News

Small schools debate continues

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Berkeley High School students called on the district to put effective leadership in place at their school and to address the “achievement gap” separating white and minority students, during a student forum on small schools held Tuesday. -more-


BHS soccer star wants more than just a free kick

By Tim Haran Daily Planet Correspondent
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Annie Borton knew that a tough pre-season schedule would prove beneficial in the long run, even if it meant dropping a few games. -more-


Guy Poole
Wednesday December 19, 2001


Wednesday, Dec. 19


Better discipline needed at Willard

Tonia Johnson Berkeley
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Editor: -more-


Staff
Wednesday December 19, 2001

MUSIC


Tradition of sex cruising at Aquatic Park to end

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Wednesday December 19, 2001

It’s 1:30 p.m. on a chilly afternoon at the south end of Aquatic Park, and about 15 men are engaging in a long-standing tradition in the remote and secluded area – cruising for casual sex with strangers. -more-


Judge small schools on their merits

Carol S. Lashof Berkeley
Wednesday December 19, 2001

The show will go on

By Hank Sims Daily Planet staff
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Fears that a federal arts grant to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre might be denied on political grounds were dispelled on Tuesday, when the National Endowment for the Arts reported the theater was among the winners of its latest round of grants. -more-


Be cautious with changes at BHS

Noriko Nishizawa Parent of two BHS students Berkeley
Wednesday December 19, 2001

The Berkeley Daily Planet received this letter addressed to the Berkeley School Board: -more-


Women’s endorsements heat up March elections

By Pamela Reynolds Special to the Daily Planet
Wednesday December 19, 2001

OAKLAND – There was standing-room-only Monday night as local candidates campaigned for endorsements from the Political Action Committee of the National Women’s Political Caucus, Alameda North Chapter. -more-


Police enforcement works

Jim Powell Berkeley
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Editor: -more-


City receives affordable housing loan

Bay City News Service
Wednesday December 19, 2001

The California Housing Finance Agency is loaning millions of dollars to Berkeley and 15 other California cities, including Oakland, to help create affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents. -more-


No conflict for commissioner

Robert Clear Berkeley
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Editor, -more-


UC students write anthology in response to the Sept. 11 events

Daily Planet wire services
Wednesday December 19, 2001

Two UC Berkeley graduate students in anthropology are generating international interest with a 600-page anthology relating to the events of Sept. 11. -more-


Genetically engineered grapevines meet consumer resistance

By Collen Valles The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Advancements have been made in the fight against the vine-killing disease threatening California’s $33 billion wine industry, including the development of grapevines genetically engineered to be resistant to it. -more-


AIDS Ride management dispute leads to lawsuit

By Kim Curtis The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — The California AIDS Ride, a feel-good event in which 11,000 cyclists have raised $40 million since 1994, is being abandoned by the nonprofit agencies it benefits. They say it’s unacceptable they get only 50 cents of every dollar raised. -more-


Gilroy City Council approves theme park

The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

GILROY — Bonfante Gardens, the bucolic but cash-strapped theme park built by a former supermarket mogul, is expected to open again in the spring after the City Council approved a rescue plan. -more-


Family of ‘American Taliban’ upset letter hasn’t reached him

By Justin Prichard The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — The parents of John Walker Lindh, the 20-year-old American captured in Afghanistan alongside Taliban fighters, are upset that a letter they sent him through the Red Cross has not been delivered. -more-


Bay Area has one third of pot plant seizures, trumps traditional growers

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SACRAMENTO — The San Francisco Bay area produced nearly a third of the marijuana plants seized in California this fall, eclipsing the 16 percent seized in the North Coast’s “Emerald Triangle” area that once accounted for the majority of the locally grown crop. -more-


Smokeless tobacco companies settle lawsuit

By Paul Elias The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Makers and sellers of chewing tobacco have agreed to pay $2.75 million and post signs warning of smokeless products’ health hazards in stores to settle a suit, San Francisco City Attorney Louise Renne said Tuesday. -more-


New data shows Hispanics dominate California birth rate

By Robert Jablon The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

LOS ANGELES — In another sign that Hispanics will dominate California’s future, a university study has found that the ethnic group accounted for nearly half of all births in the state by the end of the last decade. -more-


