Earth Day focuses on alternative transportation, power
Berkeley Earth Day 2002 – the 32nd anniversary of the national environmental awareness day – is Saturday. -more-
Berkeley Earth Day 2002 – the 32nd anniversary of the national environmental awareness day – is Saturday. -more-
To The Editor: -more-
The Flying Karamazov Brothers started out as street jugglers from U.C. Santa Cruz who performed around San Francisco in the mid-1970s. I remember watching them work a crowd of tourists one afternoon at the end of the Hyde Street cable car line near Fisherman’s Wharf. -more-
The Berkeley High boys’ tennis team won their second straight ACCAL title Thursday with a 5-2 win over second-place Alameda, an identical result to the teams’ first meeting a month ago. -more-
Community members formally requested an opportunity to evaluate the performance of City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque on Wednesday prior to the annual evaluation of the city manager’s office. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
Berkeley High’s boys’ volleyball junior varsity team lived to play another day, and they rewarded Justin Caraway’s decision with a win over De Anza. Unfortunately, their existence doomed the varsity team to a loss. -more-
If you like volleyball, you may be in luck. -more-
New details on the Wednesday afternoon assault at Berkeley High School emerged Thursday, as the district began weighing a shift in the BHS safety plan. -more-
Today is Friday, April 19, the 109th day of 2002. There are 256 days left in the year. -more-
Old growth advocates got a political boost from Berkeley City Council by way of a unanimously-supported resolution, which they’ll use as they move forward into a signature drive to get an initiative on the upcoming statewide ballot. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Government investigators violated the privacy rights of a San Francisco city official when they searched her office in 1999 as part of a fraud probe in the city’s minority contracting program, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. -more-
Alleged cross-bow killer is arraigned in death of housemate -more-
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Urban growth experts speaking Tuesday in San Francisco said cities and counties need economic incentives from the state before they will adopt smarter building plans for urban areas. -more-
WASHINGTON - Two "superplumes" of molten rock appear to be powering through the boundary between the Earth's upper and lower mantle, perhaps feeding volcanoes and affecting movement of the planet's crust. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Chanting, “Racist fashion’s got to go,” more than 100 Asian-Americans protested Thursday outside an Abercrombie & Fitch store. -more-
NEW YORK — A television industry trade group is speaking out against the disappearance of credits at the end of TV shows. -more-
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Keeping up its blistering growth, Internet trading leader eBay Inc. reported earnings that beat Wall Street forecasts and expressed confidence about its outlook Thursday. -more-
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Thanks to brisk demand for its new iMac, Apple Computer Inc. posted a second-quarter profit that beat Wall Street estimates. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The chair of a legislative audit committee called on Attorney General Bill Lockyer Thursday to look into the validity of a state contract that could cost taxpayers millions more than if the state hadn’t signed the deal. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The stock price of Trimeris Inc., a small biotechnology company, soared on stellar results from pivotal human tests on its experimental AIDS drug, which could help patients resistant to currently available treatments. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — More than 100,000 illegal immigrants could be affected by a federal appeals court ruling this week that rejected immigration authorities’ interpretation of a decision by Congress in the 1980s to grant some illegal immigrants amnesty, plaintiffs said. -more-
LOS ANGELES – O.J. Simpson said Thursday that the law firm suing him for $204,000 in unpaid bills from the custody battle for his children “will have to wait” because he doesn’t have the money to pay them. -more-
Chanting “Yes to education, No to super-jails,” and carrying signs reading “No expansion of the Alameda County Jail,” demonstrators gathered at the County of Alameda Administration Building to protest plans for a new and expanded juvenile corrections facility in Dublin. -more-
In a matchup of the ACCAL’s only undefeated teams, Berkeley High rode an 11-run third inning to a 12-4 victory over the Encinal Jets on Wednesday, taking over sole possession of first place with its 11th straight win. -more-
Four males entered the Berkeley High School campus Wednesday afternoon and one assaulted a BHS student in the outdoor lunch area behind the “C” Building, according to school officials and students. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
The standoff between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students on the UC Berkeley campus continued Wednesday with a pair of dueling events on Israel Independence Day. -more-
Urban density and the future development of Berkeley are not only key issues in the upcoming mayoral and City Council elections, but are being taken straight to the people with a new initiative to reduce the height limits of buildings and amend existing zoning ordinances. -more-
Today is Thursday, April 18, the 108th day of 2002. There are 257 days left in the year. -more-
Jurors in the Earth First! v. FBI case examined up-close the bomb-blasted car environmental activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney were traveling in almost 12 years ago. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Groups representing disabled passengers sued San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday, accusing it of failing to provide adequate access to deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers. -more-
