News

New law grants gays more rights

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet
Wednesday January 02, 2002

Adoption was not as joyous as it might have been for Pamela Springer and Terri Giamartino, a lesbian couple in Berkeley who adopted each other’s biological children in the mid-1990s. -more-


Clogged drains cause apartment building's ceiling to collapse

By Judith Scherr Daily Planet
Wednesday January 02, 2002

First there was a “big boom.” -more-


City's mural may go on national tour

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Wednesday January 02, 2002

City’s mural may go on tour -more-


By Judith Scherr Daily Planet

City may not end 2001 free from homicide
Wednesday January 02, 2002

Berkeley police are investigating what could be the first homicide in the city for 2001. -more-


Insulate your home and finances

By Alice La Pierre City of Berkeley Energy Office
Wednesday January 02, 2002

The holidays are over, and the bills are rolling in. While gas prices are currently lower than last year, there is no guarantee that they will remain that way. Unlike electricity, gas prices are unregulated, and as we experienced a year ago, prices can swing wildly out of control. -more-


Domestic partners, unemployed among beneficiaries of new laws

By STEVE LAWRENCE Associated Press Writer
Wednesday January 02, 2002

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Domestic partners, the unemployed, nursing mothers, janitors, hat-loving students — even sheepherders — will have something extra to celebrate on New Year’s Day. -more-


Bay Briefs

Wednesday January 02, 2002

ANTIOCH, Calif. (AP) — A body found floating in the Delta on Sunday afternoon was identified as Mark Osborn, a 17-year-old Oakley youth who apparently drowned in an accident while duck hunting with his father and a friend. -more-


New Majority seeks to revive GOP

The Associated Press
Wednesday January 02, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A group of wealthy Republicans in Orange County has created the state’s largest GOP political action committee in an attempt to broaden the party’s appeal. -more-


Oakland man plans to run marathon in South Pole

The Associated Press
Wednesday January 02, 2002

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An Oakland businessman is part of a pioneering extreme sports group that plans to run a marathon around the South Pole next month. -more-


Underwater Yosemite

By PAUL ROGERS San Jose Mercury News
Wednesday January 02, 2002

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — With thick kelp forests and exotic wildlife, Monterey Bay has been described more than once as an underwater Yosemite. Now, the ocean expanse will get one of the true trappings of a national park, a visitor center. -more-


2002 economic outlook is dim

By SIMON AVERY AP Business Writer
Wednesday January 02, 2002

LOS ANGELES — A power crisis that cost the state billions. A dot-com bust that was far worse than expected. Finally, the devastating economic impact of a terrorist attack no one could have anticipated. -more-


Farmers greet the new year with less land, more funding

By JIM WASSERMAN Associated Press Writer
Wednesday January 02, 2002

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California’s 89,000 farm owners enter 2002 with 50,000 fewer acres to farm, thanks to urban growth. But they’re also finding more money than ever to save their farms for future generations. -more-


On the Fourth Day of Kwanzaa

By Hank SimsDaily Planet staff
Monday December 31, 2001

The south branch of the Berkeley Public Library overflowed with holiday cheer on Saturday as around 50 celebrants came to mark Ujamaa, the fourth day of Kwanzaa. -more-


Easy offense nets consolation prize for ’Jackets

By Nathan Fox Daily Planet Correspondent
Monday December 31, 2001

After opening the Leo LaRocca Sand Dune Classic boys basketball tournament with a heartbreaking loss to Acalanes, Berkeley High was eliminated from contention in the holiday tournament and placed in the consolation bracket. It would have been very tempting for the Yellowjackets to phone in the tournament’s remaining two games and begin looking forward to a fresh start in 2002. -more-


