The Week
News
For Jack Johnson the show goes on
Surfers all have a common bond: the love of waves. But for pro-surfer-turned-musician Jack Johnson and many of the people that have stepped into his life, the bonds go beyond that. -more-
Some of NBC’s established hits are off to a sluggish start this season
NEW YORK — If “The West Wing” were the real White House, glum-faced presidential operatives would be obsessing over worrisome poll numbers. -more-
Candidates talk town and gown
Mayor Shirley Dean and challenger Tom Bates traded jabs over Dean’s student appointments to city commissions and Bates’ 1988 role in temporarily blocking construction of UC Berkeley’s Foothill Residence Hall during a sharply-worded campus debate Wednesday night. -more-
Bonds’ ball trial starts
SAN FRANCISCO — The feud over Barry Bonds’ historic 73rd home run ball has gone to court, starting a flurry of arguments from both sides about what it means to be a spectator to the great American pastime and whether scuffling over baseballs hit into the stands is just the name of the game. -more-
Bay Area Briefs
Community to receive funds for public transportation study -more-
Forty alleged members of Aryan Brotherhood indicted across nation
LOS ANGELES — Forty alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacist prison-based gang, have been indicted on racketeering charges stemming from a series of violent crimes that included 16 murders and 16 attempted murders, federal officials announced Thursday. -more-
World Series expected to lift California tourism
Largest ranch in valley receives protection from development
Council turns on the lights
On Monday, the lights will go on. -more-
Politics aren’t always Black & White
With his eye on the prison system Oakland singer/activist Steve Harris brings his politically-charged music and poetry to Berkeley’s La Pena Cultural Center tonight. -more-
Bears searching for second-half answers
Someone check the fire extinguishers in the Cal locker room. They could be all used up from cooling off the Bears at halftime. -more-
UC students urge Wheeler charges dropped
About 60 pro-Palestinian UC Berkeley students and supporters gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall Wednesday calling on the university to drop conduct charges against 32 student activists who participated in the April 9 occupation of Wheeler Hall. -more-
Responding to the challenge
To the Editor: -more-
The ballet makes for entertaining evening
The Oakland Ballet’s program 2, featuring two world premieres and two company premieres, made for an entertaining evening of dance last weekend at Oakland's opulent Paramount Theatre. Of the four pieces, the most successful were Agnes de Mille's “Three Virgins and a Devil” and Mexican choreographer Gloria Contreras’ “Opus 45.” -more-
Huffins named Cal track coach
Chris Huffins, former NCAA decathlon champion at Cal and current assistant track & field coach at Georgia Tech, will return to Berkeley as the school’s new director of track and field and cross country, Cal Athletic Director Steve Gladstone announced Wednesday. -more-
Public safety groups endorse Dean
Berkeley police officers and firefighters endorsed Mayor Shirley Dean Wednesday in her bid for re-election. -more-
Lucasfilm employee arrested
SAN RAFAEL — A former Lucasfilm employee faces 13 felony counts of theft for allegedly stealing sound effects recordings, images, video files and the musical score to the movie “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones.” -more-
Fire victims set to go home
If all goes well, the 69 residents of UA Homes who were displaced by fire in August will be able to return home next week. -more-
Sniper attacks prompt thriller delay
LOS ANGELES — With a deadly sniper terrorizing the suburbs of the nation’s capital, 20th Century Fox has decided to delay the release of a thriller about people being pinned down in a phone booth by a gunman they can’t see. -more-
Iraq’s neighbors oppose conflict
