Matt Toma is a home run king. Last spring as a junior, Toma led his Berkeley High School Yellowjackets squad in long balls. He is not without some measure of pride when he says this. -more-
Editor: -more-
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, the only hospital that provides emergency services in Berkeley, may finally get to work on renovating its emergency department, if the Zoning Adjustments Board approves its plan at tonight’s meeting. -more-
Editor: -more-
Community members and Berkeley High School administrators are questioning athletic cuts already approved by the Board of Education, and debating further cuts suggested by district administration. -more-
On Friday, 25-year-old Raymond Smith and 54-year-old Dwight Leeray both died at Highland Hospital from unrelated assaults, effectively doubling Berkeley’s homicide rate for the year. -more-
Today is Tuesday, April 2, the 92nd day of 2002. There are 273 days left in the year. -more-
A tardy note from the Department of Transportation -more-
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Prosecutors acknowledged Monday they do not have evidence that John Walker Lindh killed Americans in Afghanistan. But a federal judge said that would not be necessary to prove Lindh joined a conspiracy to murder Americans as a Taliban fighter. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Abalone season opened in Northern California on Monday, but divers used to bringing home 100 of the meaty mollusks a year will now be limited to 24, thanks to poachers, overfishing and potential disease. -more-
•Abalone season runs from April 1 to June 30 and Aug. 1 to Nov. 30 off the California coast north of San Francisco. Diving is restricted to 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. -more-
DENVER — California authorities planned to visit Littleton this week to continue their investigation into Tuesday’s apparent double homicide-suicide near a Santa Cruz beach. -more-
OAKLAND — Take 40,000 baseball fans, add an ex-Beatle, a jazz crooner and a Latin pop sensation, then top it off with a dose of holiday airport traffic, and what do you get? -more-
SAN JOSE — Police are investigating a bizarre family disturbance that ended after an 11-hour standoff involving a woman found lying shot in the head on the family’s front lawn. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Vietnam veterans suffering from diabetes and prostate cancer after being exposed to Agent Orange won a round Monday in their battle against the federal government. -more-
VENTURA — Although their business is sweeter than that of out-of-state competitors, California’s beekeepers are worried they’re about to get financially stung. -more-
OLYMPIA — Less than four years ago, Washington state’s attorney general helped win billions of dollars from the tobacco industry for 46 states — money she saw as a bonanza for smoking-prevention programs and other health measures. -more-
IRVINE — A woman who claimed she was sexually abused by priests more than 20 years ago will receive a $1.2 million settlement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the parties said Monday. -more-
BOSTON — With little to celebrate lately, businesses in the $25 billion data-storage industry are looking for some gains from the confusion over the planned merger between Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. -more-
SAN JOSE — Hewlett-Packard Co.’s board axed an olive branch to dissident director Walter Hewlett on Monday, reversing a plan to renominate him after he sued to try to stop the merger with Compaq Computer Corp. -more-
BOSTON — Silicon Valley still rules, but an annual survey of America’s most Internet-savvy cities found that Boston and Salt Lake City made huge strides over the past year. -more-
As the Middle East peace process reeled from a week of heavy fighting in the West Bank, about 250 Berkeley residents packed a Unitarian church yesterday to renew their hope for an end to the violence. -more-
Last year, the St. Mary’s High boys were the strength of the track & field program, winning a North Coast Section title and finishing third at the state championship meet. But by the looks of it, the boys may take a back seat to their female counterparts this year. -more-
Goliath has officially cried uncle. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
STANFORD – Eighth-ranked Cal (35-11, 2-1 Pac-10) was shut out, 6-0, by No. 3 Stanford (28-5, 1-2 Pac-10) in the first game of a double header, but came back to defeat the cross-bay rivals, 7-6, in the rubber match of the weekend series, Saturday afternoon in front of a Stanford softball record crowd of 962 at the Smith Family Stadium. -more-
When the credits roll on the last day of June, Berkeley cinéastes will have to bid adieu to the Fine Arts Cinema on Shattuck Avenue — but only temporarily. -more-
The Alameda County Office of Education announced this week that schools throughout the county now have direct access to the Internet, including access to resources from the University of California and the California State University systems. -more-
