School board closes City of Franklin
District budget deficit revised to $5.4 million -more-
District budget deficit revised to $5.4 million -more-
Berkeley’s adventurous Shotgun Players were scheduled to open their season Saturday in the new 99-seat Allston Street Theater in the Gaia building in downtown Berkeley. -more-
New scoring system has coaches wondering who they’re running against at league’s first meet -more-
Little leaguers in uniform, soccer dads, windsurfers, dog-lovers and conservationists crowded into the Florence Schwimley Little Theatre Thursday night to tell the planning team for the proposed Eastshore State Park how they want the 1,800 acres to be used. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The wrinkly, crinkly munchkin from outer space is coming back to Earth, his fairy-tale journey a bit longer and more benign than when he first landed in theaters 20 years ago. -more-
Cal freshman Jamal Sampson announced today that he is declaring himself eligible for the 2002 NBA Draft. A 6-foot-11, 235-pound forward from Inglewood, Sampson averaged 6.4 points and 6.5 rebounds while blocking 54 shots for the Bears during the 2001-02 season. -more-
El Cerrito aiming at third straight title -more-
Julia Butterfly Hill, who gained international attention with her two-year tree-sit in an ancient redwood in Northern California, gets Katherine Yoshii’s signature for a Heritage Tree Preservation Ballot Initiative outside the Berkeley Bowl Thursday. The initiative, organized by Citizens Campaign for Old Growth and the Sierra Club Bay Chapter, aims to protect trees older than the state of California. -more-
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LOS ANGELES — Halle Berry hopes this year’s three Academy Award nominations for black actors will be a source of optimism for minorities. Denzel Washington just figures academy voters went for the actors they felt turned in the best performances. -more-
Friday, March 22, is the 81st day of 2002. There are 284 days left in the year. -more-
Two men were repeatedly stabbed by a robber on Acton Street in South Berkeley Monday at around 11:30 p.m., according to the Berkeley Police Department. Both victims are in stable condition at home and at Highland Hospital. -more-
SACRAMENTO — By an overwhelming margin, the state Assembly Thursday approved placing $25.3 billion worth of education bonds before voters this November and in 2004, sending the issue to the state Senate. -more-
SACRAMENTO — With the SAT 9, the High School Exit Exam, Golden State Exams, SAT I and SAT II, California students face too long of a required list of standardized tests, a group of students told the California Teacher’s Association and legislators on Thursday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Five people whose bodies were pulled from a reservoir near Sacramento were Los Angeles area residents who were abducted, blackmailed and killed by Russian mobsters, the U.S. attorney said Thursday. -more-
STOCKTON — Prosecutors charged a Sacramento student with first-degree murder Thursday for her alleged role in helping a woman poison her husband. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Jurors who convicted a San Francisco couple in the dog mauling death of a neighbor said Thursday they did not believe chief defendant Marjorie Knoller and were surprised that she took the witness stand at all. -more-
Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel are scheduled to be sentenced May 10 in San Francisco for their convictions in the January 2001 death of Diane Whipple. After the verdicts, the state Supreme Court, acting through the state Bar of California, suspended Knoller and Noel from practicing law. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — All was quiet in front of Diane Whipple’s apartment house Thursday — no flowers, no cards, just a handwritten note taped near the front entrance. -more-
For all the homeowners for whom yearly deck upkeep is a fate worse than taking out the trash, note that composite deck materials are here, and here to stay, according to a deck pro at Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Two friends who bought lottery tickets at a downtown smoke shop came forward Thursday to claim one-third of Wednesday’s $87 million California Lottery jackpot. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Embattled credit card issuer Providian Financial Corp. has agreed to pay $38 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by shareholders alleging the company inflated its profits by gouging its customers in the late 1990s. -more-
WASHINGTON — Officials of the bankrupt fiber optics giant Global Crossing denied Thursday that deceptive accounting practices were part of their company’s financial collapse. “Global Crossing is no Enron,” they told skeptical lawmakers. -more-
It’s been a struggle, but they’re finding peace. -more-
After winning their first four games by scores like 17-1 and 15-0, the Berkeley High boys’ lacrosse team may have felt invincible until Tuesday. But a tough game with University High (San Francisco) that ended in a last-minute loss may have brought the Yellowjackets back to earth. -more-
At a meeting in which residents were unclear about what they could talk about, whether city officials could respond to their letters and how they could add items to the agenda, Tuesday night’s City Council meeting was all about fair process. -more-
