The Week

 

News

UCB suspends pro-Palestine student group over Wheeler Hall takeover

By David Scharfenberg, Daily Planet staff
Friday April 26, 2002

UC Berkeley has suspended Students for Justice in Palestine while officials investigate the group’s April 9 takeover of Wheeler Hall. -more-


New citizen votes for clean energy, SB532

Anastassia Shaitarova
Friday April 26, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


NPR icons bring East Coast wit & angst to Zellerbach Hall

By Peter Crimmins, Special to the Daily Planet
Friday April 26, 2002

They are three unlikely stars of American letters – their unsteady, vulnerable voices can be heard through their writing and on the radio – but David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and David Rakoff are the crowned triumvirate of humor prose. Their published memoirs wrought with witty failure and anxiety have charmed and amused the in-crowd. -more-


Arts & Entertainment Calendar

Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

Out & About Calendar

Staff
Friday April 26, 2002


Friday, April 26 -more-


Berkeley, El Cerrito split track meet

By Jared Green, Daily Planet Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

Yellowjacket boys, Gaucho girls win -more-


School Board tangles over maintenance budget

By David Scharfenberg, Daily Planet staff
Friday April 26, 2002

The Board of Education tangled with activists over the multi-million dollar maintenance budget and tabled a change in the hiring process for principals at its Wednesday night meeting. -more-


California should clean up its energy policy

Lauren Perlman
Friday April 26, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


‘Jihad’ explores dynamics of Islamist movements

By Andy Sywak Special to the Daily Planet
Friday April 26, 2002

The calamity of September 11 has unleashed a flurry of books – both old and new – that seek to explain the intricacies of the volatile region to a hungry public. Gilles Kepel, author of “Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam”, will discuss his own historical viewpoint tonight at 7:30 at Cody’s Books on Telegraph Avenue. -more-


Gauchos blast BHS

By Jared Green, Daily Planet Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

El Cerrito volleyball completes season sweep over Berkeley -more-


Protesters call on UCB to end animal research

By Jamie Luck, Special to the Daily Planet
Friday April 26, 2002

Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocay (BOAA) held a vigil last night before UC Berkeley’s Northwest Animal Facility to protest the use of animals for experimentation. Clutching signs and candles, the black-clad protesters stood in silence along Oxford St. between Hearst and Berkeley streets while campus police video-taped the scene. -more-



Sports this weekend

Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

Friday -more-


Earth First! exuberant in FBI/OPD conspiracy trial

By Devona Walker, Daily Planet Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

The third week of testimony in the civil suit of Earth First v. The FBI and the Oakland Police Department came to a close Thursday evening with the plaintiffs feeling exuberant over early strides made in their case. -more-


Responsibility for securing a clean energy future rests on us

Cat Hare
Friday April 26, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


Prep scores

Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

History

Staff
Friday April 26, 2002

Today is Friday, April 26, the 116th day of 2002. There are 249 days left in the year. -more-


Not all who oppose Israel’s policies are anti-Semitic

Gray Brechin
Friday April 26, 2002

To the Editor, -more-


16 sexual predators go free

By Kim Curtis, The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — While Gov. Gray Davis’ efforts to keep Patrick Ghilotti behind bars went all the way to the California Supreme Court, few noticed when at least 16 other sexually violent predators were allowed to disappear quietly into their communities. -more-


Ghilottii denied release

By Kim Curtis, The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Gov. Gray Davis cannot arbitrarily overrule a state law that sets guidelines for freeing rapists and child molesters after they have served their sentences. -more-


Livermore lab director says no more nuclear testing

By Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

LIVERMORE — A year ago, President Bush asked the director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to find out how long it would take to restart nuclear test explosions. -more-


Local man arrested in airport security sting

Daily Planet Wire Report
Friday April 26, 2002

The FBI announced Thursday that four Oakland International Airport employees have been arrested on suspicion of failing to disclose prior felony convictions when applying for airport badges that gave them access to secure areas of the airport. -more-


State sued over timber logging practices

By Don Thompson, The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

SACRAMENTO — A Sierra Nevada conservation group sued the state Thursday over its approval of logging plans by the state’s largest timber company. -more-