Actors used to jump-start tourism

By Simon Avery The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

LOS ANGELES — California dropped a few names and some big bucks into its latest ad campaign aimed at boosting the state’s slumping tourism. -more-


Gubernatorial candidate Jones presents state defense plan

By Karen Gaudette The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Jones called for California to boost its ranks of National Guard troops and give them more incentives to continue serving. -more-


Sierra snow already at half of season’s measure

The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SACRAMENTO — With winter still officially a few days away, state hydrologists say the Sierra Nevada already has accumulated half the snow the region normally gets in the wet-weather season. -more-


Mumia’s death sentence thrown out

By Mary Claire Dale The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge threw out Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death sentence Tuesday and ordered a new sentencing hearing for the former Black Panther alternately portrayed as a vicious cop-killer and a victim of a racist frame-up. -more-


Vaccinating kids against hepatitis A can prevent outbreaks, a study says

The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

CHICAGO — Hepatitis A outbreaks in all age groups could be prevented if children were routinely vaccinated against the liver ailment, a study in Northern California suggests. -more-


Newsday cuts third section to save money

The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

NEW YORK — Newsday is eliminating a third section on weekdays and offering more early retirement packages as part of an ongoing effort to cut costs. -more-


Hewlett heir wonders if HP management will step down if Compaq deal fails

By Brian Bergstein The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN JOSE — The leading opponent of Hewlett-Packard’s plans to buy Compaq Computer Corp. is demanding that HP clarify reports that directors and top executives would step down if shareholders reject the $22 billion deal. -more-


3Com’s loss narrows in second quarter, beats expectations

By Matthew Fordahl The Associated Press
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SAN JOSE — 3Com Corp. beat Wall Street expectations in the second quarter as the troubled network equipment maker’s loss narrowed and business showed signs of turning around. -more-


Connecting ski slopes idea grows stronger with Utah’s expansion

By Brian Maffley The Salt Lake Tribune
Wednesday December 19, 2001

SALT LAKE CITY — In 1990, the idea of linking the central Wasatch Range’s seven ski areas came up in Salt Lake County planning circles and was rejected. Aerial trams over the top of the Wasatch and a tunnel through the range did not make much sense for the skiing public, although someone was sure to get rich off the scheme, recall those who participated in the debate. -more-


District removes Washington teacher

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Tuesday December 18, 2001

After months of parent complaints, school officials reassigned a first grade teacher at Washington Communications and Technology Magnet School to another job in the district Friday afternoon, according to several people familiar with the move. -more-


Calendar of Events & Activities

Tuesday December 18, 2001

Tuesday, Dec. 18 -more-


Study parking

Deborah Badhia Downtown Berkeley Association
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Study parking -more-


Arts

Tuesday December 18, 2001

924 Gilman Dec. 21: Kepi, Bonfire Madigan, Kevin Seconds; Dec. 22: The Lab Rats, Onetime Angels, A great Divide, Last Great Liar, Gabriel’s Ratchet; Dec. 23: 5 p.m., Over My Dead Body, Panic,Breaker, Some Still Believe; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 -more-


Three sections of Draft General Plan slated for council approval

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Tuesday December 18, 2001

After more than two years of public meetings and workshops, the City Council is expected to approve three sections of the Draft General Plan tonight. In question, however, is whether the council will move forward on four other proposed amendments, put forward by Ecocity Builders. -more-


Ecocity plan pro-profit

Carol Denney Berkeley
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Ecocity plan pro-profit -more-


Are flags enough?

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet staff
Tuesday December 18, 2001

A pedestrian was reportedly hit by a car Friday morning at the intersection of Russell Street and Claremont Avenue, the very spot where flags had been placed with much fanfare the day before in order to make pedestrians more visible as they cross the street. -more-


Ecocity plan pro-neighborhood

Erik Ferry Richmond
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Ecocity plan pro-neighborhood -more-


The driving force behind energy consumption

By Alice La Pierre City of Berkeley Energy Office
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Sales for durable goods rose an amazing 12.8 percent during the month of October 2001, the largest-ever increase in sales in U.S. history. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Consumer Index Report,(http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/adv/priorrel.htm) the vast majority of those purchases (more than 9 percent, or $15.3 billion) were the sale of cars and trucks. The bulk of those sales were for pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles, or SUVs. -more-


