they want to extent the term limits they imposed on their state legislators 11 years ago. -more-
When Kalief LaHutt saw his tattered green and white RV released in front of the impound lot, he was overwhelmed. -more-
Editor: -more-
MUSIC
The result of the recent redistricting brawl is a bitterly divided City Council, with one faction charging the other with gerrymandering and a group of citizens vowing to put a referendum on the March ballot to challenge the newly-approved districts. -more-
The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to Mayor Shirley Dean: -more-
One wouldn’t think that watering a lawn and garden or washing a car would have any effect on California’s tense energy situation, especially since these activities don’t use hot water. -more-
Editor: -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — As the impact of last month’s terrorist attacks ripples through the Bay Area’s economy, communities from San Francisco to Monterey are mulling cuts to public programs and the possibility of furloughing some workers. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza said Monday he is running for Rep. Gary Condit’s seat in a move that marks a public split between the longtime friends and political allies. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The 2001 Mars Odyssey was nearing the Red Planet on Monday, poised to fire its main engine for the first and only time to slow the robotic spacecraft and allow it to settle into orbit after a six-month trip from Earth. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Before Sept. 11, Jerry Hider’s one-man, one-plane business was towing banners promoting products and entertainment over Los Angeles area beaches, stadiums and residential areas. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The University of California system needs to spend $215 million annually to expand programs and financial support to attract graduate students, according to a commission’s report. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Pediatricians are urging officials to take steps to protect children against bioterrorism, saying they are especially vulnerable to its effects. -more-
OAKLAND — With a strike deadline looming Monday at midnight, Bay Area Rapid Transit officials and members of the transit system’s smallest union remained at odds over job security. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Fan mail — that old barometer of an entertainer’s popularity — has become off-limits for many in Hollywood since the anthrax mail attacks in New York City, Washington and Florida. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Mark Bingham was a strapping 220-pound, 6-foot-5 rugby player who had fought off muggers on the street and run with the bulls in Spain before taking on the terrorists on United Flight 93. -more-
NEW YORK — If corporate welfare were to be eliminated, a paper published by the Cato Institute contends, the federal government could give taxpayers tax cuts that would make earlier rebates seem small. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — MusicNet, the joint venture between three major record labels, named MTV veteran Alan McGlade as new chief executive Monday and announced it would move headquarters from Seattle to New York. -more-
SUNNYVALE — Yahoo! Inc. is enhancing its instant-messaging service with a variety of new virtual “environments” for online chats, in a bid for more users and advertising revenue. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Venture capitalists have helped launch U.S. companies that created 7.6 million jobs while generating $1.3 trillion in total revenue during past three decades, according to a report released Monday by the industry’s biggest trade group. -more-
HONG KONG — The government signed the first infrastructure contract for Hong Kong’s planned Disney theme park Monday with a mainland Chinese construction company. -more-
BEIJING — AOL Time Warner Inc. announced a landmark deal on Oct. 22 that will make it the first foreign TV broadcaster in China. In exchange, it will carry Chinese state television’s English-language channel on U.S. cable systems. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Washington Post Co. reported a 95 percent decline in third quarter net earnings due to an advertising slump and charges to write down investments. -more-
DES MOINES, Iowa — A television news reporter was fired after he jokingly sprinkled face powder around the newsroom in front of co-workers, his lawyer said. -more-
LAS VEGAS — Traffic on Interstate 15 at the California-Nevada border in September spiked nearly 16 percent over September 2000, according to Nevada Department of Transportation data. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor Willie Brown’s State of the City address Monday wasn’t as optimistic as it’s been in past years, but he said he’s confident San Francisco will rebound from the dot-com crash and current economic slump. -more-
Congresswoman opposed U.S. military action -more-
UCLA runs over Cal as Paus passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns -more-
It was a solemn Sunday morning at the Rockridge BART Station where community members and elected city officials came together to honor the lives lost in the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm and the firefighters who fought bravely. -more-
The Cal women’s soccer team continued its October slump on Sunday, losing 2-0 to the visiting Washington State Cougars. -more-
State financial fix-it experts officially came to the Berkeley Unified School District’s rescue this week. -more-
UC freshmen corrupted by drugged-out Berkeleyans? Suburban youth, high on BART, attempting to sneak into a San Francisco peep show? Too-enthusiastic volleyball players spiking people on the street? -more-
The Kansas City, Mo., company that designed Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco has been hired to scout locations for a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics. -more-