New wholesale power market design approved

By Jennifer Coleman, The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

Five glasses of water per day keeps the doctor away

The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

Home and Garden – Q&A

By Morris and James Carey The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

Q. I have a humming noise in my water lines, caused by a vibration that results when the tank float valve in my toilet nears shut-off. Is there a way to fix it other than by replacing the float and shut-off valve assembly? -more-


California existing home prices hit record in March

By Simon Avery, The Associated Press
Friday April 26, 2002

LOS ANGELES — The cost of home ownership in California broke another barrier in March, with the median home price topping $300,000 for the first time, according to industry figures released Thursday. -more-


Airport scanner reduction hurts InVision Tech.

The Associated Press/Dow Jones
Friday April 26, 2002

NEW YORK — Shares of InVision Technologies Inc., which makes airport luggage scanners, fell Thursday after the Transportation Department reduced the number of such machines it plans to deploy at airports this year. -more-


City Council looks back at Israel vote

By Jamie Luck Special to the Daily Planet
Thursday April 25, 2002

After input from citizens and councilmembers, the controversial resolution from the Peace and Justice Commission to divest from Israel and Palestine that contained several items supporting peace processes in the region was picked apart, rewritten, but in the end it was still voted down. -more-


Panthers drop extra-inning thriller to Albany

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002

The St. Mary’s High baseball team missed a chance to put itself ahead of the BSAL pack on Wednesday, falling apart in the ninth inning to lose, 8-3, to Albany. -more-


Teacher challenges standardized tests

Martha Hoppe Berkeley
Thursday April 25, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


O Music, Where Art Thou?

Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002

Blue grass music is alive and well and can be heard in Berkeley and Albany. The Ashkenaz hosts a monthly Fling Ding, where local bluegrass performers jam, as pictured at left on April 17. -more-


Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002


Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002


Thursday, April 25


Berkeley High releases new blueprint for change

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002

Berkeley High School has released a blueprint for reform four weeks before a crucial visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a Burlingame-based accrediting group which has threatened to withdraw its seal of approval if BHS does not make progress in 11 areas first identified in 1999. -more-


Support human rights for Palestinians

Sami Kitmitto Berkeley
Thursday April 25, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


Sony’s summer sequels seek super size sales

By David Germain The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

LOS ANGELES — Sony Pictures is spinning a commanding box-office web this summer, with a lineup anchored by that blockbuster-in-the-making, “Spider-Man,” and sequels to “Men in Black” and “Stuart Little.” -more-


City Council denounces plan for Dublin juvenile facility

By Chris Nichols Daily Planet Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002

The Berkeley City Council passed two resolutions opposing a new Alameda county juvenile facility planned for construction in Dublin. Opponents of the facility say there is no need for a larger facility and that the proposed Dublin location will be inaccessible to most Alameda county families. -more-


City Council spoke clearly against Israel boycott

Hilla Abel Berkeley
Thursday April 25, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


Bush official defends U.S. treatment of Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Thursday April 25, 2002

John Yoo, a Bush Administration official on loan from UC Berkeley, defended the president’s handling of the 299 alleged Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba at a Wednesday appearance at the university’s Boalt School of Law. -more-


What the Israelis and the Palestinians really want

Harry Lieberman Berkeley
Thursday April 25, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


History

The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

Today is Thursday, April 25, the 115th day of 2002. There are 250 days left in the year. -more-


University clerical workers rally again, prepare for possible strike

By Jamie Luck Special to the Daily Planet
Thursday April 25, 2002

Armed with signs, flyers, food and a woman in a peanut suit, the Coalition of University Employees Local 3 held a lunch-hour rally on the lawn before Sproul Hall on Wednesday to demand an increase in wages for clerical workers from the university. -more-


Rep. Barbara Lee wins integrity award

The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

BERKELEY – U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has been named the winner of the Wayne Morse Integrity in Government Award for 2002, in part for challenging President Bush’s military plans after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. -more-