UNITED NATIONS — The United States came under a barrage of criticism Wednesday as the Security Council held an open debate at the behest of dozens of countries angry with the Bush administration’s threat to attack Iraq. -more-
Train accidents kill two in East Bay
A 32-year-old East Bay woman was killed in a possible suicide attempt when an Amtrak passenger train struck her Toyota pick-up truck at Camelia Street in Berkeley at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. -more-
Murder suspect makes first court appearance
OAKLAND – A 17-year-old boy suspected of shooting an Oakland police officer in the head last month made his first appearance in Alameda County Superior Court Wednesday. -more-
Woman killed on Bart tracks at West Oakland station
OAKLAND – BART police say a woman was struck and killed by a train as she walked on the tracks at the West Oakland Station Wednesday afternoon. -more-
Baseball bet tests civic pride
ANAHEIM — With civic pride and a lot of publicity about their World Series bet at stake, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown refused to wear mouse ears. -more-
Tree-squatter moves into housing
BRISBANE — A woman who had lived with her husband for more than a decade in a 300-year-old oak tree on San Bruno Mountain will move into temporary housing. -more-
California nursing homes below standards
SACRAMENTO — A majority of California nursing homes fail to meet federal standards and nearly half have not met minimum nurse-staffing levels set by the state, a review by a health care group found. -more-
Food pantries benefit from port squabbles
SAN FRANCISCO — The West Coast port shutdown was not a calamity for all involved: food banks from San Francisco to New York City are finding pantries fat with tons of perishables that never made it to market. -more-
Generic weed killers fight for dollars
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s a familiar story: generic upstarts shaking a long-established industry left vulnerable by expired patents on blockbuster products. -more-
State announces grants for schools
SACRAMENTO — The California Energy Commission and the California Power Authority have set up a program to distribute $1.25 million in grants for schools to install rooftop solar energy systems, officials said Wednesday. -more-
State receives $2.3 million for counseling
SACRAMENTO — California is getting a $2.3 million federal grant to expand benefits and continue group crisis counseling for family members and survivors of last year’s terrorist attacks, officials said Wednesday. -more-
Bali tourist returns home
LOS ANGELES — An Orange County tourist who narrowly avoided being caught in the deadly Bali nightclub bombing that killed his friend returned to California on Wednesday, breaking into sobs as people told him, “It’s good to have you back.” -more-
Another UC strike considered
Just two months after hundreds of UC Berkeley office assistants, childcare workers and library assistants walked off the job, the university’s clerical employees, locked in a bitter contract dispute with the university over wages and workplace safety, began a new round of voting Tuesday to authorize a second strike. -more-
Is today a ‘rainy day’ for UC?
To the Editor: -more-
Alameda proves to be more than a pushover
Alameda High was supposed to be just another speed bump in Berkeley High’s road to a third straight volleyball league championship, but they turned out to be more of a traffic jam. -more-
City rediscovers budget deficit
City Council spared two popular programs from the chopping block Tuesday, including winter swimming at Willard Pool. But as officials dealt with city budget forecasts, they agreed that additional across-the-board cuts would be inevitable. -more-
Iraq links to al-Qaida could be useful to U.S.
The Bonds dilemma: pitch to him or not to pitch to him
ANAHEIM – Everywhere the Anaheim Angels go, the question is the same: Pitch to Barry Bonds or walk him? -more-
School board raise hinges on voters
Board of Education members want a raise. But first, they’ll have to get past a skeptical public. -more-
Berkeley smoking ban to begin in November
Why sacrifice Berkeley for sprawl?