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Wednesday, March 20 is the 79th day of 2002. There are 286 days left in the year. Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere at 2:16 p.m. Eastern time. -more-
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One of the defining moments for Wanusa Pereira Dos Santos was when a heavily armed police force rushed a settlement of 300 families, chased them up a hill and then set fire to their homes. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The dog-mauling trial that began with a defense attorney crawling on the courtroom floor during her opening statement neared its end with a judge threatening to lock her up if she didn’t sit down and keep quiet. -more-
MONTERREY, Mexico — Days after the United States promised a 50 percent increase in foreign aid, the Bush administration is coming under fire for not doing enough — and not doing it right. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A bound, strangled body pulled from a Sierra foothill lake last fall was identified Tuesday as that of a Los Angeles-area real estate developer. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — For decades, the Musee Mecanique, a beloved collection of mechanical games once played in saloons, carnivals and boardwalk arcades, has been one of the most authentic and bizarre tourist attractions on the West Coast. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A woman suspected of animal cruelty for hoarding cats in Petaluma is now under scrutiny in Sausalito, where police are investigating a batch of 50 felines living in squalid conditions. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The federal government fined an Oakland metal finishing company $385,000 and sentenced the owner to six months house arrest Tuesday for diverting wastewater directly into the sewer. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Authorities shut down two BART stations and stopped all trains into and out of the city for about an hour Tuesday after white powder was found in one of the cars. -more-
CUPERTINO — Hewlett-Packard Co. chief Carly Fiorina claimed victory Tuesday in the nasty proxy fight over the $20 billion purchase of Compaq Computer Corp., saying shareholders narrowly approved what would be the computer industry’s biggest merger. -more-
SALT LAKE CITY — Software company Siebel Systems will expand its business in Utah by building a data center and hiring about 600 employees by 2005, the company said Tuesday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Senators criticized Department of Health Services officials Tuesday for their recent regulation that allows the dumping of radioactive debris in regular landfills. -more-
Peace should not be a pie in the sky, but a goal to strive for, said Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who spoke at UC Berkeley Monday. -more-
A track meet is a circus it can be hard to find someone if you happen to be looking. And it doesn’t get any easier when all four teams at the meet (St. Mary’s is hosting Kennedy, Holy Names, and Albany on this particular spring afternoon) conspire to wear the same color. (Crimson, scarlet, cardinal? Right - red.) -more-
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About 100 Berkeley High School students conducted anti-violence workshops on campus Monday, kicking off a pupil-led effort to stem the violence at BHS. -more-
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Superintendent Michele Lawrence will recommend that the Board of Education close City of Franklin Microsociety Magnet School next year at the board’s Wednesday night meeting. -more-
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Carol Russo, conciliation specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice, has held a series of meetings with city and school officials in recent weeks focused on violence at Berkeley High School, according to a spokesperson in Mayor Shirley Dean’s office. -more-
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March 19 is the 78th day of 2002. There are 287 days left in the year. This is the date the swallows traditionally return to the San Juan Capistrano Mission in California. -more-
Berkeley could soon join cities like San Francisco that regularly set aside a car-free area, if a project presented last week to the city’s Transportation Commission is given the green light. -more-
OSAKA, Japan — Berkeley activists have no idea. Sure, we realize our efforts at building a more just, barrier-free, environmentally sound community have made a difference in the lives of people living in our town. We may even realize that some other U.S. communities have adopted a few of our better ideas. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Against a backdrop of bloody autopsy pictures, a prosecutor implored jurors Monday to convict two San Francisco dog owners in the mauling death of a neighbor, calling the animals “time bombs.” -more-
DALY CITY — A woman and her two young sons died Monday when they were overcome by thick smoke while trying to escape an apartment fire, officials said. -more-
