News

It was three days after the Sept. 11 attacks, and Angela Porter, a Berkeley grantwriter, was on her way to a candlelight vigil in Petaluma. -more-

The Berkeley High boys’ basketball team mounted a dramatic comeback Wednesday night only to come up short in the final seconds, falling 58-55 to the Acalanes Dons in their opening-round game of the Leo LaRocca Sand Dunes Classic at Saint Ignatius Prep in San Francisco. -more-

Thursday, Dec. 27

Editor: -more-

City officials are keeping a close eye on a local medical marijuana club that has been robbed at gunpoint twice during the last two months. -more-

Editor: -more-

Three weeks ago, when a janitorial company’s supervisor called Adalberto Mendoza, it wasn’t to extend the best wishes of the season to the janitor’s wife and four children. -more-

Arms are an instrument of evil, -more-

-more-

Editor: -more-

PETALUMA — An unmanned aircraft somehow broke from its moorings as its owner worked on the engine and took to the air Wednesday afternoon in rural Sonoma County. -more-

Editor: -more-

SACRAMENTO — One of the state’s most notorious serial killers, serving a life sentence for the murders he said he committed at the command of voices in his head, is set to come up for parole for the ninth time on Thursday. -more-

STOCKTON — A Stockton man accused of going on a shooting spree on Christmas, shooting his father, the mother of his 7-month-old son and then fatally shooting her mother was booked Wednesday on murder charges, officials said. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Grapes and wine from Chile. Tomatoes, carrots and broccoli from Mexico. Apple juice from Hungary. Orange juice from Brazil. -more-

PASADENA — A judge says next week’s Rose Bowl game isn’t a judicial emergency and the courthouse will stay open, despite predictions that a crush of fans will clog city streets during the first-ever non-holiday football contest. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A man died and his wife was rescued from the San Francisco Bay after their Jeep Cherokee careened into the chilly waters Tuesday afternoon. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Prompted by rolling blackouts and some of the nation’s highest energy bills, California residents and businesses used rebates to buy record numbers of energy-efficient appliances and solar panels in 2001. -more-

Town crier wins -more-

WASHINGTON — No suspects. No telltale clues. Not even a trace of Chandra Levy has surfaced in the baffling case of the missing federal intern. -more-

NEWPORT, Ore. — Christian Longo, the father of the boy and girl found dead in Waldport last week, has a history of fraud and was recently charged with theft in Lincoln County. -more-

CARSON CITY, Nev.— A drive into the Sierra Nevada can seem like a retreat from time, a return to landscapes unmolested by the 20th century. -more-

GILLETTE, Wyo. — Looking through an office window across the expansive grasslands of his family’s South African ranch, Craig Knight could spot kudu, impala and warthogs foraging across the range land his family used to raise beefmaster cattle. -more-

EUGENE, Ore. — Think of a city known for coffee experts and Seattle, perhaps Portland, come to mind. But Eugene also is home to people who know a few things about whipping up a perfect double skinny latte. -more-

LOS ANGELES — El Salvador’s savage civil war drove Roberto and Margarita Herrador north to the United States in search of a safe haven for their family. They found it in a country that, after 15 years, still won’t accept them. -more-

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — In what may be among the most intense, well-funded investigations ever undertaken into a single species, scientists launched more than 150 studies this year to find out why the Steller sea lion population crashed and remains low. -more-

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico cotton farmers have declared war on a small pest that can wipe out an entire crop. -more-

Jake Fuchs has recently published his second mystery novel in the Nursery School Murders series: “The Death of a Prof.” -more-

Wednesday, Dec. 26

The Daily Planet received a copy of the following statement delivered to the Board of Education Dec. 19. -more-

It was a meeting of the minds. And these days, the minds tend to meet on the sticky question of small schools. -more-

Editor: -more-

For residents who can’t get enough of watching city politics in action, Berkeley Community Media is expanding its cable access service to Channel 78 beginning Jan. 1. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Travelers shuffling through airport security lines during this busy travel time are being serenaded by mariachi bands and wowed by magicians as airports attempt to ease impatience and stress. -more-

Century-old sycamores sick in Livermore -more-

LAS VEGAS — The story of American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh has stirred memories for a Las Vegas man who earned a Bronze Star investigating a treason case during the Korean War. -more-