Upgrade transit

Steve Geller Berkeley
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Homelessness, scents and a wine boycott on agenda

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Among the issues the City Council will consider during its last meeting of the year will be an authorization for the city manager to increase a contract with Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity, Inc. by $50,000 to run the city’s Homelessness Prevention Program. The HPP program has already exhausted its annual $110,000 per year allocation due to an increase of clients. -more-


Sometimes, gotta drive, park

Alan Kropp and Associates, Inc. Berkeley
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Editor: -more-


Bay Area Briefs

Tuesday December 18, 2001

Teacher found dead in her car -more-


Plan makes sense

Richard Register Berkeley
Tuesday December 18, 2001

Editor: -more-


Judge refuses to dimiss circus elephant abuse case

By Brian BergsteinThe Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

SAN JOSE — A judge refused to drop elephant abuse charges Monday against a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus star, setting up a closely watched trial this week. -more-


Corrections officers set for sizable salary boost in five-year tentative pact

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Corrections officers could see salary boosts of 20-30 percent in the final years of a tentative five-year state contract, officials said Monday. -more-


Universal in shape before arrival of Barry Diller

By Gary Gentile The Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

LOS ANGELES — Can Barry Diller leave well enough alone? -more-


Calpine’s struggles may prod change of plans

By Michael Liedtke The Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — In early October, investors still seemed willing to give Calpine Corp. whatever it needed to realize its goal of becoming the nation’s largest power generator. -more-


Palm Inc. chooses Texas Instruments to supply chips for wireless devices

The Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

SAN JOSE — Palm Inc. said Monday it has chosen Texas Instruments as the “preferred supplier” of chips for its next generation of wireless handheld devices. -more-


Churches forced to scale back ministries by weak economy

By Rachel Zoll The Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

When the stock market soared, the worldwide network of United Methodist missionaries thought big. -more-


CDC starts smallpox training

By Erin McClam The Associated Press
Tuesday December 18, 2001

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began training state and local health officials Monday on how to recognize smallpox and quickly contain an outbreak spread by terrorists. -more-


Middle school still without a police officer

By David Scharfenberg, Daily Planet staff
Monday December 17, 2001

A year after a high-profile sexual assault against a 12-year-old student, Willard Middle School still does not have a police officer assigned to its campus. -more-


Out & About Calendar

Compiled by Guy Poole
Monday December 17, 2001


Monday, Dec. 17

-more-


Willard lacks daily discipline

Tonia Johnson
Monday December 17, 2001

Art & Entertainment Calendar

Staff
Monday December 17, 2001

Panthers look like team of old in easy win

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Monday December 17, 2001

Sharper scores 24 vs. Bethel -more-


A tale of two developments

By Hank Sims, Daily Planet staff
Monday December 17, 2001

We need more trees, less metal

Donald Schweter
Monday December 17, 2001

Sports shorts

Staff
Monday December 17, 2001

’Jackets win Mel Goode Classic


-more-


Neighbors worry about left over radiation from lab

By John Geluardi, Daily Planet Staff
Monday December 17, 2001

When Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced the closure of its Tritium facility last September, many city officials and residents breathed a sigh of relief. But now a neighborhood organization is raising concerns about how the laboratory will dispose of left over radioactive and chemically toxic materials. -more-


Costa-Hawkins would set back rent control3

Robert Cabrera
Monday December 17, 2001

Editor: -more-


JDL recording thanks supporters; calls case ’politically motivated’

The Associated Press
Monday December 17, 2001

LOS ANGELES – Two Jewish Defense League members accused of terrorist activity thanked their supporters Sunday and asserted they would be found innocent of the charges against them. -more-


Local Briefs

Staff
Monday December 17, 2001

Traffic monitor hit by car


-more-


Sacramento publisher booed during college graduation speech

The Associated Press
Monday December 17, 2001

SACRAMENTO – A Sacramento publisher’s commencement speech was drowned out by hecklers after she began speaking about threats to civil liberties posed by the federal government’s investigation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. -more-