WASHINGTON — More Americans are commuting on buses, subways and trains, new statistics show. -more-
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has finished design of special screens to keep endangered fish out of the Klamath Reclamation Project’s primary canal intake and hopes to have the devices installed by next spring. -more-
LOS ANGELES — More than 30 sick and dying sea lions have swamped a San Pedro marine mammal recovery center, where workers are struggling to care for the apparent victims of a naturally occurring neurotoxin. -more-
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — Officials from California’s expanded Cal Grant scholarship program say they’ve worked out the bugs that led to a shortfall in the number of grants given out last year. -more-
NEW YORK — How would aggressive nudist Richard Hatch do against sweet-talking schemer Tina Wesson? Can you imagine Susan Hawk from the first “Survivor” dressing down would-be godfather Rob Mariano from the current show? -more-
WASHINGTON — Personal watercraft such as Jet Skis will be permanently banned at three national seashores and two national recreation areas beginning next week, the National Park Service said Tuesday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A bill that asks the University of California to stop using standardized tests as the sole criterion for graduate school admissions passed an Assembly committee Tuesday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The California Public Employees’ Retirement System dropped two of the four major health maintenance organizations offered to its 1.2 million members Wednesday while raising rates for next year by 25 percent. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Former mayor Richard Riordan said Wednesday he plans to start a new newspaper to offer an alternative voice to the Los Angeles Times. -more-
NEW YORK — Welcome to the new world of real estate ads: four-story brownstone, six fireplaces — and high-tech, armor-reinforced safe room. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The five brightest planets visible from Earth have lined up in plain sight to form a spectacular celestial array that won’t be seen again until 2040. -more-
SACRAMENTO (AP) — State revenues have dipped more than $1 billion below expectations this year and officials are anxiously awaiting the results of April’s tax returns to gauge California’s fiscal health. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Authorities said Wednesday they are searching for a former executive at Cisco Systems Inc. accused of diverting about $10 million in Cisco-owned stock into personal accounts in the Bahamas. -more-
About 150 teachers and supporters rallied on the steps of the Berkeley Unified School District’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Way headquarters Tuesday afternoon, protesting teacher layoffs scheduled to take effect next year. -more-
The Berkeley High swimming team continued their undefeated ACCAL run with a win over Encinal on Tuesday, making the ’Jackets 3-0 in league meets. -more-
The Berkeley-based Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund filed suit against the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District in U.S. District Court in San Jose Tuesday, alleging that the bus service violates the civil rights of the visually-impaired by failing to call out stops and announce routes. -more-
Just when things were starting to look up for the Berkeley High boys’ volleyball team, a freak injury may have thrown their season into chaos. -more-
The public hearing concerning TuneUp Masters and the possible revocation of the garage’s business license due to an ongoing nine-year dispute with neighbors who say the business is just not in tune with Berkeley had two distinctly different sides last night. -more-
Today is Wednesday, April 17, the 107th day of 2002. There are 258 days left in the year. -more-
Sexually explicit material and its appropriateness at certain hours of the night are hot topics in Berkeley, especially for viewers of B-TV Channel 25. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A nearly 10-year-old California experiment with a once-radical substance treatment program has proven effective in cutting both crime and drug abuse, two groups with interests in the program said Tuesday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO - A veteran public policy researcher from Berkeley's renowned Public Health Institute has been named the new director of San Francisco State University's Public Research Institute (PRI). -more-
SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers may eliminate a state department this spring based on an audit Tuesday that found a faulty state computer contract could cost taxpayers millions of dollars. -more-
Last Friday night after a champagne gala the Berkeley Black Repertory Group premiered its "In Search of a Legend: A Tribute to Josephine Baker." Written and conceived by Johnny Land, directed and choreographed by Stephen Semien this musical revue exuberantly hits the highlights of Josephine’s life. Unfortunately, with an uneven cast and a thin script, this show never attains the heights of tribute it wishes to convey. -more-
There is, as they say, no I in team. Neither is there an I in workhorse – and you can dig all you want but you’ll be hard pressed to find an I in Joe Storno. -more-
To the editor, -more-
Local educators are sparring over controversial new state legislation that would expand the scope of negotiations between school districts and teachers’ unions. -more-
To the Editor, -more-
The Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Unified School District are locked in a battle over the move from a seven- to a six-period day at Berkeley High School, a shift approved by the Board of Education in February and scheduled to take place next year. -more-
