motorcross is Not a crime bikers want a park, too
Area motorcross bikers are frustrated. And they’re teaming up to take action. -more-
Area motorcross bikers are frustrated. And they’re teaming up to take action. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
Wrap barbed wire around a baseball bat. Beat a friend with it onto a plywood plank doused with lighter fluid and sparked into a table of fire. Then check to make sure he’s bleeding. -more-
Last season, Berkeley High was within 24 minutes of winning the Alameda-Contra Costa Athletic League title. Tied 7-7 at halftime of the regular-season finale against Pinole Valley, the Yellowjackets collapsed and ended up losing 35-14. This year, the Jackets hope they will have the staying power to outlast the Spartans and several other contenders. -more-
Berkeley officials say they will move ahead with an ordinance that would protect consumers’ personal financial information, despite a lawsuit challenging similar laws in San Mateo County and Daly City. -more-
LOS ANGELES — An amateur astronomer hunting for asteroids may have discovered a piece of the rocket that launched the Apollo 12 astronauts to the moon in 1969, a NASA scientist said Thursday. -more-
When a football team loses three players who gained 70 percent of its yards the previous season, there’s usually not much room for optimism. So why is St. Mary’s High head coach Jay Lawson so upbeat about the upcoming season? -more-
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While clerical workers sat down to discuss contracts with UC administrators Thursday – the first meeting since last month’s three-day strike – negotiators had at least one additional worry on their minds. -more-
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OS ANGELES — A judge Thursday threw out a politically damaging $78 million civil fraud verdict against GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon’s family investment firm, ruling that William E. Simon & Sons and other investors were the fraud victims. -more-
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OAKLAND – Alameda County Registrar of Voters Brad Clark has announced a series of demonstrations this month designed to allow voters to become acquainted with new electronic touchscreen voting equipment. -more-
FREMONT — Cecilia Chang says she used to look the other way when people talked about “heavy stuff” — civil liberties, constitutional rights, discrimination. -more-
SACRAMENTO— More than 700 acres purchased Thursday from the state’s largest private landowner will expand California’s park system, perhaps by year’s end, officials said. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Online powerhouse Yahoo Inc. and regional phone giant SBC Communications Inc. on Friday will unveil a high-speed Internet service designed to convince more people that broadband is worth the extra money. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The Internet digital photo site Webshots seemed destined to dissolve in the dot-com meltdown a year ago as its owner, ExciteAtHome, prepared to go bankrupt. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A boom in the number of college-age students and laid-off workers means enrollment at California’s community colleges is skyrocketing. -more-
WASHINGTON — A California lawmaker said a symbolic argument having nothing to do with water is holding up his critical water bill. -more-
SAN JOSE — There are two things to consider in judging the sanity of Yosemite killer Cary Stayner: the criminal and his crimes. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday it has adopted its recovery plan for the threatened California red-legged frog, the amphibian believed to have inspired Mark Twain’s short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” -more-
SANTA ANA — California’s Libertarian Party is considering dropping its candidate for governor because he spit on a radio talk show host. -more-
Last week’s flap over red, white and blue ribbons had critics calling UC Berkeley unpatriotic. This week, however, university administrators and students put the name-calling behind them and hoped Wednesday’s commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks would be free of politics. -more-
Amidst the solemn recital of names remembering the people killed on Sept. 11, I feel our grieving is incomplete. Can we truly honor the humanity of our loss if we do not also honor the four thousand civilians that we killed, albeit accidentally, during our retaliation in Afghanistan? Those people were not “collateral damage.” They had names. They had families. They, too, had hopes for the future. -more-
By Jennifer Dix -more-
Despite an encouraging start to the season, the Cal football team played to a tiny crowd of 24,619 fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday against New Mexico State, a fact that surprised several Bears players. -more-
Budget shortfalls threatening to close two Berkeley swimming pools have already cost 50 seniors their four-year-old water aerobics class. -more-
As everyone is well aware, Sept. 11 was the one-year anniversary of tragic events. The fire service lost over 340 firefighters as a result of that tragedy. An event we as firefighters and a nation hope never to witness again. Shortly after Sept. 11 the Berkeley Firefighters Association set out to do whatever we could to assist our brothers and sisters of the fire department of New York City. As a membership, we went out to the community of Berkeley and began a campaign called, “Fill the Boot for the FDNY.” Firefighters from Berkeley were on street corners to raise donations for the families of the fallen firefighters of the FDNY. As a result of our efforts from the Fill the Boot campaign, the Berkeley Firefighters Association was able to raise $80,000. This money was donated to the Widows and Orphans Fund of the FDNY last December. -more-
Jay Kelekian, who in 1994 helped lead the city’s fight against the end of statewide rent control, was named executive director of the city’s rent board last week. -more-