To the Editor: -more-
Senator: Park Service must explain
HELENA, Mont. — A U.S. senator is demanding an explanation from the National Park Service for why it cut short the season of a Yellowstone National Park ranger who earlier was ordered to stop speaking out about unscrupulous hunters. -more-
Oakland school district hires advisor to find missing money
OAKLAND – A significant budget gap is plaguing the Oakland Unified School District and county officials have appointed a fiscal advisor while they wait to find out just how much money is missing. -more-
Juvenile suspected of shooting officer
OAKLAND – A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of shooting an Oakland police officer in the head last month, police said. -more-
Lawmakers urged to legalize undocumented workers
SAN FRANCISCO – Immigration activists in 12 states are rallying and lobbying congressional representatives this week in an election-season effort to generate support for legalizing undocumented workers. -more-
Opening statements today in Bonds’ ball lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO – Opening statements are scheduled to begin today in San Francisco Superior Court in a legal dispute over possession of Giants slugger Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run baseball. -more-
Accused family-killer blames tragedy on faulty accelerator
REDWOOD CITY – A Foster City man charged with murdering his family by driving off a cliff into the Pacific told rescuers that his foot was stuck on the accelerator, according to court records. -more-
Nursing home regulators set stricter rules for elderly care
SACRAMENTO – State regulators announced Tuesday measures to add volunteers to help monitor nursing homes and to expand a consumer assistance program for residents and their families. -more-
S.F. supervisors approve Olympic bid
SAN FRANCISCO – It was all smiles Tuesday at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting, where the sometimes contentious panel voted 11-0 to give the city’s Olympic bid a vital green light – three years ahead of schedule. -more-
State has 58 of nation’s fastest-growing companies
SACRAMENTO – More of the fastest-growing businesses, as ranked by Inc. Magazine, are from California than from any other state, negating an impression the state’s business climate is too unfriendly, state officials said. -more-
Pressplay adds BMG catalog to online music
SAN FRANCISCO – Pressplay, the joint online music venture of Sony Corp. and Vivendi Universal SA, has inked a deal with BMG to add its music catalog to the song streaming and download service. -more-
Jet-powered train could speed across nation
WASHINGTON – The maker of America’s fastest train is shopping around a new product that could bring high-speed rail service to areas outside the Northeast. -more-
DNA evidence doesn’t match Zodiac suspect
SAN FRANCISCO – The one suspect investigators had in the Zodiac killings of the late 1960s does not match DNA evidence, a newspaper reported Tuesday. -more-
Nevada protests result in charges
LAS VEGAS – Protesters capped a weekend of demonstrations and arrests at the Nevada Test Site and the planned Yucca Mountain radioactive waste dump with a rally in Las Vegas claiming minority communities are disproportionately contaminated by federal nuclear facilities. -more-
Suspected terror cell member pleads innocent
PORTLAND, Ore. – A man accused of conspiring to fight U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks pleaded innocent Tuesday. -more-
Trial opens for toxicologist accused of killing husband
SAN DIEGO – The trial of a former toxicologist accused of poisoning her husband began Tuesday with prosecutors using a series of passionate e-mails and a glass drug pipe to illustrate the twin obsessions they claim led her to commit murder: a torrid office affair and an addiction to methamphetamine. -more-
Mauna Loa stirring, scientists warn eruption could be dangerous
VOLCANO, Hawaii – Mauna Loa is stirring after an 18-year pause, and an eruption could be devastating to the neighborhoods built on the giant volcano’s slopes in the intervening years, scientists said Monday. -more-
Satellite rescue beacons soon to be widely available
WASHINGTON – Hikers, mountain climbers, hunters and others who could find themselves lost or hurt will have a new way to call for help: a handheld device that signals the same satellite rescue system that has watched over pilots and boaters for two decades. -more-