BRITISH COLUMBIA, Vancouver - In the second match of the two game home-and-away series versus British Columbia, Cal (14-0) traveled to Vancouver and came out on top 28-17 over the Thunderbirds. Senior Dave Guest scored a team-high 13 points in the win. -more-
Bankrobber needs tip about discretionary spending -more-
SAN JOSE — The man recently convicted along with his wife in the dog-mauling death of their neighbor last year said he is not surprised by his conviction, but accused the prosecutors and judge of political maneuvering -more-
WINDSOR — An elderly man shot and killed his teen-age grandson before taking his own life Sunday, according to a Sonoma County sheriff’s spokesman. -more-
SACRAMENTO – David Phillips grows grapes, Zinfandel grapes. And one of his wine labels seems to describe best the way people feel about a wine that may finally be getting some respect. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Sport divers who revel in finding abalone clinging to reefs will be bagging less of the meaty mollusks this season thanks to poachers, over fishing and potential diseases. -more-
Rape trial shocks community -more-
Son’s alleged cocaine ring under scrutiny -more-
MONTEREY — Long before Sept. 11 and last year’s virus-like attacks over the Internet, the U.S. government announced plans to train an elite corps of computer security experts to guard against cyberterrorism. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Not since the early days of Viagra has a lifestyle drug garnered so much attention as Botox. -more-
Si, se puede! -more-
On March 21, 1907 the Berkeley Reporter announced “Poet Keeler Gets First Honor. Literature and art are to be highly honored and especially Berkeley writers and artists, in the naming of streets in the new Cragmont tract. ... The poet Charles Keeler will have the first street in the new tract named after him. This is particularly appropriate, as Keeler is one of the most ardent admirers of Berkeley and has never let a chance slip by when he could sing her praises.” -more-
Jim Brown began a six-month jail sentence this month for bashing his wife’s car windows with a shovel in 1999. -more-
Berkeley High explodes for 20 hits against thin Spartan pitching staff -more-
The Berkeley Speakers Lecture Series, which has brought luminaries from documentary filmmaker Ken Burns to former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit to town, is packing up and heading for Oakland, citing frustration with the city manager’s office and the Berkeley Police Department. -more-
Editor: -more-
NEW YORK — Broadway has given back a bit of what it got from the City of New York to help the theater after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center — and the money will go to other needy arts organizations. -more-
Forest comes out on top of aces’ duel -more-
The ongoing battle between Claremont Spa workers and management of the KSL Recreation corporation came to a head on Friday after months of failed negotiations and the well-intentioned interventions of both Berkeley and Oakland’s city councils. -more-
David Fincher is entirely too pleased with himself. -more-
Oakland facility criticized for lack of space, parking, disabled access, poor ventilation -more-
LONDON — More than 1,700 years after it was completed by an enigmatic Indian scribe, the “Kamasutra” is among the most famous Hindu books ever written — and, many believe, the most misunderstood. -more-
Saturday, March 30th is the 89th day of 2002. There are 276 days left in the year. -more-
DETROIT — Her young son stood in the department store, hands stuffed in his pockets. He was just 9 years old, but Jean Alicia Elster feared that because of the color of his skin, and the way he was standing, people would think her son was stealing. -more-
OAKLAND — The Oakland police department plans to put extra officer on the streets this weekend to crack down on “sideshows,” loosely organized events where fast cars spin doughnuts in parking lots as young onlookers stand dangerously nearby. -more-
WASHINGTON — American-born Taliban John Walker Lindh received the same food and medical care as U.S. soldiers while in custody in Afghanistan, and even slept on a stretcher while his physician made do on a concrete floor, U.S. prosecutors said Friday. -more-
ANAHEIM — A Palestinian refugee who gained national attention three years ago for his hunger strike protesting INS treatment has been charged with assaulting a federal immigration agent. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Publicity about sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests has prompted 20 to 30 calls to police from people who claim they were victimized years or decades ago, authorities said Friday. -more-
CALEXICO — An earthquake rattled Baja California early Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. -more-