Berkeley cyclist sues AIDS Ride charity

Staff
Thursday April 25, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — A Berkeley bicyclist has sued the organizer of the AIDS Vaccine Rides for allegedly misrepresenting how much money raised by the events ends up going to medical research. -more-


Calif. teachers’ bid to select textbooks slips as bill stalls in Assembly committee

By Stefanie Frith The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

SACRAMENTO — A hotly debated bill that would let teacher contract negotiations include textbook and curriculum selection stalled Wednesday night in an Assembly committee. -more-


Calif. cities can ban gun shows, high court rules

By David Kravets The Associated PRess
Thursday April 25, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Counties and cities in California may prohibit gun shows on their fairgrounds and other public properties, despite state laws that allow such events, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. -more-


California’s first new prison since 1995 nixed in Senate

By Don Thompson The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

SACRAMENTO — A Senate budget subcommittee stripped money intended to build California’s first new prison since 1995 on Wednesday, saying the maximum-security facility is unnecessary as the state’s prison population falls. -more-


State Board of Education adopts new standardized test

By Stefanie Frith The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

SACRAMENTO — The state Board of Education picked a new standardized test Wednesday to replace the Stanford 9 exam students take each spring. -more-


Supreme Court squelches Lake Tahoe development

By Jim Wasserman The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

SACRAMENTO — Land-use planners and government agencies, accustomed to second guessing themselves when saying no to developers, are hailing a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling as a victory for sound planning in California. -more-


Berkeley software company sues for consumers’ right to copy commercial DVDs

By Ron Harris The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A small software company that has an office in Berkeley is taking on entertainment behemoths, suing nine major movie studios for the right to sell a program that allows the user to copy commercial DVDs. -more-


Microsoft agrees to support AMD’s next Athlon microprocessor chip

By Matthew Fordahl The Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In an endorsement of Advanced Micro Devices Inc.’s next-generation processor, Microsoft Corp. has agreed to work on adding support for the chip to its Windows operating system. -more-


South Berkeley explosion injures construction crew

By Jamie Luck Special to the Daily Planet
Tuesday April 23, 2002

A South Berkeley construction crew was burned early Monday when fumes from a diesel mixture combusted. The crew was working on a new foundation in the basement of a five-unit building at the southeast corner of Milvia and Parker streets. -more-


St. Mary’s jumper hurtles toward 2008 Olympics

By Nathan Fox Daily Planet Correspondent
Tuesday April 23, 2002

Three steps, for most of us, is the distance between the fridge and the cupboard while rummaging for yet another commercial-break snack. But St. Mary’s High track standout Solomon Welch stretches those three steps out a bit. -more-


Rally for more school funding

John Selawsky Director, Berkeley Board of Education
Tuesday April 23, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


‘Scorpion King’ stings competition, opens with $36.1 million weekend

The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

LOS ANGELES — The Rock was ready to rumble at the box office. -more-


Staff
Tuesday April 23, 2002


Tuesday, April 23


Schultz retires from School Board; Riddle seeks vacant seat

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Tuesday April 23, 2002

Ted Schultz, an eight-year veteran of the Board of Education, has announced that he will not run for re-election in November. Nancy Riddle, chief financial officer for Monster Cable Products, Inc. of Brisbane and long-time parent activist, has declared her candidacy for the coming vacancy. -more-


Richard Cherry belongs on BHS team

The Berkeley Athletic Fund
Tuesday April 23, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


Berkeley group protects world’s islands

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Tuesday April 23, 2002

It’s the environmental catastrophe no one seems to know about – the degradation of the world’s islands – and a Berkeley group is addressing it head-on. -more-


Save the El Cerrito Theater

Michael Mejia Richmond
Tuesday April 23, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


History

The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

Today is Tuesday, April 23, the 113th day of 2002. There are 252 days left in the year. -more-


Long live the atheist

Carol Denny Berkeley
Tuesday April 23, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


News of the Weird

The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Police are looking for three very unwelcome wedding guests. -more-