(Note: The letter’s author proposed a development for 1155 Hearst St.) -more-
As a Berkeley pedestrian and advocate for persons with disabilities, I am moved to thank the Berkeley Police Department for their work protecting pedestrians in the crosswalk. Red flags didn't work. There have to be real consequences for unsafe drivers before more pedestrians are killed. Thank you, Berkeley police. -more-
This week, four women from Costa Rica’s budding disability rights movement are visiting a city that plays host to some of the world’s foremost political experts: Berkeley. -more-
It saddens and angers me that the air quality issue is impacting the expansion of the Harrison House Homeless Shelter. The shelter is located on the outskirts of Berkeley in an industrial neighborhood because most of the citizens of Berkeley don't want “those kind of people” in their neighborhood. Now these same Berkeley people are telling us they are so concerned about the impact of the air quality on the well-being of the people they sent to this neighborhood that their facilities shouldn't be expanded. Boona cheema, the person who has devoted much of her life to working with homeless people said it best. “What do you think the answer is going to be when you ask a homeless mother with two kids if she would rather live on the streets or in safe, warm housing in West Berkeley?” -more-
SACRAMENTO — California’s Department of Education would be placed under the control of the governor as part of a new legislative proposal released Tuesday to restructure the state’s education system. -more-
The following describe bills Gov. Gray Davis signed Wednesday: -more-
NEW YORK — Yahoo.com’s home page was devoid of its usually vivid colors Wednesday, its white background replaced with gray. Amazon.com carried drawings, essays and poetry from New York City schoolchildren. -more-
When one door shuts another opens, they say. -more-
The anniversary of Sept. 11 is upon us. The day we remember was dramatically significant in the life and soul of our America. Ground Zero is now sacred ground consecrated by our tears, our grief, our tremendous pain and suffering. It is the place where we became we and us and stopped being the almighty American ego. We, finally, as a culture, grew up. -more-
Despite an encouraging start to the season, the Cal football team played to a tiny crowd of 24,619 fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday against New Mexico State, a fact that surprised several Bears players. -more-
City Council voted Tuesday to clamp down on brothels that masquerade as massage parlors. -more-
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Hundreds of cheering supporters gathered at St. Joseph’s the Worker Church this morning to bid farewell to Father William O’Donnell as he left to begin a six month sentence at Atwater Federal Prison in Merced County. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The nation was placed on its second highest terror alert level for the first time Tuesday, and Gov. Gray Davis ordered extra security at state buildings and memorial events. -more-
Sept. 11, 2001 Berkeley residents awoke to find that the country they believed impenetrable had been attacked. Mayor Shirley Dean was among those who stared in shock and disbelief as the TV news played and replayed the brutal assault on the twin towers and the Pentagon. The vision of planes crashing into buildings and people hurling themselves from windows high above Manhattan seemed unreal, more like a made-for-TV drama. “At first you don’t believe it,” Dean said. -more-
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By Chris Nichols -more-
Residents of Berkeley’s UA Homes left stranded by the Aug. 26 fire at 1040 University are on the move again. -more-
The Greeks are parched. But relief is on the way. -more-
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BERKELEY — Northern California’s Tibetan community cautiously welcomed a visit to China’s capital by a special envoy of Tibet’s spiritual Leader, the Dalai Lama. -more-
KATMANDU, Nepal — Royal Nepalese Army soldiers launched a counterattack Monday after Maoist guerrillas killed at least 57 soldiers and policemen in a mountainous area overnight, a government minister said. -more-
OAKLAND – An Alameda County prosecutor said Monday that a one-time distinguished Fremont teacher has pleaded guilty to a single felony count of possessing child pornography. -more-
Scientists at Lawrence National Laboratory in Berkeley recently completed a millennium-long simulation of global climate changes, further closing the accuracy gap in weather prediction. -more-
With the need for more housing and economic growth in apparent conflict with the need to protect the environment, Berkeley has developed a new program for commercial and multi-family building projects that promotes sustainability and energy conservation that will also help meet the housing and commercial needs of Berkeley residents. -more-
SAN JOSE — Using molecules as building blocks, Hewlett-Packard Co. researchers have created memory circuits 10 times more dense than today’s silicon chips under a process that could be faster and cheaper than current technology. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — California museums are commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with photography exhibits, film screenings and in Silicon Valley, a huge American flag made of red, white and blue CDs. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros. has become the latest studio to offer some of its films for a limited time for download over the Internet. -more-
Berkeley may become the first California city to protect consumers from financial companies that sell personal information. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
With an opportunistic offense and a bend-but-don’t-break defense, the Cal Bears improved to 2-0 with a 34-13 win over New Mexico State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. -more-
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The only goal of Sunday’s Cal-Texas A&M women’s soccer game came off of an Aggie foot, but the Bears got the 1-0 victory at Edwards Stadium. -more-