SANTA ROSA — Sonoma County musician Doug Bowes will remember this Easter season as the one where he happened upon the Easter Bunny, and it attacked him. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A school bus safety program projected to cost no more than $1 million each year is instead costing California $67 million annually, according to a new audit. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration acted Friday to repudiate a report by government biologists that concluded drilling for oil in an Alaskan wildlife refuge would pose substantial risks to the Porcupine caribou herd and other wildlife. -more-
DETROIT — The FBI said Friday it will refer its findings in the nearly 27-year-old disappearance of former Teamsters President James R. Hoffa to local prosecutors for possible state charges. -more-
ALBANY, N.Y. — The Department of Correctional Services has discontinued its annual inmate art show and banned the sale of art produced in prisons amid an uproar over a serial killer who profited from his works. -more-
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Nearly 70 sets of skeletal remains have been found at the construction site of the state Transportation Cabinet complex in the three weeks since the first bones were spotted in a dump truck. -more-
PHILADELPHIA — When visitors walk through the brand-new $9 million pavilion housing one of the nation’s most enduring icons of freedom, they will tread above the spot where the first president kept his slaves. -more-
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Even if he was a little out of breath from his morning workout, Tom Christerson still stopped a hospital employee Friday to shake his hand. -more-
PITTSBURGH — As cheaper foreign steel imports are being hit with new tariffs, U.S. mills are raising prices to meet increased demand for domestic steel. -more-
DENVER — Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold showed signs of depression and violent fantasies two years before their suicidal rampage at Columbine High School, according to an upcoming TV documentary. -more-
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Navy confirmed on Good Friday that an ex-priest accused of sexually abusing four Nebraska boys in 1978 was later convicted of lewd conduct involving boys as a military chaplain. -more-
CHICAGO — Talk show host Oprah Winfrey declined President Bush’s offer to join an official U.S. delegation to tour Afghanistan’s schools, saying she didn’t have the time. -more-
Get through the dirty, invasive as stressful time of remodeling with communication and understanding -more-
Q. Scott asks: Urgent! What is it meant by the term “grade of abrasive paper” and what is meant by the term “raising the grain”? -more-
When you plan a spot for visitors, pretend you are the guest. What would you need to feel comfortable? -more-
If a new or remodeled kitchen is in your future, be prepared for myriad choices to show off your personal style. Abandon any rules you think “must” be followed in kitchen planning. The sky’s the limit. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Douglas fir logs cut from the Sierra Nevada in the 1800s are about to complete a round trip that has taken more than a century. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Not since the early days of Viagra has a lifestyle drug garnered so much attention as Botox. -more-
Superintendent Michele Lawrence may grant Berkeley High School students a role in determining which courses will be eliminated at BHS next year. -more-
For the environment, recreation and the future of inter-Bay transportationZ -more-
The life of an independent musician can be hectic, but in between releasing an album, booking a tour, rehearsing and working a day job, Eileen Hazel finds time to laugh even if it is at her own expense. -more-
The Berkeley High boys’ lacrosse team played without inspiration against Marin Catholic on Thursday, but the ’Jackets’ tough defense carried them through for a 6-1 victory. -more-
Youth Radio is aglow. -more-
To look into the faces of the Afghan and Pakistan people in Patricia Monaco’s photographs — wide-eyed orphans in tattered clothes, gaunt-faced refugees waiting in ration lines, freedom fighters with their AK-47s — one can see that confidence comes from carrying a gun. -more-
Coming off of the high of their first-ever ACCAL win on Tuesday, the Berkeley High boys’ volleyball team suffered a letdown against Richmond on Thursday, losing in straight games, 15-11, 15-12, 15-9. -more-
Unreinforced masonry, disaster support for businesses, preparedness for schools and terrorism are the four priorities to be presented to the City Council in April in the final draft of a report hammered out by the Disaster Council Wednesday night. -more-
LOS ANGELES— The time news consumers spend reading, watching and listening to the latest word out of Washington, Kabul or their local city hall can be enriched by adding one element: “Media Matters” on PBS. -more-