Gore criticizes Bush administration’s environmental policies

By Karin MillerThe Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Al Gore used Earth Day to unleash his harshest criticism of President Bush since losing the White House to him, saying the administration’s environmental policies serve “special interests instead of public interests.” -more-


Bush defends his environmental record as Gore and others criticize his record; promotes “clear skies” anti-smog plan

By Ron Fournier The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

WILMINGTON, N.Y. — After a muscle-burning walk through snowy Adirondack Mountain woods, President Bush defended his environmental record on Earth Day and dismissed a chorus of Democratic critics, including former rival Al Gore. -more-


Trash talk: New York mayor’s proposed recycling halt angers environmental groups

By Larry McShane The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

NEW YORK — The nation’s recycling movement has been steadily expanding for three decades — so much that it has become almost standard practice for people to separate their paper, plastic and glass. -more-


California shaves $3.5 billion off cost of power contracts

By Paul Glader The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — California will save $3.5 billion on its long-term energy pacts, state officials said Monday, under reworked terms on eight contracts with four power companies, including San Jose-based Calpine Corp. -more-


Measure boosting benefits retroactively sent to Davis

By Steve Lawrence The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers on Monday sent the governor a bill raising unemployment benefits for workers who lost their jobs following the Sept. 11 attacks, but a partisan fight will delay the increases for months. -more-


A day in the life ... campesinos from Latin America work long days in Arizona fields

By Luke Turf The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

YUMA, Ariz. — It’s 2:30 a.m. and Francisco Perez Marez wakes to his alarm. He’s had six hours of sleep. -more-


California court allows local bans of gun shows on public property

By DAVID KRAVETS Associated Press Writer
Tuesday April 23, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Counties and cities in California may prohibit gun shows on their fairgrounds and other public properties, despite state laws that allow such events, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. -more-


Southern farmers pin hopes on growing demand for goat meat

By Elliott Minor The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

ALBANY, Ga. — Charles Batten turned a few goats loose on his cow pastures 10 years ago to keep weeds down. They do a great job, but these days they’re more valuable for their meat. -more-


Cable network for women gets minuscule ratings in first survey

The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

NEW YORK — Oxygen, the cable television network for women that began with great fanfare two years ago, is barely being seen. -more-


‘Dateline NBC’ and General Motors make peace after flaming truck incident

The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

NEW YORK — A decade after “Dateline NBC” got in trouble for staging a collision to illustrate fire dangers in a General Motors truck, the newsmagazine and automaker have apparently made peace. -more-


Univison to unveil new strategy, programs for Galavision cable

By Gary Gentile The Associated Press
Tuesday April 23, 2002

LOS ANGELES — Univision Communications Inc. is programming its Galavision cable channel to appeal to different audiences than its two broadcast networks. -more-


Cal Day, a celebration to recruit

By Chris Nichols Special to the Daily Planet
Monday April 22, 2002

Prospective students and their parents flooded UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza Saturday taking in the sights and sounds of Berkeley and gathering information, advice and tips on college life at the annual Cal Day. -more-


Undefeated Bears rumble into Final Four

By Jared Green Daily Planet Staff
Monday April 22, 2002

The juggernaut that is Cal rugby continued its quest for a 12th consecutive national championship with a 63-6 demolition of Ohio State in the Elite Eight on Sunday at Witter Field. The Bears allowed just two penalty kicks in the game and shut out the Buckeyes in the second half. -more-


The truth about ‘terrorism’

Christopher Calder
Monday April 22, 2002

Judge stalls pot club’s defense

Daily Planet Wire Report
Monday April 22, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco spent little time Friday on a bid by the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative to raise new arguments about why it should be allowed to dispense medical marijuana. -more-


Bears beat Arizona for first-ever state sweep

Daily Planet Wire Services
Monday April 22, 2002

On the strength of senior Jocelyn Forest’s one-hit, 15-strikeout performance, the No. 8 Golden Bears upset No. 1 Arizona, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Levine-Fricke Field, marking the first time California has swept the desert schools in a weekend series dating back to the inception of Pac-10 softball in 1987. -more-