Bay Briefs

Staff
Monday December 17, 2001

MTC sets aside $1.7 million for bus passes for poor students


-more-


NYC firefighters complete cross-country bike ride

By Erica Werner, Associated Press Writer
Monday December 17, 2001

Five finish 2,757-mile route -more-


Santa Clarita to start innovative curbside diaper recycling program in spring 2002

The Associated Press`
Monday December 17, 2001

Advocates say program will reduce landfills -more-


New management services deliver help with e-mail onslaught

By Michael Liedtke, AP Business Writer
Monday December 17, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – If your e-mail box is already besieged by unwanted salutations and solicitations, brace yourself – the onslaught is about to get worse. -more-


Swine are divine in elementary school recycling effort

By Michelle Locke Associated Press Writer
Monday December 17, 2001

Student body at Oak Grove have reduced landfill output by almost 90 percent using worms and pigs -more-


Burning Man organizers say they’re being taken by doubled federal fees

The Associated Press
Monday December 17, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – Burning Man organizers do not understand why the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has doubled fees over the past three years for those wishing to attend the popular festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. -more-


Democratic club endorses Ramsey, Fox Ruby

By David Scharfenberg, Berkeley Daily Planet staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

The Berkeley Democratic Club, home to the moderate wing of the city’s Democratic Party, overwhelmingly endorsed Charles Ramsey for the 14th State Assembly District seat and Jacki Fox Ruby for the Alameda County Board of Education on Thursday. Both candidates are up for election in March. -more-


Out & About Calendar

– Compiled by Guy Poole
Saturday December 15, 2001


Saturday, Dec. 15

-more-


Julia Morgan’s Berkeley City Club serves as an inspiration

By Susan Cerny
Saturday December 15, 2001

A recent exhibit at the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum explored the concept of environmentally responsible architecture. The buildings presented in the exhibit were designed and built within the past few years and their design was distinctly contemporary. -more-


CUE files claim against LBNL

Lee Purbaugh
Saturday December 15, 2001

Editor: -more-


Precious gifts, books capture spirit of great art

By Joan Brunskill, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

Splendor of the masters reborn in pages of many fine art booksxZ -more-


Arts & Entertainment Calendar

Staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

Pleasant Valley hands Lady ’Jackets third loss of season

By Jared Green, Daily Planet Staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

When it comes to Northern California dominance, the Berkeley High girls’ basketball team is usually right up there with De La Salle football. But although the Spartans won yet another NorCal title this season, times may be changing for the Lady ’Jackets. -more-


ZAB votes to close down Gypsy parlor

By Hank Sims, Daily Planet staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

Berkeley police officers exchanged high-fives in Old City Hall Thursday night after the Zoning Adjustments Board voted to shutter the Golden Gypsy Massage Parlor for good. -more-



Psychics could see stiff regulations in their future

By John Geluardi, Daily Planet staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

America’s Iraq policy a sham

Bill Mitch
Saturday December 15, 2001

Obituary

Staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

Floyd Lee Gill, owner and operator of Gill’s Ambassador Shoe Repair Shop in Berkeley for 48 years, died Dec. 12 from natural causes. He was 77 years old. -more-


Boycotting unAmerican city

Bill Kinney
Saturday December 15, 2001

Hyde School honors academic excellence

Staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

BATH, MAINE – The following local residents recently received academic honors from the independent, character-based Hyde School in Bath: -more-


A season to share

Staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

Following are some local-serving community agencies that can use financial and/or volunteer help. The Daily Planet is listing these nonprofits as a public service and does not have first-hand knowledge of the work of most of the agencies. -more-


Mysterious form of breast cancer crops up in three Castro Valley women

The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

CASTRO VALLEY — Within a 10-month period in 1999, three women who worked in the same office at Eden Medical Center were diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a very rare and aggressive type of the disease that strikes just a few dozen women in the Bay Area every year. -more-


Police Blotter

– Hank Sims
Saturday December 15, 2001

Victims’ loved ones apalled by bin Laden tapes

The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

Terrorist leader reminds one Bay Area resident of a gloating, smirking criminal -more-