Today is Good Friday, March 29, the 88th day of 2002. There are 277 days left in the year. -more-
MERCED — The mother of four children killed by her ex-husband said Thursday there was no way to predict that the former sheriff’s deputy would commit such a “horrible, unthinkable act.” -more-
LOS ANGELES — Oscar-winning filmmaker Billy Wilder, the Austrian-born cynic whose gifts for writing and directing led to such classics as “Sunset Boulevard,” “Some Like It Hot” and “Double Indemnity,” has died. He was 95. -more-
SANTA CRUZ — The three people found dead on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean grew up in the same small eastern California town and were excellent students, school officials said. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The Sierra snowpack has rebounded to near-normal levels thanks to a series of late winter storms, a California Department of Water Resources snow survey found Thursday. -more-
SAN DIEGO — Drivers across the nation are digging deeper into their wallets to cover rising gasoline prices, which have leapt an average of 23 cents per gallon over the last month — the most dramatic change in more than a decade. -more-
Burning rubber hurts more than just your tires -more-
We recently attended the “Surfaces 2002” trade show in Las Vegas. The focus was on all things new in flooring and coverings for your home’s interior. This included carpet, ceramic tile, laminate flooring and countertops. Also, all the latest and greatest additions and changes in colors, styles and textures in everything from wallpaper to wainscot were demonstrated. -more-
Tip of the week: -more-
How many families are you having over to the vegetable garden this summer? You have to plan their seating arrangement, you know. -more-
SAN JOSE — Two startups that were in need of cash, but had ambitious goals to revolutionize the delivery of home entertainment, have decided to merge. -more-
SAN JOSE — The fight against the computer industry’s biggest merger landed in court Thursday, with dissident director Walter Hewlett accusing Hewlett-Packard Co. of improperly enticing a big investor to back HP’s $19 billion buyout of Compaq Computer Corp. -more-
SUNNYVALE — Chip maker Endwave Corp. said Thursday it will cut 100 jobs, or 30 percent of its work force, and close its Los Angeles design facility, -more-
Like so many literary towers of Pisa, piles of books teeter around the register at Moe’s Bookstore on Telegraph Avenue. -more-
The Berkeley High baseball team was counting on an easy win against Richmond on Wednesday, and that’s exactly what the ’Jackets got, a 15-0 drubbing that lasted just 4 1/2 innings thanks to the “slaughter rule.” -more-
Editor: -more-
NEW YORK — Quick. Think of Aunt Eller, the matriarchal heart of “Oklahoma!”, and you probably will conjure up the image of an older pioneer woman, wearing a gray bun and churning butter. -more-
Most of the courses available at Berkeley High School this year will be available next year, despite the move from a seven- to a six-period day, according to a new study conducted by former BHS computer science teacher Peter Bloomsburgh. -more-
Seven Berkeley firefighters will be honored in a memorial that will be unveiled next week commemorating California firefighters killed in the line of duty. -more-
Thursday, March 28 is the 87th day of 2002. There are 278 days left in the year. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Actor Dudley Moore, who became an unlikely Hollywood heartthrob as a cuddly pipsqueak in the movies ”10” and “Arthur,” died Wednesday at home in New Jersey. He was 66. -more-
Question: -more-
Lincoln Shlensky considers himself a Zionist with a strong connection to the state of Israel. But when he attends meetings of the Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC), a mainstream pro-Israel organization, he can’t help but feel a little defensive. -more-
MERCED — Casey Simmons said she worried about her friend and employee, John Patrick Hogan, last year when he sent her an e-mail that may have indicated Hogan was in trouble. -more-
SAN DIEGO — A network of science teachers representing each of California’s 12,500 public and private schools is being built to share information on science education and, organizers hope, strengthen the field for the future. -more-
SANTA CRUZ — Investigators have identified the bodies of three people found on a cliff, but would not release their names until the relatives of all the victims were notified. -more-
SACRAMENTO — California is banning the sale of 15 lawn herbicides, saying the accumulation of a particular chemical in compost can damage some vegetables. -more-