Budget cuts to programs for elderly is ill advised

Petrice P. Kam UCSF Nursing Student
Monday April 22, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


‘Harmon’ious memories revisited over the weekend

By Chris Nichols Special to the Daily Planet
Monday April 22, 2002

Past and present generations of Harmon House residents gathered Saturday to touch base with old friends, to share stories and memories and of course eat food and at what may be the final reunion at the historic Berkeley communal house. -more-


No. 1 Cal crew beats No. 6 Wisconsin

Daily Planet Wire Services
Monday April 22, 2002

The No. 1 ranked Cal men’s varsity eight defeated No. 6 Wisconsin by five seconds in dual racing on the Redwood Shores Lagoon, April 21. The undefeated, defending IRA National champion Bears covered the course in a time of 5:40.43. -more-


Homes in Yorba Linda briefly threatened by 125-acre fire

The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

YORBA LINDA — A 125-acre fire apparently sparked by illegal fireworks came dangerously close to homes on the eastern edge of Yorba Linda on Sunday evening, but winds pushed it northeast into a state park and no evacuations were required, authorities said. -more-


Sports this week

Staff
Monday April 22, 2002

Tuesday -more-


Farmers pin hopes on growing demand for goat meat

The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

ALBANY, Ga. — Charles Batten turned a few goats loose on his cow pastures 10 years ago to keep weeds down. They do a great job, but these days they’re more valuable for their meat. -more-


Corn study spurs debate over corporate meddling in academia

By Paul Elias The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

When a prestigious scientific journal backed away from a study that found genetic contamination in Mexican corn, it was a big public relations victory for the biotechnology industry. -more-


Monterey 5-year-old girl dies, Placerville boy badly mauled in three days of dog attacks

By Ron Harris The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO – An 11-year-old boy was severely mauled by a neighbor’s pit bull, an attack that came just a day after a 5-year-old Monterey girl died after being attacked by her family dog. -more-


Fistfights during step contest prompt early evacuation at Great America

The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

SANTA CLARA – Paramount’s Great America theme park was evacuated and closed an hour early Saturday night after several fistfights broke out, leaving several parkgoers injured, officials said. -more-


Legislators call for halt to plans to build new prison

By Don Thompson Associated Press Writer
Monday April 22, 2002

SACRAMENTO – The chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee and other lawmakers plan to call this week for the state to halt its plans to build a new maximum security prison at Delano. -more-


Gas prices hold steady despite bad news from around globe

The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

CAMARILLO – Gasoline prices edged down a fraction of a cent over the past two weeks, despite tensions in oil-producing regions like the Middle East and South America, an analyst said Sunday. -more-


Trio wins environmental prize for fighting ANWR

By Colleen Valles Associated Press Writer
Monday April 22, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO – As Congress and President Bush have debated whether to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, three indigenous spokespeople have devoted their days to ensuring the potential effects on the land, its wildlife and their people are not overlooked. -more-


Abortion activists face off at UC Berkeley

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

A speech by a “pro-life feminist” on the UC Berkeley campus Friday afternoon sparked a stand-off between activists from both sides of the abortion debate. -more-


’Jackets stay perfect in ACCAL with Stipovich gem

By Richard Nybakken Daily Planet Correspondent
Saturday April 20, 2002

The Berkeley High baseball juggernaut continued to roll over opponents Friday afternoon, riding a two-hit gem from starting pitcher Cole Stipovich to a convincing 5-1 victory against El Cerrito High. -more-


Daily Planet mistakes are laughable

David Couch Berkeley
Saturday April 20, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


Aroner seeks $1.1 million for schools for school district

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

By David Scharfenberg -more-


John Swett pounds Panthers

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

By Jared Green -more-


Berkeley’s public schools are underachievers

John Cecil Berkeley
Saturday April 20, 2002

To the Editor: -more-


Black Repertory bounces back in South Berkeley

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

By Chris Nichols -more-


Sports shorts

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

Cal softball upsets No. 6 ASU -more-


Alameda County cuts funds for the elderly

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

By Bruce Gerstman -more-


History

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

Today is Saturday, April 20, the 110th day of 2002. There are 255 days left in the year. -more-