Bay Area Briefs

Staff
Saturday December 15, 2001

On the House

by James and Morris Carey
Saturday December 15, 2001

Installing a frost-proof sillcock -more-


Questions and Answers on the House

By Morris and James Carey
Saturday December 15, 2001

Q. Roy asks: Help! I recently moved into a house that has a wooden front door with a large oval window, which takes up most of the door. In the past two months a gap has slowly formed and grown between the door and the window molding. It is about 3/4 of an inch at the top of the window and tapers down as it follows the contours of the window. You can see through it to the outside. It appears that the window is settling. Is this possible? What can I do to fix it? Is there a caulk I should use, or will I have to replace my front door? -more-


Tip of the Week

By Morris and James Carey
Saturday December 15, 2001

Door hinge fill-in -more-


Renaissance man restores log cabins with old-fashioned tools

By Sarah Cooke, Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald
Saturday December 15, 2001

BERTHOUD, Colo. — Bent over a 14-foot-long ponderosa pine log, Peter Haney gripped a 19th-century broad ax and meticulously shaved small slices of wood from its right side. -more-


Trial of circus trainer is big moment for animal activists

By Brian Bergstein The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

Years of protesting, complaining come to a head as one prominent performer opens a bloody wound on an elephant -more-


Tribal leaders upset over Norton reshuffling of Indian trust

By Angela Turner, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Interior Secretary Gale Norton says she supports forming a task force that would help her smooth money-management problems with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. -more-


Feds, academicians assessing Biosphere 2 climate

By Arthur H. Rothstein, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

TUCSON, Ariz. — Federal, academic and international scientists will be eyeing Biosphere 2 this weekend to determine its suitability for climate research. -more-


Cuba to get first commercial U.S. food since 1963

By Alan Sayre, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

reighter departs on two-day voyage egging on embargo debate -more-


N.C. death row inmate found to be retarded, given life terms

By Emery Dalesio, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

RALEIGH, N.C. — A death row inmate who is said to have the mind of a first-grader became the first person to have his sentence reduced under a new North Carolina law barring execution of the mentally retarded. -more-


Students at historically black college object to TV ad limiting hairstyles

The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

BALTIMORE — A public relations firm is under fire for inviting students with only straight, chemically processed or short hair to appear in a TV commercial for historically black Morgan State University. -more-


California unemployment tops 1 million mark

By Simon Avery, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

LOS ANGELES — The number of Californians out of work topped 1 million for the first time in nearly five years in November, as increasing job cuts in the state comprised a disproportionately large amount of the national total, officials said Friday. -more-


Deal could leave Barry Diller leading Universal

By Gary Gentile, The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

LOS ANGELES — Media mogul Barry Diller could emerge as head of Universal Studios if Vivendi Universal buys the film and TV assets of Diller’s USA Networks, sources familiar with the negotiations said Friday. -more-


Lame-duck cable provider cuts 400 of its 1,300 jobs

The Associated Press
Saturday December 15, 2001

REDWOOD CITY — Preparing to go out of business at the end of February, bankrupt cable Internet provider Excite@Home laid off 400 of its 1,300 employees Friday. -more-


Click and Clack Talk Cars

Tom & Ray Magliozzi
Saturday December 15, 2001

Breaking in brakes -more-


LeConte safety hazard concerns mount

By David Scharfenberg, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 14, 2001

Dangerous playground equipment, exposed piping and moldy bathroom floors are just a few of the safety hazards at LeConte School that parents and principal Patricia Saddler have been urging the district to fix for months. -more-


Out & About Calendar

Compiled by Guy Poole
Friday December 14, 2001


Friday, Dec. 14

-more-


Psychic abilities?