Compiled by Guy Poole
Monday December 31, 2001


Thursday, Jan. 3


We need to look at all of bin Laden’s tape

Ted Vincent Berkeley
Monday December 31, 2001

Editor: -more-


Staff
Monday December 31, 2001


Food vendor licenses on the back burner

By John GeluardiDaily Planet staff
Monday December 31, 2001

A applicant for a food cart license, who has invested $20,000 and waited over five years for an opportunity to start a business, is becoming impatient with the city’s apparent inability to clarify its licensing policy. -more-


Gates lifts Cal men to Classic championship with late 3-pointer

Staff Report
Monday December 31, 2001

Dennis Gates, known mostly for his defensive prowess, came through with the biggest shot of his career, nailing a 3-pointer with four seconds left in regulation to lift Cal to a 76-73 win over Penn State in the championship game of the Golden Bear Classic on Saturday at Haas Pavilion. -more-


See No Evil, Touch No Evil, Hear No Evil

Steven Donaldson Berkeley
Monday December 31, 2001

Editor: -more-


Board reviews most important 2001 school decisions

Staff
Monday December 31, 2001

With 2001 drawing to a close, the Daily Planet asked members of the Board of Education to recall their most significant decisions from the past year. -more-


Bears lose to Bruins; losing streak at seven

Daily Planet Wire Services
Monday December 31, 2001

California matched its season low for points in a 64-48 loss to UCLA at Haas Pavilion, extending its losing streak to seven games. -more-


Is it worth it to get rid of the mosquitoes?

Aftim Saba Berkeley
Monday December 31, 2001

Editor: -more-


Dui arrests up this year, crashes are down

Bay City News Service
Monday December 31, 2001

Law enforcement personnel in Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey and San Mateo counties are gearing up for the final days of their campaign to combat drunken driving during the holiday season. -more-


Let’s do away with the KKK

Pamela A. Hairston Washington, DC
Monday December 31, 2001

Editor: -more-


Family washes up on Oregon coast

By Andrew Kramer The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

PORTLAND, Ore. – Police say a man burdened with debt and a history of petty crime killed his wife and three young children, ditched their bodies in the Pacific Ocean and then fled south to California. -more-


Gov. Davis taps donors outside state for millions

The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

LOS ANGELES – Gov. Gray Davis has successfully raised millions of dollars across the country for his re-election campaign, using the power of the nation’s most populous state like few politicians before him. -more-


Bomb threat prompts plane evacuation at LAX

The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

LOS ANGELES – An airplane preparing for takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport was evacuated Sunday morning after the airline received a phoned bomb threat, authorities said. -more-


Latino-oriented funds hoping to help communities long-term

The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

CAMARILLO – The 5-year-old Destino 2000 fund is nearing its goal of building a $400,000 endowment to assist Ventura County charities that serve the Hispanic community. -more-


Interest increase in ROTC on college campuses after Sept. 11

The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

SAN JOSE – Throughout top San Francisco Bay area campuses, interest the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps is on the rise, according to cadets and recruiters. -more-


Burning Man organizers hot over rising federal fees

The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s shaping up to be a bad day at Black Rock for Burning Man. -more-


Blackouts aren’t rolling, but state still has bills to pay

By Karen Gaudette The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – A few months ago, California was a megawatt wasteland. As it finishes a tumultuous year, the state now has electricity in such abundance that fallen power giant Enron Corp. has come asking for leftovers. -more-


California’s auto design centers earn nickname “Detroit West”

By Gary Gentile The Associated Press
Monday December 31, 2001

LOS ANGELES – Cars may be born in Detroit, but more and more these days they are conceived in California. -more-


From microscopes to mosquitos

By Hank Sims, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 28, 2001

UC scientist spends spare time trying to stop outbreaks -more-


Out & About Calendar

Compiled by Guy Poole
Friday December 28, 2001


Friday, Dec. 28 -more-


Readers respond to Steinberg: No benefit to bombing

Steen Jensen
Friday December 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


Traditional drumming, dance opens Kwanzaa holiday

By Erica WernerAssociated Press Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