SAN JOSE — Hoping to gain a foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing Internet markets, online auctioneer eBay Inc. has bought a 33 percent stake in Chinese auction site EachNet. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Bank of America offered more apologies than explanations Monday for a computer failure that temporarily blocked electronic deposits to customers in California, Nevada and Arizona during the weekend. -more-
CUPERTINO — The five-month fight over the computer industry’s biggest merger neared its conclusion Monday with Hewlett-Packard Co., Compaq Computer Corp. and dissident HP director Walter Hewlett making last-minute bids for investor support. -more-
Dr. Amichai Kronfeld called the publishing of a quarter-page advertisement in the New York Times condemning the Israeli occupation a modest contribution to an ongoing struggle. -more-
After scoring just six runs in their last three games, the Berkeley Yellowjackets finally found their offense on Saturday against Bishop O’Dowd, raking 11 hits on the way to an 11-5 win in Oakland. -more-
On Friday, amid warning that thousands of California children may fail to meet tough new education standards, Assembly Majority Whip Wilma Chan called for major changes in early education and health services for children. -more-
Cal held scoreless for 9 1/2 minutes in second half of NCAA loss -more-
By Molly Bentley -more-
KISH, Iran--President Bush may list Iran as part of an "axis of evil," but writers and intellectuals on this dry and weedy coral island 25 miles south of the mainland say democracy may yet thrive in their country. -more-
Bears end regular season with a fourth-place finish -more-
Tomorrow the public will be given an opportunity to weigh in on Councilmember Linda Maio’s proposal to build affordable housing on the Santa Fe Right of Way. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — New field surveys of Hispanic men in Tijuana and San Diego show an increase in HIV infection rates in gay and bisexual men who move across the border. -more-
FRESNO — Armando Sanchez was diagnosed with leukemia in October. Now enduring chemotherapy, Sanchez said he wishes farmers had warned him of the dangers of pesticides. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A fire raged for hours at the Haslett Warehouse, a historic landmark on Fisherman’s Wharf, destroying the fourth floor and roof. -more-
Hewlett-Packard’s plan to buy Compaq is valued at $22 billion, but stockholders could vote to stop the deal -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A fire raged for hours at the Haslett Warehouse, a historic landmark on Fisherman’s Wharf, destroying the fourth floor and roof. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Surfing the Web these days requires two hands – one to click the mouse, the other to dig into your pocket to pay fees demanded by sites that used to be free. -more-
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he has no quarrel with the Bush Administration’s level of involvement in the Irish peace process during an East Bay appearance Friday afternoon. -more-
The first non-native people to settle in California were the Spanish who began building missions in the late 1700s. In the early 1800s the King of Spain divided up the land into huge ranchos and in 1820 granted Don Luis Maria Peralta the area that today is approximately all of Alameda County. In 1842 Don Luis divided his rancho among his four sons and Jose Domingo Peralta was given the area that would become Berkeley. -more-
The children’s joke “knock knock” invites the response, “Who’s there?” The answer can be “uncle Milty’s underwear” or “boo” or any number of responses. -more-
Two-run seventh inning gives -more-
The University of California may suspend its study abroad program in Israel because of escalating Middle East violence, according to a university spokesman. -more-
NEW YORK — Ask Seymour Rexite to sing your favorite song and the 91-year-old will gladly oblige, in Yiddish. -more-
PITTSBURGH – The NCAA tournament committee didn’t do California any favors, forcing the Pac-10 school to travel across the country for its first-round game. -more-
Joseph W. Charles, a gentle spirit who brightened the commute of millions of motorists, has died at age 91. -more-
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NEW YORK — Rosie O’Donnell, in her first extensive public discussion about being gay, says in a television interview to air Thursday that she didn’t come out sooner partly because she didn’t consider it a big deal. -more-
PHOENIX – Billy Beane’s contract as general manager of the Oakland Athletics was extended by three years Friday through the 2008 season. -more-
This is Saturday, March 16, the 75th day of 2002. There are 290 days left in the year. -more-
LAFAYETTE — Barnabas R. Miller, registered Republican, has been called for jury duty in Contra Costa County this month. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta touted the administration’s advances in aviation and transportation security Friday, while outside, airport workers and their supporters lambasted the federal government’s requirement that airport baggage screeners be U.S. citizens. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Once again, Mayor Willie Brown has caused an uproar by letting his tongue run loosely while away from home. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Lawyers for John Walker Lindh have sought to block publication of an “instant book” about the American Taliban, calling it “grossly and outrageously false and defamatory.” -more-