WASHINGTON - Male frogs exposed to even very low doses of a common weed killer can develop multiple sex organs — sometimes both male and female — researchers at the University of California Berkeley have discovered. -more-
Madeleine Lacavoli was ready to hit the floor. All she needed was the siren’s signal. -more-
East Los Angeles, the famed rough-and-tumble Mexican neighborhood, has been a continuing source of inspiration to one of its native sons, Luis Rodriguez, bringing out poetry, political commentary, a memoir and now short fiction. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — State regulators proposed a plan Monday they said would allow Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to emerge from bankruptcy by January, without raising customers’ electric rates. -more-
CLEVELAND (AP) — Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. increased its bid to acquire TRW Inc. to $6.7 billion, a month after the defense manufacturer’s board rejected an unsolicited offer of $5.9 billion. -more-
The list of prospective challengers to Shirley Dean’s mayoral seat in this November’s election has diminished with the announcements by several potential candidates that they will not run against the two-term incumbent. Members of the progressive voting block of the city council, determined to unseat Dean, have seen their list of challengers shrink, and have responded to their lack of a candidate by organizing a convention for May 4 to determine who will run against the mayor. -more-
The St. Mary’s High track & field program should be a contender for state honors this season, for both individual events and team score. So last weekend’s Arcadia Invitational, the first meet to host most of the state’s best teams, could be looked at as a preview of what’s to come for the Panthers. -more-
Two Berkeley residents will arrive in Israel this morning on a mission of peace. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
Led by a complete game from sophomore Matt Brown and home runs by Ben Conley and Justin Nelson, the Cal baseball team defeated visiting Arizona, 2-1, Sunday at Evans Diamond. The Bears improved to 23-18 overall and 6-6 in the Pac-10, while Arizona dropped to 24-15 and 5-7 in the conference. The Wildcats had won the first two game of the series, 8-4 on Friday and 18-9 Saturday. -more-
Reparations panelists say monetary is only beginning of America’s true atonement -more-
The daily filler titled "News of the Weird" represents at best a misjudgment of what will earn the respect and readership of Berkeley, but what's in it (Thursday, April 11th) is seriously offensive. -more-
Jewish Community Federation march numbers 5,000 -more-
In the early hours of April 15, 1912, the British luxury liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, less than three hours after striking an iceberg. About 1,500 people died. -more-
EL CERRITO — It was funny, just not the funniest. -more-
OAKLAND — Alameda County officials face a $46.3 million budget shortfall, the largest gap in five years, just to maintain the current level of services. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — After complaints of brutality, San Francisco police are reaching out to residents of Bayview-Hunters Point, a predominantly black neighborhood. -more-
IRS seeks to increase penalties for what they deem “frivolous arguments” -more-
.Scene of crime near residential neighborhood -more-
Local municipalities, real estate and building industries say “smart growth” depends too much on state control over how cities grow -more-
Plumas County officials say Lake Davis must be blasted to get rid of foriegn breed of northern pike -more-
TULELAKE – Two men arguing about Little League wound up in the hospital after slugging each other with a baseball bat, and each now faces felony assault charges, police said Saturday. -more-
UC Berkeley venues among facilities under consideration; supporters claim Games would bring about $7.4 billion, new housing and better public transportation to region -more-
LEWISTON, Idaho – The tribes along the route of Lewis and Clark’s expedition to the Pacific Ocean 200 years ago want the upcoming commemoration to be accurate, considerate and develop relationships that will last. -more-
Already one of the largest, caucus’s membership is still growing fast -more-
Proposed legislation would require corporations to change auditing firms every four years -more-
SAN JOSE – In a state that touts itself as a national model in resources in legal protections for death penalty defendants, seven death sentences are set aside for every one carried out, according to a newspaper’s review. -more-
Researchers trying to grow human organs -more-
SAN JOSE – The Silicon Valley’s biggest companies lost more money last year than they earned in the previous eight years combined, according to a newspaper report. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – The Cliff House, a roadside restaurant that has long been one of the West Coast’s top tourist attractions, is about to get a major and long-needed facelift. -more-
Attorneys for Earth First! activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney questioned witnesses in the opening week of their case against the FBI and Oakland Police, hoping to establish a timeline of events in the case. -more-
A tool used by historians to trace the history of a city is a special map, called a Sanborn Insurance Map. The maps were published for insurance agents to assess the risks of insuring a particular piece of property and were first published in 1867. -more-
The to Editor: -more-
Rare blend of rural and urban music reaches out to prison population -more-
Hard-hitting Berkeley takes over first place in Shoreline League -more-
Ding! Ding! -more-