African celebration now in 35th year -more-


Arts & Entertainment Calendar

Staff
Friday December 28, 2001

Forney finally thriving as young Bears struggle

By Dean Caparaz, Daily Planet Correspondent
Friday December 28, 2001

Ami Forney is the brightest light in what has been an up-and-down season for the California women’s basketball team. -more-


Berkeley neighbors hold weekly street peace vigils

By David Scharfenberg, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 28, 2001

North Berkeley residents continue to march during holiday season -more-


Long-term outlook’s grim

Philip Morton
Friday December 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


New movies: ‘Black Hawk Down’ action-packed

By The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

“Black Hawk Down” – Producer Jerry Bruckheimer redeems himself for this year’s drippy debacle “Pearl Harbor.” And he can thank director Ridley Scott for that. The gritty, in-your-face film, based on the botched U.S. military mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, in October 1993, has all the scope and enormity of Bruckheimer’s earlier war extravaganza, but it plays like a documentary of disaster. Scott is relentless here; 90 minutes of the nearly 2 1/2-hour movie are nonstop gunfire. But the movie’s action is so compelling, it’s impossible not to be drawn in and emotionally drained. Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner and Sam Shepard lead the ensemble cast. R for intense, realistic, graphic war violence, and for language. 143 min. -more-


New movies: ‘Black Hawk Down’ action-packed

By The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

New Central Library is stunning, expensive and late

By John Geluardi, Daily Planet staff
Friday December 28, 2001

On April 6, when the city is scheduled to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated, 70-year-old Central Library, the project will be 17 months late and an estimated $5 million over budget. -more-


Can’t celebrate deaths of 4,000 Afghans

Michael P. Hardesty
Friday December 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


CCC launches 4th annual amateur photo competition

Daily Planet Staff
Friday December 28, 2001

The California Coastal Commission has announced its fourth annual Amateur Photography Competition for 2002. -more-


Berkeleyans allow others to die for their freedoms

Bob Tanguay
Friday December 28, 2001

Editor: -more-


San Jose hospital scrambles after losing power

The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

SAN JOSE – Doctors scrambled to stabilize about a dozen patients after power went off Thursday evening at a San Jose hospital. -more-


California has worst roads in U.S. and spends least to fix them

By Colleen Valles Associated Press Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – In California, where the car is king, the roads are hardly fit for royalty. -more-


‘Alphabet soup’ agencies assessing California’s terrorist threats

By Don Thompson, The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

Some groups overlap in duties as coordination forms slowly -more-


California counterterrorism groups

Don Thompson The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

CATIC: California Anti-Terrorism Information Center. Set up by Attorney General Bill Lockyer Sept. 25. Intelligence gathering and threat assessment. -more-


Good lighting for your home: Let it shine

By Carol McGarvey, Better Homes and Gardens Books
Friday December 28, 2001

Good lighting for your home: Let it shineL -more-


By Carol McGarvey, Better Homes and Gardens Books

a On the House ,Replacing a lamp socket By James and Morris Carey
Friday December 28, 2001

This do-it-yourself project is pretty easy to do and can actually make your home safer a lot safer. We were once paid $55,000 to partially rebuild a fire-damaged condominium that had exploded into flames when a short circuit occurred in a frayed lamp cord. Fortunately, the owner was away at the time and was not injured. But, she lost just about everything she owned, family photos, personal records, memorabilia, her wardrobe, furniture, clothing everything. -more-


Poinsettia growers respond to demand for designer colors

By Elliott Minor, Associated Press Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

ALBANY, Ga. – Poinsettias, the traditional Christmas plants, are changing to meet designer tastes. -more-


Stone gardens inspire meditation, evoke nostalgia, and can be aesthetically pleasing

By George Bria, The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

Stone gardens inspire meditation, evoke nostalgia, and can be aesthetically pleasing -more-


Agriculture chief upholds management plan for 11.5 million acres of Sierra

By Jim Wasserman, Associated Press Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