Dan Dugan
Friday December 14, 2001

Editor: -more-


Some like it hot

Sari Friedman
Friday December 14, 2001

For a good time you can search the bathroom walls for phone numbers, try a quirky new salsa recipe or get into your favorite pajamas to watch yet another rerun of “Sex in the City.” -more-


Arts & Entertainment Calendar

Staff
Friday December 14, 2001

924 Gilman Dec. 14: Hot Water Music, American Steel, F-Minus, Trial By Fire; Dec. 15: Strung Out, Limp, The Frisk, The Deadlines, The Creeps; Dec. 16: 5 p.m., Good Riddance, Missing 23rd, Downway, Audio Crush; Dec. 21: Kepi, Bonfire Madigan, Kevin Seconds; Dec. 22: The Lab Rats, Onetime Angels, A great Divide, Last Great Liar, Gabriel’s Ratchet; Dec. 23: 5 p.m., Over My Dead Body, Panic, Breaker Breaker, Some Still Believe; All shows start a 8 p.m. unless noted; Most are $5; 924 Gilman St. 525-9926 -more-


Berkeley girls on a hot streak, beat Encinal 10-0

By Jared Green, Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 14, 2001

Berkeley High girls’ soccer coach Suzanne Sillett intentionally scheduled a very tough pre-league schedule for her team this year, intending to get the young ’Jackets ready for ACCAL play. But if the first two games are any indication, Sillett didn’t need to worry too much. -more-


Pacifica wars’ end in sight

By Judith Scherr, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 14, 2001

After almost three years of strife, peace may be returning to the five listener-sponsored Pacifica Foundation radio stations. -more-


Skeptics will write psychic test

Daniel Sabsay,
Friday December 14, 2001

A’s lose 2-time MVP Giambi to Yankees

By Ben Walker, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

NEW YORK – His long hair trimmed and his goatee shaved, Jason Giambi stepped into Yankee Stadium wearing a three-piece suit and looking like a new man. -more-


Advocates support parking study hold

By John Geluardi, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 14, 2001

City Council to consider definition of ‘culture’ -more-


Try transit first, the balanced approach

Wendy Alfsen
Friday December 14, 2001

Editor: -more-


Cal’s Coughlin named USOC female athlete of the month

Daily Planet Wire Services
Friday December 14, 2001

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Cal swimmer Natalie Coughlin was named the female November 2001 Athlete and Team of the Month Award winner for athletic accomplishments during the month by the United States Olympic Committee on Wednesday. -more-


Ecocity plan unworkable

Michael Katz and Becky O’Malley
Friday December 14, 2001

Editor: -more-


Clarification

Staff
Friday December 14, 2001

Jolyn Warford, Regional Marketing Coordinator for Whole Foods, said she provided the Planet with inaccurate information for its Dec. 5 story, “Protesters say hemp is food not drugs.” Warford said that, contrary to her previous statements, Whole Foods will continue to stock hemp food despite a new federal regulation banning the products. She said Whole Foods does not believe hemp food contains enough THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, to justify the ban. -more-


Hemp foods already comply – no THC

Richard Rose
Friday December 14, 2001

Editor: -more-


Lakireddy judge pulls out of case

By Hank Sims, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 14, 2001

Citing a “conflict of interest,” the federal court judge presiding over the trial of Vijay and Prasad Lakireddy, sons of jailed Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy, has handed the case to a colleague. -more-


Scientists unsure of ecosystem’s carbon dioxide absorption rate

By Andrew Bridges, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — Scientists are uncertain how much of the carbon dioxide given off naturally each year within the North American ecosystem is reabsorbed by that system, complicating calculations of the net effect of human activities on emissions of the greenhouse gas. -more-


Bay Area Briefs

Staff
Friday December 14, 2001


2002 projections released -more-


NASA to end three-year Deep Space 1 mission

By Andrew Bridges The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — NASA will cease communicating with its Deep Space 1 spacecraft on Tuesday, ending a three-year mission capped in September when the probe imaged what may be the darkest object in the solar system. -more-


Jeremy Giambi cited for marijuana possession

By Lisa Snedeker, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

Oakland A’s hitter caught in Vegas airport with a half-ounce in bag -more-


Appeals court upholds Setencich conviction

The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has upheld the tax-evasion conviction of Brian Setencich, California’s former Assembly speaker. -more-


State will pay guards’ legal expenses in prison rape lawsuit

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Corrections said Thursday it will pay for the legal defense of three current correctional officers and one former employee accused in a pending federal civil rights lawsuit. -more-


Orange County has least smokers

By Erin McClam, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

ATLANTA — Smoking is more common in the Midwest and South than other parts of the nation, while Orange County has the lowest rate in the country, the government said Thursday in its first city-by-city study of tobacco use. -more-