A letter printed in yesterday’s edition regarding the League of Women Voters was written by Zelda Bronstein, the Chair of the Planning Commission. Below her name the Hearst-Curtis Neighborhood Association was placed inadvertantly. It has come to our attention that Bronstein has no affiliation with the Hearst-Curtis Neighborhood Association. The Daily Planet apologizes for the mistake. -more-
NEW YORK — The third time was the charm for Metropolitan Opera audiences who have been waiting for a chance to hear Vesselina Kasarova. -more-
When going up against a baseball team from a brand-new high school, it’s hard to know what to expect. But even the most cynical observer couldn’t have expected the Bad News Bears to show up. -more-
Scrapbooks, stories, videos, food and memories will be shared next Saturday at the Harmon House Reunion as the members of one of Berkeley’s eclectic communal houses say good-bye to their former South Berkeley residence. The house, a communal living space in Berkeley for working adults, students and graduate students since 1978, has been sold and will be renovated later this year. -more-
When the 45th San Francisco International Film Festival comes to the Pacific Film Archive on Friday, April 19, the “international” of the title proves itself. For two weeks the PFA will screen 34 films and 15 shorts from all points of the globe – from Berkeley to France to Senegal to Israel to China, and ports in between. -more-
Today is Saturday, April 13, the 103rd day of 2002. There are 262 days left in the year. -more-
LOS ANGELES — MGM has agreed to allow New Line Cinema to parody its James Bond film “Goldfinger” in the title of the new “Austin Powers” sequel. -more-
Trunks full of art draw admirers to Berkeley Art Museum -more-
LAS VEGAS — Nevada is challenging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing rule for making Yucca Mountain the nation’s nuclear waste dump. -more-
WASHINGTON — Several dozen Air Force cargo planes will be stationed at three California bases, providing hope the installations will remain open in the event of future base closures. -more-
Highlights of Nevada’s volcanic past: -more-
LOS ANGELES — Two Greenpeace activists were sentenced to a year’s probation Friday for taking part in a protest intended to stop the launch of an unarmed test missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base last year. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Authorities arrested a former employee and three others Friday who allegedly stole $1.3 million from the state Employment Development Department by issuing and cashing fraudulent disability insurance checks. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Toxic Substances Control issued emergency regulations Friday designed to make sure hazardous waste isn’t used by terrorists. -more-
SANTA ROSA — A Sonoma County jury has cleared James Kunstek of elder neglect in the death of an 89-year-old Monte Rio woman. -more-
TONOPAH, Nev. — At one time, they spewed ash and lava. Now, they slumber in the southern Nevada desert where President Bush wants to build the nation’s nuclear waste dump. -more-
SANTA ROSA — A jury broke from deliberations with no verdict Friday in the rape and molestation case against a Santa Rosa priest. -more-
SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County this week agreed to a settlement in the suit involving a San Jose youth whose 1998 attempted suicide left him unable to speak and confined to a hospital bed. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The woman convicted of second-degree murder in the dog mauling death of her neighbor has a new set of defense attorneys and a chance to convince a San Francisco judge she deserves a new trial. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Sheriff’s and FBI officials here are investigating a possible hate crime after a Jewish man said he was beaten by two attackers, one who claimed to support Palestine, officials said. -more-
KATMANDU, Nepal — A bomb exploded near a school in northwestern Nepal on Saturday, killing three children and injuring four others, police said. -more-
SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s the talk of Silicon Valley: How did someone break into the voice mail of Hewlett-Packard Co.’s chief financial officer, snag a sensitive message from his boss, Carly Fiorina, and leak it to the local newspaper? -more-
SACRAMENTO — The state could monitor power plants’ maintenance and operation to make sure plants aren’t being deliberately pulled off-line, under legislation sent to Gov. Gray Davis Thursday. -more-
OAKLEY — A government water-protection agency has denied funding to a coalition of environmental groups that hope to turn farm land into a tidal marsh. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Driven by declines in manufacturing, construction and real estate jobs, California’s unemployment rate rose slightly in March to 6.4 percent, according to preliminary figures released Friday. -more-
NEW YORK — The New York premiere of “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones,” will raise money for the city’s underprivileged kids and children of the victims of Sept. 11, festival organizers said Wednesday. -more-
While I was walking around the 2002 Photo Marketing Association Convention in Orlando, Fla., I felt like a kid in a candy store. Dozens of new digital darkroom tools were introduced and shown. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A 17-year-old Air Force ROTC student with an Arabic name has received an apology from the military after allegedly being handcuffed and interrogated by recruiters on campus. -more-
The Berkeley Police Department has released a sketch of a man who assaulted two Jewish men who were walking on Claremont Avenue earlier this month. -more-
Today is Tuesday, April 16, the 106th day of 2002. There are 259 days left in the year. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Anne Cribbs has no trouble convincing people that hosting the 2012 Olympic Games would be a good thing for the San Francisco Bay area. -more-