SACRAMENTO – The Bush administration announced support Thursday for a Clinton-era management plan that gives a new environmental tilt to managing 11.5 million acres of national forests in the Sierra Nevada. -more-


Northridge quake victims have until Dec. 31 to reopen claims

The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

LOS ANGELES – Insurance policy holders who were victims of the 1994 Northridge earthquake have until Dec. 31 to reopen claims. -more-


Judicial watchdog agency charges Fresno judge linked to Ponzi scheme

By David Kravets, The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO – A California judicial watchdog agency is charging a Fresno County judge with misconduct in connection with his alleged link to a fraudulent investment scandal. -more-


Proposal could mandate disabled access for private homes

By Gisele Durham, Associated Press Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

‘People’s Republic’ in Santa Monica considering code -more-


Family sues airline for being kept aboard diverted jet

By Simon Avery, AP Business Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

PASADENA – A San Marino family is suing Northwest Airlines for Grinch-like behavior, charging that the company destroyed Christmas last year by holding it prisoner on the tarmac at a Southern California airport. -more-


Boyfriend arrested in attack on woman pushed off cliff

The Associated Press
Friday December 28, 2001

SANTA ANA – A man was arrested Thursday for allegedly trying to break his girlfriend’s neck and then pushing her off a cliff, police said. -more-


Report: Dot-com death toll doubles in 2001

By Michael Liedtke AP Business Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

At least 537 Internet companies out of business or bankrupt -more-


Sales tax increase to kick in, GOP launch radio ad blasting Davis

By Alexa Haussler, Associated Press Writer
Friday December 28, 2001

SACRAMENTO – California shoppers will start paying more at the register when a quarter-cent sales tax increase kicks in Tuesday. -more-


Women plan cross-country peace walk

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


BHS falls to Acalanes after dramatic comeback

By Nathan Fox Special to the Daily Planet
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Guy Poole
Thursday December 27, 2001


Thursday, Dec. 27


Hitting’s not missing

Raymond A. Chamberlin Berkeley
Thursday December 27, 2001

Editor: -more-


Staff
Thursday December 27, 2001


City scrutinizing twice-robbed marijuana club

By Hank Sims Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Give transit a chance

Roy Nakadegawa P.E., BART Director, District 3 Berkeley
Thursday December 27, 2001

Editor: -more-


Center Street property manager dumps union janitors

By John Geluardi Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Wisdom from the 6th century

Janet Foldvary Berkeley
Thursday December 27, 2001

Arms are an instrument of evil, -more-


Class Notes

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Thursday December 27, 2001

Peace on earth, peace in space

Gael Alcock Berkeley, CA
Thursday December 27, 2001

Editor: -more-


Unmanned plane ‘got away’ in rural Sonoma County

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Flexible meters made for 21st century needs

Fred Foldvary Berkeley
Thursday December 27, 2001

Editor: -more-


South Bay murderer up for parole for ninth time

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


One dead following a shooting spree in Stockton; two arrested

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Pesticide differences in foreign, domestic crops trigger debate

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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


Courthouse staying open during Rose Bowl ‘clog’

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Man dies after car plunges into bay

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


State energy rebates used in record numbers

By Karen Gaudette The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Bay Area Briefs

Staff
Thursday December 27, 2001

Town crier wins -more-


The mystery of Chandra Levy continues after eight months

By Mark Sherman The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Father of two dead children recently charged with theft

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Photos reveal forest changes in Sierras

By Bettina Boxall Los Angeles Times
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Man establishes mapping business in Wyoming

By Adam Rankin Gillette News-Record
Thursday December 27, 2001

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 firm percolating as a coffee consultant

By Ed Russo The (Eugene) Register-Guard
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


INS quirk have Salvadorans, Guatemalans waiting for years

StaffBy Erica Werner The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


$80 million used to probe sea lion decline

The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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-


Eradication plan takes shape in New Mexico

By Mary Perera The Associated Press
Thursday December 27, 2001

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