David Letterman gets his wish
NEW YORK — So far this season, David Letterman has gotten the prime-time help he asked for from CBS. -more-
Thermometer exchange considered
Ready to get rid of that old mercury thermometer? You may want to hold off a bit. -more-
Giants finish off Cards on way to World Series
SAN FRANCISCO — At long last, Barry Bonds will get his chance. -more-
UC deals clericals final wage offer
The University of California, pushing to conclude a year-old contract dispute with 18,000 secretaries, library assistants and childcare workers, has imposed an Oct. 31 deadline on the employees’ union to accept a two-year, 3.5 percent salary increase. -more-
World Series tickets on sale
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants have announced that tickets to possible World Series games between the Giants and Anaheim Angels at Pacific Bell Park will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday morning. -more-
Accusations fly between campaigns
Tom Bates’ campaign officials refuted allegations Monday that the progressive candidate for mayor accepted illegal campaign contributions financed by tobacco and logging interests. -more-
Rams hand Raiders first loss of season, pick up first win
ST. LOUIS — Marc Bulger had every reason to be jittery. -more-
Berkeley workers support strikes
A small group of union activists held a teach-in on the UC Berkeley campus Monday, supporting hundreds of lecturers and clerical employees striking at five other UC campuses over wages and job security. -more-
Orange County man missing after Saturday’s Bali bombing
LOS ANGELES — An Orange County man on a Bali surfing trip to celebrate his 41st birthday is missing after a bombing on the resort island, his family and friends said Monday. -more-
Health officials plan cancer survey
SAN RAFAEL — Marin County health officials and community groups soon will be polling residents as part of an effort to learn why the scenic, affluent region north of San Francisco is home to one of the nation’s highest rates of breast cancer. -more-
Arcata follows Berkley lead on war in Iraq
ARCATA — Officials planned a Town Hall meeting Tuesday to see how residents feel about a city proclamation opposing an attack on Iraq. -more-
Defense Agency lights up East Bay
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE — The nation’s missile defense system was successfully tested Monday night as a Minuteman II missile was destroyed in the atmosphere by an interceptor missile. -more-
Victim stable after shooting in East Bay
Highland Hospital reports a man in stable condition Monday following a shooting in Oakland Sunday evening. -more-
Suspect arrested following East Bay crime spree
MARTINEZ — The Martinez Police Department says a man was placed in custody Monday after he went on an alleged crime spree that included robbing a house, crashing a stolen vehicle into a police car and attempted carjacking. -more-
Giant pumpkin sets new record
HALF MOON BAY – An Oregon firefighter who grew a 1,173-pound pumpkin set a new West Coast record at the 29th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay Monday. -more-
Simon says he’s sorry for photo
LOS ANGELES — Bill Simon is sorry. -more-
Slow going for ports despite dockworkers return
SAN FRANCISCO — As dockworkers finished their first weekend back to work, both the union and port operators agreed on one thing: It’s still slow going. -more-
Microsoft and Linux gaining momentum from Unix servers
SAN FRANCISCO — While the battle between Microsoft Corp. and the open-source software movement dominates headlines, another phenomenon is shaping the marketplace — at least for servers used by businesses. -more-
Coast Guard survey looks for vulnerabilities in nation’s ports
SAN DIEGO — Teams of security officers with the U.S. Coast Guard have surveyed a handful of ports nationwide to determine whether they are vulnerable to a terrorist attack, a newspaper reported Monday. -more-
Up to 11 bodies found in train car in Iowa
DENISON, Iowa — Up to 11 badly decomposed bodies, possibly belonging to immigrants who were being smuggled into the country, were found in a Union Pacific rail car parked at a grain elevator outside of town, authorities said Monday. -more-
Lecturers picket, strike at five UC campuses
SAN FRANCISCO — More than 1,000 lecturers at five University of California campuses picketed Monday instead of teaching their classes as part of a two-day strike they hope will pressure the administration to compromise on contract issues. -more-