Former business partner of Mickey Thompson arrested

By Christina Almeida, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

Goodwin taken into custody for slaying of racing legend, wife -more-


Actress Winona Ryder arrested for alleged shoplifting charge

By Anthony Breznican, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

BEVERLY HILLS — Actress Winona Ryder has been arrested for illegal drug possession and shoplifting from a Saks Fifth Avenue boutique, police said Thursday. -more-


Fictional friends are familiar to many generations

By Samantha Critchell, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

Babar, Curious George are renewed and fun for kids -more-


Christmas critters have their parties in merry stories collection

By Zoe Ann Shafer, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

The best holiday tales are wrapped together in “A Christmas Treasury: Very Merry Stories and Poems” (HarperCollins, $16.95, all ages), a beautiful gift from illustrator Kevin Hawkes. -more-


Mistletoe is both good and bad

By Lee Rich, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

Kiss someone under the mistletoe and you’re doing what the Druids did centuries ago. That’s all that remains from the many mistletoe legends of European peoples of centuries ago. -more-


Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders concentrated in West

By Janis L. Magin, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

HONOLULU — Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are such a tiny minority in the United States that only seven states count them as more than one-tenth of a percent of the population, according to a 2000 census report released Thursday. -more-


Feds warn California must curb Colorado water use

By Ken Ritter, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

LAS VEGAS — California must meet a commitment to reduce its dependence on Colorado River water over the next 15 years, a federal Interior Department official warned Thursday. -more-


Some water allowed to flow into grain fields

The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — With a heavy snow in the mountains, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has decided to release a small amount of irrigation water to some farmers who typically leave their fields flooded in the winter. -more-


Mother of Nevada teen slain by BIA officer says son unarmed

The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

ELKO, Nev. — The mother of a teen-ager who was slain by a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer said the officer shot her unarmed son in the back after a struggle at their home on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. -more-


Ag Department cuts first timber checks under new formula

By Katherine Pfleger, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

Nevada balances economy, environment in cat litter fight

By Scott Sonner, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

RENO, Nev. — Executives behind the largest maker of cat litter in the world figured they’d found the perfect place for a West Coast mine and processing plant when they discovered premium clay deposits in a high-desert valley north of Reno. -more-


A new tool in the fight against spam

By Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — If your e-mail box is already besieged by unwanted salutations and solicitations, brace yourself — the onslaught is about to get worse. -more-


Copyright violation charges to be dropped against Russian computer programmer

By Brian Bergstein, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

SAN JOSE — Charges will be dropped against a Russian computer programmer accused of violating electronic-book copyrights in exchange for his testimony in the trial of his company, ending part of a case that has generated worldwide protests. -more-


Anger, some disgust, as Americans watch bin Laden smile

By David Crary, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

Watching a smiling Osama bin Laden assess the Sept. 11 terror attacks, a man who was in the World Trade Center that day said he wanted to smash his TV screen. Said a Marine who also watched bin Laden, “He needs to be taken out.” -more-


Space shuttle Endevour reports problems with a key navigation device

By Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA struggled Thursday to understand a fleeting but perplexing problem with one of space shuttle Endeavour’s key navigation devices. -more-


Two concourses closed in Boston after FAA finds security screeners with no training

By Leslie MIller, The Associated Press
Friday December 14, 2001

BOSTON — US Airways concourses at Logan International Airport were closed for 90 minutes Thursday after the FAA discovered some employees at security checkpoints were improperly trained. -more-


Flagged intersections to help pedestrians

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Flags in Berkeley? -more-


Guy Poole
Thursday December 13, 2001


Thursday, Dec. 13


Staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Don’t abandon what makes U.S. truly best


Staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Music


Oregon’s Tedford named new Cal head coach

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Hoping to wash away the painful memories of the recently completed 1-10 disaster of a season, Cal introduced a new head football coach on Wednesday morning. University of Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Tedford will be the man to replace Tom Holmoe on the Cal sideline, agreeing to a reported five-year contract late Tuesday night. -more-