At Civic Center Park, which appropriately sits above Berkeley’s underground waterway Strawberry Creek, poets and activists celebrated the importance of watersheds at Saturday’s seventh annual Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival. -more-
OAKLAND – Oakland Raiders coach Bill Callahan had an impressive debut Sunday. -more-
CAMP DAVID, Md. – President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday the world must act against Saddam Hussein, arguing that the Iraqi leader has defied the United Nations and reneged on promises to destroy weapons of mass destruction. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Californians say a lot of good and bad changes have occurred in the United States since Sept. 11, and many believe more terrorist attacks are imminent with California as a likely target, according to a Field Poll released Sunday. -more-
One of Cal head coach Jeff Tedford’s main points of emphasis has been positive reinforcement for his players. He put that into practice twice on Saturday when wide receivers LaShaun Ward and Geoff McArthur committed drops. -more-
OAKLAND — The police department and the FBI have asked a judge to set aside the $4.4 million a jury awarded to two Earth First activists earlier this year. -more-
Known as one of the Bay Area's biggest and best block parties, Sunday’s Solano Stroll is expected to draw 150,000 strollers to Albany for a day of food, fun and wholehearted fulfillment. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
Without public transportation in the form of trains and streetcars the fast paced urban development of the Bay Area, 1863 to 1915, would not have been possible. The first railroad in the Bay Area opened in 1863 and ran from San Francisco to San Jose. The transcontinental railroad opened in 1869, and soon there were rail lines around the state. The railroads made development possible and created a network of towns and cities. -more-
Gina Rose Halpern’s paintings are colorful, often exuberant works that incorporate references to many spiritual traditions, from Christianity to Buddhism to the nature religions of the world’s indigenous people. For Halpern, her work is not simply decorative or expressive but a form of healing. The 51-year-old El Cerrito artist has a career as vibrant and colorful as her paintings. She is an interfaith minister, teacher, and therapist who believes in the literal healing power of art. -more-
A depleted Cal women’s soccer team fell to 10th-ranked Texas, 2-1, Friday afternoon at Edwards Stadium. The Texas win avenged a 2-1 loss to Cal in Austin last year. -more-
Michael Israel had been living in subsidized housing at 1040 University Ave. for only a week when fire swept through his building and put him out of a home. Like many of the 69 residents who were ousted by the Aug. 26 blaze at UA Homes, Israel had been a drifter, living in the streets of the East Bay, before rooting himself with the help of social service workers in the now scorched west Berkeley residential hotel. -more-
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The Cal men’s soccer team got its first win of the season in dramatic fashion against Portland on Friday, tying the game with three minutes left in regulation before scoring a golden goal in overtime for a 2-1 victory. -more-
With the ink still drying on the state’s 2002-2003 budget, Berkeley Unified School District officials say the impact on the local school system is far from clear. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – As a judge framed it Friday, the lawsuit over who owns Barry Bonds’ record-setting 73rd home run ball boils down to simple definitions: “A catch is a catch – if it’s a catch.” -more-
Mayoral candidate Tom Bates and Councilmember Donna Spring were the big winners at Wednesday’s Berkeley Green Party nomination event. Both candidates won overwhelming support in preliminary votes and are now all but assured the official endorsements, to be named Sunday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County woman has tested positive for West Nile virus in what is believed to be the first case of a person contracting the illness in the western United States, health officials said Friday. -more-
A dispute over a leaky roof has made finding authentic south-of-the border cuisine considerably more difficult for west Berkeley residents and has roused the mayor while forcing at least one single mother to lose her livelihood. -more-
OAKLAND – Alameda County officials announced Thursday that the contractor working on the new critical care building at the Highland Hospital campus has been pulled off of the job. -more-
SANTA CRUZ — Medical marijuana advocates outraged by a raid at a local prescription pot supplier protested at federal offices in several cities in Northern California and across the country Friday. -more-
SANTA ROSA — As the insurance industry tries to offset rising costs and poor investment returns, leading providers are raising rates and denying renewals to people who’ve filed claims. -more-
NEW YORK — The smoke hangs thick at Pete’s Tavern, swirling through the 138-year-old pub as the lunch-hour conversation turns to the mayor’s plan to ban smoking in thousands of bars and restaurants across the city. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — As many as 76 million people — mostly children — could die from water-related diseases by 2020 if changes aren’t made worldwide in the way communities develop their water systems and policies, according to a California think tank. -more-
NEW YORK — It makes an eye-opening story: knives, razors and pepper spray easily passing through supposedly beefed-up airport security. But it also raises troubling ethical questions: In particular, are journalists justified in breaking a law to expose weaknesses in enforcing it? -more-
SACRAMENTO — A survey of California students released Friday found that more than 10 percent of high school students have tried the drug Ecstasy, prompting the state to create a media campaign to target use of the drug. -more-