Brain size linked to stress disorder
LOS ANGELES — A study of 80 men — 40 who saw combat in Vietnam and their twins who did not — suggests the size of a region of the brain involved in storing memories can predict one’s vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder. -more-
Simon leans on family and faith
GARDEN GROVE — After weeks when nothing seemed to go right on the campaign trail, Bill Simon was finally playing to a friendly crowd: the Rip Roaring Republican Rally. -more-
Charter schools work to seek accreditation
SACRAMENTO — With high-tech art and music studios, ballet and tap dance classes and a theater, the Natomas Performing and Fine Arts Academy in Sacramento looks more like a private university than a public school. -more-
News of meat recall spreads to consumers
PHILADELPHIA— Dom Spatano, who runs a deli in the Reading Terminal Market downtown, said Monday he has changed what he puts in his kids’ lunchboxes because of the biggest meat recall in U.S. history. -more-
News of meat recall spreads to consumers
PHILADELPHIA— Dom Spatano, who runs a deli in the Reading Terminal Market downtown, said Monday he has changed what he puts in his kids’ lunchboxes because of the biggest meat recall in U.S. history. -more-
LaPaglia reverses his own vanishing
LOS ANGELES — Anthony LaPaglia hit an artistic high with the 2001 film “Lantana,” in which he created a striking portrait of a police detective in full-blown midlife crisis. -more-
Cost of UC student hearings mounts
If the opening hearing for 32 students who took over a UC Berkeley campus building is any indicator, the total bill for the remaining hearings will be at least $400,000, according to estimates by university officials. -more-
Questioning a school board candidate
To the Editor: -more-
Second-half woes continue as Bears fall to USC
LOS ANGELES – Sultan McCullough had the busiest day of any Southern California tailback in the last 15 years, and he didn’t mind a bit. -more-
Activist-turned-moderate is 8th District front-runner
He’s the heir apparent. But he’s got a race on his hands. -more-
Muñoz scores in overtime to lead Cal over Huskies
Sophomore Mike Muñoz scored a dramatic overtime goal to lift the Cal men’s soccer team to a 2-1 win over Washington on Sunday. -more-
Local anti-terrorism efforts begin
Where would you go if the Bay Area was attacked with biological weapons? Where would you turn for information or treatment? -more-
Oakland’s housing crunch could mirror Berkeley’s
To the Editor: -more-
Lady Bears suffer another shutout
LOS ANGELES - The fifth-ranked Cal women’s soccer team lost its second straight game on Sunday, falling 2-0 to No. 15 USC. The Bears fell to 0-2 in Pac-10 play (7-4-1 overall) after losing, 1-0, to UCLA on Friday. The Trojans improved to 6-4-3 overall, 1-1 in the Pac-10. -more-
Blasts renew fears of al-Qaida
BALI, Indonesia — Terrified tourists tried Sunday to flee this island paradise that turned into an inferno, with the death toll from a pair of bombings climbing to 187 and fears growing that al-Qaida has taken its terror campaign to the world’s largest Muslim country. -more-
87th murder in Oakland
OAKLAND – The Oakland police were investigating a homicide Sunday morning that took place on the 5900 block of Monadnock Way in east Oakland. -more-
New water pipeline eases fears of shortage
The East Bay Municipal Utility District has completed construction of an 11-mile emergency pipeline that would let water flow between Castro Valley and San Ramon. -more-
New BART fare gates to debut at Concord station
Bay Area Rapid Transit officials are scheduled to unveil the first of the transit system’s new fare gates and ticket vending machines at the Concord BART Station this week. -more-
Big business going organic
SAN FRANCISCO — Lately quite a few large food companies have gotten into the organic food market, giving California organic farmers, often the foes of large agriculture businesses, something of a shock. -more-
State Briefs
Marijuana advocate could get up to five years for growing -more-
Report: Davis appointees gave $12 million to his campaign
LOS ANGELES – Nearly one-fifth of the $64 million Gov. Gray Davis has raised for his re-election has been donated by people he appointed to state boards and commissions, according to a report published Sunday. -more-
Ancient camels? In Long Beach?