LOS ANGELES — California’s jobless rate declined modestly in February, thanks to gains in construction and trade jobs, officials said Friday. -more-
PALO ALTO — Hewlett-Packard Co. chief Carly Fiorina told her 88,000 employees in a November e-mail that talk of a feud between her and sons of the company’s founders was merely “lazy reporting” by journalists trying to sell newspapers. -more-
An independent audit of last year’s school district finances points to a number of serious flaws. -more-
cumentary explores the struggle of being gay and Jewish -more-
924 Gilman Mar. 15: 90 Day Men, One Line Drawing, Division Day, The Reputation, SLOE; Mar. 22: Tsunami Bomb, No Motiv; Mar. 29: Limpwrist, All You Can Eat, The Subtonics, The Bananas, Sharp Knife; Mar. 30: 9 Shocks Terror, What Happens Next?, Phantom Limbs, The Curse, Onion Flavored Rings; All shows begin a 8 p.m. 924 Gillman St., 525-9926 -more-
The St. Mary’s High track & field team got their first look at the competition in the BSAL, and it wasn’t exactly intimidating. -more-
Who switched the tape? -more-
NEW YORK — Amazon.com will pull a listing that says a new J.D. Salinger book is due in November. No publication date has been set for “Hapworth 16, 1924,” a novella that appeared in The New Yorker in 1965 and was originally expected in book form five years ago. -more-
NEW YORK — The clock sits frozen, forever recording a moment in time: 8:50 a.m., Sept. 11, 2001. -more-
As the City Council steps closer to finally inking the General Plan, 15-plus years in the making, some say there are still unresolved questions concerning density and how it will affect the diversity of the city’s population. Citizens will also likely vote on a height restriction ordinance in November, written by Martha Nicoloff. -more-
“With friends like these, who needs enemies?” That is probably one of the many thoughts going through the minds of some the leaders of countries mentioned as nuclear threats (or targets) as well as some of the American people, who didn’t realize that ‘pushing the button’ could occur even if nuclear weapons were not being used. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is investigating letters received by Latino organizations this week containing ethnic slurs and a white powder purported to be anthrax. -more-
Today is the 74th day of 2002. There are 291 days left in the year. This is “Buzzard Day” in Hinckley, Ohio. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Home health care worker Claudia Arevalo says her life changed in 2000, when San Francisco enacted its living wage and her employer, which receives city funds, raised her pay. -more-
OAKLAND — The state transportation commission unanimously has approved more than $4 million in state grant funds for an intercity rail station at the Oakland Coliseum. -more-
We recently built closet systems in our homes. Our wives helped with the installation and we wanted to share our experience with you. -more-
Q. Mary asks: I recently had someone test my water. I learned that my water at this point is unsafe to consume. I am told that I have methane gas in my water and that some kind of release valve could be mounted on my tank to release this gas. Is this possible and, if so, how do I find the equipment or tools needed for the job? -more-
Many gardeners get through winter by holding on tight to seed catalogs and perusing every page. Others do that, too, but they also live with the garden look all year round to keep them inspired. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The major record labels believe I ought to be very jazzed that MusicNet and pressplay have launched their online music services. -more-
GARDINER — For John Clawson, finding an elk antler in the woods after a long, difficult hike is exhilarating — a rush. -more-
SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp.’s approximately 1,600 San Francisco Bay area employees are in for a rude surprise this summer — a smaller paycheck. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — “Liar! Liar!” came the voices from the crowd. -more-
WASHINGTON — Muslim extremist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was indicted Thursday in the kidnapping and murder of reporter Daniel Pearl, the government pushing for quick U.S. criminal charges out of concern that Pakistani authorities might release the suspect. -more-
BERKELEY — Those outspoken Berkeley residents are at it again. The problem this time? Nasty used coffee-cup sleeves. -more-
OAKLAND — The city and port have hired a private security guard to block Caltrans contractors from the planned staging site for the first section of the long-awaited new span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. -more-
LIVERMORE, Calif. — After two years of urging Asian-American scientists to pass up jobs at nuclear weapons labs, the Berkeley professor who organized the boycott says he’s proven his point. -more-
Emeryville Vice-Mayor Nora Davis sat on the steps of City Hall on a recent Sunday morning and offered a preview of the city’s efforts to honor a Native American shellmound as it replaces it with a modern development. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A federal fisheries council recommended an indefinite moratorium Thursday on the use of longlines off the entire West Coast. -more-