NEW YORK — The American who was captured fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan once met with Osama bin Laden while living in a terrorist training camp near Kandahar, a published report said. -more-

WALDPORT, Ore. — The two children found dead here in recent days were probably brother and sister, and their deaths were not accidental, authorities said Sunday. -more-

TAHOE CITY— Feet and feet of early season snow are helping to boost the winter ski season in Tahoe, which had gotten off to a slow start. -more-

FORT ORD — A dispute over air pollution and endangered species has left the U.S. Army unable to continue cleaning up this decommissioned military base, where rockets, grenades, mortars, bullets and other potentially lethal scrap lie unexploded in the brush. -more-

It’s taken four and a half years of dogged activism, but Beebo Turman is finally “cautiously optimistic” about the state of recycling in Berkeley’s public schools. -more-

Going into Saturday night’s game against highly-ranked Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), the ’Jackets knew the Crusaders had two big weapons, forwards Marquis Kately and John Tofi. But Riordan showed that it is more than the big duo, as two of the supporting cast had big nights to help their team to a 58-39 win in Berkeley. -more-

Monday, Dec. 24

-more-

Berkeley is in the midst of an unusual crime wave and city officials have so far been helpless to stop the culprits who are robbing $1 million from city coffers one coin at a time. -more-

TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior center Ami Forney posted 20 points and 11 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to prevent Cal from losing to Arizona State 63-49 Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena. -more-

Editor: -more-

Pity the person who must find a way to make a 2000-year-old story sing. One would think that every approach, every once-novel spin on the tale, had been tried and abandoned centuries ago. -more-

Editor: -more-

The graduate school of journalism of the University of California at Berkeley has announced that Jay T. Harris, former chairman and publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, has been appointed as the Robert C. Maynard Fellow. -more-

Editor: -more-

Emeryville police are seeking the public’s help in tracking down a suspect who they say shot a man at about midnight Saturday on the 5500 block of Shellmound Street. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – The green, circular kiosk-style restrooms that sit on San Francisco’s streets cost only a quarter to use, but officials have recently found many toilets may be getting more than just a flush. -more-

City boards reflecting Asian populations -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – In crisp December, the Golden Gate Bridge soars above a sun-spangled San Francisco Bay, sinewy metal shoulders holding up a cerulean sky. -more-

SACRAMENTO – Just as Californians make their New Year’s resolutions, they will start seeing a barrage of television advertisements featuring candidates making pledges of their own. -more-

SANTA ANA – Orange County officials will make a controversial step by becoming the first in the state to use global positioning satellites to track released sex offenders. -more-

LOS ANGELES – Police on Saturday identified a motorist killed by the plunging body of a suicidal killer. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – While other merchants cash in on the busiest shopping season of the year, the Gap Inc. is trying to dig itself out of a hole. -more-

LOS ANGELES – California farmers say they are struggling with the after-effects of September’s terrorists attacks as major customers in the travel, hospitality and leisure industries cut their orders. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – The explosion of the Hispanic and Chinese populations in the United States during the past decade has been a boon for ethnic media that cater to people with limited English. -more-

By David Scharfenberg -more-

Friday, Dec. 21

-more-

It started in 1971 with a group of “young hippie potters” looking for a cheap place to live and practice their craft. Today, the Berkeley Potters Guild, which claims to be the oldest and largest ceramics guild in northern California, is known nationwide for the high quality of its members’ clay work. -more-

-more-

Cortez makes Cal staff nearly complete -more-

Sometime in the not-too-distant future, AC Transit buses could shoot down Telegraph Avenue from the UC Berkeley campus into downtown Oakland in their own, dedicated lanes. -more-

-more-

Berkeley High basketball fans will get a chance to help the community when they come out to see the ’Jackets play on Saturday night, as the Friends of Berkeley Boys’ Basketball will be holding a toy drive. -more-

CHICAGO — The cinematic journey finally began Wednesday for “Lord of the Rings” fans. -more-

Housing, land-use and transportation policies for the next 20 years were adopted by the City Council in a 5-4 vote Tuesday. The council will consider the remaining six sections of the Draft General Plan early next year. -more-

The Daily Planet received a copy of this letter, reproduced in part, addressed to officials at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control: -more-

BEVERLY HILLS — It’s definitely a year for the terrifying, troubled, twisted and tragic at the movies. Solemn films about delusion, blackmail, vengeance and doomed love dominated Golden Globe contenders, including “A Beautiful Mind” and “Moulin Rouge,” which led with six nominations each. -more-