The Cal women’s volleyball team broke a six match losing streak with a 3-0 victory (30-16, 33-31, 30-20) over Washington, Saturday night at Haas Pavilion. The Bears were again led by freshman Mia Jerkov, who tallied 19 kills and had 11 digs. On Friday, Jerkov had led Cal with 20 kills and 14 digs against Washington State. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco is spending $650,000 a year to deal with shopping carts left in public places, mostly by the homeless. -more-
OAKLAND – For the first time in two weeks, BART officials and union negotiators met to try to keep workers from going on strike Tuesday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Golfers used to have to call about a year in advance to secure a place on the green and a room at the resort at Pebble Beach during the peak fall months. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Schools offering classes in Arabic and other Middle Eastern languages are being inundated with students who believe that education is the key to understanding the state of today’s world. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Pediatricians and other child-health specialists are urging officials to take steps to protect children against bioterrorism, saying they are especially vulnerable. But the biggest challenge is to prepare for a biological attack without spreading panic. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – An area of California that’s almost the same size as New York state has something else in common with New York: its “upstate” moniker. -more-
SACRAMENTO – A $126 million contract with software giant Oracle Corp. has been lauded by state officials as a money-saving success, but a closer review has found that lawmakers may have been too hasty in their effort to approve the first statewide software deal, a newspaper reported Sunday. -more-
SACRAMENTO – U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a public-private partnership Thursday to ease a transmission line bottleneck that contributed to the blackouts that hit California earlier this year. -more-
A group of Berkeley firefighters are charging the fire department’s chief, Reginald Garcia, has not done enough to promote racial diversity within the department. -more-
The Berkeley Tennis Club, located at 1 The Tunnel Rd., is tucked rather inconspicuously beneath the Claremont Hotel. Although both are officially in Oakland, the club was founded in Berkeley in 1906. -more-
The two Rapp brothers were not joined at birth, but they are joined in“Nocturne,” a play which opened Wednesday on Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s thrust stage as the first show in that company’s Parallel Season of less-traditional stage works. -more-
Campus, Bancroft Way at Telegraph, 642-0212, tickets@calperfs.berkeley.edu -more-
Harsh calls and clutch drive give Kennedy 35-30 win -more-
John Muir Elementary School held a Squash-o-Rama Friday, part of an ongoing effort in the district and around the state to promote nutritional awareness among young students. -more-
The Daily Planet received this letter addressed to “All residents of Berkeley”: -more-
Emery High took on a giant on Friday night, and got stepped on. -more-
As the Port of Oakland wrangles over whether to replace a private security firm at Oakland International Airport with law enforcement personnel, flight attendants and pilots arriving at the airport Thursday said they would be happy to see the government step in. -more-
Sixteenth-ranked Cal continued its inconsistent play in women’s soccer, losing to No. 20 Washington, 1-0, at Edwards Stadium on Friday afternoon. -more-
Under mounting public pressure, the Davis administration moved Friday toward renegotiating California’s costly, long-term power contracts, but refused to say what negotiations would mean to ratepayers. -more-
Engineering expertise spies similarly-built local structures -more-
Dear Tom and Ray: -more-
OAKLAND — As a black man, Ronald Davis believes he was once stopped by police simply because he was a minority driving a Mercedes-Benz. But as an undercover police officer, he has stopped young men on suspicion of drug dealing because they wore baggy jeans, carried pagers — and were black. -more-
SAN JOSE — During the prime of the old New Economy last year, Silicon Valley paychecks were fatter than those of Manhattanites — historically the nation’s best-paid workers. -more-
OAKLAND — Ten years after the fire that ravaged the Oakland-Berkeley hills, once-charred slopes have blossomed anew with handsome houses looking over the San Francisco Bay. But some of the underbrush that fueled the furious blaze has come creeping back, too. -more-
MILWAUKEE — Tharan Elkins grew more concerned about her husband as the hours passed. Billy Elkins had never been gone quite so long during his daily walk around the neighborhood in search of aluminum cans. -more-
CHICAGO — Tribune Co. reported a net loss Thursday of $139 million for the third quarter, citing an advertising falloff, an expensive restructuring and costs of news coverage in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. -more-
They claim it burdens, not benefits, employees -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Providian Financial Corp.’s stock lost more than half its value Friday amid worries that the once thriving credit card company has fallen into an insurmountable hole. -more-
Pumpkins are carved, candies in the bowls and costume shops are open. Halloween’s a week away, and the trendiest of all holidays is catching up with world affairs, with firemen uniforms and patriotic figures apparently this year’s favorite costumes. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of thousands of commuters awoke Wednesday to news that Bay Area Rapid Transit trains would be running after an overnight deal between management and a union averted a strike. -more-
Rosa Parks Elementary School won’t have the official dedication ceremony for its new name until February, but students, parents, and teachers are gearing up now to get as much educational mileage as possible out of the highly symbolic designation. -more-
Some skip school because they can’t afford to get there; schools say they’re losing attendance revenue -more-