LAS VEGAS — A California man whose pit bulls allegedly attacked a neighbor was being returned to Fresno County, where he faces animal neglect charges, authorities said Wednesday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Immigrants who recited the Pledge of Allegiance, took a citizenship oath and answered questions about American history were victims of a scam that cost them as much as $25,000 each, federal agents said. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Without wise guys like Philip J. Kaplan, it might have taken a few more years before we could share a lusty laugh about the absurdities of the Internet economy. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Somewhere, in a darkened bedroom or a cinderblock basement, a kid is sitting at a computer, dreaming of creating the perfect video game. -more-
On the dividing line of Dwight Avenue, where the southern edge of the UC Berkeley campus meets the northern edge of a leafy residential area, the American Baptist Seminary of the West is planning to build a five-story building on Benvenue Avenue, which will house residences, offices and classrooms. -more-
At first glance, the Berkeley High boys’ lacrosse team’s two losses this season seem strikingly similar. Both came to private schools from San Francisco (University and St. Ignatius), both were close games all the way through (no lead bigger than two goals), and the ’Jackets gave up goals in the final minutes of each game to lose by one. -more-
We, the 27 undersigned Willard Middle School students, are deeply concerned about the Berkeley Unified School District’s plans to lay off Mr. Wiener, our drama teacher. Willard Middle School has had a drama program for many years. Drama is an exciting elective and has created a strong after school community, open to anyone who wants to be a part of it. It has been a place where one can make friends and interact with people of diverse minds, cultures and backgrounds. -more-
Crime in Berkeley rose 16.5 percent between 2000 and 2001, well above the statewide average of 5.8 percent, according to statistics released Monday by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. -more-
Joe Storno threw a complete game and the St. Mary’s Panthers exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to defeat Piedmont, 7-1, on Tuesday. -more-
A man suspected of sexual battery and attempted rape along the BART path running from Berkeley to El Cerrito is now in police custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. -more-
Local activists sparred over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during an Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday that was intended to focus on a more peaceful theme. -more-
Wednesday, March 27, is the 86th day of 2002. There are 279 days left in the year. The Jewish holiday Passover begins at sunset. -more-
A professor who urged Asian-Americans to boycott national weapons labs to protest the treatment of nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee is close to calling off the action in exchange for promised workplace changes. -more-
MERCED — A retired sheriff’s deputy fatally shot his 5-year-old daughter and his three teen-age stepchildren before killing himself Tuesday while his ex-wife was jogging, investigators said. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court says labor unions may charge nonmembers for recruiting new members at competing companies. -more-
OAKLAND — A rift between singer Jello Biafra and his former band, Dead Kennedys, is growing wider with more legal action. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The thousands of banks, businesses and power companies owed money by California’s largest utility may get to vote as early as June on one of two dueling plans to settle their debts. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Investment manager Reed Slatkin was charged Tuesday with orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme in which he solicited more than $593 million from about 800 investors over a 15-year period, federal prosecutors said. -more-
SACRAMENTO— Government statistics appear to have underestimated job losses last year in California, a sign that the recession was worse than previously thought, according to a newspaper report Tuesday. -more-
Easter egg hunters would have had to look 65 million years ago to find this prize. -more-
LONDON — The Queen Mother Elizabeth, a symbol of courage and dignity during a tumultuous century of war, social upheaval and royal scandal, died in her sleep Saturday died at Royal Lodge, Windsor, outside London. She was 101 years old. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Milton Berle, the acerbic, cigar-smoking vaudevillian who eagerly embraced a new medium and became “Mr. Television” in the dawn of the video age, died Wednesday, a spokesman said. He was 93. -more-
WASHINGTON — A group representing entertainment industry workers said it will file a complaint with the federal government seeking duties on Canadian-made productions sent to the United States for editing or distribution. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — PG&E Corp. won approval to repay $790 million to a group of Pacific Gas and Electric creditors, overcoming objections that the deal is designed to sway an upcoming vote on how the utility will emerge from bankruptcy. -more-