New principal brings hope to blemished Willard

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

“It’s a new day.” -more-


Gladstone makes his mark with new hiring

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

When Cal chancellor Robert Berdahl made crew rowing coach Steve Gladstone his surprise pick as athletic director earlier this year, he knew he was hiring an unusual candidate, one who would do things a bit differently than your average administrator. The hiring process for Cal’s new head football coach, Jeff Tedford, shows just how independent Gladstone is. -more-


Compromise cell phone antennae ordinance OK’d

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

After a yearlong moratorium, the City Council adopted “workable” amendments to Berkeley’s Zoning Ordinance, which will govern the placement of cell phone antennae around town. -more-


Shipp’s sharp shooting carries Bears past FSU

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Southside Plan draft released to commission, public

By Hank Sims Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Four years in the making, the Southside Plan came one step closer to completion on Wednesday, as a new draft was released to the public and members of the Planning Commission. -more-


City will give out Conscientious Objector information

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

As the City Council meeting closed in on midnight and two councilmembers had already gone home, the council voted to supply workers who answer the city’s general information phones with material about the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors. -more-


Planning Commission, public get first glimpse of draft Southside plan

By Hank Sims Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting had to be canceled because of an administrative error by city staff. -more-


Police department employee dies from aneurysm

Planet staff
Thursday December 13, 2001

Longtime Berkeley Police Department employee Desmond Griffen died Tuesday as a result of a brain aneurysm suffered Saturday. He was 46 years old. -more-


Apartments put to the ’quake test

By Michelle Locke The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

RICHMOND — A reinforced apartment building shook, rattled, but did not fall as engineers put it to the earthquake test Wednesday. -more-


‘American Taliban’ still source of angst

By Justin Pritchard The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SAN ANSELMO — Even in a community where personal growth is prized above all and wealthy ex-hippies groom their children to be independent thinkers, the spiritual journey of John Walker Lindh is a shocker. -more-


Supreme Court blocks sex predator’s release

By Kim Curtis The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — The state Supreme Court decided unanimously Wednesday to keep a serial rapist locked up at a state mental hospital until at least February while it considers his case. -more-


PG&E asks for permission to settle claims under $100,000

The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s largest utility wants to investigate and settle claims from its creditors who are owed less than $100,000 without review by a bankruptcy court or other creditors. -more-


Array of electric, low-emission vehicles showed off

By Steve Lawrence The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Bryan Woodbury may have a solution for motorists who are tired of urban gridlock: A car that can zip through traffic like a motorcycle and squeeze into the smallest parking spaces. -more-


California making environmental justice tenet of air policy

By Leon Drouin Keith The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

LOS ANGELES — Soto Elementary School’s next-door neighbor is a spaghetti network of concrete connecting four of Los Angeles’ busiest freeways. -more-


Candidate looks to vouchers to improve system

By Brian Bergstein The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

PALO ALTO — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon said Wednesday that big school districts like the one in Los Angeles should be broken up, and he suggested offering some form of vouchers to students at underperforming schools. -more-


Anti-Arab hate crimes drop from 9-11 level

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SACRAMENTO — The number of anti-Arab hate crimes in California has dropped to about one a day from the nearly 10 a day reported immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the state attorney general said Tuesday. -more-


Authorities crack down on Middle Eastern students

By Ben Fox The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Immigration authorities arrested 10 people in the San Diego area Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind crackdown on Middle Eastern students suspected of violating the terms of their visas by not being in school. -more-


Davis orders increase on terrorism preparedness

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis ordered five state agencies to increase their terrorism preparedness Wednesday at the recommendation of his terrorism task force. -more-


Authorities arrest militant JDL members in alleged bomb plot

By Linda Deutsch The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

LOS ANGELES — The chairman of the Jewish Defense League was charged Wednesday with plotting to blow up a Los Angeles-area mosque and the office of an Arab-American congressman. -more-


Medical-marijuana less popular than predicted

The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Fewer people than expected have signed up for the state’s medical-marijuana program. -more-


Regulators OK selling gas co. space on pipelines

By Karen Gaudette The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

State regulators order Pacific Bell to speed up phone line repair jobs

The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

1,700 jobs cut by chip equipment maker in SJ

The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001

SONICblue sues TiVo, alleging patent infringement on digital video recording

By May Wong The Associated Press
Thursday December 13, 2001