Editor: -more-

Tanya Mandel, editor, KPFA broadcaster and activist, died Tuesday. She was 84. -more-

Editor: -more-

Friday -more-

-more-

AC Transit will operate local and transbay bus service on Sunday Schedules this Tuesday, Dec. 25, as the East Bay joins in the observance of the Christmas Day holiday. -more-

Editor: -more-

The Berkeley police released detailed information Wednesday regarding last Friday’s auto vs. pedestrian accident at the intersection of Russell Street and Claremont Avenue. -more-

RENO, Nev. — Another powerful storm swept through the Sierra on Thursday, stalling traffic and closing schools one day before the start of winter. -more-

STANFORD — Stanford University has stripped three prominent gynecologic surgeons of their honorary faculty status and removed them as directors of an on-campus surgical training center. -more-

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-

SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz Sentinel may soon be for sale, according to its owner, Ottaway Newspapers. -more-

Oakland to pay woman struck by police car

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — After 17 years of dispensing advice on everything from positions to prowess, sex columnist Isadora Alman has been dumped by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, an alternative weekly newspaper. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday approved a bill to allow the families of the Sept. 11 victims to watch the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, the first man indicted on charges related to the attacks. -more-

SAN JOSE — In a surprise move, the defense rested Thursday without calling any witnesses in the elephant abuse trial of a star Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus performer. -more-

MARTINEZ — A judge decided Thursday that prosecutors have enough evidence to go ahead with a trial in the grisly killings of five people last summer. -more-

We both are adamant about quality, and that includes cabinetry. Nothing bothers us more than second-rate cabinet displays in home centers. They look good from a distance, and some even look pretty good up close. But, when you know what you’re looking for, most of what you’ll find are poorly constructed products with mediocre finishes, made with inferior raw materials. The unwary consumer is fooled by their cutesy designs and slick looks — all sizzle and no steak. -more-

If you’ve got a bubble in a plastic laminate countertop it’s not a good thing. This material is used on the majority of countertops in the world and usually provides years of service without complaint. In the kitchen, water is the enemy and countertops can be its victim. Generally they are watertight and not at risk, however, occasionally the plastic laminate does separate from the substrate (the plywood or particleboard underneath) and results in a “bubble” on the surface or as a loose corner that lifts when snagged. The laminate and substrate are glued together with strong contact cement and often when it loosens, heat and pressure can reactivate its holding power. Use a hot iron with a towel (to protect the surface) and then add weight (like books) for pressure until things cool down. When removed, it should look as good as new, without your having to add a drop of glue. -more-

There’s nothing like pruning a prickly gooseberry bush or a thorny rose on a cold day to give an appreciation for gardening gloves. Gardeners who like to wallow with their hands in the soil might frown at the idea of a gardening glove between their skin and the muck. But not every gardener enjoys dirty hands, and cold weather or thorny plants make gloves a necessity. -more-

LAS VEGAS — The percentage of children living in poverty in Nevada hasn’t changed significantly over the past decade but was lower than the national average, according to the most recent estimates released Thursday by the Census Bureau. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The people who put on the Grammys strive to bring the public the “freshest show” possible, but they don’t blacklist performers who appear on the rival American Music Awards, the recording academy’s president said. -more-

Marin County native admits he was part of fighters funded by bin Laden to fight for Taliban -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Federal prosecutors have decided not to file charges against Alaska Airlines after a three-year grand jury probe into reported irregularities at a maintenance center. -more-

LANCASTER — As many as 400 inmates rioted Thursday at a state prison and five were critically injured, authorities said. -more-

LONG BEACH — Family and friends mourned the death of a high school student who collapsed while preparing for a Presidential Fitness Test. -more-

LOS ANGELES— The City Council approved a $1 million settlement with the family of a New Jersey man who was killed in an accident on the historic Angels Flight funicular railway. -more-

City already has spent $36 million on the August 2000 convention -more-

LOS ANGELES — People who stockpiled drugs to protect themselves from the anthrax bacteria were warned Wednesday about a serious health threat if they take the antibiotics inappropriately during the flu season. -more-

LOS ANGELES — A man who allegedly sent a co-worker a phony anthrax letter has been charged with making a criminal threat and could face up to six years in prison if convicted. -more-