LONG BEACH – A geologist searching for earthquake faults at a construction site found something even more earth-shattering: the 100,000-year-old fossilized remains of a North American camel. -more-
Dockworkers keep strong grip despite setback
SAN FRANCISCO – Longshoremen are back at work after a 10-day lockout, but who’s in charge on the West Coast docks? -more-
California unemployment falls slightly
LOS ANGELES – California’s unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.3 percent in September from August’s revised figure of 6.4 percent, state officials reported on Friday. -more-
Car hits church
SAN FRANCISCO — Four congregation members were injured Sunday after a fellow member drove through the front doors of the church following services. -more-
California sisters run for Congress
LAKEWOOD — Rep. Loretta Sanchez and her sister are working toward a historic goal, becoming the first sisters elected to Congress. -more-
“Anything goes” radio may be a thing of the past
Indigenous reflect on hard times
While most of the United States will celebrate Columbus Day this Monday, Berkeley will remember the consequences of colonialism. For the past 10 years, the city has designated the Saturday nearest to Oct. 12 – the date Christopher Columbus arrived in America – as Indigenous Peoples Day. Today, more than 100 Native American groups will gather at Martin Luther King Jr. Park to dance, sing and remember. -more-
A challenge to Mayor Dean
Berkeley is world renouned as a home of knowledge and learning. Our children deserve world-class schools that live up to Berkeley’s superb reputation. Our local school district does a good job with its limited resources. However, if we are serious about bringing a world-class education to every single child in Berkeley we need to make our schools a higher priority and enlist the help of the entire community as well as our county, state and federal officials. -more-
Tin Hat Trio; A musical ride into the sunset
Ask any musician what kind of music his band plays. You’re likely to get “it’s hard to categorize” followed by some long dizzying string of styles like post-punk-rockabilly-surfer-metal. Even if resisting musical definitions weren’t de rigueur, most musical categories fall short in their attempt to help listeners navigate the CD bins of today’s music stores. -more-
Jackets slam Encinal
The Berkeley High Yellowjackets continued to run roughshod over their opposition on Friday, using a 48-point first half to propel them to a 57-0 win over Encinal High. -more-
Kissing your sister: St. Mary’s ties with Oakland Tech
One running back piling up yards the St. Mary’s High defense was able to handle. Two running backs piling up yards the defense was almost too much for the Panthers to handle. -more-
Anti-war protests continue
Forty-six anti-war protesters were arrested Friday morning as they tried to block workers from entering the Federal Building in San Francisco, authorities said. -more-
Cal (4-2, 1-1 Pac-10) vs. USC (3-2, 1-1 Pac-10)
When Cal has the ball -more-
Sniper manhunt expands to suburbs
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — A man filling up his car at a Virginia gas station was shot to death Friday in what may have been the most brazen attack yet by the Washington-area sniper, committed as a state trooper investigated an accident just across the street. -more-
Former SFO security goes job hunting
SAN FRANCISCO — Federal officials, union leaders and the city of San Francisco hope to match hundreds of soon-to-be displaced airport screeners with jobs elsewhere in the security industry. -more-
Moving freight from west to east presents challenge
The reopening of West Coast ports brought little relief to the Ross Glove Co., which has 70,000 pairs of leather gloves stitched in the Philippines still stuck on a ship in the Long Beach, Calif., harbor. -more-
$484 million bill for California finance company
SACRAMENTO — Household International Inc., one of the nation’s largest lenders, will pay $484 million to settle illegal lending allegations by state attorneys general and state financial regulators, California officials said Thursday evening. -more-
Opinion
Editorials
CIA director says al-Qaida ready to strike on U.S. soil, overseas
By John J. Lumpkin -more-
U.S. handing over weapons as Afghan military struggles
BAGRAM, Afghanistan — U.S. troops are giving confiscated weapons and ammunition to warlords in Afghanistan, a practice that critics say strengthens private militias and undermines attempts to establish a national army. -more-
Three hunters dead, one missing in North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. — Duck hunters in two boats died in separate accidents after their vessels capsized or sank in choppy North Dakota lakes. Three bodies were recovered by Tuesday as divers continued searching for a fourth man. -more-
Police deluged with calls about sniper
ROCKVILLE, Md. — The longest lull yet in the Washington sniper’s killing spree brought little relief Monday as jittery residents flooded police with calls upon hearing car backfire, firecrackers or breaking glass. -more-
Oakland narcotics officer axed for drugs
OAKLAND — The Police Department has fired a veteran narcotics officer for alleged misconduct stemming from a 2001 case involving several hundred dollars worth of cocaine. -more-