Images of trade center preserved in fresh films shot before Sept. 11

By David Germain The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

LOS ANGELES — The World Trade Center lives on in a handful of new films whose makers left intact their pre-Sept. 11 footage of the twin towers out of respect for the dead and defiance of the terrorists who destroyed the buildings. -more-


Environmental agency settles suit over endangered species

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

SACRAMENTO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to consider for the first time in a decade how 18 commonly used pesticides may affect endangered salmon and woodland plants. -more-


Rebels Write Receipts in Robbery

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

KATMANDU, Nepal — Having just finished breakfast, a team of mountaineers in Nepal were robbed by Maoist rebels who allowed their victims to bargain over the amount to be stolen and then wrote out receipts. -more-


Pac Bell gets bad grades on customer survey

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Bell customers are less than thrilled with the service they’ve been getting since SBC Communications agreed to buy the company in 1996, according to a recently released survey. -more-


Sketching out the real art from the process

By Matt Artz Daily Planet Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

The exhibition, on display at Traywick Gallery through May 4, marks new ground for a process artist who has documented the marginal events of everyday life, not through the lens of the camera, but via the unlocked complexity of photographic paper. -more-


Baby, I’m back,’

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

NEW YORK — A Wall Street TV showdown began Friday night as financial journalist Louis Rukeyser returned to the air. -more-


Connerly’s ‘Racial Privacy Initiative’ likely to appear on November ballot

By Justin Pritchard The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Ward Connerly proposes a California so colorblind that government officials would not be allowed to classify people by race. -more-


Pac Bell gets bad grades on PUC customer survey

Staff
Saturday April 20, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Bell customers are less than thrilled with the service they’ve been getting since SBC Communications agreed to buy the company in 1996, according to a recently released survey. -more-


Sun Microsystems reports narrower third-quarter loss than anticipated

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sun Microsystems Inc. posted a slim third-quarter loss that beat Wall Street expectations by a penny, though the company — still faced with slumping demand for high-powered network servers and workstations — had sequentially flat revenues. -more-


Former exec accuses AMD of anti-Arab discrimination

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — A former senior vice president for Advanced Micro Devices Inc. claims in a lawsuit that the computer chip maker’s top two officials humiliated him and forced him out because he is an Arab-American. -more-


SF’s Williams-Sonoma declares 2-for-1 split

The Associated Press
Saturday April 20, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO — Williams-Sonoma Inc. said Wednesday it has raised its guidance for 2002 and the first two fiscal quarters of the year, citing stronger sales, better-than-expected gross margins and the success of its cost-management initiatives. -more-


Opinion

Editorials

Eastshore State Park plan nearing maturity

By Jamie Luck, Special to the Daily Planet
Friday April 26, 2002

The plans to establish Eastshore State Park, the swath of coastal greenbelt that stretches from the foot of the Bay Bridge to Marina Bay in Richmond, is taking a somewhat cohesive form. Entitled the “preferred park plan,” it is ready for the next stage after a Tuesday presentation in Berkeley. The city will be receiving it with a special meeting composed of the City Council, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Waterfront Commission this Tuesday, April 30, 7 p.m. at the Berkeley Community Theater, 1930 Allston Way. -more-


News of the Weird

Associated Press
Thursday April 25, 2002

Earwax, you’re history -more-


Afghanistan’s war veterans prowl the streets

The Associated Press
Monday April 22, 2002

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Well after midnight, police who hadn’t been paid in four months pulled over a vehicle at a checkpoint on a barely lit street. But it wasn’t money they were after. They asked the car’s Western passengers for help getting artificial limbs. -more-


Architect Julia Morgan designed some of Berkeley’s most treasured buildings

By Susan Cerny Special to the Daily Planet
Saturday April 20, 2002

Julia Morgan was a remarkable woman and an exceptional architect. Not only was she the first woman to be admitted to the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, she was also the architect of San Simeon, the fabulous "castle" built by William Randolph Hearst, near San Louis Obispo, which is now a state park. -more-